Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 29. Proverbs 29. I'd like to look
at one verse, verse eight. Spirit of God moved upon a man
named Solomon to pen this book. And Solomon, as we all know,
was a man that was truly tried of God, blessed of God, gave
him wisdom, wisest man ever born in Adam, Solomon. And Solomon penned these scriptures
under the inspiration of God, but he penned these scriptures
because he knew some things by experience. So these things that
we are going to look at this morning for a few minutes are
written from a man that knows something about what he's talking
about. You know, if you don't, if you don't, if you've never
experienced anything, you don't know what you're talking about.
I've often told people, somebody going through a trial tribulate,
they say, well, I know how you feel, not unless you've been
there. No, you don't. You may wanna help him out a
little bit, but you're not speaking from experience. This man's speaking
from experience. The Spirit of God directed Solomon
to warn God's people to be on their guard concerning being
ensnared. We looked at that a couple of
weeks ago, verse six. In the transgression of an evil
man, there is a snare. We're warned because we need
to be warned. Today, we're warned about something
else. Verse eight says, scornful men
bring a city into a snare, but wise men turn away wrath. Now, scornful men Those that
have a high opinion of themselves and possess contempt for that
which is good, scornful, scornful men. And these scornful men,
according to the scriptures, bring a city into a snare. Now, the greatest blessing that
is given in this life to hell-deserving sinners is this. This is the
greatest blessing that's given. Truth. Truth. Truth about who God is. Truth about who man is. Truth about life eternal. Truth about life after life. Truth. Truth that is actually
a person. The Lord Jesus Christ said of
himself, he said, I am the truth. So when we talk about truth,
we're talking about eternal things. Now, I understand that there's
some things that we know are true and, you know, we're really
here. Well, that's true, but I'm talking
about the word Truth. Truth. Truth is concerning the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything that we deal with
in this life ultimately is coming back to him. The law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. And the truth, the truth
of who Christ is, who God is, who man is, the truth is manifest
to men one way, by the Spirit of God, through the means of
the preaching of the gospel, the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is what the Lord said, John 16, 13, 14 says, how
be it when he, The spirit of truth is come. He will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself,
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will
show you things to come. He will glorify me. You know, I was going over my own
notes this morning. And I read that, he will glorify
me. And you know, the first thing I thought about, now, wait a
minute, what does that mean? You know, you would think after
preaching for a few years, you'd know exactly what it means. I
gotta go back and look it up again, Brian. He will glorify
me. What does that mean? What does
it mean? He will glorify me. It means cause the dignity and
worth to be manifest. Whenever the Spirit of God is
speaking, I mean, the Holy Ghost is spoken of. I mean, there's
people all over this world that talk about the Holy Ghost. We
got Holy Ghost Revival, we got the Holy Ghost. The Lord said,
the Spirit of truth, the Comforter Himself, the Holy Spirit, when
He speaks, He will always magnify and glorify the worth of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And if somebody is talking about
hearing, being a Holy Ghost, meeting a Holy Ghost, and they're
speaking, if they don't hear of the glory and the magnitude
and the worthiness and the sovereignty of Christ, they're not hearing
from the Holy Ghost. They're not. Truth. Man by nature
glorifies himself, imagining that he possesses some respectable
quality that God is going to accept. But listen, all men are
born in Adam's transgression. They're born. We all come forth
from my mother's womb dead, dead spiritually. We're all born with
this attitude, a scornful man, one that magnifies himself and
one that has a contempt for that which is good. Now, you know
that's so. Those of you that know him, you know that's right.
We're all born with that attitude. We're born, when I looked up,
we're scornful. Also, it means to make a mouth
at, to talk arrogantly, to boast in self, and to mock that which
is upright. We're born with an attitude according
to this scripture. I'm gonna show you, I mean, the
scornful man. Scornful men bring a city into
a snare. Well, if you've got a marginal
reading in your Bible, I've got one, it says to set a city on
fire. Scornful men bring a city into
a snare. Set a city on fire, that's what
they wanna do. Now remember, all scripture is
God-breathed, and it's concerning the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's what he said to the two on the road to Emmaus. And the
Spirit of God has been pleased to warn us about something, about
scornful men, scornful men, scornful men whose heart is the heart
of deception. Scornful men have one goal, to
bring a city into a snare, to set a city on fire, that's what
it means. But now, not just any city. There's a lot of cities
that men have built, but this city that these scriptures are
talking about is concerning, remember, it's concerning the
glory of Christ. These are they, the Lord said
to speak of me. This book right here is written
to his people. concerning his honor and glory,
to have mercy and compassion, and to warn men concerning not
casting themselves upon him. This is not just any city that
the scornful man has a heart to set on fire, but really it's
the city that Abraham was looking for. According to Hebrews 11.10,
a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
I want you to turn, hold your place in Hebrews, take your Bible
and turn to Hebrews 12. I wanna show you a little bit
about this city. Hebrews chapter 12, I'd like
to read verses 22 and 24. Hebrews 12, 22 to 24. Hebrews
12, 22, but ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of
angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn,
which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all,
and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the
mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling
that speaketh better things than that of Abel. So let me tell
you who this city is, who this city is. This city is the heavenly
Jerusalem of God's people. This city that
the scornful man wants to bring a snare, set on fire, is the
church. This is the city that is of true
peace. The beloved people of God. That city wherein God dwells. There's a city that's sitting
here. And God's here. And I don't say that lightly. Where two or three are gathered
together in my name, I am in the midst of you. I'm there. I'll never leave you. That comes
back to my mind so often as we're trying to pray. He said, I'll never leave you. I'll
never forsake you. And just the thought, when I'm
making the feeblest effort, embarrassed because I don't know what to
say. I don't know what to ask. I don't
know how to say it. And I just, I find great comfort
in just telling the Lord back what the Lord's already said.
He said, you don't know what to pray for. And I said, Lord,
I don't know what to pray for. I don't know what to pray for.
I don't know what to ask. I'm just thankful that you allowed
me to be here for a minute. Lord, I thank you that you're
here. And I began to think, God Almighty, who spoke this world
into existence, would allow me to just be with
him just for a few minutes, just talk to him. That's a very humbling
thing. This is the city that the scornful
man wants to set on fire. But when you look
at that word right there, the scornful man, scornful men bring
a city into a snare. It does say set on fire, but
actually when you look up the wording, it means to blow. Like if you had some embers,
just a little bit, there's just a little bit of embers there
and you're trying to get a little bit of kindling started, you
know, and you're blowing on it, trying to get it to flame up
a little bit. That's what they're doing. The scornful man, what he wants to do is breathe
and blow tempting to bring this city to destruction. And this resentful blowing and
hatred, animosity of the scornful man is done with his attitude,
because that's what he wants to do, but with his tongue, when
he stands up and proclaims that which is not so. concerning Almighty
God, the spirit of that scornful man. It's so easy for us to look
and say, well, I'll tell you about them. I'll tell you about
they. All those that are standing in
pulpits. And that's true. You know my attitude about false
preachers. Because I stood in a pulpit for
years and lied to people. and lied. And some of it is coming
back right now to still haunt me. I think back, I've spoken to
some that I talked to and I told them, I said, I was wrong. Oh
no, you weren't Marvin. Yes, I was. I lied to you. I didn't mean to, but I did.
But not only do I realize that that spirit is standing in pulpits
today, preaching to people. That spirit right now still is
in my heart. I've got in my heart a scornful
man, an old man. Paul referred to him as that
wretched man, that wretched man. In regenerating grace, I want
you to remember something. The old man doesn't die. And he won't die till we're gone.
Who shall deliver us from the body of this death? The Lord
will. But that old man is still there. And that old man that
was doing just exactly what he wanted to do before the Lord
ever called me out of darkness, or you out of darkness, that
old man is still doing the same thing right now. And he's got
one purpose. to set the city on fire and blow
upon him all the lies and the scornful
boast of things. That old man who lied to me before
I ever knew the Lord, one that was blowing on those
embers of self-righteousness, trying to fire it up, he's doing
it now. while I'm standing right here
talking to you. Oh, that old man is still stirring
the body of sin that's within us, ever enticing us with our
fleshly loves. Solomon knew something about
that. Go back and look how Solomon was trying God gave him great
wisdom, but how he was taken down there.
Solomon knew God. The Lord saved him, I'm convinced
of that. He saved him. But I'm telling you, Solomon
had to deal with some things concerning this flesh, and he
knew what he was talking about. And brethren, we're right there. Just about the time you think,
that you're starting to really get some real stability and you
really know some things. Pride comes just before the fall. Paul the Apostle, before he was
converted, I was looking over in Philippians, I'll just turn
this to you, Paul the Apostle, he was talking about what he
trusted in before the Lord called him out of darkness when he was,
walking as a Pharisee, and this is what he trusted in Philippians
3, 5, and 6. He said, Circumcised the eighth
day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew
of the Hebrews, is touching the law of Pharisees concerning zeal,
persecuting the church, touching righteousness which is of the
law, blameless. Paul said, I was I was circumcised
on the right day. I was born in the right family.
I was from the right tribe. I was a Pharisee. I walked without
any blame before God's law. Yes, sir. He said, you think
you got something to brag about? He said, you ain't got nothing
to brag about. He said, I had something to brag about. But after his conversion, all
that stuff he trusted in before, the Lord imparted new life, gave
him life in Christ, and he knew, he knew what he had formerly
trusted in was a lie, and it still plagued him. He never said,
oh, wretched man that I was. Wretched man that I am. Truly, who shall deliver me?
That scornful man is ever scoffing and blowing and huffing at the
things of God. And you that know him know that.
You know it. We struggle. We struggle right
now by that old man, that old scornful man against God's sovereignty
to do as he will in the army of heaven. I'm telling you, I'm telling
you from experience. You let the doctor tell you,
well, I found something. And we're gonna have to take
care of it. And you just listen to what that old man says to
you. You gotta be kidding me. Where is that spirit of in everything
give thanks? This is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you. All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. And that scornful man in you
will huff and puff and blow the embers desiring to burn this
city down. I'm telling you, we're in a war. Scornful men bring a city into
a snare, Wise men turn away wrath. A believer knows that he does
not have the ability or the power to turn away wrath himself. He
knows that. He knows that. It's not within
the power of men to turn backward is what that means. To turn,
John Gill says, to restore to quiet, settled state. When it
says to turn away wrath, to turn it back, to turn it from us. Wrath, man doesn't have that
power. But the scripture reveals that sinners made wise unto salvation. Those who are indwelt by the
spirit of Christ who, by the grace of God, recognize the danger
of resting in themselves by their own works. They know. Those that have heard in the
heart the gospel of God's grace where the Lord Jesus Christ has
borne our guilt, put away our sin, the debt of it, presence
of it still there, fighting us all the way. But those wise men
know that Christ is their only hope. They turn away wrath. How? They believe Him. They know
they hadn't done it, but they believe He has. Those who are
needy sinners, spiritually impotent, who rest their souls totally
upon the Lord Jesus Christ to save them, or I'm gonna perish. They know that Christ is the
one who has justly turned away their wrath, the people of God's
choosing. The Father himself turned his
wrath away from his elect because he turned it away upon the Lord
Jesus Christ. He knew no sin, but was made
sin for us. He provided the lamb. He was pleased that mankind was
not going to perish off this earth. He was pleased that man
was not going to justly be put away. God loves the world. He loved the order of man. He loved mankind. Not everyone
within mankind. Scripture never says that. Never
says that God loves everybody without distinction. It doesn't
say that. But when you say that God loves everybody, be careful.
Because you're going to have to maybe prove it to somebody,
and you can't do that. But I do say this. He loved mankind. And he loved mankind, for God
so loved the world, mankind, that he gave his only begotten
son, who came into this world and laid down his life for the
sheep. I can prove that by the word of God. I can prove by the word of God
that he's borne all of our guilt, all of our sins in his own body.
I can prove that. Whosoever believeth on him, who
gonna believe on him? Everybody that the Father's given
him, they're all gonna come to him. I can prove that. They're
not gonna perish. They're gonna have life eternal
in Christ. He turned away wrath. He who is the wise one turned
away wrath. And while we're struggling right
now, here's the last verse of scripture. Turn with me, you're
in Proverbs. Go up, I'm sorry, forward. Go
forward just about three or four pages past Ecclesiastes and come
to Song of Solomon, chapter four. While we're struggling right
now with that old scornful man, Song of Solomon, chapter four,
while we're struggling with that old man that's blowing, trying
to burn this city, set it on fire, while we're struggling
with that, He who has promised I'll never
leave you and never forsake you is also blowing. Song of Solomon
416, awake. Oh, north wind, and come thou
south. Now here, he's talking about
his spirit. The spirit of the north wind
of conviction shows us what we are, what we need to know We
need to know this. I need to know and you need to
know that there's a scornful man still there. And he's bent. This scornful
man that's within every believer, he's bent on burning down the
city that God has been graciously pleased to give. He's bent. Carnal man, there's a battle
going on. The flesh and the spirit, they
struggle together. There's a war. So this north
wind is the need of every believer. Lord, chasten me. Lord, I need
it. You said, whom the Lord loveth,
he chasteneth. Lord, I need the north wind,
that cold wind of chastening conviction. Lord, straighten
me up. Thank you. I need to be taken
back behind the woodshed. I need a whipping. Everybody
says, I don't need a whipping. Whom the Lord loveth, he chastens.
I can tell you that, I need a whipping. Come, O North wind, awake, and
come thou South. Same spirit, same wind, same
one. But come in comfort. I told you
every time I had to whip my kids. Every time. And they all got
it. They got it. I guarantee you ask them right
now. How many times your dad ever whip you that he didn't
put you on his knee after he whipped you? Put you on his knee
while you're sitting there trying to dry your eyes and he's trying
to dry them for you, put his arm around you, hugged you, told
you, I love you, I love you, I love you. How many times you
ever do that? I guarantee you they tell you
never. I never remember ever having spanked my kids. I didn't
just put them in their room and leave them. I put them on my
knee and I hugged them. Told them, I love you. Awake,
oh north wind, come thou south. Blow upon my garden. Oh, that
the spices thereof, the spices have been given them by the spirit
of God, the fruit of God's spirit, love, joy, peace, Blow, oh north
wind, and convict him, and then comfort him. Oh, that the spices
may flow out. Let my beloved come into his
garden, that's what she says to him, and eat his pleasant
fruits. Then he tells her in the next verse, I am coming. A scornful man. Bring a city into a snare. and
wise men turned away wrath. Lord, bless this word to our
hearts for Christ's sake. Give us some comfort. Lord, teach
us what we are. Show us what we are. Lord, remind
us of what you've done for us. For your glory and our good,
amen. All right, let's take a break.