April 6 lesson
The Strength of Wisdom
Text: Proverbs 24
Introduction: Many times, we know what we OUGHT to do, but we just do not have the spiritual strength to do what we ought to do. Wisdom will give us that strength to do right.
Body:
Wisdom Provides Strength of Character
*Strength of character will cause a man not to envy the wicked. (v 1-4) So many times, the foolish man will look at the wicked and envy what they have. The wicked may have money, time, and a seemingly care-free lifestyle. The foolish will be “fooled” by the wicked. They do not realize that the lifestyle of the wicked is nothing like it seems. The wise man will see the wicked for what they really are: unhappy.
*Strength of character will cause a man to seek wise counsel. (v 6-7) We all need counsel. None of us know it all. Whenever we have a significant decision to make, wise counsel HAS to be sought. I know of no better person to get counsel from than our pastor. Seek his and other people’s counsel. Notice the verse says, “in the multitude of counselors…”
*Strength of character will cause a man persevere through adversity. (v 10 &16) We will all go through times of adversity. It is how we respond to those situations that will make us or break us. Notice that a just or righteous man can be knocked down numerous times, but he will rise up again.
*Strength of character will cause the wise man to be merciful even to his enemies. (v 17-20) It is easy to be merciful to our friends, but it becomes nearly impossible to be merciful to our enemies. This difficult task is what is expected of the wise man. Get this “eye for an eye” mentality out of our minds. If a man is unfriendly to you, you should be merciful to him and show kindness. It is unnatural but commanded.
*Strength of character will cause the wise man to practice equal judgment. (v 23-29) Many times in the Bible, we are commanded to not have respect of persons. We ought to treat people equally no matter of their economic, racial, or religious status. Jesus was the best example of this. He came to this earth for EVERYONE.
*Strength of character will cause a man to realize that hard work brings prosperity. (v 30-34) The slothful man will not obtain prosperity. If a man does not work, neither should he eat. This throws a lot of this welfare mentality our country has adopted out the window. We, as Christians, are warned against becoming slothful. The slothful end up in poverty.
Conclusion: We need strength to do what is right. Wisdom provides that strength. Make sure we seek wisdom to give us what we need.
Text: Proverbs 24
Introduction: Many times, we know what we OUGHT to do, but we just do not have the spiritual strength to do what we ought to do. Wisdom will give us that strength to do right.
Body:
Wisdom Provides Strength of Character
*Strength of character will cause a man not to envy the wicked. (v 1-4) So many times, the foolish man will look at the wicked and envy what they have. The wicked may have money, time, and a seemingly care-free lifestyle. The foolish will be “fooled” by the wicked. They do not realize that the lifestyle of the wicked is nothing like it seems. The wise man will see the wicked for what they really are: unhappy.
*Strength of character will cause a man to seek wise counsel. (v 6-7) We all need counsel. None of us know it all. Whenever we have a significant decision to make, wise counsel HAS to be sought. I know of no better person to get counsel from than our pastor. Seek his and other people’s counsel. Notice the verse says, “in the multitude of counselors…”
*Strength of character will cause a man persevere through adversity. (v 10 &16) We will all go through times of adversity. It is how we respond to those situations that will make us or break us. Notice that a just or righteous man can be knocked down numerous times, but he will rise up again.
*Strength of character will cause the wise man to be merciful even to his enemies. (v 17-20) It is easy to be merciful to our friends, but it becomes nearly impossible to be merciful to our enemies. This difficult task is what is expected of the wise man. Get this “eye for an eye” mentality out of our minds. If a man is unfriendly to you, you should be merciful to him and show kindness. It is unnatural but commanded.
*Strength of character will cause the wise man to practice equal judgment. (v 23-29) Many times in the Bible, we are commanded to not have respect of persons. We ought to treat people equally no matter of their economic, racial, or religious status. Jesus was the best example of this. He came to this earth for EVERYONE.
*Strength of character will cause a man to realize that hard work brings prosperity. (v 30-34) The slothful man will not obtain prosperity. If a man does not work, neither should he eat. This throws a lot of this welfare mentality our country has adopted out the window. We, as Christians, are warned against becoming slothful. The slothful end up in poverty.
Conclusion: We need strength to do what is right. Wisdom provides that strength. Make sure we seek wisdom to give us what we need.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home