So Proverbs 3, verse 13 onwards.
Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.
For she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand.
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her.
Those who hold her fast will be blessed.
By wisdom the Lord laid the earth's foundations.
By understanding he set the heavens in place.
By his knowledge the watery depths were divided and the clouds let drop the dew.
My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight.
Preserve sound judgment and discretion.
They will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety and your foot will not stumble.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid.
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked.
For the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbor, come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you, when you already have it with you.
Do not plot harm against your neighbor who lives trustfully near you.
Do not accuse anyone for no reason when they have done you no harm.
Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways.
For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence.
The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.
He mocks proud mockers, but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.
Thank you so much, Mary.
And good morning, everybody.
So I think it's fair to say we all want the blessed life, right?
In the Bible, blessed describes a person who is living life optimally as God intended, regardless of their circumstance.
I'll say that again.
Blessed describes a person who is living life optimally as God intended, regardless of circumstance.
But I think it's fair to say also, we all have a different idea of what it actually looks like to be blessed.
Is the blessed life the married life?
Finding love with the man or woman of your dreams?
Having companionship on life's journey?
Or is the blessed life the successful life?
Having a fulfilling career and a comfortable salary?
Giving you the house of your dreams?
Is the blessed life the family life?
With cute little mini people who look just like you, wreaking havoc around your house?
Little people to invest your life in?
Is the blessed life the healthy life?
To be free from pain?
Able to enjoy your retirement well into old age?
To travel, see the world?
Or what comes to your mind?
Whenever you imagine the blessed life?
Now if you're young here today, you've still got your whole life ahead of you.
You've got that picture in your mind of what the blessed life looks like.
And in this speech, King Solomon, the author, he speaks as a father to his son about where he can find that blessed life.
And to the son's surprise, it's not found in romance or money or the dream house or traveling the world.
It comes from a place that your social media feed will never point you to.
Look in verse 13.
Blessed are those who find wisdom.
The blessed life is the life of wisdom.
If you get wisdom, you get the optimal life according to God.
In fact, wisdom promises us a more blessed life than we could ever even dream up.
Have a look at verse 14.
For she, wisdom, is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
Imagine for a second if you made a smart investment on some Google shares back in the 90s, right?
And you sold them for a thousand times what you paid for them.
That's nothing close to what wisdom will repay you.
Look at verse 15.
She is more precious than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with her.
Nothing.
Not the guy or girl of your dreams.
Not the house by the sea or the big money job.
Nothing you desire can compare with getting wisdom.
That's the case that the father makes to his son with his whole life out ahead of him.
But it doesn't make any sense to him.
Nor to us, does it?
Because when we look around or take a scroll through the old social media,
who's running after wisdom as the blessed life?
No one.
Why wisdom?
Well, that's what the father is going to do in this speech.
He's going to make the case as to why wisdom, getting wisdom, is the blessed life.
Now, before we start, for those of you who aren't young in this room,
anyone who's over the age of...
Let me see.
What age is my wife again?
Plus one onto that.
No, I'm kidding.
I'm not going to put a number on that.
I'll offend way too many people all at once.
But, yeah, that's a very subjective word, isn't it?
Young.
But anyone who considers themselves not young anymore,
you might be thinking to yourself,
why am I going to listen to this text?
Because it's directed to a young person.
Well, I think you should listen, and this is why.
You're probably at a stage in life where you went after the blessed life,
but now you realize that those things you went after didn't give it to you.
So for anyone who is weary of that endless search for blessing,
hear God's word to you today.
The search is over.
It's wisdom.
It's never too late to know the blessed life that God created you to live.
So will you pray with me now
that we would all take hold of that wisdom that God's offering to us?
Let's pray.
Father, we have run after many good things as ultimate things,
which have left us empty in the end
and not giving us the blessing that we sought for.
So as we read your word now,
open our eyes to see the blessed life that you made us to live
and help us to take hold of it.
Amen.
Okay.
So King Solomon is now going to make his case to his son.
And here's the first reason he gives
for why the blessed life is the life of wisdom.
Number one, get wisdom,
and it will be for you a tree of life with eternal yields.
Look at verse 16.
Long life is in wisdom's right hand.
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
How do we make it that?
Okay.
Now, if we apply the skill for living that Proverbs offers us,
the chances are that we will live a longer life
and have more money in the bank account, okay?
Because you're more likely to stay out of trouble
and to make better choices in general, okay?
That's what happens when you live according to God's rules.
But while this proverb is true,
it's not the whole truth of Scripture, is it?
It must be balanced with verses like verse 34,
where we find that wise people, in God's eyes,
are oppressed and are living in very humble circumstances.
So for those people, in verse 34,
God chose not to give them wealth,
even though he considers them to be wise.
So the health and wealth that wisdom promises
must ultimately be in a different sense,
and that becomes clear in verse 18.
Read with me.
She, wisdom, is a tree of life
to those who take hold of her.
Those who hold her fast will be blessed.
What an image here.
A tree of life.
Do you remember?
The tree of life was there back in the Garden of Eden.
It symbolized overflowing life that never ends.
Adam and Eve could eat of that fruit in the Garden
until they sinned, right?
And God barred the way to the tree of life.
Their physical bodies would die.
But we see this tree again in Revelation,
right at the end of the Bible,
in the new heavens and earth to come.
Listen to this.
Revelation 22, verse 2 says this.
On each side of the river
stood the tree of life,
bearing 12 crops of fruit,
yielding its fruit every month.
This tree of life never runs out of fruit.
What is its fruit?
Eternal life in God's perfect presence,
the new heavens and earth.
All our needs satisfied forever.
We will never want again.
That's the permanent health and prosperity
that wisdom promises us,
surpassing any temporary health or wealth
here on earth.
So do you want the blessed life?
Get wisdom.
And then you will have the blessed life.
Live out that life of wisdom.
And the tree of eternal life is yours.
But the father continues to boast of wisdom to his son.
Next he says,
Get wisdom,
and it will create order
in the disorder around you.
Have a look at verse 19.
By wisdom,
the Lord laid the earth's foundations.
By understanding,
he set the heavens in place.
By his knowledge,
the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
That is how valuable wisdom is.
Can you see there?
God created the world by wisdom.
Think of how he did it.
Genesis 1-2.
Now the earth was formless and empty.
Darkness was over the surface of the deep.
Out of that chaos and disorder,
what did God do?
He created this exquisitely ordered universe
by his wisdom.
Just imagine
how that same wisdom
will create order
out of the disorder in our situations
if we were to apply it.
Take just for an example,
a toxic school or work environment.
Where gossip is rampant.
Okay?
Imagine that.
Now if you apply
God's wisdom
about pure speech
to that situation,
if you start speaking truth and love,
if you start building others up
with your words
and not speaking behind anyone's back,
that wisdom in speech
begins to create order
in the disorder.
The culture begins to change.
Wisdom will create order
in every area of your life
if you would just apply it.
That sounds to me
like the blessed life.
Get wisdom
and you get the blessed life.
And here's the father's
third pitch
to his son.
Here's the third reason
why he should take hold of it.
Get wisdom
and it will protect you
from all danger
and fear.
Even removing it from you.
Listen to his appeal
in verse 23 actually.
He says,
if you hold on to wisdom,
verse 23,
then you will go
on your way in safety
and your foot will not stumble.
When you lie down,
you will not be afraid.
When you lie down,
your sleep will be sweet.
Now that sounds like
the blessed life, right?
Imagine
laying down at night
without a single fear
or care
in the world.
How could wisdom
promise us that?
Well, it's true, right?
If you live
a life
according to the wisdom
of Proverbs,
you're much more likely
to stay out of trouble.
Okay?
You're more likely
to be safe
from harm.
But
we live in a disordered world
which doesn't function
the way God made it to.
Sometimes
people who act wisely
get hurt.
So we must balance
this truth
with other truth
in scripture
like Proverbs
24 verse 16
which says this,
though the righteous
fall
seven times,
they rise again.
So
clearly
wisdom does not
promise freedom
from danger
and fear
in this life.
Rather,
God must be promising
a far superior
type
of protection
to us here.
And that is
eternal
safety
with him.
Have a look at
verse 25
in your passage.
He says,
have no fear
of sudden disaster
or of the ruin
that overtakes
the wicked
for the Lord
will be
at your side
and will keep
your foot
from being
snared.
You see,
this eternal
safety
is grounded
in God
being at
your side
protecting you
forever.
You know,
some people
think,
if I have
financial security,
if I've got
a good alarm
system on my
house and if
I've got
big gates
up in my
driveway,
that's
proper protection.
How about
living
forever
with God
physically
by your side
in the new
heavens
and earth
where evil
cannot enter?
That is the
blessed life.
Get wisdom
and you
get the
blessed life.
Live out
the life
of wisdom
and all
these blessings
are yours.
But there
is one
more
blessing
of wisdom.
Get wisdom,
the Father
says,
and it
will make
you
righteous
and
blameless
before God.
How is
that true?
Well,
in verse
27
to 31,
we get
this list
of commands
from the
Father
to the
Son
of how
wisdom
is going
to work
itself out
practically
in
community.
It's like
the Father
says,
this is the
way of
wisdom,
so walk
in it.
Do not
go the
way of
the wicked.
Why?
Verse 32,
he says
why.
For the
Lord detests
the perverse,
but he takes
the upright,
or blameless,
into his
confidence.
33,
the Lord's
curse
is on
the house
of the
wicked,
but he
blesses
the home
of the
righteous.
Here's the
massive
implication
of that.
God
will accept
you
as
righteous,
as
blameless,
if you
truly get
wisdom.
If you
live out
that life
of wisdom,
God will
see you
as being
right with
him,
blameless
of fault,
the maker
of the
universe
will take
you
into his
confidence,
blessing
you with
his closest
presence.
Talk about
the blessed
life.
Think about
that.
And yet
we wonder
how can
we get
this blessed
life that
Solomon promises.
The blessed
life,
as he
said,
is only
for those
who get
wisdom,
who live
it out
fully.
And that's
my big
problem,
and yours
also.
Because even
when we try
to get
wisdom and
apply what
we learn
in God's
word,
we all
still fail
so often.
We are
still quick
to anger.
We still
speak of
others behind
their backs.
We still
take shortcuts
at work.
We still
get pulled
into lust
and sexual
sin.
We speak
and act
foolishly.
We are
not wise
in and of
ourselves.
So how can
we be
blameless or
righteous before
God?
How can we
inherit that
tree of life?
How can we
experience
order in the
disorder of
our lives?
How can we
know protection
from danger
and fear?
It seems we
qualify for
none of
these blessings
as people
who fail
to live
wisely.
But that's
where Jesus
comes in.
Because a
thousand years
after Proverbs
was written,
Jesus,
the Son
of God,
became a
man and
lived as
one of us.
And he
said of
himself,
just listen
to these
words of
Jesus.
He says,
one greater
than Solomon
is here.
Where Solomon
failed,
just like we
have,
to live a
wise life,
Jesus walked
the way of
wisdom perfectly.
He personified
wisdom.
If you want to
know what
wisdom looks
like,
just look at
Jesus.
Paul says,
in Christ,
not Solomon,
are hidden
all the
treasures of
wisdom and
knowledge.
And yet,
Jesus,
who is
perfect
wisdom,
was treated
like a
wicked
fool.
Like the
wicked fools
we've all
shown ourselves
to be.
All of our
perversity and
foolishness was
nailed to
his cross.
And he
suffered the
full force
of God's
just wrath
against it.
The people
who walked
by,
what did
they do?
They scoffed
at him.
Satan laughed,
scorned him
as an
abject fool.
What happened
three days
later?
He walks
out of that
grave,
victorious
over sin
and death.
He proved
himself the
wise one
once and
for all.
he made
that sacrifice
for sin.
He flung
wide
heaven's
doors so
that all
who receive
him could
be forgiven
of their
sin and
folly.
They could
be clothed
in his
righteousness,
receiving
everything that
he deserved.
Paul says
again,
he says,
it is because
of God
that you
are in
Christ
Jesus,
who has
become for
us wisdom
from God.
That is
our
righteousness,
holiness,
and redemption.
Paul says,
if you receive
Jesus,
he becomes
your wisdom.
You see,
getting wisdom
is not only
just a skill
for living life
well.
It is that,
absolutely.
And we should
apply it.
Getting wisdom
is ultimately
receiving
Christ,
our wisdom,
and everything
he is for
us.
That is why
getting wisdom
is the
blessed
life.
That is
how
wisdom
is truly
a tree
of life
to those
who take
hold of
her.
All
who receive
Christ,
their wisdom,
will inherit
the eternal
life that
he deserved.
we will
eat the
fruit of
the tree
of life
and be
satisfied
forever
with
everything
he is
for us.
Finding
Christ,
our wisdom,
is the
blessed
life beyond
our wildest
dreams.
And this
is also
how wisdom
will ultimately
create order
out of all
the disorder
in this
world.
Because
all of those
who receive
Christ,
their wisdom,
are welcomed
into his
new kingdom
where he
will make
all things
new again.
No more
sadness,
suffering,
or disorder.
Only joy,
peace,
and love
will dwell
in that
new creation.
And it's
all yours
in Christ.
Finding
Jesus
is the
blessed
life
better than
anything
we could
imagine.
But not
only that,
that's how
getting wisdom
will ultimately
protect you
forever.
Because if
you're in
Christ,
God the
Father
has adopted
you as
his child,
and you
will live
in the
shelter of
his presence
forever.
All dangers
and fear
will be
removed.
As death
is destroyed,
finding Jesus
is the
blessed life
that we've
always longed
for.
And lastly,
this is also
how getting
wisdom makes
you righteous
and blameless
before God.
Because if
you receive
Christ,
you are
clothed
in his
righteousness.
When God
the Father
looks at
you,
you are
legally
declared
right
before him
because
of Jesus.
You're
welcomed
into his
closest presence
right now
in a
spiritual
sense
and in
the age
to come
in a
physical
sense.
We will
spend
eternity
with
God
our
King.
Let me
ask you
again,
do you
have
the
blessed
life?
You know,
the people
around you,
they may
not think
so.
The world
outside of
Christ judges
your blessedness
by the car
that's sitting
on your
front drive.
the world
judges
your
blessedness
by the
number of
kids you
have,
or the
people who
love you,
or your
title and
work,
or your
giftings,
or by what
your body
looks like.
This world
thinks that
temporary
wealth
and fleeting
health are
the blessed
life,
but they
don't get
it.
They
don't see
the true
reality,
of what
is really
going on
in this
world.
They
don't see
the
unspeakably
blessed
life,
which
belongs
to
everyone
who
receives
Christ
their
wisdom.
We
don't
have
the
categories
to
understand
how
blessed
we
are
right
now,
because
of all
that we
have
in
Christ,
and
because
of
all
that's
to
come.
But
we're
dead
wrong
if we
think
our
blessedness
is based
on the
things we
do or
don't
have in
this
short
earthly
life.
Would
you please
turn with
thee to
Luke
chapter
6.
Luke is
in the
New Testament
and the
Gospels.
Luke
chapter 6
and verse
20.
It's
page
1034
if you're
in the
Red
Church
Bible.
In this
sermon
on the
plain,
Jesus
illuminates
this
blessed
life
that's
only found
in him.
The life
that this
world
doesn't
get,
doesn't
see.
He
shows it
to us.
we're
going to
read from
Luke
chapter 6
verse 20.
Looking at
his disciples,
that is,
those who
had received
Christ as
their Lord
and wisdom,
Jesus said
to them,
Blessed
are you
who are
poor.
What?
How could
you be
blessed
if you
are poor?
Jesus
says,
for
yours
is the
kingdom
of God.
You
are an
heir of
all of
heaven.
Talk
about riches
beyond your
wildest
dreams.
You
may be
poor
now
for a
short
time,
but you
are rich
because of
your coming
inheritance
in Christ.
Verse 21,
blessed
are you
who
hunger
now.
Why?
How could
that be a
blessing?
For you
will be
satisfied.
Blessed
are you
who weep
now.
Weeping?
How could
that make
you blessed?
For you
will
laugh.
A time
is coming
when tears
will be no
more.
That means
that as
your tears
flow now,
you are
blessed
because they
will be
replaced with
laughter.
We don't
know when
that will
happen,
whether this
life ultimately
in the new
heavens and
earth,
but that
time is
coming.
Jesus
says you're
blessed.
Verse 22,
blessed are
you when
people hate
you,
when they
exclude you
and insult
you and
reject your
name as
evil because
of the
Son of
Man.
Has that
happened to
you?
Have you
been excluded
for no
good reason?
Have you
been treated
unfairly,
insulted,
or even
rejected because
you decided
to honor
Jesus and
live a life
of integrity
in your
workplace or
in your
family?
What Jesus
says to
you,
verse 23,
rejoice in
that day
and leap
for joy.
How can
we do
that?
Because
grace is
your reward
in heaven.
Jesus
says we
have no
idea the
reward that
awaits us
in heaven.
He is going
to compensate
us a
thousandfold
for any
hurt or
harm we
have
experienced
in this
life for
his
sake.
Jesus
says you
are blessed
right now
in your
poverty,
in your
illness,
your grief,
your pain,
your suffering,
if you belong
to him because
Jesus is making
all things new
and he's
promised it
all to
you.
See how in
that text he
keeps pointing
us forward to
the future,
crying out,
believe me.
You have
the blessed
life if you
have me.
Even if it
doesn't look
like it right
now, if you
could only
see what I
can see,
you'd know
that what is
coming is
better than
you could ever
imagine.
You have the
blessed life
even now
because of
what you
have in me.
So rejoice.
As we
finish, I've
just got two
questions.
Number one,
is Christ
your wisdom
today?
The last
verse in our
passage says
that the
wise inherit
honor, but
fools get
only shame.
There's no
middle ground
here.
It's black
or white.
It's wise
or fool.
It's either
you've received
Christ as your
wisdom or
you're lost.
You're
condemned in
your folly
and sin.
How could
you reject
his invitation?
Repent of
your sin and
trust him as
your Lord and
Savior.
Run to
Christ today.
Take hold
of him and
don't reject
him.
Second
question.
If you do
know Christ
as your
wisdom today,
where are
you looking
to for
blessing?
Are you
getting fixated
on the
temporary
things of
this world?
Are those
blessings
bogging you
down,
tripping you
up?
Are you
either
obsessed
with
getting
them or
miserable
and bitter
because you
don't?
We need
to say
sorry to
God for
that.
Because
that's
incredibly
short-sighted.
We need
to turn
to Jesus
again.
And when
we fix
our eyes
upon him
again,
the things
of this
world are
going to
grow strangely
dim in
the light
of his
glory and
grace.
The
blessed
life
is the
life in
Christ,
our
wisdom.
Let's
pray.
Let's
take
him.
take
him.
take
him.
Let's
take
him.
Let's
we've heard the call to pursue wisdom ultimately in Christ
and I'm going to leave a moment for us all
to respond to him
in the quietness of our own hearts
O Lord Jesus
we thank you for dying on the cross
for all our foolishness
so that we could know you
as our eternal wisdom
and enjoy the blessed life
that you made us to live with you forever
Amen
We're going to sing a song now
just to finish
This is a song that helps us to fix our eyes
on all that Christ is for us
I especially love this part of the song
And mine are keys to Zion City
where beside the King I walk
for there my heart has found its treasure
Christ is mine forevermore
And says this
Come rejoice now, O my soul
That's what Jesus calls us to do, right?
For his love is my reward
Fear is gone and hope is sure
Christ is mine forevermore
Amen