22/09/2021 Wednesday
Fool or Wise
Can you tell the difference?
How do pigs and sheep differ?
• Pigs have tough hair – Sheep have wool
• Pigs squeal and grunt – Sheep bleat
• Pigs love dirt and mud – Sheep like to be clean
• Pigs love to eat garbage – Sheep are careful eaters
• Pigs have a large flat nose – Sheep have a small nose
• Pigs do not chew the cud – Sheep do
• Pigs produce no valuable wool – Sheep do
• Pigs multiply rapidly – Sheep multiply slowly
How do fools and wise differ?
• God condemns fools and praises the wise.
• Other than that, often we can only identify a few basic differences between the fool and the
wise person.
• In this study, I want us to learn how to tell the difference between a fool and a wise person.
• Until we can easily identify a fool and a wise person we will have difficulty choosing
edifying friends.
• To help us identify them, we are going to study many of their characteristics found in the
book of Proverbs.
Fools will not listen
• (Proverbs 1:7) “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise
wisdom and instruction.”
• (Proverbs 1:22) “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight
in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?“
• (Proverbs 10:8) “The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.”
• (Proverbs 10:21) “The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.”
Fools will not listen
• (Proverbs 12:15) “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto
counsel is wise.”
• (Proverbs 17:16) “Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he
hath no heart to it?”
• (Proverbs 18:2) “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover
itself.”
• (Proverbs 23:9) “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.”
• (Proverbs 26:11) “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.”
Wise people listen carefully
• (Proverbs 1:5) “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of
understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:”
• (Proverbs 9:9) “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man,
and he will increase in learning.”
• (Proverbs 10:8) “The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.”
Wise people listen carefully
• (Proverbs 10:14) “Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near
destruction.”
• (Proverbs 10:23) “It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath
wisdom.”
• (Proverbs 12:15) “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto
counsel is wise.”
• (Proverbs 13:16) “Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his
folly.”
Wise people listen carefully
• (Proverbs 14:8) “The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is
deceit.“
• (Proverbs 18:15) “The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise
seeketh knowledge.”
• (Proverbs 28:26) “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he
shall be delivered.”
Fools will not listen
• What have we learned about the fool?
• He despises wisdom and instruction
• He hates knowledge
• He uses his mouth instead of his ears
• Because he will not listen, he lacks wisdom
• He always thinks he is right
• He has no heart to get wisdom
• He does not delight in gaining understanding
• He despises words of wisdom
• He never learns from his mistakes (returns to his vomit)
Wise people listen carefully
• What have we learned about a wise person?
• He will hear and increase in learning
• He accepts instruction and gets wiser
• He has a wise heart that will receive commandments
• He hears and lays up knowledge
• He becomes a man of understanding
• He will listen to and obey counsel
• He deals with knowledge
• He understands the way he should go
• He gets knowledge to help him live right
• He walks wisely and is delivered from troubles
Questions to Ponder
• Do you like to learn or would you rather talk?
• Do you usually obey when you are instructed?
• Do you seek counsel?
• Based on what we have learned tonight, are you a wise person or a fool?
• Based on the verses we have studied, are your friends wise or fools?
• What does God want you to learn from this?
How can you become a listener?
• Admit it if you have a problem listening and obeying.
• Apologise when you fail to listen properly.
• Confess the failure to listen properly as a sin.
• Ask God to help you want to listen and obey.
• When spoken to, STOP, Look and Listen.
• Memorise Bible verses about listening wisely.
• Stop spending time with fools who do not listen to wise advice.
• Ask a friend to hold you accountable for how you listen.
God’s Counsel to Us
• (Proverbs 13:20) “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools
shall be destroyed.”
• (Proverbs 14:7) “Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the
lips of knowledge.”