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[0:00] Well, good morning. Even though I am a little nervous, it should be a little easier than last Sunday, trying to speak through a translator.

[0:11] That was, yeah, a little something to get used of. A couple Sundays ago, it's been a little while.

[0:25] Now, I think it was Aaron that taught, and I'm sure it was out of the Psalms. I don't even remember where, but he was talking about Jesus having eaten at the king's table.

[0:39] Like that we, you know, then there's the Psalms 23, you would talk about, you know, he has a table prepared before us. There's different ones. I don't remember, but he was given that of eating at the king's table.

[0:51] So now I want you to stop and think of, so you can get this illustration of a bum digging in the garbage. You know, he's rooting around in a garbage bin.

[1:03] And I want us to compare that. I believe that's what it looks like to God when we're on our phones onto something we shouldn't be or reading a book we shouldn't be or whatever it is that we're doing.

[1:17] And if we can get that concept, and you'll understand a little while I'm bringing this illustration up where I'm going. But if we can get that concept of what it looks like to God, I believe when we're here, he has all the things that we need for us, all the good things.

[1:35] And so often, so often, we're rooting around in the garbage, literally. And I don't say that is something to condemn or whatever, but something for us to think about that if we start getting tempted to do something, let that image pop in your head.

[1:56] I'm going to the dumpster. Why would I do that? It's not, like I say, a condemnation as such, but for us to think about it. Think about it right away when you're tempted for something.

[2:09] What does this look like to God? Here I am. He's offering me all these good things, and I'm headed to the dumpster. And I think that can put a new image in our mind if we look at it that way, that how that has to grieve God, that we have these good things.

[2:30] What I want to look at a little bit this morning is, are you a fool? Am I a fool? And, you know, right away, well, thinking back in my life, you know, I realize there's been too often that I've been a fool.

[2:46] And right away, you know, we want to think, a fool? No, I would never be a fool. But let's look a little bit what the Bible talks about, what the Bible, what God calls a fool.

[2:57] And I want to also look at what the world considers a fool. And sometimes you're going to see that sometimes it's okay to be what the world considers a fool, but let's never be what God considers a fool.

[3:11] I want to start in Proverbs 1 in verse 7. And I should say that what I looked up on the definition of a fool, a person who acts unwisely or imprudently, like you're just impulsive, maybe as imprudent, I'm not quite sure.

[3:28] A silly person, someone who tries to trick or deceive, a person lacking in judgment. And this is what I really want to focus on, a person lacking in judgment.

[3:41] That's where I think if we're honest, we so often would catch ourselves in that part of it is lacking in judgment. And so I want to start in Proverbs 1 at verse 7.

[3:56] So first of all, we see here the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

[4:08] And this isn't a fear like that, well, I'm afraid of what I'm living wrong and I'm afraid of what God's going to do to me, but I'm not changing anything. It's not that fear. That fear is a foolish fear because it won't change us.

[4:21] It's a fear of respect and honor of God. That's a godly fear. And that's the beginning of knowledge. And that's what we want.

[4:32] That's the fear that we want. But it says here, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. I hope there's no one here that would openly and knowingly despise wisdom and instruction.

[4:46] But I think if we think about it, sometimes maybe we do without realizing what we're doing. Maybe at times we do despise wisdom and instruction.

[4:58] And so often us older people want to think of the younger ones when we think of that. But it applies to us older people just as much as the younger person here that not to despise wisdom and instruction.

[5:15] On down here in Proverbs 1, starting at verse 20. Wisdom crieth without. She uttereth her voice in the streets. She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates.

[5:29] In the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and the fools hate knowledge.

[5:41] Hopefully we don't have anybody here that's a scornful person. I'm sure I've seen people like that, and I'm sure we all have. But here, wisdom, God has given us everything that we need for it to have wisdom, to his wisdom.

[5:59] And here it gives the concept of it's crying in the streets. Wisdom is waiting for us. But the simple ones, the ones that are just the foolish person that doesn't care, he's crying out, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?

[6:17] They love what they're doing, and they don't want to change. And that's a sad, sad place to be. Proverbs 17, verse 21.

[6:35] He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow. The father of a fool hath no joy. And, you know, as you get older, you'll understand this more.

[6:48] You want your children to grow up and be honorable and good people. And a foolish person will only bring sorrow to their fathers, to the older ones, the ones that have brought them.

[7:12] And then I want to look at Proverbs 15, starting at verse 1. I'm going to start at verse 1. This is a very common, A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.

[7:25] We've heard that verse very often, and that's a very, very true saying. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright, but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

[7:39] I get this picture of it just gushing out. You'll get that concept here a little bit later, but it just, that's the picture when I read this. It just, foolishness just pours out of a fool.

[7:53] It's a sad, it's a very sad picture. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. So God's seeing all this, God sees.

[8:04] A wholesome tongue is a tree of life. So a good tongue, we're going to upbuild, we're going to build people up. The fool tears people down, he just utters anything.

[8:17] But the perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. A fool despithes his father's instructions, but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

[8:30] So we see here that a fool, he doesn't regard, and it can be instruction. Here it's talking about a father's, but it can be instruction from an older person or a pastor or whatever.

[8:45] A fool doesn't regard instruction. But he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

[8:57] And that's what we want to be. We want to be that prudent person. The person that actually regards sin, regards against sin.

[9:10] And then in Proverbs 14, verse 9.

[9:21] And this is a very serious one here that I think in a way it can catch a lot of us in a light way that we don't even think about it.

[9:33] But 14, verse 9, fools make a mock at sin, but among the righteous there is favor. And this is something, yeah, that we need to be careful and be on guard.

[9:47] Because if in any way we make a mock at sin, we're a fool. The Bible is plain about that. And it's easy to laugh or make a mock at something that is wrong and a sin.

[10:03] And I think this is one that we really need to take to heart, that fools make a mock at sin. And we don't want to be caught up in any of that, in making a mock at sin.

[10:16] And then we'll go on to verses 16 and 17. A wise man feareth and departeth from evil, but the fool rages and is confident.

[10:30] He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly, and a man of wicked devices is hated. So we see here the wise man, he fears, he fears, he fears God, and he departeth from evil.

[10:47] That's the wise man, and that's the person we want to be. But this is the part here that really the last part of that verse of 16 that really stood out to me.

[10:59] But the fool rageth and is confident. And that's where I want to go back to that verse where I had talked about it. That foolish things gush out of a foolish person.

[11:13] And I want to look at 2 Timothy 2, 23. How that we don't want to get caught up in the trap of a foolish person.

[11:35] These foolish people. We don't even want to get caught up in their trap. 2 Timothy 2, 23.

[11:46] There's these people, and I'm sure we've all encountered them.

[11:57] All they want to do, if somebody's wanting a serious discussion, that's one thing. But there's these people that all they want to do is just stir the pot. Stir something. Make you up.

[12:09] That's a fool. The Bible says that's a fool. And we need to avoid that. We need to avoid those people. Avoid knowing that they do gender strifes.

[12:21] And if we find ourselves there, that's a very serious thing. But yeah, let's for sure change if we find ourselves there.

[12:31] But even people that do that, just avoid them. It's not helpful. It's not healthy. Titus 3, 9 would talk more on this too.

[12:42] But avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain. And I think we need to take these things seriously.

[12:55] I had somebody not too long ago from a pretty strict background. And I can't even remember. I should have wrote it down because it just sounded so foolish to me.

[13:10] But it was something in the Old Testament that he and a group of them were arguing about. And it had nothing to do with salvation. I even questioned him some on that.

[13:21] But yeah, well, he felt like they needed to know who was right and whatever. Or it's foolishness. When you're arguing about something that has no bearing, it had no bearing on salvation or anything of the Christian life, let's avoid those things.

[13:39] Let's avoid arguing. It even says in strivings about the law, it can be taken too far. But let's not get into those things where we're foolishly talking about those things.

[13:58] 1 Peter 2.15. This is what I want us to consider here.

[14:12] For so is the will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Let's let our lives live it out.

[14:23] We don't have to sit there and argue everything out with somebody that's a fool or foolish. But with well-doing that ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

[14:35] And that verse really struck me. I don't have to sit here and come up against every argument.

[14:46] Yeah, they might try to make me look stupid or whatever. That's fine. I don't have to argue when it's a foolish argument.

[14:57] Proverbs 17.10. This was another one that really stood out to me.

[15:10] A reproof entereth more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool. And I think we all probably have been there.

[15:24] I know I have some times where I knew it was going to get me in trouble. But I just in my mind I balled up and I just I wanted to do what I was going to do. At that time I wouldn't have called myself a fool but I was a fool.

[15:39] And this just really stood out to me that reproof entereth into a wise man more than a hundred stripes into a fool. And let's not be that person that we know we're going headlong.

[15:54] We may be going to be losing our family or or whatever it is that we're going headlong into something. But and we know it's going to hurt us. We but we're just we're willing in our minds.

[16:07] We're willing to. It's never worth it. But in our minds we're willing to take that pain. And so let's let's remember that that let's let the reproof enter into us and be a be a wise person that is willing to be reproved.

[16:25] It takes a broken person to be reproved. It's it's at the time it's hurtful. It doesn't you know feel good. But let's let's let that reproof come to us and not end up being a fool.

[16:40] So now I want to go to some New Testament. First Corinthians three. Eighteen. Proverbs has I'm not covered.

[16:55] Ne'er covered. Ne'er has a lot on the fool. But I just I feel like I'm trying to cover what I think is the most important part.

[17:08] Proverbs. I mean, first Corinthians three. We'll start at verse 18. Oh, I'm going to actually back up to verse 16. Know you not that you're the temple of God and the spirit of God dwelleth in you.

[17:21] If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy. Which temple ye are? Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise.

[17:37] So the wisdom of this world, God doesn't consider that that wisdom. It's not his wisdom. So we can we that is one time to become a fool to the world.

[17:50] For the wisdom of God is foolishness with God. For it is written, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness. The very wisest of the wise of this world that consider themselves wise.

[18:08] They know nothing compares to God. I forget how the verse goes. Something about our highest thoughts are foolishness with God. I can't remember exactly.

[18:19] I think that's the context of what it means. But our highest thoughts are foolishness with God. We can't even. We have very limited concept of God.

[18:32] 1 Corinthians 1 17 on more of this here. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made to be made of none effect.

[18:52] Now this verse stood out to me some too here. Not with the wisdom of words. I think sometimes, and I don't know about y'all, but I've heard people in my past that they always thought they had to use these really big words and be really deep theological in preaching.

[19:13] And sometimes we can let ourselves get in the way of hearing God speak. If you can't hear past me and hear God speak to you, we haven't accomplished anything.

[19:29] So if I try to use words or whatever, and the focus is on me, and you're not hearing from God, we haven't accomplished anything.

[19:40] But anyway, that's just what I take from that, that not the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ be made. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.

[19:52] The world cannot understand the preaching of the cross. To them, it's foolishness. They will never understand. But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.

[20:04] For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. God, there again, the wisdom of this world, they think they know so much, but in the ways of God's ways, they know nothing.

[20:28] Romans 1, 18 through 25. Romans 1, 18 through 25.

[21:05] So to me, it sounds like at some point here, these people, they knew God.

[21:26] Because it says, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

[21:38] I heard, this really made me think here. I heard recently somebody talking about somebody I knew from my past, that he was talking about how that all he could talk about was our dreams and having God partner with our dreams and all this stuff.

[21:58] But we need to study God's word and learn from his word. What is for us? I'm not saying God can never speak to us in a dream, but we don't need God doesn't need our dreams.

[22:09] We don't need God partnering with our dreams. It just made me think of this right here, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was dark. And we can, after a while, make ourselves think that we're really something, you know, in all our dreams and all these things.

[22:26] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. When we, you know, through all this, if we think we build ourselves up that we're something, you know, that in all our dreams or whatever we have.

[22:40] And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like uncorruptible man. I believe we see this so much today.

[22:52] It's a taking, I call out for better way of putting a dim view of God and Jesus. Like they, they, um, somehow they, I don't, I don't know if they mean to from the beginning or not, but they have this dim and lowered view of God.

[23:11] And it, I think it's, it's to make themselves feel better in where they're at and their sin or wherever they're at. But this, they changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like uncorruptible man.

[23:25] They, they lower the view of God and, and it's a, it's a very sad thing. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.

[23:40] Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever. You know, because eventually it's very obvious.

[23:51] There's other places that the Bible talks about this where the eventually God gives them over to, to their, it says God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts.

[24:02] Um, eventually God lets them go in their own way. If we, if we just are, are a fool and foolish and are just persistent in our ways, you know, God's a loving God, but eventually he's going to let us go.

[24:17] He's going to let us go. Um, if, if we're, if we're just persistent in that and, um, just convinced that we're going to, uh, go in the way we want to.

[24:30] Um, that's, uh, one thing I think it was, I'm going to be back into Proverbs here some anyway, but I think it was in the.

[24:43] Um, chapter 14, I wanted to talk about that a little bit more. Um, yeah, chapter 14 and verse 16, where it talks about the fool rageous rage and is confident.

[25:00] Just because somebody comes across very confident and bold, don't get intimidated. Listen to what they're saying. If they're fool, if they're talking foolishness, if they're talking, you know, things of their own, whatever that so often a fool is very confident in their foolishness.

[25:19] Most of the time they are. And so that is my one challenge I want for us this morning to, to remember just because somebody comes, they want to intimidate you. They want to be, and, and don't, don't be intimidated just because somebody is, is all confident.

[25:35] It's, it's okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

[25:59] person but um uh it says the fool rageth and is confident so um but yeah don't don't uh let's not let ourselves be intimidated um by that aspect proverbs 13 um verse 20 he that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed you know i i believe if you're either gonna be a fool or you're gonna become a fool if you're a companion of fools but let's be very careful that you know sometimes you know growing up i i believe that's what it was it looked like this group you know they were fun they were having fun whatever don't become associated with that if they're if they're fools if that's what they are if they're foolish people um especially y'all younger people um be be very careful in that because it's it's not a question here it says a companion of fools shall be destroyed so it's it being even with the fool uh in the crowd it's going to um it's going to eventually destroy you um proverbs 29 verse 11 a fool uttereth all his mind but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards and i want to put emphasis on all have you ever um been around people and i've heard people even kind of make a joke of this they say that my mouth's just going faster than my mind um you know they'll they're just blabbing off stuff and you know yeah you you know we can make a joke about it but it's it's serious it's you know if you stop and think about it seriousness that i've heard even people say well my mama she was that way too i got it honestly you know genetically my mama was you know she would talk you know faster than her mind would go but the bible here he says a fool is the one that utters all his mind so we we need to be careful like i say this can be things that that can enter be closer to us than what we want to um want to think about but i just i don't believe a wise person is and this is talking to myself i don't believe me as a wise person is just my mouth is going to go faster than my mind um because i want to stop and i want to think um once we say a word we can apologize but we can't take it back and that's where the foolish stuff comes out is when our mind is going mouth is going faster better than our mind um and then proverbs uh 19 verse 1 better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he is that is perverse in lips and as a fool you know it's not fun to be poor and i know you know all of us here what we consider poor isn't very poor you go to some of these countries where we just came back from honduras and you see actually poor people they're very poor people but the bible says it is better to be poor the poor better is the poor that walketh in his integrity let's always keep our integrity um sure maybe if i do something a little bit wrong or whatever i could make you know a lot more money but let's keep our integrity

[30:00] he that is perverse in his lips then he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool um that that is another one there that i i really stood out to me and i hope like i say for everybody but especially y'all younger ones remember this because you will be tested in this there there's going to be times that are going to come up um i do believe as you as you go on that um your integrity will be tested but always remember that that it's better to be poor and and have your integrity than to be become a fool um verse three even says the foolish of man perverteth his ways and his heart fretteth against the lord um so yeah it's it's a downward spiral that um that uh with that and then i want to also um look in uh luke luke luke 12 this is a a um story that we're all very familiar with luke 12 verse 20 and it's talking about the um the rich man that that he got very wealthy in this because his barns and everything weren't big enough and so he built greater barns he built uh um to to store all his stuff instead of doing good for others he he just stored up more for himself he he couldn't couldn't look out and look look for others and look where he could do good and uh 19 and i will say to my soul soul thou hast much goods laying up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry but god said unto him thou fool this night thy show shall be required of thee then who shall those things which thou has provided shall then who shall those things which thou be which thou has provided you know all those things that he had well most likely the the sad fact is most likely a person like that if he did have heirs children most likely they fought over him anyway but um and then 21 so is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward god and um that's what i want to leave with us this morning is is these challenges that um in regards to to being very careful that we aren't a fool but also um um just like this here that what what our focus is on if it's on um like this man um like this man on ourselves and and and building up storing up things for himself but when god required him required his soul he called him a fool and um if you remember now again back to where i talked about that the the i was trying to give that image of the of the dumpster the bum ding it in the dumpster and again i just want to re-emphasize that that we all think about this through the upcoming week and wherever whenever if if we're tempted to do those things go into the to the garbage is what i'm going to call it and um instead of eating from the king's table from god god and his word and you know it is a challenge like dan said we sometimes do we become dry we whatever but where do we go then to fill ourselves do we go to the dump to the dump bin or are we going to god's word it's it's not a it's not a um how would i put it

[34:01]  uh necessarily a bad it's a i mean we don't want to stay there but it's not necessarily a bad thing to realize that we have become dry it's if we stay there or if we go to the garbage bin to refill to fill ourselves but let's always go to god's word and just yeah to remember that sometimes we're going to be a fool in the world's way of looking at it when we're when we're standing on god's word and even though it goes against the lifestyles or whatever of the world but let's remember and never let's let's never be a fool in god's eyes because that's what ultimately counts so yeah god bless you