WED: “Respecting God is where true knowledge begins”

TEXT:  PROVERBS 1:1-7

  1. God’s wisdom is essential to living God’s way in life vss. 2-4
    1. God wants us to know real truth                     
    2. God wants us to receive His wisdom           
    3. God wants us to benefit from His understanding of information 
      1. So that we won’t be simple minded to His wisdom
      2. So that we won’t remain simplistic in our understanding of truth
      3. So that we can exercise discernment beyond our years of experience
  2. The fear of the Lord is where gaining God’s wisdom begins vss. 5-7a
    1. If you want to be a wise person, you need to check your sources
      1. The information you are listening to
      2. The philosophies you are listening to
      3. The teachings you are listening to
    2. Our understanding of God’s wisdom is critical to our success  
    3. The fear of the Lord is where true knowledge begins for us all 
      1. Submitting to God being the ultimate authority for us all
      2. Honoring God for who He is and what He has done for us
      3. Respecting God as our Creator and final Judge is essential
      4. Obeying God and His Word as the best truth for us to live by     Daniel 1:4, I Timothy 6:20
  3. There is another option you can choose for yourself       vs. 7b
    1. You can choose to reject living your life God’s way
    2. You can choose to reject God’s true identity and authority
    3. You can choose to reject God’s wisdom found in His Word
    4. You can choose to reject God’s instruction and reproof of wisdom
    5. You can choose to remain foolish and become a fool in the end
      1. We are born with a tendency towards foolishness     Proverbs 22:15
      2. It is part of our sinful, adamic nature resulting from the fall     Psalm 51:5
      3. It is part of what causes us to be separated from God and His holiness     Ephesians 2:3
      4. It needs to be corrected and rebuked to help us change from it     Proverbs 13:24
      5. Being corrected for our sinful foolishness is an early step towards salvation     Proverbs 23:13-14
      6. Without the help of godly adults, a child will most likely be destined to shame     Proverbs 29:15
      7. God’s goal of biblical correction and discipline is to bring children to Christ      Hebrews 12:10-11