Am I A Fool?

1. Fool: A person lacking in judgment; without reason; a reckless and inconsiderate habit of mind. Am I A Fool? Two Ways of Viewing: 1. Eyes of Man 2. Eyes of God

2. In the Eyes of Man Lifestyle of a Christian is Foolish For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. (1 Peter 4:3-4) Abstain from pre-marital or extra-marital sex Abstain from alcohol, tobacco, & other drugs Abstain from dancing, immodesty, & filthy language Do not cheat your employees or employers Faithfully serve & worship God Preaching of the Cross

3. In the Eyes of God Human Wisdom Is Foolish For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Cor. 1:18-25)

4. In the Eyes of God Human Wisdom Is Foolish God allowed humanity to walk in their own ways (Acts 14:16; Rom. 1:21-32; Acts 17:23) Who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. (Acts 14:16) For as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you. (Acts 17:23)

5. In the Eyes of God Human Wisdom Is Foolish The Gospel is NOT another philosophy: 1. From the Nature of Those Who Accept the Call For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” (1 Cor. 1:26-31)

6. In the Eyes of God Human Wisdom Is Foolish The Gospel is NOT another philosophy: 1. From the Nature of Those Who Accept the Call 2. From the Different Style of Delivery of the Gospel And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Cor. 2:1-5)

7. In the Eyes of God Unbelief is Foolish - Atheism The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God…” (Psalm 14:1) For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Rom. 1:20-21) As the host of heaven cannot be numbered… (Jer.33:22) Hipparchus (128 B.C.) – 1026 stars Tyco Brahe (1575 A.D.) – 777 stars Ptolemy (150 A.D.) – 1056 stars Kepler (1600 A.D.) – 1005 stars Australian National University (2003) – 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

8. In the Eyes of God Foolish to Blame God for Troubles “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. (Job 1:21-22; 2:10) God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-- the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31) Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (Jas. 1:17)

9. In the Eyes of God Foolish to Blame God for Troubles But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. (Genesis 2:17) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- (Romans 5:12) Who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted and became like water. (Joshua 7:5) For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. (1 Cor. 15:21) Sin is the Cause of Afflictions and Troubles

10. In the Eyes of God Foolish to Make Alliances With Evil Ones At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” (2 Chron. 16:7-9) For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” (1 Cor. 1:19) Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish. (Isaiah 29:14)

11. In the Eyes of God Foolish to Speak Evil of Christians Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. (1 Peter 2:11-15)

12. In the Eyes of God Foolish to Trust in Money But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20) So, because you are lukewarm-- neither hot nor cold-- I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. (Rev. 3:16-19)

13. In the Eyes of God Foolish to Trust in Money But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. (1 Tim. 6:9-11) Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (1 Tim. 6:17-19)

14. In the Eyes of God Foolish to be Lifted Up with Pride Foolish to go to the Old Testament for Salvation Foolish Not to Obey God Foolish Not to be Ready When the Lord Returns