TIME TO DECIDE: The Will of God in Our Lives - The Way of Wisdom 3-29-26
INTRODUCTION
Conventional approach - corn maze, target, Magic 8-ball
Ordinary guidance and supernatural surprises
Open doors, fleece, random, impressions
Information overload/media
radio, tv, Internet, phone,
More available information but less wisdom
TAKE THE GOD-CENTERED APPROACH TO WISDOM
An angel appears at a faculty meeting and tells the dean, "In return for your unselfish and exemplary behavior, the Lord will reward you with your choice of infinite wealth, wisdom, or beauty."
"Give me infinite wisdom!" declares the dean, without hesitation.
Done!" says the angel before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
All heads now turn to the dean, who sits surrounded by a faint halo of light. "Well," says a colleague, "say something brilliant."
The dean stands and, with the poise of Socrates, opines, "I should have taken the money."
Reader's Digest
Proverbs 2:1-22 NIV
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.”
Proverbs 2:1-22 NIV
Verse 5 answers our question "What is wisdom?" Wisdom is understanding the fear of the Lord and finding the knowledge of God.
Wisdom in Proverbs is always moral. Fool is not a moron but does not live God's way.
If/then construction
If you accept my words (v 2)
If you call out for insight (v 3)
If you look for wisdom as for silver (v 4)
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord (v 5)
Then you will understand what is right and just and fair (v 9)
Verses 5-11 show you everything you have when you get wisdom
Understanding and knowledge (v 5-6)
Protection (v 8)
A good path (v 9)
Verses 12-22 show you that wisdom keeps you from real danger
Wicked men (v 12)
Dark ways (v 13)
Crooked paths (v 15)
The Adulterous woman with her seductive speech (v 16)
Wisdom is the path of righteousness (v 20) while foolishness is the path of death (v 18-19)
So how do we get wisdom?
1. Store up God's command
2. Turn your ear to wisdom
3. Call out for insight
I. Walking the Way of Wisdom: Scripture
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."
Socrates
A. The wisdom of God
2 Timothy 3:15 NIV
“and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 3:15 NIV
B. The transforming Word of God
Romans 12:1-2 NIV
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:1-2 NIV
1. Present your bodies as living sacrifices
2. Do not conform to the world
3. Be transformed by the renewing of the mind
C. The toolbox of God’s Word
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
1. Knowledge
2. Rebuke
3. Correction
4. Training
II. Walking in the Way of Wisdom: Counsel
A. Listening
Proverbs 1:5 NIV
"let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—”
Proverbs 1:5 NIV
Proverbs 12:15 NIV
“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”
Proverbs 12:15 NIV
B. Collective knowledge
Proverbs 15:22 NIV
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”
Proverbs 15:22 NIV
C. Teachability
Proverbs 19:20 NIV
“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.”
Proverbs 19:20 NIV
COUNSEL – remember
Proverbs 15:22 NIV
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”
Proverbs 15:22 NIV
We can say it another way: Heed wise counsel, or watch your hopes be cancelled.
The hard won truth of this proverb is evident in an experience that riveted my generation. In January of 1985 Roger Boisjoly, an engineer for Morton Thiokol, observed that under unusually cold conditions, an o-ring seal on the Space Shuttle’s solid rocket booster would fail. Further tests were done, and in July of 1985 Boisjoly wrote a memo to the Vice President of Engineering at Morton Thiokol which stated: “It is my honest and very real fear that if we do not take immediate action to dedicate a team to solve the problem, … then we stand in jeopardy of losing a [space shuttle] flight…” (Roger Boisjoly January 1985 ).
Even in the hours leading up to the launch of the Challenger in January of 1986, Boisjoly and other engineers were stating their belief that it was not safe to launch the shuttle. Despite the engineer’s concerns, a general manager for Morton Thikol said, “We have to make a management decision” (address given at MIT ). They made the decision to launch.
I wonder how many months and years it took those men who made “a management decision” to be able, once again, to sleep through the night.
III. Walking in the Way of Wisdom: Prayer
James 1:5 NIV
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
James 1:5 NIV
A. Illumination to understand the Word
B. Wisdom
C. For those things that you know are God's will
Good motives
Attitude of faith, trust, and obedience
Humility and teachability
His Gospel to spread
CONCLUSION
On the Lighter side: The Wisdom of Cowboys:
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad
judgment.
Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier ’n puttin’ it back in.
If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and
then to make sure it’s still there.
If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try
orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
There’s two theories to arguin’ with a woman. Neither one works.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
Never slap a man who’s chewin’ tobacco.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
Don’t kick a sleeping dog.
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it
back in your pocket.
Michael McCartney, Sermon Central, March 11, 2004.
STUDY, SEEK ADVICE, PRAY
MAKE DECISIONS
MAKE THIS A WAY OF LIFE
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.
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