Whose Fool Are You?

Bible Study
Whose Fool Are You?

As we look at the word fool in the Bible we will see that it is used in mainly two ways, one way in how the world sees a fool, and the other way in how God sees a fool. When I say “the world”, I mean the world system on the earth in general, the non-Bible believing people or mindset, the world view. Either way there is no getting around it, you are going to be either a fool in God’s eyes, or you are going to be a fool in the worlds eyes. Which you choose to be will affect everything that you do. How is that so? Think about it, what stops us from witnessing, its the thought what will other people think. If I hand this person a tract, they are going to think I am a fanatic, a fool, a Bible weirdo. Right? Isn’t that the main reason that we don’t speak up for Jesus Christ, because we don’t want to be thought of as a fanatic or a fool. So instead we pretend to be ignorant of what we know lest we be numbered as a fool for Christ. We figure we can just melt into the crowd and not speak up for Christ lest we be thought a fool. Not possible, you are either going to be thought a fool for Christ, or you are going to pretend to be a part of the fools that are in the world. So let me explain listen along and see if what I am saying is not true.

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary Definition of Fool – 1. One who is destitute of reason, or the common powers of understanding. 2. …one who does not exercise his reason.

So in this study today were are going to exercise our reason together and look to see the instances where someone is identified as a fool in the Bible. After all  the Bible says in the book of Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” So let’s see what the God has to say about the fool. I certainly don’t want to be in the category or possess the qualities of traits that God identifies as those belonging to a fool, do you? Once those traits are identified and knowing what they are you can take steps to make sure you are not accounted for as a fool in God’s eyes. And then we will look to see what the world counts as a fool.

To begin our study today lets start in the beginning with the Bible, and what the Bible says about this topic the fool, from the Biblical perspective.‚ So let’s truly begin at the beginning. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The Bible starts with the opening declaration of the existence of God and his magnificent power. Notice it does not begin by defending or explaining the existence of God, but boldly declares it as fact. Like a rock it lands and sits there unmovable. Who could deny the existence of God? You can’t look at the creation of God stated in verse 1 of Genesis 1, the heaven and the earth, without recognizing the existence of God as the creator. But same may say, “But wait, God is invisible, I haven’t seen God, how can I know he created the heaven and the earth?”. The Bible says in Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” The creation is the revelation of God to man. God has shown us his creation which signifies the existence of a creator. That’s why there is no explanation of God needed in Genesis 1:1. You have seen the result of a creator at work with the existence of the heaven and the earth. When you think of the diversity and complexity of all plant and animal life on the earth, it’s clear and obvious. Romans 1:19 “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.” It is intended to be obvious and evident to all. It’s clearly seen. If you see an automobile your first thought may be is that a Ford or a Chevy? I could have said a more exotic automobile but, eh, it’s out of my price range. But often we will say, wow, what make of car is that? If you see a building you may marvel at the architecture, is that a Frank Lloyd Wright design? (In Buffalo NY, there are several!). At no time do you not think that these things were not designed or created, because it is evident and clearly seen that they were. Using your reason and power of understanding there is no question. If you were standing with your friend looking at an automobile and and said something to him like, hmmm, I wonder where that came from, do you think over millions of years that car just came together? Like it made itself. He would look at you and think you were some kind of nut, some kind of fool.

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”   In the same way that we have the evidence of God the creator to the physical creation of the heavens and the earth, the existence of man on the earth also evidences God the creator, after all, like that car, we didn’t make ourselves did we? Psalm 100:3 “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Now you listening today it may be possible that you are saying to yourself, “Well I am an atheist and I don’t believe in God, I deny the existence of a creator. I not only deny that there is a God, I also deny that any God created the heavens, the earth or man. And in so stating this belief we now come to the first characteristic of a fool, they say there is no God. Psalm 14:1 “(To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”

God’s View of Fools

1) Fools says there is no God.

Notice how God reveals what the real problem is here in Psalm 14:1, the real problem is a heart problem,”The fool hath said in his heart,”. It’s not his mind or reason saying there is no God. He is denying his reason. In the beginning of this study when we looked at Websters definition of a fool, remember it included “one who does not exercise his reason.”, and that is what is happening here. Why, because at its root it is a heart problem. You can always count on the Bible to cut to the heart of the matter because that book “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Let’s look again at Romans 1 to see this origin of heart trouble. “19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” So you can see the progression here, they understood there was a God in the beginning and they were without excuse, but since they knew God and decided to turn their back on God imagined all kinds of other things, their heart was darkened, God calls their hearts foolish, their foolish hearts were darkened. Any line of thinking that puts itself into opposition of the Bible and attempts to deny the existence of God lands you clearly into fools territory. In verse 22 of Romans 1 we see the second hallmark of a fool identified by the Bible, they profess their wisdom over the word of God. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,”. Any time the world says something in opposition to the Bible, they have become fools. You can count on it. No matter how wise they proclaim themselves to be, no matter how much formal education, a man in opposition to God and his word is not demonstrating true wisdom.

God’s View of Fools

1) Fools says there is no God.

2) Fools profess worldly wisdom over the word of God.

Let’s face it, this is not wisdom, this is man attempting to make himself his own God and setting up his views in opposition with what God has stated in His Bible. So how often does this happen today? It happens as often as evolution is touted as being true vs. God creating the heaven and the earth. My friend that is happening every day, hundreds of times a day in public schools throughout the United States. It happens when man’s wisdom proclaims men with men and women with women getting state sanctioned “marriage ceremonies”, or when women want to be called men, and men want to be known as women. This is nothing less than confusion, and this confusion is the “wisdom” of man on display. Why, because it is in contrast to what the Bible has clearly revealed about this issue.  Romans 1:22-27. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And this “wisdom” of man which attempts to contradict or correct God is unfortunately not confined to the secular world, but also to the “religious” realm. Any “religious” man or institution that claims to have more wisdom than God, more wisdom than the Bible, and attempts to correct the Bible, that man has crossed into fool territory.

Illustration: Imagine the following:

Two baseball teams agree to play a game together and are all set for the opening pitch.  To the surprise and shock of everyone, the first batter strolls up to home plate dressed in a tennis outfit rather than a baseball uniform!  The player declares in a bold and confident voice, ‘I have decided that I don’t want to wear a baseball uniform, but it is better for me that I wear this more comfortable outfit.  Also, I am going to use this cricket bat (which is at least twice as wide as a baseball bat) rather than a regular baseball bat. Moreover, I expect to receive 5 strikes instead of 3, I will be running to third base instead of first, and all of the fielders are required to close their eyes while I am at bat. I believe that is fair, right for me, and will allow me to achieve the most happiness and success in my time here today.’

Expecting to receive an understanding response and compliance with his requests, the baseball player is shocked when hears the crowd and opposite team burst out in a roar of laughter and astonishment at his requests. ‘That is absurd,’ declares a young child in the stands.  ‘You are a fool!’ shouts the umpire, ‘That is not how the game of baseball works!’ Another person comes up and tells him, ‘You have no right to redefine the rules of baseball, and cannot expect us to follow your distorted understanding how things should be.’ The player is astounded by the lack of tolerance in the crowd and opposite team; to his surprise, everyone understood him to be a fool without any authority to make the claims he thought so sensible and prudent.

As absurd as this sounds, we all do the same thing with God when we reject his authority, words, and moral standards.  We live our lives the way we want to live them–spurning God’s authority. We believe that we are wiser than God and should create our own standards–rejecting God’s wisdom and word.  We make up our own rules for how to get to heaven–ignoring God’s standards and solution for our tragic state. All of these things are done in spite of the fact that we live in God’s world, we are God’s creation, and only God has the right to make the rules and declare how we ought to live. {Illustration – Tom Schmidt}

Now let’s look at the 3rd trait or characteristic of a fool. How easy it is to think that we have an unlimited amount of time to accumulate wealth and possessions. If you are a young person today listening to this podcast that may be your thinking, “I have my whole life ahead of me to plan my career, to get the house I want, the car I want, the vacations and travel I want, the toys I want, I have all the time in the world. But do you? Let’s look at Luke 12:15-21. “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” The rich man in our parable thought he had all the time in the world to do what he wanted and we see that he didn’t, that night he was to die and give an account of his soul. Was he right with God or only serving self? The Bible says in Mark 8:36 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The things and luxuries we have available to us today are not evil in and of themselves. Through hard work and saving many of us have material possessions. The question is rather do the possessions begin to own us rather than us owning the possessions. What position do possessions and the worlds activities have in your life? Is playing golf or watching football more important on a Sunday than going to church? Is watching that movie or going to that event taking precedence over your consistent Bible reading or witnessing? Should the rapture not happen in your lifetime then we all have an appointment with death (Hebrews 9:27) and none of us know when that will be, it could be today, tomorrow or twenty years from now. James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

God’s View of Fools

1) Fools say there is no God.

2) Fools Profess worldly wisdom over the word of God.

3) Fools put other things ahead of God ignoring the brevity of life.

Let’s look at the 4th trait of the fool as identified in the Bible. Proverbs 14:9 “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.”

It’s quite common and fashionable today to laugh and make fun of the concept of sin. It’s getting harder to find a sinner when sin is mocked and is indulged in under the guise of tolerance. Sin is laughed at today as an antiquated label. When Public lewdness is accepted and winked at as part of a parade, fools are truly making a mockery of sin. You know there was a time when this sort of debauchery was confined to one day a year in a city like New Orleans, where this type of display was paraded through the street in a Mardi Gra parade. Even then it was viewed as something adults only were involved in, and then in the evening. Today we have parades, what the world calls “Gay Pride Parades”, in the streets all across America, in broad daylight and lining those streets cheering them on are families with children. Making a mockery of sin. And this sort of thing doesn’t stop there. Public libraries across America are now participating in what is called, Drag Queen Story Hour. Here is an excerpt from the Brooklyn Public Library web page. “Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is just what it sounds like—drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores. Drag Queen Story Hour captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity in childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models.” This sort of thing would have been unthinkable 15 or 20 years ago, but today its put forth as wonderful and tolerant. And we wonder why boys and girls enter their teen years confused on what gender they are supposed to be? And these drag queen events are happening in large and small public libraries all across the country. The Clearview Library District in Colorado has this information on their webpage. “At this special Story Hour, guests and Drag Queens will read and make crafts with children ages 2-8 and their parents/caregivers.” You know there was a time when parents protected their young children from these type of behaviors. The Clearview Library webpage continues, “The event is geared toward promoting inclusivity and diversity by allowing children to engage with individuals who dress or may express themselves outside expected gender norms in a safe space.” A safe space for who I ask? Certainly not the children. Again, here we see the world making a mockery of sin and in cases like these, promoting it.

God’s View of Fools

1) Fools say there is no God

2) Fools Profess worldly wisdom over the word of God

3) Fools Put other things ahead of God ignoring the brevity of life

4) Fools Make a mockery of sin

So far we have looked at 4 instances of fools as found in the Bible. But there are other mentions of fools and foolishness found in the Bible, but this time we see the Christian being labeled a fool the world’s perspective. So who does the world see as fools? It would be hard to believe that they would see anyone as fools in light of their anything goes attitude under the guise of tolerance right? You will find that in our society today the buzzword of tolerance does not extend to Bible Believing Christians. Holding to a position of the Bible as being the final authority for all matters of faith and practice, trying to live your life by the Bible , will quickly earn you the worlds intolerance, not tolerance. There is no tolerance for believing that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and no mans gets to Heaven but through him. The world is in fact intolerant of that viewpoint.

The unsaved world sees the message of the Gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ as unlearned, narrow minded, bigoted, and foolish. I Corinthians 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” Anyone that has spent any time witnessing or in public street ministry has encountered this attitude. But one thing to remember is that God takes pleasure in the preaching of the cross. I Cor. 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” So in the worlds eyes we are labeled as fools for Christ, but it pleases God in his wisdom that the so called world’s wisdom views us as fools. As the Apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 4:10 “We are fools for Christ’s sake…”. We can expect the world to view us fools for Christ’s sake and not to like us. Their are Christians being persecuted around the world for being Christians just as there was persecution in the first century church. Today here in America we still have the freedom to pass out tracts and proclaim the gospel, now much longer that will last I don’t know. It’s possible to envision a day not to far off in the future where believing that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, and unless you repent and receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour and trust in him alone and not your goodness or good works, and that you will spend eternity in a lake of fire burning forever, will be viewed as hate speech. In the minds of many American’s that already is viewed as hate speech. And as a result they will hate you for being a Bible Believing Christian. Our Lord himself said in John 15:18 – 21 – “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

As this world gets further and further away from God and the Bible we can expect it’s thinking to be more and more at odds with the Bible. As our own country continues to promote and legitimize sin we can expect to be viewed as fools in their eyes. The world will continue more and more now to call evil good and good evil, as stated in Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

So let’s not think it strange that the world views us as fools for Christ, lets not be fearful to speak up for the Lord to be counted as a fool by the world, lets side with God and be a fool for Christs sake. After all, isn’t it better to be thought a fool by the world than to try and blend in and pretend to be one with the world? Choose what kind of fool you will be, or as Joshua said in Joshua 24:15, … “choose you this day whom ye will serve”… the entire verse reads… “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”