Proverbs 27:17-27

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. As iron sharpens iron, you know, taking two pieces of steel or iron, and they didn't have steel at this time, but iron, and sharpening that knife, sharpening that sword, that's what we do when we bring joy to a friend, when we challenge a friend, when we sharpen them.
I know of a church out in the Pittsburgh area that has ironman meetings where The guys get together and they sharpen one another, where they get into God's word and they work through things and they remind each other of the joy that they have in Jesus Christ.
Verse 18, whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit. So he who waits on his master will be honored. Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit. If you're the one who's working in the garden and you're the one tending the tree, then you get to eat the fruit also. Same thing in a household or in the ancient household, you would have a servant and the servant who is about his master's business also gets to eat from his master's table.
How true is this of Christians? If we are united to Christ, we also get to eat from the table. This is particularly true of the ministers of the gospel. I'm just going to put it out there that that's what Paul is talking about when he says, you remember the law about don't muzzle an ox as they tread the grain. Don't starve them as they're working. No, if they're working hard in the field, give them the fruits of the field. Let them enjoy the fruit of their labor. Now this isn't saying that we should have, I'm actually totally against having crazy rich pastors. I have encouraged my congregation to put a salary cap for me. I can never make over a certain amount of money. I'd love for them to do that. But there is a reality and this is true in businesses too.
The more you take care of the people who are working in the organization, in the family, in the household, in the company, whatever, the more that they are saying, I get good things from this, the better they are to tend versus feeling like they're just slaves who don't have any reward in their labor.
Verse 19, as in water, As in water, face reflects face. That's kind of a weird way to say it, right? When you look into the water, you're able to see your reflection. So a man's heart reveals the man. This is what Jesus is talking about when he says, it's not what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. Sorry, it's not what goes into a man that makes him unclean, but it's what comes out of him. It's what we say with our mouths. It's what comes out of our hearts. That's what's going to make us unclean. That's what shows who we are in the inner man.
When the pressure is on and the tension is real and the oppression is on you, who are you when that happens? Are you a person still of integrity and of faith? Or does it reveal something about your heart that you ought to take stock of? Indeed, we should take stock of our heart. We should be careful and look soberly at who we really are.
Satan always wants more. Death always wants more. There are always more graves to dig. You know what else there's always more of? Covetousness. Desire to have more. Isn't it amazing that rich people often have insatiable desires? Even poor people, even when they get a raise, all of a sudden that raise is consumed by more stuff.
It's one of the difficult things in life is learning the art of contentment. Being content in all things, even when you have much or when you have little. It's, you're never going to ever have this point of, oh, I'm satisfied and I have enough. No, you'll learn that contentment, not when you get more things, but when you're satisfied with what you do have now.
Verse 21, the refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, and a man is valued by what others say of him. What's your reputation? As people have seen you go through trials and circumstances and affliction, and as they've seen you under pressure, what's your reputation in the community? This is one of the reasons why I'm convinced that one of the qualifications for an elder is that he must have a good reputation with those outside the church. How do people even outside the church?
This is a scoundrel. This is an adulterer. This is a man who's prone to anger, whatever. That's not a man who should be leading God's people. But instead, a man is valued by what others say of him. Not slandering, but does this man have a good reputation? Do you have a good reputation? Do people know who you are because you've gone through the refining fire and that despite all odds, all oppression, all circumstances, you still cling to your hope and show the goodness of the Lord?
Verse 22, though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his foolishness will not depart from him. I'm gonna tell you right now, you can come up with all the schemes and all the things that you might want to try to make someone not a fool, but unless the Holy Spirit purges out the heart of a fool, you're never going to wear that person down, whether it's your child, whether it's your parent, whether it's your co-worker.
If they're a fool, they're a fool until God changes their hearts to turn away from Foolishness. Fools love foolishness. Sinners love their sin. It's only the Holy Spirit that can make us wise. In the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Verse 23. Well, we'll do 23 through 27 together.
Be diligent to know the state of your flocks and attend to your herds. For riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations. When the hay is removed, the tender grass shows itself and the herbs the mountains are gathered in. The lambs will provide your clothing and the goats the price of a field. You shall have enough goat's milk for your food, for the food of your household and the nourishment of your maidservants. know the state of your fields. For some of you, that means you need to know the state of your families.
For me and the elders at our church, this is one of the reasons why we want to continually be talking to the sheep in our field, the ones in our pasture that we are in charge of. We go house to house, try to get to every house once a year just to know how people are doing, what their lives are like, what they're struggling with, what their joys are. We want to know how they're doing. Often I'll text message people, just ask, how can I be praying for you? Or I'll just try to have lots of conversations with people.
What is it in your life? Do you know the hearts of your children? Let me ask you, have you been diligent about your field? in your own marriage? Do you know how your wife is feeling? Do you know the pressures your husband is in? Do you know the state of your home? Maybe you're running a business. Are you mindful of how your employees are doing? Are you mindful of not just the profit margins, but are you mindful of how the overall health of the organization is doing? Be mindful of the flock. Be mindful of the herds. Know what's going on.
Those of us who have been entrusted with others to care for, care for them well for the glory of God. Let's pray. Father we thank you so much for this day and we pray thanking you that you are our good shepherd that you know our needs that you chase after us even though we are often those sheep straying from you. Lord we pray that you might Let us love you, in Jesus' name, amen. Well, may you love Jesus Christ. May he purify your heart. May you be sharpened like iron. May you be diligent about his work for his glory, but always rejoicing in the Lord. I'll see you tomorrow, bye.