The words of Agur show the reality of the state of man before an all-knowing God. Where pride stops is where true wisdom begins.
Proverbs 30: The Words of Agur
1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.
2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.
3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know!
5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die:
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9 lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
10 Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
11 There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.
13 There are those---how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!
14 There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind.
15 The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough":
16 Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, "Enough."
17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.
18 Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin.
20 This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I have done no wrong."
21 Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:
22 a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food;
23 an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.
24 Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise:
25 the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27 the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;
28 the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces.
29 Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride:
30 the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any;
31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him.
32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.
33 For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.
Things to think about…
1. Do you ever feel like Agur in Prov 30:1-3? Weary, stupid and lacking knowledge? I do, often. But I believe at times, this can be a God blessed state. Acknowledging the truth regardless of what it feels like is an important part of keeping personal integrity before God and others. Agur has some understanding of what he doesn’t know. This is a place of humility that the Lord can use to bless. What has been the greatest learning curve the Lord has shown you on your Christian journey?
2. Agur comments in Prov 30:4 that all of this is impossible. And yet we know that the Lord’s Son’s name is Jesus. How blessed we are to know God in this way. He is a personal, knowable and gracious Saviour.
3. Agur knows his own heart, Prov 30:7-9. He does not say that stealing is beyond him to feed himself, so he asks God to give him enough to live on. But more than this, not to give him too much, lest he forget God. Surely this is our problem as well. In Australia we live in abundance. I think even as Christians we can wane in our reliance God due to our abundance.
4. Have another look at Agur’s ‘There are those..’ Prov 30:11-14. What is the common theme here? What a grief it is when any of these characteristics are on display in the Christian. Let’s be killing them off before they kill us.
5. Enough! Enough! Prov 30:15&16 - The grave, the barren womb, drought and a raging fire all have a longing that is never filled. Under God’s blessing we have the authority and blessing in any of these situations? The fires of hardship burn away the dross of pride and independence. In the case of a baren womb I have personally seen the testimony of godly couples that after years of desperately wanting a child have resigned themselves to the Lord’s ultimate plan and have seen an abundance of spiritual children be born as a result of their witness. Christ, John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul did not have children of the flesh, but have been blessed with children who will rule and reign with them in eternity.
6. Men, check out Prov 30:18 and 19. Those of you who are married, I trust your way with your wife is still the same as when you first fell in love with her at the first. Does she still feel treasured? Why don’t you ask her? Prov 30:21-23 are in contrast with vss 18 -20. May you have eyes and a heart only for your wife! My encouragement is make sure humour, spice and some fun especially tailored for her becomes a big part of your marriage.
7. Prov 30:24-28 speak of the 4 small wise things. Think of your faith. Though small, it can be used to bless others and even move mountains. Like the lizard, we are found in the King’s palace! He is both our Brother and Saviour.
8. In Prov 30:29-31 we see the noble pride that comes with identity. Are we with our King and His army keeping the line of discipline, unity and grace?
9. Let’s be humble enough to confess when and where we have been wrong, Prov 30:32 & 33. We know what happens when we do or say certain things, why would we ever want to cause division or hatred in the home, workplace or church. Let’s be wise enough to recognise the potential fire starters and put them out when they appear.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Title was “a healthy heart and mind” – Reading Phil 4:1-9
1. If you could describe what would make you perfectly content in this life, what would it be?
2. Euodia and Syntyche were having a disagreement. Paul asks that they “agree in the Lord”. What does this mean do you think? Discuss how this should apply in every church.
3. Read vs 8 and 9 again. How do you, or would you apply these things into your life? What are the distractions or limitations to making it happen?
4. The promise when we do is that the God of peace will be with us. Sow a thought, reap an action, sow an action, reap a habit, sow a habit, reap a character, sow a character, reap a destiny.
Prayer Points
1. The right choice for a full time Youth and Young Adults Pastor.
2. Doug and Joanne Horne as they prepare for the Celebration of Life service for Doug’s father.
3. Ministry leaders within the church.
4. Peace to rest over Ukraine.
5. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
6. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Quite a few young people and visitors on Sunday
2. Give thanks for Sam and Krystal Beatty – a wedding that honoured Christ, was a real joy to be part of.
3. Many returning back to full health.
4. Worship on Sunday – thankyou Beatty boys and Rosie Dunn looking after Kidz at Church, Maddie doing the words and maintaining her cool with the pastor’s dodgy slides. Fiona and Suzy in café always do a stellar job. Thankyou for those who welcomed at the door.
5. All those who faithfully serve in ministries, Worship, Sound/Technical/Kids Church/ Cell Groups/Admin - Bulletins/Finances/Property/Welcoming/Spiritual Leadership/Cafe
6. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Remember to check your duty rosters.
2. Members’ meeting 28th August after the morning service.
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism question for August...
Q. 7. What is hell? A. A place of dreadful and endless punishment & torment.
