This sermon challenges believers to not just talk the Christian walk but to also live it out through their actions. It emphasizes the importance of genuine faith that is reflected in both words and deeds, drawing from biblical examples of hypocrisy and the need for true repentance. The message highlights the contrast between those who seek knowledge and understanding in their hearts versus those who feed on foolishness with their words, stressing the significance of a heartfelt faith that leads to true conversion and a life dedicated to God.

And the theme this evening, are you walking the walk, or are you talking the walk? Are you walking the walk, or are you talking the walk? There's a great difference between actions and words. Words are what you say, actions are what you do. You can tell me you're a fish, but as long as you've got two arms and two legs, you're the strangest looking fish I've ever seen. Your words say one thing, but actions show another. Jesus quoted the words of Isaiah when he spoke of the religious hypocrites of his day, saying, this people draw near to me with their mouth, but their heart is far from me. They've taught us from when we were kids, actions speak louder than words, and so it is. The Chinese proverb says, talking doesn't cook rice. Talk about rice all you want, the thing's not going to get heated up. Until you do something, there must be action, there must be more than words. Sanballat and Tobiah, two of Nehemiah's enemies, tried to persuade the man of God to dialogue with them, to cease the work of the Lord. They sought to destroy him, but they didn't tell Nehemiah that. Words said one thing, their actions revealed another. The mouth of the deceitful person is full of venom. A man had two sons, said to the first one, son, can you go and work for me today in my shop? The son said no, but afterwards he repented and said, yes, I'll go, and he went and worked. He came to the second son and said, son, will you work in my shop this afternoon? The son said yes, but then he didn't go. Which of the two pleased the Father? The one who does the will of the Father. It's important from the outset of this message that we understand very clearly that words are not enough, there must be actions, there must be a walk that backs up our Christian life. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. We live in the midst of a postmodern generation that thinks that words are enough. The people of our generation have tongues of deceit, they have venom under their lips, mouths full of cursing. Proverbs 6.17 tells us, God detests a lying tongue. So we're going to open our Bibles this night with this thought in mind. Do you walk the walk, or do you merely talk the walk? Do you live what you profess, or does your lifestyle show your profession to be nothing more than a cheap platter of words that are carried away by the gentlest of breezes? I'd be very grateful if you could accompany me to the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. Proverbs chapter 15, and we're going to read a passage. In Proverbs 15, verse 14. Proverbs 15, verse 14. I'd like to take this opportunity also to give thanks to Pastor Dennis Lyle for this opportunity to open the pulpit. I'm here in fear and trembling. It's a weighty thing to preach the word of the living God. I'm here in fear and trembling before the Lord, because our wisdom, our faith is not put in wisdom of men. It rests in the power of God Almighty. We're not here to hear a charismatic, dynamic preacher. We're here to hear from the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Proverbs 15, verse 14 reads, The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge, but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge, but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. Proverbs is a treasure of divine wisdom. We have sayings here upon which we are able to build our lives in the fear of God. Proverbs touches on many themes, but one thing that runs constantly throughout this book is this differentiation between righteous men and ungodly men, servants of God and servants of hell. It was that way in the Bible days. You're either a servant of God or a servant of the devil, and it's the same in the 21st century. If you don't serve Christ, you're a servant of hell. The Bible doesn't hide anything. It shows us you're in Christ. You're for Him or against Him. It's black or white. There is no middle way. The Bible shows us for what we are. So in this message tonight, we're going to divide the study into two parts. The first part, the heart of Him that has understanding seeks knowledge. The heart of Him that has understanding seeks knowledge. And the second part, but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. So let us join you to God in prayer, that He will bless the Word this night, that He may speak to our hearts, that He may do a work in us, that He may be glorified in all things. In Jesus' name, glory to God. Glory to God. Lord, we are in awe of Your awesome presence, Lord. We are here in Your house, O God. And we were glad when they said unto us, let us go to the house of the Lord. Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere, O God. We are glad, O God, that Your name is called upon us. And we pray, O God, that You would come this night, O God, that You would rend the heavens, Lord, that You would descend, O God, that You would set our hearts ablaze with a fire for the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ, O God. We're sick and tired of religious games, O God. We're sick and tired of lukewarmness, O God. We want the fire, O God. We want the fullness of the Holy Spirit. O God, come upon these young people, God. You know I'm useless, God. You know I'm a worm, O God. I'm here in fear and trembling, but I'm glad, O God, because our faith is not founded in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God Almighty. Lord, I'm like Ezekiel before that valley of dry bones. All I can do is prophesy Your word. But Your Spirit must give life. Your Spirit must do the work, for salvation is of the Lord. Come, O God, glorify Your name. Confirm the preaching of Your gospel in this night. In Jesus' name, we give You praise. In Jesus' name, we give You glory. And the people of God said, Amen. Amen. Glory to God. Glory to God. The heart of Him that has understanding seeks knowledge. The heart of Him that has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feedeth off foolishness. The heart of Him that has knowledge. True Christianity is a matter of the heart. It's more than words. James tells us in 127 of his epistle that a pure religion, a true religion, is one that keeps you unspotted from this world. It's more than words. It's actions. It's an inner reality that's birthed from a heart that's yielded to God. It's more than skin deep. True biblical faith affects the whole life of the woman or man of God. It's more than an intellectual assent to the doctrines of the gospel. It involves the emotions. It involves the affections. It involves the will of the convert. David said in Psalm 17 verse 3, You have proved my heart. Jeremiah 12 verse 3 says, Lord, You have known me and seen me and tried my heart. The Bible was penned by men that were ablaze with this heartfelt faith in the Lord Jesus and the glory of Almighty God. Faith takes your eyes off yourself and everything else this world has to offer and plants them firmly on the Lord Jesus Christ, the heart of Him that has understanding, seeks God, loves God, has faith in God, and repents of all sin. For true biblical conversion is a two-fold work. It involves a negative aspect and a positive aspect. Conversion has a negative aspect in that in conversion we turn away from something. We turn our backs to something. We reject something and that something is called sin. This is what we know in the Bible as repentance. Conversion is repentance. We flee from sin, from the old life. But that's only half of conversion because conversion not only has a negative aspect but a positive aspect. We don't merely flee from something. We flee to something and that something is the author and finisher of our faith, the one we call Jesus Christ. We don't merely flee from sin. We flee to Him for refuge, for mercy, for comfort in time of need. The new birth turns man from darkness to light, from death to life, from eternal condemnation to eternal salvation, from Satan to Christ, from hell to heaven. Blessed be the name of the Lord. He has saved us. He has redeemed us. He has translated us from the kingdom of darkness and made us inheritance in the kingdom of light. Glory to God in the highest.