Proverbs 4:20-27

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 117
• Prayer of Intercession
• Scripture Reading — Proverbs 4:20-27
• Sermon
• Benediction

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Sermon Title: The Wise Heart and Its Effect on the Tongue, Eyes, and Feet

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27

I. The Wise Heart and the Tongue

A. Proverbs 4:24 — Put away crooked speech and devious talk B. As one speaks, so he is — the tongue reflects the heart

1. Matthew 15:17-18 — What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart
2. James 3:2 — If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man C. Derek Kidner: superficial habits of talk react on the mind and harden into established habits of thought D. Wisdom is cultivated through wise habits and practices, not passive waiting
3. Colossians 3:9 — Put off the old self with its practices
4. The Greek word for virtue carries the idea of good and right habits E. Practical application: examine default habits of the tongue — what triggers crooked speech?

II. The Wise Heart and the Eyes

A. Proverbs 4:25 — Let your eyes look directly forward and your gaze be straight B. Wise habits steer the eyes just as they steer the tongue

1. David's fall begins with abandoned kingly habits — 2 Samuel 11:1 — David remained in Jerusalem when kings go out to battle, leading to lust and adultery
2. Eve in the garden — Genesis 3:6 — she saw the tree as a delight only after her heart was turned from God's word to the serpent's lie C. The eyes follow where the heart believes satisfaction is found
3. Sin is rooted not merely in lust but in believing the serpent's false promises of satisfaction
4. Advertisement culture exploits this — attaching a vision of the good life to every product D. The goal is not merely avoiding sin but hating it — having a heavenward heart so focused that temptation is reprehensible
5. Matthew 5:29 — if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out (practical steps: filters, accountability)
6. Joseph and Potiphar's wife — he did not linger and converse but fled
7. True freedom comes from seeing God's promises as satisfying and the world's promises as lies

III. The Wise Heart and the Feet

A. Proverbs 4:26-27 — Ponder the path of your feet; do not swerve to the right or left B. The key word is ponder — weighing options, thinking carefully about which paths to walk C. Our culture is an unthinking culture — drawn to slogans, bumper stickers, and simplistic paths

1. Both secular and evangelical worlds are infected with the notion that truth must be instantly simple
2. 1 Corinthians 14:20 — Do not be children in your thinking; in your thinking be mature D. The path of the fool is mindless; the path of the wise is mind-full
3. Mature preaching engages the mind and draws hearers to Scripture — it is not a Christian slogan
4. Our feet follow our minds — childish thinking leads to foolish paths; godly thinking leads to wisdom