Episode Transcript
We'll go ahead and open God's Word.
Turn to Proverbs 14.
Proverbs 14.
Boy, look at us.
We're going to have a full hour tonight, Brother Shepherd.
Proverbs 14, verse 1.
Building your dream home.
Building your dream home.
We're beginning a brand new chapter tonight on God's Word, and the first proverb in this chapter talks to us about women.
God created man first, and God gave him a primary role on the earth and in humanity.
And because of that, the vast majority of the Bible speaks directly to men and indirectly to women.
If any man this, this, thus shall a man do this and that and the other.
And so it speaks directly to men, but we know it always is also speaking indirectly to women.
And that's why it is so Precious and so eye-catching, should really get our attention when we come to a scripture like this.
That actually speaks directly to women and then indirectly to men.
We're getting the opposite of that tonight.
This is speaking directly to women.
Indirectly to men.
Several years ago, Brother Shepherd was teaching verse by verse when he came upon the story of Jezebel.
And there happened to be a woman in the church at the time who had been visiting the church for several weeks, and she was one of these liberated kind of liberal women.
And she accused Brother Shepard of spending too much time teaching about women.
Because Jezebel is There's not too many positive things to teach on with Jezebel.
It was all negative.
And she accused him of spending too much time teaching on women.
Well, she'd stuck around just a little bit longer.
Then 95% of the Bible would have been talking about men directly, and all the he did evil, that which was in the sight of the Lord, and all those other things.
Like Brother Shepherd has been teaching on here lately, but she didn't stick around.
And the reason is she couldn't stand.
Hearing about the evil of Jezebel because she was focused on doctrine that affirmed her gender rather than transformed her mind.
And ladies, when we come upon a text in the Bible that speaks directly to you, then you should listen closer than ever.
Because it means God has something special to say to you.
In our text tonight, He speaks to you tonight directly.
And to men, He speaks to us indirectly.
Look in your text about every wise woman.
It also means every wise man, but most particularly he's addressing The wise women.
And the first thing we notice in this text tonight is that it applies to every wise woman.
So, this is a characteristic that belongs to every wise woman.
And if a woman does not predict possess this characteristic, then she's not a wise woman.
The next thing we notice tonight is that women can be wise or else God would not have been speaking about wise women.
Women can have all the wisdom that God has for them.
In the sense this proverb speaks tonight directly to women, it's a special kind of women, excuse me, a special kind of wisdom that the proverb is referring to, though.
So let's learn about it.
Solomon says, Every wise woman, look in your text, buildeth.
Buildeth.
Ladies, God made you.
And put you in the construction business.
When God designed you, He designed you to be a builder.
Every wise woman is a builder.
And that's interesting because when we think of women, we tend to think of women as nurtures.
And they are.
But here, God is telling us, you know what?
I didn't just create them to be nurturers, I created them to be builders.
It's a marvelous characteristic of a woman, but you have the power and gift.
Given to you by God, every wise woman has it to be a builder.
But what Does God's word say a woman builds?
What do wise women build?
They build houses.
Every wise woman builds, look back in your text, her house.
Her house.
And the Hebrew word translated house here, it can mean a structure, like a brick and mortar structure, but in this case, it means a family.
For example, Psalms 135:19.
Bless the Lord, O house of Israel.
That's the same Hebrew word.
Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron.
Does that mean that all of Israel was living in one house?
No.
He's talking about the family, the family of Israel, the family of Aaron.
So, in our text tonight, The woman's house is her family.
Every wise woman builds her family.
And listen, there's only one way to build, ladies.
In what direction is that?
Is it up or down?
There's only one way to build, and it's up.
Go down just a little further in this verse and underscore the word down.
That's in contrast to the wise woman.
The foolish woman Builds down, right?
She tears down.
But the wise woman, she's going to do the opposite of down.
She's going to go up.
Ladies, God has given you the ability and duty to build your family up.
2 Timothy 1:5, the Apostle Paul said he gave thanks to God.
When he's speaking to Timothy, quote, when I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother, Lois.
And thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also.
Here's the key words in there: first in them.
Then in thee also.
Isn't that good?
What a powerful principle about women.
First in the woman And then in the also children.
That is so good.
Ladies, your job is to build your children up.
To build your grandchildren up.
People say, I just love taking my grandchildren and spoiling them rotten.
You know what?
Enjoy spoiling them rotten, but you know what your job is more than that?
Build those grandkids up.
When those grandbabies come visit you, man, don't just stuff candy and sweets and stick dollars in their pocket.
You talk to them about the Lord.
You build them up in that most holy faith.
Notice here, he said, which dwelt first in thy grandmother, Lois.
Isn't that good?
And thy mother, Eunice, and then in thee also.
So the grandmothers have the power to build their grandchildren up as well.
Ladies, build your children up.
Build them up in godly character.
Build them up in godly faith.
Build them up mentally, physically, spiritually.
Let those qualities be seen first in you, that they may also be seen in them.
I've heard so many men in my life who've given credit to their mothers for their success in life.
Absolutely amazing.
You know why I'm here?
Because my mother told me about an opening here at this church.
I'd have never known that she not told me.
Never known.
And I thank God for the building up that she's done for me in my life.
I've always told her she's my greatest encourager.
She always has been.
Greatest encourager.
So let them be seen first in you.
You see, women have the power to build and encourage.
It's amazing the power that women possess.
Listen, ladies, I am not over-exaggerating this.
It's amazing the power you have as a woman.
To build up and encourage the people in your life.
Nobody can build up like a woman can.
Nobody can tear down like a woman can.
Nobody can.
That's why this is written directly to the women.
So build those children up.
Ladies, your job is not only to build your children up, it's to build your husband up.
You know what a man is?
He's just a little boy that got old.
It's true.
My mother was a school teacher at the Christian school there in Athens at Central Baptist Church.
For many years.
And then she worked at school in Tyler for many years.
And a lot of times when she looks at grown-ups, And my wife does the same thing.
Not because she was a teacher, but she does it.
When she analyzes people, she'll look at grown-ups, she'll go.
Yeah, when they were a kid, they did this, this, this, and this.
My mother says, Well, yeah, when they were a kid, they were this way in school.
She'll look at a grown-up, she'll say, That's how that kid acted, and that's why they're acting this way right here.
They're just little boys that grew up.
And it doesn't matter how tough a man looks or how big his muscles are, like Brother Shepard, or what kind of front he put, I'm telling you, every man is just a little boy that grew up.
And all the care you put into molding your son and to encouraging your son and to Make your son have confidence in who he is as a man, because a little boy needs that from his mama.
He does.
Little girl needs affirmation from her daddy.
Little boy needs encouragement from his mama.
My mama has felt in my muscles as a little boy so many times.
And you always need that support from a woman.
A man just needs it.
That's how come Delilah was able to get Samson when nobody else could.
He needed her approval.
He needed her affirmation and her whining to him.
You don't love me, and all these other things.
He wanted her to be okay.
And proud of him.
And she wasn't proud of him.
And he wanted her to be proud of him.
And it ended up costing him his life.
She plucked him down with her hands.
But ladies, let me tell you, if you want a strong husband, build him up.
The strength of your husband, a lot of times, is going to start with you.
You have the power to build your husband up.
You can't build a man up by tearing him down.
You can't do it.
Look here in your text, it says, Every wise woman will build her house, but look here now, but the foolish plucketh it down with their hands.
Foolish women, they take their hands, the hands God gave them to build their house up.
That's a metaphor, of course.
And they just pluck their house down.
They pull their family down.
Ladies, you have the power to build your house up.
You have the power to pluck it down.
Most divorces are filed by women.
And when a woman runs off and leaves a man without biblical grounds, She's destroying her family.
She's plucking her house down with her own hands.
Her children may still love her.
Her husband and her may be congenial around each other when they're at family events and things like that.
But let me tell you something.
That will scar that family for the rest of their lives.
The most precious gift from God outside of salvation is our families.
And only a foolish woman who doesn't recognize the value of that priceless gift will pluck it down with her hands.
Foolish women tear their children down.
By not raising them up as a godly mother should.
Foolish women tear their husbands down by not lifting them up as a godly woman should.
Wise women build their husbands up.
Foolish women berate them.
And pluck them down.
Ladies, if you're berating your husband, you are slowly but surely draining the life out of him.
Life's bad enough.
And when we get flack from the world, we don't need to get it from our spouses, whether we're men or women.
When we come home, whether you're a man or a woman, that needs to be a safe place.
For both that husband and that wife.
A safe place, my wife sometimes tells me, thank you for making me okay.
Thank you.
It's so easy to look at little nitpicky things and start berating what you see in your spouse.
Berating that woman, how she looks, how she talks, how she thinks, what she does, berating that man, you're just this, you're that, you're this, you can't do this, right, you can't There at right, in berating that man, and you'll suck The life out of that man.
You'll destroy his manhood.
Men, God created men to be knights in shining armor.
He created men to want to go rescue their wife, to come to her aid, to be the hero.
Ladies, you need to make sure your husband is your hero.
If he does anything worth praising, praise him for it.
You know what will happen?
A lot of times he'll do it more.
That's how you train a dog.
And men are a whole lot, whole lot smarter than a dog.
But it's true.
You praise them.
When I talk to my wife, my wife talks to me.
Like I'm the most wonderful man in the world when we're by ourselves, not here at church, but around ourselves when nobody else can watch.
Nobody else can see.
She talks to me like I'm the most wonderful man in the world.
Well, I got to make sure I don't get a prideful, you know.
But a lot of times when I call her on the phone, you know how she answers the phone?
Hello, wonderful.
That's how she answers the phone.
Hello, wonderful.
It's precious to me.
Those kind of words from a woman have a powerful impact on a man.
Powerful.
They make that man feel confident, strong.
You know what else they do?
That will make that man want to protect that woman.
Protect her.
Do for her.
Ladies, if you want your man to be great, then build him up.
If you want your children to be great, then build them up.
You want your family to be great, build that family up.
You can't make them great by tearing them down.
Father, thank you so much for your precious word.
Thank you for this precious church.
Lord, we love your word.
It is life-giving water.
It's light, Father, when we need to see.
It's life, Lord God, when we drink it, when we read it.
And when we obey it.
And I pray, Father, you'll let this message directly to the women encourage their hearts and guide their steps.
And indirectly to us men do the same.
In Jesus' wonderful name, Amen.
