Fools

Text: Luke 11:37-54

 

I.         We see fools all around us,

            A.        But no one wants to be thought of as a fool

                        1.         (1995) In Wesley Chapel, Florida, Joseph Aaron, 20, While repairing a car, found he needed to bore a hole in the pipe. When he couldn't find a drill, he tried to shoot a hole in it. He was hit in the leg with pieces of the bullet that ricocheted.

            B.        We will go to great lengths to avoid doing foolish things.

                        1.         (1996) Ontario - A man cleaning a bird feeder on his balcony of his condominium apartment in this Toronto suburb slipped and fell 23 stories to his death, police said Monday. Stefan Macko, 55, was standing on a wheeled chair Sunday when the accident occurred, said Inspector Arcy Honer of the Peel regional police. It appears the chair moved and he went over the balcony, Honer said. One of those freak accidents. No foul play is suspected.

            C.        Yet we so often do things that are just plain dumb.

            D.        If we only thought about it some more. If we only knew a little bit more about the situation.

            E.        The Bible, especially the book of Proverbs, has much to say about foolishness.

II.        A fool doesn’t want to learn - Proverbs 1:22

            A.        It isn’t that he is incapable of learning. He just doesn’t see the need.

            B.        He will despise good advice. He rejects correction - Proverbs 15:5

            C.        He may act like he is listening, but because nothing changes, we know he hasn’t truly listened - Matthew 7:26-27

            D.        He ends up going through life in darkness - Ecclesiastes 2:14

            E.        Inevitably, the fool reveals his foolishness - Proverbs 13:16

III.       A fool is more interested in saying his piece

            A.        He is not interested in understanding. He just wants the opportunity to spout off - Proverbs 18:2

            B.        Once his mouth starts flapping, we know there is nothing of substance there - Proverbs 12:23

            C.        A fool’s native language is folly - Proverbs 15:2

            D.        Because he doesn’t have anything worth saying, he makes up for the lack of content with many words - Ecclesiastes 5:3

IV.      Because a fool doesn’t use his reason, he is often lead by his emotions

            A.        He trusts his emotions - Proverbs 28:26

            B.        He focuses on pleasures - Ecclesiastes 7:4

            C.        He acts self-confident and is easily angered - Proverbs 14:16

            D.        He is quick to be angered - Ecclesiastes 7:9

            E.        You see, anger is an easier response than reasoning - Proverbs 20:3

            F.        He picks fights - Proverbs 18:6-7

            G.        Though easily angered, he hides his feelings, using backstabbing to accomplish his ends - Proverbs 10:18

V.        A fool is arrogant

            A.        He mocks sin - Proverbs 14:9

                        1.         He doesn’t truly believe that something is sinful or that he guilty of sin

                        2.         He makes a mockery of the seriousness of sin

            B.        Committing sin is like a sport to the fool - Proverbs 10:23

            C.        He may act religious, but he doesn’t live the proper life - Luke 11:39-40

VI.      Fools are convinced that there is no God - Ps 53:1-3

            A.        They decided not to retain the knowledge of God - Romans 1:20-22

            B.        It is not that the evidence is not there, but the fool would rather believe the world exists without God.

            C.        Why be such a fool?