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Amen so problem chapter 4 we're gonna come back a little bit later, but if you would turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter number 32 Deuteronomy chapter number 32 on a preach a message tonight entitled forsake the floor the floor word Forsake the floor word and again, that's not forward. That's a fro word F R O W A R D and that's not a term that we're really familiar with today In fact, a lot of people will read that word in their Bible They'll have some misconceptions about what that word means And I think it's important that we understand what it means because as we'll see tonight the Bible and especially in the book of Proverbs itself Warns us a great deal about forward people or being a floor word person or being you know Someone who exhibits the trait of forwardness if you will and really people will again kind of choke on that word So let me just begin the sermon by helping us to understand what it means now if we go to a dictionary the word forward simply means being willfully contrary or not easily managed being willfully contrary or Not easily managed. So basically this is somebody who likes to go against the grain Somebody who likes to do the opposite what if they're told who likes to just be contrary for being con for contrary's sake They just want to you know, be a rebel. They just want to go against the the grain They want to buck the system which makes them somebody who is not easily managed there's people who Because they pride themselves on going against the rules and not falling in line That makes them a very difficult person to manage. That's basically what the word forward means and you'll see that here in the scripture I believe once you kind of have that understanding you'll see that fleshed out so to speak in the scripture It says there in Deuteronomy chapter 32 where you are in verse 20, and he said I will hide my face from them I will see what their end shall be for they are a very forward Generation children in whom is no faith So this is the very first use of that word in Scripture that word forward and it describing it's describing here This is God speaking and he's describing a certain group of people and he says of this this people that they are forward that they are children in whom there is no faith and if we know anything at all about this group of people that He's referring to that group of people that was brought out of Egypt and into the wilderness We know that they did a lot of there was a lot of rebellion. There was a lot of complaining That is why God is describing them as a forward generation. They were faithless. They didn't fall in line They didn't believe God they were even at times talking of stoning Moses. There was a lot of upheaval There was a lot of people trying to overthrow the God-ordained leadership. Why because they were willfully contrary They were not easily managed They were a froward people So once you kind of have that understanding of the dictionary definition You can kind of see how it's being used in Scripture and how both are lining up how the both the dictionary Definition and the biblical the Bible's use of the word line up, okay And again, he's describing this generation as being very forward and they were a willfully contrary group of people and really when you start To look at the context here. You can kind of get a better sense of that word it says there in verse 19 and when the Lord saw it he aboard them because of the Provoking of his sons and of his daughters so he's describing the same group as a forward people and he's saying I'm calling them forward and what I'm seeing from them is a provoking and Often, you know, that's what we would say of somebody who is willfully contrary somebody who is forward. They are one who likes to provoke They like to push the envelope. They like to see how close to the line they can get makes them What not easily managed he said in verse 20 and I will hide my face from them I will see what their end shall be for they are a very forward generation children in whom is no faith They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God. They have provoked me to anger So we see that there's this provoking it's a it's a proactive Provocation of God of making him angry That's what it means to breathe forward to go against the grain to be willfully contrary to provoke Against, you know provoke an authority so to speak Another you know other terms that the Bible would use and if you would go back to Proverbs 4 Proverbs chapter 4 You know, we talked about some of those terms this morning another way we could decide to describe somebody that is forward is Somebody who is stiff-necked Somebody who is hard-hearted or somebody who is rebellious or somebody who is stubborn These are all also, you know biblical terms that we could use to describe such people The Bible uses those terms many times throughout Scripture It says in Exodus chapter 32 the Lord said unto Moses I have seen this people and behold it as a stiff-necked people It's the same people that he's calling forward in Deuteronomy 32 and Exodus 32. He's saying they're also they're stiff-necked Bible says in Job's chapter 5 It says he that he taketh the wise in their own craftiness and the counsel of the forward is carried headlong So being a crafty person and being a forward person are synonymous somebody who is crafting mischievous Somebody who is provoking somebody who is what willfully contrary not easily managed The Bible says in 1st Peter chapter 2 servants be subject to your masters with all fear Not only to the good and gentle but also to the forward so obviously the antonym there in 1st Peter chapter 2 of good and gentle is forward and Vice-versa if we say what's a forward person? Well, I can tell you what they're not. They're not good and gentle In fact, some of the other synonyms that are given for this word forward are Adverse contrary disobedient Insubmissive obstinate petulant stubborn and unyielding And we've probably all known people and maybe even had masters as the Bible calls them or bosses that were this way But really hopefully we understand what this word means and it's important that we do because forward This is not something that a trait that we want to exhibit and also it's not It's not a type of person that we want to be around We should forsake forward people in our lives because they will have an effect on us and Their end is not good. If you see if you look there in Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23 I want you to notice this idea of Being led of going in the way of having a direction of having a specific end in mind Okay, it says there in verse 23 keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Put away from thee a forward mouth and perverse lips put far from thee let thine eyes look right on Let thine eyelids look straight before thee ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be Established turn not to the right hand and nor to the left remove thy foot from evil Saying look God wants you to look your head Let your eyes look right on get your eyelids straight before you to ponder the path of your feet to consider You know to keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life God wants you to keep pointed in a right direction and if you Part of maintaining that and doing that and going in that direction is that you would put away from you a forward mouth and you would put away from you perverse lips and the reason why this is all you know that that putting away of the forward mouth that putting away the perverse lips is Is related to this being led to this pondering of the path of keeping in the way the way those two things are related Is the fact that if you're somebody with the forward mouth if you're somebody with perverse lips you know you are somebody who is contrary to the way that you ought to go and Also, you know people that come into our lives that have forward mouths that have perverse lips they're interested in subverting us and getting us off the path that we ought to go and I think you know I'm kind of taking a minute here in Proverbs chapter 4 also to kind of you know Help us understand what this word means because again. It's it's a word that we don't use today But you know and it's this verse here in verse 24 that I think does cause some confusion for people people will think Well forward mouth that just means you know saying dirty things Look, I'm not saying we should be saying dirty things okay, but that's not what forward means And the reason why they think that is because that says forward mouth and perverse lips But we also have to understand that what perverse means in the Bible is not typically what we think of today You know perverse today. We would think of all day. They talk dirty. They say filthy things They say nasty things they talk they talk about perverted things okay But you know perverse is synonymous with that word forward in fact the the definition of perverse and forward are very similar Earlier we saw that forward was to be willfully contrary You know perverse means simply this is the very first definition that comes up Willfully determined to be disposed or to go counter to what is expected or desire Contrary so you can see why the Bible is using the word forward and perverse in the same Context in the same that they're synonymous they can be interchanged with one another It's because they both mean the same thing To be forward is to have perverse lips It means you are somebody who is determined somebody who is disposed to go counter to what is expected Or what is desired of you you are what a contrary person you are willfully contrary That's what it means to be a forward person. That's what it means to have perverse lips according to the scripture It's about it's it's it's referring to the fact that people Insist on being going wayward they are obstinate and what is wrong they want to do what is wrong They want to go against the grain They want to turn away or reject. What is right good proper. They are wicked or corrupt That's what it means to be perverse. That's what it means to be forward and Again problems chapter 4 is great It gives us a deeper understanding of what it means to breathe forward Not just because of the use of the two words forward and perverse But also because it's showing us in the context It's about going against you know the direction we ought to go if you're a forward person You know you're somebody who wants to go against the direction that gets going to go against the guidance Against the advice against the wisdom that is guiding you or ought to be guiding you and leading you whether it's you know in the word Of God or through the preaching the word of God or the authorities that are in your life And this is why we need to forsake Forwardness not only in our own lives, but also when we perceive in other people that they are forward They also should be forsaken. We should not make friends with forward people Go to Proverbs chapter 16. We're going to be in Proverbs a lot tonight because as I said at the beginning This is a word that's used multiple times throughout Proverbs and Proverbs is a great book Especially for people who are starting out in life You know it was advice that I was given it's a in its advice I took and it's advice that I'm giving you now especially to the young people in the room You should read Proverbs every day not the whole book. Let me clarify But you should probably read a chapter of Proverbs every day I think that people would you know adults and young people alike would benefit greatly from that because Proverbs is a book that Teaches us so much about life and about wisdom about the pitfalls of life of what to avoid or what to seek after There's so many great truths in the book of Proverb and you know what and there's 31 chapters So, you know you read 31 if you read one chapter day, you know, you'll read it about once a month. It works out But again, we're gonna be there in a lot tonight because it does warn us a lot about forward people and what we find about Forward people is that they're contrary that they like going against the system that they're perverse that they're Determined to go counter to what is expected of them that they are what we would call today You know troublemakers people who are troublemakers We should forsake people who are forward because of the fact that they are only interested in causing trouble Bible says if you're there in Proverbs chapter 16 and look at verse 27 It says an ungodly man diggeth up evil You know ungodly people they don't just stumble into evil, you know wicked people aren't just you know But you know mindlessly going through life doing bad things Look, they're digging it up. The Bible says I don't know about you, but I've never found myself accidentally digging You know if I'm ever digging, you know, it's very purposeful act, you know You went and thought about where at what kind of shovel I'm gonna use I'm gonna use a flat shovel a spade shovel, you know, am I digging down into the earth? Am I scooping something, you know, it's very deliberate act to dig something, isn't it? You think about where you're gonna dig you're gonna think about what you're digging for how far you're gonna go Then the Bible says that ungodly men diggeth up evil If there's no evil on the surface, so they can't just easily access it. They say well, I want evil. I'm a froward person I'm contrary. I'm rebellious. I'm gonna go find the evil even if it's buried I'll go digging for it. I don't care how hard it is to get to I'm gonna go and find evil That's what an ungodly man does it says and in his lips, there is a burning fire a froward man Soweth strife a whisperer chief separated chief friends So notice here, you know that the ungodly man the froward man they go looking for trouble. They dig up the evil They sow the strife They say I'm gonna go do this and you know what and nothing good is gonna come of it But I don't care because that's just what I do It's what I'm disposed to do. I'm disposed to doing things contrary to what is expected I'm gonna go ahead and sow the strife because I'm a froward man And notice he says there in Proverbs 16 verse 27 in his lips there is as a burning fire It's their lips and you'll see this time and time again when it comes to this topic of forward that it's the mouth It's the tongue that they use They use their words in a forward way go to Proverbs chapter 17 Proverbs chapter 17 The Bible says in Proverbs 10 the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable. They know what is acceptable What can be said what should be said what is proper what is right, but the mouth of the wicked speaketh forwardness The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable They know let me say this this will be an encouragement. Let me give this instruction. Let me give this godly advice Let me give this wisdom. Let me tell you what is right Whereas the mouth of the wicked is going to speak only forwardness They're gonna say let me tell you how to do wrong Let me tell you how to rebel. Let me tell you why you shouldn't go along why you should be contrary That's what the mouth of the wicked does this is how they dig up their evil it's with their mouth Proverbs 17 look at verse 9. He says he that loveth transgression Loveth strife and he that exalted his gate seeketh destruction. You know, there's some people out there. They love transgression You know, some of us are scratching our heads like why would anybody love transgression? Why would anybody love sin and iniquity? Why would everyone anyone love, you know being a grief to God why would anybody love those things But the Bible says they're out there They love transgression. They love strife and notice verse 20. He that hath a froward heart Findeth no good and he that hath a perverse tongue Falleth into mischief again There's that froward and perverse being used in the same verse and he's saying of these people these people with a froward heart These people with perverse tongues that they find no good and that they fall into mischief You know why the the froward does finds no good Do you know why the perverse tongue falls into mischief because they're not interested in that which is good. That's what they're into They want they don't want to find anything good. They despise that which is good They love that which is evil. They love the transgression. You know what? That's why they get what they get Because whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap They dig up the evil and look they want to bring people with them, you know misery loves company You know if I know I'm doing wrong It's gonna make me feel better about what I'm doing if I can get you to do it with me If I can get somebody if I can get a crowd that I can say well now I don't feel so bad because there's more People that are helping me do it maybe it's not so bad and As a result what what froward people do is they they subvert other people They they're subversive They intend to overthrow or destroy or undermine an established or existing system They'll say oh don't listen to your parents. They don't you know, they're they're just old fuddy-duddies. Oh Don't go to that church. They just want you to be a little goody-two-shoes They just want to get you on the straight and narrow they just want you to live for God whatever that means And what they're doing what the forward is doing with his mouth with his perverse lips is he's undermining the righteous He's undermining what your parents have instilled in you. He's undermining what the church has been teaching you He's undermining what the Word of God instructs you. That's what the forward do they subvert You know, why would anybody do that? Because they're evil Because they're evil Evil is a reality in this world And no one likes to admit that maybe they're the evil one No one likes to admit that maybe the crowd they're running with is an evil crowd well, look somebody's got to be them and somebody's got to run with them don't they because they're out there and What the evil people do is they subvert the good? Look at product you should have gone to Proverbs to go there quickly if you would problems chapter number two again We'll be in Proverbs all night Proverbs chapter 2 I'll begin reading a verse 10 says when wisdom enters into thine heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul Discretion shall preserve the understanding shall keep thee look. It's not just enough to know what the Bible says It's not you know You're not going to have the discretion is not going to preserve you the understanding is not going to keep you just because you read It or you heard it. It's when wisdom has entered in thine heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul When you start to love the knowledge of God We start to love the things of the Bible when you start to love the things that are righteous and godly and good that's when Discretion is going to preserve you and keep you from the eve from the evil That's what he says he's saying look when wisdom enters in thine heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul discretion shall preserve thee Understanding shall keep thee to do what? To deliver thee it says in verse 12 from the way of the evil man From the man that speaketh what froward things When you start to love the things of God love the instruction the Word of God When you start to love other things that you've been taught out of the Word of God You know when you start to delight in those things those are the things that are going to deliver you from the evil people The evil man who is going to what speak froward things There's going to get your ear and say it's just a little sin. You don't need to listen to them Everybody's doing it. You know when you love the things you'll hear that you say no. I'm not going to do that Because I love righteousness. I love the things these things are the things that are pleasant unto me not sin and equity and Then these things shall preserve you But if you don't love these things look if you don't love this book if you don't love the preaching of this book It's only a matter of time until the froward and evil man gets a hold of your ear long enough and gets you off the path And gets you into you know hey grab this shovel. Let's dig up some evil That's what it means to be froward willfully contrary not easily managed Because they're rebellious forward people they are Troublemakers forward people they are contrary rebellious people I know I talked about it this morning. We live in a world that just glorifies rebellion And we looked at it this morning that as the Bible says elsewhere rebellion is is a sin of witchcraft It's wicked. It's not something to be glorified not something to be sought after go to Proverbs chapter 6 Excuse me Proverbs chapter number 6 You know forward people are contrary rebellious people and you would think you know the forward person would just be so obvious You would just you could just see what they do and how they live and what they're about and what they love you just say Well, you're froward. Why would anybody fall for that? That's because they're subtle They don't just come out and say hey, let's let's go and just rebel against God and everybody else Let's just go dig up some evil. Let's just go be wicked froward perverse people They're subtle It says in verse 12 a naughty person a wicked man walketh with a froward mouth and notice how he Instructs he says he winketh with his eyes. He speaketh with his feet. He teacheth with his fingers You know whenever I think about that I always think of that, you know, the evil guy who's just kind of twiddling his fingers You know just kind of and he's kind of winking at ya Kind of like he knows something you don't know It's a suggestive type of thing look he's he's very subtle, isn't he? He's not just coming out and saying it He's speaking with his feet You know the forward they'll they'll show you how to get into sin You know, they're not gonna say hey, let's go do this or this that they'll just say hey Let's go over here and do this. Watch what I do They'll teach with their fingers. Look how I do this look how how easily I can sin and That's how they teach and that's how they instruct because they're subtle Forwardness is in his heart. He does not it diviseth mischief continually. He soweth the scored You know and people will see that and think well what's what you know, that's not so bad but verse 15 Look at that. It says therefore shall calamity come suddenly Suddenly shall he be broken without remedy, you know people that are gonna be swift to eat it to run to evil Those that are going to have forwardness in their mouth that are gonna devise mischief that are gonna sow discord The Bible says that they will be destroyed You run with the wrong cloud crowd long enough, you know, it's only a matter of time until some tragedy comes into your life And hopefully you're not gonna just you know be collateral damage You know a great example of somebody who was very contrary and rebellious Rebellious and forward and yet at the same time very subtle is Satan. I Mean think about the example of Eve You know, he wanted to get her to eat of that, you know, forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil You know, he came to her as a serpent and the Bible describes a servant as the the most subtle of all the beasts of the field you know, but it doesn't say that he Slithered up her leg and around her neck and choked her out and then stuffed an apple in her mouth That wouldn't have been very subtle What he did is he used his words And he said look it's pleasant to the eyes It'll make you wise God knows that you need to eat the day thereof that you shall be as gods he used his words and he lied and he deceived and he got her to fall and This is why forward people should be avoided Look people that are good at getting into trouble and and getting into sin They know how to get other people into it very subtly They know how to make you know They tell you what they're intending to do and it sounds like such a bad idea because it is But they know how to sell it and tell it to you just so you're thinking well Maybe that isn't so bad. Maybe we could get out and get away with it That's why they should be avoided Go to Psalm or Proverbs 22, excuse me This is what David said about the forward person. He said a froward heart shall depart for me. I will not know a wicked person And of course, we know David was a very godly and righteous man And part of the reason why David was able to have such a great reputation Is because the fact that he did not surround himself with froward and wicked people He said I'm not gonna know a wicked person It says in Proverbs 8 my mouth shall speak truth the wickedness is an abomination wickedness is an abomination in my lips all the words Of my mouth are unrighteous that there's nothing forward or perverse in them That ought to be all of our testimony It says there in Proverbs 22 verse 4 by humility and the fear the Lord are riches and honor and life You know fearing God is is a is a blessing You know the Bible says that his commandments are not grievous Jesus said my yoke is easy and my burden is light the Bible says that the way of the transgressor is hard Bible says, you know, there is there's pleasure and sin for a season You know, but when sin hath when lust hath conceived, you know It bringeth forth sin and sin when it's not for a season You know, but when sin hath when lust hath conceived, you know, it bringeth forth sin and sin when it's finished bringeth forth debt But forward people have a really good they have they're really good at making sin just look so good and just And they are so good at just like, you know forgetting to remind you of all the potential Consequences that could permanently, you know affect your life They don't mention all that up front. That's not how the devil works And then what they're really good at doing is just making you know living for the Lord just look like some You know just drudgery that has to be endured That it's just for you know, church people whatever that means But the Bible says that by humility and the fear of the Lord are what riches and honor and life Now it's not saying all these things are guaranteed You know, I'm still waiting on the richest thing Probably never gonna come You know as far as honor, you know If I can get to the end of my life and have lived a life of honor with a good reputation, you know That's I'll take it rather than get to the my end of my life and just look back and look at a wasted life full of sin and Iniquity and forwardness and perverseness and mischief and just heartache after heartache after heartache after heartache The Bible says in verse 5 of Proverbs 22 where you are thorns and snares are in the way of the forward you want to Know what's ahead of forward people thorns and snares. I Don't know about you, but when I when I go for a walk I don't try to find you know, the bush with all the thorns on it. So I'm gonna walk through that And look, this is something we know a little bit about here in Arizona. We know about thorns knowing And we go in our hikes, you know, we're on we're looking out for thorns not so we can step in them So we can avoid them And if you saw some guy just running headlong into a cactus and just jumping, you know, you say guys an idiot You're a moron and look there's people out there that do it. I've seen the videos They throw themselves to cactuses to get a hit, you know to get you know more hits on on YouTube or whatever It's like I hope it was worth it. You picking those things out for a month And we would look at somebody that would do that. You'd say what's wrong with them That's a natural reaction You know what spiritually that's exactly what forward people are doing People that are just contrary people are just rebellious people who just want to go against what's expected of them You know what all that's ahead of them are thorns and snares Thorns and snares. It's just gonna be scratches and bleeding and bruising and you know That's the thorns and then the snares like is a trap. That's what it's talking about That's what's in that's what's in the way of the forward a snare You know you get into sin long enough you and you and you and eventually when the bill comes due You know what? You're gonna have her on your ankle is a snare and then you go well this what I don't this is what I? Want anymore? Yeah, it's too late now. You're snared though, but now you're snared But now you've got that snare holding you back from doing what you would otherwise do He says that thorns and snares are in the way of the forward but notice how it ends he that doth keep his soul Shall be far from them I don't know about you, but I want to be as far away from thorns and snares in my life as I can So what are you doing in Arizona then? I'm speaking about the spiritual application here. Okay? He's saying look the guy that avoids the The forward person the person that has the humility that isn't filled with pride the person that Fears God is going to be far away from the thorns and snares They're gonna be looking over there and seeing somebody just you know running through the bramble bush and just getting all scratched up I'm watching Satan put a little snare around there and around their leg and say but I'm glad that's not me You're not gonna be sitting there going yeah, but they had so many thorns and snares You're not gonna be sitting there going yeah, but they had so much more fun than I did Yeah, but they got into so much more. They had so much more pleasure and sin for some you're not gonna That's not you're gonna think You're gonna think man. I'm glad I didn't go down that road Glad I got away from that person Glad I got away from that crowd glad I quit running with that crowd because that you know they're they're running through thorns They've got snares, but you know what I'm far from them But who is it that's gonna be far from them? It's not the forward It's the people that have the humility and they have a fear of the Lord You see forward people they think that they're gonna go unpunished in life They think they can just live however they want do whatever they want and never suffer the consequences for it Go to Proverbs chapter 11 the Bible says otherwise In fact you know and this is even true for With God's people Christians can get this I attitude too, they can be saved you know they believed on Christ They're on their way to heaven when they think you know I've got my fire escape. You know I'm not going to hell I got my ticket punched. I'm on my way, but you know I can live however. I want and you know what that's true For by grace you say through faith and that not of yourselves It is the gift of God not of works less any man should boast we understand that You're not going to heaven based on how good of a person you are cuz no one's good enough We're going through the shed blood of Christ and through our faith in him alone, that's it So yeah, you can't put your faith in Christ and be going to heaven no matter what and live however you want And we get criticized for saying that so often But that's what the Bible clearly teaches and not gonna take the time to develop it But what people misconstrue that is is that what we're saying is that you can live however you ever want to not have any consequences That's not what I said, and that's not what the Bible teaches You can live however you want and go to heaven But you know what you will suffer the consequences every step of the way on the way there So you know what you can be saved and and be on your way to heaven But your whole way there can be thorns and snares all the way to heaven Or it can be riches and honor and life You know and here's here's what you know Christians need to understand is that God isn't passive God doesn't just sit back and let his children do whatever they want I Mean he'll let him do what they want and then he'll punish them for it Just like our parent you know a good parent doesn't just let their kid. Just do whatever they want without the consequences You know my kids don't get just go home and start scribbling all over the walls You know if they did there's going to be consequences The Bible says with the pure that will show thyself pure Speaking of God, and this is David, and he said and with the floor word that will show thyself unsavory It's real interesting how he uses that word unsavory You know if you're a forward person you're not gonna like God very much Because God's not gonna be very good to you God's gonna punish you God's gonna deal with you God's gonna say okay thorns and thistles snares you're gonna be found fighting against God and That's what forward people do it That's what it means to be forward folks to be contrary to be willfully contrary and not just to your parents But to even God himself not to just some establishment or government or laws or rules, but even when it comes to God Forward people they'll they'll fight God. You know what go ahead and do that Go ahead and do that You know what you're gonna. You're gonna describe God as unsavory That's gonna be putting it lightly The Bible says in Proverbs 3 the forward it is an abomination to the Lord, but a secret is with the righteous God looks down and sees forward people and says you're an abomination to me What does it mean to be an abomination it means to be something that God hates and detests? You know and we're taught today. Oh God loves everybody and everything. That's not the Bible folks It says right there in Proverbs 3 the forward is an abomination to the Lord The Bible very clearly teaches that some people and some things that they do are an abomination to God Look, there's some things that I don't like but there's you know, just just in my personal life I don't know that there's anything that I would describe as an abomination to me You know just to kind of illustrate this point, you know I don't like black olives and green olives there aren't far behind you right Karen She knows she watched me choke down those olives in that salad at Olive Garden Why would a guy who doesn't like olives go to Olive Garden? I'll tell you why the shrimp scampi Okay, it's excellent and those free breadsticks love them. But you know, what? I don't like is olives. I hate him anyway Just to prove a point But you know as much as I don't like olives you never I would never do is pick up an album go here an abomination to me Because that's very strong language, isn't it? Do you like olives? They're an abomination Right, we might say that jokingly but you don't really mean that right Now there are some things and people that I consider an abomination just like there are some things and some people that God considers an Abomination and in Proverbs 3 he's describing very clearly that forward people are an abomination It's not that he just dislikes them or has a distaste for them or doesn't prefer them He says I hate them to the point where they're an abomination. It's a very strong disgust and It's saying the Lord They are an abomination to the Lord. Oh, oh forward people are just an abomination to you know, church people No, they're an abomination to God to the Lord But his secret is with the righteous Bible says in Proverbs 8 I'll read to you The fear of the Lord is to hate evil pride and arrogance in the evil way and the forward mouth do I hate Proverbs chapter 10 the mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom, but the froward tongue shall be cut out That's very strong language Saying look what's he saying the froward tongue the one who devises mischief who? subtly You know subverts other people and tries to get other people to go along and and be contrary He says that same tongue that works all that evil is gonna be cut out meaning God's gonna judge him Look at Proverbs 11 verse 20. They that are a forward heart are an abomination to the Lord. Oh, I just read that Oh, wait. No, the Bible's repeating itself Must be must be God's trying to get a message across to us when he's repeating things in the Bible They that are of a forward heart are abomination to the Lord, but such as our upright in the way are his delight So there's just there's this path that's laid out before us in life There's two options. There's this fork in the road You can have a forward heart and be an abomination to the Lord Or you can live upright in a way that's pleasing unto him and God will actually delight in you I'm about you but delight sounds pretty good I'd rather have God looking down in my life and saying you know what I delight I appreciate what you're doing You're not an abomination to me. I love you. I want to bless you I want to bless you. I want to delight in you. I want to guide you and I want to lead you That's what I want for my life But you know what that takes being upright in the way doing what's right and not being a forward person You know, so you don't want to be a forward person then you need to avoid forward influences in your life And again, they're very subtle go to Proverbs 14. That's where we're gonna close You know one forward influence in our lives that we should avoid is the media And all its different forms This culture that has just been preaching rebellion for for decades now I mean going back to the 50s 60s Where it's just you know free love and and and you know Going against the system fighting the man You know, that's all by design it's all satanic That's what you know it's and it hasn't changed I'd imagine all the all the you know The hip-hop and the gangster rap that's out there and all the rock and roll and the R&B and everything else I'm pretty sure they're not singing Bible. They're not singing the Psalms are they? They're not are they praising the Lord They're not are they praising the Lord Are they talking about how you should live a clean life and a godly life? You know, it's been a while since I've heard it, but I have to guess they're probably glorifying violence and fornication and drug use That's I mean, that's is that a stretch for me to say that You know, I haven't kept up on a lot of it but every now and then I see it and it's like good night Nothing's changed. It's gotten worse You know, that's a major influence on people and what it's forwardness it's perverseness That's all it is in the music in the movies Well, they're just blaspheming God Where they're just you know, just teaching to just do whatever you want. Whatever feels good. Don't worry about it drink Do drugs fornicate? That's a major influence on people, you know what we should forsake that influence Well, it's just it just doesn't sound so much fun what do you would you know just reading the Bible You know, what doesn't sound fun? thorns and snares and Look young people are so short-sighted. They can't see it They can't they can't see where these paths lead a lot of times Because you know, and that's how the devil, you know paints the path like he he just he holds up He's like that, you know, he's like Wile E. Coyote probably does anyone know what I'm talking about Wile E. Coyote from Looney Tunes He's always trying to catch the roadrunner You know, so he'd paint, you know the tunnel on the rock hoping the roadrunner would just smash right into it You know, what was the point he's deceiving and he's saying oh, well look the way it's clear it's a clear path There's a nice tunnel. It's paved just full speed. Go ahead You know, but obviously the roadrunner was smarter than that That's how the devil works with us That's how the devil works with with young people. So don't listen to that old preacher. Don't listen to your parents Don't listen with that guy saying don't don't listen what the Bible has to say look it's a clear path That's the devil talking That's the devil talking You know and when you smash up against that wall when sin finally runs its course with you, then you'll go. Oh, yeah Oh, yeah, I guess I should have listened Yeah, well now you've got a concussion Whatever now your nose is broken. You got two black eyes like oh now I'll listen Yeah, well, hopefully that heals up for you, and I'm glad you're listening But you know, it would it be a whole lot better to just listen now To what the Bible is already saying to you Therefore this is an abomination That God is going to judge the forward person that he's going to cut the forward tongue out and Just start avoiding these forward influences in your life They do not have your best interest in mind. You know why they sing about what they sing about you know why they Show you what they show you because it sells That's it not because they're trying to make us. You know a morally superior culture It's because that's what sells You know and we had to tell you got a look at them is you know all they see you as is a big wallet Just a dollar sign You know that's what all the the rec you know the record companies and Hollywood. That's how they see you Just a big dollar sign Because no one's gonna pay for it. No one's gonna pay for this And that's what you know that but that's not why it's free. It's free for other reasons No one's gonna pay to download this sermon The moguls in Hollywood aren't gonna get hold of this to say oh, yeah, we could sell that to the masses No they what do they want to sell well we know what they want to sell Don't we? It's forwardness is what it is You know so that's one influence the other influence though really that I don't think a lot of people consider is their friendships And how they affect us? forward people will have an effect on you and Look forward people are very subtle and Sometimes forward people they don't even know they're forward Listen if you have somebody in your life Who's trying to influence you to not listen to your parents to not listen to the Word of God? To not listen to the preaching the Word of God to go contrary to what you've been taught that is a forward person that you Need to cut out of your life Because they will drag you down And There's this concept throughout Scripture where you know the bad always make the good bad You know why why did God say look tell the children of Israel don't marry the heathen In fact drive the heathen out of the land that I give you Because he knew that the heathen would just make them back, but you know Christians often think well I'll just make them better. That's it's not gonna work that way because look The the bad have no interest in getting good and being better They don't they want to just dig up evil they just delight in mischief You know they don't sleep unless they cause others to fall You know and youth and they're just playing you that's all they're doing So cut them out look there in Proverbs 14. Did I have you go there? I'll read to you from Proverbs 22 if you haven't gone there go to Proverbs 14 It says make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shalt not go You know there's some people you shouldn't hang around why because you learn their ways That's what it says in verse 25 lest thou learn his ways, and there it is again and get a snare to thy soul Our friendships have a profound influence on our lives. They make a huge impact on what kind of people we're gonna be You know show me your friends, and I'll show you where you're headed Show me the people you hang around and I'll show you where you're gonna be Look at Proverbs 14 verse 7 it says go from the presence of a foolish man When thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge When you know fools should be avoided like the plague and look Proverbs this is what I'm telling you guys read Proverbs because it just there's too much to cover in one sermon Bible says it'd be better to meet a bear robbed of her whelps than a fool in a spally What's the Bible says it'd be better for you to run into that mama bear who's looking for her cubs and Everyone knows that's not the bear you want to run into that's the most dangerous bear there is When you get between the cub and the mama bear It's time to say your prayer Your last prayer because she's coming for you But the Bible saying look it would be better for you to run into that than to run into a fool in his folly Then to get snared with a fool and run with a fool You should go from the presence of a foolish man when thou perceiveth not in him the lips of knowledge Doesn't say I'll just hang out, you know, just kind of See what they have to say. I'm not gonna get too involved This is you need to go need to leave them need to forsake them The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit It's deceit And look I know this isn't a popular message and People might even be hearing it and sitting out there and thinking ah Just rattling this cage. Oh Just some old-fashioned Baptist preacher Talking about how bad sin is Look at verse 9. It says fools make a mock at sin. They mock at it. Oh Don't don't listen to them It's not so bad. What's the worst that could happen? It's just a little sin You know, that's mocking sin. The Bible says that that's your attitude. You're a fool That's that's the way a fool talks But among the righteous there is favor fools make a mock of sin, but among the righteous there is favor We need to go from the presence of forward people we need to forsake the forward Because they're very subtle and they're troublemakers and they're people that want to just drag others down with them They're gonna get us a snare if we're not careful Because think about this I'll close with this thought, you know forwardness rebellion anger Foolishness, these are things that are learned in life. I Mean, I know we all are sinners by birth and we all have a proclivity to sin that will will do wrong just naturally But you know some people practice sin and they get good at it And they know how to get others involved You know There's certain things that are learned which means this that they're taught You can't learn anything if it's not taught folks and the forward-mouth just wants to teach you Evil, that's all they're there to do because that's all they delighted in because that's what it means to be forward To be somebody who's willingly contrary To be somebody who is rebellious and delights in it. That's what it means to be forward And That's the person that is going to teach you how to get into sin how to be just like them And that's why we need to forsake the forward. Let's go ahead and pray