Bibles again and turn to the
book of Proverbs chapter 10. Proverbs chapter 10. I'd like to look at verses 18
to 22. I'd like to speak on the subject
of the wise and the foolish. The heart of this message is
setting forth the glory of God in that which He does for those
that He has everlastingly loved, called out of darkness and saved. And the glory of God, if the Lord is pleased, to leave
a man or a woman to themselves. You see, the bottom line is,
Almighty God is going to get glory. God is going to be glorified in that which He does, all that He does. Moses said one time, Asked the
Lord. He said, Show me your glory. Show me how you think. Show me
what your opinion is. And the Lord, in answer to that
request, said this, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom
I'll have compassion. Paul said in Romans 9, 18, Therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will
he hardeneth. You know, there is no other standard
by which we judge this life, man, man's attitude, God's purpose. There's no other standard by
which to judge everything that is in this world except by the
Word of God. Everybody's got an opinion. Well,
I think that this is the way I believe God, you know. Well,
let's do this. Let's let God set forth who He
is. And this is my prayer for me.
This is my prayer for you. Lord, would You give me a heart
to bow to this? Bottom line is this. There's
coming a day that every man, every woman is going to stand
before God. There's going to be a great white throne judgment. And in that great white throne
judgment, the judge of all the earth, he's going to do right. You go to court today and if
the evidence shows that you're innocent, innocent, the judge
is going to make a judgment, Rob. He's going to judge. This
is what he's going to judge, to justify. justified for all
the accusations that's been made for you. The evidence does not
prove that you're guilty. That's a judgment, a judge. If
the evidence is not there or if the evidence proves that you
are guilty, he's going to make a judgment. He's going to say,
guilty, guilty. So when I say we'll all be there,
we'll all be. Paul says we'll all stand. We'll
all stand. What I'd like to look at today
for a few minutes is the evidence of the wise and the foolish.
That's what this passage is talking about, dealing with. The evidence of those that God
Almighty has done something for. The Lord said, In John 13, 35,
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, that ye
have love one to another. Now, you know, I thought about
this. Love one to another. Do you know
what the absolute expression of love is going to be? Truth. Truth. Truth. If you love somebody,
you'll be truthful. Truthful. You care. There's an expression
of love. You care. I care. Mitch, I care what happens to
you. I care. I care. I know this. There's no greater
expression of love before Almighty God, peace, comfort, and to love
His Word, care concerning His honor, care for His Christ, care
for His Word. And I know that there's no better,
no greater exhibition of love to you from This pulpit right
here, and to tell you the truth. I'd make good on that. Peter,
lovest thou me more than these? Feed my sheep. Feed my sheep. Comfort my sheep. Comfort ye,
comfort ye my people, saith the Lord. How do you comfort them,
Lord? Tell them their warfare is over. Tell them that peace has been
wrought by the blood of Christ. Set forth what God Almighty has
got to say. The wise and the foolish, wise
men, they speak concerning Christ. That's what the Lord said. By
thy words shalt thou be justified. By thy words thou shalt be condemned."
Out of the abundance of a man's heart, his mouth speaks. You
want to know what a man loves? Listen to him talk. He's going
to talk about what he loves. Now, man's words or the deceitfulness
of his words gives evidence of wisdom or foolishness. Look in
verse 18. He that hideth hatred with lying
lips, and he that uttereth a slander is a fool." He that hideth hatred
with lying lips. The Lord said in Matthew 12,
34, old generation of vipers How can ye, being evil, speak
good things? For out of the abundance of a
heart the mouth speaketh." Now, we have to understand that that
Scripture right there, who said that? The Lord said that. You
said, well, Solomon wrote it. Solomon penned it, but he penned
it being moved by the Holy Spirit of God. God wrote it. These are
God's words. These are life. God Almighty
wrote that. God said that. He that hideth
hatred with lying lips and uttereth a slander is a fool." Now, we
do understand that God Almighty doesn't see as men sees. That's
what 1 Samuel 16 says, "...the Lord seeth not as man seeth.
For man looketh on the outward appearance, God looketh on the
heart." And here's the Lord. Here's the
Lord's word concerning man. Here's the character. Here's
the character of the wise and the foolish. That's I'm going
to have. I got three points. Here's the first one, the character
of the wise and the foolish. He that hideth hatred with lion
line. There's the there's a word I
will look at first. Lion lips. And he that utters a slander.
Is a fool, the character of a fool. is that he is a liar, a misrepresenter. He misrepresents
it. He knows what he's saying. He's
a liar. He's a liar, a slanderer. The Lord told the Pharisees,
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father ye
will do. He was a murderer from the beginning
and a bold not in the truth because there's no truth in him. When
he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar
and the father of it." Listen to what 1 John 1.6 says,
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness,
we lie. So a liar is an unbeliever. A liar is an unbeliever. Listen
to 1 John 2.4, He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his
commandments. Is a liar, a liar is disobedient. The Lord was asked one day in
John 6, 28, then said they unto him, what shall we do that we
might work the works of God? That's where they use the works
of God. Jesus answered and said unto
them, this is the work. of God, that you believe on him
whom he hath sent." Men that are temporarily impressed with
spiritual things, but still in darkness, they're concerned or
they're occupied with self-righteous doings or works. You know, we've
got to be... What works shall we do? that we might work the works
of God. Surely there's some good works
that we're able to do to earn God's favor. They think that
salvation is an earned thing or experience or state. It's
an earned state. And the Lord Jesus Christ called
them to a work that they were unfamiliar with it, that natural
man doesn't know anything about. Here's the work. This is the
work. Here it is. Faith. Faith. Faith that acknowledges Christ
to be the Messiah, the only Redeemer, that trust Him with the well-being
of your soul. One thing demanded and provided
is given unto you to believe. One thing. Believe on Him whom
God hath sent. Well, how are you going to keep
people straightened up? They that are led by the Spirit
of God, they are the sons of God. Now, let me tell you what
we are called to do. We set forth the glory of God
in Christ. We set forth the glory of God. We set forth what God has been
pleased to do. We set forth His honor and His
Word, His truth. We set forth His purpose, that
which He's revealed. We say what He says. And the
Spirit of God... Do you think that if God Almighty
is able to speak this world into existence. Do you think that
He who was from the beginning, who holds all this together,
do you not think that He's able? How are you going to keep people
in line? I'm not. I can't keep them in
line. What do you mean keep them in
line? No, here's what you do. You preach the gospel. Christ
and God by His Spirit is going to lead His people. He'll direct
them. He'll keep them. Led by His Word,
His Spirit, His grace. They that are led by the Spirit
of God. That's what somebody asked Brother
Don Fortin one time. How do you keep people in line?
He said, I don't. I preach Christ. God didn't call
me to keep them in line. He called me to preach Christ.
Preach the gospel. Feed them. Feed the sheep. Feed
the sheep. Feed the sheep. Comfort the sheep. Comfort them. Comfort them. Who is a liar but he that denieth
that Jesus is the Christ? Denies Him as He is set forth
in the Scriptures. This is what the Scripture says
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. that He's the surety of God's
sheep. He's the surety of God's elect. He answers. He's eternally answered. He'll forever answer for them. He's going to bring all of His
own to Himself. That where He is, His will is
where I am, there they may be also. And man by nature says,
no, that's not the Jesus that I Now, the Jesus that I know is,
he is a liar that denies that Jesus is the Christ. He's God. Sovereign God. Sovereign grace. He that hideth
hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth the slanders of
fools, in the multitude, verse 19, of words there, wanteth not
Sin. This is what that said. Sin doesn't
cease because of much speaking. That's what it means. Sin doesn't
stop because of much speaking. The fool's voice, Ecclesiastes
5.3 says, is known by a multitude of words. His words just pour
forth his foolishness. God has got to give him a new
heart. And if God gives a man a new heart, that man will have
a new speech. He'll speak. He'll speak. They're foolish, confused. The Lord said in Matthew 6, 7,
they think that they should be heard for their much speaking.
That prayer of vain repetition. But a fool expresses his pride
because he denies that Christ is God's Messiah, that Christ
is God. Christ is the Word. Christ is
sovereign. Verse 19 says, But he that refraineth
his lips is wise. A full multitude of words. But he that refraineth his lips
is wise. Before men? Yeah, yeah. No doubt about that. I'm sure
that the Scripture sets that forth, that truth. James 1.19
says, Wherefore, my beloved brethren, Let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath." But this refraining of the lips
is especially speaking of our waiting on God Almighty by faith,
trusting Him to direct our steps by His Holy Spirit. I'm going
to show you that if you want to turn over and read. It's in
Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 40. The last verse
of Isaiah 40, verse 31, and then the first verse of Isaiah 41. Listen to this. I'm talking about
this scripture, he that refraineth his lips. Verse 31 of Isaiah
40 says, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength
They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and
not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
Keep silence before me, O islands, and let the people renew their
strength. Let them come near and let them speak. Let us come
near together to judgment." What it is, is one that is of words
that are refrained before God. It speaks of the submission.
and not of an arguing against God's Word. It's a bowing to
His Word. Lord, as You say, You are. They speak. They do speak. But they speak with a heart of
submission. Habakkuk 2.20, the Lord is in
His holy temple. Let all the earth Keep silence
before Him. Does that mean that they never
speak any words at all? No, it's not. It's they don't
express disregard and disbelief and argument against. That's what it's talking about.
I mean, if it was complete silence, then I wouldn't be saying anything
right now. I'm saying something. But it's silence as far as my
wicked thoughts, my wicked... It's disrespect for His Word. Disrespect for his authority. Disrespect for his truth. He
that refraineth his lips is wise. I want to hear what his lips
has to say. If my lips are in tune with his
lips, that evidence is something. God's made me wise unto salvation. But the character of a fool is
one that slanders against God, boastful. while one made wise
unto salvation possesses the ornament of a meek and a quiet
spirit." It's not that we don't talk. We do talk. But when we
talk, we talk submissively and obediently and kindly in agreement
with His Word. God Almighty gives a man a heart
that speaks after Him. The character of the wise and
foolish second point, the intent, the intent of the wise and the
foolish, their intent. What do they intend to do? Back in 18, again, I want to
look at one other word, looked at lying a while ago. Now I want
to look at that word, hide of hatred. He that hide of hatred. He that hide of hatred, the fool,
The Scripture says hates God, he hates his gospel, hates his
Christ, hates his people, and he thinks to hide that. He thinks
to hide that with lies. He that hideth hatred with lies. How does he do that? He says,
I love the Lord. I love the Lord and I love I
love people and I don't agree. I don't agree with what I don't
agree with what this Bible says, but I love people. And I'm going
to preach. Somebody told me concerning I
told you this concerning what I was preaching, they told me
they said that may fly where you are. But it don't fly here. But I
love people. And I want to see people saved.
And I'm going to tell them to exercise their free will because
I love people and I love God. Don't tell me I don't love God.
Well, I'll say this. He that hides that hatred with
lying lips and he that uttereth a slander against God and against
God's Word is a fool. In that day, do you know whose
word is going to stand? His word shall not depart. In this world, I do know that
there are people all over this world that are standing in pulpits
and they pretend to know and love and worship God, but they
hate the gospel of sovereign grace. Sovereign grace. Either I'm standing
here and lying, or somebody that's saying something other than what
I'm saying, completely contradictory to what I'm saying is lying.
One of us is lying. One of us is lying. And I'll tell you this, both
of us are staking our souls on what we're saying. Our eternal
souls. I'm talking to you now and do
you realize the responsibility that I have standing here? Now
you think about this. Do you realize the responsibility
of standing in a pulpit and speaking to people whose eternal souls
hang in the, you know, between heaven and earth, eternity? Do
you realize? When I think about standing in
a pulpit and setting forth the Scriptures. Do you realize when I realize
it, if I say something or do something, it just eats me up. I want to set forth the truth. I do. Your souls, my soul, eternal
soul, The intent of the wise and the foolish. I know what
the foolish is doing. He's trying to hide hatred with
lying eyes. But the intent of the wise, look
at verse 21, here it is, the lips of the righteous feed many. The lips of the righteous feed
many. Many. Let's go right to the source
of this scripture right here. The lips of Him. His lips. The lips of the righteous. There
is none but one righteous in Himself. All of God's sheep are
made righteous in Christ. In His imputed righteousness. We are righteous in Christ. His lips. The lips of the righteous
feed many. Many, many today hear His voice. And you know what these lips
are doing? If I know Him, these lips are doing what He's commanded
me to do, preach the gospel. But I'll tell you, it's not my
lips. My lips are not the source of this. It's not my word. This is God's Word. The lips
of the righteous feed many. I quoted that scripture. Simon,
lovest thou me more than these feed my sheep, my lambs, my sheep. He's the bread. He's the bread. The lips of the righteous, the
lips of Christ feeds many. How many? All that the Father
gave him. That's how many. He calls them
out of darkness, feeds them, I'm the bread, he that eateth
of me, he's the bread of heaven, the bread of life. The intent
of the wise, the intent of the fool is to hide lying, I mean
to hide his hatred with lying lips. He wants to hide hatred,
he hides it, tries to make himself to be something that he's not. of the righteous is to honor
the Lord, be obedient, hearing and believing the Lord Jesus
Christ, and telling others what He's done for them. That's what
the Lord... Remember that when that fellow came to the Lord
and wanted to follow the Lord? He said, no. He said, you go
back into the city and you tell them what great things the Lord
has done for you. That's what I'd like to do this
morning. In setting forth the gospel, I'd like to tell you
what God's done for me. This wretched rebel that nobody
knows any better than my mama what God done for me and done
for His honor, for His glory. And then lastly, the end. The
end of the wise and the foolish. The character of the wise and
the foolish, the intent of the wise and the foolish, and the
end of the wise and the foolish. Verse 20 says that The latter part of it, verse
20, the heart of the wicked is little worth. This is the end. This is the end of the wise and
the foolish. Here's the end. The heart of
the wicked, those that rebel against God. The heart of the
wicked is little worth. Verse 21, the last part, fools
die. for want, for lack of wisdom,
of heart, for lack of Christ. They die for a lack of Christ. Look at verse 21st part, the
tongue of the just as choice silver. Here is the end. The wise speak of that which
has been shown to be pure. Christ Himself. Here they are.
Oh, that I might be found in Him. The Gospel of Christ, the
Gospel of grace, believe in the heart and the promises of it
in Christ. They're precious. Found in the
Holy Scriptures. And the wise know that it's by
the grace of God that they know Him. Here's the last verse right here.
Here's the end. of the wise. The blessing of
the Lord, I can't help but remind you again, look at the word Lord
there, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, Jehovah,
the triune God, Father, Son, Spirit. Jehovah. The blessing
of Jehovah God. God Almighty set forth in three
glorious persons. The blessing of the Lord. maketh
rich, and he addeth no sorrow in it." Oh, I know that in this life
we have trials and tribulations and we walk through this life.
We're just pilgrims in a wilderness. But the blessing of Jehovah,
the blessing of Jehovah, the blessing of Jehovah's Christ,
given His Son, God so loved the world. God so loved the order. God so loved the arrangement.
God so loved the order of man that he gave Christ. There's
his blessing. Regenerated sinners, they're
rich. Blessing of the Lord, it make
us rich. Rich. I think about that scripture,
rich in faith. You know, I may not have a lot
of money in a bank account. Probably best for me. But I'll
tell you this, if I can believe God, if I can believe God, He's
not going to forsake me. He's not going to leave me. Oh, how rich a man is who is
rich in faith. Rich. Rich in Christ. Unsearchable
riches. All spiritual blessings. And
there's no sorrow in it, it says. No sorrow in that blessing. No
sorrow, joy unspeakable. No sorrow in losing it. No sorrow
in the attending of it now. You say, yeah, but I thought
you said that we're going through trials and tribulations. Oh,
yes, yes, yes. But let me tell you something.
While we go through this life in trials and tribulations and
sufferings and chastisements of the Lord. It's the evidence
of his love to us. And he gives us an understanding.
He who has loved me with an everlasting love is doing this for my good
and for his glory. And he's weaning me from this
world. He's weaning me from this life.
I think about just before Brother Scott passed away, him telling
me, he said, you know, I just He said, Marvin, I long to leave
here. I long to see my Savior face
to face. There's no sorrow for a believer. And that wisdom, that wisdom
that's taught a man, taught a woman, there's no sorrow in that. Almighty
God is going to bring His people to His own. The character and
the intent and the end of the wise and the foolish. Paul says,
I am what I am by the grace of God. May the Lord bless these
words to our heart. For Christ's sake, let's stand
together and we'll be dismissed.