Sermon Introduction – “One of the greatest problems that our society faces is that we have raised up a generation of guys, not a generation of men, much less a generation of gentlemen. Those who are held up as role models are not worthy of emulating: immature athletes, actors, and self-made social-media celebrities. In my father’s generation, men, by and large, knew how to work, how to work hard, and how to sacrifice. Men stepped up and volunteered to fight for their country. They showed respect to authority figures and to one another, even when they disagreed. In my mother’s generation, women were ladies who were generally characterized by their modesty, chastity, humility, honor, courage, and diligence. In previous generations, men and women in their late teens were ready to hold down jobs and to be faithful fathers and mothers, loving husbands and respectful wives. Today, extended adolescence has left many with the feeling that they are still too young for such things even in their twenties and thirties, prompting them to unduly delay meaningful work and family.”
“There are, of course, contrary examples, but it is undeniable that there has been a significant shift over the past century in the character of men and women. For all the virtue of previous generations, they failed in an important task: to teach the ancient virtues that defined generations of faithful men and women who had diligently woven them into the fabric of society, passing them on from generation to generation. Those virtues are therefore becoming lost, and there are many in our culture who are not content with merely losing the ancient virtues but who are outright rejecting them and replacing them with a new set of redefined, deconstructed, and pragmatic virtues that are meant to give the impression of virtue but that are devoid of a principled and unchanging authority undergirding them.”
“Fundamentally, the ancient virtues are lost and rejected because people are lost and wandering aimlessly, and people are lost and wandering because they have outright rejected God and His unchanging, authoritative standard that defines and demonstrates what is genuinely virtuous, not just what outwardly signals virtue according to whichever ideology is currently in vogue. For it is only when we know God and His unchanging standard that the ancient virtues will characterize us, not ultimately so we can get back to what things were like in past generations but so that we will look back to the God of the ancient virtues who gloriously and humbly manifested the full array of virtues in our supreme example and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, for His glory alone.” – Dr. Burk Parsons, “Ancient Virtues” (Tabletalk magazine)
Understanding Historical & Biblical Context
The historical narratives of Holy Scripture transpired in real time & space not in a mythical land of fairy tales otherwise dubbed “Bible Stories.” The flesh, the world, & the devil bifurcate reality into the sacred & the secular (i.e. “The Jesus Box”) but this is not consistent with Biblical Christianity. In this spirit, the cultural paradigm of SECULARIZATION is a process that replaces the binding authority of the biblical worldview with another worldview belief system. This is very simply understood by 3 C’s: Coast – City – Campus. In other words, the closer one approaches a Coast, City, or Campus, the more secularized the culture is as evidenced by the progressively liberal ideologies writ large in the community that wreak havoc upon every sector of society including the church & family often unbeknownst to themselves.
Due to this cultural paradigm of SECULARIZATION through the progressively liberal news media, K-12 institutionalized government education, the American college & university campus, Woke Paganism/Neo-Marxism, Hollywood, Broadway, Disney, pop-culture, the so-called “wall of separation between church & state”, the therapeutic spirit of the age, & the rise of the autonomous self who identifies as whatever, we are systematically programmed to relegate the historical narratives of Holy Scripture to a time “Long ago in a galaxy far far away…” or to the worlds of Middle Earth, Narnia, or Never Never Land. Thanks be to God that His Word does not begin with “Once upon a time…” & does not end with “…and they lived happily ever after” but “In the beginning God…” & ends with “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” “For the mouth of the LORD has spoken” (Is.40:5).
Authorship of the book of Proverbs is rightly attributed to King Solomon, the son of David, whose reign over the nation of Israel is dated to the mid-10th century B.C. Having been divinely inspired by God the Holy Spirit, the book’s timeless wisdom is more culturally relevant than ever amidst the spirit of this present evil age. Reformation, revival, and revitalization of the church and family in this epoch of history is contingent upon hearkening to these words of ancient wisdom for such a time as this…
Godly Characteristics: Cultivating Biblical Virtues in the Pathway of Wisdom
- Cultivating Discretion & Prudence (vs. Naïvety) – Pr.1:1-4
“Prudence is a virtue that is often overlooked. It never makes it to the front page, which is often reserved for flashier and more attention-grabbing traits. Only the unwise will ignore the pursuit of this virtue, however. It is also one of those words that is better described than defined. A host of words help us get the biblical sense of this virtue.”
“Prudence is demonstrated in the skill it takes to avoid being tripped up by one’s emotions. It avoids the traps that fools blinded by their emotion walk into in their speech and conduct (Pr.12:16). Prudence is the understanding or a keen awareness that perceives all relevant aspects of a matter when offering responses. It is informed by more than the immediate; thus, it cuts through nonessentials to give the right and appropriate answer (13:16). Prudence avoids speaking in ways that wrongdoers will love and agree with in exchange for a sense of immediate belongingness. Prudence is the good judgment that enables the wise to hold their tongues and to exercise discretion so as to protect those they love, whereas the fool speaks carelessly and recklessly, making it impossible for anyone to be safe in his hands (Pr.12:23). Prudence is the sense to heed rebuke and instruction so as not to be ensnared time and again by the same trap (Pr.15:5).”
“We could all do with a little more prudence in our lives. For this, we must all come to Jesus. While David, Solomon, and Daniel are all cast as examples of prudence, they all fade in the presence of the glorious prudence that Christ displays in the Gospels.” – Pastor Kenneth Mbugua of Nairobi, Kenya
- Pr.1:1-4, “To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.” cf. 2:10-12
- Pr.11:22, “so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.”
- Pr.22:3; 27:12, “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself…”
- Discretion & Prudence in the Family – Disciplined Bible Reading (& redemptive literature): One Year Bible (& historical bios); Media Consumption: Screen Time à Social Media à Phones
- Discretion & Prudence in the Church – Biblical Preaching: Exposition w/timely application
- Discretion & Prudence in the Community – Evangelistic Literature & Modest Dress
Godly Characteristics: Cultivating Biblical Virtues in the Pathway of Wisdom
2. Cultivating Faithfulness (vs. Infidelity) – Pr.11:13
“In all our witness for God, faithfulness is the one great requisite. It is not required in stewards that they be successful, but it is required that they be faithful. We are not commissioned to accomplish certain things, be we are commanded to be faithful in our testimony. God did not commission us to ‘save souls,’ but to ‘preach the Word.’ Saving souls is His prerogative; preaching the Word is our privilege. If men will not hear the Word, if they will not receive it, we are not told to seek for something else which they will hear & receive. Paul says: ‘The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine,’ but we are not told to find something else that they will endure, but just to continue to ‘preach the Word.’”
“People today look for ‘results’ & unless we are able to show some, or present some report of our accomplishments, our work is considered to be a failure. But we have nothing whatsoever to do with results. What we have to do with is our faithfulness. Results are God’s responsibility, but for our faithfulness we are responsible. Are we working for ourselves or for the Lord? If we are working for the Lord, is it not for Him to decide what His purposes are? Is it not for Him to decide what the results are to be?” – Author Unknown
- Pr.11:13, “…but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.” (keeps a confidence)
- Pr.13:17, “…but a faithful ambassador brings health.”
- Pr.14:5, “A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.”
- Faithfulness in the Family – Coram Deo, “Living Before the Face of GOD”
- Faithfulness in the Church – Stewardship Responsibility (2 Tim.3:16-4:5)
- Faithfulness in the Community – Salt & Light Moral Back Pressure (Pre-Political Issues)
Godly Characteristics: Cultivating Biblical Virtues in the Pathway of Wisdom
3. Cultivating Goodness (vs. Evil) – Pr.2:1-9
“One of the major challenges facing Christians today is the morally challenged influence the media has on our teenagers. Until Christians become aware of the tools the world is using to undermine their biblical worldview, we will never be effective in communicating the gospel message to this media-saturated culture. Teens and parents [must] find creative ways to open up conversations with their families and friends, those who are lost or searching, and talk about what is really important – God’s point of view which impacts the culture toward the good, the true, and the beautiful.” – Dr. David A. Noebel, author of “Understanding the Times” & founder of Summit Ministries
- Pr.2:1-9, “My son, if you…then you will understand…every good path.”
- Pr.12:25, “Anxiety…causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” cf. 15:13; 17:22
- Pr.13:22, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…” cf. 22:1
- Goodness in the Family – Generous doses of encouraging words (i.e. birthday notebooks).
- Goodness in the Church – Robust spiritual inheritance of a gospel community (i.e. Show up!).
- Goodness in the Community – God honoring testimony of a good name (i.e. Timotheos).
Godly Characteristics: Cultivating Biblical Virtues in the Pathway of Wisdom
4. Cultivating Honesty (vs. Deception) – Pr.3:1-3
“Lying may be among the very first sins a child learns to commit with any level of zeal. A child, like most of us, I suppose, has an almost instinctive desire for survival. Lying promises a quick and easy passport out of trouble. The good news for children in this regard is that most of them are terrible liars. This is good because there is something far worse than being found out in a lie, and that is not being found out. That, precisely, is the predicament for us as we grow out of childhood. If we have not arrested our tendency to lie, we get better at it.”
“Like all virtues, honesty must be learned. Given the lure of lying, honesty must be learned at the cost of our desire to avoid the consequences of a poor choice or the embarrassment of a shameful act. If we are to be truly honest people, we must learn to prize honesty more highly than we prize our reputation or our comfort. We must also learn to prize the glory of our Lord, who Himself is the Truth.” – Pastor Todd Pruitt
- Pr.3:1-3, “My son…Let not mercy and truth forsake you…Write them on…your heart.”
- Pr.12:17-22, “He who speaks truth…the truthful lip…lying lips…an abomination” cf. 17:15
- Pr.14:25-27, “A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies…”
- Honesty in the Family – 1. “What did you do?” 2. “From God’s perspective…” 3. Eye contact
- Honesty in the Church – Biblical Preaching: Exposition w/timely application
- Honesty in the Community – “Live Not By Lies” (i.e. preferred pronouns & faux weddings)
Godly Characteristics: Cultivating Biblical Virtues in the Pathway of Wisdom
5. Cultivating Humility (vs. Pride/Arrogance) – Pr.3:34
“The Bible calls us to be humble. This means not simply an outward show of humility but true humility that goes to the heart. Yet there is perhaps no virtue more important and no virtue more elusive than humility. Pride always seems to get in the way. The battle for humility begins with the battle against pride. And this battle has more at stake than simply acquiring a virtue. It is a salvation issue.”
“In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes: ‘The essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride…It was through Pride that the devil became the devil…It is the complete anti-God state of mind.’ Pride was not only the root of Satan’s sin; it was also the root of Adam and Eve’s sin: ‘You will be like God.’ Pride is deeply rooted in the human heart. It keeps people away from God. And it makes the ongoing battle for humility a titanic struggle. Yet we can have hope in this struggle (Is.57:15).”
“Humility begins with the recognition that we are not God. Humility is also essential for sanctification. Humility is not the same as low self-esteem. It means obeying God by becoming a servant to others.” – Dr. William Barcley
- Pr.3:34, “…He scorns the scornful [resists the proud], but gives grace to the humble.”
- Pr.11:2, “When pride comes…shame; But with the humble is wisdom.”
- Pr.15:33, “The fear of the LORD is…wisdom, and before honor is humility.”
- Humility in the Family – Pray together (out loud) & listen to each other’s hearts. Daily & weekly chores.
- Humility in the Church – Spread out & serve (i.e. visit elderly, set up tables/chairs, clean)
- Humility in the Community – Volunteer at a rescue mission, homeless shelter, or nursing home.
Godly Characteristics: Cultivating Biblical Virtues in the Pathway of Wisdom
6. Cultivating Holiness (vs. Profanity) – Pr.10:1-32
[Justice (vs. Partiality) & Righteousness (vs. Wickedness) & Uprightness/Integrity (vs. Hypocrisy)]
“Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is that standard. He is absolutely holy with an infinite, incomprehensible fullness of purity that is incapable of being other than it is.” – A.W. Tozer, “The Knowledge of the Holy”
“Many people think that God can just forgive our sins because He’s loving. Nothing could be further from the truth. The cross speaks to us not only about our sin but about God’s holiness.”
“We usually think of God’s holiness as His infinite moral purity, but there’s more to it than that. THE basic meaning of the holy is ‘separate,’ and when used of God it means, among other things, that He’s eternally separate from any degree of sin. He does not sin Himself, and He cannot abide or condone sin in His moral creatures.”
“He’s not like the proverbial indulgent grandfather who winks at or ignores a grandchild’s mischievous disobedience. Instead, God’s holiness responds to sin with immutable and eternal hatred. To put it plainly, God hates sin (Ps.5:5; 7:11). God always hates sin and inevitably expresses His wrath against it.”
“The cross expresses God’s holiness in His determination to punish sin, even at the cost of His Son. And it expresses His love in sending His Son to bear the punishment we so justly deserved.” – Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life”
“The glory of God is the internal reality & the external manifestation of the greatness of God in His infinite perfections, all of those infinite perfections. So, God’s glory is the reality & the making visible of the Godness of God, just revealing who He is.” – Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
- Justice (vs. Partiality) – 4:18; 10:1-32
- Righteousness (vs. Wickedness) – 2:6-7; 10:1-32; 21:21
- Uprightness & Integrity (vs. Hypocrisy) – 11:1-31; 20:7; 29:27
- Holiness in the Family – Father Led Family Worship (SING TOGETHER!)
- Holiness in the Church – Awe & Reverence; Doxological Passion; God-Centered Music
- Holiness in the Community – Redemptive Social Media Posts in the Digital Public Square
Godly Characteristics: Cultivating Biblical Virtues in the Pathway of Wisdom
7. Cultivating Strength/Fortitude (vs. Faintheartedness) – Pr.10:27-29
“Fortitude is the ability to find God-given courage & perseverance where the natural mind finds doubt & discouragement. Fortitude is different from courage. Fortitude strengthens inwardly first, & then shows itself in the quiet resolve to choose a path that will often result in great sacrifice.” – Brooks Buser
“Fortitude is the ability to find God-given courage & perseverance where the natural mind finds doubt & discouragement. Fortitude is different from courage. Fortitude strengthens inwardly first, & then shows itself in the quiet resolve to choose a path that will often result in great sacrifice.” – Brooks Buser, president of Radius Intl.
- Pr.10:27-29, “The fear of the LORD…The way of the LORD is strength for the upright…”
- Pr.20:29, “The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men…”
- Pr.24:3-6, 10, “Through wisdom a house is built…A wise man is strong…If you faint…”
- Strength/Fortitude in the Family – Hammer Down & Be Industrious à Diligent à Disciplined (D.I.W.E.).
- Strength/Fortitude in the Church – Remember the Coliseum, Tyndale, & the Pilgrims.
- Strength/Fortitude in the Community – “Use your manly strength to initiate decisive action!” vs. Video Games & Porn, mindless scrolling, & Netflix binges.
Sermon Conclusion – Remember Dr. Burk Parsons’ exhortation to not merely look back with nostalgia to past generations who possessed the ancient virtues but rather to “look back to the God of the ancient virtues who gloriously and humbly manifested the full array of virtues in our supreme example and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, for His glory alone.”
Despite the challenges we face, our great God and Savior is on the move (i.e. open doors for GFM)! For example, Brad Wilcox, professor of sociology and director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia just wrote a book that’s getting a whole lot of press attention: “Get Married: Why Americans Should Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization.”
In a similar spirit, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) wrote in “Manhood: The Masculine Virtues America Needs” that“ All is not well with men [& therefore the family] in America. And that spells trouble for the American republic [& the Christian church]. It has been a perennial question of political philosophy, since the first republics were formed, whether a free nation could survive without soundness of character in its people. The old-fashioned word for that is virtue, meaning not just moral uprightness but the personal fortitude and vision such uprightness produces—strength, in other words. Machiavelli called it virtu’. Practically everywhere one looks in America now, male [& family] virtu’ is crumbling, and the consequences for the country [& the Christian church] are grave.”
“These are troubled times. But trouble may lead to renewal…The possibility of something better—for men [& the family], for America [& the Christian church]—awaits us.”
*WVC & SDG!
