WEBVTT

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 Amen, everyone.

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 Father's Day is fast approaching, in case you weren't aware of that,

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 and haven't made that all-important purchase.

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 So I'm going to make a recommendation for you here.

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 It's called, it's a book called

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 The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook.

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 It's a great recommendation.

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 It's a great book to gather.

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 It's a book that lists a number of dangerous situations

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 that you can find yourself in

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 and how to deal with those dangerous situations.

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 It's a great blokey book to stick on a bookshelf or something like that.

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 It's actually a serious book.

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 These guys are not having a lend to themselves.

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 They're serious sort of survival trainer kind of guys.

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 And when I say dangerous situations, I mean dangerous situations.

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 For instance, page 46.

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 How, this is full of wisdom, right?

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 How to fend off a shark.

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 We all need to know that.

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 Page 64.

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 How to deal with a charging bull.

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 Page 57.

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 How to wrestle free from an alligator.

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 Which includes the immortal line.

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 I love this.

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 If its jaws are closed on something that you want to remove.

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 For example, a limb.

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 Tap it or punch it on the snout.

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 Now that's really helpful information.

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 This book, as I said, is totally serious.

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 It gives you instructions on how to deal with a bunch of worst case scenarios you find yourself in day by day.

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 Or in most cases, I think none of us find ourselves in those situations.

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 Such as page 54.

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 How to escape from a mountain lion.

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 Apparently, it suggests take your coat off and wave it up really big.

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 And it makes you look bigger than it is.

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 And it runs away like a pussycat.

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 And it goes on and on.

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 How about this one?

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 How to leap from a motorbike into a car.

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 But there's a key footnote.

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 There's a key footnote to this one.

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 And it says, remember that in many newer cars, only the front windows roll all the way down.

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 Key bit of information there.

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 If you're hoping to get all the way into the car.

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 Okay.

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 How about this one?

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 How to manoeuvre on the top of a train.

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 And again, a very, very helpful tip in the footnotes.

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 If a tunnel is approaching, lie down flat quickly.

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 Like, who hadn't thought of that?

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 And apparently, it's how to manoeuvre on the top of a train in order to get inside the train.

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 I find standing at the platform when the doors open the easiest way.

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 Personally, I'd recommend that.

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 Or how about this one?

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 Page 114.

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 How to land an aeroplane.

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 And it begins with the rather disconcerting sentence.

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 If the plane has only got one set of controls, it recommends you push, pull, drag, or carry the pilot out of the pilot seat first.

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 And then take the controls of the aeroplane.

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 Really helpful bits of information here.

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 I can imagine this is great bedtime reading.

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 This is a sort of wisdom that you want to pass on to your children.

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 So I'm thinking that it would be great to read to my kids.

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 And I could just...

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 And so, you know, how to deliver a baby in a taxi.

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 There's another one.

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 How to perform a tracheoctomy.

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 I could just imagine, you know, my girls, just tell me the tracheoctomy one again.

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 You know, just in case I might need to know that.

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 How to do it with a biro.

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 You can do that with a biro, apparently.

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 Anyway.

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 It's all the stuff that you need to survive.

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 And I've got to suggest that the book deals with situations that most of us will never, ever face.

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 By contrast, the book of Proverbs, which we're launching into for the next 10 weeks,

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 deals with things that we face every single day.

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 It's a book that is full of wisdom for living.

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 So if you're going to make it through life without making a total mess of it, we need wisdom.

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 That's what Proverbs is saying.

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 And every one of us, in fact, will make a mess of life if we don't find and we don't grow in wisdom.

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 That is, if we don't...

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 We can have love, but not wisdom.

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 And if we do have love, but not wisdom, we will harm people with the very best of intentions.

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 If we have courage, but not wisdom,

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 we will blunder boldly.

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 Such as jumping from a motorbike into the front window of a car.

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 You know, it takes wisdom not to do that sort of thing.

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 If you have technology, but not wisdom,

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 you will use the very best of ever communications ever invented

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 in order to broadcast stupidity.

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 If you have biblical truth, but not wisdom,

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 we will make the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus look ugly to people.

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 If you have revival in the church, but not wisdom,

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 you will use the power of God to put the church in reverse gear.

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 Wisdom is essential.

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 And so I would recommend the complete worst case scenario survival book for a laugh.

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 And I would also recommend it if you're planning on camping beside the East Gallagher River

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 sometime in the near future.

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 But Proverbs deserves our endless attention.

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 The great Billy Graham used to read a proverb a day every month.

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 Every month he'd read through the whole book of Proverbs.

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 And he did that for years and years and years

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 because he wanted to grow in wisdom.

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 So I think it deserves our endless attention.

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 And yet for most case, for most Christians,

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 what we tend to do with the book of Proverbs is we dive in

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 and we grab one proverb here, a proverb there, a proverb there,

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 our particular favourite proverbs.

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 And we pin everything on those.

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 We actually look at the whole book

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 and investigate what the entirety of wisdom is saying.

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 T.S. Eliot spoke to our times, I think,

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 when he asked these three questions.

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 He said, where is the life that we have lost in living?

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 Where is the wisdom that we have lost in knowledge?

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 And where is the knowledge that we have lost in information?

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 Just sound bites of information.

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 That's the way we operate at the moment.

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 We get on our phones, we look at Wikipedia

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 and just particles of information floating across us.

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 And I think what we need is we need Proverbs to counsel us

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 in how to live well.

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 And that's what's at stake here.

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 It's not just about surviving and it's not just about dying,

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 but in fact about how do we live and how do we live well.

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 That's what Proverbs is about.

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 This book works well, I believe, when we slow down

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 and we think and we listen and we journal and we pray.

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 I think we need to do that.

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 It's time to get off the information high,

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 Googling stuff all the time,

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 and just to pick up the Bible, go deep and grow in wisdom.

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 That's what we're seeking to do in the next 10 weeks

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 and hopefully beyond this.

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 So let's first of all, Proverbs chapter 8 just read out to us.

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 In verses 10 to 11, it reveals for us the importance of wisdom.

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 It says,

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 Choose my instruction instead of silver,

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 knowledge rather than choice gold,

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 for wisdom is more precious than rubies

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 and nothing you desire can compare with her.

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 Notice the progression.

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 Wisdom is speaking and wisdom says,

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 I am more important than silver.

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 Then it progresses and says,

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 I'm more important than gold.

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 And then it says, I am more important than rubies.

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 And then finally, wisdom gets down to being greater than anything

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 than you could ever possibly desire.

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 That's a pretty high call.

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 Wisdom is infinitely more important

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 than all the wealth and the fame and the power in the world.

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 Far more important than the greatest of circumstances in this world

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 where you've got all the wealth and the power

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 and the influence and the beauty and everything else.

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 Far greater than having all the greatest circumstances in the world

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 is in fact the ability to handle and to grow

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 and to flourish whatever life circumstances are.

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 And why is that important?

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 Because only a tiny, tiny minority of people

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 in fact get their life circumstances

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 where they actually want them to be.

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 And absolutely no one ever keeps them there.

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 No one.

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 Not a single person.

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 Wisdom is infinitely more important.

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 There are plenty of people in this world

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 who have got talent and wealth and intellect

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 and charisma and credentials and beauty

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 and their lives have unraveled

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 and there are people who have got very little

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 of all of those things

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 and in fact they have lived life very, very well

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 and the difference is wisdom.

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 Wisdom is not the same as moral goodness.

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 It's related to it but it's not identical to it.

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 It's obvious that to be unethical is stupid in the long run.

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 Wisdom is not being less than ethical

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 but it is far more than just being ethical.

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 For example, it is good and right to help a person

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 from a position of poverty, to help them out of their poverty.

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 It's noble, it's good, it's right

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 and you can do that completely, totally ethically

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 and still completely screw up their life at the same time.

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 That is, you can do it with a lack of wisdom.

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 If you do not understand all the complexities

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 that are associated as to why people might be in poverty

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 you can screw it up.

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 See, it's not even good enough to be people

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 of high principles and morals.

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 We need to be people of wisdom

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 or we will ruin our lives and the lives of other people.

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 We need wisdom so much.

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 You know, to make a bunch of decisions in this world

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 it is, all you basically need is knowledge.

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 That is, with the right knowledge

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 you can pick the right car.

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 It's a Toyota Prado.

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 You know, it's straightforward.

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 With the right sort of knowledge

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 you can, you know, get the right medication.

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 You can build a bridge.

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 You can fill out the form correctly.

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 But what about the decisions that we face every day

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 across all of our lives

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 such as, who should I marry?

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 Who should I date?

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 Who, you know, should I, in fact, break up?

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 What career should I go into?

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 What school should I enroll into?

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 Should I buy this house?

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 Should I move to that house?

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 Where do I live?

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 What church do I go to?

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 Should I change jobs?

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 Should I confront the person right now

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 or should I just hold back a little bit?

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 Should I take that risk or just play it safe?

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 That's the multitude of decisions

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 that we make every day.

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 And the rules don't apply.

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 There's no rules that says

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 that person is the person you should marry.

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 And a wrong decision in some or any of those things

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 can be a real disaster.

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 And the moral rules don't cover them.

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 They might give you a broad framework,

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 but they don't cover the specifics.

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 And knowledge and facts and principles aren't enough.

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 I'd go as far as to saying

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 that the reason why so many of us

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 are so stuck and anxious and stressed

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 is because we don't have the wisdom

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 that we need to deal with the situations

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 we're currently facing.

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 It's not just a matter of knowledge.

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 It's not a matter of IQ or moral principles.

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 It's a matter of wisdom.

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 And we are perishing for the lack of wisdom.

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 It's more important than silver,

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 more important than gold and jewels,

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 more important than anything you could possibly imagine.

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 So what is it?

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 Verses 8 to 16, we have wisdom speaking again.

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 And we get a few clues as to what wisdom is here.

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 It says,

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 I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence.

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 I possess knowledge and discretion.

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 To fear the Lord is to hate evil.

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 I hate pride and arrogance,

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 evil behaviour and perverse speech.

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 Counsel and sound judgment are mine.

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 I have insight, I have power.

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 By me, kings reign and rulers,

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 issues, decrees that are just.

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 By me, princes, governors, nobles,

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 all who rule on earth.

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 So there are at least three things here

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 that wisdom speaks about

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 and gives us an idea of what wisdom is.

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 Notice firstly that wisdom has insight in verse 14.

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 The word insight there is translated from a Hebrew word

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 which basically means to know how things really are.

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 It's understanding of how things really are.

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 Secondly, it also says that wisdom dwells with prudence.

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 That's not an old-fashioned girl's name.

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 In verse 12, so it's not,

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 she's hanging out with prudence,

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 wisdom's with prudence.

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 It's actually not probably the best English translation.

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 A better translation is the word shrewdness.

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 Shrewdness, not prudence.

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 Shrewdness here,

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 we often regard it as a negative thing,

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 but here shrewdness is positive.

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 It's not scheming and plotting.

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 It's a resourceful cunningness about life.

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 Wisdom here is knowing how things not just are,

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 but how life works,

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 how things happen in life.

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 And thirdly, verse 15, it says,

00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:05.879
 by me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just.

00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:09.280
 So wisdom is not just about how things are

00:14:09.280 --> 00:14:12.580
 and how things actually work,

00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:14.820
 but it's knowing what to do about it.

00:14:15.580 --> 00:14:16.440
 It's very practical.

00:14:16.860 --> 00:14:18.340
 So wisdom is very, very practical.

00:14:18.820 --> 00:14:19.960
 It's not just theoretical.

00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:23.400
 Think of the difference

00:14:23.400 --> 00:14:27.040
 between the great English detective Sherlock Holmes

00:14:27.040 --> 00:14:31.280
 and his sidekick, Dr. Watson.

00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:34.960
 A client would walk into Holmes' apartment

00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:37.620
 in 221B Baker Street,

00:14:38.560 --> 00:14:40.240
 and he could...

00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:41.920
 Holmes would take one look at the person

00:14:41.920 --> 00:14:43.639
 and know 19 things about them,

00:14:43.820 --> 00:14:44.460
 just like that.

00:14:45.080 --> 00:14:46.480
 And he'd always say to Watson,

00:14:46.620 --> 00:14:49.580
 it's elementary, elementary, my dear Watson, elementary.

00:14:50.780 --> 00:14:53.400
 And Dr. Watson would see the same person

00:14:53.400 --> 00:14:56.060
 but not have the same insight or the same shrewdness.

00:14:56.600 --> 00:15:00.400
 The not obvious, the non-obvious,

00:15:00.540 --> 00:15:02.379
 was obvious to Holmes,

00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:04.600
 whereas it wasn't so much to Watson.

00:15:05.460 --> 00:15:06.400
 Holmes sees clues.

00:15:07.400 --> 00:15:09.800
 Watson sees a blur.

00:15:10.259 --> 00:15:12.019
 Holmes sees distinctions.

00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:15.180
 Just had more clarity.

00:15:15.179 --> 00:15:18.739
 So what is wisdom?

00:15:19.839 --> 00:15:20.779
 Gerhard von Rad,

00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:23.139
 a 20th century German theologian,

00:15:23.139 --> 00:15:24.459
 you have to be German to have a name like that,

00:15:24.919 --> 00:15:27.699
 wrote a book called Wisdom in Israel,

00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:30.059
 and it's a pretty hard, difficult book,

00:15:30.299 --> 00:15:31.479
 so you just read the conclusion,

00:15:31.599 --> 00:15:32.319
 that gives you the answer.

00:15:32.899 --> 00:15:34.399
 And in it,

00:15:34.539 --> 00:15:36.659
 he gives a definition of wisdom

00:15:36.659 --> 00:15:37.899
 according to Proverbs.

00:15:38.839 --> 00:15:40.500
 And it's a great definition.

00:15:40.500 --> 00:15:40.860
 He says,

00:15:40.940 --> 00:15:42.299
 wisdom is becoming competent

00:15:42.299 --> 00:15:44.220
 with regard to the realities of life.

00:15:45.019 --> 00:15:46.279
 I love the word becoming.

00:15:46.980 --> 00:15:48.019
 It's saying there that wisdom

00:15:48.019 --> 00:15:49.100
 is something that you grow in.

00:15:49.580 --> 00:15:50.879
 It's becoming competent

00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:53.500
 with regard to the realities of life.

00:15:53.779 --> 00:15:55.580
 It's knowing how things really happen,

00:15:55.980 --> 00:15:57.440
 how things really are,

00:15:57.700 --> 00:15:59.940
 and knowing what to do about them.

00:16:01.500 --> 00:16:02.860
 So it's intensely practical.

00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:03.779
 It's not theoretical.

00:16:04.580 --> 00:16:05.299
 Kind of ironic,

00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:06.460
 me doing a sermon like this.

00:16:06.460 --> 00:16:09.600
 It is the art of being successful

00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:12.820
 across all of life.

00:16:14.780 --> 00:16:16.840
 It's knowing how life works

00:16:16.840 --> 00:16:18.060
 and living it well.

00:16:18.540 --> 00:16:22.000
 And wisdom finds its seat,

00:16:22.280 --> 00:16:22.980
 its centre,

00:16:23.500 --> 00:16:25.200
 not in the mind,

00:16:25.580 --> 00:16:27.139
 but in the centre of the being,

00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:28.120
 what the Bible calls

00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:29.580
 the heart of the individual,

00:16:30.400 --> 00:16:32.220
 the soul of the individual,

00:16:32.780 --> 00:16:34.740
 which incorporates the intellect

00:16:34.740 --> 00:16:36.139
 and everything else,

00:16:36.460 --> 00:16:39.200
 it's the centre of,

00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:40.700
 the heart of the person

00:16:40.700 --> 00:16:42.240
 is the centre of the person's

00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:44.840
 moral and intellectual decision-making.

00:16:47.340 --> 00:16:51.400
 But there's this huge problem

00:16:51.400 --> 00:16:53.120
 in gaining wisdom.

00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:56.620
 The problem is highlighted

00:16:56.620 --> 00:16:58.900
 in verses 22 onwards.

00:16:59.220 --> 00:17:00.879
 And here we have wisdom speaking.

00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:04.519
 And wisdom says,

00:17:04.740 --> 00:17:05.720
 I was there

00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:07.859
 when this world was made.

00:17:08.359 --> 00:17:09.220
 That's the bottom line.

00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:10.559
 So let me have a read through here.

00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:11.059
 It says,

00:17:11.059 --> 00:17:12.179
 The Lord brought me forth

00:17:12.179 --> 00:17:13.519
 as the first of his works

00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:15.200
 before his deeds of old.

00:17:15.299 --> 00:17:16.779
 I was formed long ago,

00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:17.799
 ages ago,

00:17:17.899 --> 00:17:18.619
 at the very beginning

00:17:18.619 --> 00:17:20.319
 when the world came to be.

00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:23.700
 When there were no watery depths,

00:17:23.940 --> 00:17:24.799
 I was given birth.

00:17:24.899 --> 00:17:25.899
 When there were no springs

00:17:25.899 --> 00:17:26.779
 overflowing with water,

00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:28.039
 before the mountains were settled

00:17:28.039 --> 00:17:28.599
 in the place,

00:17:28.639 --> 00:17:29.240
 before the hills,

00:17:29.379 --> 00:17:30.659
 I was given birth.

00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:32.559
 Before he made the world

00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:33.339
 or its fields

00:17:33.339 --> 00:17:34.980
 or any of the dust of the earth,

00:17:35.019 --> 00:17:35.919
 I was there

00:17:35.919 --> 00:17:37.599
 when he set the heavens in place,

00:17:37.659 --> 00:17:39.019
 when he marked out the horizon

00:17:39.019 --> 00:17:40.139
 on the face of the deep,

00:17:40.279 --> 00:17:42.259
 when he established the clouds

00:17:42.259 --> 00:17:44.039
 above and fixed securely

00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:45.220
 the fountains of the deep,

00:17:45.579 --> 00:17:47.460
 when he gave the sea its boundary

00:17:47.460 --> 00:17:48.279
 so the waters

00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:49.779
 would not overstep its command,

00:17:49.879 --> 00:17:50.960
 when he marked out

00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:52.259
 the foundations of the earth,

00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:54.660
 then I was constantly at his side.

00:17:54.740 --> 00:17:56.460
 I was filled with delight

00:17:56.460 --> 00:17:57.220
 day by day,

00:17:57.379 --> 00:17:59.740
 rejoicing always in his presence,

00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:02.759
 rejoicing in his whole world

00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:05.259
 and delighting in mankind.

00:18:05.259 --> 00:18:08.220
 And so what we have here

00:18:08.220 --> 00:18:09.519
 in Proverbs 8

00:18:09.519 --> 00:18:11.839
 is wisdom being there

00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:13.660
 as God creates

00:18:13.660 --> 00:18:15.879
 the created order,

00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:17.619
 brings everything into being.

00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:19.420
 And the creation account here

00:18:19.420 --> 00:18:21.559
 is a unique creation account.

00:18:22.099 --> 00:18:22.339
 You see,

00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:24.059
 most ancient societies

00:18:24.059 --> 00:18:25.799
 either regarded the creation

00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:27.059
 of the material world

00:18:27.059 --> 00:18:28.259
 as an accident

00:18:28.259 --> 00:18:30.359
 of the gods,

00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:32.379
 it's like they lend against something

00:18:32.379 --> 00:18:34.039
 and the universe is made,

00:18:34.039 --> 00:18:35.279
 that was a bit of a mistake,

00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:36.200
 didn't mean that to happen.

00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:38.839
 Or it's a result

00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:40.559
 of the gods having a battle

00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:43.659
 and they create the world

00:18:43.659 --> 00:18:44.720
 for some strange reason.

00:18:46.639 --> 00:18:48.619
 And here it says

00:18:48.619 --> 00:18:49.920
 the creation account

00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:52.240
 is based on the wisdom of God.

00:18:53.779 --> 00:18:54.960
 It was deliberate.

00:18:55.099 --> 00:18:55.940
 There's a sense here

00:18:55.940 --> 00:18:57.539
 of this overwhelming joy

00:18:57.539 --> 00:18:59.079
 where God designed the world

00:18:59.079 --> 00:19:00.420
 to be a place of beauty

00:19:00.420 --> 00:19:02.099
 and power and order

00:19:02.099 --> 00:19:03.259
 and joy and peace.

00:19:03.259 --> 00:19:05.379
 God made the world

00:19:05.379 --> 00:19:06.500
 with wisdom.

00:19:08.299 --> 00:19:09.339
 And that's why

00:19:09.339 --> 00:19:12.599
 the wise of Israel

00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:15.240
 said that wisdom worked.

00:19:16.700 --> 00:19:18.200
 Because it aligned,

00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:19.440
 wisdom is just simply

00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:20.759
 being aligned

00:19:20.759 --> 00:19:22.079
 with the wisdom of God

00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:22.720
 in creation.

00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:24.039
 That's why it works.

00:19:25.619 --> 00:19:27.339
 If God created the world

00:19:27.339 --> 00:19:28.460
 according to wisdom,

00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:29.879
 then there is a pattern

00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:32.360
 to all that he's made.

00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:33.380
 It's connected.

00:19:33.600 --> 00:19:33.860
 That is,

00:19:34.100 --> 00:19:35.780
 reality's not random.

00:19:37.460 --> 00:19:39.540
 And if wisdom made the world,

00:19:39.960 --> 00:19:42.080
 then wisdom can be perceived.

00:19:43.040 --> 00:19:44.800
 And to a great degree,

00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:47.440
 can be lived in accordance with.

00:19:48.380 --> 00:19:50.500
 Now, it's obvious for most people

00:19:50.500 --> 00:19:52.220
 that there are physical patterns

00:19:52.220 --> 00:19:52.819
 patterns

00:19:52.819 --> 00:19:55.839
 in the reality

00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:57.059
 of our physical world.

00:19:57.140 --> 00:19:58.140
 There are patterns there,

00:19:58.500 --> 00:19:59.440
 such as

00:19:59.440 --> 00:20:01.220
 the pattern

00:20:01.220 --> 00:20:02.299
 of aerodynamics.

00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:04.180
 If an object

00:20:04.180 --> 00:20:05.440
 fits with the pattern

00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:06.339
 and the rules

00:20:06.339 --> 00:20:07.460
 of aerodynamics,

00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:09.220
 it will fly.

00:20:09.660 --> 00:20:11.019
 If it doesn't fit

00:20:11.019 --> 00:20:11.600
 with the pattern

00:20:11.600 --> 00:20:12.420
 of aerodynamics,

00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:14.120
 it won't fly.

00:20:15.980 --> 00:20:16.819
 Such as

00:20:16.819 --> 00:20:18.480
 falling off a ladder.

00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:20.519
 You won't fly.

00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:24.720
 You will crash and burn.

00:20:25.339 --> 00:20:26.620
 If you disregard

00:20:26.620 --> 00:20:27.900
 the patterns

00:20:27.900 --> 00:20:29.019
 of aerodynamics,

00:20:29.700 --> 00:20:31.279
 you will crash and burn.

00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:34.279
 And the wise of Israel

00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:35.660
 also concluded

00:20:35.660 --> 00:20:37.099
 that there is

00:20:37.099 --> 00:20:38.680
 a relational fabric

00:20:38.680 --> 00:20:39.779
 to reality

00:20:39.779 --> 00:20:41.880
 that if you don't follow

00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:43.180
 those patterns,

00:20:44.120 --> 00:20:46.099
 you will relationally

00:20:46.099 --> 00:20:47.220
 crash and burn.

00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:50.140
 And they also

00:20:50.140 --> 00:20:50.660
 concluded

00:20:50.660 --> 00:20:51.240
 that there is

00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:53.420
 a spiritual fabric

00:20:53.420 --> 00:20:54.980
 to the created order

00:20:54.980 --> 00:20:56.000
 that God has made.

00:20:56.299 --> 00:20:57.640
 And if you don't follow

00:20:57.640 --> 00:20:59.740
 those spiritual patterns,

00:21:01.120 --> 00:21:02.140
 you spiritually

00:21:02.140 --> 00:21:03.319
 will crash and burn too.

00:21:04.099 --> 00:21:04.860
 That's the wisdom

00:21:04.860 --> 00:21:05.380
 of Israel.

00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:05.880
 That's what we see

00:21:05.880 --> 00:21:06.440
 in Proverbs.

00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:07.579
 And so what

00:21:07.579 --> 00:21:09.420
 foolishness is,

00:21:09.720 --> 00:21:11.039
 is going against

00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:11.640
 the grain,

00:21:11.819 --> 00:21:12.220
 going against

00:21:12.220 --> 00:21:12.799
 the weave,

00:21:12.940 --> 00:21:13.299
 going against

00:21:13.299 --> 00:21:13.779
 the pattern,

00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:14.259
 going against

00:21:14.259 --> 00:21:14.980
 the structure

00:21:14.980 --> 00:21:16.160
 that God

00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:17.299
 has put in place

00:21:17.299 --> 00:21:18.680
 in his created order

00:21:18.680 --> 00:21:19.799
 that he made

00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:20.339
 with wisdom.

00:21:20.859 --> 00:21:21.859
 It's going against

00:21:21.859 --> 00:21:22.299
 wisdom.

00:21:22.419 --> 00:21:23.159
 That's what foolishness

00:21:23.159 --> 00:21:23.519
 is.

00:21:25.099 --> 00:21:25.559
 But,

00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:26.539
 and here's the problem

00:21:26.539 --> 00:21:27.379
 in gaining wisdom,

00:21:28.359 --> 00:21:29.559
 there are two things

00:21:29.559 --> 00:21:31.359
 that you must know

00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:32.839
 about these patterns

00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:34.079
 in order to be wise.

00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:34.960
 And you must hold

00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:35.899
 both of these things

00:21:35.899 --> 00:21:36.859
 together equally.

00:21:38.059 --> 00:21:38.940
 Equal weight.

00:21:39.500 --> 00:21:39.940
 Firstly,

00:21:39.940 --> 00:21:42.180
 you have to see

00:21:42.180 --> 00:21:42.779
 and admit

00:21:42.779 --> 00:21:43.559
 that there is

00:21:43.559 --> 00:21:44.220
 a pattern.

00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:45.940
 God has made

00:21:45.940 --> 00:21:46.580
 the world

00:21:46.580 --> 00:21:48.559
 and there is

00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:49.420
 a pattern to it.

00:21:50.500 --> 00:21:51.600
 There are principles

00:21:51.600 --> 00:21:52.820
 in life

00:21:52.820 --> 00:21:54.039
 which customarily

00:21:54.039 --> 00:21:54.660
 work.

00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:56.600
 Secondly,

00:21:57.160 --> 00:21:58.340
 you've got to see

00:21:58.340 --> 00:21:58.960
 and know

00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:00.480
 that you cannot

00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:01.120
 see

00:22:01.120 --> 00:22:02.440
 the entire

00:22:02.440 --> 00:22:02.900
 pattern.

00:22:04.980 --> 00:22:05.940
 You can't see

00:22:05.940 --> 00:22:06.360
 the entire

00:22:06.360 --> 00:22:06.660
 pattern.

00:22:06.660 --> 00:22:09.720
 much of the pattern

00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:10.259
 is in fact

00:22:10.259 --> 00:22:11.080
 hidden from us.

00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:14.040
 And that's the problem

00:22:14.040 --> 00:22:14.740
 of gaining wisdom.

00:22:16.759 --> 00:22:17.580
 For instance,

00:22:18.220 --> 00:22:18.840
 in chapters

00:22:18.840 --> 00:22:20.380
 10 to 15

00:22:20.380 --> 00:22:21.080
 of Proverbs,

00:22:21.580 --> 00:22:22.120
 you get

00:22:22.120 --> 00:22:22.660
 Proverbs

00:22:22.660 --> 00:22:24.160
 about the principles

00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:25.279
 of how life

00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:26.560
 normally works.

00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:27.779
 And they say

00:22:27.779 --> 00:22:28.560
 things like,

00:22:28.900 --> 00:22:29.759
 if you work hard,

00:22:29.820 --> 00:22:30.279
 you'll prosper.

00:22:30.779 --> 00:22:31.680
 If you're lazy,

00:22:31.779 --> 00:22:32.440
 you'll be poor.

00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:33.680
 If you

00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:34.940
 raise a child

00:22:34.940 --> 00:22:36.000
 in the right way,

00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:36.940
 they will love you

00:22:36.940 --> 00:22:37.700
 when they get older.

00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:39.380
 And if you read

00:22:39.380 --> 00:22:40.059
 those chapters

00:22:40.059 --> 00:22:41.299
 with a

00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:42.279
 conservative,

00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:43.880
 moralistic

00:22:43.880 --> 00:22:44.480
 bent,

00:22:46.140 --> 00:22:47.120
 and you believe

00:22:47.120 --> 00:22:47.539
 that there is

00:22:47.539 --> 00:22:47.880
 order,

00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:48.400
 you believe

00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:49.080
 there's a pattern

00:22:49.080 --> 00:22:49.920
 in the created

00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:50.440
 life,

00:22:50.980 --> 00:22:51.559
 you will say

00:22:51.559 --> 00:22:52.039
 things like,

00:22:52.120 --> 00:22:52.220
 yeah,

00:22:52.279 --> 00:22:52.740
 that's right,

00:22:52.779 --> 00:22:53.240
 I knew there was

00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:54.240
 a rule for everything.

00:22:56.140 --> 00:22:56.820
 There's a rule

00:22:56.820 --> 00:22:57.400
 for everything.

00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:00.480
 And then you get

00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:01.799
 to chapter 16.

00:23:02.440 --> 00:23:03.200
 And you get

00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:03.840
 to chapter 16

00:23:03.840 --> 00:23:04.600
 and suddenly

00:23:04.600 --> 00:23:06.180
 there are exceptions

00:23:06.180 --> 00:23:07.259
 to the principles

00:23:07.259 --> 00:23:08.279
 of how life

00:23:08.279 --> 00:23:09.380
 normally works.

00:23:10.259 --> 00:23:10.740
 For instance,

00:23:10.860 --> 00:23:11.340
 some people

00:23:11.340 --> 00:23:11.960
 who live

00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:12.740
 according to

00:23:12.740 --> 00:23:13.539
 God's moral

00:23:13.539 --> 00:23:14.200
 absolutes

00:23:14.200 --> 00:23:15.299
 have a fairly

00:23:15.299 --> 00:23:16.259
 lousy life.

00:23:16.539 --> 00:23:17.120
 Some people

00:23:17.120 --> 00:23:18.200
 who work hard

00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:19.400
 but stay poor

00:23:19.400 --> 00:23:20.320
 because of oppression.

00:23:20.519 --> 00:23:21.299
 And some people

00:23:21.299 --> 00:23:22.559
 raise their child

00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:23.360
 right but they

00:23:23.360 --> 00:23:24.400
 go off the rails

00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:25.120
 at some point

00:23:25.120 --> 00:23:25.759
 in life.

00:23:26.220 --> 00:23:26.880
 And so if you

00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:28.340
 read that

00:23:28.340 --> 00:23:29.519
 section

00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:31.039
 with a

00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:32.120
 liberal bent,

00:23:32.119 --> 00:23:32.699
 that is you

00:23:32.699 --> 00:23:33.259
 don't believe

00:23:33.259 --> 00:23:33.599
 that there's

00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:34.019
 an order

00:23:34.019 --> 00:23:34.759
 that you

00:23:34.759 --> 00:23:35.119
 need to

00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:35.819
 abide by,

00:23:36.059 --> 00:23:36.500
 you go,

00:23:36.659 --> 00:23:37.059
 yeah,

00:23:37.159 --> 00:23:37.779
 that's right,

00:23:37.879 --> 00:23:38.579
 life's messy,

00:23:38.679 --> 00:23:39.339
 always said it

00:23:39.339 --> 00:23:39.899
 was messy,

00:23:40.339 --> 00:23:41.019
 can't predict

00:23:41.019 --> 00:23:41.539
 anything.

00:23:44.279 --> 00:23:45.459
 And yet wisdom

00:23:45.459 --> 00:23:46.879
 is holding

00:23:46.879 --> 00:23:47.279
 the both

00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:47.639
 together.

00:23:47.879 --> 00:23:48.500
 It's a matter,

00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:49.519
 it's admitting

00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:50.159
 that there is

00:23:50.159 --> 00:23:50.619
 a pattern

00:23:50.619 --> 00:23:51.139
 that I must

00:23:51.139 --> 00:23:51.779
 submit to

00:23:51.779 --> 00:23:54.159
 and that I

00:23:54.159 --> 00:23:54.959
 can't make up

00:23:54.959 --> 00:23:55.379
 the rules

00:23:55.379 --> 00:23:56.039
 for myself.

00:23:56.039 --> 00:23:56.839
 I don't

00:23:56.839 --> 00:23:57.879
 define reality

00:23:57.879 --> 00:23:58.759
 for myself.

00:24:01.579 --> 00:24:02.399
 But if I

00:24:02.399 --> 00:24:03.240
 live like that

00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:03.839
 then Proverbs

00:24:03.839 --> 00:24:04.619
 says I'm a fool.

00:24:06.099 --> 00:24:06.899
 But wisdom

00:24:06.899 --> 00:24:07.379
 is also

00:24:07.379 --> 00:24:07.879
 acknowledging

00:24:07.879 --> 00:24:08.599
 that I can't

00:24:08.599 --> 00:24:09.200
 see the whole

00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:09.619
 pattern.

00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:10.599
 There are

00:24:10.599 --> 00:24:11.480
 hidden things.

00:24:13.539 --> 00:24:14.019
 And if I

00:24:14.019 --> 00:24:14.519
 think that I

00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:15.399
 can see all

00:24:15.399 --> 00:24:15.899
 the pattern

00:24:15.899 --> 00:24:16.379
 and if I

00:24:16.379 --> 00:24:16.659
 think I

00:24:16.659 --> 00:24:17.460
 know how

00:24:17.460 --> 00:24:18.059
 all of life

00:24:18.059 --> 00:24:18.659
 works

00:24:18.659 --> 00:24:21.180
 then I'm

00:24:21.180 --> 00:24:22.559
 a fool

00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:23.579
 according to

00:24:23.579 --> 00:24:24.000
 Proverbs.

00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:26.599
 So you

00:24:26.599 --> 00:24:27.460
 can be a

00:24:27.460 --> 00:24:28.039
 conservative

00:24:28.039 --> 00:24:29.660
 fool or

00:24:29.660 --> 00:24:30.299
 you can be

00:24:30.299 --> 00:24:30.920
 a liberal

00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:31.200
 fool.

00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:31.599
 You can be

00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:32.259
 a moralistic

00:24:32.259 --> 00:24:32.740
 fool, you

00:24:32.740 --> 00:24:33.160
 can be a

00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:33.779
 relativistic

00:24:33.779 --> 00:24:34.099
 fool.

00:24:35.660 --> 00:24:36.460
 We are

00:24:36.460 --> 00:24:37.259
 all one

00:24:37.259 --> 00:24:37.539
 or the

00:24:37.539 --> 00:24:38.720
 other depending

00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:39.240
 on our

00:24:39.240 --> 00:24:40.200
 ideology and

00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:41.259
 our personality

00:24:41.259 --> 00:24:41.859
 I suspect.

00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:43.779
 So in a

00:24:43.779 --> 00:24:44.299
 nutshell if

00:24:44.299 --> 00:24:44.559
 you're a

00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:46.019
 person who

00:24:46.019 --> 00:24:46.680
 thinks that

00:24:46.680 --> 00:24:47.539
 if you have

00:24:47.539 --> 00:24:47.920
 a good

00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:49.359
 life, live

00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:49.660
 a good

00:24:49.660 --> 00:24:50.319
 life, it

00:24:50.319 --> 00:24:50.700
 will go

00:24:50.700 --> 00:24:51.339
 well for

00:24:51.339 --> 00:24:52.740
 you, then

00:24:52.740 --> 00:24:53.259
 you are a

00:24:53.259 --> 00:24:53.740
 conservative

00:24:53.740 --> 00:24:54.160
 fool.

00:24:55.420 --> 00:24:55.900
 But if

00:24:55.900 --> 00:24:56.160
 you're the

00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:56.460
 kind of

00:24:56.460 --> 00:24:56.980
 person who

00:24:56.980 --> 00:24:57.680
 says I

00:24:57.680 --> 00:24:58.319
 can decide

00:24:58.319 --> 00:24:58.920
 my own

00:24:58.920 --> 00:25:00.019
 reality, I

00:25:00.019 --> 00:25:00.620
 can decide

00:25:00.620 --> 00:25:01.099
 what is

00:25:01.099 --> 00:25:01.500
 right and

00:25:01.500 --> 00:25:01.859
 wrong for

00:25:01.859 --> 00:25:02.299
 me and I

00:25:02.299 --> 00:25:02.700
 don't believe

00:25:02.700 --> 00:25:03.120
 there's any

00:25:03.120 --> 00:25:03.980
 divine order

00:25:03.980 --> 00:25:04.700
 that I have

00:25:04.700 --> 00:25:05.079
 to submit

00:25:05.079 --> 00:25:06.599
 to, then

00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:07.099
 you're a

00:25:07.099 --> 00:25:07.559
 liberal

00:25:07.559 --> 00:25:07.980
 fool.

00:25:08.940 --> 00:25:09.240
 And we're

00:25:09.240 --> 00:25:09.640
 all fools

00:25:09.640 --> 00:25:10.140
 one way or

00:25:10.140 --> 00:25:10.359
 another.

00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:10.799
 Let's just

00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:11.180
 close the

00:25:11.180 --> 00:25:11.599
 sermon there.

00:25:11.819 --> 00:25:12.620
 No, we'll

00:25:12.620 --> 00:25:13.000
 keep going.

00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:14.059
 We're all

00:25:14.059 --> 00:25:14.700
 fools one way

00:25:14.700 --> 00:25:15.079
 or another.

00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:16.859
 And we as

00:25:16.859 --> 00:25:17.720
 a society

00:25:17.720 --> 00:25:19.380
 are split on

00:25:19.380 --> 00:25:19.599
 this.

00:25:19.720 --> 00:25:20.500
 We are pushing

00:25:20.500 --> 00:25:21.319
 each other

00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:22.240
 more and more

00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:23.220
 into areas

00:25:23.220 --> 00:25:24.240
 of foolishness.

00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:27.279
 The same

00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:28.079
 sex marriage

00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:28.579
 debate is a

00:25:28.579 --> 00:25:29.420
 classic example

00:25:29.420 --> 00:25:30.019
 of this.

00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:31.660
 Church goes

00:25:31.660 --> 00:25:32.440
 all moralistic

00:25:32.440 --> 00:25:34.279
 and over

00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:35.420
 here the

00:25:35.420 --> 00:25:36.240
 liberals go

00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:38.299
 whatever.

00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:40.140
 It's all

00:25:40.140 --> 00:25:40.480
 relative,

00:25:40.599 --> 00:25:40.920
 there's no

00:25:40.920 --> 00:25:41.200
 order.

00:25:43.200 --> 00:25:43.920
 And we're

00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:44.579
 pushing ourselves

00:25:44.579 --> 00:25:45.059
 more and more

00:25:45.059 --> 00:25:45.859
 into foolishness.

00:25:45.859 --> 00:25:48.319
 So what's

00:25:48.319 --> 00:25:48.839
 the solution?

00:25:50.659 --> 00:25:51.459
 There is a

00:25:51.459 --> 00:25:51.859
 solution.

00:25:52.699 --> 00:25:52.959
 Did you

00:25:52.959 --> 00:25:53.899
 notice that as

00:25:53.899 --> 00:25:54.959
 chapter 8 was

00:25:54.959 --> 00:25:55.500
 read out to

00:25:55.500 --> 00:25:57.059
 us that

00:25:57.059 --> 00:25:58.619
 wisdom is

00:25:58.619 --> 00:25:59.439
 personified?

00:26:01.199 --> 00:26:02.039
 Wisdom is

00:26:02.039 --> 00:26:02.959
 I, me,

00:26:03.159 --> 00:26:03.479
 my.

00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:04.019
 You see that

00:26:04.019 --> 00:26:04.379
 right through

00:26:04.379 --> 00:26:05.000
 chapter 8.

00:26:05.459 --> 00:26:06.139
 Wisdom is not

00:26:06.139 --> 00:26:06.819
 an abstract

00:26:06.819 --> 00:26:08.599
 quality but in

00:26:08.599 --> 00:26:09.759
 fact a

00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:10.219
 person.

00:26:11.439 --> 00:26:12.059
 That's how

00:26:12.059 --> 00:26:12.699
 wisdom is

00:26:12.699 --> 00:26:13.459
 perceived in

00:26:13.460 --> 00:26:14.160
 Proverbs.

00:26:14.740 --> 00:26:15.160
 And as

00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:16.700
 hopefully we've

00:26:16.700 --> 00:26:17.100
 seen in the

00:26:17.100 --> 00:26:18.259
 introductory video

00:26:18.259 --> 00:26:18.759
 which we saw

00:26:18.759 --> 00:26:19.559
 last week and

00:26:19.559 --> 00:26:19.960
 hopefully you've

00:26:19.960 --> 00:26:20.319
 seen it throughout

00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:20.759
 the course of

00:26:20.759 --> 00:26:21.180
 this week,

00:26:21.559 --> 00:26:22.480
 wisdom in that

00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:23.480
 little video as

00:26:23.480 --> 00:26:23.819
 it is in

00:26:23.819 --> 00:26:24.360
 Proverbs is

00:26:24.360 --> 00:26:25.860
 depicted as a

00:26:25.860 --> 00:26:26.180
 woman.

00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:28.259
 A woman in

00:26:28.259 --> 00:26:28.700
 fact who

00:26:28.700 --> 00:26:29.980
 calls, lady

00:26:29.980 --> 00:26:30.680
 wisdom who

00:26:30.680 --> 00:26:32.100
 calls, calls,

00:26:32.500 --> 00:26:32.759
 calls.

00:26:33.019 --> 00:26:33.900
 And interestingly

00:26:33.900 --> 00:26:35.100
 enough that the

00:26:35.100 --> 00:26:35.900
 Proverbs were

00:26:35.900 --> 00:26:38.059
 originally a

00:26:38.059 --> 00:26:40.180
 manual, a

00:26:40.180 --> 00:26:41.360
 wisdom manual for

00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:42.319
 the young men

00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:46.000
 of Israel

00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:46.740
 which is why

00:26:46.740 --> 00:26:47.159
 most of the

00:26:47.159 --> 00:26:47.619
 Proverbs are

00:26:47.619 --> 00:26:48.119
 addressed to

00:26:48.119 --> 00:26:48.740
 my son.

00:26:50.479 --> 00:26:51.299
 They were

00:26:51.299 --> 00:26:51.659
 four.

00:26:51.740 --> 00:26:51.959
 They were a

00:26:51.959 --> 00:26:52.639
 wisdom manual for

00:26:52.639 --> 00:26:53.679
 the old men of

00:26:53.679 --> 00:26:54.779
 Israel training the

00:26:54.779 --> 00:26:55.639
 younger men in

00:26:55.639 --> 00:26:56.799
 Israel and so

00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:57.659
 you want to get

00:26:57.659 --> 00:26:58.199
 their attention?

00:26:58.439 --> 00:26:59.079
 Make wisdom a

00:26:59.079 --> 00:26:59.359
 woman.

00:27:00.039 --> 00:27:00.979
 You know, who's

00:27:00.979 --> 00:27:01.619
 calling you?

00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:02.919
 Of course their

00:27:02.919 --> 00:27:03.500
 attention is there

00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:03.859
 all the way

00:27:03.859 --> 00:27:04.159
 through.

00:27:05.019 --> 00:27:06.439
 So wisdom

00:27:06.439 --> 00:27:07.579
 here is not so

00:27:07.579 --> 00:27:08.399
 much a matter of

00:27:08.399 --> 00:27:09.299
 mastering a bunch

00:27:09.299 --> 00:27:10.119
 of rules and

00:27:10.119 --> 00:27:10.679
 principles.

00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:11.940
 wisdom is in

00:27:11.940 --> 00:27:12.519
 fact a love

00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:13.880
 affair in

00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:14.360
 Proverbs.

00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:15.100
 It's a love

00:27:15.100 --> 00:27:15.440
 affair.

00:27:15.860 --> 00:27:16.320
 We need to

00:27:16.320 --> 00:27:16.799
 long for

00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:17.080
 wisdom.

00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:17.620
 We need to

00:27:17.620 --> 00:27:18.140
 love wisdom.

00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:18.500
 We need to

00:27:18.500 --> 00:27:19.279
 pursue wisdom.

00:27:19.900 --> 00:27:22.539
 But what if

00:27:22.539 --> 00:27:23.400
 wisdom in

00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:24.820
 fact was a

00:27:24.820 --> 00:27:25.220
 person?

00:27:26.860 --> 00:27:27.640
 What if you

00:27:27.640 --> 00:27:28.360
 got into a

00:27:28.360 --> 00:27:28.960
 relationship with

00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:29.700
 this person and

00:27:29.700 --> 00:27:30.460
 they made you

00:27:30.460 --> 00:27:30.920
 wise?

00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:31.360
 They helped

00:27:31.360 --> 00:27:31.960
 you to see a

00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:32.480
 pattern to the

00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:33.519
 world and they

00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:33.960
 helped you to

00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:34.320
 see your

00:27:34.320 --> 00:27:35.220
 limitations that

00:27:35.220 --> 00:27:35.799
 you don't know

00:27:35.799 --> 00:27:36.279
 the entire

00:27:36.279 --> 00:27:36.740
 pattern of the

00:27:36.740 --> 00:27:37.120
 world and so

00:27:37.120 --> 00:27:37.620
 they called you

00:27:37.620 --> 00:27:38.299
 to trust them

00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:39.140
 because they knew

00:27:39.140 --> 00:27:39.539
 the entire

00:27:39.539 --> 00:27:40.039
 pattern of the

00:27:40.039 --> 00:27:40.299
 world.

00:27:40.680 --> 00:27:42.060
 What if this

00:27:42.060 --> 00:27:43.380
 person made you

00:27:43.380 --> 00:27:45.799
 competent with

00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:46.480
 regard to the

00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:47.100
 realities of

00:27:47.100 --> 00:27:47.519
 life?

00:27:48.019 --> 00:27:48.580
 Helped you to

00:27:48.580 --> 00:27:50.360
 know how

00:27:50.360 --> 00:27:51.000
 things actually

00:27:51.000 --> 00:27:52.660
 are, how

00:27:52.660 --> 00:27:53.160
 things actually

00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:54.380
 work and what

00:27:54.380 --> 00:27:55.080
 to do about it?

00:27:56.360 --> 00:27:57.460
 This at least

00:27:57.460 --> 00:27:58.560
 means that those

00:27:58.560 --> 00:27:59.860
 of us who have

00:27:59.860 --> 00:28:01.279
 never had wise

00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:02.560
 parents, never

00:28:02.560 --> 00:28:03.299
 had wise

00:28:03.299 --> 00:28:04.240
 counsellors, never

00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:05.440
 had wise guides,

00:28:05.840 --> 00:28:06.340
 never had the

00:28:06.340 --> 00:28:07.380
 wise mentors,

00:28:07.380 --> 00:28:09.160
 would have

00:28:09.160 --> 00:28:10.220
 someone who

00:28:10.220 --> 00:28:10.840
 could make us

00:28:10.840 --> 00:28:11.880
 wise even if

00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:12.500
 we were into

00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:13.100
 our 80s and

00:28:13.100 --> 00:28:13.600
 90s.

00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:15.020
 It's not too

00:28:15.020 --> 00:28:15.240
 late.

00:28:15.320 --> 00:28:15.660
 The wisdom

00:28:15.660 --> 00:28:16.340
 train had

00:28:16.340 --> 00:28:17.980
 left and you

00:28:17.980 --> 00:28:18.580
 weren't on it

00:28:18.580 --> 00:28:19.200
 but it's not

00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:19.880
 too late.

00:28:22.340 --> 00:28:23.780
 What if there

00:28:23.780 --> 00:28:24.560
 was still a

00:28:24.560 --> 00:28:25.160
 chance to get

00:28:25.160 --> 00:28:25.860
 on the wisdom

00:28:25.860 --> 00:28:26.860
 train because

00:28:26.860 --> 00:28:27.680
 wisdom was a

00:28:27.680 --> 00:28:28.980
 person who you

00:28:28.980 --> 00:28:29.380
 could have a

00:28:29.380 --> 00:28:30.500
 relationship with,

00:28:30.500 --> 00:28:31.600
 someone like a

00:28:31.600 --> 00:28:32.840
 wonderful counsellor?

00:28:32.839 --> 00:28:37.939
 What's

00:28:37.939 --> 00:28:38.480
 interesting is

00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:38.959
 there's a lot

00:28:38.959 --> 00:28:39.559
 of other

00:28:39.559 --> 00:28:40.599
 wisdom literature

00:28:40.599 --> 00:28:41.259
 in ancient

00:28:41.259 --> 00:28:42.039
 Israel apart

00:28:42.039 --> 00:28:42.740
 from what we

00:28:42.740 --> 00:28:43.399
 have here in

00:28:43.399 --> 00:28:44.359
 Proverbs and

00:28:44.359 --> 00:28:44.839
 in the rest of

00:28:44.839 --> 00:28:45.259
 the Bible.

00:28:45.980 --> 00:28:46.819
 Another piece

00:28:46.819 --> 00:28:47.220
 of wisdom

00:28:47.220 --> 00:28:47.919
 literature in

00:28:47.919 --> 00:28:49.099
 ancient Israel

00:28:49.099 --> 00:28:50.599
 is called the

00:28:50.599 --> 00:28:51.319
 wisdom of the

00:28:51.319 --> 00:28:52.279
 son of Syriac

00:28:52.279 --> 00:28:54.099
 and in it

00:28:54.099 --> 00:28:54.799
 there's this

00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:55.859
 interesting call

00:28:55.859 --> 00:28:56.419
 and challenge.

00:28:56.539 --> 00:28:56.899
 The son of

00:28:56.899 --> 00:28:57.639
 Syriac says

00:28:57.639 --> 00:28:58.039
 this,

00:28:58.659 --> 00:28:59.759
 turn unto me

00:28:59.759 --> 00:29:00.599
 you who are

00:29:00.599 --> 00:29:01.359
 untaught,

00:29:02.059 --> 00:29:02.759
 why do you

00:29:02.759 --> 00:29:03.299
 say you are

00:29:03.299 --> 00:29:03.759
 lacking in

00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:04.220
 these things?

00:29:04.359 --> 00:29:05.420
 Why are

00:29:05.420 --> 00:29:06.700
 your souls so

00:29:06.700 --> 00:29:07.339
 thirsty?

00:29:08.460 --> 00:29:09.119
 I say to

00:29:09.119 --> 00:29:09.920
 you find

00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:10.519
 wisdom,

00:29:11.420 --> 00:29:12.240
 put your

00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:13.140
 necks under

00:29:13.140 --> 00:29:14.140
 its yoke and

00:29:14.140 --> 00:29:14.720
 bear its

00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:15.160
 burden.

00:29:15.559 --> 00:29:16.180
 If you are

00:29:16.180 --> 00:29:16.900
 intent you

00:29:16.900 --> 00:29:17.460
 can find

00:29:17.460 --> 00:29:17.859
 wisdom,

00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:18.539
 see with

00:29:18.539 --> 00:29:19.140
 your eyes

00:29:19.140 --> 00:29:19.460
 that I

00:29:19.460 --> 00:29:20.019
 have laboured

00:29:20.019 --> 00:29:20.900
 for it and

00:29:20.900 --> 00:29:21.819
 I have found

00:29:21.819 --> 00:29:23.140
 for my soul

00:29:23.140 --> 00:29:24.640
 much rest.

00:29:26.019 --> 00:29:26.539
 Now that

00:29:26.539 --> 00:29:27.420
 is a typical

00:29:27.420 --> 00:29:28.640
 invitation to

00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:29.279
 pursue wisdom

00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:29.740
 in ancient

00:29:29.740 --> 00:29:31.319
 Israel but

00:29:31.319 --> 00:29:32.200
 can you imagine

00:29:32.200 --> 00:29:33.180
 the listener

00:29:33.180 --> 00:29:34.980
 who,

00:29:35.660 --> 00:29:37.740
 how they

00:29:37.740 --> 00:29:38.019
 would have

00:29:38.019 --> 00:29:38.799
 responded a

00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:39.200
 couple of

00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:39.880
 centuries later

00:29:39.880 --> 00:29:40.299
 when a

00:29:40.299 --> 00:29:40.860
 rabbi and

00:29:40.860 --> 00:29:42.180
 a teacher and

00:29:42.180 --> 00:29:42.779
 a wise man

00:29:42.779 --> 00:29:43.299
 got up and

00:29:43.299 --> 00:29:43.779
 said these

00:29:43.779 --> 00:29:44.240
 words,

00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:46.259
 come to me,

00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:47.460
 come to me,

00:29:47.539 --> 00:29:48.000
 come to me,

00:29:48.080 --> 00:29:48.660
 come to me,

00:29:48.740 --> 00:29:49.620
 all who are

00:29:49.620 --> 00:29:50.160
 weary and

00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:50.740
 burdened and

00:29:50.740 --> 00:29:51.480
 I will give

00:29:51.480 --> 00:29:52.160
 you rest.

00:29:52.700 --> 00:29:53.519
 Take my yoke

00:29:53.519 --> 00:29:54.279
 upon you and

00:29:54.279 --> 00:29:54.880
 learn from me

00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:55.240
 for I am

00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:55.799
 gentle and

00:29:55.799 --> 00:29:56.200
 humble in

00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:57.460
 heart and

00:29:57.460 --> 00:29:58.059
 you will find

00:29:58.059 --> 00:29:59.000
 rest for your

00:29:59.000 --> 00:29:59.519
 souls.

00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:00.639
 for my

00:30:00.639 --> 00:30:01.180
 yoke is

00:30:01.180 --> 00:30:01.940
 easy and

00:30:01.940 --> 00:30:02.460
 my burden

00:30:02.460 --> 00:30:03.240
 is light.

00:30:04.879 --> 00:30:05.259
 Similar

00:30:05.259 --> 00:30:05.879
 statements.

00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:07.619
 In fact,

00:30:07.900 --> 00:30:08.660
 most biblical

00:30:08.660 --> 00:30:09.319
 scholars think

00:30:09.319 --> 00:30:09.900
 Jesus was

00:30:09.900 --> 00:30:10.519
 actually quoting

00:30:10.519 --> 00:30:10.940
 the son of

00:30:10.940 --> 00:30:11.359
 Syriac.

00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:14.819
 The son of

00:30:14.819 --> 00:30:15.480
 Syriac says

00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:16.099
 put your head

00:30:16.099 --> 00:30:16.680
 into the yoke

00:30:16.680 --> 00:30:17.500
 of discipline

00:30:17.500 --> 00:30:18.259
 and training

00:30:18.259 --> 00:30:18.700
 and you

00:30:18.700 --> 00:30:19.299
 work hard,

00:30:19.379 --> 00:30:20.019
 you work hard,

00:30:20.099 --> 00:30:20.720
 you work hard,

00:30:20.779 --> 00:30:21.319
 you work hard

00:30:21.319 --> 00:30:21.779
 and you pursue

00:30:21.779 --> 00:30:22.639
 wisdom and

00:30:22.639 --> 00:30:23.079
 you will get

00:30:23.079 --> 00:30:23.660
 rest for your

00:30:23.660 --> 00:30:24.039
 souls.

00:30:24.859 --> 00:30:25.180
 And Jesus

00:30:25.180 --> 00:30:25.599
 says come to

00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:25.779
 me,

00:30:26.819 --> 00:30:27.400
 come to me,

00:30:27.400 --> 00:30:27.820
 take my

00:30:27.820 --> 00:30:28.300
 yoke upon

00:30:28.300 --> 00:30:28.460
 you,

00:30:28.560 --> 00:30:28.820
 learn of

00:30:28.820 --> 00:30:29.400
 me and

00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:30.240
 I will

00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:31.040
 give you

00:30:31.040 --> 00:30:31.740
 rest for

00:30:31.740 --> 00:30:32.420
 your souls.

00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:33.120
 You see,

00:30:33.180 --> 00:30:33.519
 what Jesus

00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:33.900
 is saying

00:30:33.900 --> 00:30:34.140
 there in

00:30:34.140 --> 00:30:34.740
 that moment

00:30:34.740 --> 00:30:36.460
 and Israel

00:30:36.460 --> 00:30:36.860
 would have

00:30:36.860 --> 00:30:37.600
 realised this

00:30:37.600 --> 00:30:38.040
 in that

00:30:38.040 --> 00:30:38.660
 moment is

00:30:38.660 --> 00:30:38.960
 that Jesus

00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:39.220
 is saying

00:30:39.220 --> 00:30:39.600
 I am

00:30:39.600 --> 00:30:40.040
 wisdom.

00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:41.460
 I am

00:30:41.460 --> 00:30:41.920
 wisdom

00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:42.759
 personified.

00:30:42.980 --> 00:30:43.280
 Wisdom

00:30:43.280 --> 00:30:43.800
 is not a

00:30:43.800 --> 00:30:44.400
 body of

00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:45.220
 knowledge that

00:30:45.220 --> 00:30:45.660
 needs to be

00:30:45.660 --> 00:30:46.060
 mastered,

00:30:46.200 --> 00:30:46.540
 it's not a

00:30:46.540 --> 00:30:46.840
 body of

00:30:46.840 --> 00:30:47.420
 principles to

00:30:47.420 --> 00:30:48.240
 be memorised,

00:30:48.519 --> 00:30:48.920
 it is

00:30:48.920 --> 00:30:50.140
 knowing Jesus,

00:30:50.320 --> 00:30:50.700
 coming to

00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:51.140
 Jesus.

00:30:51.920 --> 00:30:52.340
 That's where

00:30:52.340 --> 00:30:53.300
 wisdom begins.

00:30:54.759 --> 00:30:55.100
 And that's

00:30:55.100 --> 00:30:55.500
 what John

00:30:55.500 --> 00:30:55.960
 chapter 1

00:30:55.960 --> 00:30:56.680
 affirms too.

00:30:56.680 --> 00:30:57.519
 There are

00:30:57.519 --> 00:30:58.019
 so many

00:30:58.019 --> 00:30:59.240
 parallels between

00:30:59.240 --> 00:31:00.120
 Proverbs

00:31:00.120 --> 00:31:00.980
 chapter 8

00:31:00.980 --> 00:31:01.980
 and John

00:31:01.980 --> 00:31:02.720
 chapter 1

00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:03.759
 and this is

00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:04.279
 how John

00:31:04.279 --> 00:31:04.779
 chapter 1

00:31:04.779 --> 00:31:05.140
 starts,

00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:05.460
 it says

00:31:05.460 --> 00:31:05.860
 in the

00:31:05.860 --> 00:31:06.180
 beginning

00:31:06.180 --> 00:31:06.960
 was the

00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:07.360
 word.

00:31:07.840 --> 00:31:08.180
 Now the

00:31:08.180 --> 00:31:09.200
 word there

00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:09.960
 is translated

00:31:09.960 --> 00:31:10.340
 from the

00:31:10.340 --> 00:31:10.779
 Greek word

00:31:10.779 --> 00:31:12.080
 logos which

00:31:12.080 --> 00:31:14.000
 has massive

00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:15.259
 connotations for

00:31:15.259 --> 00:31:16.620
 wisdom attached

00:31:16.620 --> 00:31:17.019
 to it.

00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:18.500
 So without

00:31:18.500 --> 00:31:19.100
 too much

00:31:19.100 --> 00:31:19.940
 paraphrasing,

00:31:20.799 --> 00:31:21.160
 you could

00:31:21.160 --> 00:31:21.740
 read it like

00:31:21.740 --> 00:31:22.180
 this,

00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:23.180
 in the

00:31:23.180 --> 00:31:23.720
 beginning was

00:31:23.720 --> 00:31:24.200
 the wisdom

00:31:24.200 --> 00:31:25.480
 and the

00:31:25.480 --> 00:31:25.960
 wisdom was

00:31:25.960 --> 00:31:26.720
 with God

00:31:26.720 --> 00:31:27.460
 and the

00:31:27.460 --> 00:31:28.039
 wisdom was

00:31:28.039 --> 00:31:28.500
 God,

00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:29.200
 he was

00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:29.660
 with God

00:31:29.660 --> 00:31:29.900
 in the

00:31:29.900 --> 00:31:30.200
 beginning

00:31:30.200 --> 00:31:30.640
 and through

00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:30.840
 him,

00:31:30.900 --> 00:31:31.140
 that is

00:31:31.140 --> 00:31:31.460
 through the

00:31:31.460 --> 00:31:31.759
 wisdom,

00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:32.500
 all things

00:31:32.500 --> 00:31:33.120
 were made.

00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:34.160
 Without

00:31:34.160 --> 00:31:34.700
 him nothing

00:31:34.700 --> 00:31:35.180
 was made

00:31:35.180 --> 00:31:35.440
 that has

00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:36.019
 been made,

00:31:36.140 --> 00:31:36.660
 in him

00:31:36.660 --> 00:31:37.360
 was life

00:31:37.360 --> 00:31:37.740
 and the

00:31:37.740 --> 00:31:38.220
 life was

00:31:38.220 --> 00:31:38.600
 the light

00:31:38.600 --> 00:31:38.980
 of all

00:31:38.980 --> 00:31:39.299
 mankind.

00:31:39.580 --> 00:31:39.860
 Then down

00:31:39.860 --> 00:31:40.220
 into verse

00:31:40.220 --> 00:31:40.779
 14,

00:31:41.259 --> 00:31:41.779
 the wisdom

00:31:41.779 --> 00:31:42.580
 became flesh

00:31:42.580 --> 00:31:42.960
 and made

00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:43.539
 his dwelling

00:31:43.539 --> 00:31:44.600
 among us

00:31:44.600 --> 00:31:45.019
 and we have

00:31:45.019 --> 00:31:45.519
 seen his

00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:45.900
 glory,

00:31:46.360 --> 00:31:46.779
 the glory

00:31:46.779 --> 00:31:47.039
 of the

00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:47.299
 one and

00:31:47.299 --> 00:31:47.819
 only Son

00:31:47.819 --> 00:31:48.380
 who came

00:31:48.380 --> 00:31:48.700
 from the

00:31:48.700 --> 00:31:49.440
 Father full

00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:50.080
 of grace

00:31:50.080 --> 00:31:50.880
 and truth.

00:31:50.880 --> 00:31:53.300
 John is

00:31:53.300 --> 00:31:53.780
 telling us

00:31:53.780 --> 00:31:54.140
 here what

00:31:54.140 --> 00:31:54.500
 the secret

00:31:54.500 --> 00:31:54.860
 of wisdom

00:31:54.860 --> 00:31:55.260
 is.

00:31:55.840 --> 00:31:56.480
 John reveals

00:31:56.480 --> 00:31:57.140
 that Jesus

00:31:57.140 --> 00:31:58.260
 is the

00:31:58.260 --> 00:31:58.800
 wisdom of

00:31:58.800 --> 00:31:59.400
 God to

00:31:59.400 --> 00:31:59.880
 us.

00:32:01.280 --> 00:32:01.700
 He is the

00:32:01.700 --> 00:32:02.100
 wisdom of

00:32:02.100 --> 00:32:02.460
 God on

00:32:02.460 --> 00:32:03.000
 display.

00:32:05.060 --> 00:32:05.840
 So those

00:32:05.840 --> 00:32:06.220
 of us who

00:32:06.220 --> 00:32:07.340
 are potentially

00:32:07.340 --> 00:32:07.840
 even gathered

00:32:07.840 --> 00:32:08.380
 here now

00:32:08.380 --> 00:32:09.060
 waiting for

00:32:09.060 --> 00:32:09.880
 an airtight

00:32:09.880 --> 00:32:11.000
 argument about

00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:12.160
 God before

00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:12.560
 they would

00:32:12.560 --> 00:32:13.240
 believe in

00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:13.660
 God,

00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:15.140
 I think you

00:32:15.140 --> 00:32:15.500
 need to be

00:32:15.500 --> 00:32:16.120
 encouraged just

00:32:16.120 --> 00:32:16.760
 to think again

00:32:16.760 --> 00:32:17.320
 a little bit.

00:32:18.160 --> 00:32:18.760
 When Jesus

00:32:18.760 --> 00:32:19.700
 says I am the

00:32:19.700 --> 00:32:20.320
 wisdom of

00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:21.899
 God to

00:32:21.899 --> 00:32:22.980
 you, he

00:32:22.980 --> 00:32:23.779
 is saying

00:32:23.779 --> 00:32:24.679
 that he is

00:32:24.679 --> 00:32:25.480
 the ultimate

00:32:25.480 --> 00:32:26.859
 argument for

00:32:26.859 --> 00:32:27.439
 the existence

00:32:27.439 --> 00:32:28.079
 of God.

00:32:29.299 --> 00:32:30.099
 What if God

00:32:30.099 --> 00:32:30.919
 did not send

00:32:30.919 --> 00:32:31.460
 an airtight

00:32:31.460 --> 00:32:32.240
 argument but

00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:32.679
 he sent an

00:32:32.679 --> 00:32:33.059
 airtight

00:32:33.059 --> 00:32:33.599
 person?

00:32:36.460 --> 00:32:37.179
 What this

00:32:37.179 --> 00:32:38.019
 means is

00:32:38.019 --> 00:32:38.279
 that it

00:32:38.279 --> 00:32:38.779
 doesn't matter

00:32:38.779 --> 00:32:40.700
 who you

00:32:40.700 --> 00:32:41.539
 are or

00:32:41.539 --> 00:32:41.980
 where you

00:32:41.980 --> 00:32:42.399
 are in

00:32:42.399 --> 00:32:42.859
 your faith

00:32:42.859 --> 00:32:43.480
 journey or

00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:43.980
 how much

00:32:43.980 --> 00:32:44.419
 you or

00:32:44.419 --> 00:32:44.859
 how little

00:32:44.859 --> 00:32:45.439
 you believe

00:32:45.439 --> 00:32:45.779
 or whether

00:32:45.779 --> 00:32:46.179
 you believe

00:32:46.179 --> 00:32:46.599
 nothing at

00:32:46.599 --> 00:32:46.980
 all,

00:32:47.579 --> 00:32:48.599
 sit down

00:32:48.599 --> 00:32:49.000
 with a

00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:49.519
 group of

00:32:49.519 --> 00:32:50.299
 people and

00:32:50.299 --> 00:32:51.319
 go through

00:32:51.319 --> 00:32:51.819
 the life

00:32:51.819 --> 00:32:52.579
 of Jesus.

00:32:54.960 --> 00:32:55.819
 Read about

00:32:55.819 --> 00:32:56.379
 him, work

00:32:56.379 --> 00:32:56.740
 through his

00:32:56.740 --> 00:32:57.159
 life, his

00:32:57.159 --> 00:32:57.680
 teaching, his

00:32:57.680 --> 00:32:58.440
 accomplishments and

00:32:58.440 --> 00:33:00.200
 his promises and

00:33:00.200 --> 00:33:00.819
 you will be

00:33:00.819 --> 00:33:02.440
 shocked because

00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:02.980
 it will be the

00:33:02.980 --> 00:33:04.220
 first time in

00:33:04.220 --> 00:33:05.000
 your life that

00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:05.919
 you've ever met

00:33:05.919 --> 00:33:06.599
 someone who's

00:33:06.599 --> 00:33:07.139
 perfect.

00:33:10.460 --> 00:33:11.899
 No one, no

00:33:11.899 --> 00:33:13.599
 wise person ever

00:33:13.599 --> 00:33:14.599
 makes a guy like

00:33:14.599 --> 00:33:15.480
 Jesus up.

00:33:19.819 --> 00:33:20.539
 He is the

00:33:20.539 --> 00:33:21.319
 ultimate argument

00:33:21.319 --> 00:33:21.619
 for the

00:33:21.619 --> 00:33:22.179
 existence of

00:33:22.179 --> 00:33:22.879
 God in the

00:33:22.879 --> 00:33:23.419
 form of a

00:33:23.419 --> 00:33:23.759
 person.

00:33:23.879 --> 00:33:24.319
 He is

00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:24.859
 wisdom

00:33:24.859 --> 00:33:26.059
 personified but

00:33:26.059 --> 00:33:26.980
 he is also

00:33:26.980 --> 00:33:28.119
 the wisdom

00:33:28.119 --> 00:33:28.799
 of God

00:33:28.799 --> 00:33:29.939
 for us.

00:33:30.899 --> 00:33:31.559
 Jesus is like

00:33:31.559 --> 00:33:32.559
 in many ways

00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:33.299
 like a whole

00:33:33.299 --> 00:33:33.879
 heap of

00:33:33.879 --> 00:33:34.719
 wise guys that

00:33:34.719 --> 00:33:35.199
 came before

00:33:35.199 --> 00:33:35.879
 him and after

00:33:35.879 --> 00:33:36.939
 him and they

00:33:36.939 --> 00:33:37.699
 all say he is

00:33:37.699 --> 00:33:38.279
 the wise way

00:33:38.279 --> 00:33:38.799
 to live.

00:33:39.699 --> 00:33:40.179
 Jesus did

00:33:40.179 --> 00:33:40.740
 that like a

00:33:40.740 --> 00:33:41.000
 bunch of

00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:41.399
 other guys

00:33:41.400 --> 00:33:42.600
 did but no

00:33:42.600 --> 00:33:43.380
 other wise

00:33:43.380 --> 00:33:44.300
 person in the

00:33:44.300 --> 00:33:44.860
 history of the

00:33:44.860 --> 00:33:45.400
 world apart

00:33:45.400 --> 00:33:46.420
 from Jesus ever

00:33:46.420 --> 00:33:47.720
 said but I've

00:33:47.720 --> 00:33:48.440
 come to live

00:33:48.440 --> 00:33:49.140
 that wise life

00:33:49.140 --> 00:33:49.640
 for you.

00:33:50.840 --> 00:33:51.540
 No one's ever

00:33:51.540 --> 00:33:52.019
 done that.

00:33:53.120 --> 00:33:54.000
 Otherwise people

00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:55.720
 say this is how

00:33:55.720 --> 00:33:56.480
 you should live

00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:57.860
 do it and you

00:33:57.860 --> 00:33:58.580
 will live well

00:33:58.580 --> 00:33:58.920
 and you will

00:33:58.920 --> 00:33:59.360
 flourish.

00:34:01.120 --> 00:34:01.840
 Jesus is the

00:34:01.840 --> 00:34:02.259
 only one who

00:34:02.259 --> 00:34:02.900
 says this is how

00:34:02.900 --> 00:34:03.700
 you should live

00:34:03.700 --> 00:34:05.060
 but I've lived

00:34:05.060 --> 00:34:06.140
 it the way you

00:34:06.140 --> 00:34:06.940
 should have lived

00:34:06.940 --> 00:34:08.000
 and not only

00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:08.599
 lived the life

00:34:08.599 --> 00:34:08.960
 you should have

00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:09.300
 lived I've

00:34:09.300 --> 00:34:09.960
 actually died the

00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:10.599
 death you should

00:34:10.599 --> 00:34:11.300
 have died because

00:34:11.300 --> 00:34:11.900
 of your failure

00:34:11.900 --> 00:34:12.360
 to live the

00:34:12.360 --> 00:34:12.820
 way you should

00:34:12.820 --> 00:34:13.260
 have lived

00:34:13.260 --> 00:34:14.480
 because of

00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:15.320
 your foolishness

00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:17.680
 and that's

00:34:17.680 --> 00:34:18.240
 why Jesus

00:34:18.240 --> 00:34:19.220
 says here my

00:34:19.220 --> 00:34:20.180
 yoke is the

00:34:20.180 --> 00:34:22.400
 only yoke which

00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:24.260
 is light my

00:34:24.260 --> 00:34:25.000
 burden is the

00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:26.019
 only easy

00:34:26.019 --> 00:34:29.600
 one and

00:34:29.600 --> 00:34:30.220
 what's more

00:34:30.220 --> 00:34:32.180
 Jesus is the

00:34:32.180 --> 00:34:32.940
 wisdom of God

00:34:32.940 --> 00:34:34.860
 with us in a

00:34:34.860 --> 00:34:35.880
 very confusing

00:34:35.880 --> 00:34:37.000
 world where the

00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:38.019
 patterns don't

00:34:38.019 --> 00:34:38.860
 always make

00:34:38.860 --> 00:34:39.380
 sense.

00:34:39.380 --> 00:34:42.340
 and they

00:34:42.340 --> 00:34:42.860
 don't always

00:34:42.860 --> 00:34:43.559
 make sense.

00:34:45.160 --> 00:34:45.760
 They're the

00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:46.519
 source of great

00:34:46.519 --> 00:34:47.780
 anxiety for us

00:34:47.780 --> 00:34:48.500
 in life when

00:34:48.500 --> 00:34:49.059
 the patterns

00:34:49.059 --> 00:34:49.940
 don't work the

00:34:49.940 --> 00:34:50.360
 way that we

00:34:50.360 --> 00:34:50.760
 think they're

00:34:50.760 --> 00:34:51.320
 going to work

00:34:51.320 --> 00:34:52.500
 and we think

00:34:52.500 --> 00:34:53.300
 in those moments

00:34:53.300 --> 00:34:53.840
 that God's

00:34:53.840 --> 00:34:54.440
 abandoned us

00:34:54.440 --> 00:34:54.880
 he's got no

00:34:54.880 --> 00:34:55.440
 idea what he's

00:34:55.440 --> 00:34:57.940
 doing but

00:34:57.940 --> 00:34:58.760
 Jesus is wisdom

00:34:58.760 --> 00:34:59.480
 of God with

00:34:59.480 --> 00:35:01.240
 us because the

00:35:01.240 --> 00:35:02.519
 tragedy and the

00:35:02.519 --> 00:35:03.519
 injustice of Jesus

00:35:03.519 --> 00:35:04.260
 dying on the

00:35:04.260 --> 00:35:05.840
 cross followed

00:35:05.840 --> 00:35:07.000
 by the triumph

00:35:07.000 --> 00:35:07.480
 and the

00:35:07.480 --> 00:35:09.119
 victory of

00:35:09.119 --> 00:35:09.920
 the resurrection

00:35:09.920 --> 00:35:12.980
 is the

00:35:12.980 --> 00:35:17.000
 clarity and

00:35:17.000 --> 00:35:17.300
 it's the

00:35:17.300 --> 00:35:18.119
 ultimate example

00:35:18.119 --> 00:35:19.280
 and the most

00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:20.320
 brilliant clarity

00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:21.539
 of how even

00:35:21.539 --> 00:35:22.619
 though we can't

00:35:22.619 --> 00:35:23.400
 see that there's

00:35:23.400 --> 00:35:24.420
 wisdom at play

00:35:24.420 --> 00:35:26.219
 wisdom is in

00:35:26.219 --> 00:35:27.139
 fact at work

00:35:27.139 --> 00:35:28.960
 in and through

00:35:28.960 --> 00:35:29.760
 the same event

00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:31.860
 that's the

00:35:31.860 --> 00:35:32.519
 wisdom of God

00:35:32.519 --> 00:35:33.039
 the death and

00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:33.559
 resurrection of

00:35:33.559 --> 00:35:33.920
 Jesus the

00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:34.519
 wisdom of God

00:35:34.519 --> 00:35:35.360
 on full display

00:35:35.360 --> 00:35:36.460
 knowing that

00:35:36.460 --> 00:35:37.200
 even though it

00:35:37.200 --> 00:35:38.000
 doesn't look

00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:39.680
 right God's

00:35:39.680 --> 00:35:41.079
 at work and

00:35:41.079 --> 00:35:41.680
 the patterns are

00:35:41.680 --> 00:35:45.680
 in play and

00:35:45.680 --> 00:35:46.220
 this is the

00:35:46.220 --> 00:35:47.059
 wisdom of God

00:35:47.059 --> 00:35:48.079
 and Jesus calls

00:35:48.079 --> 00:35:49.519
 us to it and

00:35:49.519 --> 00:35:50.760
 so as we begin

00:35:50.760 --> 00:35:51.700
 these ten weeks

00:35:51.700 --> 00:35:52.920
 in Proverbs

00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:54.420
 hear the call of

00:35:54.420 --> 00:35:55.039
 Jesus on your

00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:55.800
 life come to

00:35:55.800 --> 00:35:57.240
 me come to

00:35:57.240 --> 00:35:58.780
 me come to

00:35:58.780 --> 00:35:59.519
 me all who are

00:35:59.519 --> 00:36:00.019
 weary and

00:36:00.019 --> 00:36:00.940
 burdened and I

00:36:00.940 --> 00:36:01.599
 will give you

00:36:01.599 --> 00:36:03.120
 rest take my

00:36:03.120 --> 00:36:03.840
 yoke upon upon

00:36:03.840 --> 00:36:06.140
 you and you

00:36:06.140 --> 00:36:07.059
 learn from me

00:36:07.059 --> 00:36:08.180
 for I am gentle

00:36:08.180 --> 00:36:08.960
 and I am humble

00:36:08.960 --> 00:36:10.300
 in heart and

00:36:10.300 --> 00:36:10.900
 you will find

00:36:10.900 --> 00:36:11.720
 rest for your

00:36:11.720 --> 00:36:13.039
 souls for my

00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:13.860
 yoke is easy

00:36:13.860 --> 00:36:14.940
 and my burden

00:36:14.940 --> 00:36:15.660
 is light

00:36:15.659 --> 00:36:23.039
 numbers

00:36:23.039 --> 00:36:23.579
 for you and I

00:36:23.579 --> 00:36:36.019
 and I have