Bryce Crawford (0:00)

We're going on tour this fall. We're bringing the live podcast show to four new cities. We're coming to Nashville, San Diego, Chicago, and Birmingham, Alabama. If you've ever wanted to see the live podcast in person, go to jesusinthestreet.org tour and get your tickets. It's going to be a powerful night of worship and the word that God is storing in my heart is going to be different and unique to each city we go to. So come out jesusinthestreet.org tour, get your tickets and we'll see you in Nashville city, San Diego, Chicago and Birmingham this fall. What's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Crawford Podcast. I'm Bryson Today. By the title of this podcast episode, you guys know we're doing another month long series on a book of the Bible, this being the book of Proverbs. I don't know if you guys know this, but I, I, I've preached about it before on the Evangelism Channel and I've probably mentioned it on the podcast before. But a daily rhythm that I have is every morning I read a Proverb of the day. So if it's May 1, I read Proverbs 1, May 2, read Proverbs 2, and so on and so on. And so I created this because I wanted to create a monthlong rhythm that you guys could get in the word of God so that by the end of the month you would be in this consistent rhythm. So if you guys follow along, by the end of the series, you will have read the entire book of Proverbs. And so we're going to break down what is Proverbs? Who wrote Proverbs? Explaining Proverbs. We're going to explain Proverbs chapter 1 in this episode and it's going to be great. And if you guys want the devotional for the Proverbs series, go to Jesus in the street.orgproverbs and you will be able to access a downloadable PDF for free where you can actually track your progress on the Proverb series. Now let's dive into Proverbs. Guys, what is Proverbs? The Book of Proverbs. It teaches wisdom through short points and, and, and short little stories and scenarios. But it we shouldn't look at the book of Proverbs as laws. We shouldn't look at the book of Proverbs as universal promises, but we should look at Proverbs as little nuggets of wisdom that we can apply to our lives. And verse one actually tells us the purpose of Proverbs. Now, when we read through the Proverbs series, you guys know we read from the esv, so if you guys want to follow along, we Read from the ESV translation Lation, verse 1 in Proverbs, chapter 1. The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, King of Israel. To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction and wise dealing in righteousness, justice and equity. To give prudence to the simple knowledge and discretion to the youth. Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and let the one who understands obtain guidance to understand a proverb and a saying the words of the wise and their riddles. Let us stop there. Verse one tells us that the purpose of Proverbs is to gain wisdom and instruction. Because right now in America, with the access to AI, the access to iPhone, the access to Netflix, the access to Google Chrome, we live in an information age, but not a wisdom age. There is an abundance of information in the world, but a lack of clarity. And so the book of Proverbs, this book of wisdom, where we access the mind and wisdom of God, we're going to be able to gain little nuggets of wisdom that are actually going to transform our hearts and our minds and let us walk out godliness and righteousness. So what's the difference between knowledge and wisdom, right? Well, knowledge is the collection of facts, whereas wisdom is the right to use what we know for daily living. So let me give you an example, right? Knowledge would tell someone how to shoot a basketball, whereas wisdom is shooting a basketball properly with good form, mechanics and timing, right? So knowledge is actually telling some of the facts, telling someone what to do, telling someone the instruction. Whereas wisdom is actually walking out the knowledge, but with correct intention, a pure heart, and the proper mechanics and proper form and quotation marks. So what Proverbs is saying in these first couple verses is he's saying, like, look, the purpose of the Proverbs is going to be learning wisdom, learning instruction. Because in a society, in a world full of a buttload of information and a lot of its faults, we're going to bring clarity to the facts is what Proverbs is going to do. And verse chapter four is interesting. He says to give pr. To give prudence to the simple knowledge and discretion to the youth. What is the simple one? Who's he calling simple? Me. And you are simple. What is a simple one? A simple one is an uneducated human being that needs instruction. So Solomon is saying, hey, look, there's a lot of people out there that need wisdom and instruction. And you're one of them. When's another example where we've been called simple throughout the Bible? I don't know, maybe a sheep when we're referenced as sheep. Sheep are dumb, stupid animals that are in need of a shepherd. Someone else to guide them, keep the rod, make sure that they're in line, protect them. This wisdom that the Bible and that Proverbs is going to offer is going to be a protection for your heart and your mind. And it's going to guide you to live a life and how God originally designed you to live. Simple ones are also ones who are gullible, who believe every word that anyone ever says. So the simple one is someone who's gullible, someone whose opinion constantly changes because they're always believing whatever words are being thrown in front of them. Whereas the prudent one, the prud. Which proverbs is going to actually develop you and I into being prudent with wisdom and instruction? The prudent one considers his steps, well, actually weighs the words of people, considers the words and wisdom of the world to discern what is from God and what is not. How should I live my life? And then what happens? In verse five, it says, let the wise hear and increase in learning, and let the one who understands obtain a guidance. Now Solomon saying, hey, listen, the proverbs aren't just for simple, stupid people. The proverbs are actually also for older wise people. And they can actually learn from the Proverbs as well. Up. And so now he offers this thing. Here we go. Ready? Verse 7. If there could be a thesis statement for Proverbs chapter 1, it would be verse 7. Here. The overall understanding of Proverbs chapter 1 would be verse 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. What does this mean? True wisdom and understanding flow from a fear of the Lord. What does it mean to fear the Lord? Well, fearing the Lord isn't cowering out of legitimate like shaking fear. A fear of the Lord is a reverence and respect for God and his judgment. Okay, this is an affectionate respect, right? An affectionate respect. The fear of the Lord is a child of God that is willing to humble themselves at the knee of God to his judgment and his character. That's it. It's this affectionate love. That's why Jesus says in the Gospels, if you love me, you'll obey my commandments. We don't listen to God because God's holding a gun in our forcing us to follow Him. We listen to God, because we love him. The reason why you listen to your parents isn't because you have to. It's because you want to because you love him in the same way. The fear of the Lord actually stems out of this love and awe, but also this reverence and respect of going, okay, God, you are almighty and just and your way is better than my way. The fear of the Lord is the beginning to this wisdom and knowledge. And then what does he say? Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Now we're going to go to verse eight. Hear, my son, your father's instruction and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. Here's a warm invitational scene. The Book of Proverbs sets up the scene of a father teaching a son instruction. And this is exactly what God does with us when we're trying to learn how to. How to honor God with our lives and with our actions is God doesn't scold us. He's like, hey, listen to me, just my way is better. Listen to me, here's my instruction, here's my teaching. And the teaching of a child is actually the responsibility of the father and mother. Nowadays we live in a society where parents reject the teaching of children because they think it's too difficult, so they shove YouTube shorts in front of their children's phones and faces. And because we live in this information age where not all the information is good and healthy. And we reject actually training up our children in the ways of righteousness and wisdom. When we shove phones in front of their face, YouTube shorts in front of their face, all this crazy doctrine and information because we live in this information age, right? It's actually training kids and training people to live this way that actually rejects God, right? But it's the responsibility of parents to train them up. We need fathers and mothers in the world and this is an encouragement to you if you're a young person. When you become a father and or mother a day, Lord willing, we want you guys to train up your children in the ways of righteousness, in the ways of wisdom. And what does he say? It is a graceful garland for your head and pendants around your neck. It is an honor, meaning as a father and mother, when you train your child up in wisdom, they're actually going to respect you and love you in such a way where it is graceful on your life. Verse 10, My son, if sinners entice you, do not consider. Solomon now gives the first warning in here. It's Very clear. He gives a warning of bad company. We see Paul write about this in the New Testament. Bad company corrupts good morals. And he says, look, listen, the wise son will distance themselves from bad company because. Because part of this enticement that. That this bad company is going to offer the son is going to be a sense of belonging. Does that sound familiar? What about in your life right now? It's easy to people please other people because you want to feel belonged. It's easy to maybe do something out of character, have sex because everyone else is having sex nowadays. Why don't you have sex? Maybe you'll feel belong like you belong. Well, everyone's partying. I don't drink alcohol, but everyone's gonna drink alcohol. So maybe I'll pick up the bottle for the first time because I want to feel like I belong. Or. Well, I said I was never going to post this on social media, but I'm gonna post this scandalous picture because everyone else is doing it. I want to feel like I belong. Part of this enticement that sinners are going to bring into your life is that they're going to make you feel like you belong. Okay, but just because sin is familiar. We said this in our identity crisis episode. It. Just because sin is familiar, it's actually the poison that's going to kill you. Verse 11. If they say, come with us. Let us lie and wait for blood. Let us ambush the innocent without reason, like Sheol. Let us swallow them alive and whole. Like those who go down to the pit. We shall find all precious goods. We shall fill our houses with plunder. Throw. Throw in your lot among us. We will have all one purse. But then verse 15. So look, look at all that he just said in those few verses. We'll all have one purse. We're gonna actually enjoy this. It's going to be a great experience. This is going to be the best decision you've ever made. Come on, come on. Just do it one time. It'll be great. We're all having a good time. It's all great. That's what society tells you. But he's saying, stay away. The wise son will distance himself from. From bad company. Verse 15. My son, do not walk in the way with them. Hold back your foot from their past. Again, the guidance is clear from Solomon. Stay away from bad company. Bad company will ruin your relationship with the Lord because you're tuning out the voice of the Lord and tuning in the voice of man. And what does Proverbs say later on in chapter 14, there's a way that seems right to a man, but in the end that leads to death. So you're going to tune out the voice of the Lord who knows you better than yourself for the sake of someone else, because you care about their opinion. Stay away. For their feet run to evil. Verse 16. And they make haste to shed blood, for in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird. But these men lie in wait for their own blood. They set an ambush for their own lives. Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain. It takes away the life of its possessors. What does Solomon say? Ultimately, the gain promised by the wicked can actually never be fulfilled. Meaning that everything the wicked and bad company promise you that you will gain, you will never end gain. Everyone has a God sized hole in their heart. And so bad company and sinners will entice you to go participate in their behavior and it will quench it for a moment, but then leave you empty again. And then you keep going back and back to the sin, right? Because you got a buzz, whether it be from the alcohol, the drugs, the sex, the money, the greed, the people pleasing, you get a buzz, but then the feeling goes away, but you keep going back and going back and going back and it leaves you empty every time. And so Solomon is actually telling us that these sinners, the bad company, that they seek to take the life and livelihood out of other people, but their greed takes their own life away instead. So in verse 18 it says these men lie and wait for their own blood. They think that they're going to take away from other people, but they're actually taking away from their own soul because of their sin. Now, verse 20, wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the market, she raises her voice. Now what is Solomon? Solomon is now describing woman personified as a woman who offers guidance and help to the world. So now Solomon is going to do two different things throughout Proverbs, okay? He's going to show wisdom as a woman and he's going to show sexual immorality quite a few times as a woman throughout Proverbs, okay? But in this instance, and he makes it clear, but here in verse 20, he describes wisdom as a woman who is offering guidance and help to the world. And it's very clear through verse 20. In the market, she raises her voice. At the head of a noisy street, she cries out. At the entrance of the city gate, she speaks in verse 21. What does this mean? Her cry, wisdom, presents herself to everyone in every place, meaning wisdom is available and Accessible to anyone at all times. But here's the catch. Her cry is allowed but is ignored. Often many people ignore the cry of wisdom and she'll offer help to anyone who will give attention to her words. Meaning wisdom will benefit anyone who gives attention and sincerity and attempts to apply it to their life. It will help them. Wisdom offers help to anyone who will give attention to its words. Verse 22 how long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour my spirit out to you. I will make my words known to you. This is what wisdom is saying in the streets. Wisdom in verse 22 is challenging people who lack wisdom by saying, how long? How long are you going to keep doing the things that you're doing? How long is it going to take you to put the bottle down? How long is it going to take you to stop people pleasing people before you realize? How long is it going to take you to stop running to other things to get a high instead of running to me? How long? Wisdom challenges people. When is enough Enough is what wisdom is saying. There is a prolonged refusal of wisdom, and wisdom is now making its case. When will you look to me for once? But the problem with simple people, the problem with sinners, and the problem with people that are quote unquote simple and gullible is that they love their simplicity. We are lovers of self at heart. And if we want to change the way we think and become lovers of God, lovers of wisdom and lovers of instruction, we have to humble ourselves and be able to accept the wisdom of God. Verse 23 says, if you turn to my reproof, I will pour my spirit out to you. In order for us to embrace wisdom, we have to repent from our ways. We actually have to be willing to change the direction of our foolishness and try to walk and become more like Christ. If we don't do that, we will not see change. Verse 24 Because I have called and you refuse to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one is heeded. Because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof. I also will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when terror strikes you. Whoa. Rejected. Wisdom has nothing to offer a fool when they're destroyed by their own choices. Wisdom can't do anything for you when you've already been wrecked by your own decisions. And I heard this quote from a theologian. He said, wisdom doesn't laugh at disaster, it laughs at the triumph of what is right over what is wrong. When your disaster happens, that's that hits home and that correlates to Even now, as human beings with free will, we have the opportunity to choose Jesus Christ or not in this lifetime. And when we all die, we're going to stand before Christ, and in that moment it will be too late. Because now wisdom is laughing at your calamity. It's not laughing at you, it's laughing at the fact that wisdom triumphed over your stupidity. A decision. And when we stand before God, we're going to testify. Our actions, thoughts and emotions are going to plead trial against us. They're going to bear witness against us, and we're going to have to own our decisions and all of our wrongdoing. We either have forgiveness if we put our faith in Christ, in the cross, in this lifetime, but if we chose to reject God, it breaks his heart. But he grants that wish and we spend eternity separate from him. Verse 27 when terror strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anger come upon you, then they will call upon me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but will not find me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. Ultimately, when you choose your sin over God, you're actually saying screw off God. You're not ignoring wisdom, you're ignoring the hand of the Lord, trying to help you. Verse 30 would have none of my counsel and despise all my reproof. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and have their fill on their own devices. The consequences of rejecting wisdom can't be avoided, my friend. Verse 32 and 33 to close for the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them. But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease without dread of disaster. Death will lose its sting when you trust in the Lord because your salvation is secure. I believe there are three questions that we have to ask ourselves throughout this series. Where is your satisfaction? Where's your significance? And where is your security? Where do those things lie? If they lie in your own judgment and they lie in your own sin, you will never have true security, satisfaction or significance. You're building your foundation on the sand, and it will be rocky and sway at times will get hard and you don't know what to do. But those who have a fear of the Lord, those who lean on the instruction and wisdom of the Lord, they actually dwell secure. They dwell secure in their salvation, meaning death doesn't give them fear. They dwell secure in this life, meaning when good times and bad times come, it doesn't make them have peaks or valleys. They remain secure because when they walk through the valley of the shadow of death, they what? They fear no evil because he is with them. Because they trust in the Lord. Guys, I pray this Proverbs 1 video was encouraging. I love you guys. Can't wait to see you guys tomorrow for Proverbs chapter 2. Guys, thank you so much for watching and listening to this episode. If you guys like it, subscribe to us on YouTube, follow us on Spotify, Instagram, and Tik Tok. Bless you guys and see you guys next week. For the next episode.