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Amen right so Proverbs chapter 4 and we were in Proverbs 3 last week and just to give you a quick reminder of what we saw last week we looked at both following your parents commandments in terms of for the children which is following God's commandments by the way if you you know because you're told to follow your parents commandments and also adults we look to adults following God's commandments as well resulting both of these I would say resulted a longer more peaceful life we saw we looked at those famous verses about trusting God with all our hearts and not leaning to our own understanding how we're told to acknowledge him in all our ways for him to lend direct our paths and obviously there are some sort of stipulations there for that to happen we looked at the timeless wisdom about tithing to God how we all get chastised and it's for our own good the correction from his word being being really the easier bit that's easier than the chastisement the correction how wisdom and understanding is better than all the treasure out there that the Word of God provides this wisdom and understanding and also eternal life it provides and and you know how it's his word wisdom itself that created life but it also maintains it doesn't it how keeping that wisdom and discretion will then keep you safe free from anxiety we saw as well sleeping better things like that finally there was some more specific examples of how to keep sound wisdom and discretion in life which ended with some reminders about the wicked verse 31 said envy thou not the oppressor and choose none of his ways for the froward is abomination to the Lord but his secret is with the righteous the curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked but he blesseth the habitation of the just surely he scorneth the scorners but he giveth grace unto the lowly the wise shall inherit glory but shame shall be the promotion of fools and we're going to Proverbs 4 and verse 1 begins with hear you children the instruction of a father and attend to no understanding I'd like to pray and then we'll get on with chapter 4 father thank you for this great chapter the Bible there's so many talking points here so many places it could be expanded please help me to just preach those bits that I've chosen to expand just you know in the right way Lord accurately and fully your spirit Lord and boldly and help everyone just to be attentive now to stay awake and stay focused on what your words got to say to them Lord help them to to find a way of applying it to their lives as well okay so he said hear ye children the instruction of a father and attend to no understanding and we started the last chapter is solemn Solomon seemingly addressing his son here he's specifically addressing children and saying to listen to the instruction of a father being being himself and like we spoke about last week just being able to submit to authority is a massive advantage in life isn't it so just being able to getting used to that just away from the actual commandments themselves just getting used to submitting to your father's instructions kids will will give you a massive massive advantage in life just getting used to submitting not being rebellious just doing as you're told is actually a great advantage in life isn't it to be able to do that so many don't have that so many are incapable of doing as they're told in capable of submitting to authority in the various aspects of life and we all have authority in our lives whoever you are wherever you are whatever position you are there's authority in your life and the ultimate authority being God but but when to listen to the instruction of your own father depends on whether or not the instruction goes against a higher power which is God we looked at Ephesians you don't have to turn there six one last week which said children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right and Solomon here seems to make make that point where he's qualifying his instruction he says in verse 2 for he said for I give you good doctrine forsake ye not my lord so he said here the instruction of a father and tend to no understanding for I give you good doctrine forsake ye not my law and by the way it's not you that decides whether or not it's good doctrine children when you're listening to your parents it's measured by the Word of God okay it's measured by the Word of God and and same with us that whatever we're hearing whatever instruction we're hearing we want to measure it by the Word of God that is our measuring stick right verse 3 says for I was my father's son tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother his father was of course King David and I think he's just saying look I had a I had a loving mother okay Bathsheba was a loving mother he then says in verse 4 though he taught me also and said unto me let thine heart retain my words keep my commandments and live and there are a few points here okay obviously there's a link between long life and obeying your parents that's clear in Scripture have we saw last week there's also a link between obeying God and long life as long as it's not just obeying your parents just obeying God there's a link there for example Proverbs 3 16 said of the wisdom from God length of days is in our right hand and in the left hand riches and honor but notice how King David who ruled Israel who fought many battles both inside and outside didn't he he taught his son though he still found time to talk his son he told him to retain his words to keep his commandments and live which tells me that he had some words he was telling him and some commandments he was telling him as well he said he taught me also said unto me let thine heart retain my words keep my commandments and live and the point that I'm making here is it it's also a father's job to train up his children okay I know that we have like different situations in with people in their lives you know not ideal situations but however if if you're a father then your job is to train up your child if you're a father here one of your jobs in fact one of the most important jobs in your life is still to train up your children isn't it okay it's not just the mother's job to train up the child now here's the thing is that ultimately you're not going to have the same time if you have a traditional family set up and you're going to work and and you know when you home school your kids or and if you didn't home school your kids regardless your the mother's gonna have more time with them however part of you need to find a way in your busy schedules to fit in still training up your children don't you and you know it's not an excuse that your work life's too busy for it now don't get me wrong to live off one income is hard isn't it okay they're gonna they're making that harder and harder and and they're simple economics if you kind of flood the workplace and you can't have half the amount you have to pay don't you as well and it is it's a hard situation isn't it that there's a lot of people vying for jobs and it's you know it seems to be more of an him you know in an employer's market it seems however you still need to find some way don't you you need to find a way and and the reality of it is is that the dads that don't train their kids and I'm not talking about in our church just in general that don't teach her don't train them up there don't give them words to retain it don't give them commandments to keep a lot of the time it's because it's not really because of work a lot of the times because the social life gets in the way instead a lot of the time it's because the hobbies get in in the way instead isn't it you know and it's they a lot of the time the social life and the hobbies are up here and the kids are down here right I was thinking about one hobby which is just always wound me up and I've never understood how a married man with children could ever have the time to go regularly fishing and so if there's any fishermen here I don't get it it's like a whole day I mean these guys are spending days just sitting there with a rod and a lot of the time they're you know and not all of them but I know like I have some family members they go for the whole weekends and really I think it's to partake in alcohol and sadly other things sometimes as well but they kind of oh yeah it's like their hobby but if you ain't taking your kids with you on that hobby that sounds like you're neglecting your kids to just sit there with a rod in the water probably getting drunk or something else you're having some time to yourself and look sometimes people need some time to themselves however we need to put the training of our kids up here don't we they need they need their father's instruction as well and it seems like King David took this role seriously didn't he because he did he taught me also and King David I'm sure was a very busy man but he taught me also said unto me let thine heart retain my words keep my commandments and live and dad's here you know we need to make sure we find that time find that time to train our kids find that time to teach them the Word of God especially you if you're the spiritual head of your family you need to be teaching the Word of God to your whole family don't you okay and look the reality of it is it's gonna it's it's gonna be a stronger this should be a stronger spiritual family if the father's teaching the Word of God to their family right okay and and it's not though just the Word of God but that's a big part of it you you know men you need to be taking an active role in that and I'm and I'm sure the men here the dads here do and will do in the future Solomon now continues with the theme of the previous chapters he says in verse five get wisdom get understanding forget it not neither decline from the words of my mouth now being the prophet of God here writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit you could say don't decline from the words of God's mouth ultimately what we're seeing here right and by the way he said forget it not he said get wisdom get understanding forget it not because that is a possibility isn't it okay you need to you need to not forget those words yeah you know don't forget those words by constantly learning relearning and adding more and learning and relearning the words of God you know I've heard this said before and I'm sure many of you were this as well in the Christian life in the spiritual life you either go forward to you going backwards there is no kind of staying level it's not like well I've read the Bible now you know I just kind of stay at that level and if I read it again I'll kind of improve a bit more you know no you're either going forward to you going back because those words quickly go don't they they could and there's a big book to learn isn't it you know and if you're you know if you're even if you're reading it for a couple of times a year that's six months between for example that could be five months from the last time you were reading the New Testament and it quickly goes doesn't it you either go forwards or backwards it and I've heard this analogy before and I think it's a great analogy people understand this it's like fitness isn't it it's not oh well I was so fit before I did all this stuff before I'm still really fit believe me you know it goes quickly doesn't it and you either increase your fitness or your fitness decrease now there's an interesting thing with fitness those there is something known as base fitness isn't it so if you've if you've previously done whatever that fitness whatever that exiles whatever that sport whatever it is you've done it to a good level and you've got your fitness up there you'll get that back quicker than someone who's never done it before and I believe that's the same it's clearly the same with the Word of God right if you've been there you've read it you you're gonna you're gonna be able to get back to that point quicker so we used to say in Thai boxing we used to say it it's a bit of a carnival expression for him but we used to say that that when you put those rounds in and you put that time and in training it's we used to call it money in the bank because even though it might be like three months before your actual competition there's still a certain amount of base fitness you're keeping it will help you in competition have a long later and it's kind of same with the Christian life put the time I'm not saying don't put the effort in now it's everything you do will help however you are either going forwards or you're going backwards but if you put the effort in early the going forwards will be that bit easier right and the more you do it the more you'll pick up the more you learn the more you'll grow base fitness is great but even with base fitness you still get unfit even with you could have spent ten years in the things of God reading the Bible learning the Bible memorizing the Bible preaching the Bible doing all this stuff and you can still lose so much of that and you can like you said here forget that wisdom and forget that understanding we don't want to forget it do it what a waste what waste but all that time and effort in to just let it all go right you said forget it not neither decline from the words of my mouth he then said in verse 6 forsake her not and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee and still that theme of the protection the safety that comes from the Word of God from wisdom that comes from the Word of God and he's often we're seeing with wisdom being talked to as a female talked about as a female type thing forsake her not talking about the wisdom here he said in verse 7 wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting get understanding now wisdom we've seen comes first of salvation okay and then from after that from the Word of God but what about understanding what's the difference what's the understanding well turn to Proverbs chapter 9 Proverbs chapter 9 we're in Proverbs 4 turn to Proverbs 9 and we look at verse 10 Proverbs 9 10 Proverbs 9 10 says the fear of the Lord is a beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the holy is understanding the knowledge of the holy is understanding so wisdom being the application of knowledge and I suppose that without salvation any application is vain really isn't it go that salvation you know really what what do you have it's the beginning of wisdom but understanding comes from the knowledge of the things of God it's what really helps us to understand life it really does and I don't think you can stress this enough you you you have the Word of God which gives you an understanding of life that you won't get anywhere else you really won't you it's I mean it's just miles apart the understanding you can get in of life of all aspects of life from the Word of God and and every other source it's like there's no comparison before I got saved I was thinking about this I used to love to study and research things okay and when I say which research things just get me right here I don't mean like those clowns that you see on comments on like conspiracies and things that go do your own research and what they actually mean is I watched a video and now everything that was in that video I've decided is a hundred percent truth yeah no I actually used to lie and I'm not saying I'm like this research expert I used to just like reading stuff finding lots of sources you know you know I wasn't really a big video man okay I was like right I need to find some stuff it doesn't mean it was factual you know you kind of got to read a lot of stuff I remember I studied for a long time being into sports so-called sports science and over years I realized how many different versions of there there was it it was actually you know it was quite a complicated subject I studied that a lot I studied nutrition and natural health the same thing we just have to wait cut and stuff so I found that really interesting and trying to get sort of better performance with that but then I started getting into natural health my mum ended up with really late-stage cancer so I was getting on this you know so I was trying to study every sort of you know natural health cure and everything I could what was good what wasn't what might work what might not I studied this stuff for years I got a blood clot and I researched alternative to blood thinners for a long time and sort of an impact injuries and things like that and I just found this stuff interesting came up with that I ended up because I didn't want to take like warfarin I found that was pretty weird rat poison so you know I came up with some other solutions and stuff I remember studying out vaccines for nine months before my first child was born and I was like I'm studying this out and I didn't just go right let's find just some like some you know a couple of papers on it I mean I was asking anyone that would list I was talking to everyone first-hand experience just and you know it's just something that I've always done and before that I was definitely interested in so-called Jewish corporate ownership yeah and that was something that I got a bit of a name for amongst my old friends I used to study this stuff and I just just find it really interesting look to like you know who owned this and who I know but you know what none of that yeah none of that stuff and I put like I put you up at out up at years into this stuff yeah this used to be kind of my hobby was just like studying stuff yeah looking at this none of that had anywhere near and nowhere near the real-life application in the Word of God does they're studying the Word of God the value of reading it studying it being in the Word of God I've learned so much more than those many many years spent and they were just kind of things off the top of my head I can read up on all sorts of stuff none of it had anything none of it compared with the Word of God that's why back in Proverbs 4 7 he said wisdom is a principal thing therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting with all thy getting understanding understanding being the knowledge of the holy and it's up here compared to all that other stuff all that other stuff I said really for real life application still it's gone on you go yeah but what about this and that look it's all vanity really none of it when it comes to eternal value when it comes to things that really matter when it comes to really be able to live your life and live your life in the things of God and serving God and doing all that see it all comes from the Word of God and understanding then all the pitfalls and understanding everything that comes up in life you can't compare it you can't compare it you can read and watch and research and look at all this stuff your whole life but none of it will have the value of learning and studying the Word of God and verse 8 he then said this because it is vanity in comparison there's a lot of so-called knowledge isn't there out there but this is real knowledge this is real understanding from the Word of God he said exalt her and she shall promote thee talk about wisdom she shall bring thee to honor when thou dost embrace her she shall give to thine head an ornament of grace a crown of glory shall she delivered to thee like I said because it's real applicable knowledge true wisdom that will benefit you spiritually it will benefit you in ways that matter it will crown you it will set you apart from the masses in a good way why don't set you aside from the masses because you seem to kind of have worked out that there's like this strange kind of group of people calling themselves Jews that seem to have a bit about that sort of separation didn't really make much difference but the separation you could get from really understanding the Word of God from having that wisdom understand it comes from it is it is a separation that's worth having isn't it he said here are my son and receive my sayings and the years of our life shall be many I've taught thee in the way of wisdom I have led thee in right paths so more reminders about long life coming from you know again you can say both obeying parents and from being the wisdom of the word and you know people look people strive for this don't know people strive for wisdom people strive for knowledge they want to and you know they also strive for as well in fact looking at that as well they strive for for long life don't they people I mean that's the big one isn't it long life living longer find your way to extend your years you can't see articles news articles scientists have found that you know the secret to long life you know you're gonna eat more tomatoes or you know it's like the Mediterranean diet and it's okay well that seemed to work for a little bit it'll be something else and then they'll try and talk to these elderly people what was your secret and you know what the secret probably is that they obey their parents maybe some of them did some other stuff that was sensible as well but people strive for that and and he said it's it's all here it's all here for you the wisdom the knowledge that people strive for the long years he the long years of life are all in here he said when thou goest thy steps shall not be straightened and when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble straight in here is being distressed or perplexed so it's not talking about you know you're gonna walk in a straight line saying that your steps aren't gonna have a problem they're not gonna be distressed the wisdom being that really that that light and lamp isn't it okay when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble it's a it's a you know it's a lamp unto lighten to thy path or the other way verse 13 says take fast hold of instruction the letter not go keep her for she is thy life so in the old days I was thinking about this with where you said take fast hold of instruction let her go keep her she's alive when you got a new gadget and I'm talking about the old days here okay so before before like the internet being big and everything else when you got a new gadget or piece of equipment you actually got a physical instruction booklet yeah you actually got this physically structured booklet and you know what you didn't want to lose that booklet right because sometimes it was pretty hard to get another one of those booklets and this would be kind of there to have this booklet where it would explain everything you need to know about that gadget that electronic equipment maybe it was like a you know piece of you know sort of home whatever home equipment that you really need or something else like the washing machine booklet or something else and you needed that booklet okay there wasn't another way it wasn't that you just went online and re-downloaded it and you really need to hold on to it and sometimes what people would do so they didn't lose it is they'd have like a manual draw you have a draw where you put all your manuals because if you didn't put your manuals in that drawer and they ended up a different place you'd never find it when you needed it you know something else well some people would have a special place and normally forget that special place but you know that kind of treating that manual like that the importance of it is is is really how we should treat in fact more so shouldn't we but it's a good reminder of how we should treat the Word of God the the instruction for life you need to hold on to it you need to know where it is you need to you need to be able to go through you need to know where it is at all times that manual that instruction for life but you could also apply it not just to read in the Word of God you could apply it to preaching as well couldn't you when I say you could apply it to preaching when you're sitting in preaching okay you are getting instruction from the Word of God because I think you know people you know sometimes the egos go up and when it comes to practical things they'll be like you know was he gonna tell me you know I've already got this sorted I've got these people get like that you know I remember some people have said to me before you know the worst thing you could do is give mother's parenting advice you know I hate it you know tell me about you know how to raise my kids or something else no but ultimately you're really getting in structure from the Word of God now yeah of course I'm gonna try and apply it to life of course sometimes I'm gonna give some examples real-life examples from my own life and things like that but but all sorts of churches you're gonna get more Bible than pretty much any other church out there if I have been in church where you get more Bible but they don't actually give you anything in between so I was at a church where they would just go to different verses of Bible just read the Bible and it was kind of like a Bible readathon yeah but no this is preaching okay so we're gonna preach what we're gonna go to a lot of Bible verse and you're getting instruction for the Word of God in preaching you need to take fast hold of it don't you you need to keep it you know put that in that manual drawer in your mind right you need to you need to be thinking yeah I need to take what's being said to me that day because it's not about me and my wisdom okay it's not about me I have many weaknesses like everyone here we all have many weaknesses I'm gonna make errors I'm going to interpret things wrong in the Bible shock horror like everything you want to try preaching here three three hours a week yeah you're gonna get you're gonna get stuff wrong that's just the way it is right however maybe God has put something on my heart just for you maybe in between that odd area that those things those bits where maybe it hasn't come out as it should or whatever else maybe God's put something on my heart for you sitting here today maybe there's something in that sermon something in that in that something in that Bible study that you needed to hear that God wanted you to hear that he's made me expand in a way or say in a way that's going to affect you maybe it's an application to it maybe it's not just a verse maybe it's a way to apply that verse to life you're like I hadn't thought about it like that yeah okay I get it no no it's not oh you know past the tavern he's just so wise no it's not because God's given me that because that's the goal of preaching really is to be used by God isn't it to be used by the Holy Spirit to try and edify the people edify the church how about make a note of it and I'm not saying you will have to sit here with pens out I've listened to like old brother Hall servers where he's like this ain't school put your pens away and I think there's probably somewhere in between they don't want to literally just be sitting there like this but then on the other hand I think there are times I like it sometimes I'll say something I see someone just prick a little bit and just write something down you think something has affected them there's something they thought about they thought yeah that verse actually I need to think about now that application if it and I think that's a good thing isn't it because what's the goal of preacher why are you why are you sitting here listening to preaching why are you sitting here not listening to me telling you how great you are like probably most other churches in the town would be saying like why aren't you doing something else why didn't you just do the hymns and then like make an excuse to leave like some people have in the past because because I hope because you're here because because you know that preaching can literally change your life change your whole life for the better car there something can be said something can be preached something can be expanded something can be sent from the Word of God which should make it if you're here with the right heart not be sitting here just I've ticked the church box and you know just see how they healthy you know but if you're sitting here thinking with the right heart you're like no I want I want some changes in my life yeah I want to apply there nothing wrong with make you know make your mental note putting something in your calendar maybe you know I've been talking about calendars a bit recently I just I finally discovered the calendar but but it is effective right maybe maybe there's a time of the day where you really need to think about that verse put it in your calendar comes up on your phone right it's like yeah that's a good verse so that's a good application that's a good reminder that's something that's going to change my life maybe in your Bible you know put it in your Bible when you're going through your Bible you remember maybe you've got a section at the front you might have where you just got some verses some key verse and maybe some live verses some people have live verses which are good but really speak to you that you know that you really need because the way you're set up the way you're hardwired you have weaknesses in these areas and then you hear and preach you hear it explain or you've read it in your Bible reading make a note of it right maybe it's maybe you have a notebook some people have a notebook like a Bible unfortunately I had loads of these Bible notebooks now they're like and they're not in a special drawer so I keep finding oh yeah it's good if you can be organized with your Bible notebook as well and be able to go back and have a look and stuff like that but oh my point is is that we want to take fast hold of instruction we want to let her not go we want to keep her for she is our life okay we want it we look it's not just kind of well yeah tick the sermon box well you know we've got to have a good sing-song and you know you might say some things that are interesting I might be able to up my knowledge a little bit you know and beat people down with my Bible knowledge that's not the goal is it the goal is to change your lives change your lives for the better he said take fast hold of instruction let not go keep her fish is alive enter not into the path of the wicked go not in the way of evil men avoid it pass not by it turn from it and passed away and yet again in the book of Proverbs yeah the the prac like I said probably the most practical book in a Bible with just so much just about day-to-day life and we're talking about the wicked people again you preach about it too much well I don't and you know what we go through Bible studies he just comes up time and time again it tells me that maybe God wants us to think about this subject a lot more than maybe we want to a lot more than maybe the reprobates of what you think about it right well he said enter not into the path of wicked and go not in the way of evil men avoid it pass not by it turn from it and pass away and you could say well he's saying not to behave like them not to follow their ways yeah well how do we do that well I would say by avoiding them too so either which way you want to look at it if entering not into the path the wicked and going not in the way of evil men means avoid their path and the way they live and everything else well look if you want to do that you need to avoid them you need to avoid them you need to avoid their party to avoid walking in there but you need to avoid crossing paths of them as well you just need to keep away from them as much as possible you need to avoid it avoid that path avoid that way pass not by it turn from it and pass away sorry and and pass away so now turn to some hundred one where David makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with these types of people okay so if you compare with Psalm 101 yeah you need to avoid it you need to keep away from them you need to get them out of your life in the various ways they try and enter your life well you turn to Psalm 101 I'm gonna read it again Solomon said enter not into the path of the wicked go not in the way of evil men avoid it pass not by it turn from it and pass away and in Psalm 101 King David Solomon's father said this I will sing of mercy and judgment unto thee our Lord will I sing I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way oh when will thou come unto me I will walk within my house with a perfect heart I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the work of them that turn aside it shall not cleave to me so David said that he hates what were these wicked people these reprobate you know whatever word you want to call him do he doesn't want to see any of it he doesn't want to have it in in front of his eyes and I know people go these verses talk about the TV and yeah you can apply it to the evil apart to many areas can't you not setting wicked things before your eyes hating the work of them that turn aside that's talking about a reprobate okay someone that's turned aside and the other way from the commandment it shall not cleave to me he said a froward heart shall depart for me I will not know a wicked person so he doesn't want them around him he doesn't want to know them and you could just as equally apply this to the sodomite relative as to the YouTube false prophet can you okay you could put it either way because there are people that are like you know I'm gonna yeah I don't want to know those people I don't want to be anywhere near him but they just kind of well you know that that sermon look that guy looks so I'll listen to him for a few months see what he says so why risk that you know why risk that why risk you know listing or some people he's such a kind of big-name clown that Jordan Peterson that guy's a false prophet he's a false prophet all day long and there are people that probably know more about him his views his opinions than they do about the Word of God oh because you know he's just like got so many long words he must be intelligent the guy's an idiot absolute moron if you're watching that stuff why do you know him why are you setting him before your eyes because by the way that guy claims to teach the Bible doesn't he he claims to teach the Bible he claims to be some sort of biblical teacher and the guy's an absolute imbecile and he's a false prophet okay he's a reprobate he's a possessed reprobate okay I mean he's a clearly possessed reprobate we were talking about this earlier we're still people on the fence about this are they all possessed so they're not that guy's possessed okay whatever your view on that is all right okay that guy is wicked as hell but but it's not just him here's another one Andrew Tate Andrew Tate there are Christians out there that listen to and watch Andrew Tate that know about Andrew Tate's life they know about you know all these different areas all the why are they setting that absolute wicked false prophet before their eyes and he's a queer quaring away like billiard okay all day long isn't he that guy he is a sodomite I would be amazed if he was okay sorry so let me just give a disclaimer okay I can't say 100% sure he is I'd be amazed if he wasn't that's my viewpoint on it okay okay that guy he is he is as dodgy as they come isn't he and yet how many Christians think oh no but he talks about manliness okay manly he's an absolute clown isn't he oh cuz he goes on about you know because he he's got all these different like hoary women that he pimps and he's a fornicator and he's absolutely wicked and now all his clown clown followers who are like yeah yeah because you know he's all about being more of a man and now followed him to Islam obviously to the pedophile religion oh because you know and he's apparently one of his arguments is what is lobs a bit more real and they say they they talk about the quiz how they should listen to and I've been preaching take you might it's a real preachy on the quiz right but but if that's his stipulation for a religion the fact that their prophet is a sodomite and is a queer is just bizarre isn't it anyway point being that who are these people and you could think of a hundred different ones can you celebrity YouTube celebrity false prophets because that's what they are really okay that's another guy that tries to teach religion for me is and David said a forward heart should apart from L will not know what you posted through social media you can get to know wicked people by the way okay so it's not just who are right in front of you now he then gets more specific about those that we may rub shoulders with that may be less obvious because these people for me are obvious I find it I still find it amazing there are Christians out there try and justify people at Andrew Tay Jordan Peterson and other reprobates okay however there are those that maybe aren't as obvious as those verse 5 says who so privately slander with his neighbor him when I cut off him that have an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer so those who are just making up lies about people privately okay there's a lot of those people about slandering them to anyone that will listen and often that goes with the high look and proud heart okay they think that they're so much better than everyone else don't know these people often so self-important aren't they as well now these are people that aren't as obvious he's a like signs for these types of people he say who so privately slandered his neighbor him when I cut off him that haven't I look at a proud heart will not I suffer and like I said you know they just seem to think that their opinions important I seem to think that what they say really matters and often that goes hand in hand with just privately privately slandering people mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me and that's who we should want to be around shouldn't we God's people you should want to be around God's people verse 7 says he that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight another characteristic you have full of deceit Romans 1 gives that characteristic as well isn't it full of deceit so he's describing those given over first Timothy 4 to talks about them speaking lies in hypocrisy in hypocrisy having their conscience seared with a hot iron okay we see again it's as you we know what sort of people we're talking about here they have no conscience they slander they lie they deceive their cues of the very things that they're guilty of which is always just amazed me how these people can do this stuff they'll accuse you of being exactly what they are it's nuts how do you even how do you even utter these words clowns verse say I will early destroy all the wicked of the land I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord where's the love David David's not very loving is he he's saying he's going to destroy all these poor people he's going to cut off all wicked doers why didn't he just preach in the gospel because he can't get saved because they're given over and these people are enemies of God okay they're what the Bible calls children of the devil they're psychopaths that's what he's talking about and they're a common theme in the Bible and David said in verse 3 I will set no wicked thing before my knives I hate the work of them that turn aside it shall not cleave to me he said in verse 4 forward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person he said in verse 5 who so privily slandereth his neighbor him will I cut off him that had the high looking a proud heart will not I suffer and in verse 7 he said he that work at the seat shall not dwell within my house he that tell it tell it lies shall not tarry in my sight and back in Proverbs 4 back in Proverbs 4 Solomon said in verse 14 enter not into the path of the wicked and go not in the way of evil men avoid it pass not by it turn from it and pass away it's pretty obvious instruction there isn't it get them out of your life where possible I want nothing to do with these people and again it's not talking about the regular unsaved it's talking about reprobates it's talking about the most vile the most wicked people we just want to get them out of our lives don't we okay like I said that has to be them therefore through things like social media as well because in our day and age it's not just you know the sodomite aunty it's the sodomite that's poisoning you through the TV screen through your phone screen and everything else it's a false prophet that's poisoning you it's it's the wicked everywhere just pushing all their wickedness on you in various ways he said for they sleep not except they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall and you can't imagine it can you I don't know maybe you can I find that hard we so often want to try to understand people by normal standards don't we and I make this mistake a lot well I'm just trying to I kind of want to somehow get in someone's head a bit and try and kind of find some justification you know they must have just got really angry about this you know we do this don't we like oh well maybe they just got really angry about this they must have just believed their own lies maybe they just convinced themselves of their own lies you know the the serial offender they'll be oh well he just got addicted to whatever it was the serial offender you know in and you can think of probably some vile offense I'm not gonna go into oh they must suggest it was they got into some sort of addiction into whatever it was right we find all these these ways of justifying but the reality is that they're that they're just so wicked they're so evil that they can't sleep unless they've done something bad I mean that's it's a messed up thing to think about isn't it there are people out there that just so wicked in fact it's not just a certain type of these types of people that he's talking about these wicked people these are so wicked that they cannot sleep unless they've done something vile to someone and because mischief isn't cheeky chappy practical jokes yeah it's not it's not like harmless pranks it's harm it's hurt it's injury it's damage it's evil and it's at someone's expense that's what mischief is so it's basically doing someone some sort of nasty hurt harm or hurt he said in verse 16 for they sleep not except they've done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall now when you read that you can start to understand more why the Bible's constantly warning us about these people why the most practical book in the Bible the book of wisdom is warning us so far I think every single chapter has been warning us about these types of people and that tells me that they're pretty common doesn't it that tells me that it's a very very real threat to us threat to us to God's children trying to live for God trying to serve God trying to do the things of God trying to basically fight for God and be on God's team and do what God wants us to do these people are a very real threat for us yeah and they sleep not except they have done mischief and a sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall and you know it made me think of our previous 1 a.m. railing attacks on our group chats if you remember like that 1 a.m. stuff was it by the air the X and I oath gang and and then there's like those ones you see out of those those freaks that spend their nights slandering people on social media night time isn't it another night time attack a night time slander let alone and really they just another version of the night time prowler the night time stalker the night time weirdo and you know what it's under the cover of darkness yeah but I just think they're just sitting up there instead of just going to bed it's like they can't sleep unless they do some harm unless they do some hurt and for some yeah it's it's actual physical vile perverse stuff for others it's it's through their mouths or through their keyboards the old keyboard warrior stuff yeah and and there's many other versions as well right for they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence I think it's basically saying that it's what sustains them they need it like we need food and drink okay they need wickedness they need violence they just they can't get through the day without some yeah that's why their sleeps taken away but the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more into the perfect day and I believe that the more that you walk that path for God the clearer it gets I believe the clearer that path gets the more you on that path the more obvious it all is really as well I think the more obvious astrayed you know the folks paths are the more you do it the path of the justice a shiny light that shineth more and more into the perfect day I think that it just starts become more and more apparent the more you're on the path he said the way of the wicked is as darkness they know not at what they stumble so the wicked are in darkness and and one is the religious ones and and obviously we're going to deal with them a lot and whether inside or outside the church and they convince themselves that they're righteous I mean that just that's never cease to amaze me we were like full wickedness and somehow they convince themselves they're righteous or at least trying to convince everyone else and then but then you've also got I was thinking as well because it their way is darkness they know not what they stumble it seems I can't even work out how wicked they really are and that just again when their sleep's taken away unless they call something for I'm not even gonna try and get in the head all you can do is just take the bar for what it says but think about the non religious kinds following you know all sorts of bizarre nonsense think about like you know for example the kind of green-haired reprobate sodomy who's also a vegan and champions veganism and the climate change I don't know whether it is it getting too hot or too cold it's both isn't it somewhere between but that's they love that stuff don't they now it's like the gender perverse nonsense isn't it and and it's these people they just that their way is darkness they know not what they stumble they just they just swallow it oh don't they anything come oh yeah I'll get on that one it's always just contrary to God isn't it oh they live in such darkness these people verse 20 says my son attend to my words incline on ear unto my sayings let them not depart from one eyes keep them in the midst of thine heart for they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh remember that he's preaching under inspiration here okay these are the words of God these are words of God he's talking about and they are they are both eternal life yeah they are eternal life they repeat said to Jesus Lord to whom shall we go that has the words of eternal life yeah the words of God are our eternal life and then after salvation they also help maintain our physical and spiritual life over here I'm not talking about for salvation once you say just say but they do help you maintain you know that spiritual life in terms of living for God doing those things it all comes from the word it all goes back to the word all the time doesn't it and then we've talked about we've seen obviously a couple of occasions are not only in this chapter but the chapter before about how they're being for example health health to thy navel marrow to thy bones etc and then following here and now some great sayings okay we're gonna see some some words for me to help us in life okay so these are now so practical helps for life we just saw we just saw that that he said keep keep thy father's commandment for saying not the Lord thy mother by name I'm sorry so just jump forward there sorry my son attend to my words and come near unto my sayings that they're not depart from thine eyes keep them in the midst of my heart for their life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh and then we're going to see some of those words he said in verse 23 keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life now how do we keep our heart with all diligence if you've ever pondered that before you've ever wondered that and in case you're thinking about upping the exercise a bit maybe lowering it a bit you'd be worried you're doing too much or maybe getting the blood pressure monitor out in the Bible the heart seems to be regularly linked with the emotions with the affections the passions now it can also apply to the willer intentions and also understanding but I believe chiefly the emotions I think that's what we see probably the most common application talking about the heart now in case you're sitting there thinking a long time ago nothing about the science we know about now right it's all in the brain you know well our limited understanding of human science actually supports this as well so I was looking at an article I'm going to read it to you it's the Institute of Heart math which is a research center dedicated to the study of the heart and physiology of emotions has conducted numerous studies identifying a relationship between emotions and the heart a number of their studies have provided new insight into understanding how the activity of the heart is indeed linked to our emotions and our health vitality and well-being recent heart mass studies define a critical link between the heart and brain the heart is a is in a constant two-way dialogue with the brain our emotions change the signals the brain sends to the heart and the heart responds in complex ways have we now know that the heart sends more information to the brain than the brain sends to the heart and the brain responds to heart in many important ways this research explains how the heart responds to emotional and mental reactions and why certain emotions stress the body and drain our energy as we experience feelings like anger frustration anxiety and insecurity our heart rhythm patterns become more erratic these erratic patterns are sent to the emotional sense in the brain which it recognizes negative or stressful feelings these signals create the actual feelings we experience in the heart area in the body the erratic heart rhythms also block our ability to think clearly now that adds a lot more weight to verse 23 now doesn't it yeah basically the heart the heart actually is is the seat it is the base of our emotions and you know give it another 10 years 20 years and maybe people will look into that even more and you know it's a funny thing isn't it because we always think we know so much now and we know nothing even about the human body about the human body that they can literally dissect and do and sorry you know it's not always a pleasant thought and could do all sorts of things and studies and everything else really the understanding is still all the way down here and the Bible talks about the heart and it's not just the kind of nice little you know pretty terminology but it's got nothing to do the heart no it has to do with the heart right and verse 23 says keep our heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life so our emotional responses if we're looking at emotional responses for example what causes so much trouble aren't they so our response to things our emotional responses you know there's a lot of issues and for example just what we saw there in that article anger frustration anxiety insecurity there are emotional responses so often it's out of proportion isn't it so often our anger our frustration our anxiety our insecurity and many other emotions cause us so much trouble Jeremiah 17 9 out of 10 this is a heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it it can deceive us into doing crazy things causing hurt to others because we don't keep it in check do we because we don't keep it so how do we keep it with all diligence he said keep the heart with all diligence for out of it the issues of life well in verse 20 he said my son attend to my words incline nigh near unto my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes keep them in the midst of thine heart so we need to keep our hearts full of the words of God that way full of the words of God constantly topped up read memorized heard preached and in a way you could say regularly flushing out that deceit flushing out that wickedness it will keep those emotions in check it will put the anger in perspective won't it appease the frustration comfort the anxiety lessen the insecurity you go really what just by reading the Word of God at the time of reading the Word of God I think when you read hopefully everyone read the Bible this morning yeah at that time when you were reading the Word of God and you were in your own time reading your Bible it'd be quite hard to just be fuming angry wouldn't it and I'll read the Bible and they're just reading through them and I'm not saying as you first start to read it maybe when you've already got angry about something when you're reading the Bible and you're few minutes in several minutes in and you really see nice car get them you know now sometimes your mind might wander a little bit but when you focus on the Word of God it's hard to be angry isn't it it's hard to be just full of anxiety when you're reading the Word of God when you're in the Word of God and I just not I don't mean skim reading when you're reading in you and you're trying to cancel out whatever your thoughts are I'm just gonna focus on what I'm reading it's really hard isn't it it's hard to be envying someone hating on someone when there's not really a just cause when you're just focused on the Word of God it's amazing like that isn't it and it really does it really does just focus your mind and it gets into you in it and it puts you in a place ultimately what does it what should it do it should put you in a place where you're full of the Spirit because that's part of it isn't it and what we're trying to do is we're trying to we're trying to be more controlled basically by the Holy Spirit less controlled by the flesh and these words are our spirit of the spirit that the work these words are life there they're what we need they're what we need to be able to put away all that carnal stuff and and look he said he said let them not depart from their knives you said keep them in the midst of that heart so how do we keep them in the midst of our heart well by regularly reading them by memorizing verses by doing not just the Bible memory challenge we're trying to memorize other verses of the Bible like I said verse that maybe will really affect you maybe maybe you're someone that just has some real issues with anger so look for some verses that help you with anger maybe you have some real issues with with insecurities with with with anxiety with all these things are so much you could there's so many verse just in the book of Proverbs alone just over the next you know whatever we've got less 20 25 weeks of Sunday evening make some notes on verse that really speak to you right or how about you can even go home and read the book of Proverbs wouldn't take you very long and just try and really focus and get those verses that really speak to you and I remember when I when I was first saved I've got this old Bible app that seems to keep transferring over with my phones and and it's got all these like pop-up adverts a bit of a rubbish Bible app so I don't use it but I went into it a little while back and it oh it just loads of verses that the book of Proverbs in it I just saved and saved and saved just because they just they're just so practical aren't they and they just can really help you and and they really speak to you and you'll have those ones that really make a difference keep them in the midst of your heart right and really try and try and help you know try and help yourself with them to help you then keep your heart with all diligence you said keep the heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life and for me it comes from keeping the Word of God in the midst of your heart and then obviously you know then you start to be aware of yourself as well with that you should you know part of it is that it's gonna be different different people people are gonna have an awareness of their weaknesses of their emotion things which get their emotions going to stop them being able to keep their heart and you need to you need to start to know yourself and understand yourself know your triggers know the issues know the things that will make you behave like that behave in a way that you don't want to when you're working on emotion and not working you know in the spirit as you should right but he then says and I think some of the following things probably help us with that as well but I think they also stand alone instructions he said in verse 24 put away from the afro word mouth and perverse lips put far from me now throw forward I said something last week is turning from its unyielding its first uses in the song of Moses don't don't worry about turning I'm gonna quote it but it's in the song of Moses where Moses quotes God's rebuke of the children of Israel Deuteronomy 32 20 32 20 says and he said I will hide my face from them I will see what their end shall be for they are a very froward generation children in whom is no faith so he's kind of used it almost synonymously they're a very froward generation children whom is no faith and it is constantly just applied to the wicked it's constantly applied to the worst people Proverbs 3 32 you can have a look there Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 32 says for the froward is abomination to the Lord but his secret is with the righteous and this seems go to Proverbs 6 it also seems to be the case when it's specifically a froward Proverbs 6 12 says a naughty person a wicked man walketh with a froward mouth so when verse 24 he said a wicked man walketh with a froward mouth and naughty again it's not cheeky chappy stuff this is a bad person when verse 24 says put away from the froward mouth and perverse lips put far from thee I believe it could be both making sure that we don't speak like the wicked do and also and you could say therefore put away those wicked people like we talked about before because if you don't want to behave like them you don't want to act like them you don't want to talk like them you need to put them out of your life as much as you possibly can don't you for example you spend too much time hanging around the listening to false prophets you can start to parrot false prophet sayings can't you I mean probably I'm sure people here you know if you've spent enough time in a bad church a church where you kind of you but maybe it was just a full-on open false prophet or maybe it was just you know you were saved and you were putting up with a church she sometimes start to just some of the terminology starts to rub off from you on you now I'm not saying it's the worst stuff but maybe you start to say things like well God is sovereign I'm sure there are safe people that say that right why are they going on about now don't get me wrong yeah God look God is a man like God's in charge God is God yeah however that God is sovereign it's trying to act as if there's no free will in life so you start parroting this unbiblical word it look like we said some unbiblical words all right we talked about that this morning but that God is sovereign you know what it's trying to imply right and then people start talking about it and acting as if like God's literally like the puppet master making every single thing happen in everyone's life exactly how he wants it but that's not how life works is it or for example the old make him Lord of your life one you know and people come out with that and I'm sure there are Christians that parrot that stuff oh well you know I make him Lord of your life ain't salvation is it salvation is believing the Lord Jesus Christ that shan't be saved I'd have to make him the Lord of my life because I tell you what a lot of my life Jesus ain't the Lord sadly because that's when I'm in the flesh yeah and and again it's a false doctrine or what about another one that's parented off by people God does the saving I remember hearing someone in our church before say so what of course God does the saving that's why Paul talked about people he had saved you know and you know he that witness souls is wise yeah you're winning them yourself right however yeah the Lord Jesus Christ did the hard work I'm not saying that we we have to we need to take credit on that sort of level but we still need to go out and preach gospel to them and anyway point being that you want to put away from their forward mouth and perverse lips and a lot of that stuff really it's subtle full stock should isn't it but you don't want to be hearing that you don't want to be around that stuff you don't be listening to it back to the original point earlier future a few verses early we don't be listening to that stuff on YouTube all the time I want to be around these sorts of people but here's another one that we're a froward mouth and perverse lips we can rub off on us what about the holier-than-thou stuff and we had a big problem with that here didn't we before and it rubs off because you just think well you know that's how Christians are you know when I first kind of like got involved with people that were so winning stuff like that and there were so many bad people I'm thinking I need to be a bit more spiritual the way I talk because everything's like just oh you know hyper spiritual but it's just when you start to be around normal Christians and men of God for example a pastor and pastor Menes came and you know was everything like trying to sound like the Apostle Paul no no no look you know they're holy men yeah they're great men of God but they don't have to try and sound like they're writing a letter and everything they speak yeah but but that stuff rubs off doesn't it so then you're around it and you're hearing it and we had obviously a big amount of people in our church just acting in various ways like that you know and acting like you know you were wicked if you didn't go so winning six times a week or something and all that weird stuff and you know what really was it it's stuff that rubs off the boastfulness yeah that stuff rubs off and then what what these in these people when they're like that and you're not putting them away and you're just around these people then what they do is in the subtle little doctrine changes a little the little seed sown here the little whisper there and again that stuff can make people question it can make people wonder start to rub off somebody will even just copy something because I think whatever they say must be right and then they're just kind of repeating the same little weird stuff yeah and that's how false doctrine starts to spread but it's the same thing away from church life he said put away from the a forward mouth and perverse lips but far from me you spend your time listening to God haters on TV you spend all your time you spare time doing that well you start talking and acting like God haters all over the TV and and in what ways well for example people that are in that stuff too much they start using the name of the Lord in vain all the time if that's what you're listening to the whole time then suddenly God becomes an exclamation a swear word for you as well and suddenly the Lord Jesus Christ becomes some sort of some sort of swear word some sort of name to use in vain but that's wicked isn't it but where does that come from it comes from not putting away from their forward mouth and perverse lips but far from you you don't want to hit that sometimes you can't avoid that stuff right but sometimes you can't can't you sometimes you're choosing to put that stuff in front of you and then that's what you're getting influenced by singing along to wicked music glorifying sin you're actually saying the same stuff the perverse lips all that filth all that junk people like Christians are just singing along to something that's either blaspheming God or just glorifying the most wicked vile stuff it's like oh this is great because it's got a cool bass line or something you know and all that stuff we should just put away from us shouldn't we he said keep the heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life put away from their forward mouth and perverse lips but far from thee let thine eyes look right on and let thine eyelids look straight before thee basically don't get distracted don't take your eyes off the prize being the things of God right keep focused on serving God on church and so winning on being a godly man woman child right look right on it on eyelids look straight for thee keep focused and you keep your emotions in check won't you as well you could say as well you got your focus right you might maybe be keeping your heart better as well he said ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established so you know that's that's an interesting thing to think isn't it constantly assess maybe yeah ponder ponder your path is what I'm doing the right thing in many areas is what I'm teaching my kids the right way to do that is what I'm you know is this is my choice with work the right thing is the way I'm dealing with this the right way is the church the right place for me is it whatever it is are you pondering the path of your feet are you are you assessing it he said and let all thy ways be established and I think basically let it all be established by God probably six said in all thy ways acknowledge him and in each other at thy pass so if you're pondering the path your feet you're trying to acknowledge him in all your ways then I think your ways will be established by him and that's what we want don't we because when we try and figure it all out all goes wrong but we can ponder it and try and make sure that what we're doing is according to the Word of God according to the clear instruction of God according to what God wants us to do and then let him direct the rest but ponder it assess it make sure everything centered around God around him his word his commandments ponder consider consider your life it's important isn't it yeah you don't want to think back I think why did I just think about that how do I go down that path how do I go down that route why do I even accept that job why don't I even do that why did I even make that decision you know why did I start that hobby for the weirdos you know whatever it was you know ponder it ponder your path think about it says yeah and according to the Word of God he then said in verse 27 turn not to the right hand nor to the left remove thy foot from evil and don't veer off don't compromise keep away from wickedness yeah and just keep away from it whether it's wickedness that you might do or other people's wickedness it all rubs off just keep away from all that stuff don't start to you know compromise on it it just seems to me like in life the Christian life do you know I think one of the the biggest attacks is and whether it's subtle or not so subtle is just everyone's just trying to get you to compromise aren't they just spend your life just people trying to get you to compromise in one way or another compromise on your you know on your beliefs compromise on the way you do things compromise on your family compromise on just all these different ways and whether it's the unsafe family members or it's people closer to you people in your family will outside people people in church people out of churches people are just trying to get you to compromise all the time aren't they because they're not going to get you to suddenly necessarily just do something completely wicked it starts with compromise it starts with slight it's a slow push away from the things of God compromise on the gospel everyone has to compromise on the gospel don't they want us to just tolerate a bit of full-stop trip a bit of bad terminology they just want you to compromise in one way or another compromise on soul winning they want you to just well you know let's try you don't have to knock doors you know you don't have to you don't have to preach to me you know you let's try a bit of track dropping let's try a bit of this let's try and that's what's happened to churches before yeah they started off they were doing it they had it right on the gossip solid on the gossip preaching the gospel they're going out and soul winning and then it slowly they slowly start to compromise next thing you know it's like well we're just trying to get him in a preach gospel 100 whole bit every week and that's it and then that gospel message starts to get weaker as well right compromise on biblical separation people that that's one of the pushes it just to slowly start to compromise on it well you know that's a bit extreme look there are people that take it to two extremes okay but often it's the other way around they just want you to compromise compromise on music yeah you see in churches and you know how that starts a contemporary Christian stuffed and just slowly starting to come just had a little bit you know just had a little little band just had a little drum kit oh okay we'll just have the bongos you know oh well that's all right because at least he doesn't you know start smashing symbols but it's it's a compromise isn't it and then the music becomes more more worldly and you know what we have in Christianity and what we have around here we've got tons of compromising churches don't we compromise the anity that's basically the sort of Christianity we compromise the anity church compromise the anity followers who just just trying to merge Christianity with the world they want us to turn to the right hand turn to the left they want us to put our foot in evil and that's part of part that's a big challenge in the Christian life is just staying strong and not compromising we need to stay on the old path don't we the old time religion don't turn stand strong he said in verse 20 my son attend to my words incline an ear unto my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes keep them in the midst of thine heart for their life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh and we're gonna finish up well thank you for well just a great instruction in that chapter so many lessons we can learn from it so much that we can apply to our lives Lord I hope everyone here has just dwell on verse those particular verses really really make a difference to them Lord and we'll continue to do so over the next 20 or so weeks of going through the book of Proverbs we can get so much application for it Lord help everyone here to want to have that load to want to change your life to wanna want to take fast hold of instruction Lord and to really want to apply it and really want to change Lord for the better help us not to compromise Lord help us to just be a strong church it always just just stands on the truth of your word and and help us to to all get home safe and sound tonight Lord help us to have a good week a good week where we focus on on those verse on those words on those instructions that will help us have a better week have a week with you more in the center of it help us to return on Wednesday for the midweek service interest and for all this