The Power of Godly Character
The Proverbs Series Part 2
By Pastor Gary Buck
Today we are continuing our series on the book of Proverbs.
The book of Proverbs is a series of wise sayings, influenced by the Holy Spirit to the authors.
They are spiritual guidelines infused with general truths that we can apply to our lives today.
A modern proverb would maybe be something like this:
“If you eat at MacDonald’s every day for every meal, you will develop diabetes, high blood pressure,
tooth decay and fatty liver disease.” You may not get all those things, but the point is that it isn’t good
for your body.
Often in this book, the counsel comes in the form of warnings.
And sometimes the book is brutally frank. You know how we tell our kids that they shouldn’t call
someone stupid? Well, the bible doesn’t hold back any punches:
Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.
That last word “stupid” is sometimes translated as “brutish” or like a horse or an animal that is trying to
be guided with reigns but is being stubborn and going in the other direction, wild, and irrational.

Pictures of stupid animals
King Solomon, King David’s son, is most probably the author of the first 29 chapters of the book. As you
may know, in 2 Chronicles 1 God tells Solomon that he will give him whatever he wanted, and instead of
riches or a long life, he asked for wisdom. God was so impressed with his answer that he gave him
riches and honor like no king before him had ever seen as well as the wisdom he requested.
One overriding theme in the book of Proverbs is that many of them tell you how to live a good or godly
life.
So what does a Godly life look like? Is it being perfect? Do you need to create your own universe?
Being godly is first and foremost the pursuit of God’s heart. It’s also acting more like God. It’s pleasing
God. It’s renewing your mind to be like that of Christ.
Here are some examples of Proverbs that direct us toward godly living:
Proverbs 13:5
5
The righteous hate what is false,
but the wicked make themselves a stench
and bring shame on themselves.
Proverbs 25:26
26
Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
are the righteous who give way to the wicked.
Proverbs 29:7
7
The righteous care about justice for the poor,
but the wicked have no such concern.
And for all you cat-lovers out there:
Proverbs 12:10
10
The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
But what motivation do we have to live a good and Godly life besides God just telling us to? Why should
we listen to these proverbs? Take a moment and really ponder that question.
Hasn’t Jesus’ death on the cross covered our sin and mistakes?
This, I believe, is the greatest thing that we as Christians wrestle with. This divine struggle between
freedom from our past, but still feeling like slaves to our present and future.
1) Pursuing godliness is life-giving to you and those closest to you.
Proverbs 21:21
21
Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.
You will be shown honor the more you pursue righteousness.
Again, let me be clear, you are righteous because you are covered by the blood of Jesus. And yet, we
are still supposed to pursue a sinless life.
Remember when Jesus forgave the prostitute in John 8 he said, “Go and sin no more.”
Sin is easy. It’s our default.
So when I see someone who is self-sacrificing, walking in purity and integrity, and who passionately
loves God and others, I hold them in higher esteem and regard than someone who is rich, popular or
successful. Because it’s hard!
If we just say that what we do doesn’t really matter because we are covered by the blood of Christ, then
we’ve completely missed it. Because it isn’t just about you! You decisions affect those closest to you as
well!
Proverbs 20:7 The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.
Sometimes when I am tempted to sin, I think about my children.
Then next time you’re tempted to sin, think about those closest to you and how it affects them.
Sin, by nature, is selfish. And it never just affects you.
Proverbs 11:29 Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise.
Studies have now shown that certain sinful lifestyle choices, such as addiction, actually alter your DNA
like a stamp. So if you are struggling with an addictive sin, you can pass that down to your children.
But you can also pass your righteous living down to your children. When a child see a godly mother or
father on their knees, or showing the love of Christ to someone, imagine how they are blessed by that.
Proverbs 11:27 Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it.
How many of you would like more joy in your life?
Proverbs 10:28 The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.
Righteous living leads to a happier life. And yet, why do we return to sin? Temporary, fake joy?
Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.
I’m not trying to be gross, but what are you eating, spiritually?
Are you going back for the regurgitated sin, or are you pursuing living water and the bread of life?

Gypsy moth analogy
We as Christians need to wake up with a hunger for the real thing.
And do you know we feed off each other? What are people feeding off of you?

The remora fish, also known as the sucker fish, is that fish you see basically attached to sharks as
they swim through the water. The remora actually eats scraps of food left behind by the sharks,
as well as bacteria. So, what are the scraps of food you’re leaving behind that the people closest
to you are feeding off of?
One of the biggest eye openers as followers of Christ is that you realize that your actions are never just
about you. They always affect others.
So the Proverbs are giving you an instruction manual on how to protect your family and how to bless
them.
2) Trying to act like God does not lead to salvation, but should be the evidence of salvation
If you have your Bibles, please turn to Proverbs 4
The book of Proverbs might be the most ironic book in the Bible. Sadly ironic.
Remember the author of this book? Solomon has more wisdom than anyone.
He wrote these words:
Proverbs 4:18-27 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the
full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them
stumble. 20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. 21 Do not let them out of
your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a
man's whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 24 Put away
perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. 27
Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
But what do we know of Solomon’s life? Did he listen to his own advice?
Sadly, Solomon did not. His eyes strayed from the Lord, and in his later years he actually began to
worship other gods, built pagan worship centers, and married foreign women who perverted his mind.
The man had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Let that sink in a moment.
1 Kings 11:4-6
4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted
to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of
the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of
the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.
You see, wisdom isn’t enough. Growing in age and experience isn’t enough. Knowing about God isn’t
enough.
Solomon had more wisdom than anyone, yet he was led astray.
Story- I was in 5th grade. I loved animals. I loved to study them, and I had a reputation for being an
animal geek. I had mountains of books about animals, I subscribed to a company where they sent me a
new animal card every week, and I thought I was destined to be a great zoologist. One day my teacher
announced that we were going to be taking five students to some competition on animal knowledge,
and we would be studying animals for weeks, take a test, and then the five students who got the best
score would represent our school on the team. I knew I was destined for greatness. She told us all what
we needed to study and gave us materials to do so. I told the teacher that I really wanted to help, so I
brought in all my books and resources, went around to other students at their desks, helped them learn
about the animals, I even helped quiz other students. So the day of the test came, I took it, and when
the results came back I was horrified. I hadn’t come in the top five. All the students were shocked,
maybe more than me. My teacher pulled me aside (I was crying) and explained to me that, while she
appreciated my help, I hadn’t actually studied any of the material myself. I hadn’t pursued her path. I
was solely relying on what I already knew, not what I didn’t know. It was humbling, especially when the
team came back from the competition with the first-place trophy.
We can often be the same way. I had all the information, and I knew what I needed to do. But I did not
follow my own wisdom.
If you know what God cares about, you know what you should be doing.
There are quite a few proverbs about justice, and its connection to righteousness. The theme of justice
is mentioned more times in the old testament than any other theme. It is clearly on God’s heart.
Proverbs 21:15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.
What are you doing to extend justice into the world? Are you praying for the 27 million slaves? Are you
praying for the persecuted church? Are you committing finances or time to helping the oppressed here
in Lancaster county?
We know that there is horrific injustice in the world, but what good does that do us? Or those being
oppressed.
But according to the scripture I just read, when you do something about it, it brings you joy. And people
are set free and lives are changed forever.
Don’t be like Solomon who knew everything, but didn’t pursue God’s heart.
Imagine a church full of people pursuing goodness and godly character, as opposed to a church full of
people pursuing godly information. Which type of church is going to effectively change the world?
Godliness is devotion in action.
3) Pursuing godly character is worship and points people to Jesus
Have you ever seen a characature? They are basically an exaggerated cartoon of someone who is real.
And they take one or two prominent characteristics of a person and over-exaggerate them. If they have
a big nose or a big chin, then that feature is the one the artist centers on. Usually, the pictures aren’t
very flattering.

Let’s look at a few.
So when the topic of “you” comes up in a conversation that you’re not a part of, what do you think
people think of first?
What’s the “big nose” or “big chin” of your personality?
You see, in our obsession with grace (and rightfully so!) we often forget that what we still choose to do
greatly matters.
Godly character is not just about our relationship with God. It's about our relationship with the world,
and reflecting Gods character to the world.
When your life is a sacrifice of worship, it MUST be pointing people to Jesus.
Proverbs 13:9 The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.
Are you shining? How is your life pointing to Jesus?
Proverbs 21:3
3
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
God wants your heart to seek righteousness and his heart more than he wants your sacrifice. He wants
your sacrifice, but not if your heart isn’t in it first.
There is a quote by William Law from the book A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life that I wanted to
share.
"Devotion signifies a life given, or devoted, to God. He therefore is the devout [godly] man who lives no
longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God; who considers God
in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of his common life parts of piety
[godliness], by doing everything in the name of God, and under such rules as are conformable to his
Glory."
Devotion to God is the main difference between a person who is simply moral and a person who is truly
pursuing godly character.
In other words, you’re not just moral and zealous because you just want to be nice, you’re all those
things because you are devoted fully to God.
There are a lot of people in the world who do nice things, but what is God calling you to do that just
doesn’t make sense? What is he calling you to do and to be that will make the world take notice, and
maybe think, “That’s just not normal.”
Proverbs 14:31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
It’s all about finding the heart of God. You want to be godly? Then be the extension of God’s love to our
broken world.
Brad and Lori Ortenzi story (Invite Brad forward)
If Brad had just told his co-workers and friends about going to Thailand to help these children, they
might have thought, “Oh, Brad and Lori are such nice people.” But it’s the timing of this that makes all
the difference. Giving up his pension when he was so close? In the natural, it all sounds crazy. Now
people are taking notice, and maybe some of them do think it’s foolish. But Brad and Lori have a peace
that surpasses understanding. And now they feel it would be foolish to do anything else.
4) The pursuit of godliness is your spiritual GPS and leads to your spiritual inheritance.
Brad and Lori have come to know the true meaning of a famous proverb:
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your
ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
They are trusting in God, not their own understanding, and now their paths are straight.
Proverbs 11:3, 5
3
The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
5
The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down
by their own wickedness.
Where is your security? In your job, in your status?
Proverbs 11:28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of just living. I want to thrive!
Closing: Analogy- Remember the movie the Lion King? Little Simba wanted to be just like his father. He
loved him more than anything. But he believed his reckless actions got his father killed, and he lived
with guilt and shame, and ran away from all who knew him. He tried to be someone he wasn’t. He was
a prince, but he lived with a warthog and a mere cat. Finally, one day, he returned home and became
the King he was meant to be.
That is you and me. We are princes and princesses, who are called to so much more, but sometimes we
have been living in self-propagated exile. It’s easier not to deal with our past. It’s easier if we don’t
pursue God or our destiny.
But it’s also a joyless, slow death. Why do we do this to ourselves?
Are we royalty who live as though we were poor? As though our Father were not the king?
We KNOW we are royalty, but sometimes we deny it by our actions.
Is your life the proof of your salvation?
This morning I want us to pursue our royal destiny together.
Matthew 5:14-16
14
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and
put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the
same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in
heaven.
Our pursuit of godliness is not just about us. It’s about letting people see God in us.
Our devotion to holiness leads to more worship for God, it points people toward Him, and our paths are
made straight.
Closing Prayer:
Proverbs 3
3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.
3
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
Proverbs 8:32-36
32
“Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33
Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
34
Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35
For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the LORD.
36
But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”
Extra verses:
The following scripture is written as though “wisdom” were a person, and wisdom says:
Proverbs 8:20-21, 32-36
20
I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21
bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.
32
“Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33
Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
34
Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35
For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the LORD.
36
But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”
Resources:
Bible.org (via NavPress)