“Walk the Line” (SERMON)
Proverbs 3: 21-23
I would like to call your attention to our subject from the text I just read, “Walk the Line”.
The way I heard it when the legendary singer/songwriter in Country Music Johnny Cash wrote the song “I Walk the Line”.
Cash stated, "I wrote the song backstage one night in 1956 in Gladewater, Texas. I was newly married at the time, and I suppose I was laying out my pledge of devotion." After writing the song, Cash had a discussion with fellow performer Carl Perkins, who encouraged him to adopt "I Walk the Line" as the song title. Cash originally intended the song to be a slow ballad, but producer Sam Phillips preferred a faster arrangement; in the end, Cash agreed to the change, and the up-tempo recording met with success.
The song's lyrics refer to marital fidelity, personal responsibility, and avoiding temptation and criminal behavior.
Solomon was giving his son sound advice that will come in handy one day.
As you know, wisdom is a term already used frequently in Proverbs. In this book, it refers to an ability to apply godly knowledge. In prior verses, Solomon depicted wisdom as a woman (Proverbs 1:20; 3:14). True wisdom includes not just intellectual prowess but also correct moral judgment. In this verse "sound judgment" means victory or the success that results from having wisdom.
ILLUSTRATION: A father and his small son were out walking one day when the lad asked him a question. "Dad, how does electricity could go through the wires stretched between the telephone poles?
"I don't know," said his father. "I never knew much about electricity."
A few roads farther on, the boy asked what caused lightning and thunder. "That too has puzzled me," came the reply.
The youngster continued to inquire about many things, none of which the father could explain. Finally, as they were nearing home, the boy said, "Dad, I hope you didn't mind all those questions."
"Not at all," replied his father. "If you don't ask, how else are you going to learn?"
What are some of the things Solomon wants us to watch for? First,
DONT LOSE SIGHT: Solomon was concern for his son and this is why he wrote the book of Proverbs. Don’t lose sight? What don’t we to not lose sight on? What do we lose on Solomon?
A) SOUND WISDOM. In Proverbs 2:7 tells us, “And he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he protects their way.” This wisdom, which is the foundation of security, and hence is SOUND WISDOM, is that which God treasures up for the righteous.
B) USING DISCRETION. The quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information. Proverbs 5:2 tells us, “That you may observe discretion and your lips may reserve knowledge”. Proverbs 11:22 “As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion” is referred relatively to the ugliness of a woman with poor character, although she may be considered physically attractive. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
II.THERE IS A PROMISE WITH YOU IN MIND. Solomon in all his wisdom, mentioned to us that there are two principles to follow if you are going to walk that line the right way life for your soul and adornment for your neck or grace for you.
The Bible never said or suggested that God takes but a giver. God isn’t stingy or half-hearted in his giving but He loves this old world that John wrote it like this in John 3:16 it tells us “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. He loves you enough, so you’ll not die; not a physical death (and we are going to die that way), but a Spiritual death through His Son Jesus Christ. Solomon is encouraging especially to our young people if they walk that line of life so as Solomon puts so not letting your foot stumble over those things that will keep you from walking the line of what’s in front and back of you, “...Choose life”. Deut. 30:19. Remember, you’ll walk securely so that your foot won’t stumble in those things that will trip you up along the way.
ILLUSTRATION
In their book BEYOND ALL LIMITS, Bill Bright and James O. Davis recount a story from famed English explorer, William Edward Perry, who mapped out most of the Southern Polar Cap:
“On one particular expedition, Perry and his crew were preparing to hike to another unfamiliar location. On the eve of their departure, they studied the stars and determined their exact coordinates. As the sun rose, they began a hard, lengthy journey north to this unmapped region. They marched through the ice and snow all day long with the freezing air burning their lungs.
As the sun set, they made camp, totally exhausted from their trip. After their evening meal, Perry studied the stars again to determine their exact coordinates. He was stunned to learn that even though he and his crew had journeyed north all day, they were now farther south than when they began that morning. After
struggling to solve this problem, they discovered that although they had traveled north, they were on a giant ice sheet that was floating south faster than they were WALKING north. Although they were going in the RIGHT DIRECTION, they were sliding away and did not even know it.”
CONCLUSION
When you are walking that line, make sure you’re walking in the right direction. As you walk that line, that path of righteousness, God can heal addiction, problem you that you may be having in your life. Knowing this, that God can fix that heart of evil and suddenly transform it to a heart of love, a heart of peace like no other. You may have been looking for that peace to satisfy you, but it just wasn’t there. You try through drugs, alcohol, sex but it wasn’t there. You searched and searched but nothing was there to fill that void, that hole inside your very soul.
Then, Jesus came passing by and offered His nailed scared hand to you; would you take it or denied Him?
Let me conclude with a poem I am sure everyone has heard and seen that goes like this:
The Famous FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND Poem
One night I dreamed a dream.
I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord.
When the last scene of my life shot before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
There was only one set of footprints.
I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life.
This always bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.
“Lord, you told me when I decided to follow You, you would walk and talk with me all the way.
But I’m aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints.
I just don’t understand why, when I need You most, you leave me.”
He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testing.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.”
? Margaret Fishback Powers
Let me encourage you to choose to walk that line of righteousness but if you do, you won’t being walking alone.
The songwriter said it best:
No, never alone, no never alone,
He promised never to leave me,
He’ll claim me for His own;
No, never alone, no never alone.
He promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone.
Amen.
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