A heart that devises
wicked purposes
1)
Another lawsuit has been filed, this time against
Wal-Mart Stores inc.
2)
Most of us have heard about this case—it involves a man
who was trampled to death month.
3)
This man was an independent contractor assigned to
cover security.
4)
On November 28th shoppers broke down doors
and surged into a Wal-Mart about 5 AM.
5)
I have heard it said this should be regarded as an
isolated incident.
6)
It has been said this was an unusual case since there were
no similar instances anywhere in the
7)
This statement is technically true, but it does not
accurately reflect the full account of what happened.
8) Not many of the news sources
I heard emphasized that several employees were knocked to the ground.
9)
Did we hear about the employees who had to jump on top
of vending machines to avoid the mob?
10) Was the injured and pregnant
mother (8 months by the way) interviewed on many national news shows?
11) Were
we told that the crowd took doors off the hinges in the stampede?
12) It
is estimated there were some 2,000 people in this crowd and the people turned
into a mob.
a)
No one else may have been killed in this event, but
other stores faced a gang like mentality.
b) Everyone likes a good deal, but
there is a difference between a bargain hunting and acting
like an animal.
c)
Less than a month ago, people did act like animals.
13) Last
week we studied an expression from Prov. 6.
14) We
noted how God says He hates a heart that “devises wicked purposes.”
15) This
thought is expressed in different ways by some well known translations.
a)
The NKJV says “a heart that devises wicked plans.”
b)
The NIV says “a heart that devises wicked schemes.”
c)
A paraphrase says “plotting evil.”
16) We
can understand the writer’s point and we can give many illustrations of it.
17) Last
week we related this type of heart (mind) to pornography.
18) There
is a heart problem for those who create, promote and buy this product.
19) Today
we want to look at things in a slightly different way.
20) We want to contrast two
stories in the Bible, one from the Old Testament and one from the New
Testament.
21) These
stories are different, but they do have something in common: Selfishness.
a)
When we think about people devising an evil plan, there
is always a reason for it.
b)
At least one reason exists for people to plot and carry
out evil.
c)
A person may be angry with someone so they devise an
evil scheme.
d)
Evil plans are made so people can get something –
perhaps money.
e)
Others have planned out some type of evil to extract
revenge upon someone.
f)
Others make or participate in evil plans because of selfishnesss.
22) What
happened at the Wal-mart last month is a superb
example of selfishness.
a)
When shoppers rip the doors off of a retail store, we
might think the place is on fire.
b) There was no fire or
calamity – about 2000 people thought:
“There are bargains here and I want them.”
i)
When people are self-centered they will devise and
eagerly participate in wicked plans.
c)
In some cases the plans may be well thought out –
people plan for days, weeks, month and years.
d)
In other cases, people may be caught in something on
the spur of the moment such as Wal-mart
1)
Today we see cases where people lie, kill, steal,
cheat, and threaten to get what they want.
2)
Selfishness goes hand in hand with evil plans..
3) The Bible reflects this
truth in many different places and as already indicated we want to study 2
examples.
4)
Our first story is found in Gen. 4, a text that tells
us about some of man’s early history.
5)
Gen. 4 tells us about Cain and Abel and the writer says
Abel had died.
a)
God steps into the picture and asks Cain where his
brother was.
b)
Cain knew the answer to this question because he had
killed Abel.
c) Even though Cain knew full
well what had happened, he said to God, “I know not” (Cain lied to God).
d)
Then Cain said:
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”
e)
We know that God was not pleased with Cain.
f)
1 Jn. 3:12 says Cain was “of the evil one.” Jude (verse 11) speaks of “the way of Cain.”
g)
Cain devised a fulfilled wicked plan involving Abel and
God was very displeased with him.
h)
God was so unhappy with Cain He spoke of it thousands
of years later in the New Testament.
i)
Part of Cain’s problem was selfishness.
j)
We see this in the number of times he said “I” when
speaking with God.
6)
See if you can count all the times he said “I” and “me”
when speaking with God as I read some verses.
7)
Gen. 4:9 is the first text – READ
8)
Now verse 13 from this chapter – READ
9)
Verse 14 – READ
10) Because
this man was selfish he engaged in one of the worst possible crimes: murder.
11) Cain
did not kill a stranger; he killed his own brother.
12) People
may not think selfishness as all that serious of a sin.
13) They
may not think that it will cause them to devise wicked imaginations as we find
in Prov. 6.
14) Selfishness
has moved untold thousands to plot and engage in evil.
15) Let’s
keep this example in mind and move to our second example in the New
Testament—Mt. 19.
a)
Matthew tells us there was a man who came to see Jesus
(Mt. 19:16).
b) In looking at this verse we
are reminded of how Jesus must have lived a very fascinating type of life.
c)
He met up with all kinds of people—He met people who
had various types of jobs.
d)
He met up with the rich, the poor, the educated and
those who had received little schooling.
e)
He met people who were sick and those who were healthy.
f)
He met individuals who were mentally stable and some
who were not.
g)
On this occasion Jesus met a man who had a strong
desire for God.
16) This
man asked Jesus what needed to be “done” to inherit eternal life.
17) If Jesus were like the
preachers of today He would have said “nothing.
You believe & that is enough.”
18) Jesus
said faith alone would not save this man.
This fellow had to demonstrate his faith.
19) Let’s
start with verse 17 – READ
20) This
man listened to the Lord’s word and then asked a question.
21) We
may not fully know why he asked this question, but we do know what he asked.
22) Verse
18 – READ
a)
This man said he had done all these things (verse 20).
b)
Jesus did not disagree with this fellow; He implied the
man had been doing these things.
c)
There was something he had not yet been willing to do –
verse 21 – READ
d)
This man was willing to honor God and do many other
things.
e)
He was, however, a little too close to his money.
f)
For him, money was too high a priority. His money was more important than God.
23) Jesus
put this man to a test and the man failed.
24) Jesus
said sell what you have and follow me.
25) Jesus
gave this man a choice: would He select
the Lord Jesus Christ or his wealth?
26) Jesus
was asking this man if he would be selfish or selfless.
27) The
man understood he could not have both so he decided to keep his money.
28) Here
is a man whose heart was gripped by covetousness and he chose selfishness.
29) He
wanted what he wanted for his life and not what God wanted.
30) This
man had to make a plan for his life and there were only two possible choices.
31) He
was called on to take a course of action and he did.
32) This
fellow did not plot evil in the sense of someone who wants revenge.
33) He
was trying to plan his life around having God and living for himself (keeping
what he treasured).
34) Here
is a man who tried to be halfway in the world and half way in the church.
35) Jesus’
response to this fellow was very clear and this man understood his plan would
not work.
36) Listen
to what we find in Mt.19:22 – READ.
37) As
God’s people we may rarely if ever fall into the kind of sin described in Gen.
4.
a)
We may never plot to rob a bank, plan to kill someone,
or do something else society abhors.
b)
We may avoid these kinds of things we can feel pretty
good about ourselves.
c)
We can mentally check off all the terrible sins we
never plot to do.
38) Avoiding
the “way of Cain” (the expression used by Jude) is good and right.
39) If
this is where we stop, we fall far short of the goal God wants for us.
40) Our
heart can still devise wicked plans.
41) People
can try to figure out how to have a divided life.
42) That
is, they will seek a way to have their faith (Christianity) plus live like the
world.
a)
Lots of folks “want the best of both worlds” and think
they can make this type of life work.
b)
This is not new – the nation of
c)
Christians have also tried to live in this way.
d)
Do we remember Rev. 3:15-16?
e)
Jesus spoke to the Christians of Laodecia.
f)
He said they were neither “hot or
cold.”
43) Here
were brethren who did not want to be “cold” (they did not want to turn away
from the faith).
44) These
Christians knew that turning away from the faith would be a very bad choice.
45) However,
they also did not want to be “hot.”
46) If
they chose to be “hot,” they would be living far different from how the world
lives.
47) These
Christians devised a plan – they decided on what we might call a “middle of the
road” view.
48) These
brethren may not have realized it, but they had devised a wicked thing in their
heart.
49) The
Proverb writer said God “hates” this way of life.
50) The
Christians in Rev. 3 told that God was pretty displeased with them.
51) Here
is what we find in Rev. 3:16 – READ
52) Human
beings can be some pretty crafty creatures.
53) There
is a subtle but strong temptation to try to serve God but also live as the
world lives.
54) Millions
have thought they could somehow blend these two things together and all would
be fine.
55) God
says this will not work. It has been
tried time after time and it has always failed.
a)
Satan tried this very temptation with the Lord in the
wilderness.
b)
Satan implied that Jesus could worship him and have all
the kingdoms of the world.
c)
The devil was offering Jesus a “mixed bag” – sin plus religion.
d)
Jesus later met people who wanted to join these same
two things together.
56) Think
back to one of the verses read before we started this material.
57) Lk. 9:59 says Jesus met up with a man and said “follow me.”
a)
This man was willing to do that; he said he would
become a follower of Christ.
b)
Before becoming a follower, he said something else had
to be done “first.”
c)
He had to “bury his dead father.”
d) Then Luke includes a second
example of someone else (Lk. 9:61) – he needed to go
say “goodbye.”
58) What
was the issue with these men?
59) It was not that Jesus went
to a funeral home and tried to find disciples among those who were grieving.
60) Jesus
did not mean it is wrong to tell people “goodbye.”
61) Jesus
found men who had divided loyalties.
62) These
men had some interest in spiritual things.
63) They
were also closely tied to the things of this life and they wanted a divided
life.
64) Jesus
showed by His actions that time needs to be taken out for marriages and
funerals.
65) There
is a time to eat, sleep, have some recreation, and do all the other things that
are part of life.
66) When
someone has a divided loyalty, the bottom line is that they have plotted evil.
67) They
have decided, perhaps secretly, to have a commit to God and a commitment to the
world.
68) This
type of life will fail every single time.
Jesus once said a man cannot serve two masters.
69) This
was correct 2,000 years ago and it is still right today.
70) As
we assemble here this morning, how many masters are we trying to serve?