Speaking to Bible college students at the beginning of their semester, Dr. Les Ollila emphasizes the critical importance of obedience to God's Word. He shares personal testimonies of revival that occurred when young people stopped sitting on their disobedience and chose to obey what God had already revealed to them, setting the stage for examining different responses to God's wisdom.
Scripture Text
Proverbs 1:22-33 with additional references throughout Proverbs
Main Points or Ideas
Category 1: The Fool
- Rages against God's wisdom and authority rather than simply disagreeing
- Sins with confidence and rejects wisdom completely
- Is probably lost spiritually and doesn't respond even to severe correction
- Has no place in a Christian institution because their influence spreads and corrupts the atmosphere
Category 2: The Scorner
- Will not listen to instruction or rebuke
- Will not love those who reprove them and seeks out like-minded rebels instead
- Will hate you if you try to correct them
- Must be dealt with severely and ultimately removed from the group to prevent contention and strife
Category 3: The Simple One (The Redeemable)
- Lacks knowledge but is teachable and hungry to grow
- Believes everything and is easily influenced, particularly by scorners
- Does not foresee evil and walks headlong into dangerous situations
- Learns from object lessons when seeing scorners and fools disciplined
- Represents where most Christians begin and can grow into wisdom with proper guidance
Guidelines for helping the simple:
- Protect them from scorners and fools
- Expose them to wise people
- Don't give them too much freedom until they mature
Conclusion
Dr. Ollila concludes by emphasizing that we all begin as "simple ones" who need to grow in wisdom, and he expresses gratitude for the privilege of investing in students' lives. He warns against ingratitude using the example of King Joash, encouraging students to thank those who have poured into their lives, as ingratitude always ends in tragedy.
