A Father's Wise Advice

Failing to pay attention in life can lead to all kinds of trouble. And failing to pay attention to God can lead to even worse trouble. Any time we ignore or fail to pay attention to God and His Word we are asking for heartache and much trouble. Life has enough trouble of its own without ignoring God's will for our lives.

Solomon tells us how we are to pay attention to God in this text.  

• Prop. - In paying attention, what are we to do?
• 1- Listen attentively
• 2- Guard the heart
• 3- Keep corruption away
• 4- Look straight ahead

• LISTEN ATTENTIVELY 
• vs 20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.

• We need to pay attention to those who are teaching us. (Fathers, Pastors and the Holy Spirit)

• Psalm 85:8 "I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants- but let them not turn to folly."
• Proverbs 12:15 "The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice."                God's advice, for sure.
• James 1:19 "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry..."
• James 1:22 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." If we're smart, when we listen to God's Word we will act on it. We will be doers of God's Word.

• GUARD THE HEART
  
  vs 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

• Proverbs 23:7 "As a man thinketh so is he."

• Matthew 12:33-35 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him." The heart of the matter is the matter of heart, as well as the mind.

• KEEP CORRUPTION AWAY
• vs 24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. ¹⁴ Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
• ^{vs- 15} Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
• ^{vs- 16} For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
• ^{vs- 17} For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
• ^{vs- 18} But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
• ^{vs- 19} The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

• Psalm 119:9-11"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

What forms of corruption are you or have you been guilty of? Greed? Lust for material things? Lust for the human flesh? Anger? Bad temper? Envy? Jealousy? Lying? Deceit? Revenge? Pride? Arrogance? Strife? Gossip? Slander?

• 1 Corinthians 6:9-11⁹ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

• LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD
  
  
  

• vs 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. 27 Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

In order to pay attention we must look straight ahead.

• I Peter 4:7-8 "The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
• 1 Peter 5:8 "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
• Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

• Close: We need to be spiritually alert to what is happening in this world, to what the devil is doing, and to the needs of those around us so we can minister to them.

• Hebrews 6:12(NIV) ¹² We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

• 1- Listen attentively
• 2- Guard the heart
• 3- Keep corruption away
• 4- Look straight ahead

• Colossians 3:1-4 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."