The Church at Mesquite It’s Not About Us! Part II Proverb 3:1-12

The Church at Mesquite Scriptural Text – Proverb 3: My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. 9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. 11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in

The Church at Mesquite Scriptural Background Mostly written by Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. Its purpose is to pass on the wisdom that Solomon received from the Lord (Proverb 1:1-6) Proverb: typically a short, compact statement that expresses truth about human behavior, and were typically written in a manner that made them easy to remember.

The Church at Mesquite Recap: It’s Not About Us Theme: Placing trust in the Lord and not in ourselves is wise. Testimony from Moses (Ex. 4), Gideon (Judges 7), Christ (John 5, Matt. 6), & Paul (Gal. 2) We keep making it about us because of our culture, our narcissistic attitudes, and overstating our importance to the Church.

The Church at Mesquite Recap: It’s Not About Us If we: Act as if nothing is more important than our views or opinions, Act like what we want and need is more important than anyone else’s wants or needs, Blame ourselves when anything goes wrong, Act as if things can’t get done without us, Have a hard time seeing anyone else’s point of view, Can’t figure out what our life purpose is, Then we’re telling people it IS about us.

How Do We Make Sure Its NOT About Us? Solomon writes that we must remember God’s Word and embrace it. (v. 1) He explains that doing so will prolong your life and bring you prosperity (v. 2) This is done by: The Church at Mesquite

How Do We Make Sure Its NOT About Us? Being merciful and truthful (v.3) Jesus explains that the merciful are blessed (Matt. 5:7), and that we should be merciful because God is merciful (Luke 6:36) Paul explains that lying is something associated with the old man and therefore not associated with God (Col. 3:9-10) Solomon explains that doing this will please God and man (v. 4) The Church at Mesquite

How Do We Make Sure Its NOT About Us? Trust God’s wisdom, not yours (v. 5) Isaiah explains that the Lords ways & thoughts are far above ours (Isaiah 55:8-9) Solomon says that doing this by acknowledging Him in everything you do will cause the Lord to direct your steps (v. 6) The Church at Mesquite

How Do We Make Sure Its NOT About Us? Fear the Lord (v. 7) The psalmist proclaims that we start down the path to wisdom when we learn to fear the Lord (Ps. 111:10) Ecclesiatical writer proclaims that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. (Ecc. 12:13-14) Solomon explains that this (fearing the Lord and staying away from evil) is physically healthy. (v. 8) The Church at Mesquite

How Do We Make Sure Its NOT About Us? Give (v. 9) Paul quotes Jesus in saying it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35) Paul explains to the Corinthians that we reap what we sow, and that God loves those who give cheerfully. (II Cor. 9:6-8) Solomon explains that doing this will bring even more blessings from God (v. 10, Mal. 3:10) The Church at Mesquite

How Do We Make Sure Its NOT About Us? Embrace the Lord’s discipline (v. 11) James explains that we should learn to find joy in our temptations because the Lord uses them to make us more patient. (James 1:2-4) Hebrew writer further explains that God’s discipline makes us holy (Heb. 12:7-11) Solomon states that God’s discipline is evidence that He loves us as His children (v. 12) The Church at Mesquite

How Do We Make Sure Its NOT About Us? If we remember and embrace the wisdom of God given to us through Solomon by: Being merciful and truthful, Trusting God’s wisdom instead of ours, Fearing the Lord, Giving, and Embracing the Lord’s discipline, then We can make sure we are living lives that glorify God and NOT ourselves. The Church at Mesquite

How Do We Make Sure Its NOT About Us? Learning to do these things results in: Long life and prosperity Finding favor with God and man, The Lord directing your steps, Physical health, Abundant blessings from the Lord, and God’s love and care as our Father. When we learn to live like “It’s Not About Us”, then we truly find abundant life. The Church at Mesquite

It’s Not About Us! Part II