The Blessing Of Wisdom
Oologah Summer Series • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
I would like to begin by thanking the church in Oologah for love and dedication to the truth of God’s word.
There is no greater joy that a Christian can have on this earth than to find and fellowship with other like minded brethren, and from me and the church at Ramona we say thank you for your love of God and his precious word.
Tonight, I have been assigned the topic “The Blessing Of Wisdom” for our theme the “Beatitudes Of The Old Testament.”
Let’s read together Proverbs 3:13 and Proverbs 3:18.
Proverbs 3:13 (NKJV)
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding
Proverbs 3:18 (NKJV)
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.
As you all are firmly aware heavenly wisdom is supposed to play a vital part in every child of God’s lives, which is why it is found so prolifically throughout the scriptures.
The English word wisdom is found…
In the KJV 234 times in 222 verses.
In the NKJV 227 times in 215 verses.
In the ASV 228 times in 215 verses.
In the NKJV there are nine different Hebrew words translated as wisdom at some point or another and in the Greek there are two different words.
So, this evening we are going to focus on four questions as it relates to a Christian’s relationship with the wisdom from above.
We are going to ask and answer…
What is wisdom?
How do we acquire wisdom?
How do we hold on to wisdom?
How does wisdom bless us?
What Is Wisdom?
What Is Wisdom?
Defining Wisdom.
Defining Wisdom.
There are two words, knowledge and wisdom, that are sometimes used interchangeably, but in reality have different meanings when diving into their specifics.
Biblical knowledge is the gaining of information to determine truth.
Biblical wisdom is the ethical application of that determined truth.
This means that wisdom is incumbent upon knowledge.
15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
And so in it’s most basic definition one might say, “wisdom is discerning what is true, and how to apply that truth ethically in our lives.”
We see this definition in action when Moses stated in Deuteronomy 4:5-6.
Deuteronomy 4:5–6 (NKJV)
5 Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. 6 Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’
However, this definition only scratches the surface of what heavenly wisdom is in our walk with God.
In the New Testament the most common word translated as wisdom is “σοφία” and it is also the word the LXX uses for the most common Hebrew word “חָכְמָה.”
I say all that to say we can learn a lot from this word as it is the most common word in both the Old Testament and the New Testament but in the Old Testament we find an interesting reality to it.
Out of the 149 times we find this word in the O.T. it is translated as wisdom or equivalent 146 times, but what about the other three times in the NKJV?
1 Chronicles 28:21 (NKJV)
21 Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and every willing craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service; also the leaders and all the people will be completely at your command.
Exodus 35:35 (NKJV)
35 He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver—those who do every work and those who design artistic works.
We see the combination of wisdom and skill combined in meaning in Psalm 107.27 wherein a seaman finds himself in raging storm.
Psalm 107:27 (NKJV)
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end.
Psalm 107:27 (CSB)
27 they reeled and staggered like a drunkard, and all their skill was useless.
This is showing that a seaman’s wisdom and thus skill was useless against this raging storm, but God’s wisdom and thus skill was fully complete making him able to calm the storm.
Summary
Summary
It is here we have the most complete grasp of biblical wisdom as God would have us acquire.
Wisdom is the attainment of the art of living in accordance with God’s expectations.
It is that which we will seek to master here on earth while never fully accomplishing (1 John 1:7-10).
So if wisdom is the attainment of the art of living in accordance with God’s expectations…
How Do We Acquire Wisdom?
How Do We Acquire Wisdom?
We Put Away Foolishness.
We Put Away Foolishness.
Unfortunately, foolishness is bound up in humanity from the very beginning.
Proverbs 22:15 (NKJV)
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.
This isn’t to suggest we are born sinners but rather that we must be trained to critically think about truth and it’s importance not just our “own wants and desires.”
Due to such a lack of good parenting foolishness has extended to many adults many of which are even in the church.
This is of course a problem when one’s very nature is to be foolish instead of wise.
Proverbs 17:12 (NKJV)
12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly.
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
Proverbs 26:9 (NKJV)
9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Why is it so important to stop being foolish and acquire wisdom, because heavenly wisdom is based in godly living and therefore worth far more than anything foolishness can offer.
In speaking about wisdom Job would say…
15 It cannot be purchased for gold, Nor can silver be weighed for its price. 16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx or sapphire. 17 Neither gold nor crystal can equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.
Unfortunately, most people are foolish and as Job so keenly states…
Job 28:13 (NKJV)
13 Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
So the first step in acquiring the wisdom from above is putting away foolishness so that we are open to gaining wisdom.
The second step is…
We Fear God.
We Fear God.
Understanding our how foolish we are without God’s wisdom will naturally lead one to realizing “they need to fear God.”
To fear God means to have a very real understanding that God is the one that will sentence us to an eternity with him in heaven or an eternity away from him in hell.
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
When we grasps this it makes it much easier to put away foolishness in our lives and with that wisdom starts.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
When we fear Jehovah it is then and only then that we begin to truly seek truth, and the skill to apply that truth in our lives.
If we do not properly fear the LORD and therefore have a complete and utter respect for our Creator we will never acquire wisdom.
Why, because acquiring wisdom also requires that…
We Pray For It.
We Pray For It.
Let’s read James 1:5.
James 1:5 (NKJV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
To acquire wisdom we must “ask God for wisdom.”
Now here is the rub, we not only have to ask for it, but we have to actually want it.
James 1:6–8 (NKJV)
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Why, because to acquire wisdom from above means to ask God to put us through trails and tribulations that will bind us closer to God.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Summary
Summary
To acquire wisdom means to we must remove the foolishness from out lives so that we can see clearly the need to fear God.
This allows us to attain the truth, and pray for experience by any means God sees fit that will give us the wisdom we need to be bound all the closer to our Creator.
Acquiring wisdom is one thing but then…
How Do We Hold On To Wisdom?
How Do We Hold On To Wisdom?
We Secure Our Grip.
We Secure Our Grip.
Going back to the second scripture for our topic this evening in Proverbs 3:18 we read…
Proverbs 3:18 (NKJV)
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.
Retain here means “to hold fast” to “hold secure.”
The truth of the matter is, the more we obtain wisdom and therefore find ourselves drawing closer and closer to God, Satan is going to try harder and harder to get us to forsake wisdom all the more.
He isn’t described as a “roaring lion” for no reason…
1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Remember Satan’s reaction to Job, the most faithful on the planet at that time.
Satan came after everything of Job’s to try and get to Job to forget all the wisdom he had acquired and curse God to his face (Job 1:6-12).
We must secure a firm grip on wisdom when it is acquired but how?
We ask for more wisdom.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
They only way to keep our grip on the wisdom we have acquired is to keep acquiring more and more wisdom, allowing us to draw closer and closer to our God.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.
Summary
Summary
Getting wisdom is one thing, but keeping it is another.
We must firmly and securely hold on to the wisdom we have and continue to seek after more and more wisdom from God.
So then…
How Does Wisdom Bless Us?
How Does Wisdom Bless Us?
It Brings Us Success.
It Brings Us Success.
In Ecclesiastes 10:10 we read…
10 If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.
Though this passage is not dealing with spiritual wisdom the principle still applies.
Wisdom blesses us by giving us counsel that we can rely on during “any situation.”
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.
In other words, when we have the wisdom that is from above it allows us to understand how to handle scripturally any situation that Satan or his ministers might throw our way.
Summary
Summary
The answer is not complicated but it is powerful.
Godly wisdom blesses by allowing us to live in this life for the next.
To know the right time and the right circumstance to apply the right principle to the right person or situation.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Today, we have been blessed to come together in fellowship and worship him who is “wisdom” (Proverbs 8:22) and who has offered us wisdom if we are willing to acquire it, hold on to it, and be blessed by it.
Tonight, you have the opportunity to demonstrate wisdom if you are struggling with sin by showing Satan he no longer is your master by repenting and coming back to God.
Then let your family here help you bear that burden and help you over come so that you will be wise again.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
