Reesource Four - Wisdom
Notes
Transcript
A Sober Mind
A Pure Heart
A Courageous Spirit
God directs a moving vessel and deciding to take the step
Courage is not the absence of fear, but willing to act in spite of the fear
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
James led the church in Jerusalem wisely
Patience and trials - handle with wisdom
If you can’t see this - you lack wisdom
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.
In every decision God has a perspective
What I most need in a decision is God’s perspective - God’s wisdom
Expect to have a conflict between God’s view of circumstances and yours
Don’t default automatically to the way you see it
LEAN NOT TO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING
Building a habit - we step back and seek God’s wisdom and view
I don’t trust my perspective - God sees it all
I have a very narrow of the decision
Doctorate, PHDs, master degrees, master of your field - all this is so limited when compared to the infinite mind and knowledge of God
Like trying to view the Lake District’s beauty through the eye of needle - see some, but miss so much!
The way I view it might be skewed or wrong
Starting with a neutral position that I may be wrong, and not presume I know it all
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Paul prayed for churches that God will enlighten your eyes and show you what He is doing
God will give His perspective
Things would go badly for 1st century Christians, so Paul knew they needed God’s wisdom
PRAY MUCH for wisdom
Smoky Mountain - tower
Those that stopped before the tower missed the sight
The view from the top was so much greater
Make a decision - limited sight - Heavenly Father that can lift you up to see a greater view that is totally different than what the world can see
Godly wisdom before the decision looks foolish, but after the decision looks absolutely fabulous.
Pre-decision
Post-decision - God’s Word unfolding - doing it God’s way
Applied Wisdom
Is 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.
Rom 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Knowledge + Understanding + Applied
See everything you cannot see in the valley
It’s what God would do based upon what He sees - tremendously powerful
God sees the dangers and blessings and offers us in to His view and perspective
Valuing Wisdom
Col 1:9
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Ecc 9:16
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Ecc 7:19
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
Pro 4:5-7
Get wisdom, get understanding: Forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: Love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: And with all thy getting get understanding.
Fools die because they don’t have it.
Pro 10:21
The lips of the righteous feed many: But fools die for want of wisdom.
Pro 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Wisdom is better than any worldly possession
Ecc 9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Pro 16:16
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
Following godly wisdom brings true success
Pro 24:3
Through wisdom is an house builded; And by understanding it is established:
Pro 19:8
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: He that keepeth understanding shall find good.
Wisdom is so valuable that He gave us a whole book focused upon wisdom - Proverbs
Read through Proverbs every week
Obtaining Wisdom
It’s a process of patient growth
No one has arrived
No matter who we are we ALWAYS need wisdom to grow
We’ve never been down this road before
I’ve never parented teenagers
You have wisdom to offer someone else
Col 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
It comes only from God
Jam 3:13-17
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Contrast worldly wisdom to godly wisdom
1 Cor 1:20-25
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Looks foolish in the beginning, but at the end; wow! you got it right
It is counterintuitive
It’s going to against your natural view
1 Cor 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
It is more valuable than higher education
Incredibly educated, but very foolish
Pro 4:7
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: And with all thy getting get understanding.
1 Cor 8:1
Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
Phil 2:5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
It is gained by asking God and belief
James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
It is not sensory - act in faith as you trust God’s wisdom
You step forward with the wisdom God has given you through His Word, counsel, and other sources, and you look back seeing God gave wisdom
You’ll never feel like you have wisdom, but you will always look back
What’s the wise thing to do?
This is a hard question. The HS will lead our hearts and minds and usually it is the harder thing