Proverbs 6. Let's again ask the Lord's blessing. Our Father, as You have truly
blessed us by Your Word this morning, the Word that is quick
and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, Your Word,
that is altogether good, your word that is holy, perfect. Thank
you for the encouragement that we receive from it. Lord, we
ask you again, magnify this scripture to our hearts and teach us of
the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our hope and salvation.
For it is in his name we pray, amen. Proverbs 6 I'd like to look at
verses 20 to 22 this morning. Before we begin reading, I'd
like to say that in the wisdom of Almighty God, parents are
given divine instruction concerning the raising of their children.
Ephesians 6 verse 4 says, And your fathers provoke not your
children to wrath, to bring them up in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord. What does that mean? Avoid cruelty and punishment. As parents, we are called on
to correct. But we are never told to punish
our children. You know, we talk about, I'm
going to punish you. Well, we just don't understand what that
word means. It's all it is. It's not that we're trying to
be cruel, but punishment has to do with justice and it has
to do with the principle of revenge. I'm going to get you. Parents
are told to correct from a principle of affection and love and concern
for their children. Now, I will tell you this. If
you want to know what the Scriptures have to say, About loving correction. I mean, I did it. Corporal punishment is is involved
a spanking. Absolutely, I mean, the Scripture,
the Scripture says I didn't say it. Scripture says if you, you
know, I've heard this. Well, I love my child too much
to spank him. Well, the Scripture says you
hate him. You hate him. Oh, I just I just couldn't. I
just couldn't do that. And you hate them. No, I don't hate them. Yes, you do. You correct them
if they're if children are disobedient. Let me tell you what the Scripture
says. Spank them. And spank them in
a loving way. Spank them. I mean, I'm not I'm
not talking about abusing them. I never, never would advocate.
Somebody abusing their children, don't do that. But to spank them. You're doing that out of love.
You're teaching them. Bring them up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord. Discipline them in the instruction
of God. Tell them why. Tell them why
you're doing this. I'm doing this because I love
you. I'm not going to let you act like this. I used to tell
my children, I told you this before, I told them, I said,
let me tell you something, kids or adults, want to be around
children that are unruly. Man, you go somewhere and I'm
telling you, your kid's out of control. You go over to somebody's
house, let me tell you what those people are going to talk about
when you leave. I'm sorry. I'd tell them, you're
not going to act like that. You're not going to do that.
Discipline your children. Children are instructed as to
their responsibility to their parents that are striving to
raise them in the admonition of the Lord. Here's what Scripture
says about that, Ephesians 6, 1. Children, obey your parents
and the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother,
which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be
well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. It's
the duty of children. Obey your parents in the Lord
according to scriptural commands. Now somebody tells, a parent
tells one of their children to do something and it's unscriptural.
It's not right. You're not raising them in the
admonition of the Lord. I can tell you that. Children
don't obey, don't obey that which is wrong. Now you better make
sure it's wrong before you don't obey it. have good basis for
that. Obey your parents in the Lord.
This is right. It belongs to the nature and
relationship between a loving parent and an obedient child. Well, seeing the instruction
that we have in Scriptures between parents and children, I want
us to now look at Proverbs 6. The reason I'm saying this is
that what Almighty God has commanded us as parents and children to
do in this world, that's the way that God deals with us. I
mean, the Lord has not given us instruction as earthly parents
and earthly children to do something that He doesn't do. This is the
way He deals with us. And that's what Proverbs 6, 20
to 22 is dealing with now. My son, verse 20, Proverbs 6,
keep thy father's commandment and forsake not the law of thy
mother. Bind them continually on thy
neck, a heart, I'm sorry, and tie them about thy neck. When
thou goest, it shall lead thee. When thou sleepest, it shall
keep thee. And when thou wakest, it shall
talk with thee. You're going to find that through
the book of Proverbs, through the Scriptures, there's going
to be things that are repeated. And this is good. We need to
hear it again. As we go through these Scriptures,
word by word, if something is repeated in the Scripture, it
was repeated that way by the Spirit of God, and it's for our
good. And so we're going to deal with it. Again, three things
I want to look at this morning quickly. Three points. Number one. The vital and necessary
instruction for every believer. The vital and necessary instruction
for every believer. Number two, the way that the
instruction must be received. And number three, the benefit
and the protection of that received instruction. All right, here's
the first point. The vital and necessary instruction
for every believer. Now, just as the Lord has given
us as earthly parents instruction on how we are to deal with our
children, here is our Father instructing us, My Son, keep
Thy Father's commandment. Now, we just got through listening
to what the Scriptures had to say about not talking about the
deeds of the law for righteousness, but the keeping of His Word as
we strive in this life, in this vile body, because of a new heart,
to follow after Him. I'm telling you, God's people
struggle in this world. They struggle in this life, but
God's people are obedient people. They are obedient. They tell
me, you're here this morning. Why are you here this morning?
Well, you're here because you want to be here. I pray that's
the reason. I wanted to come. I wanted to
hear what God has to say. All right. Now, let me tell you
this. That is a deed. That is a work. You did something. Let me ask
you this. Here again, I'll ask you the
same question. Would anybody like to stand up and tell me
How your mind hasn't wandered one time since you've been here.
You hadn't had one thought of tomorrow or this morning or yesterday. Nothing's deviated whatsoever.
You've listened perfectly. You've heard perfectly. Anybody
want to get up and admit that and everybody know that they're
lying? No. But I'm going to tell you something.
You're here because you wanted to hear. You're here because
you wanted to hear. And you don't find any confidence
in your coming, but you can. My son, keep thy father's commandments. A commandment. I'm sorry. Keep
thy father's commandment. Now, I said a week or so ago,
if there's one commandment given by our Heavenly Father that sums
up His will for His people, it would be this. This is my beloved
son, Matthew 17, 5. in whom I am well pleased." And
here is the commandment. Hear ye Him. Hear ye Him. Now listen. This is the Father's
bearing of His testimony to Christ who is His beloved Son. One with
the Father, over all, blessed forever. That's His Son. The
only begotten. brought forth, the only birthed One. Being pleased with Him confirms
that God is pleased with all in Him. Isaiah 42, 21, the Lord,
that is, Jehovah, is well pleased for His righteousness sake. He will magnify the law and make
it honorable. So here is the commandment. Hear
ye Him. The Lord said, My sheep hear
My voice. You do. You that believe. You
hear His voice. You hear. You read in the Scriptures. You see. And let me tell you
what you want to do. Everything that you read, everything
that the Spirit of God brings to your knowledge and understanding
and you read that and you know what you want to do? You want
to obey it. I want to obey that. Keep My commandment. Lord, I want to. Lord, Your commandment
to hear Your Son, I want to. I really do. I wish I heard better
than I do. That hearing, though, is not
by the power of the flesh. Isaiah 54 says, He wakeneth mine
ear to hear as the learned. I don't hear as I should. I wish
I didn't forget. I'm so prone to do that. I hate it because I forget. The Lord is so gracious to tell
me again. And I want to hear it again. I do. This hearing is absolutely
certain because Almighty God has given me an ear to hear,
and I hear it. He's given me a heart to long
for Him, and I do long for Him. Oh, wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? So, my son, keep thy Father's
commandment. You hear the Son. Hear Him. Lord, I want to hear. Lord, if
you've been pleased to raise up a place where, raise up a
pastor and give a pastor a heart. I want to study it. Because the pastor needs to hear
it too. I'm not, you know, it ain't me
and you guys. It's us. I need to hear just
exactly what I'm preaching. I'm not exempt. I'm not separated.
I'm with you. I need to hear this. Lord, If
you sent a pastor, you said you would for the comfort of your
people. I want to hear what you've got
to say. I want to be there. And forsake not the law of thy
mother. Here's the commandment. Here's
the Lord's commandment. Forsake not the law of thy mother. You
remember the revelation our Lord gave concerning the spiritual
mother? Matthew 12, 50, for whosoever
shall do the will, that is, the believing of Christ, of my Father
which is in heaven, the same as my brother and sister and
mother. What did the Apostle Paul look
in Galatians 4? Galatians 4, under the inspiration
of the Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul gave us some instruction
on our spiritual mother. Galatians 4, verse 26 says, But Jerusalem,
which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all. Now let me tell you why that
statement was made. In verse 22 of that chapter,
Galatians 4, it says, ìIt is written that Abraham had two
sons, one of a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But he
who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he
of the free woman was by promise.î Remember what we just read. He
was by promise. which things are an allegory.
For these are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which
dengendereth to bondage, which is Agar. And this Agar is Mount
Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is, and
is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem, which is above,
is free, which is the mother of us all." Let me tell you What
was just set forth? Jerusalem which is above. Do you know what that is? Well,
you say it's the church. That's right. It's the bride. That's right. That's right. But
let me tell you what the heart of Jerusalem which is above is.
The heart of it. The source of it. The foundation of it. It's the
covenant of grace. God's promise. That's what Paul
said back in verse 23. But the free woman was by promise. By covenant. Grace. Jerusalem which is above. The
covenant of God's grace in Christ. That's where we've come from.
That's the mother of us all. That woman, back in Proverbs
6, don't forsake the law of thy mother. And what was her law? Romans 3, 26-27. Let me just
read this to you. To declare, I say at this time,
His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of
him which believeth in Jesus, Where is boasting then? It is
excluded by the law. Our confidence is by the law of faith. Where is boasting? It's excluded. What is the law of the covenant
of grace? Faith in Christ. My Son, keep Thy Father's commandment. Hear Him. And forsake not the
law of Thy mother. Forsake not faith. in Christ, given to you in a
covenant of grace. Don't forsake her. There is the
grand commandment right there. Secondly, the way that the Father's
commandment must be received. Verse 21 back in Proverbs 6 says,
Bind them continually upon thine heart, Tie them about thy neck." That commandment, hear the Son
and forsake not the law of thy mother, that law of faith, believe
in God Almighty for Christ's sake, is not to be taken lightly
by the believer. This is not just religious jargon
right here. Oh, that just, you know, bind
them continually upon thine heart Tie them about thy neck. Let
me tell you something. That is absolutely, to an unbeliever,
that's just religious talk. That's just, you know, that sounds
good, Mitch. Bind them on your heart. You
that believe, you enter into that. You're concerned. You're concerned about hearing
Christ. You're concerned. about believing Christ. You're
concerned about faith, the faith of your mother, the law of your
mother. You're concerned about it. You make your calling and
election sure. A day doesn't go by that you
don't think about this. No, it doesn't. No, it does not. You think about it. And I'll
tell you this, everything that you do in your life, is relevant
to this Word. Everything, every decision you
make, you know when you're disobedient, and I do too. I know when I'm
disobedient. I'm not talking about you. I know it. I know when I catch
myself being wayward. I've told you about myself trying
to pray, and all of a sudden I'm realizing, where was I? I was talking to Almighty God.
And He would give me audience. He would listen to me. And I
was thinking about something else. Bind them on your heart. Tie
them about your neck. The Word of God is precious. It's a precious treasure. to
the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. An unbeliever doesn't
care. They don't care. These words are made precious
by God's grace, made willing in the day of His power, willing
to hear, willing to be honest. God's people, they're willing
to be honest. They'll tell you in a heartbeat,
and they're not trying to sound, you know, Humble before somebody
else they mean it When they tell you I see I see much of my inconsistency
and I wish it were not so Lord help me Have mercy on me bind
these words Continual on your heart. Let me tell you one. I'm
just thinking of right now While I'm thinking about my inconsistency. I Will never leave you And I
will never forsake you. Lord, thank You for that. Because,
Lord, because of the frailty of my flesh, I can't say that.
I'm just honest. Just honest about it. I've loved
You with an everlasting love. Lord, I wish I could go through
a day loving You as I ought. And I don't. Bind them upon Thine
heart. Lord, Your Word is a lamp unto
my feet, a light to my path. I want to hide Your Word in my
heart that I don't sin against You. And Lord, the more I see
and the more I consider of Your preciousness and Your goodness,
Your grace to me, The more embarrassed I am. My son, keep thy Father's commandment,
you hear Christ. And forsake not the law of your
mother. You believe me. Faith. Trust
me. Trust me for salvation. You bind
them. Bind those words upon your heart. I've told you what you are. I
know that you are but dust. But God's people that dust in
this world, but I'm telling you, they're faithful dust. They're
worms and they know it, but they're faithful worms. They'll follow
after Him and they'll despise the way they are. Bind them about thy neck as a
token of your servitude. Binding about your neck. I looked
up that word neck right there. It's four times. It's in Proverbs
1.9, 3.3, 3.23, and 6.21. And every time it's a figurative
word. It doesn't actually mean a real
neck. It's a figurative word. That word neck. The word neck
really right here is in the Scriptures and it's another word. This word
is a figurative. It's an ornament. It's wear His
Word as an ornament to you. It's beauty to you. Bind it about
your neck. And then lastly, the benefit
and the protection of that received commandment. When thou goest, it shall lead thee. When you walk in this world led
by God's Spirit, hearing and seeking and looking to Him as
He's revealed in His Word, you keep the Father's commandment. You hear Christ. Don't forsake
the law of your mother. Have faith. Believe me. Lord,
help me. Help me. You bind them upon your
heart and tie them about your neck. And here's my promise to
you that I will never leave nor forsake. When you go, when you
walk, that Word will be a lamp unto your feet and a light to
your path. It will be. You'll walk. And you'll walk through this
world and you'll stumble. I promise you, my Word will be
your guide while you walk. And we need direction. How am I supposed to act? I'll
tell you the way you're going to act. I'll tell you the way
a believer is going to act. When he sees something in the
Word of God, he's going to bow to it. He will
bow to it. When you go, the believer continuously looks
to God's Word as his guidance and his comfort and his peace. When you sleep, it shall keep
thee. When I sleep, oh, I realize that
I go to sleep every night, you know, and I believe the Lord's
going Watch over me and keep me and I'll wake up in the morning. When you die, that's what he's
talking about. When you die. A believer sleeps
in the Lord, Brother Scott. He sleeps in Christ. When you
sleep, let me ask you something. If
Almighty God were to take me today and my body would be put in the
ground and my soul, my eternal soul, by
the grace of God, go to be with the Lord, absent from this body,
present with the Lord, who is going to keep me? Save Him who
has given me His commandment to hear His Son? and to not forsake the law of
my mother, heavenly Jerusalem, Jerusalem which is above, that covenant of grace founded,
established in righteousness everlastingly, who would keep
me while I rest and sleep in Christ?" When you sleep, you
walk. When you go, it will lead you.
When you sleep, it will keep you. And when thou wakest, when
I wake, in that glorious waking and the
resurrection of the dead, that awakening that David spoke
of in Psalm 1715, he asked for me, I will behold thy face in
righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake
with thy likeness, when I awake in Christ. He's going to keep
me. His Word will keep me while I
go right now. His Word reveals to me that He'll
keep me when I sleep in death. And His Word will keep me when
I wake in the glorious resurrection. of Him who is all of my hope. The Lord said in John 5.28, Marvel
not at this, for the hour is coming in which all that are
in the grave shall hear His voice and shall come forth. They that
have done good unto the resurrection of life, they that have done
evil unto the resurrection of damnation. Oh, that Almighty God would give
me a heart to keep my Father's commandment.
This is my beloved Son, whom I'm well pleased. I'm well pleased
with Him. You hear Him. Don't forsake the law of your
mother. Don't forsake the law of faith. Don't forsake the law
that is the evidence that God's justified you, and a believer
says, Lord, I won't forsake it. By Your mercy, I won't. By Your
grace, I won't. By the grace of God, I won't.
If I do, it's because He didn't keep me, because I'm kept by
the power of God. Bind them upon Thine heart. How
am I going to do that? Only by the grace of God. By
God giving me a new heart. He gives me a new heart. He gives
me a desire to bind them, and He binds them. time about your neck as an ornament. And when you go, when you walk,
when you're going through this life, this valley of the shadow
of death, these words will lead you. They're not comforting. They'll lead you. When you sleep,
they're going to keep you. And when you're awake, it shall
talk with you. All ye beloved of my Father,
enter in to that which was prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. May the Lord add His blessing on his glorious gospel
of grace, for Christ's sake, amen. Gary Cooper.