Wisdom is the Principal Thing
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Introduction
Introduction
Information / Education
A New Start Series:
We began a new series a couple weeks ago on the first Sunday of the new year called ‘New Beginnings’. In that first message we started at the beginning. In that in order to have a true new start, it has to begin somewhere, and that somewhere is the salvation found in Christ. So we looked at a message centered around salvation called ‘Ye Must be Born Again’. Words that Jesus spoke unto Nicodemus in Joh. 3.
In that message we had:
‘Ye Must Be Born Again’ - Salvation: Joh. 3:1-21
An Examination (Of Nicodemus)
He was a Religious Leader; He Recognized Jesus’ Authority; He Reached Out to Jesus; He Needed Redemption
An Education
The Duality of Life; The Necessity of Spiritual Birth; The Analogy that He Gave
An Explanation
The Source of Salvation; The Singularity of Salvation; The Simplicity of Salvation
Last Week we examined the doctrine of Restoration in the message titled ‘Back Where You Belong’ - because if you as a child of the Heavenly Father find yourself in a pig sty - you don’t belong there! Many Christians are in need of Restoration. Bringing them back into a state of being that is worthy of a child of the King.
‘Back Where You Belong’ - Restoration: (Luk. 15:11-24)
The Sons Decisions
His Wealth; His Withdrawal; His Waste; His Want; His Work; His Weariness; His Wisdom
The Father’s Reactions
His Allowance; His Anticipation; His Acceptance; His Abundance
Today we’re going to preach this simple thought - ‘Wisdom is the Principal Thing’
New Beginning concerning Salvation
New Beginning concerning Restoration
Today we’re going to speak about a New Beginning concerning your information and application
What it is going into your mind and how you utilize that to the Glory of God
I. Good Doctrine
I. Good Doctrine
The Heritage of the Doctrine
Notice the chronology that is taking place.
We have a father instructing children (v1).
Then this father, recalls HIS father, and the love of his mother (v3)
And then, he speaks of what his Father taught him. (v4)
Then proceeds to give the instruction that we’ll examine today concerning wisdom.
So what we have is the instruction from a father’s perspective that was passed down from his father.
I bring this point to your attention, because I believe it’s important. It’s important because the instruction that is being given is not simply from some preacher who has no personal connection to the audience. It’s from someone that is close. From someone that cares.
As fathers & mothers, we don’t ever intentionally lead our children astray. So the weight of what this father is saying is heavy.
We see the Heritage of the Doctrine.
The Heart of the Doctrine
The doctrine that is being spoken of in v2 is that of wisdom.
Doctrine (def) The quality of being wise; knowledge, and the capacity to make due use of it; knowledge of the best ends and the best means; discernment and judgment; discretion; sagacity; skill; dexterity.
There are a few points to this definition that I want to stress: Wisdom is not simply knowledge, but the ‘capacity to make due use of it’. That being said, wisdom is sorely needed in the church!
There’s Christians who know things, however they lack the capacity to employ that knowledge. They are not putting that knowledge to work. They lack in discernment and judgment.
This is why there’s so many Christians that are tossed about by every wind of doctrine.
This is why Christians understand that God is Creator, Murder is wrong, but yet Killing babies is still acceptable to many of them
This is why Christians understand that God is perfect, but yet cannot figure out how to make a boy a boy and a girl a girl
This is why Christians understand the story of Sodom, yet still think same-sex attraction is ok
Yes sir, if there’s something lacking in the church today, it’s not love or compassion - it’s wisdom!
Understanding is like unto it: Understanding (def) 1. Comprehending; apprehending the ideas or sense of another, or of a writing; learning or being informed.
Whereas Wisdom is the capacity to make use of knowledge, having discernment and judgment, Understanding is the comprehension of ideas of another.
The thought is this: Wisdom & Understanding are not inherent in us, it’s something that is acquired. - More on this later.
Before I move on, I want to expound upon the title of this message - it says in v7 that ‘Wisdom is the principal thing’. In fact, the Bible tells us: Pro. 8:10-11 “Receive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” This is extremely important, because according to God, wisdom is #1 on God’s list for us to acquire. Wisdom is more important than anything else we can get.
Some will say ‘How is that possible?’ Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was and He answered: Mat. 22:37-40 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
The greatest thing that we can DO is to Love God and others. However, wisdom teaches us the importance of God’s Word. Without wisdom, we don’t take God’s Word seriously, hence, we treat God’s Commands flippantly.
We need wisdom church! The World needs wisdom. Our country needs wisdom - but less we seek out wisdom & acquire it, we have nothing to offer!
We see the Heart of the Doctrine
The Hope of the Doctrine
That they may ‘live’ - this is the hope that the father has for the children concerning this doctrine. But, what does ‘live’ mean?
First, it’s obvious meaning is to live Spiritually.
Wisdom will put you on the narrow path.
Wisdom will bless your knowledge of God and turn that into a fear of God
That fear will lead you to appreciate and accept His atoning Sacrifice in Jesus.
The father seeks that his children lay hold on eternal life!
Secondly, that they will live - Physically.
But not just physically as in ‘not die’ - because we’re all going to die. But live in the sense of making use of their lives.
Many exist. Many headstones with many dates carved into them. But not many truly live! Not many truly make use of their lives.
The Hope is that wisdom will move you to live! That you’ll understand what’s important and seek after those things and make full use of you life and not go to your grave with your story unwritten.
This is Good Doctrine. It’s of paramount importance in your life!
Speaking of wisdom, we see that it’s Good Doctrine. Secondly, we see that it’s Gained Deliberately
II. It’s Gained Deliberately
II. It’s Gained Deliberately
Wisdom is gained on Purpose - not by accident.
Notice the repetition found in v5 & v7: ‘Get’ wisdom. ‘Get’ Understanding.
That means you must seek it out.
That means that you got to go and ‘GET’ it.
You can’t wait for it to find you. You can’t sit back and suddenly become wise. If you’re going to benefit from wisdom, the onus is on YOU! Go GET IT.
One of the reasons why wisdom eludes so many Christians today is because they are either too lazy or too busy.
They are too lazy to sit down and take the time to ready, study, meditate & pray.
They’re too busy spending their time on other things. Cyber stalking on social media or watching the ballgame or gossiping on the phone.
If you’re going to get wise, you must go get it!
First off, it should be Requested
Should be Requested
Every soul has the propensity to be wise.
I’ve seen poor farmers who couldn’t sign their name that has more wisdom than what typically fills the average student body in the best ivy league schools.
Wisdom it not based on how must education you have
Wisdom is not based on your physical heritage
Wisdom is not based on intellect or lack thereof
Wisdom is something that God can give you! It’s something that God WILL give you, if you ask. Jam. 1:5-6 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Pro. 2:6 “For the Lord giveth wisdom: Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” Ecc. 2:26a “For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy:
(Ill.) I have a theory. God says that He’ll give us wisdom, right? I think that most Christians don’t ask for wisdom, because they don’t really want wisdom. The reason they don’t want wisdom is because the old adage is true: Ignorance is bliss. They don’t want wisdom because then they will be responsible for acting upon that wisdom. But what they don’t understand is that they are delaying the inevitable. We Christians WILL be held accountable - we’ll either hold ourselves accountable on this side of Heaven, or God will next.
Wisdom Should be Requested
Something to Remember (v5)
Wisdom should be something that we do our best to remember. And the best way to forget something is to not use it.
(Ill.) I have in my past learned a multitude of different things on the computer. Take Photoshop for example. I’ve learned gradient lettering on there probably 4 different times, and the next time I need it, I’ll probably have to go back and watch a tutorial on it again. The reason is, is that I don’t use it often enough.
This same principle will hold true for wisdom - and for the Word of God itself - where true Wisdom is found. If you don’t use it regularly, it begins to slip from your mind.
Wisdom is Something Worth Remembering!
Should Strive to Retain (v6a)
In time of need, we should hold fast to it.
Truly every day of our lives we have opportunity to employ wisdom or forsake it. To either utilize the Wisdom that God has given unto us, or do that which is convenient. We should Strive to retain it.
Oftentimes, it’s easier to forsake wisdom than to utilize it. (Ill.) Wisdom dictates that every soul has sinned and every soul shall die: However, it’s more convenient to ignore our mandate to Go and Tell about Jesus, than to follow Wisdom.
We should strive to Retain Wisdom
Something to Regard (v6b)
We should love wisdom. And of course there are many reasons why we should love wisdom. Some of which we’ll examine in our next point.
We’ve looked at the Good Doctrine of Wisdom, then we noted that it’s Gained Deliberately. Lastly, we’ll see that it Gives Delight
III. It Gives Delight
III. It Gives Delight
Pro. 3:13-14 “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, And the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, And the gain thereof than fine gold.”
It will Preserve Thee (v6)
Preserve thy life
As we have mentioned already - both Spiritual and Physical life
Preserve thy testimony
Jesus said: Mat. 7:24-25 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
Following the dictates of Jesus will make one wise - and this wisdom will preserve the testimony of who you say you are!
Preserve thy self-respect
Rather than sorrow when you stand before the LORD on Judgment Day - you’ll hear those blessed words ‘Well done good and faithful servant’
It will Preserve Thee
It will Promote Thee (v8a)
Promote (def) raise up
When wisdom is employed, it will elevate you to higher ground. You will learn and grow and be better tomorrow than you were yesterday
It will Promote Thee
It will give Prominence to Thee (v8b)
That word ‘honour’ (def) make weighty or add gravity.
The sense is that when you employ wisdom, the words to which you will then speak will have more weight to them. They will mean more.
(Ill.) There are some people that because wisdom is far from them, when they speak, their words mean so little. They are but squawking. But when you speak with wisdom, it adds gravity to your words. They mean more than without it.
It will give Prominence to Thee
It will give Prestige to Thee (v9)
If you follow after wisdom, it will ultimately bring you crowns.
It will bring Prestige to Thee
Conclusion
Conclusion
What will this New Year bring you in the way of Information and Application? Will you grow in Wisdom & Understanding? Will this year be the year when you grow in your Knowledge and Understanding of your God and your purpose in life?