Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: A Wise Heart Cry

Theme: Grasping the Wisdom of God

“Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.

Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.

Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.”

(Proverbs 4:7-8)

The Lord is pleased when His children ask for wisdom

As I think of all the wonderful promises that our Lord has given to His church, I rejoice over the fact that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him.

And He said “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

(Matthew 28:18-19) In His exhortation, Jesus gave a promise, which should give us assurance, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

(Matthew 28:20) Being under Jesus’ authority, opens up the door for us to enjoy all that God has for His children.

James, the half brother of Jesus gives us this powerful truth, “If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

(James 1:5)

The making of disciples is the greatest calling that a child of God can receive.

It is just as much of a high calling as that which was given to King Solomon.

Solomon was a wise king who governed the people of God.

In his early days he had a heart attitude that enabled him to receive the gift of wisdom from God.

We read in 1 Kings chapter three that at Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want Me to give you.”

(1 Kings 3:5)

Consider carefully how Solomon answered the Lord.

“You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart.

You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.”

(1 Kings 3:6) After giving the proper credit to the Lord, Solomon then has an outcry that must be in all who desire true wisdom.

Solomon’s request was “Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David.

But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.

Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people… So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.

For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:7-9)

The Bible says, “The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.”

(1 Kings 3:10) “God said to [Solomon]… I will give you a wise and discerning heart...” (1 Kings 3:12)

I would propose to you that the church who has revelation about the Great Commission and is Illuminated by the Holy Ghost, will have the same heart cry as Solomon, “O Lord give us wisdom.

For those you have called us to disciple are your chosen people.”

This is the cry of the heart that should also be in parents and all who desire to enjoy the benefits of walking in obedience to God.

In Proverbs chapter four we see an earnest cry from the Holy Spirit moving Solomon to write, “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.

Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.

Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.”

(Proverbs 4:7-8)

Considering how the things of God are to be taught precept upon precept, and line upon line.

Not only because the things of God are great, but also because the flesh of man is often warring against the Holy Spirit.

Solomon tells mankind what is best.

God’s wisdom is one of our greatest spiritual resources.

Just how does one receive the wisdom that Solomon wants us to come to understand?

How does one come to understand God’s wisdom?

What is the path to wisdom?

Grasping the Wisdom of God

If the Body of Christ is going to be able to embrace and enjoy the honor of having God’s wisdom, she must start with “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 2:5) Study of the Word of God leads us to discover the truth written by the apostle Paul, “…Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:24)

There are Bible teachers who believe that Lady Wisdom in Proverbs 1:20 and in Proverbs chapter 8 is a call of Christ to the listener.

(Matthew Henry Commentary; The Pulpit commentary)

In the first message of His public address, Jesus, taught that there must be two specific heart responses to His words if one is going to have the wisdom of God.

One is hearing and the other is doing.

First, this involves relationship with Him and second, there must be an actual positive response to His words.

Christians who have received His wisdom are obedient children of God who have not only revelation of God’s Word but also illumination.

They grasp the truth of Scripture and say yes, this is true and I must do it.

It is a foolish man who ignores God’s Word.

His life reflects instability and uselessness for the Lord.

He cannot withstand the pressures of the storms of life and ministry.

Those who do not seek the wisdom of God are unstable, up and down, and inconsistent.

On the other hand, the Christian who faithfully seeks to hear God’s Word and does what it says, has a life of stability and is useful to the Master and he builds his house on solid ground.

What is Wisdom

The first thing we want to consider is “What is Wisdom.”

Before the children of God can apply the disciplines of hearing and doing, they must have in their minds and hearts what wisdom really is.

Christians must make every effort to avoid some misconceptions that are out there.

Some people believe that possessing wisdom is to have a full understanding of what God is doing in the world, particularly in their lives.

Some actually feel God will give them a supernatural revelation or dream that maps out much of their future.

The wisdom I am teaching on today is not to be mistaken with a “Word of Knowledge.”

The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote about Abraham’s faith toward God.

He writes, “…when [Abraham was] called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

(Hebrews 11:8) Thus, wisdom is not having a full knowledge of what lies ahead.

Dr Jim Berg shared some powerful illustrations for us in his book “Changed Into His Image” that help us to understand what wisdom is not and is.

Some people feel that wisdom is like being a pilot of a helicopter who is overlooking the traffic in a major city.

They feel you should be able to see ahead to that place where the traffic is all messed up, so you can take the next off ramp and take a better route.

Sadly, many Christians who have that view of wisdom become discouraged when crisis comes or when things don’t go their way.

There was once a lady who became quite distraught when complications developed during her infant son’s surgery to correct a birth defect.

This mother’s anxiety went beyond normal motherly love and concern for her baby.

It was down right sin, for she began to question her own walk with the Lord.

She began to argue, “What can God do in a baby only eight months old, there is nothing that this little boy is going to learn in this.

And why would God do something or allow something to happen to little Tommy to teach me anything?

It seems if God wants to teach me anything He would do it to me!”

If you have had baby trials, then your heart most certainly goes out to this mother.

However, part of the struggle this mother was having came from her faulty view of wisdom and godliness.

She had convinced herself that if she is walking with God she will understand the “why’s and wherefores” of everything that happens in her life.

Because she could not figure out in this case how “in all things God works for the good of those who love him,” (Romans 8:28) she felt that she was disqualified from the “inner circle” with God, where He shares all the secrets of His Providence.

A quick survey of the Scriptures reveals, however, that most of God’s saints never knew all of His plans as they served Him.

Very seldom did God’s great men of faith and obedience have the big picture of God’s providence as they walked with Him down here on earth.

Daniel didn’t, Joseph didn’t, Job and Abraham who have already been mentioned did not have God’s full revelation on all that was going on in their lives.

Wisdom then is not the view of the road from a helicopter above the traffic in the big city.

A more fitting illustration of wisdom is what Dr. Jim Berg calls the dashboard view.

It is a skill exercised by a driver caught in the middle of the traffic in the big city.

The driver must know the right response when someone slams on the brakes in front of him or cuts him off unexpectedly or when a child in the back seat lets out a bloodcurdling scream.

Response to dilemmas like these reveals real skills and the character in a driver.

Our response to the trials of this life reveals the skills of applying God’s Word in our lives and the character of our life.

The way we approach the Lord’s work reveals to us our skills of exercising our gifts under the wisdom of God.

In Genesis 39, Joseph did not know why he had to spend time in prison on trumped-up charges.

After two years in prison Joseph’s circumstances did not change.

However, he knew and practiced responses that kept him useful to God anyway.

The patriarch Job never knew why all of his children and properties were wiped out in God’s providence, but he knew and practiced responses that kept him usable to God anyway.

Wisdom is not having God’s perspective of the whole matter before us, but having God’s perspective about what the next response should be that would will honor Him.

That is what will keep us usable to the Lord.

Our call is to make true disciples of Christ and this involves teaching Christians what wisdom is, that right response that will make them usable to Christ.

If the child of God wants to be faithful on the path of wisdom, he must consider the outcome if he does not