Church

Another good sermon today. Today's sermon was based on Proverbs 1:8-19.

The pastor began the sermon by discussing the relationship between freedom and authority. Are they compatible? He noted that many people believe that freedom exists when authority is absent and contrasted this idea with the philosophy of our founding fathers. He noted that the genius of our system is that our founding fathers used authority - but divested that authority into the three branches of government because they understood the danger of authority to destroy freedom - to preserve our freedoms.

With that as a background the pastor had three main points with respect to freedom/authority and personal morality.

1. Listen to your parents
2. Teach like this
3. Don't be fooled by sin.

Under the first point, listen to your parents, I thought the pastor drew out a neat insight about God's wisdom. He noted that God teaches us authority from those that love us the most (our parents) and that is, in a sense, a means of teaching us God's authority over our lives. God loves us the most and he has authority over our lives.

I also was really struck by the pastor's third point, don't be fooled by sin. He began this part of the sermon with an interesting point: he said that most of us would think that this is the part of the sermon that we probably already understand and really don't need to pay that much attention to, which is really a testimony to how sinful we are.

What's really interesting, in my opinion, is comparing vv. 11,13 and 18,19.

Proverbs 1:11, 13 - If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul...we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder."

Then the writer of Proverbs tells us the truth of what will happen in v. 18,19.

Proverbs 1:18,19 - These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.

As my pastor noted, sin is a liar and a cheat. I may think that I am getting something for myself by sinning, but in the end I am only ruining my life.

It's also interesting to compare the motive of the sinner - "let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul" - with Christ, who was willing to lay down his life for others.