Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 14. Proverbs 14. I'd like for us to look at one verse this morning. Proverbs 14 verse
29. Proverbs 14. Verse 29, he that is slow to
wrath is of great understanding, but he that is hasty of spirit
exalts the folly. Let's pray together. Our Father, we thank you again. Oh, for the blessed privilege
to be able to meet together. Lord, to look into your word
and search your scriptures. Lord, would you bless the word
today. Lord, you're able. You're able
to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we ask or think. Lord,
have mercy, I pray. We know that your word is not
going to return void. It's going to accomplish the
purpose for which it was sent. Lord, would you save our children,
save our families, save our friends according to your everlasting
purpose and will, for Christ's sake. Amen. Three times in the scriptures, Being slow to wrath is referred
to. Here, where we just read it,
he that is slow to wrath is of great understanding. Proverbs
15, 18 says this, A wrathful man stirreth up strife. quarrels, contention. But he
that is slow to anger, long-suffering, patient, appeases strife. James 1.9 says this, Wherefore,
my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, ready,
be ready to hear, eager to hear. Seize upon every opportunity
to hear the gospel. Slow to speak. Slow to speak
either against what is heard without thoroughly weighing and
considering what has been preached from the gospel, from the scriptures,
or slow to speak for what we've heard until the Lord has convinced
us that what we've heard is so. Just be content to be a hearer. Be a hearer. Someone said, well, I don't know
what the Lord is calling me. I know the Scriptures. set forth
and revealed that the Lord has taken His body and He's put it
together just in exactly the proper way that He's everlastingly
ordered. I don't know what I'm supposed
to do. Here, here, listen to what God has to say. Almighty God, shall order our
steps." 1 Thessalonians 4.11. And that ye study labor to be
quiet, and to do your own business, work with your own hands as we
commanded you. Slow to wrath. Slow to wrath
when the apostle is preached. When the doctrines of our precious
Savior are set forth, the corrections of God's Word, instructions are
given, I think to myself, here I am, standing here preaching. He that is slow to wrath. And I think to myself, how quickly. I find myself out of control. Lord, settle me down. Lord, settle me down. When sin, rebellions, inconsistencies
are exposed, Lord, help us to not become angry, anxious, when
somebody disagrees or lives contrary to our wishes or desires. You
know, it's hard to be mad at a lion because he doesn't act
like a lamb. God's going to have to change
the nature before a man or woman is going to act differently. There's going to have to be a
new heart. new life, new understanding. He that is slow to wrath is of
great understanding, abundant discretion, meekness, meekness. Bowing and waiting for the Lord
of all grace. That's great understanding. I
think about the story when Abraham, this comes to my mind, one of
the greatest examples. Scripture says Moses was the
meekest of all men, save the Lord Jesus Christ. Born of a
woman, born in Adam, Moses. I think of this particular instance
when Abraham, remember when Abraham and Lot, they're out there in
the wilderness in Canaan and they're sojourners, pilgrims. And Lot's herdsman and Abraham's
herdsman got into a squabble over the land. Now, both groups
thought that they kind of were getting a bad shake on this thing.
Our animals did not get the best of it. So they got into an argument. Abraham came to Lot and he said,
We're brethren. We're brethren. Just look. Here's what I want you to do.
You take whatever you want. You take whatever you desire. You look it over. You take what
you think. He's going to be the best for
you, and whatever's left, that's what I'll take. The Scripture
says that Lot set his sight toward Sodom. And you know the rest. That's meekness. Trusting God. Resting. Believing. Oh, may the
Lord help me right here. Trusting the Lord. Waiting on
the Lord. Asking the Lord. Knocking. Seeking. How often? Over and over and
over. Importunity. Never stop. Lord, let me not grow impatient. Asking. Seeking. Desiring. Your leadership. Your direction. Be careful about being angry. before the Lord concerning His
providence. I believe Romans 8.28 is so. All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are called according
to His purpose. Lord, settle me down when things
I'm not going the way I think they ought to go. Lord, help me. Lord, let me make
my petitions before You. Lord, let me talk to You about
it. I'm so prone to, I want to talk
to so-and-so about this. I want to see what they have
to think about it. If I happen to be down in Rocky
Mountain, I think I'll go talk to Brother Henry about this.
Lord, help me. Help me to call upon Him. Call
upon the Lord. Arguing and fussing and striving
does not adorn the gospel of our Lord. Doesn't it adorn the
gospel of free grace? One that is slow to wrath. Well,
first of all, he's understood something of himself. He's realized
that God's done something for him. If the Lord could settle
me down, he knows something, what he is, by the grace of God
and understands. And he knows others if he's been
able to slow down. He realizes, Lord, I am what I am
by Your grace. Lord, only You can give me a
heart that's settled, that rests, It loves Christ. It loves his
gospel. It loves his people. Proverbs
19.11 says, The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and
it is his glory to pass over on transgression. Wouldn't that be a wonderful
thought? Just understanding, perceiving,
Everybody is just like I am, a human. What if I might be able to just
trust you, wait on you? But he that is hasty of spirit. He that is slow to wrath is of
great understanding. But he that is hasty of spirit. The margin in the Bible here
that I've got says short of spirit. He that's just impatient, impatient,
exalted, raises up folly, sinfulness, silliness. I'm going to be honest
with you, there ain't nobody here that's guiltless. I mean,
this is all of us right here. I mean, we're all this way. He
that's hasty, impatient, raises up silliness. and exhibits his
lack of submission to God's Word, governed by his passion, his
inconsistency, his foolishness, and actually puts himself in
a position that nobody really wants to be around him. Nobody wants to be around. I tell you, there's nothing that's
more pleasant to be around than somebody that's patient with
me. It's the most convicting thing
when I know I deserve it. I deserve reprimand. I deserve
it. When somebody's patient with
me, I'm reprimanded, realize. Now, I know this. I know that there's an anger
which is not sinful. And it rises from a true zeal
for God and His holiness, and it's against sin itself. Ephesians
4.26, Be ye angry and sin not. But be careful. Be ye angry and
sin not. I read what Scripture says concerning False preaching. False liars. The Scripture speaks of them
as being liars. And avoid them. Avoid them. Paul the apostle
says, if any man preach not according to these Scriptures, if any man
preach any other message, any other gospel than that which
we preached unto you, Let it be a curse. Let it be anathema. I see, I know something about
people being lied to. Leaving this world. And I do
know this, I know, I know Almighty God is going to save His people. I know that. And I'm convinced
of that. And I bow to His good pleasure. What are we going to do? We're
going to preach the truth. And when men stand in pulpits
and lie on God, and set forth and tell men that God's trying
to do something, that God's wanting to do something, but He can't,
Because men won't let him. I don't have anything to do with
you. But I'm going to be honest with
you. I need to be real careful. I need to be very careful. You
be angry. You sin not. Be careful. We're
frail creatures and controlling our anger. in ourselves is impossible,
not just hard. Be angry and sin not. But you know what the rest of
that verse is? And let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Even anger that is directed toward
that which dishonors God. Don't sleep on it. Lord, help me. I'm not able to
control it. It will get out of hand real
quickly. Brother Henry made this statement about that. He said,
don't cherish it upon your pillar. You talk to the Lord about it.
You pray about it. Seek God. Ask for help in time
of need. I am so thankful that Almighty
God... I look out and I see this is
a a goodly group of people here this morning. I'm so thankful
you're here. I want to be honorable to our
Lord. I want to be consistent in preaching,
setting forth the truth. I don't want to be inconsistent. And I find myself real guarded
of you. Real guarded. I mean, if I thought
somebody doing something to you that's hurtful and stuff like
that, I'd probably blow up pretty quickly if I thought somebody
was going to hurt. One of my kids? Yeah. One of my brethren? Yeah. Yeah. Be careful. Be careful. Continued wrath and anger is
inconsistent with the profession of the gospel. Paul said to the
church at Colossae, Colossians 3.8, But now ye also put off
all these anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filth of communication
out of your mouth. You know, I was talking about
Moses a while ago being the meekest of men upon the face of the earth.
That's what Numbers 12.3 says. He suffered greatly the cause
of uncontrolled anger. I want you to look at a couple
of Scriptures with me, and we'll stop this first one. I want you
to look at Psalm 106.32. Psalm 106.32. Psalm 106.32 says
this, They angered him also at the waters of strife. so that it went ill with Moses
for their sakes, because they provoked his spirit, so that
he spake unadvisedly with his lips." Now, here's what the Scripture
says. Verse 32, they, the people, what
did they do? They angered him. They did something. And it made Moses mad. Turn to Numbers. Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus. Numbers. Numbers 20. Let me show
you what happened. The Scripture says they did something. And it made Moses mad. You know
who suffered for it? Oh, you say the people. Yeah,
the people. But I'll tell you who suffered
for it. Moses suffered. Numbers 20. I'm going to read
verses 2 to 13. Numbers 20, verse 2. There was
no water for the congregation. And they gathered themselves
together against Moses and against Aaron. There was no water. And the people gathered themselves
together against Moses and Aaron. And the people chode with Moses
and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren
died before the Lord? Now, I'm going to tell you what
I just did for the sake of time. I won't go back and read them.
But if you'll look in your margin there, it will tell you when
these people that they were talking about died. And what happened
was every time they bowed up against the Lord, and God Almighty
killed them, and killed them, and Moses would intercede for
them and ask them, and God would withdraw His hand of wrath. These people were doing things,
and they were speaking against God, and God Almighty was killing
people. And Korah and his group stood
against Moses, against God. And they told Moses, they said,
you know what? You take too much upon yourself. Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are, Moses?
And Moses said, I tell you what we're going to do. We're going
to draw a line in the sand. He said, you guys show up tomorrow.
You bring your censors with you. You bring all your religion.
Bring everything that you trust in. You bring your stuff. And
God is going to settle this. The next day they showed up. And the Scripture says that God
just opened up the earth. And Korah and his family and
all of his followers, the Scripture says they went straight to hell
alive. This is what these people are
talking about right here. The people chode with Moses and
Spake saying, would God we had died when our brethren died before
the Lord. What? Would God, because we don't
have some water, I don't have a drink. If we had died under the judgment
of God back then, we wouldn't be thirsty right now. Verse 4, and why have ye brought
up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness that we
and our cattle should die there? And wherefore have you made us
come up out of Egypt to bring us into this evil place? No place
of seed or figs or vines or pomegranates, neither is there any water to
drink. And Moses and Aaron went before
from the presence of the assembly under the door of the tabernacle
of the congregation. They fell upon their faces, and
the glory of the Lord appeared unto them. And the Lord spake
unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly
together. Thou and Aaron, thy brothers,
speak ye unto the rock before their eyes. And it shall give
forth his water." Notice how it says it. Speak to the rock. It's going to give forth his
water. Thou shalt bring forth to them
water out of the rock, so thou shalt give the congregation and
their beasts drink. Well, I read that and I think,
oh, for Christ's sake, for all that Almighty God as everlastingly
loved, chosen in Christ and looked to Christ as their surety, looked
to Christ as their substitute, looked at Christ. When I see
the blood, you say, well, this is back in the Old Testament.
He hadn't died yet. God saw him before the foundation
of the world, the Lamb slain. For all that Almighty God...
And here is natural Israel, a picture. of God's spiritual Israel. And every time you say, well,
I've never said anything like that. I've never questioned Almighty
God. I've never questioned His providence.
Oh, really? Really? I think we have. I think we have. Oh, I'm in such
a dire strait right now. If I'd have died back there,
I wouldn't be going through this. I wouldn't have this. the long-suffering
of Almighty God toward His people for Christ's sake. The Scripture
says God told him, you go and you speak to the rock. I'll tell
you this, I'll just say it. Back in Exodus 17, 1-7, the Lord
had told Moses the first time, He said, you go and you take
the rock. And God said, I'm going to stand on the rock. I'm going
to stand upon this rock. And you come and you strike the
rock that I'm standing on in the presence of Almighty Jehovah
Himself. I'm going to stand here and you
strike this rock. First time back in Exodus. Water
is going to come out. This time he told him, he said,
now you go back. That water had already been stricken
one time. You go back and you speak to
the rock this time. And here were these people, they
had bowed up against Moses and Aaron against God. And the Scripture
says the Lord told Moses, now you go this time, he won't be
stricken twice. Now you speak to him this time.
You speak to that rock. Verse 9, And Moses took the rod
from before the Lord as he had commanded him. And Moses and
Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock. And
he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels. I want you to notice
the longsuffering of God. When God spoke to these people
in all of their arrogance and rebellion Haughtiness. We're out here and we don't have
any pomegranates. We've got no water. We don't
have nothing. We're out here and we don't have
nothing. Wish we had died back then when our brethren died.
Wish we'd have been at peace now. No, they wouldn't. No, they
wouldn't. And hear the Lord in His mercy
and grace. He said, now you take them. You
speak to the rock. And the Scripture says, here
now, you rebels, as Moses is speaking, must we fetch you water
out of the rock? Moses lifted up his hand with
his rod. He smoked the rock twice. And
the water came out abundantly. And the congregation drank, and
their beast also. And the Lord spake unto Moses
and Aaron, because ye believe me not. to sanctify me in the
eyes of the people of Israel. Therefore, you shall not bring
this congregation into the land which I have given them. This
is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel strove
with the Lord, and He was sanctified in them." Exalted folly is a matter that
we plead. Lord, help us. Lord, help us. Back in Proverbs 14, I'll just
read it and we'll stop. He that is slow of wrath is of
great understanding, but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth thine. I pray that the Lord bless His
Word. I pray that God call out sinners. I pray that the Lord Have mercy
on this congregation and allow this congregation according to
His eternal purpose and will. I pray that God allow it to continue. That God would bless this word
to this community. That Almighty God might be exalted
according to His eternal purpose and will. His word. May Marvin Stonerker slow down.
Settle down. Believe God. Trust God. May the Lord teach us. Teach
us. Slow to wrath. Quiet, meek spirit. Lord, help us for Christ's sake.
Amen.