This week we will be looking into the call to come to our senses. Wise choices will change your destination as to where you spend your eternity. Coming to our senses means we would move away from being senseless to being sensible. Senseless means lacking common sense; wildly foolish.” Websters describes it this way. “Destitute of, deficient in, or contrary to sense such as foolish or stupid.” The opposite is sensible which pertains to wisdom. One definition describes sensible as “a statement or course of action chosen in accordance with wisdom or prudence; likely to be of benefit.” Coming to our senses before God is far more serious than the use of the word sensible when describing your clothing choices or what kind of car you drive. You may hear someone say that was a sensible choice. While it may be beneficial to be driving a fuel-efficient car at this point, that is not a life and death use of sensibility (an awareness of something). The benefit of being sensible before God is eternal life.
Many people use the phrase “make wise choices.” The problem is most people don’t seek God’s for wisdom and direction nor do they wait for His answer even if they had prayed. We’ve all done that where we pray, and then carry out our own plans. Scripture tells us to gain wisdom as we read in Proverbs yesterday. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12:12 “Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. 13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Proverbs 1:1 “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; 3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Proverbs 3:13 “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding,” Proverbs 4:7 “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. 10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. 13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. 14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. 13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. 14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.” Proverbs 9 tells us we either follow wisdom or folly. If you follow wisdom, eternal life but if you follow folly 18 little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.” Wisdom and folly are both calling out to you; be careful who you listen to.
The lost son unfortunately listened to folly. He finally came to his senses but only after he squandered everything he had because he did not make wise choices. He just wanted to be free to do whatever he wanted but in the end was captive to his poverty. Luke 15:13 The son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living and 14 he spent everything. His jealous brother summed his life up by saying 30 this son of yours has squandered your property with prostitutes. The wisest thing the lost son said was Luke 15:18 “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.” His senseless choices cost him everything he had but he did not lose his life as so many have by making unwise choices. Many have wasted their lives and do not ever repent.
Solomon wrote those words above but did not adhere to them and he himself was senseless. 1 Kings 11:9 “The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.” Like so many, Solomon who had built the temple and a palatial palace did not build on a solid foundation. The son thought he had money to burn, and he also did not build on a solid foundation. When talking about the false prophets, Ezekiel said Ezekiel 13:10 “‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?” 13 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. 15 So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.” Jesus also said Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
The church has built a flimsy wall on the sand, thinking it was solid but as we have seen with this pandemic, the church was exposed as powerless. Most people even with this pandemic will not turn from their wicked ways and in arrogance will keep going on their own paths. As we saw yesterday, King Nebuchadnezzar was proud of his kingdom. Daniel 4:30 “He said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.” It was all taken from him until he repented. The lost son was living the high life until he ran out of money and had to wallow with the pigs. In both these cases they came to their senses and the wisest choice they could make was to repent. When you understand that God is sovereign, you quickly realize that as King Nebuchadnezzar said Daniel 4:34 “His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” Wisdom would tell you that you control nothing, and God can change your life in an instant. You can also go your own way to your own demise just like the lost son until he could go no lower. Many people are now on this journey, and many will continue down the wrong path, only to find the dead are there. The wise thing to do would be to repent and seek God but many will keep going in the wrong direction thinking all is well, until it is not.
Be wise and choose life; don’t be a fool and continue down a path to death. Jeremiah 5:21 “Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: 22 Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord. “Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. 23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away. 24 They do not say to themselves, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’ 25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good.” Be sensible. Repent and live!
