Whatcha Lookin’ For?

Proverbs 2:1-22

Intro

In July 2006 a movie called Pirate’s of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest came out. It was a funny dramatic action film featuring Johnny Depp who played the enigmatic Pirate, Jack Sparrow. In the film Jack is trying to find the chest that hold the still beating heart of Davey Jones so he can attempt to get out a poor deal he made some years before. To aid him with this quest he has a compass that will point him to his hearts greatest desire. The thing he most wants, it will take him to it. The problem is Jack didn’t always know what he wanted most. He was indecisive and seemingly desired the best of both worlds. Jack would open the compass and the arrow would spin rapidly or point in multiple directions. Throughout the whole trilogy of movies people are after the compass or Jack attempts to use it and goes haywire. Only when Jack was truly set on one want and desire did the compass work appropriately.

That’s kind of how we wonder through life isn’t? We don’t really know what we are looking for. We jump from place to place and thing to thing and hope this and that satisfies…but what we fail to realize (sometimes until it is too late) is that what will truly satisfy is seeking Wisdom in the Lord. We already discussed that New Testament reveals to us that Jesus Christ is Wisdom in the flesh. Just like wisdom calling in the streets, Jesus is calling to us…so what happens if you truly seek after wisdom? What happens if you truly pursue Wisdom?

Proverbs 2 gives us an illustration for a lesson.

READ Proverbs 2

Main Idea: If you seek it, you will find it and it will protect you from a lifetime of pain.

MEAT

Wise Word 1: You gotta want it.

The first 4 verses here is the father figure pleading with the son that you have to have a desire for God.

Proverbs 2:4 ESV

4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,

Receive…

Treasure

Incline

Call out

Raise your voice

Seek

Search

If is used 3 times in the first 4 verses… “If you…” People are not wise by default. Not true fulfilling, life-giving wisdom. We have to chase it..pursue it.

All of these are active verbs. It requires you doing something. you can’t be like Jack Sparrow wanting all the things. You can’t want Wisdom and girls/boys. You can’t want Wisdom and Popularity. You can’t want Wisdom and fill in the blank. You have to pursue wisdom with your whole heart. Ray Ortlund sums up these 4 verses best when he says very simply, “It’s all about desire for God.” (Proverbs - Wisdom that Works)

I love the last line in v. 4 “search for it as hidden treasures…” That’s what it is! It is a hidden treasure but it is so easy to find..if you just look.

Application: Passionately pursue the Lord like it is the most important thing in life.

Wise Word 2: The Lord gives good gifts.

What happens if we truly seek after the Lord?

Proverbs 2:5 ESV

5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

I like what Ortlund says again here:

God is not saying “If you seek me, I will love you more. He is saying “If you seek me, you will find me, for all that I am worth.” - Ray Ortlund Jr., Proverbs - Wisdom that Works.

Truly seek the Lord and here are your rewards:

Knowledge of God (v. 5, 6)

Wisdom (v. 6, 7)

a shield (v. 7)

Integrity (v.7)

Guard and overwatch (v. 8)

Understanding (v. 9)

heart change (v. 10)

discretion (v. 11)

All of these gifts have infinitely more value than any dollar or any girl/boy. You will see that directly challenged in these next few verses. But the Lord protects you from all of that. That’s what wisdom is. Wisdom says maybe that boy isn’t worth my purity. Wisdom from the Lord says maybe those friends aren’t worth my freedom (because they are asking you to do things you don’t need to do.)

Application: Praise the Lord for His good gifts.

Wise Word 3: Flee from temptation!

Proverbs 2:20–22 ESV

20 So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.

The illustration turns it’s attention to two characters who specialize in perversion and seduction.

They use their words to pull you into their evil ways. This is attractive to the human mind and eye and ear.

They use the two ways that are most attractive to humans: money/power and sex.

The evil man is using his perverse speech to get what he wants. Perverse doesn’t just mean nasty it means twisted or upside down. This man is telling you all the things you want to hear, “yeah we can make that money. you know I can get you in that party. You can be popular like me. A bunch of people will like you.” But what he doesn’t tell you is that it is going to cost you your morality. What he doesn’t tell you is each step you take in his direction takes you further away from Christ.

The evil woman is a seducer. An adulteress, cheating in her marriage and forsaking God in the process. If you follow her path of sexual temptation the father figure says the only thing you will find is the dead bodies of those who went before you and there is no turning back. Sexual sin will drag you down and keep you there for a long long time.

Both of these tempters are dangerous evils that lead far away from Christ and let me just tell you these temptations are unavoidable in life. I would venture to say some of you are battling them right now. BUT the beauty of the poem in this chapter is that if you are seeking out Wisdom (or simply pursuing God), God will protect you from following their paths. It doesn’t mean you won’t stumble on the way (though that is not an excuse to sin, it just means it’s not the end of the world if you do) but it does mean that God will keep you on the path of righteousness (v. 20).

Application: Cling to righteousness when temptation comes your way!

Conclusion

As we close I want to point out a word mentioned a few times in this chapter.

Integrity. It’s a word that in the Hebrew is trying to communicate a sense of wholeness or completeness. Meaning your whole life, your whole walk, public and private life is seeking the Lord. See it’s easy to seek God, to pursue wisdom, in this setting. Where you have all of these wonderful friends around you that are pointing you to Jesus. But the real challenge is to pursue wisdom on your phone where no one can see what you are doing except you, God, and millions of you closest anonymous friends. The real challenge is pursuing wisdom when you and your boy or girl friend have made the unwise decision to be alone together. The real challenge is to pursue wisdom when you are talking to that boy or girl that is saying all the right words but you know mama and daddy have told you to leave them alone. That is where the challenge is.

Well brother Justin, how do you pursue wisdom in the precarious situations like you just mentioned?

Spend real personal time with God daily. In his Word and in prayer.

Surround yourself with Godly friends. People that are not afraid to tell you when you are falling for the seducing man/woman. AND LISTEN TO THEM

Listen to your parents.

a big emphasis in these first two chapters has been listening to the various words of wisdom in your life.

Be active and involved in your local church family. I don’t just mean show up on Sunday night and Wednesday night. But serve the church, find somebody in the church you can build up.

I know it sounds like a broken record but the spiritual disciplines are so important to keeping you walking with integrity. Pursue them. Pursue God.