Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Keys to Wisdom, Part 1

Theme: Grasping the Wisdom of God

“Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.

Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.

Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.”

(Proverbs 4:7-8)

God’s wisdom is what the child of God needs to help him to understand his spiritual resources and exercise his gifts under the influence of agape love.

Proverbs chapter four comprises of three discourses on the value of instruction, exhortation, command, and motivation.

The whole of Scripture gives us some practical applications that can be accomplished by all who are searching for wisdom.

This resource, wisdom, is not like the gifts of the Holy Spirit that are given as He determines.

(1 Corinthians 12:11) All who are willing to pay the cost to getting understanding, embrace and esteem this wonderful resource from God can enjoy wisdom.

Jesus taught a lot about the two master disciplines of “hearing and doing” which when applied whole heartedly, enables the child of God to live a life of stability and be useful in the purposes of God.

I would propose to you that God’s wisdom is what the child of God needs to help him to understand his spiritual resources and exercise his gifts under the influence of agape love.

God’s wisdom enables him, and the Body of Christ he serves, enjoy that abundant life promised in Christ Jesus.

Just what preparations need to be made in the heart of the child of God, in order for him to enjoy the blessings of having God’s wisdom?

The Christian who takes Jesus seriously will pay the cost of pain staking study of God’s Word.

As he studies he finds that there are four basic disciplines to making the two master disciplines of hearing and doing a practical part of his Christian walk.

They are 1.) Attention.

2.) Meditation.

3.) Obedience.

And 4.) Endurance.

In this message we will come to understand attention and meditation.

It is a necessity that we have an awakening in our hearts on what it really takes to have intimacy with the Lord.

Attention, meditation, obedience and endurance were fluent in the life of Christ.

All these require a willingness to be disciplined so we can beat the flesh that so wants to rule in our hearts.

Our response to the Word of God determines our relationship with God, with Christ and fellowship in the Holy Spirit.

It is a necessity that we have an awakening in our hearts on what it really takes to have intimacy with the Lord.

You only have so much energy.

Therefore, Christians must not spend time filling their minds with stuff that feed the flesh.

Pleasing the flesh causes you to burn up energy that is needed for the study of, meditating on and putting into practice God’s Word.

Every minute you spend reading or watching anything you’re burning energy.

Make sure you have energy for the Lord in your day.

The child of God must not only watch the amount of energy he is burning but also be aware of his attitude and response to the written Word of God.

Christians must literally have a marriage relationship with Christ as Him being the husband and we being the bride.

Consider with me this marriage relationship.

All of us get stuff in the mail and if you are like me, you sometimes briefly look through it, and then toss it.

Now, they are not going to be broken hearted over the fact that we did not reply to their response card.

They fully expect that to happen more often than not.

You or I have not been convicted by the Holy Spirit for our actions because we have never established a relationship with them.

Remember, we are considering the marriage relationship.

Suppose one of the spouses in any marriage left a note, leaving some sort of instructions expressing something that is important to them and is good for the welfare of the family as well.

Suppose this spouse puts the note were their other spouse could see it.

Consider how the spouse would feel if the other one in the marriage relationship just half heartedly looked at the note or disregards it.

What if the spouse reads the note but chooses not to meditate upon what it says or stay steadfast as to accomplish the request?

What if the spouse just chooses to disobey the instructions?

If this attitude continues on, what would that do in regards to intimacy in the marriage relationship?

You would have just two people living under one roof.

The relationship would be crushed, scarred and cold.

Christians who feel that their relationship with the Lord is growing cold or that God is far from them are Christians who are disregarding God’s Word.

They are not giving attention to, meditating upon, obeying or enduring through what God has called them to do.

They know God’s Word is around, they may glance at it, they may even read it once in a while, but they are not seeking to gain revelation from nor are they praying for illumination of the Word of God in their lives.

A man cannot go around his house quoting “[Wife,] submit to your [husband.]”

(Ephesians 5:22) Until he has given attention to, meditated upon, strived to obey and endured through, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.” (Ephesians 5:25) Just quoting Scripture in the marriage relationship does not bring intimacy, even if it is on marriage.

Just quoting or knowing God’s Word does not bring intimacy in a relationship with the Lord or enable you to have fellowship in the Holy Spirit.

Just speaking forth “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

(James 1:5)

This will not birth forth a love relationship with God or Christ and immediately give you wisdom.

Godliness is not the results of responding to Biblical principles, but responding to the Person Jesus Christ.

It begins with loving Christ as He loves you and doing whatever it takes to understand what He expects of you.

The child of God who wants to walk in the wisdom of God will not ignore God’s Word, he will be prayerfully reading it and obeying it.

Mankind will give their attention to someone and determining who gets your attention is the first issue that must be settled before you are going to enjoy the wisdom of God.

Once the child of God has allowed the Holy Spirit to awaken his heart to what needs to be done to have intimacy with the Lord, then he can begin to apply the four basic disciplines, the first one being “Attention:”

The Psalmist wrote, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding…” (Ps.

111:10) Mankind will give their attention to someone and determining who gets your attention is the first issue that must be settled before you are going to enjoy the wisdom of God.

Many Bible teachers believe that “Lady Wisdom” in Proverbs 1:20 is a plea of Christ.

It says, “Wisdom calls aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in the public squares.”

The Christian who has ears to hear turns toward God because His Word says, “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

(Proverbs 2:6) He stores up sound wisdom for the upright.”

(Proverbs 2:7 NAS) King Solomon writes through divine inspiration, “My son, give attention to my Wisdom.

Incline your ear to my understanding.”

(Proverbs 5:1)

Never, in Proverbs is a man advised to listen to his own heart or to the heart of his peers.

He is warned not to listen to seductive women, to crowds and mobs, to companions bent on being destructive and wasteful, or to evil men.

Christians must understand that the cornerstone of wisdom is dependent upon a submissive heart that shows giving attention to God.

It is important to note that God will give direction through true God fearing parents and men and woman who have proven faithful to the Word of God.

When these people speak it is wise to listen.

If you are in the middle of a mine field, you will give attention to the man who holds the map that shows were every mine is placed.

You will let him tell you were to place each foot until you get out of that mine field.

You are standing in the middle of the field of life.

The flesh, the world and the devil have placed mines around that can cause you harm and even death.

It is time to give attention to the God who is all knowing, loving and trust worthy until you step out of this life into heaven with Him.

The Lord wants the Word of God to literally become so much of a part of our lives that we meditate on his word daily, not just at a Bible study or in church on Sunday morning.

Along with giving attention, the Child of God must apply the basic discipline of meditation.

The Bible says “…Lay 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 swerve from them.” (Proverbs 4:4-5)

The Lord wants the Word of God to literally become so much of a part of our lives that we meditate on his word daily, not just at a Bible study or in church on Sunday morning.

The Christian’s goal is to think Biblically.

He is to ask himself, “Is what I am hearing, thinking, saying and living in agreement with the Bible?”

The Word of God should be so much in his heart that he begins to think like Christ.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 2:5 KJV)

In the practical discipline of meditation, there are just things you do not forget.

Christians who are healthy don’t forget their phone number, e-mail or often-visited websites.

They do not forget the names of their children or parents or important appointments.

They do not forget them because they make it a point to think on these things through out their day and during their life time.

Consider if a man wants to please his wife, and if he really wants to have intimacy in their marriage, he must do some research on what she likes and even what could cause her irritations or a broken heart.

A husband who loves his wife is like Christ who loved the church.

This man will understand that there are things that he does not want to forget because of the importance of his wife to him.

This husband will stop, think, and consider before moving on in life.

For example he does not buy her something that she is allergic to or give her something that he likes and then hopes and prays that she would someday love it.