Job 28:12-21, 23, 28
Planting in the Hard Rock
We are into a study on character. We have started by looking at one
of the most foundations attributes or character, wisdom. My reasoning
for that statement is that without wisdom, you will not be able to
see the need or the means for any of the other morals of character.
I have pointed out several truths about wisdom which I will not
repeat, but I will remind you where we left off. we were talking
about how to get wisdom.
1. For the saved, it is simple. Ask for it.
2. For the unsaved, it is more difficult.
We divided the unsaved into two categories: our children and others.
Then I spoke about the jackhammer that God gave parents to drive
spiritual seed into the rock-hard soil of our children’s heart,
spanking. Again, not to repeat everything I said, but I did say that
spanking is the most extreme method of driving the seed into their
hearts. If something else will work, use it; however, sometimes on
some children, spanking is needed. If you won’t use it, you will
likely raise a foolish child (foolish being the opposite of wise).
There were two reasons why I wanted to mention spanking first.
1. Because it is extreme.
2. Because outside of spanking, the means for getting spiritual
seed into the hard natural soil is about the same for our
children as it is for others.
I. The tools for planting any spiritual seed.
A. Teaching
1. Teaching is instructing, telling facts, truth, knowledge.
a. It can include one on group settings.
b. It can include preaching. The two are different but
they are similar.
c. It can also include one on one setting and be more
like conversations.
2. I do not know when attempting to instruct someone in truth
became a hate-crime, but to some, it seems to have.
3. Teaching is a very basic and very important way to
influence people.
a. The word "teach" is used some 170 times in the Bible.
b. Christians are under s direct command by Jesus to
teach the whole world—not only about Jesus Himself,
but about all of His commands.
Mt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am
with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.
4. Notice, the New Testament makes it clear that the early
church taught more than just the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus.
a. All of these passages are Paul preaching to the
public—including the lost.)
Ac 15:35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in
Antioch, teaching and preaching the WORD of the
Lord, with many others also.
Ac 16:21 And teach CUSTOMS, which are not lawful
for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
Ac 18:11 And he continued there a year and six
months, teaching the WORD of God among them.
b. It was the preaching of the other truths that made the
gospel so pertinent, powerful, and potent!
5. I make special note of this because there is another false
teaching making its rounds through the church that says
that Christians should not teach or preach anything but
Jesus and Him crucified.
a. While that should certainly be our emphasis, it is not
Scripture for us to remain silent about specific
sins.
b. I will speak more about this in a moment.
6. And of course there should be teaching inside the church.
a. Teaching was (and is) an important enough ministry
inside of the church that God gave a specific gift
just for it.
1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church,
first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, governments, diversities of
tongues.
b. No doubt the teachers could teach about the death,
burial, and resurrection, but they taught much more
than that.
7. Paul’s ministry was centered on preaching all of the Word
of God to all of the people!
Acts 20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this
day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you
all the counsel of God.
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and
teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may
present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
8. I would guess that more people have been influenced by
teaching/preaching than most any other method.
a. It can certain break the hard soil of the natural
heart.
b. It can certainly drive the seed of wisdom into that
soil.
B. Training
Pr 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should
go: and when he is old, he will not depart from
it.
1. Notice the word used is "train" not "teach."
2. Teaching is what most people do with their children.
a. To teach is to instruct or to tell.
b. Teaching is important but if all you do is teach, you
may still rear a foolish child.
3. To train is show by example, by force, and by reward.
a. Training is what we do to our animals.
b. If you want an animal to learn something, you pretty
much force him to do it over and over again.
c. Decades ago, Kathy and I had dog that would not do
anything we wanted him to do so we enrolled in
obedience school.
d. To get him to sit, we would give a command, karate
chop the back of his knees, push down on his bottom
until he was sitting, then praise him lavishly,
dozens upon dozens of times.
e. To get him to stay, we would get him to sit stay
stay, back up a step while repeating the word, then
rush back to him and praise him—dozens and dozens
of times, gradually stepping further and further
back and leaving him for longer periods of time.
f. When we had children, we tell them to pick up their
toys and walk them over to the toy, with our hands
moving theirs, pick up their toys and drop them into
the toy box, then praise them like they did it.
g. To teach them to sit, we would sit on the couch and
see who could sit still the longest and the quietest
and praise the one who did it the most!
h. Training is how to instill the more difficult
spiritual truths into the saved and the lost.
(1) Going to church
(2) Reading your Bible
(3) Praying
(4) Telling others about Jesus
(5) Tithing
(6) Helping the widows, visiting the sick, caring for
the orphans
C. Reproofing
1. To reprove a person is to correct them with words. It may
even be to rebuke them.
a. The Bible commands Christians to remove those doing
the devil’s business…
Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove
them.
b. And the saved who need it.
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season,
out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine.
2. Again, that is important because don’t think we should.
a. They say, "We are not to judge."
Mt 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
(1) First, there is no question that this command is
not being interpreted correctly for the church.
(a) Read 1Cor 5-6.
(b) Paul commanded the church to put out of the
church those guilty of "wickedness."
(c) To do that, you would…
i. Have to know what wickedness is (which
in itself is making a judgment).
ii. Have to take action against it (which is
another judgment).
(d) There is also \\#Matt 18:15-17, 2Tim 4:2\\
\\#Titus 1:13, 2:15\\, all of which give
specific commands to the church to deal
with sin—all requiring the church to
judge sin within its ranks.
(2) However, it is not being interpreted correctly
for the unsaved either.
(a) John cleared up what Jesus meant by that
and gave a command opposite to their false
interpretation.
Joh 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance,
but judge righteous judgment.
(b) The thought is "Do not judge based only on
what you can see for you cannot see the
whole truth."
(c) However, Jesus then commanded us to "judge
righteous judgment." What does that mean?
(1) God’s judgments are the righteous
judgments.
(2) Anytime you share with a person what
God has judged concerning a behavior,
you have not erred.
(d) We can add to that others.
Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove
them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those
things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made
manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make
manifest is light.
Matt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the EARTH: but
if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall
it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing,
but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot
of men.
14 Ye are the light of the WORLD. A city that
is set on an hill cannot be hid.
(e) Someone says that is the Holy Spirit’s job.
(1) That is a half truth.
(2) It is the Holy Spirit’s job but He uses
the words spoken by God’s people.
Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach, except
they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are
the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings of good things!
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the word of God.
(3) \\#Lu 24:47, Acts 16:16,18, Tit 1:3\\
\\#Eph 3:5, Gol 1:6, 1:23\\
3. Then someone says, "That makes you a hypocrite because
you are condemning others for sins that you are guilty of
yourself."
a. Jesus did not like hypocrisy.
(1) Not at all. He condemned it.
(2) In fact, Jesus may have invited the term.
(3) Is telling someone they have sinned hypocritical
if you are a sinner?
b. That depends on who defines the word "hypocrite."
c. Telling someone in love what God says about sin is not
the Biblical definition of being a hypocrite.
d. In fact, a Bible hypocrite will never include the
phrase "one who tried to stop a sin and failed."
e. The Bible definition of a hypocrite is someone who
doesn’t even try to stop doing wrong but while doing
the wrong, they condemn others for it.
f. If that is what you are doing, then you are a
hypocrite. Otherwise, you could be just an obedient
Christian.
g. Just as a help, you will never become a hypocrite if
you do five things:
(1) Try to do right.
(2) Stay humble.
(3) Acknowledge your failure.
(4) Ask for forgiveness.
(5) Try again.
D. But what is to be done for the one who completely refuses
spiritual truth.
1. That person needs to be around godly people. If you are
a Christian and are around foolish people, try not to be
too harsh on them. Show them love and wisdom.
(a) Prayerfully, you can keep some distance between you
and that person for I know it is frustrating having
to put up with a fool.
(b) In fact, the Bible says to get away from them.
Pro 14:7 Go from the presence of a foolish man,
when thou perceivest not in him the lips of
knowledge.
(c) But do your best to be an example of a godly
Christian.
2. Point them to the Word of God.
(a) I know many will not heed it and if they will not
then leave them for day when life has been harder
on them.
Mt 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the
dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them under their feet, and
turn again and rend you.
(b) But the Holy Spirit will have to parent them and He
will use the Word of God to do it.
There is much more to be said about wisdom but one thing more needs
to be said, "Get it."
Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore
get wisdom: and with all thy getting get
understanding.
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