"Wisdom" 6-1-25

Overview

Seeking Wisdom from On High

Wisdom is more than intelligence, street smarts, or clever sayings stitched onto a fortune cookie. It has been described as "the art of life, living the way God intended." The world offers many imitations—academic mastery, shrewd business sense, philosophical insight—but these often amount to wheeling and dealing for personal gain or building a karma-shaped sense of justice in which we hope our good deeds will earn good returns. The wisdom God offers in His Word is of an entirely different kind, with a different source and a different end.

Consider Solomon. As a young king, he could have asked God for anything, yet he asked for "an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil" 1 Kings 3:9. The Lord granted him wisdom "as vast as the sand on the seashore" 1 Kings 4:29, and from him flowed thousands of proverbs. The opening verses of Proverbs 1:1-6 tell us that these proverbs are given "for learning about wisdom and instruction… for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity." This is not worldly shrewdness; it is a way of life shaped by the fear of the Lord.

Worldly righteousness deceives us into thinking we can stand on our own merit. But Scripture is unflinching: "all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth" Isaiah 64:6, and "the wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23. True justice would mean the full wrath of God poured out on us. Yet God, "rich in mercy" Ephesians 2:4, took that justice upon Himself in Christ. Jesus lived the perfect, righteous life we could not, and at the cross He absorbed the wrath we deserved. This is the upside-down wisdom of God—life through death, righteousness as gift rather than wage. Jesus is the karma killer; we are saved "by grace… through faith… not the result of works, so that no one may boast" Ephesians 2:8-9.

This wisdom is for the simple and for the seasoned alike. Proverbs invites the young to learn prudence, but it also calls the wise to "hear and gain in learning" Proverbs 1:5. On this side of heaven, we never fully arrive. Every day is another opportunity for God's Word to shape, mold, and grow us. As we walk through Proverbs together, let us come hungry—not for clever sayings, but for the wisdom of our Creator that conforms us to Christ and teaches us to live the life He intended.

Transcript

If you would please open your Bibles to the book of Proverbs chapter 1, if you're using 3s

a Pue edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 547 in the Old Testament. 10s

We're in Proverbs chapter 1. 17s

The Apostle James, in his letter writes, 21s

Who is wise and understanding among you? 26s

Wisdom. 31s

Wisdom, not intelligence, not intellect, not even street smarts. 33s

But wisdom. 40s

What is wisdom? 42s

What is wisdom? 45s

Well, some people would say that it's the ability to apply knowledge, experience, and good 48s

judgment to navigate life's complexities. 53s

Miriam's Webster says that it's the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships 57s

also known as insight, or to have good sense, also known as judgment. 62s

How do we recognize wisdom in our lives, and where exactly do we seek wisdom? 71s

A lot of times we seek wisdom from little sayings found here, or there, such as knowledge 82s

is knowing a tomato is fruit. 89s

Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. 92s

Or don't taunt the alligator until after you've crossed the creek. 96s

Helpful, but are those wise sayings? 103s

Some of us look for wisdom in fortune cookies. 108s

Such as a lingering question will be answered happily tomorrow, or many opportunities are open to you 113s

if you seek them out. 121s

Or third one, you will be rewarded for your patience and understanding. 123s

All of these are maybe cute sayings, but are they wise? 131s

Do they impart to the reader to the listener words of real wisdom? 139s

Solomon. 149s

King Solomon, he was David's son, and he was appointed king after David died. 150s

Solomon was appointed king of Israel. 157s

And he was pretty young. 161s

And so the Lord, we read in first kings that at Gibby in the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, 163s

and God said, ask what I should give you, and Solomon says that he asks for God to give you 170s

servant and understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil. 178s

He asks for who can govern this, your great people. 185s

Solomon saw after wisdom from the Lord to be able to govern as king, 191s

govern with discernment and good and wise judgment. 198s

And God gave him such wisdom. 203s

In first kings chapter 4, we read that God gave Solomon very great wisdom discernment and breadth of understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore. 205s

So that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. 217s

He was wiser than anyone else wiser than Ethan the Ezraite and hemen, Calcol and Darda, children of May hall. 225s

His fame spreads throughout all the surrounding nations. 234s

He composed 3,000 proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 238s

He would speak of trees from the seater that is in the Lebanon to the Hysup that grows in the wall. 247s

He would speak of animals and birds and reptiles and fish. 253s

People came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon. 257s

They came from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom. 263s

When Solomon had sought out wisdom as a young man, he didn't turn to fortune tellers. 270s

He didn't turn to the wise men of the age, but he turned to God. 277s

He sought wisdom from God as I was studying for this sermon. 284s

I came across a really beautiful, beautiful sentence about wisdom and God's wisdom. 292s

It says wisdom is the art of life, living the way God intended. 301s

In this series, this summer we will be seeking wisdom. 311s

We will be seeking wisdom from amongst the words of Solomon that we had read that he had written prolifically. 315s

We are going to search through proverbs that Solomon imparted to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 324s

And together we will be seeking wisdom from our creator. 333s

We will be seeking wisdom from the source of true wisdom. 337s

That is God's holy word. 342s

When we read the proverbs of God given through his servant Solomon, 347s

we can mistakenly take them for other cute sayings as we do with the wisdom of this world. 352s

And we're going to find some sayings that may remind us of things that we hear this side of heaven from this world. 360s

But God's wisdom is not on the same level with the worldly wisdom. 370s

It does not have the same purpose or intent. 376s

It does not have the same end point as this world's wisdom. 380s

And so we're going to spend this summer seeking out wisdom from on high wisdom that God imparts to us through his word. 386s

We begin today in Proverbs 1 chapter. 394s

Look with me please. 400s

Where we are introduced to the Proverbs of Solomon's son of David King of Israel. 402s

Looking at verse 2 for learning about wisdom and instruction, 409s

for understanding words of insight, for gaining instruction, 413s

and insight in the world. 419s

How do those play out? 422s

When we consider instruction, when we consider insight in the world from the world and of the world, 425s

how does that play out? 432s

It could mean years, decades spent in academia, 434s

learning the intrinsic equations of the mathematical field, 440s

or studying the languages to masterfully work with words to convey, 443s

meaning and messages. 452s

It could be delving into the sciences or into philosophy trying to figure out and make sense of everything. 455s

Look with me please again at verse 3, 465s

for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity, 468s

to teach shroudness to the simple knowledge and prudence to the young, 476s

wise dealing, righteousness, justice, equity, shroudness. 482s

In the world these have very distinct meanings. 491s

In the world someone who is wise and shroud in dealing, 495s

someone with great business acumen are oftentimes those who really know how to wheel and deal. 502s

There are those that we refer to as the used cars salesmen. 512s

This is nothing against those who sell cars. 517s

But it's that character, that type of the one who is trying to wheel and deal you into a deal for his or her own pocket. 521s

When we come to the table, making a deal, trying to get the better of someone else, 534s

coming out ahead and feeling very proud because we've dealt wisely and shroudly 540s

and we end it out on top. 548s

That is listed up in the world around us. 553s

Making a good sales pitch, making a good case enticing someone to give us our own way. 557s

Walking with a good deal in a worldly standard, often means that someone else was shorted. 568s

Seeking out righteousness and justice in the world is often found by being good and proving oneself 577s

to be a good person amongst the others because we figure that if we are right with the world, we are right with others. 587s

And if we are right with the world, we must be right with whatever power exists beyond this. 598s

This world, worldly justice, worldly righteousness, it's that sense of karma. 606s

What goes around comes around. 618s

If I put good into the world, good will come back to me. 620s

If I am just to those around me, they will be just to me. 625s

If I feel that those have been unjust to me, I will be able to seek out justice and get what I deserve. 630s

I've said it before. I say it again. 640s

Jesus is the karma killer. 645s

Jesus is the karma killer. 649s

In Isaiah the 64th chapter, we read about our righteousness. 652s

We have all become like one who is unclean. 659s

And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. 664s

We all fade like a leaf. 669s

And our equities like the wind take us away. 672s

You see in your own righteousness, in your own seeking out for righteousness, your own deeds done. 679s

Out of your own strength, your own power, your own idea of what is right and just. 687s

Well, it's like a dirty rag, a filthy cloth. 697s

Because the deeds that we do, get us nowhere. 706s

The deeds that we try to do to make our selves right before others and even before God. 713s

Well, they get us nowhere. 725s

And we are left, tossed aside, dirty, sinful, marred, gross. 727s

Romans the sixth chapter says that wages of sin is death. 740s

The wages of sin is death. 747s

There is no payment of righteousness that we can make to pay for the wage of our sin. 753s

There is no righteous deed that we can do that can make up for the darkness of our sin. 762s

And the wage of sin is death. 774s

Justice, true justice would be receiving the punishment for the punishment of the sin. 780s

The punishment for our sin. 794s

The just punishment for our sin is the wrath of the holy and almighty father. 795s

The wrath that wipes us out, the wrath that brings us to oblivion because we cannot even open our mouths. 808s

Before the Lord and stand righteous in our own persons. 821s

Justice would be to receive the full wrath of God poured out upon us. 828s

The punishment for our sin. 839s

But God is merciful. 846s

Even as he is eternally just and demands payment for our sin, he is eternally merciful. 853s

And filled with grace and in his eternal mercy and grace, he took justice upon himself. 865s

And he took the punishment of the justice upon himself. 874s

The punishment for your sin for my sin, he took. 882s

As Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, the son of the father, 888s

entered into creation, living the life of perfection, living the life of holiness, living the life of righteousness. 893s

Whose deeds were not as filthy rags, but whose deeds were indeed right before the holy and almighty father. 904s

This Jesus Christ, perfect and blameless went to the cross. 915s

In his eternal mercy, receiving the full justice from God the father, the wrath that would wipe you and I into complete oblivion. 923s

Jesus took upon himself, absorbing the wrath of the father poured out. 940s

In justice, the wages of sin is death. 949s

And Jesus paid that wage for you. 961s

Jesus paid for your sin for my sin with his own life. 967s

That Romans verse, it continues where it says the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 977s

I think that Ephesians chapter 2 captures the essence of this, the essence of our sin, the essence of God's love and mercy. 992s

Ephesians chapter 2, beginning in verse 1, says, you were dead. 1005s

You were dead through the law, sorry. 1012s

I'm just have my tab on there. 1017s

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, 1019s

following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 1027s

All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 1036s

But God, who is rich in mercy out of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 1054s

So that in the ages to come, He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 1080s

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not the result of works. 1091s

So that no one may boast. 1104s

For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. 1107s

In Corinthians we hear how the worldly wisdom is different than that of God's wisdom. 1120s

In His mercy God brings us into this seemingly upside down wisdom, where we see that Christ gave Himself in a brutal death to pay for our sin, and in His wisdom has freed us from the sin of our life. 1129s

The power of death through death. 1149s

It is this wisdom, the wisdom, the upside down wisdom that is delivered through God's wonderful, beautiful, perfect word for us. 1155s

This is the wisdom that we seek throughout the summer together. 1168s

This is the wisdom that we will turn to, as we turn to the many many provorbs that Solomon has written. 1173s

Look with me please again at our reading for today. 1184s

The learning about wisdom and instruction for understanding words of insight, for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice and equity, 1188s

to teach trueness to the simple knowledge and prudence to the young, let the wise also hear and gain in learning, and the discerning acquire skill to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. 1200s

Wisdom is for the young certainly. 1224s

We want to teach and train our children in the ways of God's wisdom, but notice that wisdom is also for those who are considered wise or already wise. 1228s

For God's wisdom never ceases. 1247s

It never ceases in this side of heaven. 1251s

Every day, every moment is another opportunity to continue to grow in the wisdom of God. 1256s

We never fully arrive this side of heaven. 1267s

As being truly wise, but we have God's word. 1271s

We have God's word which teaches us, which transforms us, which works on us and grows us and molds us and shapes us to be wise in him and in his ways. 1280s

So let us look to these next few months as brothers and sisters baptize children of God. 1299s

Let us look to increase in wisdom. 1311s