FHCC
20251019 Worship

                • John 4:23ESV

                • John 4:24ESV

                              • How Great Thou Art
                              • I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

                                      • Proverbs 6NKJV

                                    • Introduction

                                      Imagine with me this scenario. You’re standing on the edge of a farm pond with a fishing pole in your hand when your buddy asks “Where would you advise I go to learn how to have a successful life?” Perhaps you would say, “there are no guarantees, just try your best.” You might suggest school, or the guidance counselor. You might invite her to come with you to 4H or you might offer that he join Kay’s. The adults in the room may suggest a book or podcast.
                                      Now image another scenario. Your little brother who was playing by the car and doesn’t know how to swim wanders off when you’re not looking, falls into the pond and begins thrashing around. You run in and drag him out. After he finishes coughing and choking on the water he swallowed. He says, “That was scary! I thought I was going to die! What do you think happens after death?” You give him your best guess and suggest he go to Sunday School or Flint Hills Kids Club to find out.
                                      We frequently think of church, religion, and the Bible as only dealing with life after death, and other sources for success in life. But would you be surprised if I told you the Bible talks more about living on earth than it does about life in Heaven or death in Hell? And the instructions for life are more than “be nice and don’t judge others”
                                      Proverbs is a book in the Bible that is a collection of advice from a father and other mentors to a son. In today’s text (Proverbs 6) Solomon gives advice for his son that the Holy Spirit would like us to follow so that we can have success with others and peace within ourselves.
                                      TRANSITION: The first piece of advice is found in the group of the first 5 verses. Look with me as we find the challenge to...

                                      Live Honestly (Proverbs 6:1-5)

                                      Human Obligations are a snare! (I’m not talking about the drum)

                                      The direct image of Pr 6.1 is that you co-sign a loan or make a promise for someone else. As long as that loan goes unpaid or the promise is not fulfilled, you are obligated to the person who holds the note or to whom you made the promise.
                                      One problem with promises is that we don’t know what direction life may take us. Nobody plans to break a collar bone or dislocate an ankle. Nobody anticipates being laid off or the Government shutting down for 2 (or more) weeks. Every property owner in Chase County could tell you that last year’s harvest or market prices is no guarantee of what this year will bring.
                                      Don’t invest anything you can’t afford to lose.
                                      As a church, when we extend benevolence, we NEVER do it as a loan because that creates this snare described in Pr 6.2 and Pr 6.5
                                      Keep short accounts - don’t borrow without a plan to repay.
                                      Mortgages, student loans and car loans are frequent snares that can keep you up at night worrying or be disastrous if defaulted. I am NOT the guy you want to model your financial plan after! And I currently have no mortgage or car loans (and I am ahead of the payment schedule for a student loan we took out for one of our children). But you can learn from my MISTAKES - in my last mortgage I was required to pay an extra amount called “PMI” which was just extra money to the bank because of the amount financed. In my last car note, I paid an extra amount that just went to a banker called gap protection (in case the car got totaled and there was any gap between what insurance paid and what was owed). The student loan I took out for one of our children is for a degree that never got completed, but we still owe for tuition and fees incurred.
                                      You didn’t come to church this morning for financial advice, and I’m not in the top 10 list of people who are qualified to offer that advice, but God’s Word is THE top source. the final authority for life choices and the first challenge from Solomon to his son and from the Holy Spirit to us is “live honestly and do not get snared by human promises since you do not know the future.”
                                      but there is another type of promise, one that doesn’t rest on or control of the future.

                                      Godly obligations are rewarded (PS 50.14-15)

                                      You may have heard of fox hole conversions or Emergency Room vows - when things get dire, frequently promised are made to God like “If you… I will...”
                                      Psalm 50:14–15 ESV:2016
                                      Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
                                      The snare of human obligations is due to the fact that your future is unpredictable, BUT the guarantee of godly obligations is that God is ALWAYS dependable and reliable to keep His promises.
                                      TRANSITION: From promises we move to a second bit of advice, our performance

                                      Work Hard (Proverbs 6:6-11)

                                      The definition of sluggard I found is sloth. I could take you to Eccl 10.18 to describe sloth, or I could provide an image from the Zootopia movie that most of those under 30 may recognize. For the benefit of those over 30, Flash is an employee at the DMV who works at the breakneck speed of a bureaucrat agency.
                                      I think the cute furry sloth is a little more kid-friendly than a slug or a leach. But the contrast being made in these 6 verses is between the ant who hardly ever stops moving, and the slug who is even slower than a snail and hardly ever moves.
                                      When these two creatures are unsupervised ( Pr 6.7) one actively prepares before hand which generated abundance, the other lazily does as little as possible, resulting in poverty. The contrast between Pr 6.8 and Pr 6.11 cannot be any broader.
                                      The rhythm of Scripture that is rooted in the Creation account in Genesis 1 and confirmed in the 10 commandments in #4 is that 1 day of Sabbath/rest follows 6 days of activity and purpose. Those who do not follow God’s rhythm find that they prematurely rust out or wear out, either way they are out of commission and useless.
                                      TRANSITION: From the honesty of keeping promises and the activity of effective production, the next piece of advice moves inward. Who ever said the Bible isn’t practical?

                                      Pursue Integrity (Proverbs 6:12-19)

                                      Discord with others (Pr 6.12-15)

                                      Do you know anyone who could be described as a drama queen? The type of person who always “stirs the pot”? While everyone else desires to settle into tranquility or routine, there is always that person asking “what if we...?” or “Did you hear that...?” Some people don’t have enough purpose or view of their own worth in their own lives so they use crooked speech to sow discord and cause calamity.
                                      At the other end of the scale from worthless is integral. This is the person who is always the same regardless of how others view her. The person who is comfortable in her own shoes so that she doesn’t need to create drama.
                                      a “drama queen” who stirs the pot doesn’t only cause trouble in relationships, that action is also...

                                      An Abomination to the Lord. (Pr 6:16-19)

                                      a literary device that is used in OT Jewish literature is the A, A+1 list. This way of remembering things indicates that the last is a summary of the earlier. I once did a sermon series on these verses and we used hand motions to help us memorize these behaviors to avoid:
                                      Proverbs 6:17–19 ESV:2016
                                      haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
                                      the 6 hated behaviors are summed up in the sows discord which we just saw leads to calamity.
                                      TRANSITION: Honest living, hard work, and pursuing integrity can seem like medium-range or long term goals. Here is something you may need tomorrow, or later today. Solomon then zeroes in on some short-term, immediate choices. He indicates when you make quick decisions...

                                      Remember Consequences (Proverbs 6:20-35)

                                      each step moves us in a direction down a path

                                      Rules (Commands) can be hard to remember and seem irrelevant.

                                      Sometimes we get “caught in the moment” and don’t think about how a “little sin” or a “white lie” may affect the future.
                                      More than once I was taken to my parents’ bedroom, my father’s belt came off, and I was given “a little something to help you remember the rules next time.”
                                      because every journey begins with a single step.

                                      solid teaching (Pr 6.23) illuminates our paths.

                                      Do not offer on the alter of the eternal, the sacrifice of the immediate
                                      making good individual decisions (commandments) can protect us down the path (teaching)!
                                      Have you heard the phrase “He won the battle, but lost the war?” it is the opposite of the concept of “living to fight another day”
                                      Would you rather “win the debate” or be right?
                                      I’ve seen too many athletes make bad immediate choices. He may have made that tackle, but it meant he got ejected and wasn’t able to contribute the rest of the game.
                                      I’ve seen to many business people make bad moral choices. She may have won that contract, but her reputation became mud and nobody would hire her for the rest of her career.
                                      Students think cheating on an exam is the path to a higher grade in that class, but what if it means being expelled from the school you’ve dreamed of your whole life?
                                      One poor decision can impact the rest of your life. play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EQQYeRAT3o

                                      Conclusion

                                      The instruction of Proverbs 6 is “do the right thing”
                                      Do the right thing by keeping your promises
                                      Do the right thing by avoiding laziness or sloth
                                      Do the right thing by being the same when you are alone as when you are being watched
                                      Do the right thing in EVERY decision you make.

                                      Light & Lamp

                                      God’s Word gives advice on how to successfully live with others and have peace with self.
                                      Lamps for my Steps
                                      When making a decision, consider both immediate feelings and future consequences.
                                      Prioritize relationship with others and the Lord.
                                      To determine if you are ant or slug, keep a 1-week time journal of your leisure/rest.

                                        • Psalm 50:14–15NKJV

                                        • Proverbs 6:12–15NKJV

                                        • Proverbs 6:16–19NKJV

                                        • Proverbs 6:17–19NKJV

                                          • Whiter Than Snow

                                              • 1 Corinthians 15:58ESV

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                                              http://flinthillschurch.net
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