Get Wisdom
Lessons From Proverbs • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Two weeks ago, we began a new series on “Lessons From Proverbs” with the goal of gain insight into “daily living” by way of wisdom instead of suffering.
As we mentioned in the introductory lesson much of the suffering, we as humans go through, is based on the bad decisions we find ourselves making.
Now we need to seek the wisdom that comes from above not the folly of this world.
That brings us to our lesson for today which is going to look at what exactly living a daily life in light of wisdom from above starts with.
There is an interesting proverb in Proverbs 4:7 which states…
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.
So today we are going to start at the “beginning” and discuss how to “Get Wisdom.”
Before we do that, it is import, however, that we understand what exactly wisdom is and where to look for it.
Questions Concerning Wisdom
Questions Concerning Wisdom
What Is Wisdom?
What Is Wisdom?
Wisdom is a combination of three things.
Wisdom starts with knowledge as one cannot be wise without having a knowledge of what to be wise in.
One has knowledge of a car engine when they can know what it looks likes and what parts make it up.
When that knowledge grows to understanding you have the makings of wisdom.
There is a vast difference between knowing something and understanding something.
I may know what a car engine looks like and maybe even have all the parts memorized that go into one, but it’s not until I realize how those parts go together and “why” they go together that I gain understanding.
When knowledge grows to understanding it is then that wisdom is possible.
When one has knowledge of a car engine and understands how and why the parts go together as they do it is then that he/she can grow wisdom by applying that knowledge and understanding in putting together the car engine.
Thus, wisdom is the application of the understanding of the knowledge one acquires.
The next question we need to answer is…
Where Do We Look For Wisdom?
Where Do We Look For Wisdom?
It is important that we understand that there are two different types of wisdom.
Solomon was given great “worldly wisdom” which can be both useful and hazardous depending on one’s reliance on it.
12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.
Jesus demonstrated, for all humanity, great “spiritual wisdom” which will never be hazardous and will always be useful, which is why it is called the “wisdom from above.”
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
Obviously, the wisdom of this world can be of some benefit in our daily lives as it can help us with our daily jobs or things of the like.
Such as a farmer who learns from other farmers and his own mistakes will be a better, wiser, farmer in the future.
A welder who learns from other welders and from his own mistakes will be a better, wiser, welder in the future.
However, when it comes to the…
Wisdom that is to be gotten and not forgotten.
5 Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Or the wisdom that is to be bought and not sold.
23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.
This is wisdom can only be acquired by way of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
This is why “that wisdom” is so valuable and such a blessing.
It is better than precious jewels.
11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
It is better than gold and silver.
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
It beings happiness to those that find it.
13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,
It brings assurance to those that find it.
10 for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,
It brings one to love their own soul by discovering what it means to be good.
8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good.
Summary
Summary
So, wisdom is the application of the understanding we achieve based on the knowledge we have gained.
And the wisdom we are to seek “whole heartily” is the wisdom that comes from God because of its value and blessings.
So then…
How Does God Give Wisdom?
How Does God Give Wisdom?
It Comes Through Trails.
It Comes Through Trails.
When one gains knowledge of God and understanding of God’s love, we must then “apply” that knowledge and understanding in our walk with God.
In other words, we must pray that God will give us the wisdom we need to go through this life and make the right decisions.
Again through, “How does God give this wisdom?”
James really explains this in James 1:2-6.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
There are a few things here to unpack pertaining to wisdom.
First, wisdom, when asked for, comes by way of various kinds of trials.
We cannot gain wisdom in how to be righteous in our giving, for example, if we never go through financial difficulty from time to time.
We cannot gain wisdom in how to handle the loss of a loved one if we never actually loose a loved one.
Secondly, if we ask for wisdom, but are not actually wanting to become wise we will fail the various trials.
If someone seeks wisdom in patience, they should soon realize they will go through something that will allow them to “go through and apply their knowledge and understanding” concerning being patient.
It’s the people that pray for patience and then wonder why they are going through trials that “is tossed to and fro by the winds and the waves.”
Summary
Summary
Wisdom comes from God when we seek it and we must make certain we are ready to acquire it.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Wisdom is such a desired commodity for God’s children God literally had the “book of wisdom” i.e., the book of Proverbs written for us all.
Let us learn knowledge, accomplish understanding, and gain wisdom that is from above so that we can make good decisions that lead to happiness and fulfillment in God.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
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 his Son cleanses us from all sin.