Thank you.
We're so thankful for your presence with us. We're looking forward to having Pastor John preach for us this evening.
We're also really glad to be able to welcome friends and family for Dara's baptism and for welcoming Callum into membership.
We're so thankful for God's work in their lives. We look forward to that shortly.
But welcome everybody as we gather together to worship our great God.
Just a couple of notices. I've said already we're back here again for worship at 5.30.
John, our friend from the church in Atlanta, will be preaching.
Please do come along if you can to hear God's words again and to worship together.
On Wednesdays we're back with our CDGs, our community discipleship groups in various locations.
Again, check in with your leaders for the details for that.
That will also be the beginning. So this month, our run-up to the election, UK election,
we're going to give some time to praying for our nation and for the church within the nation.
So Wednesday is going to be the first time where we do that within our groups.
We'll do that together as well.
So please come along if you can.
And then one thing, you may have seen it in our notices.
Dara and Shoris and Callum and Ewan and Joshua, they have a charity event for Bethany,
a local Christian organization here.
So that's on the 8th of June.
So it's going to be a day of cycling and running and playing football.
They'll be working hard all day.
If you want to sponsor them, support them, encourage them,
then you can check the newsletter for that.
Our call to worship, which we can share together, comes from Psalm 111.
Let's stand together for our call to worship,
and we'll remain standing for our opening hymn,
which is give to our God immortal praise.
Praise the Lord.
I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
He provided redemption for his people.
He ordained his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
All who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
And let's remain standing as we praise our great God together.
Give to our God the immortal praise.
Mercy and truth are all his praise.
Wonders of Christ in the heart below.
Breathe his mercies in your soul.
Qi if for your God of love.
And let's not live for your God in the Bible.
Give to the Lord of the kingdom,
enz Bubba完成.
His mercies never shine too
The lives of dogs are no longer
Amen.
He sent his son, may and God will stay, from the darkness and the grave.
Wonders of grace will come, may he be born, repeat his mercy in your soul.
Amen.
Please have a seat.
Amen.
Let's join our hearts in prayer.
Let's pray together.
We recognize it is good and fitting to praise you, our Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We praise you as the creator of this world, the sustainer of this world, and indeed the sustainer of each one of our lives.
We thank you for bringing us here in this place to hear your word, to receive your grace,
to take time from all the busyness, all the worries and cares of our lives, to be in your presence, to hear from you,
to remember who you are and all that you have done for us.
Lord, we thank you that you have provided redemption, that there is salvation that comes from you, our God.
Father, we thank you for your love in sending your Son, Jesus, into this world to be our Savior.
And we thank you for the perfect life of the Lord Jesus, for his sacrificial death,
taking on himself the sin of his people, dying in our place, taking the punishment that we deserve,
so that we might have life.
Lord, we thank you for the work of your Holy Spirit, showing to us our need of a Savior,
showing us our sin, and showing us the glory of Jesus, so that we might trust in him.
Lord, we thank you that you are the God who has entered into a covenant relationship with your people.
And you've done that not because we deserve it, but simply because of your grace.
Lord, we thank you for the new covenant established in the broken body and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus,
that guarantee that you will always and eternally love your people, your church.
Lord, as we consider all that you have done for us and who you are,
and we pray that you would cause us to worship you, to recognize your great glory.
Lord, your word calls us to trust in the Lord with all our heart.
And as much as we recognize the wisdom of that, we confess the times when we haven't trusted you with all our heart,
when instead we have leaned on our own understanding, where we have pursued our own direction in life.
Lord, your word calls us to worship the Lord our God and to serve him only.
And again, we confess the times in which we have made other things and other people
more important in our hearts and our lives than you, the one true and living God.
We have that capacity towards idolatry, to take good things, good gifts, and to make them ultimate things,
and to live for them above all.
Lord, as we recognize our sin before you, we would confess our sin.
That we would pray as the tax collector in the parable, Lord, have mercy on us as sinners.
And as we confess our sin, we thank you for the wonderful promise we have in your word of forgiveness.
That because of the saving work of the Lord Jesus, that you are a God so gracious
as to cast all our sins into the depths of the sea, fully and finally paid for.
And so we confess, knowing that you are faithful to forgive.
Lord, we thank you that you have promised to be with us as we gather.
And we pray that we would know your presence, that your spirit would be at work in all of our hearts and lives,
so that together we might praise and glorify and magnify our God.
And we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
And now, this is the point where we're going to, just in a few moments, welcome our new church members.
We're going to baptize Dara, and we're so thankful, as we said, to God for that.
Both Callum and Dara have given a clear testimony of their faith in the Lord Jesus,
both in their words and in their lives.
It's been a real encouragement to us as a church, no doubt an encouragement to their families.
Now, just before welcoming them, we're going to read a few verses from Acts chapter 2.
Acts chapter 2, from verse 38.
So, Peter is just, the apostle being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Peter has preached a great sermon.
The crowd have asked, brothers, what shall we do?
And Peter replied,
With many other words, he warned them, and he pleaded with them, save yourselves from this corrupt generation.
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3,000 were added to their number that day.
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
So, just a few words about church membership and baptism from that text.
What's happening here, as the church begins, is that there's a whole group, 3,000 people responding to the good news about the Lord Jesus.
So, Peter has told them that Jesus is God's promised Savior King.
That in the coming of Jesus, all God's wonderful promises in the Old Testament come true.
He's spoken to them about Jesus' perfect life.
That His miracles were evidence that He was none other than the Son of God.
He's spoken to them of Jesus' death on the cross.
A death that secures the forgiveness of sin.
He's spoken about the reality that because Jesus is sinless and perfect and God accepted His sacrifice,
that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day.
And that Jesus gives the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus truly does forgive sins.
Jesus does give the promise of eternal life that it's possible for people like us, by nature separate from God, because of our sin, to be brought near and to be brought home.
And all of this as a gift of God's grace and all of this to give glory to God.
So, they've heard this message.
And how did they respond?
They responded with repentance.
So, acknowledging that need to turn from sin and to turn back to God.
And then they stand up publicly to declare that Jesus is Lord.
Now, that wasn't easy for them in their setting.
And maybe it's never easy to stand up and say, Jesus is Lord.
But that's what they do.
And these first-generation believers, they're all baptized.
And then they're added.
They're numbered among the church.
And this group then, how do they live?
We hear about how they devote themselves.
They devoted themselves to worshipping together.
To hearing God's Word and to hear it be taught.
So, they gather to hear teaching about Jesus.
We hear them devoted to praying together.
That they share food and they share the Lord's Supper.
They commit to serving with one another for the good of others.
It's a great picture of what happens whenever anyone becomes a member of God's church.
It's what we're celebrating today.
Callum has already been baptized as an infant.
Adara is going to come and shortly be baptized.
And baptism is a wonderful thing for us to see.
The eyes of faith allow us to see this gospel sign.
That the water, which we usually associate with washing and cleaning.
It is pointing to the reality that Jesus washes away sin.
By His death on the cross.
We think about water that gives new life.
That gives satisfaction in life.
In fact, we were thinking about that on Friday.
That through the death of Jesus and faith in Him.
A person is now dead to sin and is alive in Christ.
We have this living water.
We have eternal life.
So, there's wonderful messages in baptism.
And then, Dara and Callum, they're going to be added to our church.
To this church.
As church members, of course, members of Jesus' church.
But members of this local church.
Where they will worship, continue worshiping with us.
Where they will grow in faith as they grow in maturity.
And where they will come alongside us to serve with us.
And where we will serve them.
And encourage them.
And pray for them.
So, we welcome them with thankfulness today.
We welcome them because we remember.
God still answers our prayers.
These prayers that we make for our family members.
For our church family.
Our children.
God answers them.
We give thanks that God still loves to save people.
He's not done building His church.
And as we give thanks, we pray.
We pray for all of our children.
All our covenant children.
That together, they might join in professing faith and love for Jesus.
So, without further ado, Dara and Callum, do you want to come up here?
I removed the foliage so you wouldn't have to live in the forest.
We appreciate that.
So, I have these five questions to ask.
So, in Bible class, I know that you've been working through these.
And you've been thinking about what they mean.
So, let me ask them.
You can answer them together.
Here's the first one.
Do you acknowledge yourself to be a sinner in the sight of God?
Justly deserving His judgment.
And without hope, apart from His sovereign mercy.
Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of sinners?
And do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the gospel?
Do you now resolve in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit that you will endeavor to live in obedience to God's word as a follower of Christ?
Number four.
Do you promise to support the church in its worship and work to the best of your ability by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service?
Okay.
And one last one.
Do you submit yourself to the government and discipline of the church and promise to seek its purity and peace?
Yes.
Wonderful.
Now, having professed your faith, Dara, let's baptize you.
It is a wonderful thing to be able to do this in the name of...
Come over here.
I'm going to baptize you, Dara Faulkner, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you.
And for both of you, it's such a wonderful thing to be able to welcome you both into this church, to see you standing up for Jesus.
Because you know, we know, standing up for Jesus is never an easy and a straightforward thing.
So it's a real encouragement, I think, to our faith to see you as young guys ready to do this.
And I know that you're doing it in school and in your lives.
And so it's our prayer that the grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit would be with you always.
That you would know, always, that you would know much joy as you serve Jesus.
That you would find encouragement from us here.
You'd always know that you've got elders here within your own family, but within the church family, who want to help you to grow.
And towards that, Keith, who is our Bible class leader, is going to come and pray for you both.
Thanks, Keith.
Thank you.
Now we're going to sing together
before the children leave for their junior church classes.
We're going to sing them nothing but the blood of Jesus.
And again, let's stand together to sing praise.
Amen.
Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow.
No other font I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my pardon this I see, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing despite me, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow.
No other font I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing can force sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Not of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow.
No other font I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow.
Oh, no other font I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Jesus.
Our first Bible reading this morning is in John chapter 14.
If you're using a church Bible, that's page 1082.
And Katrina McDonald is going to come and read that for us.
John chapter 14, verses 1 to 7.
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You believe in God. Believe also in me.
My Father's house has many rooms.
If that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am.
You know the way to the place where I am going.
Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?
Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.
From now on, you do know him and have seen him.
Amen.
Let's once again join our hearts in prayer.
Let's pray together.
Lord, we thank you for the wonderful compassion of Jesus, our Lord and Savior,
as he comforted his anxious disciples,
giving them this wonderful picture of heaven as your home,
a home with many rooms,
and of his going to prepare a place for his people,
that he's going to die and then to rise,
to return to heaven,
to send the Spirit,
to come back at the end of time,
all towards this great end
of God being with his people forever.
Lord, we thank you
for the wonderful goal of the gospel,
that we might enjoy your presence now
with the promise of seeing your face
for all eternity
when our faith and our trust is in Jesus.
Lord, as we who are Christians enjoy that good news
and as we find hope and comfort,
we pray for many
who as yet are not followers of the Lord Jesus.
We pray for family members and friends.
We think of neighbors and colleagues.
Lord, we think of our various ministries,
for the folks in Connect,
for our student and young workers group,
for people that come week by week.
Lord, we pray that by your grace,
you would send your Spirit,
you would open people's eyes,
open people's hearts,
that they might receive Jesus as Lord.
We pray that you would help us,
who are your people,
to be faithful in the way that we live,
to be courageous in the words that we speak,
to be able to point to the truth,
that Jesus is our Lord
and that he is good news
and that there is no other way of salvation.
Lord, we also want to give you thanks
as a local church
that we are part of your global church.
Even as we look around the room,
we recognize that we represent
many different countries and cultures,
languages and people groups represented here,
giving us just a tiny glimpse
of that great gathering of your people
around your throne
from every tongue and tribe
and nation and people group.
Lord, we thank you
for our friends from the church in Atlanta.
We pray for their church,
for their ongoing ministry.
May you encourage them
and may you grow them in faith
and in numbers,
enable them to reach their communities
for the Lord Jesus.
And we thank you for their coming
to encourage us
and to serve us
and to serve alongside us
for a few days, Lord,
that they would be an encourager of us
and that we would encourage them.
Lord, we thank you again
for the recent visit
of Wilbert Chepenu
from Dumasani.
South Africa has been in the news
for their election process
and as there is so much uncertainty
and so many challenges
facing South African society,
we acknowledge the great need there is
of the gospel of the Lord Jesus
to take root
and to penetrate
through all parts of that nation.
And so we pray
for the church in South Africa.
Lord, we remember
our friends Manuel and Patty
who we support
in their ministry in Colombia
that as they adjust
to life in Bogota
that you would be giving them
fruitful avenues
for a ministry of mentoring
and encouraging pastors
and their wives
for those who are leaders
in the church.
We thank you for all the wisdom
you have given to them.
I pray that they would
keep being refreshed
in the gospel of your grace
so that they might serve others.
Lord, we do pray
that you would help us
in our calling.
We know that Jesus called the church
to go and make disciples
of all nations.
You know the challenge
that we often find that.
We feel small,
we feel a sense
of our own inabilities,
but Lord, we know
that your grace is sufficient.
We know that you have given
your spirit to help us
and so we do pray
for each one of us
who are Christians individually
and for our church collectively
that you would guide us
as we seek
to make disciples
for the Lord Jesus.
Lord, we also want to thank you
this morning
for those who are
in government over us,
both here in Holyrood
and down in Westminster.
as attention turns
to a general election,
we recognize the significance
of that moment
for us as a nation.
And so we pray
that for your church
it would be a time
of seeking your faith,
of seeking repentance
and renewal,
both for ourselves
and within our nation.
Lord, we ask for us
as a local church
that you would give us
the spirit of prayer,
that we would recognize
the darkness,
the fear,
the uncertainty
that grips so many
in society,
the challenges
that face
our political leaders
and that we would pray
for them,
that we would pray
for the light
of the gospel
to shine.
And Lord,
as we pray
for the light
of the gospel
to shine
through our nation,
we also pray
that that light
would shine
as we hear
your word
read and preached,
that you would
speak truth
and that you would
give life.
We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Now we're going to
stand together
to sing
the first of the psalms,
Psalm 1,
a great wisdom psalm,
reminding us
of those two paths
and those two destinations
for our lives.
So let's stand together
as we sing
Psalm 1.
How blessed
the one
who does not walk
where wicked men
would guide his feet,
who does not stand
in sinners' paths
or sit upon
the scorner's seat.
The love of God
is his delight,
his meditation
day and night.
He prospers
like a tree
which has been planted
by a flowing stream
and in its season
yields its fruit.
Its leaves are always
fresh and green.
In every act,
in every word
he knows
the blessing
of the Lord.
Not so the wicked
they are like the chaff
the wind
will blow away.
They will not
in the judgment
stand,
nor sinners
with the righteous
stay.
God knows
the way
the righteous
go,
the wicked's
way
he'll
overthrow.
Now can you turn
with me in your Bibles
to the book of Proverbs?
This is on page 636
if you're using
a church Bible.
And we're thinking
this morning about
walking in the way
of wisdom.
So we're going to hear
Proverbs 3
from verse 1
to 12.
My son,
do not forget
my teaching,
but keep my commands
in your heart
for they will
prolong your life
many years
and bring you
peace and
prosperity.
Let love
and faithfulness
never leave you.
Bind them
round your neck,
write them
on the tablet
of your heart.
Then you will
learn favor
and a good name
in the sight
of God
and man.
Trust in the Lord
with all your heart
and lean not
on your own
understanding.
In all your ways
submit to him
and he will
make your paths
straight.
Do not be wise
in your own eyes.
Fear the Lord
and shun evil.
This will bring
health to your body
and nourishment
to your bones.
Honor the Lord
with your wealth,
with the firstfruits
of all your crops.
Then your barns
will be filled
to overflowing
and your vats
will brim over
with new wine.
my son,
do not despise
the Lord's discipline
and do not resent
his rebuke
because the Lord
disciplines those
he loves
as a father
the son
he delights in.
Okay, so we're in
the book of Proverbs
today
and the book of Proverbs
is ancient
wisdom literature.
we can think of it
in a sense
as classroom material.
Lessons in the school
of life
in the first instance
given to boys
to young men
teaching us
about God
the wise creator
teaching about
the moral order
within the universe
and instructions
and promises
connected to
growing in wisdom.
Seems a good day
a fitting day
to consider that
as we welcome
two young men
into membership.
I'm sure as people
we recognize
that we are searching
for wisdom
maybe all the time.
A quick search
on Amazon
the online bookstore
will tell you
that there are
over 10,000 books
dedicated
to the topic
of wisdom.
So clearly
there is a hunger.
What's the key
to being wise?
Who is it
that can guide me
into wisdom?
Perhaps people
are asking
a more basic question.
What is wisdom?
Wisdom
I think we know
is more than
simply knowledge.
Perhaps we know
people who are
incredibly book smart
but perhaps
quite foolish
lacking common sense.
Wisdom
is also more than
though it includes
moral goodness.
it's not just
knowing about
what is the good
to do.
Wisdom also
includes things
like when
to do it.
Think about it
like grass cutting
in Scotland.
Wisdom knows
you always need
to cut the grass
where information
knowledge knows
that.
Wisdom knows
when to do it.
If you're a fool
like me
you try and do it
on Wednesday afternoon
you get caught
in a deluge.
So wisdom
requires knowing
what and
when.
Here's a helpful
definition of
what is wisdom
from a biblical
scholar by the
name of Von Rad.
Wisdom
is becoming
competent
with regard
to the realities
of life.
So there's a
growing competence
in how we
apply wisdom
to make choices.
Recognizing
that the vast
majority of the
choices that we
make on a daily
weekly basis
are not
strictly
moral choices.
You know
it's not always
the case that
one is good
one is bad.
When it comes
to relationships
or things
to do with
our work
or money
or location
how do we
grow in
wisdom?
If you read
through the
book of Proverbs
you discover
as if we
didn't know
already that
wisdom is
something that's
vital for life.
And without
appropriate wisdom
we can make
a real wreck
of our own
lives and
we can deal
damage to the
lives of those
around us also.
We need wisdom.
Some of the
wisdom in here
is really practical.
So we all know
I think that being
a good neighbor
is good.
It's good to be
friendly and
hospitable but
five o'clock in
the morning is
not the time to
sing your good
morning neighbor
song.
Okay that's part
of wisdom.
Timing matters.
And maybe some
of you read the
book called
When Helping
Hurts.
It's absolutely
right and it's
moral to want to
help with the
issues of poverty
whether that's
locally or globally.
But that book is
making the point
that you can make
a mess of things
if you are well
meaning but you
are unwise in
how you operate
charity.
So the what and
the when and
the why.
And so here we
find ourselves
invited into the
classroom for
wisdom.
And in this
short section
we're going to
think about the
path of wisdom
the practices of
wisdom.
We're going to
consider briefly
the problem of
wisdom and think
about the person
of wisdom.
So let's begin
with the path.
Verse 5 and 6
Trust in the
Lord with all
your heart.
Lean not on
your own
understanding.
In all your
ways submit to
Him and He will
make your paths
straight.
So this is a
popular image in
wisdom literature
that's biblical and
non-biblical.
The idea that life
is a journey and
wisdom is a path
to follow.
We just sang in
Psalm 1 with the
same image.
We could go down
in this chapter
Proverbs 3 verse
17 speaking of
wisdom.
Her ways are
pleasant ways and
all her paths are
peace.
wisdom.
And this is
helpful for
reminding us that
wisdom is not a
simple technique to
master.
You know, it's not a
door we unlock.
Rather, it's a
lifelong path that
we follow.
If the image was
that of a door to
unlock, well, there
would be that sense
that we could easily
arrive, we could
open, we could get
wisdom.
And we would like
that, wouldn't
we?
It's the appeal of
so much of the
information that we
have.
It's the appeal of
the TED Talks.
It's the appeal of
all those life hacks.
If you've ever gone
to a bookshop and
seen seven steps to
ten ways to improve
your life, download
these six episodes,
subscribe to this
podcast in wisdom,
it'll be yours.
Now, it sounds
lovely, doesn't it?
But we know that's
not how life works.
Somebody said
information comes
through learning,
wisdom comes
through living.
To make the point
there's no shortcuts
on the path to
wisdom.
But this idea of
the pathway is a
really helpful
picture.
You'll think about
the progress when
you walk on a
journey.
Progress is steady,
is gradual,
it's the same
habit, step,
step over a
long time.
And the Bible
uses this to give
us this idea that
over time, with
the right habits,
we will grow in
wisdom.
And for those of us
who are more mature,
you probably recognize
that.
That decisions become
a little bit easier.
The right responses
to challenging
circumstances perhaps
come a little bit
quicker or more
naturally.
That's the growing
in wisdom.
Following a path
is nothing fancy.
We don't make much
progress if we
try to cartwheel
our way on
our journey,
so speaking
personally at least,
it's step by
step.
It's a long
obedience in the
same direction.
And verse 5 and 6
tells us how the
journey begins.
The journey of
wisdom begins
with who we
trust.
Trust in the
Lord with all
your heart,
and lean not on
your own
understanding.
It's asking us
basically, which
path are we going
to follow?
Who is going to
call the shots
in our lives?
Whose authority
are we going to
rest in?
The Lord's
or our own?
It's the image of
the two ways to
live, the two
roads that we
can follow.
Jesus used that
same image in
the gospel,
Sermon on the
Mount, Matthew
7, verse 13
and 14.
As he invites
people to trust
him, he spoke
about the narrow
gate and the
narrow way that
leads to life,
but the broad
road that leads
to destruction.
And then he said
towards the end
of his ministry,
and we heard it
in John 14, I
am the way.
That's the same
idea, the same
wisdom, like I am
the path, the
truth and the
life.
No one comes to
the Father except
through me.
And Jesus is
telling us something
remarkable there.
He's reminding us
every path, every
journey has a
destination, and we
know that.
But Jesus is
telling us the
destination that
our lives should
travel along
towards, that God
has designed us
to enjoy life
with him.
And Jesus
says, I am the
way home to
life with God.
He is the track
upon which our
lives are to run.
That to be on the
path of wisdom
begins with
receiving Jesus
as Lord.
That's the
beginning of our
journey towards
God, that in the
end we would see
God.
And knowing that
all the way along
that path we walk
with him.
So that's the path
of wisdom, that
slow, steady,
step-by-step that
begins with trust.
But let's think
now about what are
the steps, what are
the practices to
put on to help us
to grow in wisdom.
The book of
Proverbs again has
many examples of
these, but we can
find three of them
in our text.
The first is here
in verse 3, we
need to know
God.
It says there in
verse 3, let love
and faithfulness
never leave you,
bind them round
your neck, write
them on the
tablet of your
heart.
Love and
faithfulness, those
two words together,
those were words
that God used to
describe himself in
Exodus 34.
It's the language
of our covenant
God, the personal
Lord God who
enters into covenant
relationship with
his people.
And wisdom begins
with knowing God,
to know this God
of covenant love
and faithfulness,
this God who is so
gracious as to
bind himself to
his people.
And wisdom binds
that truth, the
truth of God's love
and faithfulness
around our neck,
inscribing it,
tattooing it onto
our heart that we
would never forget
that we'd grow
deeper and deeper
into the love
and the faithfulness
of God.
Now how does that
lead to wisdom?
If I know and
trust that God
loves me and is
faithful towards me,
how does that help?
Well back in
chapter 2, we're
told that wisdom
has a way of
saving us.
So in verse 12,
it says, wisdom
will save you from
the ways of wicked
men.
And the teacher
warns about the
ways of wicked
men, about the
pull towards greed
and violence and
the love of money.
In verse 16, it
also says, wisdom
will save you from
the adulterous
woman.
So wisdom will
save from sexual
sin.
Sometimes sexual
sin becomes a
picture of idolatry.
So how does
knowing God's love
and faithfulness
save us?
Well if God's
love has truly
captured our
hearts, if we
know that we
have everything
in Jesus
as Lord,
that we
won't need
or want
or be pulled
away by those
other things.
We need to
know God.
Here's another
way of thinking
about it.
In verse 11
and 12,
speaks of the
Lord's discipline.
My son,
do not despise
the Lord's
discipline,
because the
Lord disciplines
those he loves
as a father,
the son he
delights in.
If I know
the Lord,
he is my
father and
he loves me
and I can
trust him,
then I can
receive his
discipline,
his testing,
his shaping,
his refining
as something
that is good
for me even
when it's
hard.
To read the
stories of
anyone who
is creating
a masterpiece,
whether that's
a novel or
a piece of
music or
some artwork,
is to
understand that
there is in
some ways a
painful process
of editing,
of revising,
of sometimes
scrubbing,
of cutting
that work.
And those
acts,
painful,
but it's a
sign of love.
Crafting
something
beautiful
requires love
and commitment.
Now God
is seeking
to craft
each of
us
into
the
beautiful
image
of God.
We were
made in
God's
image.
Jesus is
the perfect
image.
God would
make us
more like
Jesus.
That's
a refining
process.
That's going
to require
discipline.
Our rough
edges
need to
be removed.
Our sin
needs to
be exposed.
Dependent
faith
needs to
develop
sometimes
through
hardships.
But wisdom
knows he's
my father
and I can
trust him.
Wisdom
grows in
the knowledge
of God.
So in
verse 5,
we know I
can trust
him as
Lord and
Savior.
Verse 6,
I will
submit to
him as
king in
all my
ways,
not just
in the
ways that
it's
convenient.
Verse 9,
I will
worship
worship and
honor him
as
Lord.
So that's
the first
practice.
We need
to know
our God.
We need
to also
know
ourself.
And that's
related.
Since God
is created
and we
are made
in his
image,
we only
truly know
ourselves
as we
know
our
God.
Look with
me at
verses
5 and
7 again.
Trust in
the Lord
with all
your heart
and lean
not on
your own
understanding.
Verse 7,
do not be
wise in
your own
eyes.
Fear the
Lord and
shun evil.
We need
to know
our own
hearts.
We need
to know
the battle
that rages
within our
hearts.
Whose
wisdom is
going to
guide me
today in
this moment?
Whose
rule will
I live
under in
this
circumstance,
in this
relationship?
And the
warning comes,
don't be
wise in
your own
eyes.
Don't lean
on your
own
understanding.
Perhaps it's
helpful to
think of a
person with
a broken
leg.
So their
leg is
in plaster
and they've
got crutches.
So the
leg is
broken.
If you
have a
crutch
that's
broken,
you try
and lean
on that,
what happens?
Well the
crutch breaks
and there's
collapse.
And the
wisdom of
the Proverbs
is saying,
learn to
mistrust
your own
understanding
as it is
separate from
God's
wisdom.
Why is
that?
Well it's
because the
reality of
sin in
our hearts
and our
lives that
pulls us
out of
sync with
God's
good design,
that causes
us to go
against the
grain of
the moral
order within
the universe.
It is
folly to
lean on our
own
understanding.
It's
wisdom to
know God
and His
word and
His promises
to lean on
those because
they are
solid and
reliable and
unchanging.
So we need to
know ourselves.
And the third
practice is we
need to know
God's word.
This takes us
to verses
1 and 2.
My son,
do not forget
my teaching,
but keep my
commands in
your heart.
So the premise
here is that
there is a
creator.
And we are
invited to
follow the
creator's
guidelines,
the maker's
manual.
That's the
key to life
lived well.
here is the
way to
know deep
and true
joy.
Joy in
God.
C.S.
Lewis put it
this way,
like a car
is made to
run on
petrol by
its inventor,
we are
designed to
run on
God
Himself.
And God's
word informs
us of God's
design for
our lives,
which is
God's
design for
our joy.
And so we
need God's
word to
tell us what
God teaches
because,
as we
discover,
it often
runs counter
to the
wisdom of
the age.
So here's
one example
in verse
9.
Here's
God's
wisdom,
honour the
Lord with
your wealth,
with the
firstfruits of
all your
crops.
And so you
read the
Bible,
what's the
Bible say
about money?
It says,
it's better
to be
generous,
it's better
to be
sacrificial,
it's better
to use it
for the
sake of
others,
for God's
mission,
for God's
church.
The wisdom
of the
world often
says,
well,
take,
and hoard
it for
yourself,
spend on
your
pleasure.
We need
to hear
the wisdom
of Jesus.
For example,
Jesus said,
love your
enemies and
pray for
those who
persecute
you.
That's
very different
to the
wisdom of
the age that
says,
revenge,
that says,
tit for
tat violence.
The wisdom
of Jesus
is better
wisdom,
but if we
don't know
God's
word,
we don't
know that
wisdom.
We also
need to
hear and
to know
God's
word to
discover the
gospel,
to discover
the good
news of
what God
does to
save a
people for
himself,
according to
his perfect
wisdom and
for his
glory.
And that's
actually really
important,
even for how
we read a
book like the
book of
Proverbs.
Because to
read the
book of
Proverbs,
without thinking
about God's
wisdom for
salvation,
we might
think,
well,
if I live
the right
way,
then I
will gain
reward.
If I
do this,
then God
must do
that,
and we'll
find ourselves
on the
road that's
known as
legalism,
and we'll
think about
that problem
in a
moment.
So it's
really important
for us to
read,
to study,
to meditate,
to memorize,
to worship
God,
to hear
him,
wisdom,
that we
would discover
more of
his character,
that we
would be
staggered by
his love
and salvation,
that we
would grow
in wisdom.
So those
are the
practices of
wisdom.
But thirdly,
we need to
think for a
moment about
the problem
of wisdom.
So I
wonder if
anybody,
as we were
hearing this
being read,
if you
sensed a
tension
growing within
you.
So these
statements
all sound
like,
here's the
condition,
and then
here's the
consequence.
If X
happens,
then Y
happens.
So just
hear this
again.
My son,
do not
forget my
teaching,
but keep
my commands
in your
heart,
for,
here's the
consequence,
they will
prolong your
life many
years and
bring you
peace and
prosperity.
Here's another
one, here's
the condition
of verse
three,
let love
and faithfulness
never leave
you.
Here's the
consequence,
then you
will win
favor and
a good
name in
the sight
of God
and man.
Verse
seven,
here's the
condition,
do not
be wise
in your
own eyes,
fear the
Lord and
shun evil,
here's the
consequence,
this will
bring health
to your
body and
nourishment
to your
bones.
Do we
sense the
tension?
As we
look at
our own
lives,
as we
look around
at the
world around
us,
is this
how life
always
works?
We know
it's not.
We know
godly
people whose
lives are
cut short.
We know
those who
honor Jesus
and it
does not
bring them
honor and
a good
name.
We know
people who
fear the
Lord and
does not
bring them
health and
wealth.
love.
And so
there is a
problem and
sometimes this
is true and
generally as
people live
God's way we
might expect
this but we
need to
understand that
these are not
fixed laws.
This is not
like a slot
machine.
If I put in
X then
out comes
Y.
There is a
problem.
So we need
to say there
is an order to
the world that
God created and
we absolutely
need to say
that life by
God's design
is and
always will be
the best path
to flourishing
but we also
need to say
that we as
people we have
broken the
moral order
within the
universe.
That ever
since the
Garden of Eden
with Adam
and Eve we
have turned
our back on
the God of
wisdom on
God and his
wisdom.
If wisdom
begins with
fearing and
honoring the
Lord then
folly is
pursuing my
own honor.
It's putting
my own glory
first.
And ever
since Adam
and Eve did
that in the
Garden there's
been an
unraveling.
There's been
a disorder
as a result
of our sin.
So when we
read the book
of Proverbs
in a broken
world as we
recognize this
problem we
cannot expect
to see this
cause and
effect always
play out.
So how do
we read a
book like
the book
of Proverbs?
It's like
any part of
the law.
It exposes
our failures.
Who of us
can say we
have always
kept God's
commands in
our heart?
Who of us
can say we
have always
trusted in the
Lord with
all our
heart?
Who of us
can say in
all our
ways we
submitted to
God?
We've never
sought to be
wise in our
own eyes.
That we've
always honored
the Lord with
our wealth.
We read this
and we
understand we
simply don't
do it and
indeed we
can't keep
the conditions
of wisdom
perfectly.
So it reminds
us of our own
failure and
says to us we
need God's
help, His
mercy, His
grace.
And it
should also
encourage us
to believe
the gospel.
That because
of God's
salvation,
because of
God's Son,
there is a
day when
these wonderful
promises will
come fully
and finally
true.
That takes
us to our
last point,
the person
of wisdom.
To be
wise in
God's eyes,
to think
about the
whole Bible,
begins and
continues with
the Lord
Jesus.
Paul in
his letter
to the
Corinthians
described Jesus
as the
wisdom of
God.
Our
righteousness,
our holiness,
our redemption.
He is God's
wise way for
us to be
saved and
brought into
relationship with
God.
So as we
think about
Jesus, three
things very
briefly.
Think about
the path,
his path,
and Jesus
with us on
the path.
So back to
John 14.
Back in
John 14 when
Jesus was
using wonderful
words to
comfort his
disciples, there
was that
striking statement,
I am the
way, the
truth, and
the life.
Jesus is
saying, I
am.
He is
saying, I
am none
other than
God.
And then
he uses
wisdom
language to
say, as
God, I
am the
truth.
I am the
only truth.
I am the
only path to
life with
God.
He makes a
claim about
himself that
none of
those 10,000
plus books on
the Amazon
bookshelf would
ever dare to
make.
He is the
wisdom we
need to hear.
He is the
Son of God we
need to trust.
He is the
path to
wisdom.
Now let's
think about
his path.
Jesus, the
eternal Son of
God.
What was his
journey?
He left the
glory of
heaven that he
might live
among us.
Jesus is the
only one who
could read the
Proverbs and
say, yes, I
always did my
Father's will.
He is the
one who
perfectly kept
all the
commands, living
with perfect
trust, submitting
always to his
Father's will,
desiring the
Father's honor and
glory always, even
as it led him to
walk the road to
Calvary to die on
the cross.
And there on
the cross, Jesus,
the sinless,
righteous one, is
cut off as if he
were wicked.
He is regarded as
if he were an
unfaithful one.
And so we need to
ask, why that
path?
Why that day?
And the Bible
tells us that it's
God's wisdom.
It's God's wisdom
for your salvation
and mine.
It's God's
gracious response
to our lack of
wisdom.
To listen to the
message the cross
communicates to us
is to hear Jesus
say, do not
lean on your
own understanding.
That you and I
simply do not
have the ability
to enjoy life
with God, to be
saved by
ourselves.
In fact, the
message of the cross
says we are so
wicked and foolish
selfish that
nothing less than
the death of the
sinless son of God
could save us.
That's how deeply
our folly and our
sin runs.
But the message of
the cross also
says, let God's
love and
faithfulness never
leave you.
Recognize, here is
God's gracious,
loving response
to our sin
to give us
salvation.
So we are
invited to trust
him as Lord.
He is the one
who secures
our favor
with God.
That when we
are trusting
in Jesus
it is true
of us
that God the
Father delights
in us as his
children.
When our
faith is in
Jesus
God the
Father loves
us as much
as he loves
his own
precious
son.
Last thing to
think about with
a person of
wisdom.
To recognize
that he is
with us
on the path
of wisdom.
So to walk
in wisdom we
must be walking
with Christ
Jesus.
We must be
trusting him as
Lord and
Savior.
We must be
living daily
in the gospel
of grace,
the wisdom
he provides.
And we
recognize that
God's grace
is so wonderful,
so amazing,
so outrageous,
that the
whole of
our Christian
lives,
the whole
journey of
faith and
growing in
wisdom is
about going
further up
and further
in,
in our
experience of
it.
To read
Proverbs
chapter 3
is to be
reminded that
Jesus is the
only one who
fulfills the
demands of
wisdom.
He lived a
perfectly wise
life, but
also for
us he
secures all
those wonderful
promises.
So in him,
trusting in
him, there
is eternal
peace.
There is
treasure in
heaven.
When he is
our Savior, we
do find favor
with God.
We are given
a place of
honor.
when we
fear him
and trust
him, we
do enjoy,
we will
enjoy the
true and
final healing
of body and
soul in
resurrection
life.
And so
walking the
way of
wisdom is
walking with
Jesus,
putting on
those practices,
loving and
enjoying Jesus
who is for
us the true
wisdom of
God.
let me
pray for
us.
Our
Father in
heaven, we
thank you for
the wisdom of
your word.
We thank you
for the perfect
wisdom of
Jesus, your
Son.
We thank you
that in the
fullness of
your wisdom,
you have
given your
Son to be
our Savior,
that by your
grace, you
have made a
way for us
to be restored
to the life
that we were
made for,
to have our
sins forgiven,
to have peace
with God,
to have eternal
life, to have
joy of knowing
that you are
with us as we
walk through
life's journey.
We do pray that
you would help us
to grow in
wisdom, that we
would put on
these practices
growing in our
knowledge of
our God and
ourselves and of
your word,
that more and
more we might
look like and
enjoy life and
love from Jesus
our Savior.
We pray in his
name.
Amen.
Now, we're
going to sing a
section of Psalm
116.
While we're
singing, our
boys and girls
will rejoin us
and then we
will move
towards the
Lord's table.
But let's
stand together
first of all to
sing this section
of Psalm
116.
Rest, O my
soul, God
has been good
to you.
For you, O
Lord, have
saved my soul
from death,
my feet from
stumbling and
my eyes from
tears, that I
may live for you
while I have
breath.
I trusted in the
Lord, and
then I spoke.
I said in
anguish, I
am sorely
tried, and
in the
very depths
of my
dismay.
All men
are liars,
every one
I cried.
How can I
thank the
Lord for all
he's done,
with gratitude
salvation's
cup I'll
raise.
I'll
call upon
his name
and will
fulfill
my
vows to
him before
his
people's
face.
Please have
a seat.
I want us
to hear
again
two verses
we already
heard from
John 14
and then
one other
verse,
1423.
Actually, I'll
read verse 1.
Do not let
your hearts
be troubled.
You believe
in God,
believe also
in me.
My
Father's
house has
many rooms.
If that
were not so,
would I have
told you that
I am going
there to
prepare a
place for
you?
And if I
go and
prepare a
place for
you, I
will come
back and
take you
to be
with me,
that you
also may
be where
I am.
And then
down in
verse 23,
Jesus said,
anyone who
loves me
will obey
my teaching.
my Father
will love
them and
we will
come to
them and
make our
home with
them.
You put
these together,
what have we
got?
We've got this
beautiful picture,
don't we,
of, first of
all, Jesus
saying God
comes to
make our
heart his
home if we
are believers
in the Lord
Jesus.
He comes to
live in us
until we
are at home
with the
Lord.
It speaks
to us of
life lived
with the
Father and
with his
Son, the
Lord Jesus,
of sharing
love, of
sharing
fellowship.
And that
takes us to
what we're
going to do
in just a few
moments at
the Lord's
table.
God's people
will share
in the
Lord's
Supper.
Jesus will
invite us
to his
table as
his welcomed
and well-loved
guests.
and God's
word promises
that this is
an anticipation
that one day
we will sit
with the
Lord and
eat at
his table
at the
great marriage
supper of
the Lamb.
Eating
together,
being at
home together,
these great
pictures of
love and
personal
fellowship.
That's what
the Lord's
Supper speaks
to us about.
God has
loved us so
much that
he gave
his Son,
the Lord
Jesus,
to die in
our place,
to take our
punishment,
to forgive
our sin,
to give us
eternal life.
God has
poured his
grace and
his love
out on us.
And because
of that,
as we
trust in
Jesus,
we are
invited to
eat as
those who
are welcomed
and well
loved.
And that
in itself
tells us
who this
meal is
for.
Because it's
only for
those who
have received
Jesus as
Lord and
Savior.
It's only for
those who
know his
forgiveness.
It's those
who know we
are sinners
who stand in
need of his
grace.
It's for
those who
have gladly
responded to
his invitation
to love
and friendship.
It's for
those who
know that
the Father
and the Son
by the Spirit
have made
their home
in our
hearts and
we have a
home waiting
for us
in glory.
So let me
say if that's
not true of
you, you're
very welcome
to be here,
but as we
share the
Lord's Supper,
can I ask
you to
please stay
seated?
and may
it be true
that even
today you
may come to
know Jesus
the way, the
truth, and the
life.
If you're here
and you're
exploring truth
and you want
to know more
about Christianity,
please speak to
me.
Please speak to
Keith or one
of our elders.
If you're part
of our church
and you want
to become a
member so
that you can
share the
Lord's Supper
with us,
please speak
to me.
After you get
in touch,
we'd love to
welcome those
who are
followers in
the Lord
Jesus.
But if it
is true of
you that
your love
and your
trust are
in Jesus,
that He is
your Savior,
if you're a
member of
God's church
here or
anywhere,
then please
come, this
meal is for
you.
Now before
we come,
we have an
opportunity to
confess our
faith using
the words of
the Apostles
Creed,
wonderful
words that
remind us of
that unity
that binds
us as
churches, as
Christians,
across history,
across culture,
across languages.
So we can
share these
words together
as the people
of God.
I believe in
God, the
Father Almighty,
creator of
heaven and
earth.
I believe in
Jesus Christ,
His only Son,
our Lord,
who was
conceived by
the Holy Spirit
and born of
the Virgin
Mary.
He suffered
under Pontius
Pilate,
was crucified,
died, and was
buried.
He descended
to hell.
The third day,
He rose again
from the dead.
He ascended to
heaven and is
seated at the
right hand of
God, the
Father Almighty.
From there,
He will come to
judge the living
and the dead.
I believe in
the Holy Spirit,
the Holy
Catholic Church,
the communion
of the saints,
the forgiveness
of sins,
the resurrection
of the body,
and a life
everlasting.
Amen.
So how we do it
in this church,
you'll be ushered
up from the back
to come and to
receive.
There's bread,
and there's wine,
and there's grape
juice.
The wine is the
darker, the
grape juice is
the lighter.
Please hold on
to those, take
them back to
your seat so we
can eat and
drink together
in a few
moments.
Amen.
Here, city call to
members.
Thank you so much.
You are tekki vom
Amen.
We turn to Paul's words in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, where we read,
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, the Lord Jesus.
On the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had broken it, he gave thanks.
Let's pray.
Lord, our God, we thank you for the amazing privilege of gathering around this table,
of being invited by your grace, of you showing such warm love and a welcome to us,
because we come in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Now we come because of his finished work through his death and resurrection.
Now we come claiming covenant promises.
We come because the Spirit has given us new life.
We come because Jesus pleads our case and prays for us.
And we come because we know you're a good and loving Father.
And we thank you for your grace to us in the gospel.
And we thank you for the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus,
for the cost of forgiveness that he was willing to bear,
taking the wrath that we deserve,
suffering the consequences for sin that we should face,
so that in his death we might have life,
that by his wounds we might be healed.
And Lord, we thank you that even now he meets with us,
to draw close to us, to give us grace.
And we thank you for our salvation.
And we pray in Jesus' wonderful name.
Amen.
So when Jesus had given thanks,
he broke the bread and said,
this is my body, which is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
Let's eat together.
Amen.
In the same way, after supper he took the cup,
saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me.
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Let's drink to remember our Lord.
Every time we share the Lord's Supper,
we look back with thankfulness to what Jesus did in history.
Oh, Mount Calvary.
Every time we share the Lord's Supper,
we are reminded of what he still does in us and for us.
Feeding us for that journey of faith.
Giving us wisdom and grace that we need.
And we look ahead to what Jesus is still to do.
That he'll come back and he'll take us to be with him.
That we might be where he is,
always and forever,
to feast with great joy.
Let's pray.
Father, thank you for this simple meal
that speaks such wonderful truth.
We thank you for your grace and your kindness.
And we do pray that this would nourish us spiritually.
That it would feed us.
That we might go into this week
and indeed into the rest of our lives.
And knowing satisfaction,
knowing life,
knowing joy
that comes from knowing Jesus as Savior.
Amen.
Now our closing hymn
is the hymn,
Not My Will But Yours Be Done.
And we're going to stand together to sing.
Amen.
Father, as in heaven, so on earth, my heart is drawn to self-exalting.
Help me seek your kingdom first.
As Jesus walks, O final walk, held by your same unchanging love,
He stilled my vow, O lift your voice and pray, Father, not my wrath, but yours be done.
Oh, in the garden He persisted, I may never fully know.
The fearful weight of true obedience, it was held by him alone.
What wondrous faith to bear that cross, to bear my sin, what wondrous love.
My hope was sure, whether my Savior prayed, Father, not my will, but yours be done.
Amen.
As Jesus rose, so I shall rise in ransom glory at the throne.
My heart restored, with all your sins I sing, Father, not my will, but yours be done.
As we go forth, our God and Father, lead us daily in the fight.
That all the world might see your glory, and your name be lifted high.
And in this name we overcome, for you shall see us safely home.
Now as your church, we lift our voice and pray, Father, not my will, but yours be done.
As we leave the Lord's table, we go with God's promise to be with us, to send us.
Here is benediction from Romans chapter 1, verse 7.
To all who are loved by God and called to be his holy people, grace and peace to you, from God our Father and from the Lord.