“Wisdom of Keeping Our Hearts” - Proverbs 4:11-27
Sermon series: Navigating Life with Proverbs
Sermon Title: Wisdom of Keeping Our Hearts
Scripture: Proverbs 4:11-27
Introduction:
Why do we do the things we do? Why do we say the things we say? Why do we see things and hear things the way that we see and hear? We tend to think as human beings that if we can change our circumstances, then things will be better. However, the Bible teaches us that circumstances only reveal what is in our hearts.
Our heart drives our decisions: “what the heart loves, the mind rationalizes. And then the emotions start to delight in, and the will chooses.” Our heart influences the direction of our life, so we need to guard and protect it. In todays’ passage, the Father tells the son to put all his efforts towards protecting his heart. Why? Because “from it flows the Springs of Life. (v.23).” In today’s sermon we will look at three avenues for protecting our heart: by our feet, ears, and eyes.
Overview:
Pay attention to where your feet go. (v.14, 18)
Your feet can walk by the path of wickedness or by the path of righteousness.
· The path of wickedness never satisfies the desires of the flesh, so we will keep going deeper along the path.
· The path of righteousness is a path that gets brighter and brighter.
· Fears and insecurities lessen when you walk in the way of righteousness.
Some of us may feel distant from and insensitive to what the Bible illustrates as the path of wickedness. However, the path of wickedness is simply taking from others to enhance your own life.
· At its core, the path of wickedness is idolatry: loving the gifts of God over loving God.
· As Christians, we need to constantly turn back to God and return to the right path, asking for forgiveness and rejuvenation.
Is there something in your life right now that you love or worship more than you love and worship God? Your answer will reflect which path you walk.
Pay attention to what your ears hear. (v. 20)
The book of Proverbs tells us to root our entire lives on God’s wisdom and listen to His wisdom over anything else. God gave us the Bible to help us.
· The Bible is our greatest resource to access God’s wisdom. It tells us who God is and who we are.
· The Bible does not speak exhaustively to every aspect of life but speaks sufficiently to every aspect of life.
· Reading and knowing the Word helps reshape our sinful thoughts and desires so that we may realign our hearts towards loving God.
We live in a culture that romanticizes listening to our hearts. However, listen with caution:
· “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9).
· Though the Holy Spirit lives inside of us and speaks to our hearts - our hearts, in themselves, are deceitful.
· Discerning the desires of our hearts should answer “Who is ultimately glorified?” God or me?
To keep and guard our hearts, we must open our ears to the wisdom of God which is given to us through Scripture and discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
Pay attention to what your eyes are constantly looking at. (v.25)
Our current culture tells us to live in the present (YOLO), but the Father in this passage tells his son to keep looking ahead.
· The Bible tells us to fix our eyes on what lies ahead because what’s at stake is life or death. God’s path of righteousness offers us life that is wholesome and eternal!
· To stay on the righteous path, we need to remember where we are heading: heaven.
Where do you fix your gaze? Does it gaze towards the present or towards the future?
Heaven is offered to us by following God’s path of righteousness, but heaven is not earned by us. The passage is not about us being perfect wise children, but it’s about the perfect wise son who lived for us, Jesus.
· Jesus always walked on the righteous path away from sin and temptations of the world.
· Jesus always listened to the Father and lived a perfectly obedient life discerning the Spirit.
· Jesus always fixed his gaze on the cross to die for the sins of the world and to resurrect for our freedom from death.
Additional Verses:
2 Timothy 3:16-17, Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 28:26, Philippians 3:13-14, 17-21, Revelations 21
Sermon Reflection Questions:
1. Is there something in your life right now that you love or worship more than God? Is it something you enjoy loving or despise loving?
2. Is your greatest desire to glorify God in your actions? In which area of your life do you see a tension between glorifying God and glorifying yourself?
3. Do you live in a way which is in anticipation of the new heaven and the new earth? What do you imagine it to be like? What do you imagine it to feel like?
