WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.179 Lord, now as we dig into your word, as we spend some time going through the Bible, 00:00:05.379 --> 00:00:07.320 help us to believe it. 00:00:07.960 --> 00:00:09.580 Help us to receive it. 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:11.599 Help us to understand it. 00:00:11.980 --> 00:00:14.140 And Lord, help us to apply it to our lives. 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:17.120 That we wouldn't only learn more about you, 00:00:17.660 --> 00:00:19.879 that we wouldn't only know more about you, 00:00:20.240 --> 00:00:24.100 but that we would come to know you more in every part of our lives. 00:00:24.179 --> 00:00:28.140 Lord, grow within us the fear of you, love for you, joy in you. 00:00:28.859 --> 00:00:30.240 Grow in us wisdom, Lord. 00:00:30.900 --> 00:00:34.980 Lord, I pray that anything I say that is not from you, you would help us to discard. 00:00:35.140 --> 00:00:41.020 But Lord, all that is said that is from you, God, help us to live it, to embrace it, 00:00:41.539 --> 00:00:44.340 and to savor it for your glory and our good. 00:00:44.400 --> 00:00:45.939 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:00:46.579 --> 00:00:47.420 Please be seated. 00:00:49.540 --> 00:00:52.620 Now, if you could turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 3. 00:00:53.820 --> 00:00:55.659 That's what I'll be preaching from today. 00:00:55.659 --> 00:00:58.439 And as you do, let me tell you that. 00:00:58.519 --> 00:01:04.179 Two weeks ago, I got in a car and drove off to Stowe, Vermont. 00:01:04.399 --> 00:01:06.679 I needed a week of introversion. 00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:09.959 Some of you who know me find it hard to believe, 00:01:10.099 --> 00:01:12.759 but this extrovert decided to be an introvert for a week. 00:01:12.859 --> 00:01:16.359 So I drove off and found this lodge in Stowe, Vermont. 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:18.739 And I went there to just be alone. 00:01:18.739 --> 00:01:23.539 I hadn't realized until I was driving into the town of Stowe that this is the town that 00:01:23.539 --> 00:01:28.560 the Von Trapp family singers, after they escaped from the Nazis and the true story of the sound 00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:31.599 of music, they crossed the ocean and came to Stowe. 00:01:31.719 --> 00:01:35.239 And that's where they set up not just their lodge, but this massive complex. 00:01:35.459 --> 00:01:41.019 They have this incredible microbrewery, and they have international cross-country ski slopes 00:01:41.019 --> 00:01:44.159 where they have, or not slopes, I guess, but fields where people ski. 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:48.140 It's not so much slopey when it's cross-country, but they have all sorts of stuff. 00:01:48.219 --> 00:01:48.780 It's huge. 00:01:49.099 --> 00:01:53.099 So I was taking tours of their property, got to meet some of the grandchildren of Maria von 00:01:53.099 --> 00:01:53.420 Trapp. 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:54.359 I went to a sing-along. 00:01:54.659 --> 00:01:56.200 It was a fantabulous time. 00:01:57.340 --> 00:02:00.539 And while I was there, I heard mention of a chapel. 00:02:01.340 --> 00:02:06.479 The true story is that one of the sons in the movie Sound of Music, but one of the real 00:02:06.479 --> 00:02:12.379 sons, he was fighting the Nazis in World War II, shortly after the movie part of the story 00:02:12.379 --> 00:02:12.699 ends. 00:02:12.699 --> 00:02:17.060 And while he was under massive machine gun fire, he committed to God, God, if you will 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:20.659 rescue me, I will build you a chapel at my family lodge. 00:02:20.839 --> 00:02:21.739 And that is what he did. 00:02:22.099 --> 00:02:22.759 He didn't die. 00:02:23.079 --> 00:02:27.339 He survived the gunshots, and he came back to Stowe, Vermont, and made this chapel. 00:02:27.519 --> 00:02:28.579 I wanted to find the chapel. 00:02:29.099 --> 00:02:31.419 So I went up for a hike, and I hiked and I hiked. 00:02:31.879 --> 00:02:32.819 I took some wrong turns. 00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:34.120 Eventually, I got there. 00:02:34.539 --> 00:02:40.799 And as I approached, before I even got to the chapel, I was just in awe of the beauty 00:02:40.799 --> 00:02:41.819 of where I was. 00:02:41.819 --> 00:02:42.799 It was magnificent. 00:02:43.400 --> 00:02:45.939 And then I came to a chapel so much smaller than I expected. 00:02:46.180 --> 00:02:48.039 This tiny little stone chapel. 00:02:48.799 --> 00:02:55.479 One of those places where you can just, you're so aware that there is more to the universe 00:02:55.479 --> 00:02:56.379 than just what we see. 00:02:56.719 --> 00:02:58.199 You feel like the presence of God. 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:00.299 It's just, it's magnificently beautiful. 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:03.259 And it's this rustic chapel. 00:03:03.419 --> 00:03:07.439 It looks like no one's been there for 150 years, which is surprising because the chapel 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:08.759 is only 50 years old, I'm told. 00:03:08.859 --> 00:03:11.019 But it was, it looked abandoned. 00:03:11.299 --> 00:03:14.119 And I opened the door, except I couldn't because it was locked. 00:03:14.679 --> 00:03:15.879 It seemed like no one had been there forever. 00:03:16.060 --> 00:03:17.419 So I went around to the side. 00:03:17.459 --> 00:03:18.919 And it's such an old school chapel. 00:03:19.019 --> 00:03:19.639 There's no windows. 00:03:19.639 --> 00:03:20.899 It's just, it's stone. 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:23.319 And then there's these like gaping holes where the windows would be. 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:25.119 And so I got hoisted myself up. 00:03:25.139 --> 00:03:29.019 And I looked in and I saw that there was this little box that looked like no one had been 00:03:29.019 --> 00:03:30.059 there for decades. 00:03:30.259 --> 00:03:31.519 And it said prayer requests. 00:03:32.139 --> 00:03:33.099 And so I thought, you know what? 00:03:33.099 --> 00:03:33.939 I'm a praying man. 00:03:34.519 --> 00:03:36.099 Someone needs to pray for these prayer requests. 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:37.219 And so I opened up the box. 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:41.799 And while I was like still kind of like halfway through the window and read a whole bunch of 00:03:41.799 --> 00:03:42.560 the prayer requests. 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:48.039 Here in this place where anyone who comes here feels so close to heaven, what do people 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:48.860 ask prayer for? 00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:53.939 And as I read them, the prayer requests from some time ago were very similar to what you 00:03:53.939 --> 00:03:57.379 would expect if you found such a box of prayer requests written today. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:00.640 Without giving any names away, not breaking any confidentiality. 00:04:00.939 --> 00:04:04.500 It was all prayer requests for things like, pray for Aunt Sue. 00:04:04.900 --> 00:04:06.719 She needs help with her kidneys. 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:08.300 Pray for my cousin. 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:08.960 He's sick. 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:13.460 Pray for myself to find a job. 00:04:14.460 --> 00:04:16.139 It was like that over and over. 00:04:16.220 --> 00:04:19.100 It was an amazing house similar in all these different penmanships. 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:22.100 Sometimes they would sign what part of the world they'd come from because people come 00:04:22.100 --> 00:04:22.900 from all over the world. 00:04:23.379 --> 00:04:26.780 Whatever part of the world they were from, all the prayer requests were pretty much for 00:04:26.780 --> 00:04:31.620 the health of their family, their loved ones, or for financial provision, whether through 00:04:31.620 --> 00:04:33.439 a job or through some other means. 00:04:33.579 --> 00:04:36.240 It was pretty much for health and for wealth. 00:04:36.579 --> 00:04:37.500 That's what they asked for. 00:04:37.500 --> 00:04:42.819 As a little kid, I remember discussing with my friends, if Aladdin's genie came to you 00:04:42.819 --> 00:04:45.180 and offered you three wishes, what would you ask for? 00:04:45.819 --> 00:04:49.459 I mean, the obvious answer is for more wishes, but that's usually against the rule. 00:04:49.540 --> 00:04:50.459 So what would you ask for? 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:56.139 Well, the passage that Noah read to us from 1 Kings 3, Solomon, the king of Israel, is presented 00:04:56.139 --> 00:04:56.939 with that question. 00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:01.160 God, not just a genie, God says to him, ask for whatever you want. 00:05:01.259 --> 00:05:02.139 I will give it to you. 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:04.899 What does Solomon say? 00:05:04.899 --> 00:05:07.399 Well, he doesn't ask for health or wealth. 00:05:07.819 --> 00:05:10.519 He asks something that God is so delighted in. 00:05:10.919 --> 00:05:12.799 It seems almost as if God is surprised. 00:05:12.899 --> 00:05:17.599 Of course, God isn't surprised because God knows all things, but God's response is one 00:05:17.599 --> 00:05:19.859 of such delight in Solomon's request. 00:05:20.819 --> 00:05:21.699 It's awesome. 00:05:21.699 --> 00:05:29.060 And as I was going through these requests, because of preparing this message, I noticed 00:05:29.060 --> 00:05:30.599 that no one had asked for wisdom. 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:35.019 And so as I was there in Stowe, Vermont, halfway through the chapel window, I stopped and I 00:05:35.019 --> 00:05:37.339 started thinking, is this something that I ask God for? 00:05:37.459 --> 00:05:39.419 Am I asking God for wisdom like Solomon did? 00:05:39.420 --> 00:05:44.140 And I thought back to, for a year and a half, I led those Church of Messiah prayer meetings. 00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:46.740 At these prayer meetings, we pray for so many things. 00:05:47.100 --> 00:05:52.020 We pray for international affairs and for the brokenness in parts of the world. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:54.360 And we also pray for this church that we love. 00:05:54.860 --> 00:05:59.160 And we pray for, as we hear about various requests that people share with us, we pray 00:05:59.160 --> 00:05:59.520 for them. 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:04.360 We often pray for the marriages of this church, that in a society where marriages are always 00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:06.300 crumbling, that God would make them strong. 00:06:06.819 --> 00:06:10.240 We pray when we hear about people in the church who need to find jobs, we pray for them. 00:06:10.740 --> 00:06:14.560 We pray sometimes, for whatever comes to mind, we'll pray for your devotions, that as you 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:16.960 read the word day by day, that God would speak to you richly. 00:06:17.020 --> 00:06:19.920 We pray all manner of things for God's blessing on this church. 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:21.259 We pray for courage. 00:06:21.580 --> 00:06:25.620 We pray that God would make us a church filled of missionaries, not just overseas, but in 00:06:25.620 --> 00:06:26.160 our neighborhoods. 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:27.879 We pray for so many things. 00:06:28.360 --> 00:06:30.360 We pray for freedom from addictions, for everything. 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:34.780 But how many times have we stopped as a church, as a staff of the church? 00:06:34.779 --> 00:06:38.659 We pray weekly also as a staff, George and Shirley and myself and Joey. 00:06:38.779 --> 00:06:39.739 We pray for the church. 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:42.139 How often do we stop and pray, plead with God? 00:06:42.379 --> 00:06:46.299 God, give the people of church and Messiah, give us wisdom. 00:06:46.759 --> 00:06:48.139 It's not something we're praying for. 00:06:48.579 --> 00:06:53.179 We see that this is something that when Solomon had the choice to ask for anything, he asked 00:06:53.179 --> 00:06:53.779 for wisdom. 00:06:54.779 --> 00:06:55.639 What is wisdom? 00:06:56.399 --> 00:07:00.259 Well, to answer that question, I called up my father because throughout my life he was 00:07:00.259 --> 00:07:03.819 always telling me and my many siblings that we need to seek wisdom. 00:07:04.180 --> 00:07:05.860 And he always gave us a succinct definition. 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:07.480 So if we can get that on the screen, Andrew. 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:12.120 This is from Dad Gilman, my own father, Alan. 00:07:12.839 --> 00:07:18.920 Wisdom is a life skill where truth, goodness, and holiness are fittingly and effectively applied 00:07:18.920 --> 00:07:21.019 to specific situations. 00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:22.399 Read that again. 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:28.060 Wisdom is a life skill where truth, goodness, and holiness are fittingly and effectively 00:07:28.060 --> 00:07:30.079 applied to specific situations. 00:07:31.299 --> 00:07:37.539 This is my dad's wise attempt to try to bring down to just one sentence, what is it that 00:07:37.539 --> 00:07:38.399 Solomon asked for? 00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:42.459 I mean, the word wisdom shows up in the scriptures time and time again, but what is it? 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:47.579 And so from a biblical perspective, my dad's trying to define that wisdom is not simply knowledge, 00:07:47.579 --> 00:07:51.899 that you know so much about something, or that you're a very intelligent person, that you 00:07:51.899 --> 00:07:56.479 have a great IQ, but wisdom is having that knowledge and that understanding to apply it 00:07:56.479 --> 00:07:59.560 to specific situations in light of who God is in reality. 00:08:00.099 --> 00:08:04.159 I mean, all of us know someone who has, or several people, and perhaps some of you in 00:08:04.159 --> 00:08:07.560 the congregation, maybe I'm like this, where we have such knowledge about something. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:13.919 We're just filled, like, we're like an entire, I don't know, Wikipedia page article 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:18.680 of knowledge about something, but we actually just fail to, like, live with wisdom. 00:08:19.400 --> 00:08:22.180 Or all of us know that person, like, they're a genius in school. 00:08:22.300 --> 00:08:26.340 They ace every test, and you watch the way they live, and you're like, what are you doing? 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:32.800 Wisdom is something that we so often see the need for in someone else's life, but flatter 00:08:32.800 --> 00:08:34.440 ourselves thinking we have so much of it. 00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:37.300 Here's an example where you may have seen someone eating wisdom. 00:08:37.420 --> 00:08:41.700 You're going through the grocery store, and you see some kids behaving so poorly, and you 00:08:41.700 --> 00:08:45.320 see that their parents are just, are failing being parents. 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:48.220 And you're just thinking, oh, if only they did this. 00:08:48.500 --> 00:08:50.140 Like, I don't have any kids. 00:08:50.440 --> 00:08:53.879 But, like, I, somehow, when I see that, like, all of a sudden I become this expert on parenting. 00:08:54.160 --> 00:08:57.140 If only they could ask me for advice, I would tell them how to raise a child. 00:08:57.500 --> 00:08:58.700 I know you've sought those thoughts. 00:08:59.240 --> 00:09:01.460 The same is true for those of us who love sports. 00:09:01.540 --> 00:09:05.600 You're watching TV, and you're seeing the coach make some decision, and you're just like, 00:09:05.660 --> 00:09:06.420 what is he doing? 00:09:06.500 --> 00:09:07.100 Like, come on. 00:09:07.420 --> 00:09:11.060 Even though the guy that he's trained so much for this, he knows so much more about sports than 00:09:11.059 --> 00:09:15.179 you, but you are convinced that if only they asked you for advice, you'd have what to say. 00:09:15.579 --> 00:09:18.500 We so often see the need for wisdom in people's lives around us. 00:09:18.539 --> 00:09:21.879 I know some of you are, like, in different times of worship, you're looking at the worship 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:25.799 team, and, like, you don't even, you don't, you don't know how to sing on key, but you 00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:29.179 have so much advice for how joy should be leading, or how the sound man should be doing 00:09:29.179 --> 00:09:29.539 it, right? 00:09:29.959 --> 00:09:31.500 Am I the only one that thinks those thoughts sometimes? 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:32.000 No. 00:09:32.139 --> 00:09:34.479 Often we see the need for wisdom in other people's lives. 00:09:35.079 --> 00:09:36.559 Wisdom is something we need to pursue. 00:09:37.239 --> 00:09:41.059 We've spent the entire summer here at Church of Messiah going through the book of Proverbs, 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:45.699 the book of wisdom written by Solomon, the man that we're looking at today, going through 00:09:45.699 --> 00:09:51.839 the book and seeing that the book of Proverbs is all these different, all these pearls of 00:09:51.839 --> 00:09:54.679 wisdom, and they'll deal with reoccurring issues throughout the book. 00:09:54.679 --> 00:09:58.939 And so what George and I have done is we divide up the book of Proverbs, and we kind of strung 00:09:58.939 --> 00:10:02.159 together through, you know, a string through the various pearls of the same theme. 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:05.819 So, for example, in case I'm losing you, we've done a week on what Proverbs say about 00:10:05.819 --> 00:10:10.519 caring for the marginalized, about how the wise person cares for the broken and the poor. 00:10:10.919 --> 00:10:16.399 We looked at what wisdom says about how to live our lives regarding listening to advice, 00:10:16.719 --> 00:10:21.179 and how if we listen to advice, our lives will be so much more healthy and right. 00:10:21.319 --> 00:10:24.579 Not that our health will always be good, but that we're going to make good decisions. 00:10:25.100 --> 00:10:29.439 We've looked about what wisdom says about our perception of ourselves, and how wisdom frees 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:34.420 us from being people of pride who are either harming others or living in such shame as 00:10:34.420 --> 00:10:35.460 we're broken that way. 00:10:35.540 --> 00:10:36.500 Wisdom restores that. 00:10:36.920 --> 00:10:41.340 We've looked at what wisdom speaks into how we can steward our finances well. 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:45.200 Not how we become millionaires necessarily, but how we can be faithful stewards of our finances. 00:10:45.880 --> 00:10:52.020 We've looked at how wisdom, if we live a wise life, how it keeps us from the harm of sexual 00:10:52.020 --> 00:10:57.380 morality and how it can lead our sexuality to be something that's life-giving and godly and not 00:10:57.379 --> 00:10:58.620 something we're striving against. 00:10:59.139 --> 00:11:04.679 We've looked at how wisdom will transform our words, so not just some of our words, but 00:11:04.679 --> 00:11:06.519 all of our words will bring life. 00:11:07.259 --> 00:11:11.259 And that if we forsake wisdom regarding our words, that's going to separate even close 00:11:11.259 --> 00:11:13.080 friends, bring death and destruction. 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:14.899 Over and over, wisdom. 00:11:15.460 --> 00:11:17.700 Proverbs 3, verses 13 through 15 say, 00:11:17.700 --> 00:11:21.720 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding. 00:11:22.180 --> 00:11:26.640 For the gain from her is better than gain from silver, and her profit better than gold. 00:11:27.080 --> 00:11:31.460 She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:33.180 Nothing you desire. 00:11:33.920 --> 00:11:37.840 These words, and we'll look at this later, these words are sometimes spoken. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:39.240 Nothing you desire can compare. 00:11:39.500 --> 00:11:41.740 They're spoken in the Psalms regarding God. 00:11:41.740 --> 00:11:47.680 And here, this man, King Solomon, is writing, nothing you desire compares to wisdom. 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:49.480 What's that all about? 00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:55.340 Well, as we unpack this, the first thing we want us to take to heart is that my family, 00:11:55.419 --> 00:12:00.399 let's put this point up, the next point, my family, my friends, my workplace, and myself 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:03.220 urgently need me to grow in wisdom. 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:08.820 Church, we so often flatter ourselves thinking that we are so wise. 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:10.980 People just need to ask us for advice on how to live. 00:12:10.980 --> 00:12:15.519 But the other people, the parents in the grocery store, the coach for the sports team, or whatever 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:17.399 it is, they need wisdom. 00:12:18.060 --> 00:12:21.379 Well, you're probably right that they need more wisdom, but you and I need more wisdom. 00:12:22.019 --> 00:12:26.700 King Solomon, as we saw in what Nora read, describes himself as only a child who doesn't 00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:27.899 know how to go out or come in. 00:12:28.340 --> 00:12:29.659 But that's not who King Solomon was. 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:34.259 King Solomon, if you read the chapters previous, was already a king of an established kingdom. 00:12:34.620 --> 00:12:37.279 And he had already put to death the enemies of his father. 00:12:37.680 --> 00:12:39.920 He'd already been doing the work of a king. 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:41.240 He was not a child. 00:12:41.799 --> 00:12:48.319 But King Solomon, in God's goodness, was freed from that arrogance that you and I often live 00:12:48.319 --> 00:12:51.439 with of thinking that he had the wisdom he needed. 00:12:52.319 --> 00:12:55.799 King Solomon somehow knew, even though he had so much power. 00:12:55.979 --> 00:12:59.099 In fact, maybe it was in light of the responsibility on his shoulders. 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:04.059 He realized that his friends, his family, his country needed him to grow in wisdom. 00:13:04.059 --> 00:13:06.099 And it's not just because he was king. 00:13:06.359 --> 00:13:08.039 You and I need wisdom. 00:13:10.459 --> 00:13:11.679 So how do we get wisdom? 00:13:12.439 --> 00:13:16.039 The Bible has so much to say about this, and we're not going to be able to unpack all of it. 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:21.319 But with the help of John Piper, I used some of his points, not all, and used some he didn't have. 00:13:21.359 --> 00:13:26.479 But for the most part, this is impacted by some work I did reading through John Piper's teaching on wisdom. 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:31.360 And so we're going to go through seven points, briefly, of how the scriptures teach us to get wisdom. 00:13:32.259 --> 00:13:35.460 We need, you and I need wisdom, so let us pay attention to this. 00:13:36.019 --> 00:13:40.139 So the first point is that we need to begin with the fear of God. 00:13:40.139 --> 00:13:45.720 The very first week we did on Proverbs, George, our pastor, preached about the fear of God. 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:55.120 This reverence for him, an orientation of life that's looking toward God for his assessment, for his judgment of us, for his approval. 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:58.179 That's more concerned about leaving God. 00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:03.240 Like, our biggest fear is not that we make mistakes, but that we drift away from God. 00:14:03.299 --> 00:14:05.659 That our biggest fear is the fear of God. 00:14:05.659 --> 00:14:07.860 Proverbs 1, verse 7 says, 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:10.319 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. 00:14:10.860 --> 00:14:12.679 Fools despise wisdom and instruction. 00:14:13.659 --> 00:14:15.799 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. 00:14:15.939 --> 00:14:17.539 Fools despise wisdom and instruction. 00:14:18.679 --> 00:14:23.259 So if we are to become wise, we need to be people who fear God. 00:14:23.959 --> 00:14:28.120 I've heard, when I was a younger man in a youth group, I heard a youth pastor, 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:30.600 and he was only one of many who said this kind of thing. 00:14:31.059 --> 00:14:34.139 People today in the modern world don't want to talk, or the post-modern world, 00:14:34.139 --> 00:14:35.480 don't want to talk about fear. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:36.600 Fear is a negative thing. 00:14:36.939 --> 00:14:40.139 And so they try to cast the fear of God as just like an awe of God. 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:45.659 But the fear of God, the way it includes the awe of him, also has this element of fear in it. 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:50.759 It's not like that you're scared of God, but that you understand the power of God. 00:14:51.779 --> 00:14:53.539 That he is big and we are small. 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:57.519 Of course, it's always coupled with the understanding of the kindness of God. 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:02.279 But it's also this thing of, you know what, like, my big fear in life isn't that I mess up. 00:15:02.279 --> 00:15:03.799 My big fear in life isn't that I fail. 00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:06.079 My big fear in life isn't of people. 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:11.379 My big fear in life is that I'd be afraid of abandoning God. 00:15:12.620 --> 00:15:17.480 That would be a big, we are oriented toward him in all that we do. 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:20.439 There is an element of fear, and that is the beginning of wisdom. 00:15:21.559 --> 00:15:26.779 The second thing we need to do if we would gain wisdom is that we would pray for wisdom in faith. 00:15:26.779 --> 00:15:29.360 James 1 verse 5 says, 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:35.699 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:38.519 James goes on to say, let him ask without doubting. 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:43.579 That if we ask but we're not really believing God's going to come through, God's not going to give us the wisdom we ask for. 00:15:44.379 --> 00:15:50.179 James 1 verse 5 is so powerful in that it's illustrating 1 Kings 3 for us so well. 00:15:50.179 --> 00:15:55.359 We see that King Solomon has this task before him of caring for his people. 00:15:56.239 --> 00:15:57.859 And how does King Solomon get wisdom? 00:15:58.359 --> 00:15:59.439 He simply asks for it. 00:15:59.500 --> 00:16:00.279 He prays for it. 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:01.739 And God comes through for him. 00:16:02.519 --> 00:16:08.299 And so church, as we pray, as you pray, parents, as you pray for your kids, as you pray for your loved ones, 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:12.739 as we pray, if you come to the Tuesday meeting and you're interceding for other people, 00:16:13.059 --> 00:16:18.319 let us be a people who are consistently, consistently seeking God for ourselves and for those around us, 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:21.040 for wisdom, as you pray for the election. 00:16:21.220 --> 00:16:26.340 We can pray that our favorite political party wins, or maybe that all our least favorite political parties lose. 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:31.440 Or we can also be praying, God, give the leaders of our nation wisdom. 00:16:32.280 --> 00:16:33.020 We need it. 00:16:33.520 --> 00:16:34.120 They need it. 00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:37.440 The next is that we study the scriptures. 00:16:38.280 --> 00:16:43.920 Psalm 19, it's a psalm that speaks the first half of the beauty and the wonder of nature 00:16:43.920 --> 00:16:47.860 and how nature worships God, how nature declares God's goodness. 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:54.900 And you can extract from that that every human being should see from nature the majesty of God, 00:16:54.940 --> 00:16:56.560 that we should be led to worship from nature. 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:00.540 But then the psalmist turns his attention to the Bible and says, 00:17:00.700 --> 00:17:04.519 so he's saying, yes, nature's incredible and speaking of God's goodness and it's declaring it. 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:10.120 And then he turns to the Bible and starts to unpack how it's the Bible that actually helps people come to know God. 00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:12.980 And he goes through a whole bunch of different elements of that. 00:17:13.420 --> 00:17:15.279 Psalm 19, you can read the whole psalm yourself. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:16.619 But verse 7 says, 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:20.059 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. 00:17:20.399 --> 00:17:23.740 The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 00:17:24.579 --> 00:17:28.920 Even though it should be that we should gain such wisdom from seeing nature and all that, 00:17:29.180 --> 00:17:33.399 the way that we grow in wisdom isn't just by taking walks in the park, 00:17:33.700 --> 00:17:34.960 but it's by reading the Bible. 00:17:35.779 --> 00:17:38.000 And I've known people over the years who, 00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:41.240 they start to drift away from their devotions as they tend to, 00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:45.160 there's one gentleman, he fell in love with riding his bicycle. 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:47.039 Well, that's a great activity to do. 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:49.799 And he would tell me about how close he felt to God as he rode his bike, 00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:50.819 and I believe him. 00:17:51.120 --> 00:17:55.779 But he had stopped reading his Bible for riding his bicycle out in nature. 00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:58.819 And it's true that nature declares God's goodness. 00:17:58.819 --> 00:18:01.919 But this friend of mine would actually grow in wisdom, 00:18:02.259 --> 00:18:05.779 which he, for his own sake, for his family's sake, for his workplace's sake, 00:18:06.019 --> 00:18:08.139 and for the glory of God, he needs to grow in wisdom. 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:10.039 He needs to be studying the Bible. 00:18:10.919 --> 00:18:13.079 And the Bible has so much to say about this. 00:18:13.159 --> 00:18:14.659 Psalm 119, verse 9, 00:18:14.740 --> 00:18:16.339 How can a young man keep his way pure, 00:18:16.659 --> 00:18:18.759 but by guarding his way according to God's word? 00:18:18.939 --> 00:18:20.799 We need to be people who know the word. 00:18:21.159 --> 00:18:24.200 The only way we can guard our way, live our way according to the Bible, 00:18:24.200 --> 00:18:26.279 the only way we can, as it says in Philippians, 00:18:26.360 --> 00:18:28.000 hold fast to the word of God, 00:18:28.299 --> 00:18:30.720 is by people who know the word of God. 00:18:31.080 --> 00:18:32.200 And so to grow in wisdom, 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:34.460 to live life as it was made to be lived, 00:18:34.860 --> 00:18:38.160 regarding our sexuality, our friendships, our workplace, 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:41.039 all the stuff, let us study the Bible. 00:18:41.980 --> 00:18:45.160 The fourth, is that we need to listen to wise instruction. 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:47.360 Proverbs 19, verse 20, 00:18:48.299 --> 00:18:50.779 Listen to advice and accept instruction, 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:53.720 that you may gain wisdom in the future. 00:18:54.200 --> 00:18:59.440 A number of us know people who study the Bible, 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:01.100 and they do that well, 00:19:01.880 --> 00:19:03.319 and they're asking for wisdom, 00:19:04.360 --> 00:19:06.900 and yet they isolate themselves from Christian community, 00:19:07.299 --> 00:19:11.220 and they're in a place where maybe even they are in community in a sense, 00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:12.900 but no one can speak into their life. 00:19:13.400 --> 00:19:15.900 And they begin to believe some very bizarre things, 00:19:16.420 --> 00:19:19.400 and begin to just act in very harmful ways. 00:19:19.860 --> 00:19:22.440 I'm thinking of specific examples I'm not going to get into, 00:19:22.580 --> 00:19:23.740 but I've seen this, 00:19:23.740 --> 00:19:24.980 and some of you have seen this. 00:19:25.539 --> 00:19:27.480 It's not enough for us just to ask for wisdom, 00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:28.480 and just to read the Bible. 00:19:28.819 --> 00:19:29.960 Part of living that out, 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:30.839 if you're reading the Bible, 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:32.819 you will see that multiple times throughout it, 00:19:32.819 --> 00:19:34.539 it says that we're to listen to advice. 00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:38.519 That ultimately, we need to take all advice in light of scripture, 00:19:38.900 --> 00:19:39.880 and we will get advice. 00:19:39.960 --> 00:19:40.720 You and I get advice. 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:42.299 Sometimes advice from our own parents. 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:43.339 And you're just like, 00:19:43.380 --> 00:19:44.700 you know, parents, I know that you love me, 00:19:44.700 --> 00:19:47.580 but the advice you're giving me is not in line with what the Bible says. 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:51.080 So it's not that we're supposed to just simply obey all advice you receive, 00:19:51.500 --> 00:19:54.039 but that we need to be people who are actually able to hear advice. 00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:55.519 For more on that, 00:19:55.620 --> 00:19:58.940 George taught a whole sermon from Proverbs this past semester. 00:19:59.000 --> 00:19:59.720 You can find it online, 00:19:59.720 --> 00:20:00.640 MessiahChurch.sa, 00:20:00.680 --> 00:20:01.680 about listening to advice, 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:04.600 how to discern what is good advice and is not good advice. 00:20:05.059 --> 00:20:07.900 But a crucial part of growing in wisdom, 00:20:08.279 --> 00:20:09.600 as you're someone who is able to, 00:20:09.980 --> 00:20:11.279 you're not always obeying advice, 00:20:11.360 --> 00:20:12.339 but you're listening to it. 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:14.180 You're someone who people can approach. 00:20:15.420 --> 00:20:16.579 There are some people who, 00:20:16.779 --> 00:20:18.140 when something is wrong in their life, 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:19.299 when they need to hear advice, 00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:22.539 their friends and their family talk a lot amongst themselves, 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:24.240 because they know that to talk to that person 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:25.579 would be very difficult. 00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:27.019 It's not going to go well. 00:20:27.660 --> 00:20:28.960 There are other people who are known 00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:30.100 for taking advice well. 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:31.259 They're not always going to obey it, 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:33.539 but they're going to be respectful of the advice they receive. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:34.880 And so that person, 00:20:35.120 --> 00:20:36.079 people give advice to. 00:20:36.819 --> 00:20:37.819 This is one of those things 00:20:37.819 --> 00:20:39.279 that we tend to flatter ourselves. 00:20:39.600 --> 00:20:40.559 We tend to think of ourselves 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:43.299 as being so good at listening to advice. 00:20:44.220 --> 00:20:47.120 But surely some of us actually struggle with this, 00:20:47.539 --> 00:20:49.440 because I've been in those conversations 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:50.000 and you're discussing, 00:20:50.120 --> 00:20:51.000 how do we talk to so-and-so? 00:20:51.340 --> 00:20:52.539 Not all of us are good at this. 00:20:53.059 --> 00:20:55.700 So let us pray before God honestly 00:20:55.700 --> 00:20:56.660 and say, God, show me. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:58.140 Show me if I'm one of those people 00:20:58.140 --> 00:20:59.680 that people can give advice to, 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:01.480 or if I actually am someone 00:21:01.480 --> 00:21:02.680 who's scary to give advice to. 00:21:03.020 --> 00:21:04.000 We need to be people 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:06.380 who can have friends speak into our lives 00:21:06.380 --> 00:21:08.100 and who can listen, 00:21:08.840 --> 00:21:09.780 listen to the advice. 00:21:11.840 --> 00:21:12.580 Number five. 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:15.320 This is from Moses in Psalm 90. 00:21:15.580 --> 00:21:16.580 Moses wrote Psalm 90. 00:21:16.680 --> 00:21:17.860 It's a beautiful psalm. 00:21:18.259 --> 00:21:19.440 It's toward the end of his life. 00:21:19.840 --> 00:21:20.880 Psalm 90 verse 12. 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:23.900 So teach us to number our days 00:21:23.900 --> 00:21:26.240 that we may get a heart of wisdom. 00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:28.700 Moses is saying, 00:21:29.360 --> 00:21:30.940 don't simply pray for it, 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:31.820 though that's part of it. 00:21:32.460 --> 00:21:33.460 Don't just read the Bible, 00:21:33.580 --> 00:21:35.160 though so much of what Moses wrote 00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:38.220 is about listening to the ways of God. 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:39.740 But among other things, 00:21:39.800 --> 00:21:40.280 Moses says, 00:21:40.340 --> 00:21:41.460 if you would gain wisdom, 00:21:42.140 --> 00:21:42.780 he's saying, 00:21:43.220 --> 00:21:45.000 think often of your imminent death. 00:21:45.880 --> 00:21:47.460 Think often of your imminent death. 00:21:47.460 --> 00:21:49.140 If you and I would gain wisdom, 00:21:49.240 --> 00:21:49.740 there isn't, 00:21:49.860 --> 00:21:51.480 this isn't just a suggestion. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:53.799 This isn't just for the reckless amongst us, 00:21:53.840 --> 00:21:54.940 for the youth amongst us. 00:21:55.420 --> 00:21:56.680 Every single one of us 00:21:56.680 --> 00:21:57.539 needs to be people 00:21:57.539 --> 00:21:58.740 and for getting to live life 00:21:58.740 --> 00:21:59.940 the way it was meant to be lived, 00:22:00.360 --> 00:22:02.620 who think often of the imminency of death. 00:22:04.019 --> 00:22:05.000 And as we do that, 00:22:05.299 --> 00:22:06.319 as we think of our death 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:08.319 in light of the reality of God 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:09.420 and of eternity, 00:22:10.019 --> 00:22:11.340 it helps us to live in wisdom. 00:22:11.579 --> 00:22:12.759 It's not enough on its own. 00:22:13.140 --> 00:22:14.039 You can't do this 00:22:14.039 --> 00:22:15.279 and think that you can bypass 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:16.240 asking for wisdom 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:17.420 or bypass fear in God. 00:22:17.460 --> 00:22:18.360 If you just think about your death. 00:22:18.900 --> 00:22:20.680 No, as you fear God, 00:22:21.019 --> 00:22:22.640 as you pray for wisdom with faith, 00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:25.000 as you study the scriptures every day, 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:26.380 as you listen to wise instruction, 00:22:26.819 --> 00:22:28.620 you also need to be thinking often 00:22:28.620 --> 00:22:29.779 of your imminent death. 00:22:31.100 --> 00:22:32.759 Now, before you turn to the next point, 00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:33.740 so don't turn there yet, Andrew. 00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:35.759 We're still on number? 00:22:35.880 --> 00:22:36.620 Yeah, we're good. 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:39.840 As I was sitting down with George, 00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:41.240 we sat, as he often says, 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:41.920 at a Starbucks, 00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:42.860 if you know George. 00:22:43.220 --> 00:22:44.039 So we're sitting at a Starbucks. 00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:45.019 Those are true stories. 00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:45.819 We sat at a Starbucks 00:22:45.819 --> 00:22:47.179 and we were dividing up 00:22:47.179 --> 00:22:48.559 the various weeks of Proverbs. 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:50.700 And so he was going to choose five themes. 00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:51.599 I'd choose five themes. 00:22:51.679 --> 00:22:52.439 And I had this idea. 00:22:52.659 --> 00:22:54.879 George, for the very last week, 00:22:54.939 --> 00:22:56.519 let me go to 1 Kings 3 00:22:56.519 --> 00:22:57.939 as we're going to be spending 00:22:57.939 --> 00:22:59.059 a whole summer through 00:22:59.059 --> 00:23:00.460 the book of wisdom Proverbs 00:23:00.460 --> 00:23:02.679 at the moment that Solomon 00:23:02.679 --> 00:23:03.460 gets his wisdom. 00:23:03.460 --> 00:23:05.500 And I'm going to teach them. 00:23:05.579 --> 00:23:06.779 I'm going to preach, George, 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:08.319 that I'm going to look at 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:09.700 Solomon asking for wisdom. 00:23:10.380 --> 00:23:11.660 That's the one thing he asked for. 00:23:11.860 --> 00:23:13.160 And then I'm going to look at Psalm 27 00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:14.960 where his father, King David, 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:16.960 says the one thing David asked for. 00:23:17.340 --> 00:23:19.059 The one thing David asked for in Psalm 27 00:23:19.059 --> 00:23:20.840 is that he would dwell 00:23:20.840 --> 00:23:21.940 in the presence of God. 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:23.840 Basically, that he would walk with God. 00:23:24.539 --> 00:23:25.480 And I was going to contrast 00:23:25.480 --> 00:23:26.779 those two asks 00:23:26.779 --> 00:23:28.360 and say what Solomon asked for 00:23:28.360 --> 00:23:29.059 is something good, 00:23:29.400 --> 00:23:30.519 but what David asked for 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:31.840 is something that's best. 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:33.559 And basically to show 00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:34.659 Solomon asked for the wrong thing. 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:35.980 David asked for this. 00:23:36.379 --> 00:23:37.339 And if you know their lives, 00:23:37.379 --> 00:23:38.159 you'll see that Solomon 00:23:38.159 --> 00:23:40.379 ends up veering off the path of God. 00:23:40.459 --> 00:23:41.779 But David walks with God 00:23:41.779 --> 00:23:42.480 to the end of his life. 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:43.740 Then he makes mistakes along the way. 00:23:44.439 --> 00:23:45.699 And I pitched this to George 00:23:45.699 --> 00:23:46.379 thinking he would be 00:23:46.379 --> 00:23:47.619 just as excited as I was. 00:23:47.659 --> 00:23:48.079 And George was like, 00:23:48.159 --> 00:23:49.259 nope, nope, nope. 00:23:49.859 --> 00:23:50.839 He's like, Daniel, okay. 00:23:50.919 --> 00:23:51.599 I'm like, no, George, 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:52.779 this is biblical. 00:23:52.959 --> 00:23:53.439 He's like, Daniel, 00:23:53.559 --> 00:23:55.339 if you can make a compelling case 00:23:55.339 --> 00:23:56.740 for what you're going to preach, 00:23:56.799 --> 00:23:57.639 I'll let you preach it. 00:23:57.959 --> 00:23:59.319 But I think you're off on this. 00:23:59.639 --> 00:24:00.740 So I'm like, George, no problem. 00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:01.420 So I went, 00:24:01.539 --> 00:24:02.779 and I was doing my research 00:24:02.779 --> 00:24:03.660 and reading the Bible 00:24:03.660 --> 00:24:04.579 and working on putting together 00:24:04.579 --> 00:24:06.019 this whole thesis forum. 00:24:06.299 --> 00:24:08.660 And I talked to various 00:24:08.660 --> 00:24:09.779 older wise men, 00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:11.120 many of whom are pastors, 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:12.140 probably about five people, 00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:13.900 different cities I talked to, 00:24:13.960 --> 00:24:14.460 friends of mine, 00:24:14.700 --> 00:24:15.160 just saying, hey, 00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:15.819 I got this idea. 00:24:16.059 --> 00:24:17.279 And every single one of them, 00:24:17.339 --> 00:24:18.279 though I expected them to be like, 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:19.259 Daniel, that's gold. 00:24:19.539 --> 00:24:19.980 They're like, Daniel, 00:24:20.039 --> 00:24:21.319 that's foolishness. 00:24:21.859 --> 00:24:22.779 Oh, really? 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:23.740 I talked to them, 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:24.839 Daniel, that's foolishness. 00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:25.779 And we chat about it. 00:24:26.339 --> 00:24:28.279 And what person after person, 00:24:28.379 --> 00:24:28.859 including George, 00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:29.460 said to me, 00:24:29.980 --> 00:24:30.980 and I listened to them, 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:31.920 is that, Daniel, 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:34.339 you are bringing to this equation 00:24:34.339 --> 00:24:36.399 a modern view of wisdom, 00:24:36.779 --> 00:24:38.279 that wisdom is simply knowledge, 00:24:38.420 --> 00:24:39.180 that wisdom is simply 00:24:39.180 --> 00:24:40.599 being smart about life. 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:42.259 But you are not looking 00:24:42.259 --> 00:24:43.700 what the Bible says about wisdom. 00:24:44.220 --> 00:24:46.059 If you remember the first week on wisdom 00:24:46.059 --> 00:24:46.859 about the fear of God, 00:24:46.899 --> 00:24:48.480 that wisdom is living life 00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:49.559 in light of who God is, 00:24:49.559 --> 00:24:51.379 and it's walking in his way. 00:24:51.500 --> 00:24:53.519 It's actually walking with God. 00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:54.859 In that respect, 00:24:54.940 --> 00:24:56.920 when David asks to be in God's presence 00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:58.259 and to live life with him, 00:24:58.579 --> 00:25:00.240 and Solomon is asking God for wisdom, 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:02.200 if you look at what the Bible teaches 00:25:02.200 --> 00:25:03.180 about these two things, 00:25:03.379 --> 00:25:05.039 they're asking for the same thing. 00:25:05.339 --> 00:25:07.000 And that's why Solomon can say 00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:08.680 that this wisdom is to be desired 00:25:08.680 --> 00:25:09.400 above all things, 00:25:09.420 --> 00:25:10.859 that there's nothing that compares to her. 00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:12.420 And then a psalmist says 00:25:12.420 --> 00:25:13.700 that who in Psalm, 00:25:14.119 --> 00:25:15.779 I think it's Psalm 73? 00:25:16.539 --> 00:25:16.940 72? 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:18.779 Yeah, thanks, brother Jonathan. 00:25:18.779 --> 00:25:19.639 That's my brother. 00:25:20.440 --> 00:25:21.480 Psalm 72 says 00:25:21.480 --> 00:25:24.099 that there's nothing in heaven or earth 00:25:24.099 --> 00:25:24.759 that compares, 00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:26.519 like whom have I in heaven or earth, 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:28.599 nothing that I have compares to you. 00:25:28.779 --> 00:25:29.680 That's a paraphrase. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:32.660 But Psalm 72 is speaking similar words 00:25:32.660 --> 00:25:34.140 that Proverbs uses, 00:25:34.740 --> 00:25:36.259 but Proverbs is speaking about wisdom, 00:25:37.059 --> 00:25:39.039 and Psalm 72 is talking about knowing God, 00:25:39.360 --> 00:25:40.360 and they're using similar language, 00:25:40.420 --> 00:25:41.819 saying nothing compares to this stuff. 00:25:42.500 --> 00:25:44.140 Nothing compares to those two things, 00:25:44.180 --> 00:25:45.360 because it's really one thing. 00:25:45.860 --> 00:25:47.000 It's really one thing. 00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:49.920 When I talked to my dad about my thesis, 00:25:50.220 --> 00:25:50.819 he actually said, 00:25:50.900 --> 00:25:52.359 Daniel, I'm not surprised 00:25:52.359 --> 00:25:53.579 that you're saying this, 00:25:53.720 --> 00:25:54.380 because, Daniel, 00:25:54.440 --> 00:25:55.900 you're someone that since your infancy, 00:25:56.019 --> 00:25:57.160 you've been passionate 00:25:57.160 --> 00:25:58.799 about living life with Jesus. 00:25:58.880 --> 00:25:59.920 You will love him, 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:00.960 but you're someone 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:02.000 that needs to grow in wisdom. 00:26:02.619 --> 00:26:03.319 And so the fact that you would 00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:04.299 stand in front of a church and say, 00:26:04.539 --> 00:26:06.019 what we should be asking for isn't wisdom, 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:07.559 be asking to be passionate 00:26:07.559 --> 00:26:08.420 about following Jesus. 00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:09.319 My dad is saying, 00:26:09.400 --> 00:26:12.059 Daniel, no, grow in wisdom. 00:26:12.519 --> 00:26:13.880 They actually are one and the same, 00:26:13.980 --> 00:26:15.119 growing these things together. 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:18.419 And that's partly how you get these pastors, 00:26:18.819 --> 00:26:20.719 who genuinely love the Lord, 00:26:21.139 --> 00:26:22.059 in one sense, 00:26:22.379 --> 00:26:24.119 yet then you see them doing horrible things, 00:26:24.199 --> 00:26:25.339 and disgracing the name of God. 00:26:25.779 --> 00:26:26.699 They, on the one sense, 00:26:26.759 --> 00:26:28.299 they're very passionate about the stuff of God, 00:26:28.579 --> 00:26:29.839 but they're not living life in wisdom, 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:31.739 and so they're not really walking with him. 00:26:32.659 --> 00:26:33.579 And so many of the, 00:26:33.979 --> 00:26:35.899 every one of these scandals would be avoided 00:26:35.899 --> 00:26:39.199 if these men and women were living in wisdom, 00:26:39.399 --> 00:26:40.779 walking with God in wisdom. 00:26:41.539 --> 00:26:42.879 Not only do they need wisdom, 00:26:43.199 --> 00:26:44.139 you and I need wisdom. 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:47.279 Now, Jesus actually speaks into this. 00:26:47.779 --> 00:26:48.719 We can go there now. 00:26:48.819 --> 00:26:49.899 Point six. 00:26:50.659 --> 00:26:52.659 Jesus says in Matthew 12, verse 42, 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:55.379 the queen of the south will rise up 00:26:55.379 --> 00:26:57.239 at the judgment with this generation 00:26:57.239 --> 00:26:58.019 and condemn it, 00:26:58.419 --> 00:27:00.299 for she came from the ends of the earth 00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:01.559 to hear the wisdom of Solomon. 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:02.979 And behold, 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:05.299 something greater than Solomon is here. 00:27:05.419 --> 00:27:06.479 And he's speaking of himself. 00:27:07.219 --> 00:27:08.339 And when he says something greater 00:27:08.339 --> 00:27:09.139 than Solomon is here, 00:27:09.199 --> 00:27:09.739 he's not saying, 00:27:09.979 --> 00:27:11.379 so Solomon was of wisdom, 00:27:11.380 --> 00:27:13.400 and I'm this other thing that's greater. 00:27:13.520 --> 00:27:16.040 The word greater is often translated into English 00:27:16.040 --> 00:27:16.260 as, 00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:17.620 the word they're using is greater, 00:27:17.780 --> 00:27:19.060 as more of. 00:27:19.660 --> 00:27:20.100 In a sense, 00:27:20.200 --> 00:27:22.740 Jesus is a greater version of Solomon. 00:27:22.800 --> 00:27:23.620 He's not just different. 00:27:24.100 --> 00:27:26.200 He is the Solomon Solomon 00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:27.320 should have been born to be. 00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:29.940 He is more of the wisdom of Solomon. 00:27:30.020 --> 00:27:31.660 He's greater wisdom than Solomon. 00:27:32.360 --> 00:27:33.300 So Jesus isn't saying, 00:27:33.460 --> 00:27:34.200 you don't need wisdom. 00:27:34.340 --> 00:27:35.200 Instead, what you need is me. 00:27:35.420 --> 00:27:35.980 Jesus is saying, 00:27:36.060 --> 00:27:36.680 you need wisdom, 00:27:36.680 --> 00:27:38.779 and wisdom is found in me. 00:27:39.840 --> 00:27:41.120 And so the sixth point 00:27:41.120 --> 00:27:42.759 of how we gain true wisdom 00:27:42.759 --> 00:27:44.600 is that we come to Jesus. 00:27:45.320 --> 00:27:46.420 Just like the Queen of Sheba 00:27:46.420 --> 00:27:47.340 traveled so far 00:27:47.340 --> 00:27:48.080 to come to Solomon 00:27:48.080 --> 00:27:48.799 to gain wisdom, 00:27:49.180 --> 00:27:49.900 so you and I, 00:27:49.960 --> 00:27:51.220 if we were to find true wisdom, 00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:52.560 need to come to him. 00:27:53.100 --> 00:27:53.980 You'll see that David 00:27:53.980 --> 00:27:54.620 throughout his life, 00:27:54.660 --> 00:27:55.880 even when he made horrible mistakes, 00:27:55.980 --> 00:27:56.539 he murdered someone, 00:27:56.620 --> 00:27:57.140 committed adultery 00:27:57.140 --> 00:27:58.019 with his best friend's wife, 00:27:58.240 --> 00:27:58.840 all this stuff, 00:27:59.060 --> 00:28:00.519 that he kept on coming to God, 00:28:00.740 --> 00:28:01.480 coming to God. 00:28:02.019 --> 00:28:02.580 Psalm 51, 00:28:02.680 --> 00:28:04.680 he wrote just about a year after that, 00:28:04.680 --> 00:28:06.160 that sin of adultery and murder. 00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:07.620 And it's him coming to God. 00:28:08.120 --> 00:28:08.480 You see, 00:28:08.540 --> 00:28:09.680 he's always coming to God. 00:28:10.180 --> 00:28:10.779 And in that, 00:28:11.040 --> 00:28:12.940 he proved he lived a life of wisdom. 00:28:13.480 --> 00:28:14.300 Whereas for Solomon, 00:28:14.779 --> 00:28:16.740 he began by asking for it, 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:17.980 but he didn't continue that, 00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:19.380 that coming to God. 00:28:19.840 --> 00:28:21.080 If you and I would be people 00:28:21.080 --> 00:28:22.220 who live in wisdom 00:28:22.220 --> 00:28:23.160 regarding our friendships 00:28:23.160 --> 00:28:23.840 and our workplace 00:28:23.840 --> 00:28:24.640 and our sexuality 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:25.160 and our words 00:28:25.160 --> 00:28:26.400 and all of that we were made for, 00:28:27.019 --> 00:28:27.920 we need to be people 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:28.820 who come to God. 00:28:29.240 --> 00:28:30.440 And the only way to God 00:28:30.440 --> 00:28:31.400 is through Jesus. 00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:34.420 And then finally, 00:28:34.680 --> 00:28:36.140 in point 6, 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:38.259 we need to not only come to Jesus, 00:28:38.740 --> 00:28:40.240 but then we need to follow Jesus. 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:42.080 We don't just come to him 00:28:42.080 --> 00:28:43.019 and ask him for wisdom. 00:28:43.540 --> 00:28:44.320 We don't just come to him 00:28:44.320 --> 00:28:45.220 and ask him for forgiveness 00:28:45.220 --> 00:28:45.900 for our sins. 00:28:46.320 --> 00:28:47.519 We then need to live lives 00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:49.040 that are following him. 00:28:50.120 --> 00:28:52.920 In Matthew 7, 00:28:53.420 --> 00:28:55.019 Jesus famously speaks about 00:28:55.019 --> 00:28:56.360 the parable of the man 00:28:56.360 --> 00:28:57.340 who builds his house in the sand 00:28:57.340 --> 00:28:58.100 and the man who builds his house 00:28:58.100 --> 00:28:58.580 in the rock. 00:28:58.920 --> 00:28:59.800 A lot of us in Sunday school 00:28:59.800 --> 00:29:00.660 would have heard this story. 00:29:01.380 --> 00:29:02.720 The difference between these two men 00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:04.539 isn't that one heard wisdom 00:29:04.539 --> 00:29:05.440 and one didn't. 00:29:05.819 --> 00:29:06.839 Both of them heard wisdom 00:29:06.839 --> 00:29:07.640 as both of them 00:29:07.640 --> 00:29:09.799 heard God's teaching. 00:29:10.380 --> 00:29:11.039 But the one who built 00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:12.319 his house in the sand 00:29:12.319 --> 00:29:13.200 was the one who 00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:14.720 he heard God's wisdom. 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:15.779 He got the wisdom, 00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:17.039 but then he just went off 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:17.839 and did his own thing. 00:29:17.940 --> 00:29:18.660 He didn't live life 00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:19.539 according to the wisdom. 00:29:19.980 --> 00:29:20.319 In a sense, 00:29:20.380 --> 00:29:21.259 he had come to God, 00:29:21.460 --> 00:29:22.460 but didn't he follow him? 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:23.319 Whereas the man 00:29:23.319 --> 00:29:23.880 who built his house 00:29:23.880 --> 00:29:24.259 in the rock 00:29:24.259 --> 00:29:25.039 is a man who not only 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:27.000 heard the truth from God, 00:29:27.120 --> 00:29:27.460 wisdom, 00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:28.839 but then he lived 00:29:28.839 --> 00:29:29.839 his life upon it. 00:29:30.599 --> 00:29:31.419 To be a Christian 00:29:31.419 --> 00:29:32.559 isn't simply that you believe 00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:33.379 things about God 00:29:33.379 --> 00:29:33.919 that are true. 00:29:34.259 --> 00:29:35.119 Because even the demons 00:29:35.119 --> 00:29:35.980 believe the right things 00:29:35.980 --> 00:29:36.459 about God, 00:29:36.539 --> 00:29:37.220 the Bible says. 00:29:37.799 --> 00:29:38.419 But it's that we're people 00:29:38.419 --> 00:29:39.359 who are following him. 00:29:40.199 --> 00:29:40.639 Now you and I 00:29:40.639 --> 00:29:41.519 don't do that perfectly. 00:29:41.659 --> 00:29:42.659 We still make mistakes, 00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:43.679 so many mistakes 00:29:43.679 --> 00:29:44.819 still as followers of God. 00:29:45.399 --> 00:29:46.179 We don't get to heaven 00:29:46.179 --> 00:29:47.240 based on how good 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:48.079 we've done a job 00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:48.839 of following Jesus. 00:29:50.519 --> 00:29:52.480 We only get to enter 00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:53.720 into the prince of God 00:29:53.720 --> 00:29:54.980 now and for eternity. 00:29:55.419 --> 00:29:56.740 We only become born again 00:29:56.740 --> 00:29:58.659 through receiving 00:29:58.660 --> 00:30:00.380 the gift of life 00:30:00.380 --> 00:30:00.940 from God 00:30:00.940 --> 00:30:01.759 that Jesus accomplished 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:02.920 for us on the cross. 00:30:03.779 --> 00:30:05.100 But we live that out 00:30:05.100 --> 00:30:07.240 as we seek to live our lives, 00:30:07.380 --> 00:30:08.600 as we try to live our lives, 00:30:09.160 --> 00:30:10.560 as people following him, 00:30:11.120 --> 00:30:11.580 tripping down, 00:30:11.720 --> 00:30:12.279 falling down, 00:30:12.580 --> 00:30:13.340 but following him. 00:30:14.259 --> 00:30:15.220 And as we do that, 00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:17.200 as we seek to cultivate 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:18.360 hearts that fear God, 00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:21.500 as we pray for wisdom, 00:30:22.080 --> 00:30:23.620 as we listen to good advice, 00:30:23.740 --> 00:30:24.440 seeking wisdom, 00:30:25.420 --> 00:30:26.600 as we implement 00:30:26.600 --> 00:30:27.680 all the points 00:30:27.680 --> 00:30:28.560 of how we live 00:30:28.560 --> 00:30:29.100 a life of wisdom, 00:30:29.259 --> 00:30:30.120 thinking of our death, 00:30:30.920 --> 00:30:32.539 as we seek wisdom, 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:35.160 we seek not only wisdom, 00:30:35.380 --> 00:30:35.880 we seek not only 00:30:35.880 --> 00:30:36.820 the gift of wisdom, 00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:37.640 but we're looking 00:30:37.640 --> 00:30:38.200 to the giver, 00:30:38.380 --> 00:30:38.680 Jesus, 00:30:39.960 --> 00:30:41.259 looking to him 00:30:41.259 --> 00:30:42.240 to live life with him. 00:30:44.060 --> 00:30:44.660 And so, 00:30:44.759 --> 00:30:45.759 would you join me right now 00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:46.840 in praying for this? 00:30:48.360 --> 00:30:49.279 Heavenly Father, 00:30:51.799 --> 00:30:52.320 Lord, 00:30:52.440 --> 00:30:53.440 wisdom isn't simply 00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:54.519 the icing on the cake 00:30:54.519 --> 00:30:55.039 of what it means 00:30:55.039 --> 00:30:55.759 to walk with you. 00:30:55.759 --> 00:30:57.019 Lord, 00:30:57.099 --> 00:30:59.200 wisdom is the meat 00:30:59.200 --> 00:30:59.839 of what it means 00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:01.700 to live life with you. 00:31:02.500 --> 00:31:02.740 Lord, 00:31:02.779 --> 00:31:03.960 we began the service today 00:31:03.960 --> 00:31:04.839 with Psalm 16. 00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:05.599 In your presence, 00:31:05.720 --> 00:31:06.740 there is fullness of joy. 00:31:07.900 --> 00:31:08.140 Lord, 00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:10.099 living life with you, 00:31:10.839 --> 00:31:11.839 walking with you, 00:31:12.420 --> 00:31:13.660 is what we need 00:31:13.660 --> 00:31:14.500 more than anything. 00:31:15.180 --> 00:31:16.640 An integral part of that 00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:18.779 is living in wisdom, 00:31:18.920 --> 00:31:19.819 and the fear of you, 00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:20.839 and the love of you, 00:31:21.180 --> 00:31:22.000 following you. 00:31:22.980 --> 00:31:23.259 Lord, 00:31:23.299 --> 00:31:24.700 every single one of us 00:31:24.700 --> 00:31:25.740 as human beings 00:31:25.740 --> 00:31:26.720 needs to grow in this. 00:31:27.740 --> 00:31:28.059 Lord, 00:31:28.099 --> 00:31:29.099 would you help us 00:31:29.099 --> 00:31:31.579 to be like the Queen of Sheba, 00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:34.240 who spent every expense, 00:31:34.339 --> 00:31:35.240 used all of her energy, 00:31:35.359 --> 00:31:36.079 all of herself. 00:31:37.539 --> 00:31:38.680 She came to Solomon. 00:31:39.319 --> 00:31:39.579 God, 00:31:39.619 --> 00:31:40.339 we come to something 00:31:40.339 --> 00:31:41.240 greater than Solomon. 00:31:41.339 --> 00:31:42.140 We come to you, 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:44.119 and we ask you together 00:31:44.119 --> 00:31:45.299 for wisdom, 00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:46.980 for the fear of you, 00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:48.180 for the love of you, 00:31:48.180 --> 00:31:49.320 that you would help us 00:31:49.320 --> 00:31:50.480 to live life with you. 00:31:51.360 --> 00:31:52.640 In Jesus' name, 00:31:53.279 --> 00:31:53.500 Amen.