[0:00] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfred, Georgia. It is our prayer that you will be blessed by the preaching of God's Word. Take your Bibles and go with me to Proverbs, if you would. Robert, would you let me know at 3-teal?
[0:12] So I will know when 3-teal gets here, because I forgot my watch. Otherwise, huh? Well, how about just hold your hand up? I'd rather you not shout. We're not a shouting church. If you did, I'd fall dead, because y'all never shout amen.
[0:26] All right. Proverbs. There you go. Proverbs 8, verse 1. We're going to talk about seeking wisdom is the most important concern of your life. Seeking wisdom is the most important concern of your life.
[0:38] This chapter is basically Matthew 6, 33 in the Old Testament. Look at what the Bible says. In 8, 1. Does not wisdom cry, and understanding put forth her voice?
[0:50] She stands in the top of high places, by the way of the places of the paths. She cries at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in, at the doors. Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.
[1:04] So here's wisdom calling. She continues to call. Just like what you get in 2 Peter 3, 9. He is not willing that any should perish. He's waiting. He's calling.
[1:15] He wants all to come to repentance. Wisdom is calling out to all who might hear. Look at verse 5. She specifically calls to the foolish and to the simple.
[1:26] O ye simple, understand wisdom. And you fools, be of an understanding heart. No scorners are mentioned. All through the Bible so far, through Proverbs, been three groups mentioned.
[1:37] The simple, the fools, and the scorner. Now she doesn't even call to the scorner. The scorners have laughed and they have turned away. They apparently have lost their opportunities. God still speaking, but they didn't want to hear.
[1:50] Their hearts were hard. Hebrews 4, 7. The Bible says again, he limited a certain day, saying, David, today, after so long time, as it is said, today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
[2:06] So wisdom of Christ said, don't harden your heart. Listen. God's talking. God wants us to listen. And so we've got to listen while he speaks. We have to listen while he speaks.
[2:17] What's the message? Look at Proverbs chapter 8. Proverbs chapter 8, if you would, verse 6. The Bible says we can trust her words. I wish you'd mark your Bible if you do that kind of thing.
[2:28] You look at verse 6, you'll see some interesting things. Here, for I will speak of excellent things. Put a circle around the word excellent. I will speak of excellent things. And the opening of my lips shall be right things.
[2:41] You've got to underline right things, excellent things. For my mouth shall speak truth. And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There's nothing froward or perverse in them.
[2:54] They are plain to him that understandeth all and right to them that find knowledge. So look at verse 6. His words are excellent. The words of wisdom are excellent.
[3:06] Excellent things. That means they're worthy. God's saying good stuff we ought to listen to. They're worthy. The words are like words from a king. They truly are. They're the words of our king speaking to us.
[3:19] Her words give right things. In verse 7 it said it was truth and it was righteousness. I hope you underlined that. Verse 7, truth. Verse 8, righteousness. Doing right. God's blessing.
[3:30] God's working. Right means that they are true and righteous. Folly uses crooked words. Foolishness. Folly. Sin uses crooked words or deceptive words.
[3:42] But wisdom's words are clear and plain. The Bible is clear and plain. In verse 9 he says they are all plain. They're plain.
[3:53] You ought to underline that. To him that understands and right to them that find knowledge. No confusion about what wisdom is saying. The Bible is only hard to understand for those that reject God and his word.
[4:05] That's where the Bible gets hard. When you reject God, when you reject his word, the Bible gets hard. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 12 and following. It says that the natural man doesn't receive.
[4:17] Because to him, doesn't receive the word. To him they are foolish. It's foolishness to him. And so he doesn't believe them. Wisdom calls on us to seek eternal wealth.
[4:29] Look if you would at chapter 8 verse 10. This is like Matthew 6.33. Listen. Receive my instruction. And not silver.
[4:40] 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. All those things that everybody wants? Not good.
[4:50] After all these things? The Gentiles seek. I know what you need. They're not good. Seek me and I'll give you what you need. I'll give you those good things. We can't serve two masters.
[5:02] Every one of us has got to remember. We can't serve two masters. We'll either love one and hate the other. Or we'll hold to one and we'll despise the other. And wisdom is far better.
[5:13] Look at Proverbs 8.18. Wisdom is far better. The Bible says in 8.18, riches and honor are with me. Yea, durable riches. That's a good word.
[5:23] You ought to learn that. Durable riches. Because most riches aren't very durable. Just looking at that letter that Aaron gave this to us years ago when the church first started. And it's already, you can't already read it.
[5:34] I mean, you could never read it. But I mean, now the ink's going away. And thank goodness the print server, it'll go away too. It's not durable. But he has durable riches.
[5:45] He has durable riches. He has durable riches and righteousness. He says, my fruit, he says, is better than gold. Yeah, than fine gold. And my revenue than choice silver.
[5:56] So we are to diligently seek for wisdom. God wants us to be looking for wisdom. In Proverbs 2.4, he told us to seek her wisdom as silver.
[6:09] How do you look for silver? How do you look for silver? Man, you do whatever it takes to get to it. You dig. You buy the tools. You work hard. You work long. We're to search for wisdom like you would hid treasures.
[6:21] Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. In Proverbs 3.13, it says that wisdom brings great joy. The Bible says, happy is the man that finds wisdom and gets understanding.
[6:37] The merchandise of wisdom is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies. And all things that thou canst desire are not to be compared to her.
[6:51] Well, wisdom. That's the most important thing. This book, Jesus Christ, God, salvation, that's so much more important. Too many people today have a prosperity gospel idea.
[7:04] They think having money is the proof of God's blessings on them. You got money, God's blessing. You don't have money, God's not blessing. In the Bible, we have the story of Job.
[7:16] And Job is a great sinner because he loses it all. In the story, you read it, he's got all the money. Now his friends come to say, man, you messed up big time. That's why you lost all the money. We find out at the end of the story, no, they're wrong.
[7:26] Job was a good guy all along. Having money didn't make you good. Losing money didn't make you bad. It wasn't it. The money was really not the point. The money wasn't the point. The walk with God was the point.
[7:37] In Luke, you find the story of a rich man. And one of the funny things in that story is the contrast. Because when he tells the story, he's like, and the rich man lift up his eyes being in torments.
[7:47] It's because the idea in most of their minds would have been, well, if you got money, you're going to heaven. If you got money, you already got God's blessings. Jesus tells the story the other way around. Here's a beggar laying at the feet of old Lazarus eating crumbs that fall off his table.
[8:02] And he's the one that goes to heaven. So money wasn't a gauge of God's prosperity. Fact is, in Matthew 19, 23, he said it's harder for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
[8:18] And even his disciples were like, do what? Impossible. Can you believe it? Can you say that? But Jesus thought rich people were harder to get the gospel to.
[8:29] Wisdom offers better gifts. Look at chapter 8 and verse 12. Chapter 8 and verse 12. I will dwell with prudence and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
[8:40] The goodly man may be poor. The godly man may be poor in this world's goods, but rich in things that matter most. May be poor in this world's goods, but rich in things that matter most.
[8:52] Nothing wrong with the things that money can buy. Nothing wrong with the things that money can buy as long as you do not lose the things that money can't buy. In other words, nothing wrong with having some money.
[9:03] Nothing wrong with the things that money can buy. But if you lose what money can't buy, you've made a big mistake. It uses the word witty inventions there. You might want to circle that and draw a little line.
[9:14] That's discretion. Having the ability to decide what's better, what's right, what would be the best thing to do. So look at chapter 8 and verse 6. Next. How do I get this wisdom?
[9:24] How do I get this wisdom from this chapter? How do I get it? 8, 6. Here. Circle that word. Here. That's how you get it. Here. For I will speak of excellent things.
[9:36] Listen. God's talking. Listen. For I will speak of excellent things. And the opening of my lips shall be right things. Verse 10. Receive.
[9:47] We receive instruction. We receive instruction. Verse 17. Seek. Look at verse 17. Seek. We. We. It says, I love them that seek.
[9:58] Love me. And those that seek me early shall find me. I've got to work at this. By the way, that's how we do money. If we're honest. We. Anybody. Hey. When it wasn't.
[10:09] It used to be when I was a kid. They had E.F. Hutton speaks. Everybody listens. That's an old one. Nobody. These young people never even heard of that. But the whole point was that the right people talk. And right now, if you go on the internet.
[10:20] Or you get on Fox News or CNN. Hey. The Motley. The Motley. What's that? The Motley Fools. Is that what they are? Who are they? Who knows who I'm talking about?
[10:31] What do they call Motley? It's not the Motley crew. Not the rock group. There's a bunch of. There's some guys that give advice on how to. You thought it was a rock group. I know. But anyway.
[10:41] These guys won't talk to you about money. Or there's a Kramer. I think it's his name on there. He's screaming all the time. He's a screamer. And everybody wants to listen. Boy. They got a program. Everybody wants to hear.
[10:52] Because if they can tell me how to make money. I'm ready to listen. God says. Won't you listen to me? I can tell you how to get something better than money. Tell you how to go to heaven when you die. Tell you how to have a. How to have the blessings of God on your life.
[11:02] Even if you don't have all that. And then receive. Listen to instruction. Get instruction. And seek me. He said. We ought to seek God daily. Every one of us.
[11:13] And this is a. You know. Somebody said to me the other day. He loves God. And you know what I said. How often do you reckon he gets in the Bible? How often do you reckon he gets in the Bible? How often does he go to church?
[11:23] How often does he hear the Bible taught and preached? Because it's one thing to say you love God. It's another thing to really want to hear him. It's another thing to want to receive what he has to say. It's another thing to say. You know I'm seeking. I'm looking.
[11:34] To find out what God has to say. 7.49. I keep punching it. I found out. I can tell what time it is. I didn't even know that. Y'all are lucky. Okay.
[11:45] Then we see the power of wisdom. And I'm not going to read all of it to you. From 22 down. From verse 22 down. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way. Before his works of old.
[11:56] I was set up from everlasting. From the beginning. Wherever the earth was. Wisdom. That's not a description. Of Jesus. It's not a. It's not Jesus himself.
[12:08] But. Because he's the eternal son. And here we find him made. He was never created. So that's not wisdom. But wisdom is a picture of how Christ brought everything into the world.
[12:18] He's been there from the beginning. He spoke everything into existence. In the beginning was the word. The word was with God. And the word was God. And nothing was made without him. So there's a lot here that kind of points us towards him.
[12:30] The creation is evidence of God's wisdom and what it can do. All the creation. God's wisdom. The cross. God's wisdom. Salvation. God's wisdom.
[12:41] How you can go to heaven. God's wisdom. How you can live your new life. We are new creatures. We're not who we were before we got saved. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17. We are new creatures.
[12:53] Old things have passed away. Behold all things have become new. I need wisdom. To know how to live this life. And by the way. The people in the world don't know it. And the people on TV don't know it. But the word of God does know it.
[13:03] And I want to know it. Because I want to serve God. And I. I need to get alone with God. I need to learn from him. In Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 10. In Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 10.
[13:14] It's Christ working in us. The Bible says we are his workmanship. I think most of us don't pay attention. Romans Ephesians 2.8 and 9.
[13:25] Say for by grace are you saved. Through faith. That none of you says is good for God. Not of works. Next verse. Because y'all are what I made. Ain't none of us self-made men. Not if you're a born again man.
[13:35] If you're a lost man. You can be a self-made man. If you're a born again man. You're a God-made man. And I need his wisdom. I didn't make myself. He made me. I didn't make myself. He made me.
[13:47] So we are his workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. One more verse. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 24.
[13:58] Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 24. Roberto. Why don't you turn that AC down. Sam's about to die. Two or three guys are putting on a better temperature. Before Sam freezes right over there into one big lump.
[14:13] I wouldn't have done that in regular church service. But it's a men's meeting. Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4 says. And that you put on the new man.
[14:23] Which after God is created in righteousness. And true holiness. Can I. Can I. Watch this. We're saved. I didn't make me. He made me. I am a new creature.
[14:35] And his wisdom is. I'm going to learn how to be. Who I was meant to be. I don't know how to be who I was supposed to be. I need wisdom. I don't know how to live out my faith.
[14:45] I need wisdom. I need to hear from God. I need to spend time alone with God. I need God to work in it. And so. Your spiritual life is so important. That you need to stop and say. It's worth my time.
[14:57] It's worth my time. It's worth my time to find some time alone with God. And I'll just say. I'm afraid. A lot of you may not spend much time. With God. But at least start with five minutes a day. Get your Bible.
[15:08] Spend some time. Read a little bit of scripture. Read it in order. Read it in a diligent. Disciplined way. Start. Hey. Don't do the hunt and poke method.
[15:18] Don't get up and say. God I need to hear from you. There it is. Right there. That's not the way to read your Bible. You don't read any other book that way. Don't read the Bible that way. Read a verse. And then read the next verse.
[15:29] Read a paragraph. Read a sentence. Whatever I can get you to do. Just start there. But we got to seek for God. Wisdom's crying and saying. Hey. I want you to listen to me.
[15:39] Hey. I want you to receive my instruction. Hey. I want you to obey me. Hey. I'm the God of all the universe. Crying out with my wisdom for you. I'm telling you how you can live out the new life that you have in Christ Jesus.
[15:52] How do I live out who I am? How do I become who I was made to be? I need God. I need God. And so. So John. What's his name? Solomon's telling his sons.
[16:02] Man. You need to listen to wisdom. You need to. He's rich as all get out. He's as rich as anybody's ever been in his day and time. And yet he says. Son. Let me tell you. All the money I got ain't nothing.
[16:14] You need God. All the money I got ain't nothing. He wasn't against having money. He was rich. The guy's loaded. In fact. During his day and time. Regular. Silver. Came like a regular old rock.
[16:25] Old silver. Toss that aside. I ain't that interested in silver. If you can't bring me gold. I ain't that interested. I mean. That was a different way to live. But he found out. Hey. Wisdom's what you really want. Wisdom's what you really want.
[16:36] When we belong to Jesus. And walk in his wisdom. Then all of creation works for us. God will work in our lives. He'll show his power in our lives. And he will do something great in our lives.
[16:47] But if we rebel. Against his wisdom. We're going to see all of creation working against us. We're going to find out. Man. The whole world will turn against you. And things will start crashing and falling apart for you.
[16:58] Go to verse 32. Last thing. Last point. I probably didn't get them. Because I'm going fast. But that's the fifth point. Take. Make a decision now. Look at Proverbs 8.32.
[17:11] And you should circle now. He's been going on this wisdom kick. And he says. Now. It's time. Now. Make a decision. Now. Therefore. Hearken unto me.
[17:23] O you children. For blessed are they that keep my ways. Hey. Now. You heard what I said. Listen to me. And hearken. And put it into effect. Do what I'm telling you to do.
[17:35] Let me explain something to you. Reading the Bible is worthless. And hearing sermons preached is worthless. If you don't do. What you hear.
[17:45] If you don't hearken to it. It would be a waste of time. You know. I go to doctors all the time. Spent $470 a day. Just on blood work. Now. I got to go to the doctor here. Next week. I got to go to two doctors.
[17:56] So what I just want. I'm just going to walk in here. And sit there. I'm going to give a rip. What you got to say. Just talk. And I'll listen. Through. Thank you. That's it. I want to see you again. You know. That won't work. You want some help. You know. You're going to have to listen.
[18:07] And you'll have to do something. With what they say. And here's what he said. He finished up Proverbs 8. He says. I want you to put it in practice. Hearken. Make a move. Do what you're supposed to do. Verse 33.
[18:18] He said. Hear. Hear. Hear. Hear instruction. And be wise. Verse 35. Find me. And find life.
[18:29] So. You have heard enough. You know the truth. What are you going to do about it? You know the truth. You've heard enough. What are you going to do about it? Decide now.
[18:40] That you will listen. And pay attention. Take the steps. And don't walk away from God. And what he's saying. Take the steps. Verse 33.
[18:50] He said. Hear instruction. Be wise. Refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me. Watching daily at my gates. Waiting at the post of my doors. All through this.
[19:04] I could have stopped all along. But let me. Can I. Could. Would you go over 34 with me? Who's the. Who's the blessed man? Who's the guy that's going to have the blessing of God? Look what it says.
[19:14] He hears me. But not only does he hear me. He's watching daily at my gates. In other words. The white. This guy right here that's going to be blessed. He's not only listening. But he's standing at the door.
[19:25] Just like. If you come out. I'm going to talk to you. If you come out. I'm going to listen to you. If you come out. And you got something to say. I'm here. I'm not going. If you don't have to come looking for me. I'm here watching you. I'm waiting. I want to know.
[19:36] I want to learn. I want to grow. Look at what he says. Wait. Watching daily. Waiting at the gate. Watching. And waiting. Boy. I want to hear.
[19:47] And I want to learn. In verse 35. He says. Whoso finds me. Finds life. That is the purpose of our life. Is to seek God. And his blessings in our life.
[19:59] Christianity is not passive. It's aggressive. It is not. I'll come. I'll sit. I'll listen. It is. I'll come. I'll sit.
[20:09] I'll receive instructions. And I will bust my backside. To do what I'm supposed to be doing. That's really what it's about. In other words. He says. He says. Be active.
[20:20] Listen. Hear. Hearken. But put it into practice. Put it into practice. It's not a passive lifestyle. It is an aggressive lifestyle.
[20:31] Look if you would. At verse 36. If you decide. Against wisdom. Then you'll wrong. Your own soul. If you decide.
[20:42] In some way. This. By the way. This isn't about doing moral things. This isn't about obeying. Ten commandments. It's about you decide. Against Jesus. You decide. Not to listen to his instruction. You decide.
[20:52] To go your own way. Last night. In Cobb County. We talked about the way of Cain. Because that's what happens. In Genesis 4. Is the way of Cain. Is started. And what the way of Cain. Is every man.
[21:03] Is just did. What he was right. In his own eyes. The way of Cain. Was everybody. Went their own way. There's a God way. In your way. There's a God way. In your way. And God's way. Is the right way. That's what we're supposed to be doing.
[21:13] In verse 36. He that sinneth against me. Wrongs his own soul. All they that hate me. Love death. You will be making. Your own decision. Did you notice that in the verse?
[21:25] Don't blame God. Don't blame your mama. And your daddy. Don't blame your neighbor. You are making. He that sinneth against me. He wrongs his own soul. You chose to sin. You sin against me.
[21:36] You wrong your own soul. You'll bring about your own suffering. This is a message of life. Or death. This message has eternal. Consequences. You decide.
[21:47] Jesus. You decide Jesus. Or you don't. A real decision will completely. Change your life. Now. Last thing. I'm through. He's already given me the three minute sign.
[21:57] And my iPad actually says two. But he. Listen. Listen to this. What scares me to death. It was so different in Peru. But in our. In our area.
[22:08] And maybe with you. It's a cultural Christianity. You know what you're supposed to say. And you know what you're supposed to do. And you know all the right answers.
[22:19] And you don't know everything. But you never came to a place where you said. I need to hear him. And obey him. From my heart. It ain't your daddy. That gets it done. Not your mama. That gets it done. Not the preacher.
[22:30] Gets it done. It's a business. Transaction. Between you. And God. That you will hear. And you will obey. And I hope you have. I sometimes. I sometimes see guys. And they seem to struggle against sin.
[22:42] And I'm like. Maybe the reason they have such a struggle. Against sin. Is they're not really. Really. His. So I would challenge you. To think about that.
[22:52] If you refuse to believe God's truth. That only death and hell. Awaits you. If you refuse to believe it. But also it applies to us. As we. It applies to me. I got saved a long time ago.
[23:04] But you know what. I'm not through seeking wisdom. Because once you get saved. Then you get this insatiable desire. To know him more. You get this insatiable desire.
[23:15] And I want to know. You know. I'm not going to ask. But I want to know. Are you in the Bible? Are you in prayer? Are you. Are you seeking God? Are you trying to obey God? Are you. Wanting to come to church.
[23:26] So you can hear from God. Man we don't need. To do anything. Out of routine. We don't need to do anything. Because it's what we've always done. We do it. Because I want to know God. I want to walk more with God.
[23:37] I want this to be real to me. And if it's not. We've got real problems. This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfredo, Georgia. For more information. Log on to www.visionbaptist.com Where you can find our service times.
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