Proverbs 4: Don't Forget the Words of God

Introduction

Matt Marvane begins with a confession. Not a great sin, he assures us, but a weakness: although he sings and has written a few songs, he forgets the words. Even the words of his own songs, even songs he has sung a hundred or two hundred times. He admits that he has sometimes made up words on the spot, for lack of anything better.

That is where the title of the message comes from. It is borrowed from a TV game show where the lyrics disappear from the screen and the contestant has to keep going alone, with no help, all the way to the end of the song. The winner is called the "maestro." On the path of the worshiper, the theme of the series at Église SOS Lyon, the stakes are the same: do not forget the words.

The key text is Proverbs 4:5: "Don't forget, and don't deviate from the words of my mouth." The preacher breaks this verse into three parts: not forgetting is a decision, the words of his mouth call for consideration, and not turning away from them is our protection.

Outline of the Message

1. The Adversary Knows the Word Better Than We Do

On the path of the worshiper, the enemy knows the words "very, very, very well." He knows every comma and every period, and he has quoted verses. Above all, he knows the power and effectiveness of the Word.
His only goal is to make us forget it, to pull us away from it as far as possible. The reason: he cannot fight against the Word, and he knows he is defeated.
The Word is that powerful weapon, that two-edged sword that does a deep work that only God can do and that the enemy cannot stop. So he tries to get it forgotten, neglected, despised.
The preacher also recommends reading Proverbs regularly: 31 chapters, one a day, and you have finished the book in a month. "Then, when you are done, you start again."

2. Not Forgetting Is a Decision

It all starts with the decision to believe that God speaks, that he has a mouth, and that he speaks to you personally, specifically, because he knows you.
To those who say the Word does not speak to them, he answers: maybe you have not yet chosen to believe that it is for you.
Because he forgets everything (his son, who is in the room, can vouch for it), he has learned to write everything down. He says he has a "real warehouse" where he stores everything God tells him, and he even offers to give a tour.
We have all been there: a verse strikes us, we tell ourselves we will never forget it, and the next day we no longer know where it was. "I believe and I store."
A pastor friend spent his vacation building an app to keep the verses that matter most to him. "Create your own tools," so that you know at any moment where to find what God has told you.

3. The Words of His Mouth: Consider the One Who Speaks

If we do not memorize, it is sometimes because we do not grasp how important the speaker is. When his wife tells him something, he asks her to send it to him in writing, because he is determined not to forget what she expects of him.
He recalls what he said the week before: at 20 minutes a day, it would take 60 years to receive the training the disciples received in three years with Jesus. With 12 to 15 minutes a day, you can read the Bible in a year.
Not reading comes partly from a lack of consideration. "The Almighty God is speaking to me, an insignificant and fragile being." And God does not lie.
Everyone talks and gives an opinion. You can spend an hour in front of the news and two minutes in the Word. Which mouth do we listen to the most? Ezekiel 12:25: "I will speak, and the word that I speak will be performed."
Build your life on the whole Word, not only on the verses that interest us, that we understand, or that benefit us. He points back to the first message of the series, on August 15: Christ, our only mediator.
A candidate for the GIGN (the French special forces), anxious about a night dive in cold water, passed the test by imagining that his little girl was drowning and that he was the only one who could go and get her. "If we do not consider that our life depends on the Word, we will never go into its depths."

4. Dive In Instead of Staying a Tourist

The preacher warns against the "tourist Christian" who only wants to see the must-sees of the faith. He calls us to become the pilgrim who explores the side streets and little paths of the Bible.
James says it: the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, will be blessed in what he does (James 1:25).
In the morning, you do not dive out of bed; you put one foot down first. The Bible, though, says to dive: when your head goes into the water, the rest of the body follows. Some only dip a toe to cool off.
"Dive in again. Dive in again." Be baptized in the Word as many times as you want.
Gold is never found on the surface; you have to dig. God is so immense that you do not discover him like someone you pass on the sidewalk. Roots take time: persevere.

5. Not Turning Away: The Word, Our Protection

Choosing not to turn away from the Word means being protected: if you listen to his mouth, you are not listening to the other mouths.
Another translation says: do not stray from what you have learned. The preacher admits he has been careless and has strayed, in his attitude and in his thoughts, maybe dozens or hundreds of times. A drift of one millimeter becomes huge over time.
Psalm 1 describes the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked but delights in the law of Yahweh and meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, and whatever he does prospers.
He tells of a speaker from London who shared what his church does: reading the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, without a break, with each person taking over for a few hours. He would like to do that one day.
"Without the Word, I die." The one who depends on the Word is led down a path where God takes the initiative and guarantees success, for his glory and not for our reputation. In work, family, relationships, or finances, God wants to see you succeed.

6. Keep His Words in the Depths of Your Heart

Proverbs 4:20-22: "My son, pay attention to my words." Pay attention, because we can quickly be distracted by other words. The preacher, who never talks about politics from the pulpit, points out that many speeches will be given in the coming weeks: the most important thing is to listen to him.
His words are life to those who find them and health to their whole body. With compassion, he speaks to those who have been sick for years: God does not judge you, he does not condemn you. "By his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Hold on to this word.
The Word produces its effect not when it touches the head, but when it touches the heart. Some people know the Bible far better than he does without having met its author.
If you dive into the Word, it will challenge you and touch an area of your life: health, work, relationships, finances. Isaiah 55:11: the word that goes out of his mouth "will not return to me void."
Jeremiah 29:11-13: God knows the plans he has for you, plans of peace to give you a future and hope. Whoever takes this seriously becomes a person of prayer, because reading the Bible with faith is already a conversation with God.
"If you are not praying today, I would bet my life that you are not reading the Word of God with faith." Reading the La Bonne Semence calendar is a good start, but it is not yet being immersed. Hebrews 2:1 urges us to pay greater attention to what we have heard, "lest perhaps we drift away."

7. One Maestro, and the Spirit Who Reminds

"Don't forget that you are not the maestro." In the church there is only one maestro: Jesus Christ. He is the Word.
When he left, he did not leave his people alone. The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, teaches all things and reminds us of all that Jesus said (John 14:26).
A reminder concerns what we have already heard. It is up to you to take the initiative to read with faith and to store it up: at the right moment, the Spirit will tell you to go to your warehouse and fetch the word you received on a certain day, the one that unlocks the situation.
There will be times when you do not have the strength to pray or to read. What you have stored up will feed you in times of famine.
He prays for a church of the Word, one that reads every page, "even Leviticus, even Numbers," even without understanding everything. There is no condemnation for those who have neglected it: get back into good habits. "Not by our strength, but by his Spirit."

Key Takeaways

The adversary cannot defeat the Word, so he tries to make us forget it.
Not forgetting begins with a decision: believing that God speaks, and that he speaks to you. Then write down and store what he says.
We listen most to the mouth we consider most. God does not lie, and what he says comes to pass.
Not straying from the Word is a protection. You have to dive in and persevere, like a tree putting down roots.
The Holy Spirit reminds you of what you have already received: what you store up today will serve you tomorrow.

Personal Application

Have you decided to believe that the Word of God is for you, personally?
What is your "warehouse": where do you write down what God tells you, and do you know where to find it?
How much time do you give to other voices (news, social media, speeches) compared to the Word?
Do you read the Bible as a tourist, or as a pilgrim who dives in and perseveres?
In what area of your life is the Word challenging you right now?

Verses Cited

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "Don't forget the words of my mouth" mean in Proverbs 4:5?

For Matt Marvane, this verse contains three things. Not forgetting is a decision: believing that God speaks, and that he speaks to you. The words of his mouth invite you to consider the one who speaks, the God who does not lie. Not turning away is a protection: listening to his mouth means not listening to the other voices.

How can you avoid forgetting what God tells you?

The preacher, who admits he forgets everything, writes down what God tells him and puts it in what he calls his "warehouse." He encourages everyone to find their own tools, like the pastor friend who built an app to keep important verses, so that he knows where to find what God has said.

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in remembering the Word?

According to John 14:26, the Holy Spirit teaches all things and reminds us of what Jesus said. A reminder concerns something we have already heard: it is up to you to read the Word with faith and store it up, and the Spirit will remind you of it at the right moment.