Hear Ye My Children

Q: What does the Bible say about good doctrine?

Good doctrine is based on the doctrine of Christ, which teaches that He is the Son of God and the mediator of our salvation. The Bible emphasizes the importance of good doctrine, particularly in relation to Christ. In Proverbs 4:2, Solomon states, 'For I give you good doctrine'. This doctrine is encapsulated in the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Good doctrine teaches us about His redemptive work, revealing that salvation comes through His obedience, suffering, and righteousness, rather than our own (Romans 3:24). Thus, good doctrine is critical for understanding who Christ is and how we are saved.

Q: How do we know Christ is our wisdom?

Christ is referred to as our wisdom in 1 Corinthians 1:30, affirming that knowing Him embodies true wisdom. The Bible presents Christ as the embodiment of wisdom. In 1 Corinthians 1:30, it is stated that 'Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption'. This means that true wisdom is not merely intellectual understanding, but a personal relationship with Christ. Proverbs 4:7 further emphasizes this by declaring that 'wisdom is the principal thing', and since wisdom is found in Christ, it is essential for believers to seek Him above all else. In seeking wisdom, we seek a deeper understanding of who Christ is and how we relate to Him.

Q: Why is seeking the Lord important for Christians?

Seeking the Lord is vital because it reveals our need for His grace, mercy, and presence in our lives. The act of seeking the Lord is imperative for Christians as it acknowledges our spiritual need and dependence on Him. Scripture instructs us in Isaiah 55:6, 'Seek ye the Lord while he may be found'. This seeking is not a passive endeavor; it requires a recognition of our condition without God. By seeking Him, we express a desire for His mercy, grace, and righteousness, as we realize our inadequacy in ourselves. Moreover, Jesus promises that those who seek Him will find Him (Matthew 7:7), assuring us that He is responsive to our heartfelt pursuits. Thus, seeking the Lord is an invitation to encounter His grace and to draw closer to Him.

Q: What is the significance of avoiding the path of the wicked?

Avoiding the path of the wicked is crucial to living a life aligned with God's righteousness and avoiding spiritual destruction. The Bible warns against entering the path of the wicked, as seen in Proverbs 4:14-15. This instruction is significant because the path of the wicked often leads to spiritual death and destruction. The wicked may not always be overtly malicious; they can appear respectable and sincere. However, their teachings may lead believers away from the truth of God’s Word. In Ephesians 5:11, we are told to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather to expose them. Thus, by avoiding the path of the wicked, believers safeguard their spiritual lives and maintain their focus on the righteousness found in Christ.

Q: How does Scripture describe the path of the just?

The path of the just is likened to a shining light that becomes brighter, guiding believers in righteousness. Scripture describes the path of the just in Proverbs 4:18 as 'the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day'. This metaphor signifies guidance, growth, and clarity as one walks in alignment with God’s righteousness. The path of the just is illuminated by Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). As believers remain in Christ and His teachings, they are led in paths of righteousness and experience spiritual illumination and understanding, which leads them closer to God and away from darkness. The assurance that the just will not stumble (Proverbs 4:12) is rooted in the sustaining power of Christ.

And back to Proverbs chapter four. Proverbs chapter four. Jason mentioned these two in prayer this morning. I've been thinking much about our young ones this week. And after the service, Lord willing, we'll gather together back in the fellowship hall, and we'll eat a meal and celebrate the accomplishments of our seniors. But before we do that, I want to bring a message. It's not a new message by any means. It's a message Solomon brought. back here in the book of Proverbs. And I pray it'll be good instruction, not just for our two graduating seniors, but for all of us. Again, Proverbs 4, look at verse 1. We read, hear ye children the instruction of a father, and attend to know Understanding. That first word. Here. I don't know that there could be any better instruction that we could start with. Here. Here.

Isaiah wrote this. He said incline your ear unto me. Here. and your soul shall live. God's word declares this, that faith cometh by hearing. And hearing by the word of God. In Acts chapter four, Peter and John, we read in scripture that they were bringing a message. They taught the people. And they preached through the Lord Jesus Christ the resurrection of the dead. And if we read on in that passage, it says, many of them which did this one thing, many of them which heard, many of them which heard, believed. And it was a great number, about 5,000, about 5,000 souls.

Here. Here. Just listen. And hear the Word with need. Hear God's Word with need and hear it for what it is. This is the Word of God. This is the inspired Word of Almighty God. Hear it for yourself. Hear it for yourself. Hear it with faith. Hear it believing God, believing Him. Hear ye, children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know Understand it.

Verse 2, he says, for I give you good doctrine. Good doctrine. Forsake not my law. What is doctrine? What is good? More importantly, what is good doctrine? In John, 2 John 1 verse 9, we read this. It says, he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. Good doctrine is the doctrine of Christ. The doctrine of Christ declares this, that Christ is the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The doctrine of Christ declares this, that Jesus Christ is God.

He said, I and my father are one. Good doctrine declares that he's one man with two distinct natures. He is both man and he is God. He's the mediator. He's our surety. He's our prophet. He's our priest. He's our king. That's good. That's good doctrine. The doctrine of Christ declares his redemptive work. A man is saved.

Christ saves his people by his obedience, not the obedience of a man. We have no obedience. We can't obey traffic laws, right? We can't obey the simplest of things. Christ's obedience, Christ's suffering, Christ's death, Christ's resurrection, Christ's ascension. Salvation is of the Lord. It's all of Him. The doctrine of Christ declares this, that one day he's going to return and he's going to judge this earth and that he is going to reign eternally.

Proverbs 4 verse 3, he said, I was my father's son, tender, and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also and he said unto me, let thy heart retain my words." Listen to these things, keep these things in your heart, keep these commandments and live. In verse 5, look at verse 5, it says, get wisdom, get understanding. forget it not, neither decline from the words of my mouth, get wisdom."

One thing, get wisdom. In 1 Corinthians, we read this, that Christ is both the power of God and He is the wisdom of God. We read this, that Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Get wisdom. It can only mean one thing. Get Christ. Christ who is all wisdom. Get Christ to know Christ.

Look at, turn back here from Proverbs 4, just a page, to Proverbs 3, verse 13. Proverbs 3, verse 13. Happy, happy is the man that findeth Wisdom. Best way to say that is, happy is the man that findeth Christ. Christ who is our wisdom. A saving knowledge of him through the gospel, through the preaching of the word.

And finding, when you look at that word finding, it's a reference to seeking Him. Seek, seek the Lord. I remember, I can't remember all the details of it. I remember Henry brought a message years ago and he titled it this, Wise Men Still Seek the Lord. To seek Him. You know, by nature, that's not what we do, is it? We seek things for ourself. We don't seek Him by nature. It's only by the grace of God that we seek Him. He draws His people to Himself. We don't typically seek things we don't want or need. That has to be revealed to us, doesn't it? He has to reveal to his people their need of him. Isaiah wrote this.

He said, seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he's near. Bartimaeus, you remember Bartimaeus there by the roadside begging? He sought the Lord, didn't he? He cried out for her. That woman with the issue of blood, we just read about her. Boy, she sought Him, didn't she? Oh, if I can just touch the hem of His garment. The thief on the cross. He sought Him, didn't He? Lord, Lord, remember me. Get wisdom. That's a good instruction. Get wisdom. Seek after wisdom. Seek after the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, to seek Him is to discover by nature, I don't have Him. I don't have Him. I don't have His blessings. I don't have His presence. I'm without God in this world. But what's the instruction? Seek Him. Seek Him.

To seek Him is to desire His mercy. To seek His grace. To seek acceptance with Him. And to desire Him more than anything in this world. To seek Him is to be made willing. Made willing to be saved on His terms. not by my works, not my deeds, but to be saved by Christ. Scripture says that He might be just and justify them that believe it. To seek Him is to be willing to part with all that is contrary to Him. All that's contrary to Christ and with all who would oppose, fellowship with Him. To seek Him is to hope, not in myself, but to hope in the Lord. Scripture says with the Lord, there's mercy. With Him, there is plenteous redemption. And this thing of seeking, Scripture says those that seek, those that seek Him, they'll find Him.

Well, let's read on. Proverbs 4, verse 6. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee. Love her, and she shall keep thee. The word forsake there, it means to neglect. Don't depart from the word. Don't depart from him. Don't abandon. Don't forsake wisdom. Don't forsake Christ. Don't forsake his message. Don't forsake his people. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, as the manner of some is.

For Christ, he shall preserve thee. He shall keep thee. Turn to Jude. Turn to the book of Jude. Christ shall preserve thee. Look at Jude, look at verse 1. Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, the brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved. Where? In Christ. You see that? Preserved in Christ and called. Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied. Love Christ. To love him, he shall keep thee.

Isn't that a wonderful thought? Isn't that a wonderful truth? He shall keep thee. Do we know that to be true? Well, Scripture says that we're kept. The believer is kept, how? By the power of God. Is there any greater power? No. With this promise. He'll never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

But what have we read so far? What instruction have we read so far? Well, the first is this, hear. Hear the word. And then he says, I give you good doctrine. What is that doctrine? It's the doctrine of Christ. It's the doctrine of his son. It's the doctrine of who he is.

Here's the third, get wisdom. Get wisdom. Seek after wisdom. And we know that word wisdom refers to Christ. Seek Him. Proverbs 4, look at verse 7. Wisdom, it's the principle thing. Therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding. Wisdom.

Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the principal thing. That means the first thing. It means the beginning thing. It means the best thing. Wisdom. Christ is the chief. You know what that means? There is nothing more important than Him. Nothing more important than knowing Christ. Paul said this, he said that I might know Him. That's the one thing I want to know. I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering. being made conformable unto his death that I may win Christ. To have him above all else.

Christ who is superior to all. He's superior to all angels. He has a more excellent name, a more excellent nature. He's God. He is the Creator. He's the head of them. He's above all things. Above all things. Superior to men, the greatest of men. Scripture says He's King of kings. Is there a great king? Well, listen. Put them all together. He's the King of kings.

He is Lord of lords. And every knee is going to bow to Him. He's that prophet. Scripture says he's the shepherd and bishop of our souls. He's the foundation. He's the chief cornerstone. He's the master builder. He's all. He's the beginning and chief of all God's ways. In election, in peace, in that covenant of grace, in redemption, Christ is all and in all. He is, what did we just read here? The principal thing. He's everything. Christ is all.

That's best said in Colossians 3.11. Turn there with me, Colossians 3. Look with me beginning with verse 10 of Colossians 3. It says, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of him that created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, scythian, bond, free, but Christ is all. Christ is all and he is in all. He is the principal thing. He's everything. Christ is all. There's no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Christ is all.

You know, in this world, Obviously, it's natural to think that men are going to be accepted naturally by the outward things that they do. Maybe it's by nationality. Maybe it's by some religious ceremony. Maybe it's by going around acting religious, by their works, by their knowledge. Men think by doing this, maybe God will take more more notice of me.

If I give more, if I do more, what does scripture say here? Does it mention any of those things? It says Christ is the principal thing. What did we just read there in Colossians? Christ is all. in regeneration, in righteousness, in sanctification, in acceptance, in love, in redemption, Christ is all. Therefore, what's it say? Get Christ. Verse eight. Let's move on here. Exalt her. She shall promote thee, she shall bring thee to honor when thou dost embrace her, so shall give to thine head an ornament of grace, a crown of glory shall she deliver thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many.

I have taught thee, look at verse 11, I have taught thee in the way of wisdom. I've taught thee in the way of Christ. Jesus Christ who is the way. I've led thee in the right path. David wrote in Psalm 23, he said, he leadeth me in paths. What is that path? It's the path of righteousness. Is that any other but the Lord Jesus Christ? He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Verse 12, when thou goest, again, back to our text, when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straightened, and when thou runnest, thou shall not stumble.

How can that be? He is able. to keep thee from falling." It's all of Him. Keep thee from falling and present thee. It's hard to get past that part to imagine that He can keep us from falling, but then He goes on and He says, to present you faultless. Faultless before the presence of His glory.

You still have Proverbs 4, look at verse 13. Take hold of instruction. Let her not go, keep her, for she is thy life. Hear the word, hear the word, hear it often. Be where it is preached, be where it is declared. And then verse 14, he says, enter not into the path of the wicked, And go not in the way of evil men. The way of the wicked. The way of the wicked. That's that way that seems right. Seems right. The ends there of the ways of death. Enter not into the path of the wicked.

And listen, that's not just the open wickedness of this earth, not just wicked men who are obviously, obviously wicked, but listen, we're told to beware of wolves in sheep's clothing. These aren't always, they don't always appear to be outwardly wicked men. In fact, often they look just the opposite, right? It'd be great if false prophets wore a sign or a hat that said, beware of me. But that's just not the case, is it?

Scripture says they come in as wolves in sheep's clothing. They're sincere. They're concerned. They're anxious to see men saved. They say the right things. They do the right things. And that makes them so much more dangerous, doesn't it? Don Fortner wrote this. I thought this went well with it.

He said, it doesn't matter how sweet, how likable, how well-dressed, how zealous a preacher is. If he doesn't preach the gospel of Christ, if he doesn't preach salvation in Christ and Christ alone, if he doesn't preach God's free and sovereign grace flowing to sinners through the blood of Christ, that man is a false prophet. And those that follow him will do so at their peril. in or not into the path of the wicked. Read on, verse 15. Again, Proverbs 4. This thing of wickedness, whatever form it comes in, and boy, it comes in a variety. What's he say? Avoid it. Does he leave it at that? No. Avoid it. Pass by it. Turn away from it. Pass away. That's good advice, isn't it? That's good instruction, isn't it? For they sleep not, except they've done mischief, and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. They eat the bread of wickedness. They drink the wine of violence. That's the path. That's the path. That's the way of the wicked. But look at verse 18.

The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more in the perfect day. The just, that one who is made just, that one who is made righteous through the righteousness of Christ, been made a new creature in Christ, and that path He's directed to walk in. He directs the paths of his people. And that path, that way, is only one way. It's Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life. Through his blood, through his righteousness, through his sacrifice. The path of the just, the way of salvation, the way of eternal life. Read on, verse 19, it says, the way of the wicked is as darkness. It's often described in scripture as darkness, isn't it? Darkness of sin, of ignorance, of error, of unbelief.

And he says, they know not. Listen, they don't even know enough to know they stumble. Verse 20, my son, attend to my words, incline thy ear, unto my saints." What are those saints? What has he told us in these past few verses? Hear. Hear the word. He said, I give you good doctrine. What is that doctrine? It's the doctrine that declares the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, get wisdom. Get wisdom. Seek after wisdom. Who is wisdom? Christ is wisdom. Seek Him. He says, get Christ above all things. Above all things, get Christ. He's all. What else does He say?

Enter not into the path of the wicked. Avoid it. Pass not by. Turn away from it. Verse 21. Let them not, he said, don't let these things depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. Keep them ever before you. Paul told Timothy this same thing in 2 Timothy 1.13. This is how he said it. He said, you hold fast. Hold fast the form of sound words which you've heard from me in faith and love which is in Jesus Christ. Hold fast. Hold fast. Hang on to it. Hang on to it like your life depends on it.

I was trying desperately yesterday to think of a an illustration for this. And I think the best one I think we read to open the service. Remember that woman with the issue of blood? Just some of the details. Remember, we didn't read all of it, but she spent everything she had, everything she had hoping that she would be made better.

And she went to many physicians, and none of them were of any value. And then she went to the Lord. And she said this, if I can just touch the hem of his garment, I can't imagine how desperate she must have been in that crowd. I don't know how big that crowd was, but boy, there wasn't anything going to come between her and her Savior, was there?

Boy, she laid a hold of his garment, and Scripture says immediately, immediately she was made whole. Wonder if they had to break her grip off of him. Hold fast. Hold fast, not to the things of this world. Hold fast to Him. Read on, we'll finish here. For they, verse 22, the Word of God, the doctrine of Christ, they are life unto those that find them, and they are health to all their flesh. All right. Well, before I have Brady come lead us in a closing hymn, let's go to our Lord in prayer, and then we'll just be dismissed at the end of the song, okay? Let's go to our Lord in prayer, and that'll give the women time

Hear Ye My Children

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about good doctrine?

How do we know Christ is our wisdom?

Why is seeking the Lord important for Christians?

What is the significance of avoiding the path of the wicked?

How does Scripture describe the path of the just?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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Hear Ye My Children

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about good doctrine?

How do we know Christ is our wisdom?

Why is seeking the Lord important for Christians?

What is the significance of avoiding the path of the wicked?

How does Scripture describe the path of the just?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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