God’s Ingredients to Wisdom

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I want to teach on something today that I feel like I have actually lived out a lot in my life and sought after, but I don’t believe I’ve ever really taught or preached on it. I feel like the Lord has recently pushed me to study it and share it, and so, here we are.

The Command to Get Wisdom

The Forgotten Commandment

When I say that I want to take you in scripture to a commandment that we have been given, what are the first scriptures that come to mind? Probably:

The 10 Commandments (covet, kill, bear false witness…)

The Great Commission

The “Greatest” Commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

All of these are hard-hitting scriptures that everyone knows, and I’m sure that you can think of more.

But we are concerned with a different commandment today. What I believe is the Forgotten Commandment. Let’s read it:

Proverbs 4:5–7 NKJV

5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

It’s a commandment to “get wisdom!” And I don’t believe it’s a sort of careless, emotionless, mild assertion that we’re getting from scripture, here. These are words that are leaping off the page with urgency and passion. As a matter of face, one translation of verse seven reads like this: “Wisdom is supreme - so get wisdom!” (HCSB).

My question for you right now is this: Could it be that “get wisdom” carries as much punch as the Great Commandment and the Great Commission?

Even if it’s not on that level, you cannot deny the seriousness and the urgency that you feel from reading these scriptures. GOD WANTS US TO GET WISDOM. Let that sink into your mind for a minute.

I want to talk about wisdom today and what goes into it, the ingredients to wisdom.

A Lack of Wisdom in the World

You know, the older I get the more, not less, I feel like I need wisdom.

Now, to say that is a cliche, of course. But cliches are here for a reason. And here’s the reason for this one: there is a lack of wisdom in the world today. Absolutely, there is!

I’ll never forget when I first heard about the sudden rise of a popular figure in the intellectual world. Goes by the name of Jordan Peterson. He is a clinical psychologist in Canada. He recognized something that was going on in the world that was troubling: Young men were not maturing into taking responsibility and living in a masculine and helpful way at the rate that they used to 20, even 10 years ago.

And so, trying to figure out a way to break through and hopefully do something that would help, he created a YouTube channel in which he began speaking directly in his videos to young men. And he would say things like Know who you are when you talk to people. And Always have a firm handshake. Walk straight, without slouching. And Treat yourself as though you are someone that you are responsible for helping. And Go for integrity and character first, then success will come.

And what happened was, his channel absolutely blew up. Millions of young men, searching for guidance and a strong voice of wisdom in their life, would tune in to hear what he would have for them. They were hungry, starving for wisdom in their own lives on how to live and act and carry themselves.

And truly, our world is starving for true, godly wisdom. There is a lack of wisdom in our world!

And what it has been replaced with is this perverted form of wisdom. It’s a worldly, good-to-the-ears sort of wisdom that people latch onto, but never find good fruits that come of it.

Proverbs 14:12 NKJV

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

It sounds good, everyone around the world is affirming it, using it as wisdom for themselves, and it all points to being right. But it’s not. And the more people that affirm such “wisdoms”, the further they spread.

Now, this is a real problem we have on our hands, folks!

The scripture is declaring the need that is there for it! “Get wisdom! Don’t turn away from it!” And at the same time, our world is lacking it more and more!

And somewhere, there needs to be some Apostolics who know what godly wisdom is, that will see the drought of wisdom that is glaring in their world, and will get on their knees and say, LORD, I’M HUNGRY FOR YOUR WISDOM! AND I WANT TO HELP MINISTER IT TO THE HUNGRY PEOPLE IN MY WORLD AROUND ME!!!

Don’t get me wrong - I understand that we talk the same about the Holy Ghost! And The Great Commission is evermore important and valid. They need Acts 2:38!

But what happens after that?

Well I can tell you exactly what happens after that… they either receive and are imparted godly wisdom and teaching and they grow in the kingdom of God, or the aren’t imparted it, and growth and maturity doesn’t happen, and they turn away.

There are two very important parts to becoming who God wants us to be, and we can’t miss either one of them:

THE APOSTOLIC EXPERIENCE

THE APOSTOLIC GROWTH

If all you get is the experience and there is never any growth, you won’t be grounded when Hell comes knocking at your door! But also, here’s this: If you grow, but you lose the passion and the fire of your experience, you become someone who knows things about God, but who’s also powerless, unconcerned, and spiritually dry.

We don’t want either of those situations to be. I want to keep and renew my experience, but also have growth.

And wisdom involves that second part, growth. And I want to bring us along sort of a journey to better understand what wisdom is, what it does, and how it works in God’s kingdom.

What Wisdom Is

What We Think Wisdom Is

I simply googled what wisdom is and found some insight. {show picture}

I also found, just below {show picture}, that just in searching “wisdom”, people recognize that it’s a biblical thing.

But real wisdom is not what we think of by the world’s standards.

When people think of wisdom today, they often think of a person as wise because of what they have or achieved. But that’s not entirely true. Some of the wisest people that I know don’t have a lot.

But that is what we do… we see someone who has achieved something we admire or worked their way up some ladder, and we will think to ourselves: My, aren’t they wise.

And we also think of old philosophers and well-known quotes that seem to be openly accepted as wise.

We think of the oldest of those around us, and rightly so. That’s biblical. Hopefully we think of spiritual elders who have lived a life that gains wisdom.

We think of ancient philosophers like Aristotle and Plato. We think of founding fathers like George Washington and leaders like Abraham Lincoln, all who, in our minds, simply defined wisdom for everyone.

Wisdom’s Origin and Definition

But all of this is based on other people and things. Where did wisdom really come from???

And the answer to that is… it comes from the very mind of God. The only real wisdom there is, is godly wisdom. It all comes from Him. It’s His knowledge of what is right and wrong in every situation - the righteousness of God. And it’s attainable for us.

In my research on this subject, there were two definitions given for wisdom that really stood out to me, and I’ll give you the quotes:

“Wisdom is the way of God made for humans to walk.”

Daniel J. Treier

I like that!

Also, this one:

“According to Scripture, wisdom is, broadly speaking, knowledge of God’s world and the knack of fitting oneself into it.”

Cornelius Plantinga Jr + Sue A. Rozeboom

Now, for all of history, people have actually struggled to really put a good definition to wisdom, but I like that one: “Wisdom is the way of God made for humans to walk.”

But because wisdom is such a large, broad, and difficult-to-grasp subject, I don’t want to oversimplify what it is. And we also want to be clear about our view of wisdom. And so, I want to offer today five essential ingredients of wisdom. These are sure things we know about it from the Bible, helping us to see it more clearly.

Essential Ingredients of Wisdom

Ingredient #1: Wisdom Is an Attribute of God That Is Fully Revealed in Jesus

We know that God is wise. And it was by wisdom that He created the world.

Proverbs 3:19–20 NKJV

19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; 20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew.

And this important thing about God - that He is wise - is fascinatingly etched into the world! Traces of Him are found in everything that has been made - both visible and invisible - and pointing all creation back to Him, so that (as 1 Corinthians 15:28 says) “God may be all in all”.

It goes all the way down to the tiniest flower you have on your property. There’s wisdom in that flower! Photosynthesis, the process of how that flower gets the energy to grow, is an absolutely amazing and WISELY MADE system that God created, for us to see godly wisdom every day. So there’s even wisdom in the weeds, if you can believe that.

I like what Pastor said at our leadership training a few weeks ago: “In the beginning, God created… systems!” Systems that worked. Photosynthesis is one of them.

And we need to have a view of wisdom that allows us to understand that it’s both a part of who God is and it’s also a quality of His creation that directs everyone toward how to properly live in His world!

And also, this divine wisdom is fully revealed in Jesus.

Even from a child, the Bible says of Jesus:

Luke 2:40 NKJV

40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Luke 2:52 NKJV

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Paul observed a few things about Jesus:

1 Corinthians 1:24 NKJV

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Colossians 2:3 NKJV

3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

We know that the greatest representation of God and the fulfilment of His plan are found in Jesus.

Colossians 2:8–10 NKJV

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Ingredient #2: Wisdom Is Grounded in the Fear of the Lord

Proverbs, which is considered the “wisdom book” of the Bible, gives it’s main idea and purpose in it’s first few scriptures:

Proverbs 1:2–6 NKJV

2 To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding, 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity; 4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion— 5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.

And then, verse seven sets the key idea to it all:

Proverbs 1:7 NKJV

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

So, particularly in this “book of wisdom”, there is a lot of mentioning of “the fear of the Lord.” And the idea is that without the fear of God, there is no true wisdom.

What really is a “fear of the Lord”? The word that is used here means to stand in awe or to have reverence. It’s not meaning a trembling dread that paralyzes a person, but it’s also not just a polite reverence. What the fear of the Lord is, is a reverencing submission to Him.

And the wisest of people are those who first have that stance - a reverencing submission - before God!

Have you ever been in prayer and stepped into a mode of worship where you are in awe of the God you serve, and all you can do is offer your submission and reverence???

Ingredient #3: Wisdom Seeks to Live According to the Order That God Has Built into Creation

Proverbs 3:19–20 NKJV

19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; 20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew.

If there has ever been a more relevant and important truth of our God that needs to be learned and observed, it’s that He has built a perfect and holy order into His creation.

God not only built the world by wisdom - He also built wisdom into His world.

When you look at how He set things in order, there is always wisdom to be found and captured in it all. And I’ll give you a great example...

There is a pattern and order to God’s world that promotes flourishing, as He designed.

“Male and female created He them.” And then, this scripture...

Genesis 2:24 NKJV

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Nowhere in scripture do you find a deviation from this that is acceptable to God. Because this is His divine order. A separation between male and female. They are different. Masculine and feminine. And together, they compliment one another. It’s the wisdom of God.

And the opposite is confusion. The confusion of this is what led to the Lord’s displeasure in Sodom and Gomorrah. But fast forward to today… we just came out of a month where there is a celebration of deviating from the divine order of God. A blending of the sexes. The joining of the same sex.

Why is the wisdom of God important to be learned? In a few months, the AR Youth department will hold a Youth Ministry Training Event in which we have specifically set up a session in which there will be teaching on transgenderism and students who are dealing with it. There is a great indoctrination into students, teaching them that it is acceptable.

And here is the wisdom of God: IF this lifestyle is carried out in every home, humanity will cease to exist, because there will no longer be children birthed. I’m talking about the wisdom of God… He knows what the order should be for our best interests.

I’ve got more for you: “Buy the truth and sell it not.” THE truth. The Lord purposefully speaks of truth as singular, because He knew that one day, humanity would come up with the confusing notion that there are “many” truths and that everyone has “their own” truth that they are living out. And if Satan can get it into people’s minds that there are infinite truths, then how can they ever accept that there is only ONE truth? I’m talking about the order and the wisdom of God!

There is a pattern and a rhythm in creation that points us all toward the way of the Creator! And the way God built the world informs the way we ought to live! REMEMBER: Wisdom is the way of God made for humans to walk!

God built wisdom into His world! And we need to see it! And we need to say, “Lord, I see your wisdom you’re ministering to me! And I know you are righteous in all your ways! I say YES to your wisdom, God!”

Ingredient #4: Wisdom Focuses on Discerning God’s Ways in Particular Circumstances

When you’re younger, you feel like life is black and white; life is simple and proper decision-making is always clear and straightfoward. But you quickly encounter a problem with that: it doesn’t work because it isn’t true.

If life were black and white and easy to navigate, why would we need wisdom? Having knowledge alone would be enough because discernment would be unnecessary. But that’s not how life works. Our life will often leave us facing difficult decisions about money, marriage, friendships, work, parenting, discipline… and why? Because wisdom is required.

Decisions about these types of things are not the same for every person. It might be wise for me to spend a lot of money on my child for medical expenses because they are prone to ear infections, while it might not be wise for someone else’s child who doesn’t have the same condition. Instead, it might be wiser for him to spend a lot of money on gluten-free groceries due to his spouse’s allergies. But in both cases, wisdom is applied, but the application is different.

Wisdom is not a one-size-fits-all; wisdom differs for specific times and places. It considers the circumstances!

Think about this scripture:

Proverbs 26:4–5 NKJV

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.

So, does Proverbs contradict itself here? “Do not answer a fool… Answer a fool...” Or maybe, just maybe, we’re being shown that the wise response is not always the same. In one case, the fool may be teachable and willing to receive correction, so we answer him with correction. But in another case, we may discern that the fool is not teachable. And so it would be foolish to waste our time offering correction.

These two proverbs together teach us that answering or not answering a fool requires wisdom!

Wisdom looks and the uniqueness of the times, the places, and the people and carefully applies the love for God and neighbor to those circumstances.

There are times when we think something is right for us, the correct thing to do, and it’s not. There have been times in my walk with God that I thought, “This is obviously the next step for me.” And I was mistaken. And I’m thankful that I listened to God and what He really wanted for me. His wisdom made more sense than my human instincts.

Ingredient #5: Wisdom Is Rooted in Tradition

In the first chapter of Proverbs:

Proverbs 1:8 NKJV

8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother;

This sort of parent-to-child, teacher-to-student voice throughout the book of Proverbs shows the importance of wisdom that is handed down through generations.

And this is not like the world’s brand of wisdom, because it came from Jehovah, passed down to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Jesus, the Apostles… and here we are, having been handed this wisdom, ourselves!

It’s a tradition that dates back to the beginning of time and space and remains through to the end of time, even to eternity! This tradition leads the people of God in the ways of God, guiding us in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake!

It’s family-based. While the family is not everything in Proverbs, the home remains the place from which the teaching flows from, and so it should TODAY! This gospel, this truth should not only be found at the church on Sunday and Wednesday - it should readily be found in our home on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and the rest!

How We Gain Wisdom

Dig Into The Word

This Word is wisdom. And it’s vital.

If you do not have some sort of time cut out during your day to dig into this book and allow God to speak to you from it, I’m imploring you today: MAKE THIS A PRIORITY. Drop other things, if you have to - they are less important. And dig into this book.

Get yourself a reading plan, a study bible, and notebook and a pen. And make it a routine that is rock-solid in your life.

Receive The Anointed, Preached Word

Value the times in which you are hearing the preached word. Take full advantage of these times.

Wisdom from God is being ministered to me - I have an opportunity to grow! So I will block out distractions around me. I’ll “amen” and affirm the truth that I hear! I’ll write down what I hear that speaks to me strongly. And I’ll be sure respond to God when it’s over, too!

That’s taking full advantage of hearing the preached word.

And you don’t have to wait until church starts to hear anointed Apostolic preaching. We’re fortunate enough to live in a time when you can listen to it at home. Or on the road.

Receive Wisdom In Prayer

In your prayer life, if you’re listening and not only speaking, God is ministering wisdom to you then, as well.

How many times have we walked into prayer, praying about something that was heavy, worrisome, weighing on our minds as to how in the world we are ever going to deal with it… and by the end of our conversation with God, He has given us a calmed spirit, and the wisdom of how to act in our response.

I can’t count the amount of times that’s happened to me.

God imparts things in prayer that happen no other way.

Just about a month and a half ago, before we had Anna, on a Tuesday Night Prayer in this room, the Lord spoke to me very strongly that a particular person was going to call me. And when they were, I was to tell them something directly.

About a week ago, they called. And I told them. And you know what they said? Brother, I receive that… I’ve had one other minister speak to me the exact same thing in the last 24 hours!

Anointed wisdom received in prayer!

Surround Yourselves With Those Who Have This Wisdom

You need to be at events and services where you are around people who are receiving godly wisdom. Find someone that you can become friends with who is in search of wisdom like you want to be.

April had Wayne Bowman.

Jeannie had Louise Shelton.

I had a Pastor and a Father. But I didn’t stop there - I’ve got Rick Lovall. He speaks into my life regularly. I serve in our section, district, and our church here, with people like you, who are in search and pursuit of closeness to God! And that only makes me better and grounds me!

And so it’s important, find a mentor! And get involved with what’s going on here - serve with other Apostolics by your side! And wisdom comes naturally to you.

Conclusion

God doesn’t just want you to have this book of wisdom on a shelf. He wants to impart this wisdom into you! It’s His desire that His wisdom seeps into all the areas in our lives, being lived out daily!

Wisdom is the way of God made for humans to walk!

“Lord, I receive your wisdom! Minister to me!”