How many times must you be told…

There is a way that appears to be right,

but in the end it leads to death. Prov 14:12 NIV

When I was a kid… I learned how to “read” my parents’

warnings about obedience…

 “how many times must you to told?”

 “I told you before…”
 “don’t you listen to what I say?”

These little phrases and many others… told me that my

parents weren’t really in a punishing mood,,, but they wanted
me to obey. When I heard…

 I’ve told you twice… there won’t be a 3rd warning.

This signaled the end of the “loving phase” and the threshold
of the “judgement/punishment” phase. Then, I began to
listen carefully and obey adequately to avoid the
consequences.

Contrary to what many think… God is loving… He is the

very essence of PERFECT LOVE.

At the same time… God is JUST… and He does punish

disobedience…so at some point His repeated warnings to us
end… and then… His JUST JUSTICE results.

So today we consider the importance of God’s loving and

just wisdom – which He gave to us in the Scriptures.

1
It was about 8am… three years ago today… I was
awakened from my sleep by a call from a friend of mine
saying that he had gone to his office and discovered the
body of a man laying in a pool of blood… and he was
virtually certain he was dead. “He’s cold Jim” the friend
said…”I think he’s gone.”

Edna and I also knew the dead man… so we quickly went to

the scene – to find many police cars and officers… the crime
scene tape – they were conducting a death investigation.

Initially, police told us that several things they observed in

the building had them considering that this may have been a
murder.

Unbeknownced to us…behind the scenes… Police had

already phoned the last number on the dead man’s cell
phone and asked that person what he knew about what
happened.

The guy they talked to had a criminal record… police weren’t

convinced by his story about the call he had had with the
victim earlier in the evening…was the full truth.

So police armed with a Warrant… sent detectives up into

Palm Beach County to find and interview the guy who last
spoken to the victim. They inspected his body for marks of a
fight or struggle and they required him to give a DNA sample
for testing later.

As all this was happening in the background… the crowd

grew outside this building… still waiting for police to tell us
what had happened……

2
About 12:30pm… the door opens… and the Coroner’s
officers began dragging a body-bag through the doorway
and into the waiting body-transport van.

There were no immediate answers EXCEPT – the guy DIED.

Now you see these things on TV all the time… and in 28 or

56 minutes depending on the length of the show… they will
knit the whole story together… and solve every case.

What makes this “CASE” different than the TV shows…was

the fact that the body dragged rather unceremoniously out of
the building and put in the back of the Coroners vehicle…

WAS MY SON!
I don’t mean to brag… but my son was virtually a
mathematical genius. Skilled as a Certified Aerospace
Micro-Machinist and programmer by NASA… he had made
parts for the Space Shuttle… and I supposed… parts he
made… are still on the International Space Station.

…but he was dead.

Enough… let’s change the subject for a moment… let’s
consider something less dark… how about a…

Trivia question:
that’s a much nicer than a murder investigation.

Question: How many of the Proverbs written in the Book of

Proverbs are repeated more than once? Do you have any
idea?

3
Proverbs is known as the Book of Wisdom… so how many
wise things do you suppose God felt it necessary to say
TWICE in His Word?

The answer is 6. One of them is our text for today. Here it

is:

There is a way that appears to be right,

but in the end it leads to death.
You will find this piece of Wisdom in Proverbs 14:12 and
again in Proverbs 16:25. God feels this Wisdom… let me
emphasize it… this Divine Wisdom… merits being
repeated… it is a “UNIVERSAL” Wisdom… a warning for us
all.

This Wisdom is important to all who are in a relationship with

the Lord Jesus Christ… as well as all those who do not
believe Jesus Christ.

We who believe in Jesus know He is God’s only begotten

Son who came to earth – lived a perfect life – and GAVE His
life as the sacrifice… to atone… for the sins of man… so that
man does not need to die… but rather, may enjoy eternal life
in the presence of God.

So… let’s get this clear… Whether you are a Christian… or,
a non-Christian… this verse of Wisdom is for both of us. It is
sufficiently important that God said it twice in His Word.

What do we see from this verse that impacts our lives today?

Everybody’s on their “way”…

 Just trying to survive…
4
  Just trying to make a living…
 Just trying to succeed… at work or relationship…
 Just trying to achieve our goals (assuming you have
some)…
 Life is like a mad expressway… so much traffic… so
many bumps, potholes and detours… you have to
keep your eyes on where you’re going… there’s no
time for “sight-seeing”….LIFE moves quickly…

What “way” are you traveling?

The choices are simple… YOUR WAY or GOD’S
WAY

 Your (SELF) way – concentrates on the PHYSICAL

ASPECTS of LIFE
o For the most part – you’re totally caught up in
the goals, challenges and struggles of your
“physical” life.
o God’s way – the SPIRITUAL LIFE – is finding
joy and meaning in all areas of life and living.

 It is important that you consider WHICH of these ways

you choose to live. You can’t live BOTH.

Matthew 6:24 (ESV)

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and
despise the other. You cannot serve God and money

.[a] Greek mammon = a Semitic word for money or possessions

Jesus said in John 10:10 “…I am come that they might

have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
5
This assurance however – isn’t for the self-focused… the
self-driven… the self-centered… it is for those who desire to
live God’s Way…

The 2-“ways” are not only different day-by-

day… they have different outcomes…

 Few give much thought to… or even recognize that

every man has a spiritual life.

 Few think about or trust that God…has made

provision for both your physical and spiritual life…

Along “the way” things are not always what

they “appear”…
 Adam and Eve found this out almost instantly after
they decided to go “Another Way” than God’s Way.”

o When tempted – Eve looked at the forbidden

fruit… and the Bible says she… “saw that the
fruit of the tree was good for food and
pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for
gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it”

 If you analyze this verse carefully… you discover that

this was a carefully thought out decision… everything
about her decision was driven by what SHE
reasoned things to be…

o She saw that it was good for food – lust of the

flesh.
o Pleasing to the eye – lust of the eyes
6
 o Desirable for gaining wisdom – pride of life

 This 3-Step process of living YOUR WAY continues

to this very day…
 These are the same “triggers” that cause us to face
our temptations… and FAIL.

The “WAY”…always arrives at an END…

 Because of the failure of Adam and Eve… the
sentence of death is on all mankind.

 We have repeated their sins a zillion times in our

lives – so like them – we must suffer the
punishment of physical death in these bodies.

 Hebrews 9:27 “And just as it is appointed for man

to die once, and after that comes judgment”

 The opportunity to CHANGE THE WAY YOU’RE

TRAVELING… is BEFORE YOU DIE.

The “END” has an ETERNAL OUTCOME.

 The word ETERNAL deserves your serious
consideration.
 It is LOST in the hub-up of SELF-FOCUSED
walking down the WAY….
 ETERNITY is a reality that is hard to
grasp…FOREVER… not just until you die…
YOU’RE ALREADY DEAD….
 The Scriptures gives us the complete truth on the
matter of DEATH…
o JFIRST DEATH – when your fleshly body dies.
7
 o SECOND DEATH – when those who have not
turned to Christ for the forgiveness of their
sins… those who have followed their OWN
WAY… refusing to accept CHRIST’S WAY…
they are judged… they are cast into HELL…
the outer darkness… separated from GOD…
for ALL ETERNITY.

The OUTCOME for living GOD’S WAY is

glorious
 The benefits of living God’s way START NOW…
 John 10:10 I am come that you might have
life and life more abundant.
 Hebrews 13:5 he hath said, I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee.
 John 14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye
believe in God, believe also in me.
 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it

were not so, I would have told you. I go to

prepare a place for you.
 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will

come again, and receive you unto myself; that

where I am, there ye may be also.

Conclusion of the Murder mystery…

 My son’s death was not a murder.
 No doubt he didn’t want to… or plan to die… he had
plans…
 His adult life was wrecked by alcoholism
 He lived at war with himself over broken relationships
and distancing his children.
 He knew the Scriptures.
8
  He had made a public profession of his faith
 He had been baptized.
 His “WAY” lacked joy and victory.
 I pray that his salvation was genuine… but the
moment he took his last breath 3 years ago
today…there was NO SECOND CHANCE to change
the WAY he followed.

Today is YOUR DAY to consider the WAY

you are traveling… and while the
opportunity is still available… CHANGE
YOUR WAY… CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION…
turn to Christ, ask Him to be your Lord and
Savior and then LIVE FOR HIM – instead of
yourself.

If you profess to be a Christian… I challenge

you to keep your eyes on Christ… don’t
stumble over the lusts of your flesh… the
lusts of your eyes…and your pride of life.
Christ promises to walk beside us… day by
day… give us victory over sin and death…
In Christ there is a purpose for your life…

I close with God’s promise for YOU and

YOUR WAY!!

9
Jerimiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future.
How many times must you be told?

Seek Him while He may be found… Call v

upon Him while He is near… Let the wicked
forsake their ways and the unrighteous
their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD,
and he will have mercy on them, and to our
God, for he will freely pardon.
Isaiah 55:7~7

10