What Should A Father Teach His Son? - [Proverbs 6]

Bethlehem Bible Church iconBethlehem Bible Church

0 views

0 comments

00:00
Well, good morning. This is my once -a -year Sunday school class where I get to teach so thankful that we have many equipped men who can do this and so I don't have to do it that often and Why were there five times more people here when
00:17
Steve was teaching than me? What was up with that? All right today.
00:22
We're going to be looking at a proverb. So if you have your Bibles, let's turn to Proverbs chapter 6
00:28
What do you teach your son if you're a father? Certainly if you're a mother or you're a daughter today there are good implications for you and in our society where we have all kinds of divorces and Family members who have died mothers need to know this as well, but this is a proverb specifically designed for fathers to teach their sons five things and some of these are counterintuitive and that's why
00:54
I like this passage is because I wouldn't think about teaching Luke some of these issues. Oh a matter of fact, there you are.
01:01
Good. Good to see you, buddy Why don't we go ahead and pray and then let's get into this passage
01:07
Proverbs chapter 6 a father. Thank you for this word. Thank you for your wisdom that you've given
01:14
To Solomon and then inscripturated in the text so we could have it thousands of years later so we might learn
01:21
Thank you that the word is sufficient and inspired and that when we look at these words, it's not just Common opinion.
01:28
It's not just a majority vote It's not just a king's word, but it is your spirit's word.
01:33
These are words from you and help us to take heart to these words By your grace live these things out pray, especially for the dads today that they would learn and teach their children
01:44
These special truths and for those who are moms or grandmas or grandpas
01:49
You'd give them opportunity to teach these truths to those who are in their lives as well in Jesus name.
01:55
Amen Alright, well one whole chapter is pretty much going to be beyond me today 35 verses
02:04
Considering my sermon this morning. I'll do one verse Matthew 543. And so I'm already gonna just try to take a deep breath
02:12
Calm down. I have that desire to just teach all this But I'm just gonna probably just relax a little bit and then later the summer when
02:19
I need to fill in again for Dave I will maybe we'll get it all done, but I really doubt it
02:25
Proverbs are about wisdom who can tell me the difference between wisdom and knowledge and why would it matter?
02:32
Is it an important difference knowledge and wisdom? Yes, Charlie Okay, so for the tapes
02:49
Sake and for your sake knowledge. It's data. It's just intellectual intake but wisdom is that knowledge applied can you be a
03:00
Fool the opposite of somebody who's wise and be smart and be learned You hear what
03:07
Lewis said that universities are full of them and that's true. I like Charles Spurgeon He said wisdom is the right use of knowledge
03:16
To know is not to be wise Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it
03:23
There is no fool so great as a knowing fool But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom and that's what
03:31
Solomon wants for his son That's what you dad should want for your sons. That's what you mother should want for your sons and daughters
03:38
That's what you grandparents should want for your grandkids and the list goes on and on We don't want to just know we want to have that wisdom that comes from Acting out what we know and certainly we would be wrong if we said if we just teach you a lot at this church
03:56
You might become just puffed up in your head and and never could apply it Well, I think we could struggle at our church with knowing too much and not doing enough
04:06
But what are we to do as leaders never teach you? We have to teach you and then encourage you and have the Spirit of God have you live out what you know
04:13
By the way, if you go back to chapter 1 in Proverbs by my count, I find 23 times
04:20
Where Solomon says these two words? My son and I'm just going to show you just a quick few to show you this recurring theme in the
04:29
Proverbs Chapter 1 verse 8. Do you see it there my son? Hear the instruction of your father verse 10 of the same chapter my son if sinners entice you verse 15 my son
04:44
Chapter 2 verse 1 my son He starts off chapter 3 the same way my son on and on and on 23 times in this book
04:54
The book of Proverbs, do you see those words my son a father trying to teach his son?
05:01
wisdom Now I want you men to know and the church to know that This is important to teach because sons don't learn this by osmosis
05:13
The church may teach it the schools may teach it your Moms Might teach it
05:21
But this is given to the fathers to teach is it the responsibility of the father to teach the children about?
05:29
knowledge about wisdom and about the Lord Is it my responsibility as a pastor to teach your kids?
05:34
Well in a sense yes on Sunday and when we gather together But it is your responsibility and this is a good charge from God through Solomon to dads to teach their
05:45
Children and the way this father teaches it's exciting when
05:51
I try to teach my kids the Bible I don't do everything perfect of course, but when I tell the kids all right It's time for Bible time, and you sit down.
05:57
I can't believe it sit up wipe your face off You know blow your nose sit there.
06:03
You're gonna listen to me and the Bible's great. It's good for you and open wide How do you think my kids respond when
06:08
I teach that way? Well they respond perfect, they're my kids. I mean come on no when you're teaching kids
06:16
You've got to be involved then you talk about Issues a little bit differently, and that's exactly what
06:22
Solomon does he talks about ears Hands and eyes he talks about animals you want to teach a kid a good
06:30
Lesson go go find an animal and teach them about the animal and it is a wonderful Thing that Solomon uses vivid language he uses all kinds of analogies from the animal kingdom and he makes it
06:43
Interesting and it is fast paced and that is a good way to teach children with excitement with vivid
06:49
Language and just outside in the normal walk of life Five specific things in Proverbs 6 that Solomon teaches his sons
07:02
So I could just apply it for you as well five things especially if you're a dad But if you're a mom or a grandma or someone else you certainly could learn these and teach them to those
07:13
In your care or under your influence, but five exhortations five reminders on how to be wise in a foolish world how to have applied knowledge in a world that runs around and doesn't have any idea what to do who acts the opposite of Wisely they act what?
07:32
Foolishly For you kids. I would if I were teaching my kids. I would say here's five things that I want to teach you
07:38
So that you aren't Stupid and that gets Simon looked right up on that one, too.
07:44
It's okay to say stupid in a church. All right question so far
07:51
I Don't think we're gonna get through them all but that's all right number one
07:58
You if you're a dad need to teach your sons That if they're in a financial entanglement they need to get out of it quickly
08:07
What do you ever teach your kid that I didn't seem like it's it's something that I would do verses 1 through 5
08:14
It's not just saying you need to avoid financial entanglements, but if you're in one you need to get out of it quickly now
08:21
Let's look at the passage. It's a little cultural, but I think we can come up with some good application for our church as well verse 1
08:29
My son if you have become surety for a snake for your neighbor if you become a guarantee of security for someone else's loan
08:41
Or you have been given a pledge for a stranger not just somebody that you're is your neighbor that you know
08:46
But somebody that you don't have any idea who they are if you are bound with your finances to be a secure
08:55
Surety for them if you have been snared with the words of your mouth if you and your naivete and your gullibility as a young Person have have met somebody and all of a sudden before you know what you've co -signed the loan as it were
09:08
Well, what does he say to do if you've been caught with the words of your mouth? There's going to be trouble
09:18
Solomon's trying to tell his son if you act foolishly if you act unwisely as a young person
09:24
You can have financial entanglements that will last your entire life And he wants to make sure that when it comes to money that he's teaching his son, and here's a particular
09:35
Israel kind of thing where they would Be generous maybe maybe a
09:43
Solomon's son has grown up to be a man who is like Solomon Generous and giving and we have
09:48
Christians and and and here who teach their kids We want to have have open hands with our money and teach that we should be giving and giving and all of a sudden our
09:56
Son who's a little naive meet somebody who's a neighbor or a stranger or a swindler and before you know it
10:02
He's co -signed his life away And Solomon says dad's teach your sons that if that's the case if you're in a fine a financial entanglement
10:11
Because of your gullibility Well, what should you do? Interesting device look at verses three and four
10:18
Do this then my son? And again, he's not saying don't get in the situation
10:24
That would be good advice, but he's saying here in this proverb if you're in this situation. Here's what you do deliver yourself
10:30
Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor go humble yourself and Importune your neighbor do not give sleep to your eyes nor slumber to your eyelids
10:39
If you have co -signed your life away to this neighbor or this stranger And you are going to be bound to what they do the rest of your life
10:47
Here's what you go do you go get yourself out of it by humbling yourself by groveling
10:52
By by letting them walk all over you and you beg to get out of it That's what you do. You need to get out of that right away.
10:59
Did you ever teach your son this? That's why it's kind of so Counterintuitive. I want you to let them walk all over you where it says there
11:08
I'll go humble yourself Just go let yourself be humiliated. I did the wrong thing. I said the wrong thing, please
11:15
What will it take for me to get out of this situation? Plead one commentator said by obnoxious
11:22
Pleading and then he gives a couple similes so we can understand it.
11:28
What a great way to teach kids Verse 5 deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter's hand
11:34
How does a gazelle get out of a hunter's hand? Well, it tries to get out with urgency and with excitement and with enthusiasm and struggle and exertion
11:44
You don't just say well I I made a bad deal and I have to live with it Well, there's ways to get out of bad deals and now is the time he tells his son
11:53
Like an animal in a trap I remember when I was a kid so vividly when I would learn that certain coyotes and wolves if their
12:01
Leg was caught in a trap. What would they do? They would bite off their own legs
12:08
I think of the man that was mountain climbing and his arm got stuck between the two large rocks.
12:14
And what did he do? Took his knife first eat first. He tied the
12:20
Tourniquet around him and then he cut off his own arm So he's saying you're going to be bound in some kind of stupid foolish
12:28
Unwise financial entanglement that could cost you your whole life get out of it beg plead
12:34
Deliver yourself. You see the other simile and like a bird from the hand of a fowler Now we don't have these things too often today
12:45
So let's just talk about some general advice if you're a father teaching a son about financial entanglements
12:51
What what might you say? What would be some good advice if you were a dad trying to teach your kids about money? Don't co -sign alone, right if you would go co -sign you should be willing to cover that it should be yours.
13:03
Yes. Good. What else? Okay, and in Israel's day
13:15
They weren't allowed to charge interest to fellow Israelites and other things And so if somebody has a need you could just serve them and not expect anything back.
13:24
That would be good. What else? What do you want to teach your kids about money credit cards?
13:31
That's a very interesting one, isn't it? very Hard lessons for people who aren't just children, right?
13:40
It's a very difficult one with interest and owing people things Scott put money in the bank good
13:47
I know some parents where they will give their kids allowance and then there'll be a like a piggy bank kind of thing and then like a church bank and then kind of a
13:57
You know just a spending money thing So you want to give your kids chores to do give them allowance so they know here's for the church
14:04
Here's for savings good. What else? Mike Okay, so you could teach your kids about investment wise investments good like the lottery friends now this could get me in trouble, but Hyperbole is good.
14:33
Sometimes I Would rather have my kids
14:42
Take some dried Tobacco leaves roll them up light them on fire and suck in the smoke on occasion
14:49
Take some water down wine Have some kind of tattoos.
14:55
I don't want my kids to do any of those but the whole idea of the lottery
15:03
Friends you want to know how to take money from people you up you you you go after their greed and it's on Christian TV and It's at the lottery and the lottery is for people who are stupid
15:17
They are foolish. They are unwise By the way
15:22
You don't even want to win do you because Jay Vernon McGee used to say one of the ways God judges people is by letting
15:28
Them get a lot of money because then who needs God when you have a lot of money I don't want my kids to smoke or drink or get a bunch of tattoos.
15:36
That's not my point but walking to Cumberland Farms getting like 19 packs of camel no filters and a bunch of bags of Fritos and then about $80 of scratchers and then they take the scratchers and they don't even want to get out of line
15:54
I just still have my smart food and a diet coke that's all I have and and I want to pay and then they're scratching at the counter and Then they're trying to redeem them back in there
16:03
There are things that we need to teach our sons and mothers, of course daughters and all kinds of other application
16:09
But that is a foolish use of your money because our money is ultimately whose money it's the
16:17
Lord's money and We we trick ourselves. I mean our heart is deceitful. And so we say
16:22
Lord if we win, I'll give a little bit more to the church
16:28
I'll help your people You know, the church needs a new building. We're outgrowing that building and Lord if you let me win this lotto scratcher
16:36
I'll make sure we take care of it in this particular case.
16:42
This was a big deal in Proverbs 6 1 to 5 and Solomon wants to know by the way
16:47
There's a lot more involved here too Because this son is going to inherit the king's riches and you get yourself caught up in some kind of financial
16:55
Entanglement entanglement get out of it as soon as you can But I think there's good advice that you can find all throughout the
17:01
Proverbs that dads need to teach their sons Because otherwise they are going to learn the hard way
17:06
They probably still learn some things a hard way But you want to try to minimize that to teach your kids all the money's the
17:13
Lord Lords and that a love of money is what? Money is not the root of evil, but the love of it is
17:21
Oh Questions about finances or what to teach kids or anything specific about this Bruce, isn't that amazing?
17:55
20 % of the people plan to finance their retirement by winning the lottery Not very good odds.
18:02
I have four kids. I'm just hoping one marries rich. So I've got a 25 % chance
18:07
It's a lot better than any other lottery system I Saw another hand back here.
18:18
Yes Well without getting into all the details there are some
18:28
Christians who teach that you should never be in any kind of debt Taking a few isolated verses from Christ.
18:34
I believe out of the entire Corpus context and so I think that is fine.
18:41
I Think debt over your head It wouldn't be good and I think if you have a student loan
18:46
If my kids want to get a student loan to go to school, I don't think that's a bad thing I think it's bad to say
18:51
I'll get a student loan. And by the way when I'm older, I'll just default And they won't come after me and I'll just try to get out of it
18:57
I think that would be the wrong thing but student loans as far as I'm concerned or a mortgage or other loans.
19:04
I Think that would be appropriate for the Christian. Yeah, I wish it wasn't the case, but schools are so expensive now
19:19
How else do you go to school in our particular family? We are paying for a private Christian education Which means there's no college fund.
19:26
I mean, there's a little one but it's it's mainly going to be it's called the United States Marine Corps It's fun so the money
19:38
I have now I just think for our particular family and again We have some visitors and other folks here. It's up to the family to choose public private or homeschool
19:45
But our family we are doing private Christian school and that's where I'm spending the money now that I would normally invest for the college
19:53
And so if you want to say that's a good investment, I think that's fine There are some people who are so far in debt
19:59
I would say this as a practical application from this if you are so far in debt Then would you go to your creditors and just beg to get out from some underneath some of the stuff and some of the things
20:08
They will take off and maybe you can consolidate some of those things and it's a good idea to get out from underneath some of those things
20:15
Without doing the bankruptcy route, but Solomon is concerned for his son that he understands money
20:22
And so I think allowances are good. Why? Because the kids will have money and they'll know what it costs kids don't know what things cost
20:31
Oh, I want to go to Six Flags. Well, that's nice, but it's $49 .95 to get in and it's now 15 bucks for parking.
20:40
That's I'm glad you want to go I want to go to you know, Sri Lanka too, but there are things it's called money.
20:46
And so we have Allowances at our house and when kids break things they have to earn those things back and when they lose things
20:54
They have to earn those things back. Don't they? They do they need to understand the value of money
21:01
Money is not a bad thing. Money is a good thing. So any other questions about that?
21:08
All right. Well, let's go to the next one Not just telling your son if you're in a foolish financial entanglement get out of it
21:18
But number two found in verses 6 to 11 fathers teach your sons to work for what they have
21:27
Positively negatively to not be sinfully lazy. We're moving from one kind of self -inflicted impoverishment foolish financial entanglements to another foolish
21:40
Financial entanglement and that's called being lazy. Now. Certainly ladies can be lazy, but you can see here the father teaching the son
21:50
Right because of the effects of the fall the fall Everything got messed up at the fall before the fall work till Cultivate and all of a sudden after the fall what was good labor without sweat and toil
22:06
Now becomes difficult and men and boys are those who are more prone to be lazy than girls
22:13
My girls have other problems But they're not as prone to be lazy as a boy would be and so here he's saying you need to make sure you aren't
22:22
Lazy because left to yourself you will be dads and moms teach your sons
22:28
Especially not to be lazy watch out for them to be lazy and get on them when they are and that's basically
22:34
What Solomon says with some cool language here verse 6? Go to the ant Oh sluggard
22:40
Observe her ways and be wise which having no chief officer ruler prepares her food in the summer gathers her provision in the harvest
22:49
So one of the things I want you to do is not just be a bird watcher Matthew 6 it's good to watch birds.
22:56
Yes I used to think birds were kind of stupid and and Kim started putting up all the Seeds and all the suet and everything else and all of a sudden.
23:03
I think look at that cool woodpecker look at that All kinds of you know different we have this little book now and so you can see and so here
23:11
I am some kind of bird watcher now looking at these birds, and and I think you know God takes care of those birds
23:17
That's the lesson. Well. There are ants to watch out for and these ants can teach lessons.
23:22
I was on the internet There are a hundred different ant species and this particular ant that was found in Palestine was a very industrious
23:31
Worker be kind of ant and Solomon says son. Here's an object lesson. I want you to study that ant
23:37
Now they say if you're a pastor you're never supposed to tell Stories out of school, but this one's a funny one, and he doesn't do it anymore
23:44
One day I found that Luke was at school and he was trying to show off his Avendroth bravado by eating ants at Twin City School and So Luke had the right idea to observe the ants
23:58
But not observing as they would go like this into the mouth and chewing him up and they didn't even have chocolate on there
24:04
What do they taste like by the way? Pretty much every kid has done that and thanks to survivor and fear factor and all these other things eating these different kind of crazy things and I'm sure
24:17
I don't help them that much We'd get weird foods at our house And I want to teach the kids when we go to India or we go to Germany or wherever we go whatever you get served
24:24
You eat so I try to get weird foods at home, and then I'll pay the kids each a dollar if they'll eat those foods
24:31
Almost works every time Okay back to the ant. He's not talking about eating ants.
24:38
He's saying I want you to watch the ant Matter of fact, I learned this week that in German the word ant and industry are almost
24:47
Sounding the same He says I want you to look at the ant as a as a symbol other countries
24:52
Did other people do as a symbol of industry? We were at the party yesterday at gladman's graduation party
24:58
We began to talk about this proverb and I said, you know to Dave Jeffries answer everywhere
25:03
And you can easily learn these lessons about ants All you have to do is look down in the summer spring or fall and you'll see an ant
25:09
So I look down and guess what? I saw just walk right across the cement There's an ant right there and you just watch and as I looked at the ant he walked over to the side and he put his feet up on that lawn chair and Put his head back and he began to just take a nap and sunbathing
25:25
Just kind of relaxing had a little kind of a one of those little tropical fruit drinks there.
25:30
No, of course not What do you always see ants doing? They're busy they're working and they don't have a queen bee leader
25:37
They are busy Industrious and so boys have a problem with the fall and it's called laziness and he said here you watch this ant don't get
25:47
Hurt financially because of some stupid co -signing and also because of you're just lazy.
25:54
I Look at the encyclopedia online this week. There is ant inspired
26:00
Technology the WPI guys are like this and gals Quote the successful techniques used by ant colonies
26:08
Has been widely studied especially in computer science and robotics to produce distributed and fault tolerant systems for solving problems this area of biomimetics has led to studies of ant locomotion search engines
26:25
Which may make use of foraging trails and fault tolerant storage and networking algorithms see also
26:33
Langdon's ant and ant colony optimization computer programmers and others study ants because they are a good model of Working hard and being the opposite of a sluggard or someone who is lazy
26:51
Proverbs 30 25 it says the answer not a strong folk, but they prepare their food in the
26:58
Summer they're working They have no ruler, but they work for future needs
27:06
Solomon's saying you want to be financially impoverished then be lazy
27:13
Great illustration. We don't have time to read, but I'll just read you one verse of a man who maybe watched ants
27:20
But who was certainly industrious? Genesis 41 49 this
27:25
Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea until he stopped measuring it for it was beyond measure
27:35
Working for a rainy day, and he says in verse 9 of Proverbs 6. How long will you lie down?
27:42
Oh sluggard When will you arise from your sleep and sluggard in the in the Proverbs is not just somebody who's kind of lazy a sluggard is
27:50
Contrasted with someone who is righteous so sluggards are unrighteous sluggards are
27:57
Contrasted with those who are upright so sluggards are not just unrighteous, but they are not upright
28:05
Proverbs 26 about the sluggard he says there's a lion in the road a lion in the open square as The door turns on its hinges so does the sluggard on his bed
28:18
Better not go outside and work. I think there's a lion prowling around he might get us
28:24
Better stay inside Proverbs 26 it says the sluggard buries his hand in the dish
28:34
He is weary of bringing it into his mouth again The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can give a discreet answer
28:43
For those of you have not read Pilgrim's Progress. There's a man Whose name is what synonym for sluggard for lazy?
28:51
Christian comes upon this person Sloth, I mean aren't sloth the animal perfectly named
28:58
Just sloth. I mean, it's just this onomatopoetic. You just want to sloth it out
29:05
Christian comes upon Simple sloth and presumption and he's talking to them and they're discussing
29:12
Satan and his teeth and he's roaring like a lion And so what do simple sloth and presumption do when there's first Peter 5 8?
29:21
danger ahead John Bunyan said With that the discussion of Satan they looked upon Christian and began to reply in this sort
29:32
Simple said I see no danger sloth said yet a little more sleep and Presumption said every tub must stand on its own bottom
29:43
So they lay down to sleep again and Christian went on his way verse 9
29:53
Some motivation behind the scenes here, so you're not poor verse 9. How long will you lie down Oh sluggard?
29:59
When will you arise from your sleep? The language is almost it's it's been quite a while that you've been sleeping and harvest time is here and has been here and you're
30:08
Still taking a nap and the snooze button is going on and on and on it's time to wake up How long is this going to happen?
30:15
You're going to be poor and look at the three littles
30:21
Three littles add up to a lot of Poverty a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to rest
30:30
I woke up one of our kids today, and that's how I use that verse to wake him up Three little things one man said add up to big trouble of poverty
30:44
Commentator cop tech said the young man is told not to take responsibility for someone else's finances
30:50
One -to -five and to make sure that he never needs others to take responsibility for him like because of he's lazy and It is a sure thing for those of us who are able and especially the men
31:03
It says in 2nd Thessalonians that you are to what? To work, you know, you can be church disciplined if you don't work
31:12
Say well, I can't get a job in my field. Well, then get any job. I have been on the top of corporate
31:18
Well, it's not at the top of corporate America, but high up Enough high up where I thought I was successful and then downsized laid off What are some of the other code words they use to make you psychologically feel better?
31:31
Booted out on the street or I don't know what they say I'll never forget that day. I walk in and I get laid off and he said well, you know what?
31:37
We'll need your car keys right now car keys. I'm at LAX. I'm 60 miles from home. We'll need your car keys now and Here's all the stuff we need and and we need to shirt
31:47
You're not your church credit card, but the credit card for the company And by the way, we have a psychologist in the other room to talk with you if you need some help
31:57
Help all I need are imprecatory Psalms. That's all I need It's time to work.
32:06
And so what I do Show me a guy that sits at home all day long who is able to work and things aren't right
32:13
So I went and got a job at Grace Church as a janitor for $8 an hour. It was the best job
32:19
I ever had sales job Quota sleeping wake up in the middle of the night and can't rest and I got to close that deal and what if somebody else
32:27
Comes in ministry things happen with people and issues but janitor job you do the cleaning and you go home and shut the door
32:36
Feel good Men are meant to work and if you don't work and you're able to and your life is falling off the hinges
32:43
Well, that is God's goodness to you and kindness to you. So you'll go, huh?
32:49
My life's going great I don't have to think about anything. No you go my life. I'm hurting mentally physically.
32:55
I'm hurting Well look backwards and get a job Say well,
33:00
I can't get a job at Walmart. That's below me Friends there's another issue that I want to teach you and that is no work is below you
33:09
Work, I'll never forget what Steve Lawson said when he's here doing Sunday school Sunday school two months ago Psalm 112
33:14
He said let me give you a little advice kind of man -to -man Kind of thing he said what? Show up on time and do what you're told with the good attitude and you'll be surprised how far the
33:26
Lord will take you Because people don't show up on time and they don't do what they're told and they don't have a good attitude about it
33:33
Even around the house on the days That they used to have all the the bowl games the football bowl games in college on January 1st
33:43
Remember there was about six bowl games And you get up in the morning and you watch them all day long by the end of the day by the end of the orange
33:49
Bowl, that was the last game Rose Bowl. I Felt horrible why I didn't do anything except Frito myself to death and My mom died two years ago today, and she loved
34:03
Fritos And I think just today even though I'm kind of on a diet she loved diet coke and she loved Fritos today
34:09
I'm gonna have myself a Super big family gulp diet coke and a big old bag of Fritos But you feel bad if you get a to -do list around the house
34:20
Or you've got something going on and you get a lot done. How do you feel? Feel good we're to work
34:28
Say well, you know I'm retired well That's nice.
34:33
You've got more time to do more work It doesn't have to be clocking in but we are meant to do things you show me a guy who retires and doesn't do something
34:40
I'll show you a guy who is going to die soon. We are to work and For us who are older we can work for the
34:49
Lord and have time to do things for him Just listen to Paul's language,
34:58
I don't want you to turn there, but just listen to how important work is for the Christian now We command you brethren in the name of our
35:07
Lord Jesus Christ That you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life. What do you mean by unruly?
35:13
You're gonna find out It's gonna mean they don't work and not according to the tradition Which you receive from us for you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example they worked
35:23
Because we did not act in an undisciplined manner those who don't work They're undisciplined nor do we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working
35:33
He's not talking about the gospel. He could have gotten his money free from the gospel Yes, but as an example he worked not because we have a right to do this
35:43
But in order to offer ourselves as a model for you so that you would follow our example
35:49
For even when we were with you we used to give you this order I mean just listen that language if anyone's not willing to work, then he's not to eat either
35:57
For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies
36:03
Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread
36:10
But as for you brethren do not grow weary of doing good for those of you who work keep it up.
36:16
You're doing good Anyone does not obey the instruction in this letter
36:25
Including work take special note of that person and do not associate with him so that he will be put to shame
36:32
He gets shamed then he repents and then he's back into fellowship Verse 11 look at what happens when we don't work men verse 11 and your poverty will come in like a vagabond
36:46
Like an armed man like an assailant and your need like an armed man Number three the third thing we need to tell our kids men especially telling the boys, but certainly mom can teach their daughters
37:02
Mom can teach their sons Bert verses 12 to 15 you must not be worthless or devious sons
37:11
You shouldn't act this way Let's find out what he means by that found in verses 12 to 15 this weird mischievous mischief maker
37:23
By the way before I go on any other questions about work verse 12 a worthless person literally a man of Belial someone who is
37:35
Without profit they're worthless later Paul uses the the man of Belial in 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 as a name for Satan because who is the most worthless entity in the entire universe
37:44
Satan don't be worthless person a wicked Man is the one who walks with a false mouth
37:54
Paul not Paul, but Solomon is describing this person to try to teach his sons. This is not who you want to be
38:01
Everything in life is either a good example or a bad example of something to do or not to do Here is something that you shouldn't do
38:07
Look what this guy does verse 13 who winks with his eyes He's a con artist he has another agenda
38:15
It's one man called sinister sign language Who signals with his feet he's got some code going on that he can tell his other buddies in crime
38:24
The other thieves that he's with this is the code when I do this with my feet you do that Who points with his fingers?
38:32
messages Who with perversity in his heart devises evil continually who spreads strife?
38:44
Therefore his calamity will come suddenly son if you're with him that's gonna happen to you too instantly
38:49
He will be broken and there will be what? No, healing no stopping it these kind of people are going to pay one day
38:59
They are going to reap and then so they will have been involved in the divine layaway program sin now pay later
39:07
And you need to watch out for those kind of guys and stay far away from them And we could tell a lot about a man with his friends and these worthless
39:16
People these devious people certainly evangelize certainly pray for we could have all kinds of other application
39:22
But the father says to his son you see that guy over there You need to steer clear of that kind of person watch out for that kind of person
39:30
We have some people at the Christian school that my kids attend who aren't Christians That's kind of a novel concept isn't it if you went to a
39:37
Christian school you automatically were of course not and When I see somebody who's doing the wrong worthless devious thing guess what
39:46
I tell my kids a That's an example of what not to do and be that person you can befriend in the sense of ministry towards But you better be careful because they can also influence you and we know that evil company does what?
40:04
It will corrupt you especially if you're immature especially if you're naive especially if you're a young man
40:10
But what does a young man think hey, I'm impervious I can stand it
40:15
I can do this I'm able And Solomon says son that kind of person over there you run from Because you don't want to go down in their ship now we go to number four
40:32
You must not do what God hates what a lesson for a kid I don't want to embarrass you by having you raise your hand
40:38
But how many parents have ever taught how many dads have ever taught their sons? Let me just go through a list of things that God hates so you know not to do them
40:46
I mean our culture where God loves everything and he loves everyone He's just a big guy kind of big puppy love goo
40:54
God of love and this is amorphous No conditions on love how about this for a lesson that your kids will never forget
41:02
Here's a list of things that God hates don't do them hate them too and do the opposite I mean, this is just I thought
41:10
I'm gonna do a whole sermon on that. What does God hate? And what does God love well? Here's what Solomon teaches his son could be many things
41:18
But he wants to put an exclamation point on that worthless man. We just learned about who stirs up strife
41:23
So if you're a teacher back in the Hebrew time, and you're a Hebrew. How do you make an exclamation point with language?
41:30
Well, there are three different ways that I know of way number one you repeat something three times Holy holy what holy
41:36
For repetition Isaiah chapter 6 or you could say one thing three different ways for repetition standing up walking seated when it's talking about the
41:48
Blessed Man in Psalm 1 all trying to focus that in or Here's one that's found in Scripture and in extra biblical things for the
41:57
WPI students You teach your kids like this X comma X plus 1
42:04
Six thing the Lord hates yay even seven and the design is to focus on the seventh the seventh one has
42:12
The maximum effect the first six God hates them, but you want to know the thing that God really hates
42:18
It's the seventh and we're gonna learn it's the thing that was talked about though foolish worthless
42:24
Evil man who spreads strife he's gonna say here's an exclamation point while I'm at it
42:30
Let me teach you some other things that God hates, but he really hates strife. Well, that's good for a church to hear, too number four verses 16 to 19 what
42:43
Solomon teaches his son is I want you to hate what God hates Verse 16 there are six things which the
42:50
Lord hates. Yes Seven which are an abomination literally to his soul
42:58
You want to know what's an abomination to God? Well, he gives seven with the exclamation on the
43:05
X plus 1 X comma X plus 1 It's on the X plus 1 is the focus, but let's look at all of them and boy
43:12
We are out of time. And so we'll have to do the fifth one later So here's the stress on number seven, but we want to do the first six just quickly number verse 17 number one
43:23
God hates haughty eyes God hates defiant looks
43:30
God hates proud looks God hates those who would proclaim to the whole world.
43:36
I am the the greatest kind of attitude Literally, the text says he hates a rising pair of eyes
43:44
It's almost like these eyes that stand up in in willful arrogance and I'm going to stand up and show you with my eyes
43:51
I am great. I am proud. I By the grace of God we are who we are and people who think highly of themselves
44:03
They will be humbled number two God hates a lying tongue a tongue of deception literally
44:11
I Think of Judas we would all hate Judas Proverbs 26 it says a lying tongue hates those it crushes number three hands that shed innocent blood
44:29
Genesis 9 talks about you kill somebody you should have to die, too number four devises wicked schemes
44:40
All the seat and devising evil The word devise means to calculate to compute to put into some kind of algebraic
44:50
Calculus formula and you've got it all figured out and I'm gonna stay up at night It's like the problem that says doing foolish sinful things is like sport to the fool
45:00
And he's got to think of these things before he even goes to bed planning the next one with his his calculator
45:06
It's a little HP calculator handheld I think when I was a kid, I had a cheap little one and it wasn't the
45:11
HP style. It was a ti -30 Remember a ti -30 That's right 19 bucks
45:19
There's a lot of money back then I can tell I'm getting older because what I'll do is
45:25
I'll say things like to the kids when I was 16 years old in 1976
45:30
I was with two of my buddies Rick and Joel we didn't have anything to do that night And we scrounged up some money between us because we had no gas money for Rick's car so he scrounged up the money between us and one of us found a quarter and we went and got an entire gallon of gas for a quarter 24 cents and nine tenths for one gallon of gas and I know
45:50
I'm getting older when I start doing that kind of thing I was telling my kids about the car that I had.
45:57
My first car was a 1967 two -door Nova two did they have brakes dad back then?
46:06
Okay Five feet that are quick to rush into evil.
46:13
I mean they are enthusiastic. They can't wait I mean, they're like horses at the gate at Churchill Downs Six false witness.
46:25
Here's the second lie theme who pour out lies Back to deception and then the most emphatic tied back to verse 14 about that worthless evil man
46:35
Here's something that God hates Solomon telling his son which Paul will echo certainly in 1st
46:42
Corinthians when it comes to a church You want to know something that God utterly loathes what makes his soul
46:49
Nauseous which would make God vomit as it were if he had a body and that is people who take their stick of their own complaints and start
47:01
Stewing like a thing of butter in a local church in a local house in a local assembly
47:07
And I have to tell you that God hates that And with this little formula
47:13
X X plus 1 that's how he teaches his son Six things yay, even seven
47:23
And for us we want to hate those things in ourselves we want to hate those things when they're done and We want to love the fact that as I look at that list that could be a that could be my resume
47:36
What would Sunday school be without the by the grace of God? I'm forgiven I stand before God now perfectly forgiven for all those sins.
47:45
I mean think about how many times we've lied cheated hated whatever the list is strife and and I'm clean because Jesus paid for that and you can start getting an idea of of the substitutionary atonement when you know that the wrath of God and his
48:02
Hatred his holy hatred was poured out on his what? son
48:08
Poured out on his son so that we might live and be children I am very very thankful that God showed his hatred towards his son and Gave me mercy instead
48:21
Once time you could do this for a study pick all the opposite of the those seven things listed
48:27
And you could see what God would love humility truthful speech preservation of life pure thoughts eagerness to do good things
48:37
Honesty and peaceful harmony and then lastly we won't have time for but I'll just give you the teaser verses 20 to 35
48:49
What do you teach a kid these days lots of things Proverbs 6 there are five things the dad teaches the son
48:55
By the way, if you say, you know what? I don't have any kids Well, if you're ever around kids, these are good things to teach them.
49:01
We have a girl down the street She's Lebanese and Haneen comes over very often to our house
49:06
And when she comes over for dinner, we pray and what's one of the first things I want to do when he means over First of all,
49:12
I want to be nice and kind but when I'm nice and kind then I get out what? The pellet gun.
49:21
No, I get out the Bible. I get the Bible out and here's my captive audience. You say well,
49:26
I'm a grandma I'm not it. I'm not a father My husband's not around to teach the kids if you've got kids under your wing somehow way shape or form
49:36
Then you need to be a teacher Grandma's mom's sisters. This is not just well
49:41
Proverbs 6 is for dads No guys glad for you. Good for you. Be warm be filled. No, if you've got people who are under your care teach them
49:49
They are not going to learn from their own selves By the way, just on a side note
49:58
Dad's especially you homeschool families. It is not the mother's Responsibilities to teach the kids
50:06
Theology in the Bible, I hope she supplements what you do, but it is your job and you can't go
50:11
Well, I've delegated the checkbook responsibilities to my wife and my kids theological education
50:17
Kim teaches the kids Proverbs in the morning, but it is my responsibility to teach those kids And I can't pass that on and so the good news is
50:27
Dad's those of you who aren't doing it today's the day What's what's what's repentance mean?
50:34
I Changed my mind God you've convicted me. I want to do the right thing And please forgive me you look your kids in the eyes and say
50:41
I ask your forgiveness for not teaching you the Bible I want to I want to try to do that and off we go and God grants forgiveness
50:51
If you confess your sins, what is God? He's faithful to forgive and off you go.
50:56
That's the wonderful thing Satan ties us up in these lies where we go, you know, we've always done the wrong thing So we might as well keep on going.
51:03
We're all down the cliff we go And if you have been teaching your kids, I commend you What a privilege to teach your kids.
51:10
They are going to be gone soon. And then what? You've got him right there The fifth thing he teaches and we'll do this the next time
51:19
I teach Sunday school Dad's need to teach their sons
51:26
To watch out for loose married women He wants them to watch out for adulterous
51:36
For the immoral women and just to give you the teaser Solomon is going to say
51:42
That adultery son is more costly than prostitution It's going to cost you more than prostitution
51:51
Prostitution is bad. Horrible wicked sinful But son you better watch out and you better guard yourself
51:59
Because God has created sex and it is good But it is for your wife alone and you better be on guard because chapter 7 will also say for those naive kids
52:11
Who are naive to the world and who are naive because of their fathers have let them down and not have and have not taught
52:18
Them that there are women out there who pray on naive young men
52:24
And it is going to cost you a lot even more Than prostitution who would think of teaching their kid that Maybe some would if you live by a brothel in India or something
52:37
Hey watch out, but we need to teach our sons and you say well, how old is too old? Well, I'm not afraid to teach my kid anything that's in this
52:46
Bible. Are you? Well, you know, this is kind of age -appropriate it is but I just teach them anyway
52:51
And one day when they say well, what's actually morality? I give them a little bit of information and they go. Okay fine
52:57
They get a little older. I give them some information. That's not good enough information They need to know more information they'll ask me that I give them a little bit more and it's kind of like I'm not gonna just dump the truck out and say
53:06
Here's all the answers to all your questions when you're four I mean, I'll never forget it as long as I live when I was teaching the kids and we just go through the
53:14
Bible. I Don't skip anything So and so is going into so -and -so and so -and -so is sleeping with so -and -so and all of a sudden there's prostitution and my kids looked
53:22
At me and said daddy. What is a prostitute? Well, I didn't have to tell him all the answers It's not some
53:28
Anatomy deal, but they needed to know how wicked it was And so I I came up with my own way to say it and the kids were like, yeah, okay,
53:34
I can go for that That's fine. I'm not gonna tell you what
53:39
I told them, but I'll tell you in private Watch out the father teaches the son
53:49
For ladies who will try to seduce you Every son needs to know that lesson and you shouldn't let
53:58
Somebody else's father teach it. You shouldn't let me teach it That should all be addition you parents need to teach your boys that very thing.
54:06
I wish my dad would have taught me that I'll be some of you were thinking the same thing
54:13
Isn't aren't the Proverbs great? What a book when I thought I was gonna get to teach the
54:18
Bible for a living. I thought it was like Justification sanctification, but there are truths in there and then chapter 7 if you think this is dicey you haven't seen anything yet Everything in here
54:31
God wants us to know and it is for our good Well, why don't we pray
54:37
Lord? Thank you for this day. Thank you for this wonderful proverb Thank you that you don't want to just leave us as Men and women and children who just know things but we want to have it lived out and we want to have it
54:52
Part of our our fabric of our life. So we understand things and we would be wise and I think of Jesus Christ perfectly wise and Even Paul calls him wisdom
55:03
Thank you that we're in Christ and thank you that you love us and have given us the spirit So we might obey I pray for these dear dads and anybody in this room that could teach other people
55:11
Have influence on their grandkids or even teaching the daughters Financial issues and other things.
55:18
I pray that you'd give us joy as we teach these great truths father would you grant these dear people here at Bethlehem Bible Church the joy of teaching your truth and The joy of seeing your spirit will help these dear students of theirs to live that out in Jesus name we pray for his glory.