Proverbs is an essentially practical book, dealing not only with what we should do, but how to do it. Have you ever been told to do something and failed to do it, not because you didn’t want to, but because you had no idea how to? DIY instructions hold that kind of terror for me: I can see the finished product; I look at the component parts and have no idea how to put the things together (why does the wood not have A and B marked on it so I can relate it to the pictures?!) So often we focus on the ‘what’, but if we fail to talk about the ‘how’, we leave people frustrated and often in despair.


Proverbs warns repeatedly of specific pitfalls we have to avoid if we are to live wisely. The earlier chapters focussed on the dangers of sexual sins and being led astray by short term pleasure. Proverbs 23:4-5 reminds us that we can easily be deceived by the things of the world, things which are not necessarily sinful in themselves, but which, if taken to excess or allowed to become an obsession, will lead us astray: “riches disappear in the blink of an eye; wealth sprouts winds and flies off into the wild blue yonder.” (Prov 23:4-5) . Good food and an unhealthy obsession with wealth can soon deceive us (see the ‘Parable of the Rich Fool’ in Luke 12:13-21). Alcohol, too, can prove a real snare to us: “don’t judge wine by its label, or by its bouquet or its full-bodied flavour. Judge it rather by the hangover it leaves you with – the splitting headache, the queasy stomach.” (Prov 23:29-35) It’s not that these things in themselves are sinful, but the human heart often just doesn’t know when to stop. The ‘how’ of Proverbs warns us to avoid the excesses (Proverbs 23:19-21 reminds us that gluttony and drunkenness are to be avoided), chiefly by meditating on God’s word: “give yourself to careful instruction; open your ears to tested knowledge.” (Prov 23:12)

This kind of learning begins very early on in life. Disciplining children is necessary so that they might learn wisdom, not envying sinners and that way of life which seems prosperous in the short term but which leads to death in the long term, but learning to live in the fear of the Lord (Prov: 23:13-18). The world judges parental success by all kinds of criteria: a good job, a successful relationship, money, homes, fitting in with society. The Christian parent has a whole different set of criteria to work to: honesty, love, kindness, forgiveness, generosity, integrity. “Parents rejoice when their children turn out well; wise children become proud parents.” (Prov 23:22-25) .

Mark concluded his series looking at the body of Jesus by examining the verse “When He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

What do we model ourselves on? Who do we aspire to be like? Who would we like to resemble? Romans 3:23 reminds us that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but we know also that Jesus has given us some of the glory He was given by the Father (John 17:20-23). The Christian looks forward to the day when we shall see Jesus and shall be changed into His likeness. This will come about quickly, ‘in the twinkling of an eye’ (see 1 Cor 15:50-52) and we wll then be:
* glorious
* whole (perfect)
* having the same type of being as Jesus (changed physically and from within)
* limitless
* having no physical imperfections

At that time, there will no more sin or sadness or sorrow or pain or death (Rev 21:4): truly Jesus has ‘pledged to cancel our sorrow’, as we sang earlier in the service (‘Long Live the King’, Aaron Shust.) We long for that glorious day when we see Him and will be like Him!

Dave preached this morning from Ephesians 1:3-14, one of the most beloved passages in the New Testament. We are called to live for God in a world that is godless, but there must be no ‘sacred schizophrenia’ in the Christian’s life. Rather than juggling the sacred and the secular and keeping them entirely separate, we must learn to integrate God into our everyday lives, understanding that He is in everything. We can do this only as we realise who we are in God and who God is.

This passage teaches us that we are chosen by God, we are children of God and we are mightily blessed of God.

Being chosen means that we are not a second-rate afterthought. We were chosen by God before the creation of the world, chosen to be holy and blameless in His sight (Eph 1:4). We are chosen, not because of our perfection, but because of His love (John 3:16, John 15:13). We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17). Predestination means that we are not an afterthought; we are chosen by God to follow Him. That means all people have a choice – to serve God and to be part of that divine purpose (‘to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ’ Eph 1:10) or to reject Him and be shut out from His presence (2 Thess 1:8-10).

Human parents have little natural choice over their children. God has chosen us to be His children, however, because of His great love for us. The Holy Spirit is the seal or guarantee of that new relationship (Eph 1:13-14). We are sealed (or fastened) by the Spirit. Even though we have an enemy who tries to disrupt our relationship with God and steal from us, reminding us of past sins and attacking our Christian walk, we can be secure in God. Our sins are forgiven and we have redemption through the blood of Christ (Eph 1:7-8). We may do things wrong and fail to walk perfectly all the time, but God is transforming us day by day, and we do not have to live in our own strength, but can live in His! Because of this ‘we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’ (Rom 8:17) and can receive every spiritual blessing which God is more than pleased to lavish on us (Eph 1:3).

Proverbs 22 carries on the theme of looking at how to live wisely and well. We see particularly how this affects family life ( “train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it” Prov 22:6). It can be very difficult, being a parent – I consider it the hardest job I’ve ever done! There are so many pitfalls and it’s so difficult to keep that long-term perspective, whether you’re in the middle of listening to a baby with colic screaming the place down, in the middle of a supermarket while your toddler launches a tantrum because you’ve refused to buy a certain item, in the middle of consoling a heartbroken child who ‘doesn’t fit in’ with his peers or in the middle of the stormy adolescent period when communication often seems to break down completely. Proverbs 22:15 tells us “Young people are prone to foolishness and fads; the cure comes through tough-minded discipline.” Parenthood is not for the faint-hearted! But it is good to know that God can be involved in every aspect of our lives and ultimately we have to understand that “a sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank.” (Prov 22:1) Often, as parents, we are overly concerned with providing materially for our children, but we need to be prepared to give our time and affection as well, for children need that daily input as much as any material riches we can pass on to them.

Proverbs is about ‘sterling principles’ (Prov 22:2-21) to guide us through life. These are often very down-to-earth: don’t exploit the poor (Prov 22:23), don’t get into debt (Prov 22:26-27), watch the kind of company you keep, because bad temper is contagious (Prov 22:24-25), be fair in everything you do (Prov 22:28) and be skilled in the work you do (Prov 22:29). These are the principles by which we should live. We pass on to our children far more than material possessions: we pass on values, principles, attitudes and beliefs. Let’s make sure those things are aligned with God’s word, so we don’t cause our children to stumble through our inconsistencies and failings.

Godly living cannot be divided into ‘secular’ and ‘sacred’, or to put it another way, it’s not just something we do on a Sunday! God hates that kind of division in our thinking and our living. Proverbs 21:3 says “to do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” , echoing Samuel’s words in 1 Samuel 15:23 (‘to obey is better than sacrifice’. ) In that passage, the king (Saul) had got tired of waiting for the prophet Samuel to arrive and offer the sacrifices, according to the laws God had set out. He wanted to do things his own way and thought that sacrificing his own way would be just as acceptable to God as doing things His way. He was wrong. The prophets frequently remind us that it’s not just about outward appearances; our actions must match our words. What God is looking for is set out in Micah 6:8: “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

The opposite of humility is pride, and pride and arrogance are abhorred by God (Prov 21:4). Laziness belies the urgency of the mission God has given us (Prov 21:25); we have to do as well as hear ( “if you stop your ears to the cry of the poor, your cries will go unheard, unanswered.” Prov 21:11). God sees through our actions, moreover, to the heart of the matter: “we justify our actions by appearances; God examines our motives.” (Prov 21:2); “mixed motives twist life into tangles; pure motives take you straight down the road.” (Prov 21:8)

We have a worthy calling and Ephesians urges us “to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Eph 4:1) This means thinking about how we live (Prov 21:29), celebrating justice (Prov 21:15), being careful about what we say (Prov 21:23, see also Eph 4:29), and living in a responsible way. That involves careful planning (Prov 21:5), but also acknowledges that God is the One in control: “do your best, prepare for the worst – then trust God to bring victory.” (Prov 21:31) and “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.” (Prov 21:30)

Last night in the Bible study we finished looking at Romans 13. The section on government and paying taxes took us down a path of looking at how to serve God in a society which, by and large, no longer acknowledges Him. This is not a modern problem. Obadiah served in government in the days of Ahab, a king who displeased the Lord, yet he was so well thought of by the king that he was trusted and in charge of the palace (1 Kings 18:3). Nonetheless, he served God faithfully as well, sheltering His prophets from harm (1 Kings 18:4). Daniel is another example of faithful service in unfavourable conditions. In Daniel 6, we read how he was so good at his job that the king was going to make him second in command, to the anger and jealousy of the other officials which led to them plotting his downfall. Their machinations resulted in his being thrown into the lions’ den, but they could find no governmental reason to oust him for he was without corruption or negligence – a model citizen in every way! Although it may be difficult to serve God in hostile territory, so to speak, each one of us is called to be faithful to God and to serve society to the best of our ability. As Mordecai reminded Esther, “who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

Romans 13:8-10 reminds us that we serve best when we love. All the ‘negative’ commands (and Christians are often known today more for what we are against than for the things we stand for) can be phrased positively and can be summed up in the words ‘whoever loves has fulfilled the law’ (Rom 13:8). Our challenge is to find ways to serve our neighbours, showing them Christ’s love, fulfilling His commands to be salt and light to the world. Our obligation, as Paul has often reminded us, is not to the sinful nature but to God.