I know it has been several weeks, but I have not been teaching our men’s Sunday School class for the past few weeks due to vacations and revival meetings and other things. But this morning we were all back together and we are continuing our seires in Proverbs.
The Wicked Man – Part 2
I. The Wicked Man’s Days are Numbered (Pr 10:27)
A. Just a little side note – Isn’t it interesting what fundamentalists get in trouble for preaching? We preach against alcohol and we preach against smoking. For that we are called legalists and for that we are called grinches. We just want to keep people from having a good time. Yet, it is exactly these types of habits and lifestyles that shorten one’s life.
B. Notice, this verse does not say that the wicked man will have a short life. Fidel Castro has outlived many US Presidents, but has lived an extremely wicked life. George Burns who mocked God publicly lived to be over 100 years old. However, this verse does say their lives are shortened. Because of their sin, they did not have the long life they could have had had they obeyed the Lord. It always sad to see potential wasted.
C. How many lives do we know that have been cut short because of their wickedness? It is always sad to see the news reports of another killing and another murder take place…
II. When the Wicked Man Dies, All His Hopes And Dreams Die As Well (Pr 11:7)
A. Not only do the wicked have their lives shortened, they have their desires killed along with them. Young people have big dreams and big expectations from life. They are too young to see their idealism. No one dreams of one becoming a drug dealer, alcoholic or addict. They too start off dreaming big and hoping for a brighter future. Yet, because of their own sin, success is never reached. Even those who do obtain a worldly level of success, fail to find happiness or contentment. No, instead they desire more wealth, more status and more fame. Their dreams will die with them.}
B. It is always a shame to see potential die.
C. This also speaks to the content of those expectations and hope. They are temporal. They work to gain temporal pleasure and fulfillment. Of course, the opposite of temporal is eternal. These are people who never had eternity in mind. They could not think past this limits of what this world has to offer. Even seemingly nice people can fall into this trap. I can recall talking to man during a hospital visit once. I asked him about eternity and honestly told me he hadn’t really thought of it. He knew he was near death, yet he was satisfied with the life he had lived. He raised a good family and was able to buy his own home. The had fulfilled the American dream. Yet, all that would be for not when he finally slipped into eternity.
D. How are we doing in this area? One of my biggest fears is that there are Christians who come to this church who never think of eternity beyond their own salvation. Sure, they are saved, but that is where they stop. Everything else about their lives centers on the world and temporal things. They get so involved in their work, hobbies, tv programs, pleasures and other routine, daily activities, that they never consider doing something of eternal value. I’ve seen people do this with even charitable work. But what they do is that they place he needs of people here and now and loose sight of what their eternal destiny is. The same can be true of politics as well. Of what eternal worth is a tax cut or limited government? I’m not saying don’t do any of these things. But, we need to remember what really is of the utmost importance.
III. The Wicked Man is Known for His Cruelty (Pr 12:10)
A. The Bible clearly tells us that we are to have dominion over the animals. The Bible even allows us to kill animals for our food. This verse is not a contradiction to those ideas. This verse specifically speaks of animals belonging to a person – a pet so to speak.
B. We ought to treat our pets well. This odd, because this not something you hear preached on much. You don’t hear preachers pounding their Bibles and getting red in the face as they boldly admonish their churches to take care of their pets. But here it is in the Bible in front of us.
C. We ought not to be cruel, even to animals. Christians ought to be known for their compassion. This goes beyond just animals. I hear Christians speak in cruel terms all the time. I hate talking about the death penalty with some people. You see these people on tv, standing outside death row, and from their speech you learn they wish to be the ones actually throwing the switch. They are bloodthirsty. They rejoice when the bad man is dead. That is interesting, because God Himself tells us he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
D. What is interesting is God’s illustration of the animal. We ought to be attentive and caring for our beast – something which we have dominion over. God has the rule over us, and we are a lower level of life form than He – so to speak. Yet, He still treats us with love and compassion, meeting our needs. God still has power to take and give that live however He pleases, and He does. We ought to do the same.
IV. The Wicked Man is A Liar (Pr 13:5)
A. We all know lying is wrong. We learn this even as a little child. Even the world thinks lying is wrong, or so they say. So why are we even bothering to talk about it. The truth is, people still lie all the time.
B. How are you about telling the truth? We all probably consider ourselves honest people. But, do we ever lie? Do we always tell the truth? I’ll never forget watching Dan Rather interviewed by Bill O’Reilly. In the interview, Rather stated that he didn’t consider Bill Clinton a liar. “One lie does not make you a liar,” he said. I was shocked. But upon further reflection, don’t we all think that way? All of us have told lies before in our lives, but how many would raise their hands right now and boldly declare themselves to be liars. Probably no one. After all, we don’t lie about big things like Clinton. We have just told little white lies or lies that don’t really matter much.
C. It still shocks me to see Christians lie about different matters. I have had Christian lie to my face about why they did not come to church. Even Christians may lie as they call into work sick, instead of requesting the day off like they should.
D. What kind of commitment do you have to telling the truth?
V. The Wicked Man Takes Pride is His Own Work (Pr 21:4)
A. I don’t know about you – but I was always taught that a man ought to have pride in his work. However, this is the mark of a wicked man. I think there is a story that illustrates this rather well. Ronald Regan used to tell of a preacher just moving into a small town. He was trying to get to know his congregants, so he made personal visits to each one. As he visited one church member, he was found out in the field taking care of his land. The preacher yelled out to him, “You and God sure have made a wonderful field!” The church member stopped, looking at all his labors and yelled back, “Preacher, you should have seen it when just God was taking care of it.” He wanted credit for his work.
B. A lot of people take a lot of pride in what they do. And that truthfully is the word for it, pride. They may give God credit in passing, but oh how they love to tell you how hard they have worked. They want the credit they deserve. They have ignored I Corinthians 10:31 and have not done all to the glory of God, but to the glory of themselves. They fail to acknowledge the God who gave them the resources and the ability to do any of it. How successful would that farmer had been had not God sent down the rain and kept away the storms? Are you careful to give credit to the Lord and allow Him to take care of your needs?
C. This also speaks to just what sin is. This verse does not say that the boasting of the wicked is sin, but the plowing itself. Anything that does not please God 100% and does not honor and glorify Him is sin. Most people do not like to think of themselves as sinners because they are thinking of big sins – “bad” people do that.
Posted by Kevin Thompson 
Posted by Kevin Thompson 
Posted by Kevin Thompson 
