 beginning with verse 1, Proverbs 29 and reading to verse 5. He who is often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice. But a companion of harlots wastes his wealth. The king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it. A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. And so we have opportunity now to see a number of very basic but very powerful and deep proverbs. And so let's go through these one at a time. Again, verse 1, it says here, he who is often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed in that without remedy. Often reproved or rebuked, harden his neck. The word harden, when it speaks of hardening his neck, is a word that speaks of refusing to wear an easy yoke. It's an interesting word that was used to describe that, an obstinate ox. They're hardening their neck against that. Jesus said his yoke is easy. His burden is light. So a person who hardens their neck is resisting that which the Lord would offer them. It says that if he's reproved, he hardens his neck, he'll suddenly be destroyed. The word destroyed speaks of being shattered like a potter's vessel that cannot be mended. So a person, listen carefully, a person who is corrected often, and yet obstinately refuses to listen to correction will be incurably broken. That's what he's saying. You see, there are those who are corrected who simply refuse to listen when they're being corrected. They're not willing to listen. And they're really unwilling to change. In Proverbs 15-12, a scoffer does not love one who corrects him, nor will he go to the wise. So there are those who, when they're corrected, refuse to listen to the correction. That's true in the history of Israel. God spoke many times to them through the prophets, and yet they obstinately refused what he was saying. In Jeremiah 35, verse 15, I have also sent to you all my servants of prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them. Then you will dwell in the land which I've given you and your fathers. But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed me. So they obstinately refused when God even rose up early, meaning he was insistent from the earliest portion of their history that they should listen to him. They obstinately refused to hear and harden their necks against him. So if you persist in sin, even when you're corrected, well, you will reap its consequences. There have been times when I've spoken to people, many times when I've spoken to people who have come and said, I would like some advice. Can you give me advice on something? What's the scripture say about this or that? And so I, as a minister, will quote a scripture, we'll look at a portion together. This is what the Lord says concerning that. And on more than one occasion, I've had people say, I already know that. I already know that. I find that interesting because Jesus said, if you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. And so it's not simply the intellectual knowledge. I'm aware of this. Somebody has said it to be before. It's the performing of that, which the scripture demands that is going to bring healing to you. But if we refuse to hear correction, if we refuse to hear when the Spirit of the Lord is speaking to us, then ultimately what happens is we're going to be shattered vessels. Our lives are going to be messed up. I remember asking somebody something once, and they said, I already know that. And I said, how many times do you have to hear the same thing until you repent? How many times? Well, that's a question I think the Lord could ask me. He could ask us how many times do I have to say the same thing until you listen? And so he who is often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed in that without remedy. Verse two, when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, the people groan. And so people enjoy life when good people are in authority, but they will always suffer under wicked rulers. Verse three, whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, but a companion of harlots wastes his wealth. A foolish son fails to bring joy and prosperity to his family because he squanders his money. It's somebody who is just squandering that which he has. It's reminiscent of the prodigal son who approached his father and said, give me what is mine. I want my inheritance now. And when he approaches his father and says, I want my inheritance now, he had the right to do that. It wasn't something that he had no right to make a request of, but in the asking of the father for his inheritance, while the father was still alive, that was a tremendous insult to the father. And it was something that was like saying to his dad, I can't wait until you're dead, give me my money now. And then you read the story and I won't go into it in any depth at all, but he takes what was his and he squanders it on prodigal living. He just wastes it. And so that's the kind of son who brings sorrow to the father, the one who takes and the one who uses and the one who abuses that which he has. And it just causes the father to grieve. And so the opposite is also true. When someone loves wisdom, it makes the father rejoice. And every father in this room would agree with that when a child, your daughter, your son is growing in wisdom and understanding of the things of the Lord and using that wisdom to carve out a life that is blessed by God. Of course it causes you to rejoice. Of course it causes you to be so very blessed and all. And so whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice. A companion of harlots wastes as well. Verse four, the king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it. So what you have here is a contrast between a righteous king and the righteous king brings security and then it is contrasted with the one who brings disruption. The righteous king champions justice, but the other allows money to motivate his decisions. It's like what it says in Proverbs 17, 23, a wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back and to pervert the ways of justice. And so the king, a righteous king, is going to establish and rule in a righteous fashion. Verse five, a man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet, flattery. That's insincerity. It's saying something to somebody that you really don't believe, but you think they want to hear. And so you say something like, have you been losing weight? They suck in their stomach. Yeah. You know, guys use flattery as a weapon all the time. All the time. Um, you know, they see a young lady on the job and, and they just use flattery and, and they look for ways to, to seduce her by saying things that he thinks that she may want to hear. It happens all the time. Again, you know, you know, that color is just, I don't know. It just brings out your eyes. I mean, I, you know, I'm not, I know that sounds weird and I don't mean to give you the impression that I do this often. I honestly don't, but I can't help but say that I noticed this about you. And I just wanted you to know, or is that a new perfume? You're, I don't know. I just, I just, I don't know. I'm not into perfume. God knows that, but I just, did you get your haircut? Your hair looks so nice. I just like the way, you know, I, it's not like I'm, I'm not a creeper, you know, but it's not like I notice, but I, but I can't help but notice, you know, are those Invisaligns you're wearing? Your teeth are so, I mean, guys use flattery all the time. And then the little girl, little girl's batting her eyes. Oh, you know, he notices, he notices, you know, he's a creep. Watch out. He's spreading a net to capture you. That's what he's doing. That's what he's doing. And so it's real obvious a man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. And so sometimes this actually applies to friendship relationships. Instead of honestly bringing a word of correction, like it said in verse one, he who is often rebuked and hardens his neck, instead of bringing a word of loving correction when it's necessary because friends ought to have the freedom to help one another to walk in the ways of the Lord. But instead of honestly correcting, sometimes they may simply say what others desire to hear. And, and that's just not proper. Not only that, but flattery has been used in the past to try and trap people in spiritual questions. Somebody may say to you, you're a, you're a believer, aren't you? Yeah. Yeah. Well, what do you mean by that? You may say, well, you're a Christian, right? Yes, I am. Well, you know, I've been interested in Christianity and all of that. And I have a question for you. You know, because I can see that you're sincere. So there's flattery. And then they have this question that comes out of left field. That's intended to make you look stupid in front of the people that are standing around. Have you ever had that happen? I have where they want to trap you. They want to flatter you somehow so that can make you look bad. Do you know that was done to Jesus in the gospel of Luke in chapter 20, verses 20 through 22, they watched him sent spies who pretended to be righteous that they might seize on his words in order to deliver him to the power of the authority of the governor. Then they asked him saying, teacher, we know that you say and teach rightly, and you do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth. That was a trap. That was a trap because they sprung the trap when they said, is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? They were springing a trap because if Jesus said it's not lawful, or we said it is lawful on both counts, depending on how he presented it, they could have an accusation against him, especially if he said it's not right for us to pay taxes to Caesar. They would have charged him with insurrection, sedition, and he would have been taken and would have been placed under arrest and would have been put to death as somebody who was in opposition to Roman rule. But if he says it is lawful, then the Jews who hate the Roman rule and oppression are going to say that he's favoring the Roman government over us. And so it was intended to be a trap. And so sometimes people will ask questions that do not really have sincerity. They're laying a trap for you. So be wise as people speak to you and all, and be careful when somebody uses flattery. Verse six, by transgression an evil man is snared, but the righteous sings and rejoices. So your sin ultimately will keep you captive by transgression and evil man is snared. Your sin will keep you in bondage. Proverbs 5.22 says, his own iniquities entrap the wicked man. He is caught in the cords of his sin. Sin is bondage. You know, speak to the man or the woman who is in bondage to alcohol. Speak to the one who is in bondage to drugs, and especially when they're clear, when they're able to speak. And many times they'll tell you, I need to escape. I'm trapped. I'm trapped. When I was going through the last year of my life prior to coming to Christ, when I was 19 going on 20, and I was abusing the kinds of drugs that I used at that time. And I got to the point where I had weighed in the mid 170s at that time, like 178. And I stopped eating for a month. And I was smoking pot and drinking every day. And I lost 33 pounds in a month. And I was just skin and bones. And that's what happened to me. And I started waking up saying things to God. I hadn't spoken to the Lord in prayer regularly for a long time. And I still remember some of the prayers and still remember saying to God, help me. Help me. I'm a slave. I can't break free. God, I need your help. God, I need your help. And so sin enslaves you. You become its captive. And that's what happens. But notice he says the righteous sings and rejoices. Well, the righteous sings and rejoices, because they've been set free from bondage. In John 8, 34 through 36, Jesus answered them, most assuredly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if the son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. And so when I came to Christ, you know, I didn't do the 10 step program. I did the one step. You know, I came to faith in Christ and he set me free because he sets the captive free. And that's how it works. In Romans 8, 15, you didn't receive the spirit of bondage again to fear. You received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. And so, yes, we can sing and we do rejoice because we have been set free. In verse seven, the righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge. Interestingly, and I want you to see this, how he says it, the righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge. The wicked may have concern, but don't understand what will truly help the poor. Only the righteous can champion the cause of the poor. But the wicked's compassion is not founded on a genuine concern for the entire person. They want them to eat. They want them to drink and be clothed. They want them to be housed, educated. They want them to have medical care and all of that. But often, this is not from a genuine concern for them. In many ways, we're seeing this more today than I've seen in my lifetime. But in many ways, this concern very often is really an attempt to make them feel indebted to the one doing them good. And as a result of that, that's not genuine at all. You see, true generosity takes into consideration the entire person, which would include their spiritual needs. And it's not done with the aim of making someone indebted. It's done with the aim of seeing someone who is freed. And the motives of the righteous will be pure and from a true concern for the person that is being helped. And so the righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge because the wicked doesn't take in the whole person and the real needs of that individual. Verse 8, Scoffers set a city of flame, but wise men turn away wrath. Antifa sets a city of flame. Scoffers are mockers. When it says, Scoffers set a city of flame, but wise men turn away wrath, what they're doing is they're inflaming the mind of a city. The Scoffer is a mocker. And Scoffers will laugh at moral obligations and stir up the evil desires of people. A Scoffer does set a city of flame. They'll organize marches. Recently, there was a march organized against hate and there was so much hate in the people who were marching against hate. Did you see that? It's on the news. There was so much hate in the people who were marching against hate that it made absolutely no sense. The wise, on the other hand, encouraged peace in a society. You see an interesting example of this kind of thing in the book of Acts in chapter 19. You remember that there was a man named Demetrius who was a silversmith and he had incited a riot against Paul because Paul is preaching that idols were things that had no life or breath and thus you should not be ensnared by idolatry and he had made his living out of making idols. So he got his group of people who were in the same profession. They began to speak against Paul and before you know it, the entire city was inflamed and a riot was about to occur over it. And that's basically what's happening here when it says Scoffer set a city of flame. But in that particular case, the city clerk had to step in and he had to calm the city down and that's why a wise man will turn away wrath. And so you see a real example of that in the book of Acts in chapter 19, verse 9. If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there's no peace. This is basic. It's a waste of your time to try to rationally argue with someone who's not willing to listen to reason. How many times have you been in a discussion with somebody who just refuses to listen? They just won't. They're so mad, so red-faced, so angry, you know, they won't listen. I see that a lot today. Do you? I see a lot of that. I watch the news. Maybe I shouldn't because I see a lot of that today with people who are so angry that they shout over one another and that there's no reasonableness at all. There's just anger. There's just yelling and then there's the attacking of the person and not their argument. And we see that all the time right now. And so I discovered a long time ago that it's just a waste of time trying to argue rationally with someone who will not listen. In 2 Timothy 2 verses 23 and 24, avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife and a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all able to teach patient. So if somebody's getting in my face, which it does happen, my general rule is just to leave it alone. There's no point in flaming the situation. Why do you want to do that? Why do you want to take it a step further? I have a tendency of leaving it alone. It's just not worth the argument. Verse 10, the bloodthirsty hate the blameless, but the upright seek his well-being. So righteous people attempt to care for other righteous people. As we know, the early church was known for its care for those in need, for the poor widows, the orphans and all. But the righteous are always seeking to help the righteous. Verse 11, a fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back. This is one of those good scriptures. They're all good, obviously, but this is a good one. A fool vents all his feelings. Just kind of like he has a temper that has a fuse that's like a half an inch long and gets upset. Before you know it, he's just giving you a piece of his mind. And that's an old saying, I'm going to give you a piece of my mind. Well, the problem is, is you've given so many people pieces of your mind. You don't have a mind anymore. You've lost your mind, you know, but a fool vents all his feelings. Wisdom is demonstrated by self-control. And even when you're angry, choose your words carefully, because once they're out of your mouth, you can't retrieve them. So choose your words carefully. Proverbs 15, 28, the heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil. Proverbs 17, 27, he who has knowledge spares his words. A man of understanding is of a calm spirit. And so even if you're uptight, choose your words as carefully as you can. Verse 12, if a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked. Now, that's an interesting one. How do we see this? Well, one, when it says if a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked. One, people can lie about his servants and it can make him distrust them. So he's paying attention to lies and the servant becomes wicked. Or two, if he's given to flattery, his servants will lie to him to satisfy his ego. And so his servants become wicked. He pays attention to lies. Or third, the servants become wicked because they simply follow his lead. And very often, that's true. The leader sets the tone and people will learn how to act on the job site by watching the ones who've been there the longest. They'll especially watch the boss or the supervisors because as they watch them, they get an idea of what may or may not be acceptable on that job site. And so if they see that that person is an ungodly, lying type person, they're going to discover that the environment there doesn't seem to know the difference between truth and lies. And so lies are acceptable and it basically becomes the way everything is done in that work environment. So there are different applications to this. Verse 13, the poor man and the oppressor have this in common. The Lord gives light to the eyes of both. So the Lord giving light is another way of saying that the Lord gives them their lives. They have both been given life. They both stand before the one who gave them life. Like it says in 1 Peter 4, verse 5, they will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. So the Lord gave us life. We have to give to him an account of how we use that life. Verse 14, the king who judges the poor with truth, his throne will be established forever. So moral character determines the length of rulership and that's why the kingdom of God will go on forever. Like it says in Revelation 11, 15, there were loud voices in heaven saying the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever. Verse 15, the rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. Isn't that true? I could talk about that for a moment. I will. A child left to himself brings shame to his mother. What's this an encouragement to? It's an encouragement to, and in this case, it's mama. It's an encouragement for mamas to be involved in the life of the child and to bring discipline into that child's life because he's saying if she ignores his need for correction and ultimately what happens is this child will, she produces will be an embarrassment to the family and things like this. And I think I should share a little bit about this. Things like this always touch my heart because the society that we're living in today, the time we're living in today has so many different pressures and there are so many mamas who are single moms and there are so many mamas who because of financial pressures have had to enter into the workforce. And so I would never want anybody who is in that situation to ever feel condemned by this pulpit or by this pastor. My heart goes out to you and to the single fathers for that matter, but this is for for mamas. And I know that that's a difficult place to be and I've seen it and it is a very difficult thing. When you have opportunity and the ability to bring correction, when you have the ability to do so, then it's of utmost importance for you to do it even if it's difficult. And sometimes you'll feel guilty because my goodness, I haven't seen you most of the day and here I am having to correct you. I don't want to do that and and that's a very real thing. But the fact is if you leave a child without discipline, he ultimately or she ultimately will grow up to make some pretty poor choices. And ultimately also what happens is there's a shame that comes to your heart, not only of what the child has done, but you can feel a personal accountability because of the neglect that you feel that you have shown to the discipline and raisin of the child. That's not an easy thing to do. It never has been and never will be. But we need to be careful and diligent because fact is, is that we only have a certain amount of time to to really encourage our children in the basic things and and so we need to learn to value those moments and to take those opportunities as they're given to us. You know when I grew up, it was unusual for for a mom to work outside of the home. The home produced enough work for her to keep her busy all the time. But it was unusual for a mom to have a job outside of the home. But my mom did work outside of the home. So matter of fact, in our neighborhood, and you have to understand this is ancient history, this is back in the 50s before it was very common in our neighborhood, there were only there was only one mom that I knew who worked outside of the home and it was my own. So I was left alone. I was I was alone from the time I was pre before I was 10 years old. I was home. And I was watching my two younger sisters from the time I was less than 10 years old. And so I had a sister I have two sisters one is four years younger than me the other is six years younger than I am. And I would come home from school. And at a certain point, I would be the one who ultimately was given the responsibility of watching my kid my my my kids sisters and all. And so, you know, I got this pressure on me for at a very early age to have to carry responsibilities that I didn't feel were really mine. I even felt they were unfair to be put on me to be told watch your sister and make sure they do this and that it was I didn't have a childhood, you know, and I resented it I did. And so when I finally had the ability to go out and do what I wanted to do. I was I was a hellraiser I that at 15 I started to drink at 16 I was doing drugs and and I just went off the deep end I said, you know, no more pressure for me take care of yourself. I'm going to do what I want. I gave up my youth and that's the way I thought I gave up my childhood to be a babysitter father figure to these two girls when when mama you went to work not because you had to but because you just wanted to get out of the house. And so there was resentment in my heart for my mom. And it took a long time for the Lord to really work in me to the point where I actually just accepted what is is move on and don't be stayed in the past and just leave it alone. And mama said to me, son, I am so sorry for you forgive me when she got saved. And I said, mama, yes, of course, it's under the blood. Let's move on. And that's the way it is. And that's that that's a fact. But you need to be aware that and this is what the scripture is saying a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. He's saying we need to correct and discipline our children. And and that's a real good thing for you to do when you're in a restaurant too, by the way, because there's so much crazy stuff that goes on in restaurants now with kids eating off your plate and they're not yours. Verse 16, when the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases, but the righteous will see their fall. When evil men thrive, wickedness thrives and wickedness can spread. And wickedness usually comes through ideas that are that are embraced by others and popularized and and and have been evangelized. But the evil man dies and they will die along with their ideas. But God's truth, well, God's truth lives forever. God's truth is ultimately vindicated. Verse 17, correct your son and he will give you rest. Yes, he will give delight to your soul. Again, discipline children are a joy to their parents. And that's true. Verse 18, where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint. Happy is he who keeps the law. Now, I think one of one of one of the versions says where there's no vision, the people perish, right? Do you have that one? How many of you have that? Where there's no vision, the people perish. That's a common translation. It's speaking of revelation and where there's no revelation, the people cast off restraint. So the speaker, speaking of revelation, divine communication is speaking of God's word being presented to people. It's a divine communication. And he's saying divine communication produces righteous people. And so that's why it's important, by the way, that's why it's important for the word of God to go forth. And I could speak on this longer than I should because we're having communion tonight. And I'm having to be aware of that. But I will tell you this, I was reading something on Facebook. Why do I read Facebook? I don't know. But I do. I do. And I was, I was reading something on Facebook where one of the brothers, the pastor had said, he had said something like, preachers shouldn't be prowling around the stage giving stories. I knew what he meant. Every pastor should know what he means. You know, it's not my job to entertain you with energetic gyrations on the stage. You know, to wander over here, I always ignore the people on the wings. You've noticed it, haven't you? That's why some of you sit there. But I know you're there. You know, but there are some who are very entertaining and they can draw you in and all and they'll tell the stories. And a lot of people like stories. A lot of people like stories. I mean, that's just, that's human nature and all. And Jesus would use parables very often to capture the imagination of the listeners so he could give them spiritual truth. But here's the thing. If you only give stories and you have energetic presentations, the only thing people walk away with is the entertainment value and the story that you gave. And so it's important to realize that you're not there to entertain. The minister is there to train. And the way you train is through God's Word. And the Bible makes it clear. Paul had made it clear to Timothy that in the last days, people will no longer endure healthy teaching. And so what we have today is we have in many places people who are incapable of listening to a Bible study that goes longer than 15 minutes. And that Bible study had better be entertaining or else they'll be bored. And in church, pastors will say to you that one of the worst things you can have in church is a board congregation. They'll say, I never know if you're bored or not. You're always quiet. So I know you're not all asleep, but what is going to give you the ability to live a blessed life? It'll be rightfully applying God's Word to your situations. That's how you'll be blessed in life. That's where it comes from. It's taking in the Word, applying the Word, and watching God honor his Word. So one of the brothers on Facebook said, I like stories. You know, and you probably do. The person who said that, I hope you're watching right now. You probably do. Let me tell you a story. No, you probably do. But a fine teacher once said, all stories produce is dull-minded sheep who are addicted to stories. And that's true. Dull-minded sheep who are addicted to stories. Tell me a story. Tell me a story. Tell me a story. Well, illustrations help to make the point, and illustrations ought to be given. And when the Scripture has come alive and alive and it can be used as an illustration, that's a good thing. But as the Scripture says, where there's no revelation, the people cast off restraint. The people are without direction and they're not under authority. And so happy is the person who keeps the law. In other words, when God's Word is divided, it produces a biblically literate and a holy people. And when God's Word is communicated, it should be done so with the authority of heaven. And it's God's Word that gives us the ability to live a pure life. Like it says in Psalm 119 verse 9, how can a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to your Word? And so when there's no Word, there's a lot of sin. Verse 19, a servant will not be corrected by mere words, though he understands he will not respond. And so even though he understands, he disobeys. And for him, reason and persuasion are useless because he doesn't want to listen. And so he only responds to harsh correction because he doesn't want to obey. Verse 20, do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. That's an interesting proverb. He's saying fools are easier to train than a person who quickly shoots off their mouth. In Proverbs 17, 27, he who has knowledge spares his words. A man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Verse 21, he who pampers his servant from childhood will have him as a son in the end. Treat your servants with love and gentleness that develops love for you and loyalty to you. Verse 22, an angry man stirs up strife. A furious man abounds in transgression. A man who gets angry easy causes a lot of pain and a lot of frustration. Proverbs 17, 19, he who loves a quarrel loves sin. He who builds a high gate invites destruction. And so an angry man stirs up strife. We know this. We've seen this. And when somebody's furious, there's a lot of sin that takes place. Verse 23, a man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. Humility brings exaltation, honor, and respect. Remember Proverbs 18, 12, before destruction, the heart of a man is haughty, before honor is humility. God loves you and God will humble you. And sometimes when the Lord humbles you, it humbles you. I mean, what else is there to say? Sometimes you can feel like, oh, so stupid. I mean, I've shared this before. It's when the Lord was trying to teach me something. I was at an event with Raul and a couple of other pastors. And I was seated in the general audience. And this is many, many years ago now, but I was in the general audience with the people that had come to hear Raul. And when Raul got up in the stage, he was starting to speak. And I was seated next to these two young ladies. And this is where the Lord really started teaching me about this. And and and Raul began to introduce the people who had come with him. And so I thought, oh, because he said, I like to introduce and he introduced somebody. I said, oh, he's introducing us. And I thought this in my heart. I thought, oh, they are they're going to be impressed in a minute when he calls me and asked me to stand up. They're going to realize they were standing next to me. I actually thought that I did. And so Raul goes to everybody and forgets to mention me. And and the Lord said, I'll never forget the sense of the voice of the Lord to my heart where he said, oh, you're really important, aren't you? You you really impressed them, didn't you? I'll never forget that. I'll never forget that. The Lord has a way of putting you in your place and just accept it because it's good. It teaches you not to demand that which isn't yours. And when he decides to put you in a place of honor, it's not something you expected and you're humbled by it. Be aware of that because there are quite a number of people who like to brag about themselves, their accomplishments and how good they are. And that's not something that the Lord is pleased with. So we need to understand that humility brings exaltation, honor and respect. Verse 24, whoever is a partner with the thief hates his own life. He swears to tell the truth but reveals nothing. So being an accomplice to someone who's lying and stealing, well, it brings repercussions. So be aware of that. Verse 25, the fear of man brings a snare. Whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. You know, the fear of man, when you're afraid to go against the group's opinions, you're actually a slave to that group's opinions. Be aware of that because there are people in the body of Christ who keep their mouth closed when people are saying things that you disagree with because you don't want to cause conflict or problems. There are times that you need to open your mouth, then share the truth. Do it in love, do it with wisdom, don't do it there against, and certainly don't try to provoke in a belligerent way an argument, but be willing to stand up and speak because the fear of man does bring a snare. But when you trust in the Lord, you know the Lord is with you and he gives you words to speak. Verse 26, many seek the ruler's favor, but justice for man comes from the Lord. Man doesn't always judge properly, but God does, and his proper judgment will come after you die. And so be aware of that. God is a just judge. And finally, an unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way up is an abomination to the wicked. There'll always be contention between righteousness and ungodliness. Our lifestyles are simply two different, and there will always be a contention. There will always be a difference. I want to live at peace with all men, and Paul taught us as much as lies within you to do so. And long before I was a pastor, I had strong feelings about what was right and wrong because I've been studying and teaching Scripture. And I found that there were times when if I would open my mouth in a class or whatever, that there was going to be a response. And I discovered again, like you have, a long time ago, that there will always be contention between light and darkness. It's just inevitable. It's just inevitable. That's part of the reason why some people just don't want to open their mouth because they don't want to have contention. Again, don't pick fights and don't come off arrogantly and don't have any kind of attitude that is improper. But don't be surprised either when your mom disagrees with you or your dad gets angry or grandma gets mad or your neighbor disagrees or somebody that you work with thinks that you're just one of those weird fanatics. Don't be surprised. There will always be contention between light and dark. There always will be. But just make sure in your heart that you do the best that you can in the Lord, just be honorable before him and to love people enough to tell him the truth. But don't be surprised when somebody disagrees and they do. And it may be your own husband, your own wife, your own children, your own mom, your own dad, your grandmother, people you love the most, very often will be the ones who contend against you the hardest. Don't be surprised. That's what happens.