1. Security (verses 21-26)
2. Equity (verses 27-30)
3. Eternity (verses 31-35)

Our phones are amazing. They give us the ability to connect with anybody, anywhere, anytime. They give the world’s knowledge at our fingertips. We can read books on our phones. We can listen to music on our phones. We can watch full-length movies on our phones. We can record important conversations. We can take pictures of a great sunset. We can take videos of our child playing violin at the concert.

They can give us directions on how to get anywhere. They can store our calendar. They can store our contacts. They can help with our to-do lists. They can make the financial transaction at the store. They can be our ticket to the game. They can store all of our personal information. Oh, and did I mention, they can make phone calls.

It is amazing what our phones can do. But with so much ability comes some consequences as well. In 2017, Tony Reinke wrote a book entitled 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You.^[1] He writes this.

Within a few years of its unveiling, the smartphone had become part of us, fully integrated into the daily patterns of our lives. Never offline, always within reach, we now wield in our hands a magic wand of technological power we have only begun to grasp. But it raises new enigmas, too. Never more connected, we seem to be growing more distant. Never more efficient, we have never been more distracted.

I know that you all have experienced this. Dinner time used to be an opportunity for people in the family to talk about their day and process life together. Norman Rockwell painted that classic scene of the family gathered around the Thanksgiving table, everyone present and engaged with one another. Today the picture looks quite different, with everyone on their phones.

In fact, people are on their devices all the time, whether they are at dinner with the family or at dinner alone, whether they are sitting in the park or walking their dog, whether they are taking their kids to school or doing work at school, whether they are driving or exercising or going to bed. Our devices are always on!

We are always connected, and we are often distracted. Social media has played its part: Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+. Do you realize that all of these applications are designed to distract you? They want your eyeballs, because eyeballs mean money, and money means existence. Why do you think that Google+ is no longer? They didn’t get your eyeballs. They didn’t get enough users. They didn’t distract you enough.

We live in a distracted age. Distracted driving is the new drunk driving. There are even cities today where it is illegal to cross a street while looking at your phone. Honolulu, Hawaii was the first to pass such a law. They call it the “distracted walking” law. It reads, “No pedestrian shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device.” Fines range from $15 for a first-time offense to $99 for repeat offenders. The simple message is this: “Dude, focus! Don’t be distracted!”

Lest you think that our distraction only comes from phones, there are plenty of other devices that distract us. Forty years ago, parents would stand outside as the sun was going down and call their children to come in. Now, parents chase down their children inside in their bedrooms while the sun is out and plead with them to go outside, so distracted are they by their tablets and computer games. The overweight epidemic in the United States is due, in part, to the distractions of the screen. As the screens have become thinner, our waistlines have become thicker.

The title of my message this morning is “Don’t Be Distracted,” because this is Solomon’s message to us. He tells us not to be distracted. It comes from Proverbs 3, verses 21-35. So I invite you to open there in your Bibles. If you didn’t bring a Bible, you can always take one from one of the chairs in front of you and turn to page 529.

For the past month and a half, we have been working our way through the book of Proverbs. Today, we will finish chapter 3. Before diving in, let’s get an overview by reading our passage in full.

Proverbs 3:21-35
My son, do not lose sight of these;
    keep sound wisdom and discretion,
and they will be life for your soul
    and adornment for your neck.
Then you will walk on your way securely,
    and your foot will not stumble.
If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror
    or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
for the LORD will be your confidence
    and will keep your foot from being caught.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to do it.
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
    tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
    who dwells trustingly beside you.
Do not contend with a man for no reason,
    when he has done you no harm.

Do not envy a man of violence
    and do not choose any of his ways,
for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD,
    but the upright are in his confidence.
The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
    but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
Toward the scorners he is scornful,
    but to the humble he gives favor.
The wise will inherit honor,
    but fools get disgrace.

Solomon begins our text this morning by telling his son, “My son, do not lose sight of these.” To say it in today’s vernacular, it’s “Dude, focus! Don’t be distracted!” Solomon is telling his son to keep his focus on the important things. In our day, this is said in many different ways: “Keep your eye on the prize.” “Keep your hand to the plow.” “Keep your head down.” “Keep the main thing the main thing.” “Stay on track, don’t look back.” “Stick to your guns.” “Never, never, never give up.”

This is the call of Christ upon our lives. He calls us not to be distracted from serving him. Do you remember the parable of the sower and the seed? The sower sows some seed along the path and it is eaten up. The sower sows some seed along the rocky ground and it grows for a time, but withers because it has no depth of soil. The sower sows some seed among the thorns, but the thorns choke out the plant. The sower sows some seed among the good soil, which grew and produced grain. When Jesus interpreted this parable, he interpreted the seed among the thorns this way.

Matthew 13:22
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

In other words, it is the world in all of its enticements and attractions, it is the phones and screens, which pull us away from Jesus.

Luke 9:62
No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

Paul said it this way.

Philippians 3:13-14
One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The prize of eternal life that comes through faith in Jesus Christ is so great that it demands our focused attention. Church family, do not lose sight of this. Don’t lose sight of the cross. Don’t lose sight of the redemption that is yours! Keep your eye on the prize.

When it comes to walking in wisdom, which Proverbs is all about, it is crucial that you persist and are not distracted. In chapter 1, Solomon told his son of the importance of not ignoring wisdom (Proverbs 1:22-23). In chapter 2, Solomon told his son to pursue wisdom like a treasure (Proverbs 2:4), which requires long, sustained searching. Now, in chapter 3, Solomon urges his son to keep his attention focused upon wisdom, or, to use the words of the ESV in verse 21, to “keep sound wisdom and discretion.”

This is a healthy summary of all that Solomon has spoken thus far. “Sound wisdom” and “discretion.” In chapter 1: sound wisdom to listen to your parents, and discretion to know when your peers are pulling you in the wrong direction. In chapter 2: sound wisdom to seek after wisdom, and discretion to discern and avoid the evil men and evil women who will come into your life to destroy you. In chapter 3: sound wisdom to trust the Lord with all your heart, and discretion to recognize the blessings that come from his hand.

If you seek these things, Solomon says in verse 22, they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. In chapters 1-3, we have seen how wisdom will give you life and protect you from the evil influences around you and give you favor from the LORD. In Proverbs 1:9, we saw how wisdom will adorn your neck.

Proverbs 1:9
for they are a graceful garland for your head
    and pendants for your neck.

The idea is that wisdom and discretion will adorn your life with goodness and grace. Our equivalent today is the Medal of Honor, the highest award our country gives for valor in action against an enemy force. It is usually given by the president of the United States at a ceremony at the White House. It is something that you can wear with pride. Such is wisdom and sound discretion. You want this adornment. It will be a blessing to you, so focus your heart upon wisdom and don’t be distracted.

As we work through our text this morning, I have three words that will help to summarize Solomon’s teachings. The first is this.

1. Security (verses 21-26)

In verse 23, Solomon writes.

Proverbs 3:23
Then you will walk on your way securely,
    and your foot will not stumble.

In other words, if you walk in the ways of wisdom, if you aren’t distracted, if you keep sound wisdom and discretion, then you will live a life of security. It has always been the case that God’s people walk secure, while the wicked will stumble. Do you remember when Moses spoke to the people of Israel? Moses was about to die. The people were about to take possession of the promised land, and Moses exhorts them to walk in the righteous way.

Deuteronomy 32:9-12
But the LORD’s portion is his people... He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, the LORD alone guided him, no foreign god was with him.

God protects his people. They walk securely in his hands. But regarding the unrighteous, the LORD says.

Deuteronomy 32:35b
the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.

This is the text from which Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”: “Their foot shall slip in due time.” For those who forsake the LORD, their feet will slip. But those who walk in “sound wisdom and discretion” will know a stability in their walk in life.

One of the ways that my wife and I are distracted with technology is our nightly ritual of watching long-distance hikers film themselves hiking and talking about their experiences. We have been following one hiker from England, who is hiking from Mexico to Canada. Mary is her name. She is quite delightful. Last night, we were watching her as she was in the Sierra Mountains of California. Because of the melting snow, raging rivers often cross the path, and there are times when crossing these rivers is downright dangerous. Last night as we watched this hiker, she teamed up with a few guys, and they linked arms and crossed the river together. They steadied each other during their crossing of the raging waters. This is the picture of those who find sound wisdom and discretion. They walk securely in this life, walking the steady path through the trials of life, because the LORD is their strength through the trial.

Sometimes the LORD will steady us through the trials. Sometimes he will provide an easier path. At one point last night, as we were watching Mary come to a raging river, there was a bridge on which hikers could cross the river securely. Crossing the bridge, she was able to look down to the raging river below while she walked above, safe and dry. Such are those who find sound wisdom and discretion. Though the river rages below, they can walk securely.

In verses 24-26, Solomon notes the peace of mind that comes to those who trust the LORD.

Proverbs 3:24-26
If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror
    or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
for the LORD will be your confidence
    and will keep your foot from being caught.

One commentator said it this way.

Wisdom will give you a good night’s sleep without worry (v. 24). You will sleep well because you haven’t done the foolish things that cause you to stay awake worrying. You won’t be afraid that you’ll get caught or be found out. You won’t have to lie awake thinking to yourself, What if she reads that e-mail? What if he runs into that person? Who else knows about this? How can I make sure that this never gets out? Walking in wisdom and avoiding the foolishness of sin will keep your conscience clear and your mind free from worry. And if you get wisdom, you will ultimately be safe because Yahweh is the one who watches over you all day long (v. 26). God Almighty will be looking out for you! The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and he will keep those who fear him safe.^[2]

Here, again in Proverbs, we see the key to walking securely. Remember the key to Proverbs? The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7a).As we walk in the fear of the LORD, we will find peace in our sleep.

Scripture frequently speaks of God as our shield and protector. Psalm 91:1 says that "he who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." When fear comes, he will not be afraid. Psalm 46 speaks of the mountains raging and rivers rising, yet those who trust in the LORD stand firm and secure. Psalm 125 says that those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, for the LORD surrounds his people.

Consider what a police presence means depending on your situation. If you are holding an instrument of crime when the police arrive, it is terror, because you will be caught. But if you are the terrified victim who called 911, the officer’s arrival is safety and security. Likewise, when you lie down at night in total defenselessness, if you have walked in wisdom and have nothing to hide, the LORD’s watchful presence is your comfort, not your dread. Sin is a cause for worry, but wise choices will bring no worries. When we are distracted from the LORD and fail to walk in wisdom, sin rises up and we lose our sleep.

Sleep is itself a gift from the LORD (Psalm 127). He protects us even while we sleep.

Now we turn to the second word in our outline.

2. Equity (verses 27-30)

At this point, Solomon transitions from an emphasis upon walking with the LORD to an emphasis upon walking rightly with our neighbor. Solomon writes.

Proverbs 3:27-30
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to do it.
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
    tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
    who dwells trustingly beside you.
Do not contend with a man for no reason,
    when he has done you no harm.

We see here four commands, one in each verse. They all have to do with dealing fairly with our neighbors, which is what I mean by “equity.” The first two commands have to do with failing to do what is right. The last two commands have to do with doing what is wrong. These are often distinguished from each other. Some sins are “sins of omission.” Other sins are “sins of commission.” Sin isn’t merely doing bad things. Sin is also failing to do right things. A common prayer of confession goes like this: “Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.” When you begin to see sin this way, all of a sudden the scope of your sin greatly enlarges, because there are many things that we don’t do that we should, and we are guilty of them and in need of forgiveness.

Do you remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? It is told in Luke, chapter 10. Jesus tells the story of a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Jesus tells of how a priest happened to go down that same road, saw the injured man alongside of the road, and didn’t stop. He passed by on the other side. A Levite did the same thing. He walked down the same road, saw the same sight of an injured man needing help, and didn’t stop either, but passed by on the other side. Then Jesus tells of the Samaritan.

Luke 10:33-35
But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, “Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.”

Then Jesus makes the point of what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. Only one of the three did it, the Samaritan. The other two sinned by committing a sin of omission. They failed to do what should have been done. When you begin to realize the manifold ways in which you have failed to do what should have been done, your sin will grow in your mind, and the cross of Christ will grow more and more precious to you when you realize all the sin that he forgives.

There is a helpful picture of this. When we first come to Christ, the cross is far away. But as we walk more and more with Jesus, we draw closer and closer to it. What happens? The cross gets bigger and bigger, because we see our own sinfulness more clearly, and the glory of Christ’s forgiveness more greatly. The two greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. When the proud man asks, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers: anyone in need is your neighbor, and you must love them as yourself. We cannot do that perfectly. Our sins of omission are vast. But so is the cross of Christ. It is vast and large and more than sufficient to cover them all.

Let’s look at the sins of omission that Solomon brings up.

Proverbs 3:27-28
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to do it.
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
    tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.

Verse 27 is generic. It speaks to all types of “withholding good.” Verse 28 is a bit more specific. It speaks of money and things that you have, are willing to give to your neighbor, and are planning to give, but don’t. I can envision the case in which you owe someone some money. You have it in your pocket. You could give it, but you wait. I can envision the case in which you have borrowed something. You have it in your car. You could give it after church, but you wait. Solomon says that each of these actions is unwise.

But let’s think about the generic case in verse 27. I can envision the case in which you have a compliment to give. You have noticed an evidence of grace in someone. You could encourage them by telling them how you observe God working in their lives, but you remain silent. Solomon says, “Encourage your brother. Encourage him today.” I can envision another case in which you have received an invitation to some event via email. You know that you are coming. You could help the one organizing the event by replying right away, but you wait until the RSVP date, and even then, you don’t respond. It is only when the organizer asks you, “I haven’t heard anything from you. Are you coming?” that you reply, “Yes, I am.” Solomon says, “Reply right away.” That is the wise way to walk.

Now let’s look at the sins of commission. They come in verses 29 and 30.

Proverbs 3:29-30
Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
    who dwells trustingly beside you.
Do not contend with a man for no reason,
    when he has done you no harm.

This is equity: deal fairly with your neighbor. Solomon is here picturing a neighborhood where all are living together in peace and trust. You could extend this to a school or a workplace environment where trust is important. Solomon says, don’t harm your neighbor without a cause. Don’t take things from your neighbor’s house. That is unwise and sinful. Don’t quarrel with your neighbor, especially if he has done you no wrong. That is unwise and sinful.

Perhaps the best example I can think of is someone in customer service. For some reason, you want to return an item at a store, but you don’t have a receipt. Following company policy, the woman at the returns counter says that she can’t accept the item since you don’t have a receipt. You try to reason with her, but she doesn’t follow your logic. You plead, but she doesn’t bend. How easy it is to quarrel with her. Solomon says, “Don’t quarrel with her.” She didn’t make the policy. You need to take up the cause with her manager.

This applies even to smaller acts of mischief. Perhaps a neighbor entrusts you with their key while they are on vacation, and you go beyond what was asked and rifle through their drawers. You are destroying trust. Or consider playing a practical joke on someone in a harmful way, someone who has done you no wrong. I confess I used to enjoy tying people’s shoelaces together while they slept on the bus. Foolish. And sure enough, one day I woke up on the bus with my own shoes tied together. What you sow, you will reap. Don’t contend with a person who has done you no harm.

This is what made the death of Jesus so horrific. He had done no wrong. He had done no harm. On the contrary, Jesus had helped and healed and taught in truth the ways of God. He had never sinned. But those in Jerusalem hated him.

John 15:25b
They hated me without a cause.

They proceeded to torture him and kill him upon the cross. Totally unjust. Totally wrong. Totally undeserved. Yet this is our redemption.

Peter writes that while Christ was being reviled, he did not revile in return; while suffering, he uttered no threats, but kept entrusting himself to God who judges righteously, and he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross (1 Peter 2:23-24). Keep the cross of Christ in the forefront of your mind: how big it is, how glorious it is, how unjust it was, and yet how it is the very place where justice was served so that God can forgive us. Don’t be distracted from that. Christ and him crucified is the main thing. We as a church exist to enjoy his grace and extend his glory. Keep this in the forefront of your mind. It will help you in the temptations to be distracted.

Let’s turn to our final point this morning. We have three words: 1. Security (verses 21-26), rest in the Lord; 2. Equity (verses 27-30), love your neighbor; and finally, the third word.

3. Eternity (verses 31-35)

The reason I chose the word “Eternity” here is because these verses are only rightly understood in light of eternity. Verse 31 tells us not to envy a man of violence and not to choose any of his ways. It’s easy to envy the man of violence, because he often gets his way and often prospers through unjust gain. But Solomon’s call here is not to envy him and not to walk in his ways.

Proverbs 3:32
for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD,
    but the upright are in his confidence.

On the human level, it may appear that the man of violence is doing well. He gets his way. People do what he says. He is rewarded in his business ventures. However, viewed from the LORD’s perspective and from eternity, you see how wrong this is. He is an abomination to the LORD; in other words, he is detestable in God’s sight. Though right now it may appear that God is overlooking it, he won’t forever. In eternity, all will be made right. You don’t need to envy the “success” of the wicked now. God will deal with them in his time.

Proverbs 3:33
The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
    but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

You don’t need to envy the wicked and all of their prosperity today, because God’s curse is upon them. It is upon them now, and it will be upon them for eternity. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 illustrates this. The rich man had everything in this life. Lazarus had nothing, lying at his gate. But in eternity the positions are completely reversed. The fortunes of the wicked and righteous will all be flipped someday. Though the righteous may be poor today, there is still blessing there.

Proverbs 15:17
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
    than a fattened ox and hatred with it.

In other words, God’s blessing is better than food. His blessing can be upon the house that can only afford vegetables. You would rather be there than in a house of hatred, despite the fine food. Solomon concludes this section with similar themes.

Proverbs 3:34-35
Toward the scorners he is scornful,
    but to the humble he gives favor.
The wise will inherit honor,
    but fools get disgrace.

Verse 34 contains the gospel. The scorner is the one who always argues, always causes contention, always looking down on others. God says he will deal with them in kind. But the humble one is not causing division, not demanding his own way, but opening his hands to the LORD and saying, “God, I need your grace. I am not great in myself, but you are great.” To that person God gives favor. That is grace. To come to Christ you must humble yourself, see your sin, confess it, and plead mercy at the cross. And God gives grace in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

As for those who will inherit honor in verse 35, they are the ones who have not been distracted, who have kept sound wisdom and discretion, who have walked with the LORD and trusted in his ways. The King himself will say, “Well done, good and faithful one.” But fools who pursue their own devices and ignore the ways of God will receive disgrace. We saw this in chapter 1: when the calamity comes upon those who rejected wisdom again and again, wisdom herself will laugh at their ruin. That is the eternal weight of the choice before us today.

What will you inherit? Don't be distracted from the right path.

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on September 15, 2019 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.

[1] Tony Reinke, 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017).

[2] Daniel L. Akin and Jonathan Akin, Proverbs, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2018), pp. 53-54.