Confessions of a Church: He who is Naive

The Psalm writer wrote:  Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received.   This is the word of God.  It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  

Proverbs 9:1-6 Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine; She has also set her table; She has sent out her maidens, she calls From the tops of the heights of the city: “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks understanding she says, “Come, eat of my food And drink of the wine I have mixed. “Forsake your folly and live, And proceed in the way of understanding.”

The church of Jesus Christ is the house built upon seven pillars, a foundation made up of the apostles teachings, with Jesus Himself as her chief cornerstone. As our Good Shepherd, Christ Jesus prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies, with a cup which overflows. The bread and wine which He provides, are His body and blood, given as a sacrifice for the sins of His people. From this Church “The Spirit and the bride say ‘Come’. And let the one who hears say ‘Come’. And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost” (Rev 22:17). This house built upon the seven pillars has been charged by the Lord Jesus Christ to go into all the world, baptising in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, teaching all the He commanded, and has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

The message is a simple message:
“Forsake your folly and live.”

While the wisdom of God cries out for you to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart”, worldly wisdom rushes to the internet to answer all of life’s difficult problems. In need of some wisdom or insight regarding your life? Join one of the thousands of groups on Facebook devoted specifically to your unique situation, and scroll endlessly through all of the accumulated wisdom that Facebook has so graciously compiled for you. If you own a smartphone, you have in the palm of your hand a device which has more computing power than men and women prior to the 1990’s ever dreamed of. These devices have made those large volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica you may remember from your parents bookshelf, obsolete. “Read the bible?” you say? “Why, I can listen to my favorite podcast ‘Talk’ about the bible. Saves me so much time.” These devices are also making obsolete the necessity for men and women, boys and girls, to think. About anything. We live in an age of information, with modern man “always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 3:7). Wisdom and understanding in 2019 have come to mean whatever the wielder of said wisdom declares it to mean. Natural Law is scoffed at. Special revelation is reduced to mocking.

Worldly wisdom is fluid, subjective, and contradictory. For instance: “We have to be tolerant of everyone.” says your employer. You think to yourself “Wow! That sounds like ancient wisdom from a little old wise buddist monk living on a lonely fog covered hill in Tibet. That has to be the most lovely bit of wisdom I have ever heard.” Your employer continues, “So, comrade, what intersectionality categories do you fall into?”

“Well, I am a Christian….”
“ Intolerant bigot!”
“White”....
“oppressor!”
“Man”.....
“misogynist!”
“Heterosexual”...
“Homophobe!”
“But, I thought we were to be tolerant of everyone?” you cry. “Can’t we reason together?”

And that is the crux of worldly wisdom. It cannot be reasoned with, it is by very definition unreasonable, depraved, and debased. Romans 1 tells us that when we exchange the truth of God for a lie, worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator, our hearts are darkened. Professing to be wise, we become fools. God gives us over to debased minds and depraved thinking to do those things which we know ought not be done, things which are worthy of death. The wisdom of the world says “Serve your passions. Live, eat, and drink for tomorrow we die.” Godly wisdom says “Forsake your folly and live.” Worldly wisdom says “Follow your heart”, whereas God’s Word tells us that our hearts are deceitful and wicked above all else. Worldly wisdom tells us that your personal joy and happiness are to be the primary goal of your life, while the wisdom from on high says that God’s glory is your purpose.

Time will not permit us to exhaust the infinite number of ways in which worldly wisdom differs from true wisdom, however, the question does remain:
From who’s table do you dine?

Isaiah 55:1-3 NASB
"Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost."Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. "Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.”

If you are able, let us kneel and pray to our Heavenly Father that He might turn us from the path of folly to dine at His table.

Almighty God, Heavenly Father
We truly are like sheep, oftentimes dumb, and wayward.
Father, our Good Shepherd has prepared a table before us, yet far too often find ourselves dining upon pig slop.
As Your children, we know that the path of folly leads to death, yet because of our ungrateful hearts, we are sometimes unsatisfied by what You have provided.
Please give us ears to hear, that we might hear wisdom call to us from the heights of the city. Please give us eyes to see, that we might recognize the glorious, wonderful feast You have prepared for us which leads to everlasting life.
Please forgive us for our wayward hearts. Please forgive us for doubting your promises to us.
Father, help us to be thankful for all You have provided us for abundant life, Your Son Jesus.
It’s in His Name we pray, Amen.
 
Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe:

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

 To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!
(From the 11/10/10 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)