This Week's Sunday School Lesson 10/16/2011 "

Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1-7,13

GOD GIVES US HIS WISDOM BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE

WARNING TO THE YOUTH

9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood.

A. The word "rejoice" is in the form of a command or in this case perhaps a warning.

1. God expects us to enjoy our life when we are young.

2. We ought to always make the best of our days

" This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it" Ps 118:24.

3. If we trust the Lord, we should enjoy today and not worry about tomorrow.

" Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each

day has enough trouble of its own. " Matt 6:34

4. God says; REJOICE because of His LOVE for us.

B. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.

(We have a heart and eyes because of His Love for us)

1. Our rejoicing is expected to be according to commands of God.

2. God does not give us a license to do anything we want to do.

3. We have the ability to do what we want to do.

a. However we will be judged by what we do.

b. Choose GOOD!

Verse 10. "So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your

body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting."

(Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.)

A. We must remember that your young life does not last forever.

1. It is slipping away, one day at a time.

2. Life is too short for petty stuff.

B. Some mental pain can be avoided.

1. Trouble in the heart comes from what we focus on.

2. We can resolve not to be angry.

3. We can resolve not to be jealous or envious of anyone.

4. We can resolve to be content with what we have and who we are.

C. We can make up our minds not to be involve in things that are not pleasing to God.

1. If we live according to the desires of the flesh we will make decisions that in the

end causes pain and distress.

2. If we live according to God's commands we will live a more peaceful and joyful life.

D. Our youthful years will come to an end.

1. Decisions we make while we are young will affect us when we are old.

2. Fun and games soon come to an end and we are left the pains of living and earning

the means to live.

V. 12:1.( Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;)

A. This emphasizes the need for strong and consistent discipline of our children.

1. When they leave home and venture on their own, they will have a solid foundation to

fall back on.

2. They will have the fear of the Lord to restrain them from wrong doing.

B. When we honor God with our life, we develop a lifestyle based on His commands.

1.A lifestyle based on the commands of God is most profitable and enjoyable in the

long term.

2 Many of the things we did when we were young, we find no pleasure in now that we

are mature adults.

a. So much time was wasted in foolish and useless activities when we were young that

we can't undo and sometimes can't recover from.

3. A lifestyle based on God's commands endears God to Us.

1. Jesus said" If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask what you want and it

will be done for you"

4. God is our creator. He owns us, therefore we owe Him honor and obedience.

OLD AGE DEFINED

V.12:2. "While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the

clouds return after the rain."

A. The "Sun" represents prosperity in our youth.

1. "Darkness" represents pain and trouble in our old age.

2. The "clouds after the rain" represent more trouble to come.

B. While we are youthful and opportunities present themselves, we must take advantage

of them.

1. When we are old the opportunities dry up and the resources to handle trouble dry up

too.

2. When we are young, the body is strong, the mind is strong and doors of opportunity

are open.

3. But when you get old, the body is weak, the mind is weak and the doors of

opportunity close.

THE DECAY OF THE BODY

V.12:3. "In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves"

A. "The keepers of the house" represents the head, arms and legs which become weaken

with old age.

1. The phrase " strong men shall bow" represents the stooping man because the legs

have become weaken and bent.

2. As we get old there will come a time when the head shakes, and the arms are to

weak to defend ourselves.

a. The legs become too weak to support us and carry our weight.

B. "And the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows

be darkened."

1. The "grinders" represent the teeth which become weaken and unable to the job

they were designed to do.

a. It was not too long ago false teeth replaced the natural teeth as they decayed and had

to be removed.

b. Today we have dental implants.

2. "Those that look out of windows" represent the eyes and ears.

a. Today eye problems can be corrected with eye glasses and surgery.

b. Today, hearing can be improved with hearing aids.

3. Although modern medicine can repair and replace organs in the body, it cannot stop

the deterioration of the body which continues to worsen the older we get.

a. Modern medicine cannot stop or reverse the natural process of aging.

V.12.4. "And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low"

A. The older we get, the more our travel outside the house is limited.

1. The more we recognize how vulnerable we are to outside forces.

2. We take extra precautions to secure our safety

B. The older we are the more we understand the need to have God on our side.

C. "And he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be

brought low."

1. The older we get, the more we are burdened by the problems of today and tomorrow.

a. Therefore we do not sleep soundly as we did when we were carefree.

b. Because we do not sleep soundly, small noises that once went unnoticed awaken

us.

2. The hearing impaired do not enjoy music as those who hear well.

a. In our old age we do not enjoy the same music as we did in our youth.

b. As we mature in the Lord our taste for music should be more spiritual.

V.12:5. Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the

way,

A. The older we get the more we realize how fragile our bones are and therefore the

less risk we are willing to take.

1. The fear of high places is real, because broken bones don't heal fast.

2. Our activities are limited by our fears and rightly so.

3. It is a wise person who recognizes a problem and avoids it.

B. "And the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire

shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets."

1. One sure sign of aging is the graying of the hair.

a. An almond tree in full bloom is a mass of whiteness.

b. The older we get the more grey hair appears on our heads.

2. Another sure sign of aging is we become slower in our movements.

a. Our joints become stiff and sometimes painful.

b. Just as the aging grasshopper can no longer hop long distances, so does the stride

of man become slower and more cautious.

3. The older we get the more we look forward to a retirement from our labors.

a. We prepare a "will" for the event of our death.

b. We purchase a plot for our final resting place.

c. We set our finances in order to live on a fixed income.

d. We get more serious about our faith in God.

DEATH; THE END OF LIFE ON THIS EARTH

V.12:6. "Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be

broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern."

A. Life on this earth begins and end with the Father.

1. Solomon may be referring to life with two terms; light and water.

2. The golden bowl is a lamp held by a silver cord.

a. Solomon describes life as precious in terms of silver and gold.

b. If the silver cord is loosed or the golden bold is broken, the light is extinguished

and life ends.

3. The picture is lowered into a well, the fountain and filled with water the source of

life.

a. If the picture is broken life end because it is cut off from the source.

B. Those who believe in Jesus are never cut off from the source of life.

a. Life will end on this earth, but it begins new in Heaven.

1) Paul said "Absent from the body, present with Lord."

2) John 3:16, state that whoever believes in Jesus shall not parish but have life

forever.

V.12:7 "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto

God who gave it."

A. Man is composed of three parts; a body, soul and a spirit.

1. The body is temple for the soul and the spirit.

a. Genesis 2:7 states: "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground,

and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

b. 1 Corinthians 6:19 states: " Do you not know that your body is a temple of the

Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? "

c. 2 Corinthians 6:16 states: "For we are the temple of the living God. As God has

said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and

they will be my people."

B. At death on this earth, the body goes back to the ground, but the spirit lives on.

1. If we believe in Christ, we will never be separated from Him

2. Man has two choices, life with Christ in heaven or life in hell.

THE BEST ADVICE

V.12:13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his

commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

A. Man is owned by God, made responsible to God and is given this responsibility:

1. Fear God

a. Man is required to worship and obey the Lord.

b. We must know that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

2. Keep His commandments.

a. Jesus gave us two commandments which is the sum of all commandments.

b. Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your

soul and with all your mind.'

c. This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love

your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two

commandments." Matt 22:37-38

You know, it is because of God's great Love for us that He designed the body so that it

gets old and deteriorates. And we die.

God's grand design is that we spend eternity in heaven with Him. We have to die to get to heaven.

All that God does is because of His GREAT LOVE FOR US.

I say to you, REJOICE, GOD LOVES YOU.

This lesson is posted on my Facebook page and on my blog called "Good News God's Word". http://GoodNewsRevMitc.blogspot.com

Your comments and questions are welcomed.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson 10/9/2011

Ecclesiastes 9:13-18

GOD'S WISDOM, THE BEST WAY TO SUCCESS

13" I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me."

A. The wisdom of God is all around us.

1. All we have to do is open our eyes to see it.

2. The wisdom of the Lord is in His Word.

3. You will be exposed to the wisdom from those who preach and teach His Word.

4. You will be exposed to the wisdom of the Lord from those who live by the Word.

B. We ought to be inspired by the wisdom of the Lord.

1. Only the wisdom of the Lord leads to lasting success.

2. Only by the wisdom of the Lord are assured success.

14 "There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came

against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it."

A. Outside peace in your life will only last for a short period of time.

1. There is always some one or something ready to bring trouble in your life.

2. It is the wisdom of God that will get you through difficult times.

B. There is always someone with more power and more money than you who have

no regards for what you have and no regards for your rights.

C. God is bigger than the whole world against us.

1. Wisdom requires trust in the Lord.

2. Wisdom requires that our actions are guided by God's commands.

15" Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his

wisdom, but nobody remembered that poor man. "

A. One man of God can make a big difference.

1. One man of God can change the course of history.

2. One man of God can save many lives.

3. We (the body of Christ) are that man.

B. Our Godly efforts will not be remembered long by the world.

1. The world does benefits but does not appreciate or recognize Godly help.

2. This man was poor by the world's standard, but rich in the Lord.

16 "So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised,

and his words are no longer heeded. "

A. The rich and the powerful measure their worth by what they have and what they

control.

1. The worth of the poor man of wisdom is who he trusts and what he believes.

a. The poor man in this text trusted God, therefore, his wisdom led to the

overthrow of a kingdom.

b. In His Word, God gives many examples of "poor men" used in His plan.

1) David, a young shepherd boy defeated Goliath .

2) Because David relied on God, he brought down a nation.

3) David was ridiculed for his belief in God, but his wisdom brought down

Goliath.

c. The world does not see the worth of God's wisdom, even though they enjoy the

benefit of his wisdom.

2. Our Godly behavior will not always be appreciated by the world.

a. Our Godly behavior is noticed and rewarded by the Lord.

b. We set the example for others to follow.

c. It is by our Godly behavior that the world is exposed to what is right.

d. It is by our Godly behavior that the world is exposed to the proper way to treat

others:

1) Spouse

2) Family

3) Friends

17 "The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of

fools."

A. Those who meditate on the Word of God will gain understanding and benefit from

His Wisdom.

B. Wisdom of God cannot be debated.

1, If debated, it will be lost in the argument.

2. God does not need your help to prove His Word.

3. Scripture proves itself.

4. God expects believers to develop an argument for His Word using His Word.

18 "Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good."

A. By weapons of war men use their might to fight the enemy.

1. Not knowing the will of the enemy to survive, the weapons may not be effective.

B. By the wisdom of God man develops relationships which may eliminate the need

for war.

C. A foolish decision ignores the wisdom of God and creates hostility and becomes

destructive.

D. It would appear that the wisdom of man is more effective than the wisdom of God.

1. Man controls the financial market.

2. Man controls the manufacturing market.

3. Man controls the agricultural market.

4. However God controls the outcome of the plans of man.

a. God uses the energy of man to bless His creation.

b. We must remember that in all things, God is working for the benefit of the

faithful.

This Week's Sunday Lesson 10/2/2011

Proverbs 29:16-25

APPLYING WISDOM IN A COMMON WORLD

V.16 "When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall

see their fall."

A. Certainly when there are more wicked folk there will be more trouble.

B. An important Biblical doctrine is noted.

1. Wicked nations and wicked families will eventually fall.

2. If it were not so in the process of time righteousness would be banished from

the earth.

C. Righteousness will always prevail according to God's design.

V:17. "Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy

soul."

A. Here. God gives us the results of following His commands to discipline our children.

1. In the long run the family will have rest because the child will become wiser and do

right things.

2. Because of the child's wise decisions, the family will rejoice.

a. Parents rejoice when their children follow God's commands.

V:18. "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is

he."

A. When man rejects the Word of God, he follows his own path which may lead to his

demise.

1. The good will of man is established in the Will of God.

2. We will find true joy following the commands of God.

V:19. "A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not

answer."

A. Servant: in this case is one controlled by the lust of the flesh. a servant of the devil.

1. One who has no regard for authority or for doing right will not listen to the words

of wisdom.

2 . God's wisdom is foolish to the world.

B. A foolish man will not answer the call to the right thing because he is determined to

follow his own path.

C. We do well when we heed the corrections given by those in authority.

1. When we give reverence and respect to those in charge, our hearts are lifted up.

V:20. "Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of

him."

A. A man who speaks without thinking, is likely to say the wrong thing and / or offend

someone.

1. We should be careful to consider our thoughts before making them public.

2. It would be better to say, "I need time to think about this" or "I don't know"

than to give a rushed answer.

B. A fool who listens can learn, but a hasty man even though he has great knowledge,

will end up saying or doing the wrong thing.

V:21. "He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his

son at the length."

A. When you treat someone as family, they soon become part of the family.

1. We are commanded by God to serve one another.

a. We are brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.

b. We are all part of the family of Jesus Christ.

c. Therefore we are to love and cherish each other.

B. We all can be of help to one another.

1. God has gifted each of us with talents and abilities to build the body of Christ.

2. Romans 12:6 says; "We all have different gifts".

a. Our gifts are to be used to edify the body of Christ.

C. Because we are members of the same body, we role model ourselves for Christ.

1. In so doing we train up others.

V.22. "An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression."

A. Two human emotions we must control

1. Anger is a normal human emotion.

2. Our anger prompts us when some action against us is wrong and does not line up

with the Word of God.

3. We must control our anger to keep us from sin.

a. We must not let the sun go down on our anger.

b. In others word; get over it and move on.

4. We must not allow our anger to disturb the peace of the family.

B. The state of being furious is anger out of control.

1. Furious: Hebrew, pashang; daring and profane transgression, such as passionate

oaths, taking God's name in vain

2. When we become furious we are controlled by our anger and will cause trouble

for ourselves and others.

V:23. "A man's pride shall bring him low."

A. When we take credit for what God has done, we are in a state of pride.

1. We can take credit for nothing. We must give God the Glory.

2. When we fail to give God the glory we anger God. (James 4:6)

B. "But honour shall uphold the humble in spirit."

1. God gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)

2. Christ is King, we must give him the honor and abide in His grace.

V:24. "Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and

bewrayeth it not." ( The accomplice of a thief is his own enemy;

he is put under oath and dare not testify. NIV)

A. When we steal, we brake God's command.

1.If we are an accomplice to a crime we are just as guilty.

2. If we witness a neighbor committing a crime, we have an obligation to

be truthful when call upon to testify.

B. Those involve in criminal activity have no regard for their own soul.

1. One involved in criminal activity set himself up for a fall.

V:25. "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be

safe."

A. We should put our trust in God.

1. Man will let you down.

2. You can depend on God.

a. Those who trust man have a lack of conviction of God's Word.

b. Inner strength comes from a knowledge of God's Word.

PROVERBS 25:1-11

DEALING WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR


SCRIPTURE PROVES IT'S SELF

V.25:1."These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah
copied out."
A. Men of the "King" copied the Word of God.
1. Any time the Word is presented, you ought to take notes.
2. I find that I am more likely to remember the details of a lesson or sermon if I take
notes.
3. My notes can be compared to the Word of God.
4. The only way I can be sure that notes I took are in line with the Word of God
is to study the Word.
B. This text identifies the writer as Solomon.
1. God does not leave us in the dark as to the man He used to write His Word.
2. The text identifies the time of the initial writing; the time of Solomon. (1015 BC)
3. The text identifies the time of the copy; the time of Hezekiah the King (726 BC)
a. This is a historical document.
b. This is a divinely guided document.
4. There are 300 years between the first writing by Solomon and the copy by the men of
king Hezekiah.
a. This lend credibility to document being divinely inspired and divinely preserved.

THE MAGNIFICIENCE OF GOD
V. 25:2. "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing."
A. God knows everything from the beginning to the end.
1. We do not know the beginning of things created or the end.
2. God has not made everything known to man.
a. If He did, it would be too much for our small brains to comprehend.
b. God is infinite and we are finite.
c. We may know of our beginning, but we were not there. We don't know of our
end for we will not be conscience of it.
b. But God is present all the time; from the beginning to the end.
3. It is good news that God is Omnipresent, because only He can guide our way.
4. The word "glory " is from the Hebrew word "kabod" which in this context means
honor or magnificence.
a. We have to give God the glory because He is Omniscience (knows all things).
b. God reveals to us that which is needed for our existence on earth.
c. There are some things that God knows that would be to hard for us to grasp.
B. "But the honour of kings is to search out a matter."
1. A king does not know all things, neither does he know completely the hearts of
men.
2. A king is wise to investigate all matters before making decisions.
a. A king is wise to surround himself with trustworthy men.
b. A king is wise to surround himself with good counselors.


V.25:3. "The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is
unsearchable."
A. We have no idea where the outer limits of space are.
1. As technology advances we can see further into the universe with telescopes,
rockets, and satellites.
a. Scientist are constantly discovering previously unknown stars and planets.
b. All that God did during the 6 days of creation will never be known by man.
2. Our universe is attributed to the Glory of God.
a. God's unlimited power and knowledge are displayed before us.
b. What we see in God's creation we cannot completely understand.
B. A king is responsible for and sees the whole of his kingdom.
1. His subjects understand that which affect them, but not all that the king is
responsible for.
2. Likewise we are only familiar with a small portion of God's creation.
3. Therefore we must put our complete trust in God and not question His
decisions for our lives.

THE VALUE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
V. 25:4. "Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the
finer."
A. Fire refines silver
1. It is by the Word through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are refined.
2. Jesus died for our sins. He made all men savable.
3. Our redemption became effective with our faith in Jesus.
4. Our regeneration continues with our submission to Word by the power of the
Holy Spirit.
5. Our regeneration make us a useful vessel for God.

V.25:5. "Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established
in righteousness."
A. Established=kuwn= setup , framed, prepared., rendered prosperous.
1. The house of the Lord is framed in righteousness.
2. All prosperity comes from the Lord.
B. We should frame our households in the righteousness of God.
1. A house established by Word of God will be prosperous.
2. Wickedness can bring down the house.

DEALING WITH BIG FOLK
V.25:6. "Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king,
A. Men in power want all the glory.
1. Therefore don't set yourself up for a fall by trying to glorify yourself before men
who consider themselves great.
B. "And stand not in the place of great men"
1. It is better to be humble before those in power.
2. God deserves all the Glory.
a. If we lift God up, He will draw us to Himself.


V. 25:7. "For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest
be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen."
A. It would be most embarrassing to lift yourself up in the presence of men, and
then be brought down by the one you are trying to impress.
1. We should be careful to not let pride come before wisdom.
2. It is a normal human reaction to want to feel important before man.
a. It is also a normal human reaction for others to want to pull you down.

DEALING WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR
V. 25:8. "Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof,
when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame."
A. Don't be in a rush to accuse another.
1. Take time to gather the facts.
2. Never assume that the facts you have are 100% correct.
a. Some times people give information based on what they want you to believe.
b. Some times people give information based on what they heard.
3. It would be better to let a matter go, than to accuse wrongly.

V. 25:9 "Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:
A. There are two sides to every story.
1. Be sure you have heard both sides before coming to any conclusion.
a. Hear say evidence is just that "hear say". There may be no truth in it.
B. Never bring to public, something you have heard in private.
1. A secret is not a secret if more than one person knows about it.
2. You may never be able to validate something revealed in private.
C. If you have a problem with a person, take the problem to him.
1. You may gain an understanding and discover it is not problem at all.
2. Some things can be left unresolved.
a. Some things are not worth pursuing.

V. 25:10. "Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away."
A. A person who reveals something told in secret can't be trusted.
1. Your reputation is very important.
2. Be careful what you say about others.
a. Lift others up with good words
b. If you don't have something good to say, it would be best to be quiet.



ENCOURGAGE OTHERS IN YOUR CONVERSATION

V.25:11. "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."
A. Your conversation should encourage others.
1. Your conversation should build up others.
2. Your conversation should give God the credit for all good.
3. Your conversation should promote the goodness of God. Phil 4:8-9.
B. Everybody needs a "Good Word".
1. In season and out of season, you ought to speak the Word of God.
a. In your daily walk.
b. In your conversation
c. In the way you treat others
2. Think of yourself as a child of God.
3. Think of others as children of God.
C. Remember God Loves You.
1. Therefore, you must love God.
2. You must love others,
a. Your family
b. Your friends
c. Your enemies
D. Successful Living Begins With Love

This Week's Sunday School Lesson 9/18/2011 "Wisdom For Daily Living"

PROVERBS 15:21-33

WISDOM FOR DAILY LIVING

Proverbs 15:21; Proverbs 15:22

V. 21. Folly (is) joy to (him that is) destitute of wisdom -

A. "Folly," i.e., sin.

1. Foolishness is joy to the unwise.

2. To act like an idiot is fun to the empty- headed.

3. The wicked ignores God and walks in sin

B. But a man of understanding walketh uprightly.

1. A wise man knows to be serious.

2. The wise makes a business of understanding the will of God.

3.The godly being men of understanding, have "joy" in uprightness, and therefore

'walk' on in it.

4. They are deeply sorry when they have been temporarily betrayed into sin (2

Corinthians 7:10-11).

V.22." Without counsel (Hebrew, sod-literally, secret counsel) purposes are

disappointed."

A. We don't know everything. We should consider the advice of others we know to be

wise when making decisions.

1. When we act without considering the consequences of our actions, we are likely

to make wrong decisions and therefore be disappointed.

B. "But in the multitude of (good) counselors they are (each) established."

1. The first thing we need to know is how to identify a good counselor.

2. Good counselors follow the Word of God.

3. We must be able to compare the advice of others with the Word of God.

4. Therefore, we must know the Word of God for ourselves.

a. Our primary counselor is the Holy Spirit.

b. When we yield ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our plans will

succeed.

V. 23. "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth."

A. We have the power to bless others with our conversation.

1. A word of encouragement can lift up another.

2. A word of encouragement can provide hope and incite into the goodness of God.

B. "And a word spoken in due season, how good is it!"

1. We must consider the situation of others when we speak.

2. Some things don't need to be said, for they can discourage.

3. Whatever we say should be out of the love we have for others.

4. Times of trouble are the times when encouragement in the Lord is needed.

5. Given at the right time, a good word can change a life or maybe save a soul.

V.24. "The way of life is above to the wise. that he may depart from hell beneath."

A. Those who follow God, must look to God as the source of their help.

1. Those who follow God, must look to God as the source of guidance and directions.

2. The redeemed of the Lord are blessed with eternal life.

B." That he may depart from hell beneath."

1. Death is the domain of the devil.

2. We were born in the devil's domain, but given the right to life though the

redemption in Jesus Christ.

3. A long happy life is promised to the one who fears the Lord

Verse 25. - The Lord will destroy the house of the proud

A. The Lord hates the proud for they think of themselves only and take advantaged

of the weak.

1. The proud are quick to take what is not theirs.

2. The evil of the proud will be their downfall.

B . " But he will establish the border of the widow"

1.God looks after the poor, the destitute, the helpless and widowers.

2. God keeps a record of how we treat others.

3. God knows if we obtain something dishonestly.

a. There is a punishment for stealing.

4. God will protect those in need including their property.

Verse 26. "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD."

A. The Lord is not pleased with the wicked.

1. God hates the thoughts of the wicked.

2. God hates the conversation of the wicked.

B. "But the words of the pure are pleasant words."

1. God take pleasure with the pure in heart.

2. God is pleased with the conversation of the pure in heart.

3. God delights in purity.

a. Our devotion and meditation are accepted by God.

b. Our prayers and praise are accepted by God.

V.27. "He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house."

A. A greedy person is irrational.

1. He can easily be led to dishonesty

2, His measure of worth is based on what he has or can gain.

3. He is selfish and has little regard for the rights or needs of others.

4. He ignores the command of God to love his neighbor .

5. Because he is greedy, he walks the path of destruction and will eventually

bring his house down.

B. "But he that hateth gifts shall live."

1. One who is generous with what he has, sees his worth in his giving.

2. He is grateful to God for what he has and he favors others with his giving.

3. He finds his best living in his giving.

V.28. "The heart of the righteous studieth to answer."

A. A man right with God is slow to speak .

1. He considers the situation before giving an answer.

2. He speaks from a heart of love and compassion.

B. " But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things."

1. The wicked speaks from the flesh.

2. He gives an answer without consideration.

3. He values his opinion over the rights of others or the righteousness of God.

V. 29. The LORD is far from the wicked."

1. An evil person can't expect his prayers to be answered.

a. He has no relationship with the Father.

b. He only calls on the Father in desperation.

c. When he calls on the father, he has no faith to expect an answer.

B. "But he heareth the prayer of the righteous."

1. Hear we have the conditions for prayers to be answered.

a. We must be right with God.

b. We must be right with our brothers.

c. We must ask in Jesus' name.

V.30. "The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart:."

A. We ought to see the good in others.

1. A word of encouragement can lift up others.

2. It our duty to be concerned about the well being of others.

3. We should see the good around us.

a. The works of God is wonderful.

b. It does the heart good to praise God for His wonderful works.

c. We can complain about the heat, or give God praise for His sunlight.

i. The complaint brings us down.

ii. The praise lifts us up.

d. We can complain about not having what we want, or praise God for what we

have.

i. The complaint brings us down.

ii. The praise lift us up.

B. "And a good report maketh the bones fat."

1. It is good to hear something good about those we love

2. It is good to hear that our friends are walking according to God's Word.

V. 31. " The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise."

A. It is good to have friends who correct us when we are wrong.

1. It is a wise man who listen to advice of others and corrects his ways.

V:32. "He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul."

A. The error of the sinner is to ignore the value of his soul.

1. It is good friend who cares enough to council us.

2. It is a wise man who take council to heart.

3. A. fool ignores good council

B. "But he that heareth reproof getteth understanding."

1 It is good to learn from our errors.

2. True success in life depends on doing the right things.

3. The soul is secured by following God's ways.

V:33. "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is

humility."

A. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

1. When we humble ourselves before the Lord we can receive His instructions.

2. Life is most profitable when we trust the Lord with it.

3. Following God's commands is the only path to true success.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson 9/11/2011

PROVERBS 4:10-15, 20-27

THE LOVE OF THE FATHER IS INDICATED BY HIS TEACHING

V.10. "Hear, my son, and accept my sayings, And the years of your life will be many."

NASB

A. "Hear my son"

1. This indicates a personal relationship with the Father

2. This indicates a family relationship.

a. When we accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, it became personal and

we became part of God's family.

B. This is a loving relationship.

1. God's love for us is indicated by the giving of His Word to us; "accept my saying".

2. God's love for us is indicated by the giving of an understanding of His Word.

a. The world is not giving the ability to understand His Word.

b. The world does not have the teacher (Holy Spirit) of His Word.

C. God's love for us comes with promises

1. "Years of life will be many."

2. God's love for us comes with provisions

a. To live long means He will supply our needs.

3. God's love comes with protection.

a. To live long means God will protect us.

V. 11. " I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths."

A. God's love for us comes with guidance and directions.

1. Wisdom is a precious jewel.

a. It cannot be brought.

b. It can only be obtained with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

B. The Bible is a permanent record of God's Word.

1. God's Word is true and unchangeable.

2. If we follow God's Word we will always be on the right path.

3. If we follow God's Word, we will be guided in making proper decisions.

4. We must study and mediate on the Word of God to be ready to apply it to our

daily situations.

V. 12. When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not

stumble.

A. One who lives according to the Word of God takes times to consider every action

or decision.

1. He is honest and fair in his dealing with others.

a. When you are honest and fair, you don't have to look over your shoulders.

2. He will not be embarrassed by his decisions because his ways are strait (that is his

ways are strict. wisdom is a narrow way).

B There are times when speed is required.

1. He will not stumble because his actions are according to the Word of the Lord.

2. Because he cannot change the order of things, God will order his steps so he will

not stumble.

V.13. "Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life."

A. Having received God Word, we must make it our business to hold on to it.

1. Because of the trials of life, we must not become impatient or weary.

2. We are tempted most in troubled times to stray away from God's rule.

3. Satan is always busy trying to temp us in straying from God's rule.

4. It is in tough times when what we believe about God is tested.

B. We must at all times let the Word be our hope and encouragement.

1. Jesus is the Word. Because He is, we can't bear to let him go.

V.14. "Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not proceed in the way of evil men."

A. Here is a great caution. If you see evil coming, go the other way!

1. Do not entertain the evil ways of men; you may get comfortable in them.

2. Do not even consider the evil ways of men. Evil ways begin with evil thoughts.

a. Evil thoughts considered, soon become evil ways.

V.15. "Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on."

A. Evil is all around us.

1. The only way to avoid evil is to put on the whole armor of God.

2. We must meditate on the Word of God.

a. God is our path around evil.

3. We must keep evil a distance from us. We can easily be drawn to it.

V.20. "My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.

A. Hear is our path away from evil. Meditate on the Word.

1. We must listen carefully to the Word of God.

a. Listen as if this is the most important thing for this moment.

2. We must manage our time. No we must manage God's time

3. We could give attention to the world, but world will lead us astray.

a. Attention to the world is a poor use of God's time.

B. Attention to the Word is most profitable.

1. It is a source of comfort.

2. It is a source of hope.

3. It is a source of Joy.

4. It is a source of right directions.

5. It is the only path to heaven.

V.21. " Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. "

A. God gives us directions for handling His Word.

1. We must Keep sight of His Word.

2. The Word is the light of life

3. The Word is the rule of life

4. The Word is the straight and narrow path of life

5. The Word is the only source of good advice.

B. We must keep the Word in our heart.

1. Out of the heart flows the issues of life.

2. The Word must be stored in our heart where we ponder and meditate.

3. The Heart is the door to the soul

4. The Word is food for the soul.

5. The Word is a treasure worth more than all the gold and precious jewels.

6. We must empty our hearts of the world to store up the Word.

V.22. " For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their whole body."

A. The Spiritual life is guided only by the Word.

1. The spiritual life can only grow by the Word.

2. It is the Word that draws us closer to the Father.

3. It is by the Word that we understand the Father.

a. We can't know who the Father is unless we study His Word.

b. We can't know the goodness of God unless we study His Word.

B. Our mental health is based on the Word.

1. Jesus said that Father sent the Holy Spirit to teach us all thing and remind us of

Word (John 14:26).

2. Our mental health controls our physical health.

a. It is our faith in Jesus that makes us well.

b. It is our faith in Jesus that makes us whole.

V.23. " Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life."

A. The Word keeps the mind from vanity.

1. The Word keeps our understanding clear of error .

2. The Word guides our thoughts and clears our mind of bad thoughts

3. It is by the Word that we pray and an sanctify our soul.

4. It is by the Word that faith grows.

B. The heart is the place where all actions of life are derived.

1. The heart is the seat of Spiritual life.

2. The heart guided by the Word springs right principles directed to right ends.

3. Great care should be taken of the heart, because the goodness of life depends on

it.

V.24. "Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put devious lips far from you."

A. A deceitful mouth comes from a heart that is void of the Word or a heart that

ignores God's Word.

B. A heart guided by the Word will not flow devious words.

V.25. " Let your eyes look directly ahead, And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of

you."

A. Our eyes should be focused on the path of truth and holiness

1. We should not look to the right or to the left, but straight ahead to the path of life.

a. To the right or left is the world which distracts us from the path.

B. In front of us is faith, hope, joy and eternal life.

V.26. " Watch the path of your feet, And all your ways will be established. "

A. A Heart guided by the Word will consider what is right or wrong and be

guided in the right path.

B. It is the righteousness of God that establishes our ways.

1. It is the righteousness of God that keeps us steady and constant and

guides us in divine truths.

2. The promises of God are fulfilled in our lives when we focused and driven

by God's truths.

V.27. "Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil."

A. The path of righteousness is the narrow way

1. The path of life proceed on the narrow way.

2. The path of light is the narrow way.

B. Darkness is to the right or left.

1. Evil lurks outside of the narrow path.

Giving God's Way

Matthew 6:31-33

YOU GOT OPTIONS

There is popular car commercial, where the car company uses rats to advertise their car.

Have you seen it? The rats are dress with their gold chains an jamming to the beat.

There are the cool rats who drive the new car. They compare this to the uncool

rats who move around in a card board box.

The commercial has a hip hop beat. You Can deal with this or you can deal with that

You can deal with this or you can deal with that,

The commercial is all about options. You have the option of driving a cool car, You can

deal with THIS. Or move around in a card board box, You can deal with THAT.

Did you know that God give us options. It is in the text. Matthew 6:31-33

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,

Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that

ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall

be added unto you.

KJV

In this passage of scripture, Jesus identifies two classes of people;

Christians, believers, that you Greater Macedonia.

and the second class is the world, Gentiles, he call them.

To the believers, you Greater Macedonia, Jesus gives options

You have the option to worry or trust God. "You can Deal with This"

Non believers don't have an option. They can only worry. "They have to deal with that"

You Greater Macedonia, you can worry about what to eat, what to drink and what cloth

to ware. Or you can trust God to provide.

Deal with This; trust God,

Or deal with That; Worry.

Look at your neighbor, say Neighbor You Got options, Trust God or Worry.

There is a requirement to exercise your options.

It's in the text. : Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

What does that mean? Follow God's Commands. If you follow God's command, you

don't have to worry. You can trust God. It's easy to DEAL WITH THIS.

One of God Command concerns this offering The Bible says, "God Loves a Cheerful

Giver. Give and it will be given to you. YOU CAN DEAL WITH THIS

It's blessing Time Greater Macedonia, Exercise your option. DEAL WITH THIS

You are now in the hand of our Ushers.