THE MAN GOD CALLS A FOOL

How the custom of pranking on April 1 came about remains shrouded in mystery. One theory says that when the western world employed the Julian calendar, years began on March 25. Festivals marking the start of the New Year were celebrated on the first day of April because March 25 fell during Holy Week. The adoption of the Gregorian calendar during the 1500s moved the New Year to January 1. Those who could be tricked into believing April 1 was still the proper day to celebrate the New Year earned the title of "April fools". To this end, French peasants would unexpectedly drop in on neighbors on that day in a effort to confuse them into thinking they were receiving a New Year's call. Out of that one joke supposedly grew the tradition of testing the patience of family and friends.

It's one thing for another person to call us a fool. Perhaps it's only in jest or perhaps they mean to hurt us but we can often laugh that off. But what about when God Almighty calls someone a fool? That is a serious matter and it happens more often than you might think. Let's open the Word of God together and see who God calls a fool.

I. THE ATHEIST AND/OR AGNOSTIC FOOL [PS. 14:1, RM. 1]

The atheist says there is no God. The agnostic says he doesn't know if there is a God and that it cannot be proved either way but he lives his life as though there is not one. They're both wrong.

The word here is 'nabal" (remember Nabal?) which Mr. Young says is an empty person while Mr. Strong says is a wicked or stupid person. Both are right because a person empty of morals is a wicked person and a person empty of obvious knowledge is stupid. If the person doesn't believe in God after looking at the evidence he's just stupid. If he refuses to believe in God after seeing the evidence he's wicked, saying "No God for me."

Both Ps. 19 and Rm. 1 give the clear evidence from Creation. The Psalmist shows there is "Natural" revelation and there is Super-natural revelation, both given by the One true God. In Romans God uses Paul to point out you cannot reject God without being foolishly wicked.

In verse 16 Paul says the Gospel is the way of salvation

In verse 17 Paul says God's "rightness" is revealed. Man-made religions don't deal with the sin problem the way only God can.

In verses 18-20 Paul says even if you ignore the truth you will still be held accountable for it.

In verse 21 he says it is "foolish" -the word literally means unintelligent. In verse 22 he uses the word "moraino" which means to become insipid, dull, stupid. It's close to out word "moron". In the rest of the chapter he tells the results of such moronic behavior.

Mr. Spurgeon said that "Agnostic is Latin for ignoramus."

II. THE UNTHANKFUL FOOL [PS. 92:1-9]

We've already seen unthankfulness is a result of foolishness in Romans 1. The Psalmist said the same thing essentially. This guy doesn't see or doesn't want to acknowledge God in his life. He is a self-confident, unthankful fool. He forgets the very air we breathe is God's, the cattle on a thousand hills are His, we are stewards of God's property.

III. THE FOOL WHO WILL NOT LEARN [PS. 107:15-21]

Here's the fool who wants to sow his wild oats and then prays for crop failure. He's like the guy who gets upset with the burning stick after he picks it up and gets hurt. He blames God for the natural result of his sin. He's like the man in Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Proverbs 23:29-35 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

He doesn't learn his lesson and he doesn't want to be taught!

Pr. 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction

Proverbs 1:22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

IV. THE TALKATIVE FOOL [PR. 10:18-21]

I saw a tee shirt that said, "Help! I'm talking and I can't shut up!"

"It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt."
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, American author (1835-1910)

V. THE MOCKING FOOL [PR. 10:23, 14:9, 11-12]

This fool thinks he will be the first person in history to get away with sin. "Aw come on, it won't hurt you. Loosen up! What harm can it be?"

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

VI. THE LYING FOOL [ECCLES. 5:1-7]

VII. THE IGNORING FOOL [MT. 7:24-27]

"Moros" dull, slow

Even Christians fall victim to this.

Galatians 3:1-3 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

VIII. THE UNPREPARED FOOL [LK. 12:15-21]

IX. THE SLOW-HEARTED FOOL [LK. 24:13-27]

X. THE UNBELIEVING FOOL [I COR. 15:35-58]

Genesis 18:14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Jeremiah 32:17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?