It's good to see you this morning.
Let's take our Bibles and turn with me to the book of Proverbs
chapter 15. Proverbs 15. I would like to look at verses
5 and 6. Proverbs 15 verses 5 and 6. Let's read those two verses together.
A fool despiseth his father's instruction, but he that regardeth
reproof is prudent. In the house of the righteous
is much treasure, but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble. Let's pray together. We ask this morning your blessing
upon your word as we seek, Lord, and desire to worship in spirit
and truth. Blessed we pray to our hearts,
to the glory of our precious Savior, these words. Amen. That Almighty God manifests himself
and speaks in this world today is without question. Now the
scripture says in Psalm 19.1, the heavens declare the glory
of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork. The heavens It's
what it says, the heavens. Whenever we see the rainbow. Now, you cannot look, a believer
cannot look at the rainbow and fail to remember God's promise
to never destroy the earth again with water. That's what the Lord
said. He said, that rainbow, I put
that there. There is the evidence of my promise,
my covenant to not destroy the world again by water. He's going to destroy it, but
not by water. Whenever we see the weather, just the weather,
The Scripture says in Nahum 1.3, the Lord hath His way in the
whirlwind, in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His
feet. I think on that Scripture right
there, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. Someone says,
no, that's just a weather phenomenon. If you've ever been up flying,
I know you have, and you just go through the clouds. There's nothing there. You just
pass right through it, but you can't see through it. Dust to
his feet. The sun rises every morning.
The earth is turning. You see that and you think about
the Son of Righteousness rising in the hearts of His people.
These perpetual seasons, the order, the stars, everything
is right exactly where God Almighty said it's going to be. They all
declare the glory of God. His intelligence, His power,
His control. But concerning the Lord's speaking,
His instruction, His final word is His Son. God speaks. The heavens declare the glory
of God. But when Almighty God is pleased
to speak to His people, to mankind in general. He is going to speak
through this Word, through this Bible, right here, these holy
Scriptures. The Scripture says in Hebrews
1, 1 and 2, God who at sundry times and in diverse manners
spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these
last days spoken unto us by His Son. who he hath appointed heir
of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." Now, it is
a miracle of God's grace that Almighty God has left us the
record of His Word. That God Himself would speak. The Lord God of Heaven sending
His Son into this world, gave instruction when the Lord Jesus
Christ came into this world by His incarnation, by God being
made flesh. This is what God Almighty said.
In the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word Himself made flesh. This is what God said. God Almighty
loves the order of man. And He has a people in that order. He is saying that man by nature
is a lost creature, fallen in Adam, and needs a Savior. He needs a righteousness that
will be accepted by the Lord God Himself. And that the only
Savior is God's Lamb. the one in whom the Lord is well
pleased. Now, we need some instruction. We need to be taught of our need
of Almighty God. We need to be taught God's discipline,
God's admonition. God's correction, God's chastisement. We need some direction. Because man by nature is dead. He doesn't hear. He doesn't understand. Man by nature is a rebel against
God. Now here's what I know. The Lord
God speaks. I know that. I know He speaks
in nature. The heavens declare the glory
of God. But if you want to know what
Almighty God has to say, make much of His Word. Two times,
once at the Lord's baptism and once on the Mount of Transfiguration,
the Father instructed us concerning His Son. This is what he said. This is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. In fact, in Matthew's Gospel,
the Scripture says, Hear ye Him. Hear what He has to say. Now,
if you desire to hear what the Lord has to say, search the Scriptures. And by
the grace of God, Almighty God, might give us understanding,
give us some knowledge. All of God's instruction from
the giving of the law, the design of the tabernacle, the altar,
all of God's instruction, everything that Almighty God has ever had
to say has been concerning His Son, that man's relationship
to His Son. Now here's some instruction.
I'll just turn to 1 John 5.12. 1 John 5.12. Now here's just the truth of
Almighty God's revelation to man. 1 John 5.12 says this, He
that hath the Son, He that possesses an experiential knowledge of
Christ by faith, he that has no confidence in himself, he
that hath the Son, God's life, God's Savior, God's Lamb, he
that hath the Son and nothing else, Nothing of his own, no works
of his own, no obedience of his own, no free will of his own. He that hath the Son hath life. And he that hath not the Son,
he that has only himself, hath not life. He that has Christ's
faith in him, The one in whom Christ dwells by grace and power,
He that has the Son. Do I have Him? Do I have Him? Let me ask you this question,
too. Do you need Him? Do you need
Him? Do you believe that You can add
one iota to your salvation. If you believe that you can add
something to your salvation, then you don't need Him. It's
not Him and you. In Him is life. Here is a believer. I am a helpless,
hopeless, sinner in myself. I have absolutely no hope of
doing anything to establish, to add to, to maintain my salvation. Salvation is all of grace. I must have Him. Is Christ single? All of your hope. Lord, unless
You save me, I'm lost. I'm not going to stand before
God and plead anything that I did. No decision. No work. No thought. No deed. No intent. Nothing. Nothing. Man adds nothing
to salvation. Thy Word, the psalmist says,
is a lamp unto my feet, a light to my path. Lord, salvation is
all of grace. Proverbs 6.23, for the commandment. God's Word. God's truth is a
lamp. The law is light. The law tells
me what I am. The law tells me my inability. The law exposes me, and the reproofs
of instruction are the way of life. God teaching me that without
Him, I can do nothing. Now, concerning God's instruction,
as Paul says, the preaching of the cross, the gospel of our
salvation, Paul says, I am determined not to know anything among you
save Jesus Christ, Him crucified. Now, I know this. I know this
is true. I know that this is the truth
as Almighty God sets it forth. I know that we are, without Him,
we're hopelessly lost. Now, what does the Scripture
have to say? Here's man. Here's God. Without Him, nothing. Here's
what Almighty God has to say in these verses today. Proverbs
15, verse 5. A fool despiseth his father's instruction. Now, if I do not care, and I
think that this is, having looked at these scriptures, I truly
believe This is what's set forth in that first part of that verse
right there. A fool despiseth, hates, resists,
will not hear. A fool despiseth his father's
instruction. Father, right here, I believe,
is Almighty God. God Almighty. Now, number one,
I know this. I know that He's the Father of
all in creation. I remember somebody asked Brother
Scott one time. Brother Scott referred people.
He said, you know, you refer to this fellow over here, brother
this, brother that. He said, I don't know. I've heard
some of the things he said. I don't know. I know he claims
to be a believer, but I don't know, calling him brother. Scott
said, well, he's either my brother in Adam or he's my brother in
Christ. But he said, we're all, you know, somehow. I know this,
that the Father is the Father of all men for sure in creation. Malachi 2.10 says this, Have
we not one Father? Hath not God created us? Why
do we deal treacherously, every man against his brother, by profaning
the covenant of our fathers? Acts 17.26 says, And hath made
of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the
earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the
bounds of their habitation. Did the Lord God himself not
say that as the potter he has the power? They were all men
to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor. I
know for a fact that He is the Father of all men in creation,
but He is the Father in grace and mercy and compassion to His
elect. Now, can He do what He will with
His own? You hear the conclusion to the
refusal of his instruction. Man is a fool. A fool despises
his father's instruction. But he that regardeth reproof
is prudent. He that takes heed. He that looks to God's reproof
is wise. Proverbs 16.21 says, The wise
in heart shall be called prudent. He that regardeth reproof is
prudent. What is the difference between
a believer and an unbeliever? They are all created by Almighty
God. All souls are mine. All souls are mine. He hath created
all things. You know that. is one source
of all men, and it's Almighty God. He made them all. But when
it comes to grace, mercy, compassion, He said, I'm going to have mercy
and compassion on whom I will. What's the difference between
an unbeliever and a believer? What's the difference? The grace
of God. The mercy of God. What's the
difference between you or me and anyone else that doesn't
know Him? God's grace. God's will. God's purpose. He that regardeth
with proof is wise. But how did He attain the wisdom? How did He become wise? How? How? It's given unto you
to believe. Almighty God, by the Scriptures,
blessed by the Spirit of God, by God's grace and God's power,
makes a man wise unto salvation. And it's not until Almighty God
gives him a new heart, the demand to believe, to repent. All men
are commanded to repent. Why do they not? Because they
don't want to. I don't want to. I don't want
to come. I don't want to hear. What you're
saying is just unimportant to me. But when Almighty God stops
a man in his tracks, like He did Saul of Tarsus on the road
to Damascus, God stops him. And God speaks and God gives
a new heart. Like when Lydia, when God opened
her heart, and then she attended to the words of Paul. Not until
then. Oh, she was religious. She worshipped God, the God of
her imagination. Well, when God Almighty gave
her a heart, that's when she regarded His reproof. That's
when a woman hears. That's when they believe. A fool
despises his father's instruction. Many will hear the gospel. We've heard that before. You
know, Marvin, I tell you what, he really doesn't have, you know,
he's just got one thing that he just kind of hammers on all
the time, all the time, all the time. By God's grace, that's
true. I hear what the words are saying. I understand. Man's a rebel against
God. But when Almighty God gives a
man or woman a new heart, let me tell you something, they will
regard God for proof then. They'll say, you know what? I
don't have any confidence in my flesh. You know what? I know for a fact that I wasn't
saved because I exercised my free will. You know what? I know that I've not been converted
because I was baptized. I know that taking the Lord's
table is not life. I know it's a picture of Him.
I know that. I do consider all of that stuff
dumb now. I don't have any confidence in
anything that I could do. A fool despises his father's
instruction. Holds on to himself. That's mine.
I earned that. I have been faithful, Mark. Don't
tell me I'm not faithful. Oh, but he that regardeth reproof.
Oh, that instruction. That which is born of God. You know, that's the wisdom of Those that regard reproof, those
that are prudent, that have nothing to glory in in themselves, they've
been made so by the grace of God. And they love it. They love
it. 2 Timothy 3, 14, 15. Continue thou in the things which
thou hast learned, hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou
hast learned them. And that from a child thou hast
known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. But what
does the prudent sinner, he that regardeth for proof is prudent,
but what does he give heed to? What does he regard? He regards
or gives heed to that salvation is of the Lord. That's what he
gives. He regards Him. who rewards. Verse 6, in the house of the
righteous is much treasure, but in the revenues of the wicked
is trouble. In the house, that word house
there is family. In the family of the righteous, In that established
family, that house that is restored from exile and caused to continue,
there is much treasure, much wealth. In the family of the righteous,
the Lord Jesus Christ is much treasure. This house right here,
Two things thought of. Number one, in the house of the
righteous one himself, he has a house. He has a kingdom. He has a people. They're his. They're his bride. There's much
treasure in the house of the righteous one himself, in Christ
himself. There is much treasure to Him
because His bride has been redeemed by His blood.
His bride is His treasure to Him. You have ravished me with
one of your eyes. She is a treasure to Him. She has been redeemed. She was
chosen. She was given to Him by the Father. He redeemed her. He bought her
with His own precious blood. His Holy Spirit regenerated her
and sealed her and kept her. She is the object of His affection.
His treasure. Oh, all that the Father has given
me. They are His body. He that loveth
No man ever hated his own body. Christ loves his body. He loves
his bride. In the house, in the kingdom
of the righteous one himself is much treasure. But in those
made righteous by him, clothed, robed in His righteousness, the
righteous themselves, made so by the grace of God. Now I'm
looking at believers. I'm looking at the righteous
one first, who is the source of our righteousness. There's
much treasure in His house. It's His people. She is the diadem in His crown. The glory of her salvation. He's the righteous, but then
those made righteous by the grace of God. In the house of the righteous
is much treasure. Oh, it's Christ. He's the pearl
of great price. And you that know Him, who is
your treasure? I'll tell you who it is. It's
either yourself or it's Him. You are your treasure, because
what you've done for Him, or He is your treasure. He who has
done all for you. Who is He? This is God. This
is Almighty God. Who is He? Who is the treasure
in your house? That house in which God Almighty
has revealed to you that you belong to. Who is the treasure? I'll tell you who He is. He's
my husband. He's my Lord. He's my Redeemer. He's my salvation. He's my great
high priest. He's my mediator. He speaks to
God on my behalf. He keeps me. Even in John 17,
he prayed in verse 24, Father, I will that those that Thou hast
given me, those that Thou hast given me, may be with me, that
they may behold my glory." One of these days, we're going to
understand that. One of these days, that will make sense to
us. One of these days, it will be no more by faith that we believe
that, we'll believe it by sight. Oh, in the house of the righteous
is much treasure. Lay not up for yourselves treasures
on earth. I've ever thought that I accomplished. All that's going to be, I mean,
I could look at that as earthly things. But anything that I think
I've done, that's my treasure. I'll tell you where the treasure
is. 1 Peter 1. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you. who are kept by the
power of God through faith. Now here it is. Here it is. You want to know what your treasure
is? You want to know what your inheritance is? You want to know
what your blessing is? Here it is. Who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation. Salvation. Ready to be revealed in the last
time. Now you talk about a treasure. Men, women, mankind is going
to be in one of two places. They're either going to be with
Almighty God, beholding His glory, the blessed Savior. That glory
given to Him by the Father from before the world ever was. Or
they're going to be separated from God. Separated from God
under God's judgment. under God's wrath. Now let me
ask you this. What a treasure it is to know
that God Almighty would have mercy unto a people. That Almighty God would show
mercy and grace and compassion. The house of the righteous is
much treasure. How will we ever know until we
see Him in that day and know? How will we ever know what God
Almighty has done for us? Eternity will never be enough
to declare unto Him and to cry unto Him, worthy is the Lamb,
worthy, for Thou hast redeemed us out of every nation and kindred
and tribe and tongue. Hope. Peace. Joy. It's treasure
in the house of the righteous, but in the revenues of the wicked. Revenues. What I think I earned. What I thought I accomplished. Scripture sums it up right here.
Much trouble. Much trouble. Look unto Him, and be ye saved,
all ye ends of the earth. There's life in Christ. Much
treasure. Lord, by Your grace and mercy,
keep me according to Your everlasting covenant. Lord, have mercy on
me for Christ's sake. Amen.