Thank you all, and thank you Alex for leading us today.
Let's turn in our Bibles please to Proverbs chapter 4.
!
Proverbs chapter 4, we're going to read it all.
It's part of our series that we've been looking at together.
As we think about wisdom and what it means and how we apply it to our lives.
So Proverbs chapter 4, starting in at verse 1.
Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction.
Pay attention and gain understanding.
I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.
For I too was a son to my father, still tender and cherished by my mother.
Then he taught me, and he said to me,
Take hold of my words with all your heart.
Keep my commands, and you will live.
Get wisdom.
Get understanding.
Do not forget my words or turn away from them.
Do not forsake wisdom.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you.
Love her, and she will watch over you.
The beginning of wisdom is this.
Get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have,
Get understanding.
Cherish her, and she will exalt you.
Embrace her, and she will honour you.
She will give you a garland to grace your head,
And present you with a glorious crown.
Listen, my son.
Accept what I say,
And the years of your life will be many.
I instruct you in the way of wisdom,
And lead you along straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered.
When you run, you will not stumble.
Hold on to instruction.
Do not let it go.
Guard it well,
For it is your life.
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked,
Or walk in the way of evildoers.
Avoid it.
Do not travel on it.
Turn from it.
And go on your way.
For they cannot rest until they do evil.
They are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
They eat the bread of the wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
Shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness.
They do not know what makes them stumble.
My son,
Pay attention to what I say.
Turn your ear to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight.
Keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
And health to one's whole body.
Above all else,
Guard your heart,
For everything you do flows from it.
Keep your mouth free from perversity.
Keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead.
Fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet.
And be steadfast in all your ways.
Do not turn to the right or to the left.
Keep your foot from evil.
Well, let's pray together.
The voice of the Lord is powerful.
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
Father, by your spirit and through your voice,
Through these words that we have just read,
May they cause a transformation of our hearts,
And an eagerness to follow you,
And an assurance of glory to come.
Help us now, we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, from the moment we waken in the morning,
A hundred voices are vying for our attention.
TikTok, Facebook, Instagram.
Every ping is an effort to get our attention.
Read this.
Watch this.
Hear this.
TV adverts.
Netflix series.
Online influencers.
The world is just one big megaphone of noise,
Shouting,
Stop!
Listen to me!
Podcasts and books and novels.
All these voices,
Clamming for our attention.
Just recently,
I heard about a primary school teacher known to me,
Who asked the boys in her class,
Who would you like to be when you grow up?
This is primary school.
The first boy answered,
Andrew Tate.
The second said,
Conor McGregor.
Now, if you've never heard of these people,
Brilliant.
You've missed absolutely nothing.
Both are millionaires with thousands of followers.
Tate is facing charges of trafficking and prostitution.
McGregor,
Well, he was recently charged with rape.
Tragically,
The hearts and minds of two little primary school boys have been captured by listening to unhealthy voices.
So the question is,
Who are we listening to?
What voice has captured our heart?
Who do we listen to when we want comfort?
What words fill our hearts today?
Well, amidst all the noise in this world,
We have another voice.
The voice of a father to a son.
Look at verse 1.
Listen, my sons.
Pay attention.
Verse 10.
Listen, my son.
Accept what I say.
Turn your ears to my words.
Listen.
Solomon, the author of Proverbs,
Is saying loud and clear,
Pay attention to what I have to say.
But why should we listen?
Well, first we must understand that Solomon's words are not his own words.
They're actually part of a tradition that have been passed down through the generations.
So look at verse 3.
Solomon writes,
For I too was a son to my father.
Well, who was Solomon's father?
Well, in case you don't know,
Go back to chapter 1, verse 1.
Chapter 1, verse 1.
The Proverbs of Solomon,
Son of David,
Who was the king of Israel.
Let's go back to chapter 4, verse 3.
So Solomon says,
So I too was a son to my father,
That is, King David,
Still tender and cherished by my mother.
Then he, King David,
Taught me,
And he said to me,
Take hold of my words with all your heart.
Keep my commands,
And you will live.
So King David,
King David,
Passes on words to Solomon,
And Solomon passes on those same words to his sons.
So the question is,
Well, where did David get his words of wisdom?
Well, keep your finger in Proverbs,
And go back to Deuteronomy,
Chapter 17.
Deuteronomy, chapter 17.
So Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy, chapter 17.
And here,
We are told of instructions
That God gives to the king.
Let's pick it up in chapter 17, verse 18.
Here is God's command to the king.
Verse 18,
When he takes the throne of his kingdom,
He is to write for himself on a scroll,
A copy of this law,
Taken from that of the Levitical priests.
That is God's law.
Verse 19,
It is to be with him,
And he is to read it
All the days of his life,
So that he may learn to revere the Lord his God,
And follow carefully
All the words of this law,
And these decrees.
Let's go back to Proverbs.
You see,
David is passing on God's word to Solomon.
And Solomon is passing on God's words to his son.
And so it goes to the tradition down through the generations.
And here we are today,
Reading these same words,
Because we are to listen to the voice of God.
We are to be listening to his words,
Words that are written down for us.
Because in God's word is the wisdom that we all need for life.
As we've been saying to summarise the book of Proverbs,
Wisdom is God's word to live God's way in God's world.
So what is God saying to us today?
Well, those three headings of listen in verse 1 and 10 and 20,
Divide the text up very well and cleanly for us.
So first of all,
God says,
Get wisdom.
Verse 5.
Get wisdom.
Get understanding.
This has been the message all the way through from the very beginning.
Just look back at chapter 2, verse 4.
Chapter 2, verse 4.
Look for it.
That is,
Look for wisdom as you do for silver.
Search for it as for hidden treasure.
Chapter 3, verse 13.
Blessed are those who find wisdom,
Those who gain understanding.
For she is more profitable than silver
And yields better returns than gold.
Now in chapter 4,
The pursuit of wisdom goes to another level altogether.
Look at verse 7 of chapter 4.
The beginning of wisdom is this.
Get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have.
Get wisdom.
Do everything you can
To get the wisdom of God's word
Into your life.
Whatever it costs you,
There is no value
On the worth and the treasure
Of God's word.
Getting wisdom
Is like a young man
Pursuing the love of his life.
When I first met Kirsty,
It was very clear
That I wanted to marry her.
Although Kirsty says
She doesn't remember
The first time that we met.
Bit of an argument there.
And in my efforts to woo her,
I did the most generous
And kindest of things
I could possibly do.
I gave her,
Listen to this,
My bank card.
Kirsty was a student.
I was working.
So in an effort to
Win her heart,
I gave her
All the treasures
That I had.
The problem was,
When she gave me back
The bank card,
Well, it was all but gone.
I had about four pounds left.
She had cleaned me out.
Was it worth it?
Yes, it was.
You see, wisdom
Is the greatest treasure
That we can have.
And in verse 6,
It's personified as a woman
To be pursued
With all our life.
Verse 6,
Do not forsake wisdom.
And she
Will protect you.
Get wisdom.
Do whatever it takes.
If it costs all the treasures you own,
Spend it and make sure
You get wisdom.
End of verse 6,
Love her
And she will watch over you.
Verse 8,
Cherish her
And she will exalt you.
Embrace her
And she
Will honour you.
Make it your life's ambition,
Your ultimate desire,
Your one goal.
Pursue the wisdom
Of God's word
And get it into your life.
And here's why.
Verse 9,
She,
Wisdom,
Will give you a garland
To grace your head
And present you
With a glorious crown.
The garland was that
Wreath that was presented
To the athlete
Who won the race
Or won the fight.
A champion's crown.
The gold medal.
Well,
Get wisdom into your life
And you will be like
A successful champion.
Get the word of God
Into your life
And it will go well for you.
But you know what?
There's a much better
And greater reason
Why we should get wisdom.
Not just so that life
Will go well for us.
But because
In getting wisdom
It leads
To Jesus.
You see,
Scripture tells us
That Jesus is
God's wisdom
In person.
1 Corinthians
Chapter 1
Verse 24
Tells us that
Christ
Is the power
Of God.
And he is the
Wisdom
Of God.
Jesus
Is
God's wisdom
In perfect
Humanity.
So we are to
Listen
To the words
Of Jesus.
God's wisdom
Itself.
Keep your finger
In Proverbs
And let's go to
Mark's
Gospel
Chapter 8
Mark's
Gospel
Chapter 8
Mark's
Gospel
Chapter 8
And verse
34
Listen
To Jesus
Speak
Listen
To his
Wisdom
Verse 34
Then he
Called the
Crowd to him
Along with his
Disciples
And said
Whoever
Wants to be
My disciple
Must deny
Themselves
Take up
Their cross
And follow me
For whoever
Wants to
Save their
Life
Will lose
It
But whoever
Loses
Their life
For me
And for
The gospel
Will save
It
Jesus is
Saying
Surrender
Your life
To me
And you
Will save
Your life
Trust
In me
And I
Will give
You life
In all
Its fullness
I will
Forgive you
Of all
Your sins
Lose
Your life
To me
And you
Will
Gain
Life
Though it
Cost
All you
Have
Even if
It should
Cost
All your
Life
Let
Your life
Go
Surrender
It
Because in
Doing so
You will
Gain the
Greatest
Treasure
Of all
Jesus
Himself
Let's go
Back to
Proverbs
Jim
Elliot
You may
Have heard
Of him
Back in
The 1950s
A young
Married
Man
Set out
With
Four other
Missionaries
To reach
The
Yauka
Indians
In the
Forests
Of Ecuador
And instead
Of being
Welcomed
By those
People
They were
All killed
Why did
Jim
Do it
Why did
He go
He knew
It was
Dangerous
He knew
It would
Cost his
Life
Or could
Cost his
Life
But an
Entry
Into his
Diary
Helps us
Explain
Why he
Was willing
To
He wrote
These words
He is
No fool
Who gives
What he
Cannot
Keep
To gain
What he
Cannot
Lose
He is
No fool
Who gives
What he
Cannot
Keep
To gain
What he
Cannot
Lose
You see
As a
Young man
Jim
Had surrendered
His life
To Jesus
He couldn't
Keep his
Life
But he
Gave
Of his
Life
Because he
Knew
That without
Jesus
He had
Nothing
Though it
Cost him
His
Very
Life
Through it
All he
Saved
His
Life
And that's
What Jesus
Is saying
To us
Today
Entrust
Your
Life
To me
Though it
Might cost
You
Friendships
Though it
Might cost
You a
Career
Path
Though it
Might cost
You your
Dreams
Though it
Might cost
You your
Life
It is
Worth it
All
Because you
Gain
The greatest
Person
Ever
The God
Man
Jesus
Christ
With you
Forever
Get
Wisdom
Get the
Word of
God into
Your life
Because God's
Word will
Lead you
To Jesus
So get
Wisdom
Second
Follow
Wisdom
Verse
10
Listen
My son
Accept
What I
Say
Verse
11
I
Instruct
You
In the
Way
Of
Wisdom
And lead
You
Along
Straight
Paths
Wisdom
Is the
Path
That is
Going
To
Lead
Us
Through
Life
In
Fact
Verse
13
Hold
On
To
Instruction
Hold
On
To
Wisdom
Don't
Let
It
Go
Guard
It
Well
For
It
Is
Your
Life
Follow
The
Path
Of
Wisdom
And
You
Will
Have
Life
But
Let's
Be
Very
Clear
At
The
Same
Time
We
Need
To
Be
So
Careful
That
We
Don't
Walk
The
Wrong
Path
There
Is
The
Path
Of
Wisdom
But
Verse
14
Do
Not
Set
Foot
On
The
Path
Of
The
Wicked
Or
Walk
In
The
Way
Of
Evil
Doers
Those
Who
Have
No
Time
For
God's
Word
Avoid
It
Do
Not
Travel
On
It
Turn
From
It
And
Go
On
Your
Way
Don't
Loiter
Don't
Loiter
Hanging
Around
Tiptoeing
Around
The
Edges
Get
Away
From
It
Go
On
Your
Way
You
See
We
All
Have
A
Choice
To
Make
Every
Day
We're
All
Hearing
Voices
That
Promise
Us
Life
And
Happiness
And
Joy
Voices
That
Say
Follow
Me
Have
Me
So
What
Path
Are
We
Going
To
Walk
Will
We
Follow
The
Path
Of
God's
Wisdom
Or
Are
We
Going
To
Follow
The
Path
Of
The
Wicked
The
Voices
That
We
Listen
To
Will
Determine
Which
Path
We
Are
On
And
Which
Direction
We
Will
Go
Verse
18
The
Path
Of
The
Righteous
Is
Like
The
Morning
Sun
Shining
Ever
Brighter
Till
The
Full
Light
Of
Day
But
The
Way
Of
The
Wicked
Is
Like
Deep
Darkness
They
Do
Not
Know
What
Makes
Them
Stumble
Listen
To
God's
Word
And
It
Will
Be
Verse
18
Full
Light
To
Your
Life
You
Will
Walk
A
Path
Where
You
Will
Not
Stumble
And
Fall
God's
Word
Will
Enable
You
To
Walk
Rightly
But
Reject
The
Voice
Of
God
And
It
Will
Be
Like
Verse
19
Deep
Darkness
We
Will
Walk
A
Path
That
Is
Full
Of
Danger
But
There's
Another
And
Better
Greater
Reason
Why
We
Should
Follow
Wisdom
Because
It
Leads
To
Glory
Jesus
As
We
Have
Seen
Is
God's
Wisdom
He
Is
The
One
That
We
Listen
To
Go
With
Me
Please
Again
To
John's
Gospel
Chapter
8
You
Can
Keep
Your
Finger
In
Proverbs
John
Chapter
8
And
Again
Here
We
Listen
To
The
Voice
Of
Wisdom
John
Chapter
8
Verse
12
When
Jesus
Spoke
Again
To
The
People
He
Said
I
Am
The
Light
Of
The
World
Whoever
Follows
Me
Will
Never
Walk
In
Darkness
But
Will
Have
The
Light
Of
Life
Let's
Go
Back to
Proverbs
You
See
Follow
Jesus
And
We
Leave
The
Path
Of
Darkness
And
We
Walk
A
Path
Of
Light
!
You
Go
On
In
Your
Hike
The
Sun
Rises
Higher
And
The
Path
Becomes
Clearer
Brighter
And
Brighter
The
Sun
Blazes
Till
At
Last
You
Arrive
At
Your
Destination
The
Light
The
Light
Of
The
Sun
Shining
Down
On
Your
Path
Enabling
You
To
Reach
Your
Destination
Well
Jesus
Is
Saying
To
Us
Today
Follow
Me
I
Am
The
Path
I
Am
The
Light
That
You
Need
For
This
Dark
World
I
Have
Overcome
The
Darkness
I
Have
Overcome
Sin
And
Death
I
Have
Defeated
It
All
Walk
With
Me
And
The
Darkness
In
Your
Life
Will
Be
Dispelled
But
Don't
Delay
Don't
Wait
Until
It
Is
Too
Late
Don't
Wait
Until
The
Light
Goes
Off
Jesus
Reminds
Us
In
The
Same
Gospel
Of
John
He
Says
You
Are
Going
To
Have
The
Light
Just
A
Little
While
Longer
Walk
While
You
Have
The
Light
Before
Darkness
Overtakes
You
Jesus
Is
Warning
Us
His
Voice
Of
Wisdom
A
Day
Is
Coming
When
The
Light
Will
Turn
To
Darkness
Dawn
Will
Become
Dusk
Day
Will
Become
Night
A
Day
Of
Deep
Darkness
Awaits
Us
If
We
Do
Not
Keep
To
The
Path
Judgment
And
Death
And
Separation
From
The
God
Of
Light
For
All
Eternity
Hell
It
So
Walk
With
Me
Says
Jesus
Follow
Me
And
You
Will
Enjoy
The
Light
Of
Glory
Verse
18
The
Path
Of
The
Righteous
Is
Like
The
Morning
Sun
Shining
Ever
Brighter
Till
The
Full
Light
Of
Day
If
You
Are
Trusting
In
Jesus
Then
One
Day
The
Full
Light
Of
God
In
All
Its
Glorious
Beauty
Will
Shine
Across
Your
Path
Darkness
And
Death
Will
Be
No
More
Our
Journey
Will
End
And
We
Will
Enjoy
God
For
All
Eternity
Follow
Wisdom
Walk
Its
Path
Because
It
Leads
To
Glory
So
Let
Us
Get
Wisdom
Let
Us
Follow
Wisdom
And
Third
Let
Us
Keep
Wisdom
Is
So
Precious
Greater
Than
Silver
Or
Gold
God's
Word
Wisdom
Itself
Leads
Us
To
The
Person
Of
Jesus
Who
In
Turn
Leads
Us
To
Glory
Wisdom
Is
Our
Life
So
Therefore
It
Makes
Sense
Doesn't
It
That
We
Keep
Wisdom
That
We
Don't
Let
It
Go
And
How
Are
We
Going
To
Keep
Wisdom
Well
It's
Going
To
Take
A
Whole
Life
Commitment
It'll
Take
Our
Whole
Bodies
To
Keep
Wisdom
Look
At
Verse
20
Look
At
The
Parts
Of
The
Body
How
We
Are
To
Engage
The
Ear
Verse
20
My
Son
Pay
Attention
To
What
I
Say
Turn
Your
Ear
To
My
Words
The
Heart
Verse
21
Keep
Them
Within
Your
Heart
The
Mouth
Verse
24
Keep
Your
Mouth
Free
From
Perversity
The
Eyes
Verse
25
Fix
Your
Eyes
Fix
Your
Gaze
The
Feet
Verse
26
Give
Careful
Thought
To
The
Paths
For
Your
Feet
The
Members
Of
Our
Body
Are
Like
An
Army
Of
Body
Guards
Every
Part
Of
Us
Our
Ears
What
We
Listen
To
Our
Eyes
What
We're
Watching
Our
Mouths
What
We're
Talking
About
Our
Hearts
What
We
Desire
Our
Feet
Where
We
Walk
Are
All
To
Be
Engaged
As
Bodyguards
Guarding
And
Keeping
Wisdom
You
See
Keeping
Wisdom
Guarding
Wisdom
Will
Lead
To
Protection
Of
Your
Life
Look
At
Verse
23
With
Me
Above
All
Else
Guard
Your
Heart
For
Everything
You
Do
Flows
From
It
Well
Is
There
A
Difference
About
Keeping
Wisdom
Guarding
Wisdom
No
He's
Not
Talking
About
Different
Things
Because
Guarding
Our
Heart
Is
The
Ultimate
Way
In
Which
We
Keep
And
Guard
Wisdom
as you follow Jesus and wait for glory.
Think of your heart as a great big turbocharged engine.
An engine that has power to drive you and push you on.
Well, it needs diesel.
It needs petrol.
Well, in the same way, we are to pour into our hearts,
into the engine of our life, the fuel of God's word,
so that it will keep you motoring on the right path.
Fill up with God's word,
and it will keep you from going off the wrong path.
You see, fueling and filling our hearts with God's word
will enable us to follow Jesus as we wait for glory.
It will help us to make wise and right choices.
Keeping wisdom in your heart will protect your life.
So how are we going to get God's word,
this book that you're looking at and reading and we're listening to,
how are we going to get this word into our hearts?
Well, as we've already seen,
it will take our whole bodies to be engaged.
Practically, five simple and quick things that we can do together
as we walk with Jesus and wait for glory.
Here's the first one.
Listen to God's word.
Verse 20.
My son, pay attention to what I say.
Turn your ear to my words.
Simple.
We've got to be people of the book,
regularly listening to what God's word has to say.
Second,
store up God's word.
Verse 21.
Do not let them,
the words of God's wisdom,
out of your sight.
Keep them within your heart.
Store up God's word.
Fill it and fill it and fill it
so that in every circumstances,
in every stage of your life,
God's word will be instructing you.
Verse 24.
Talk about God's word.
Instead of using your mouth for perversity,
talk about God's word with one another,
how it encourages you
and how it will help them.
Verse 25.
Reflect or gaze on God's word.
Let your eyes look straight ahead.
Fix your gaze directly before you.
Meditate on God's word.
And then verse 27.
Walk in God's word.
Do not turn to the right or to the left.
Keep your foot from evil.
Listen to what it says
and obey it.
God's word.
This is God's wisdom.
It is precious.
Greater than any treasure,
than silver or gold.
Whatever it costs you in your life,
give it all to get God's word in your heart.
Why?
Because it leads you to Jesus
who will lead you to glory.
Keep wisdom in your heart
and it will protect you.
Let's pray.
Father,
two things
we want to say to you.
sorry
for ignoring your word,
for not listening,
for not storing it up as we should,
for not talking about it to others,
and for not obeying it.
for not knowing your word,
and secondly,
we ask
that you would give us a hunger
and a thirst
for your word
because we long
to know Jesus,
to follow in his path,
that we may go to glory.
Father,
protect our hearts
by your word
and by your spirit,
we pray
and help us.
In Jesus' name,
we all pray.
Amen.
Well, we're going to sing.
God's word
leads us
to Jesus
who in turn
leads us
to glory.
And so the song
we finish with today
is
we're almost
home.
It is God's word
and we're going to sing.