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Sermon
The Way of Wisdom

The Benefits Of Wisdom

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March 26, 2023
Proverbs 2:1-22
Steven Lee
Pastor for Preaching & Vision

Wisdom & Discernment

Identity in Christ

World Religions & False Teaching

Transcript

0:12Good morning. Let me encourage you to leave your Bibles open to Proverbs 2 will be referring to it throughout the sermon this morning. It's good to be together as We Gather. So why don't you join me as we pray now and ask God for help. Our Father in heaven Cause your word to come alive in our hearts and Minds In This Moment now so that we would Delight in your word and we would Delight in your ways. May our obedience to your commands result in joy in Christ and life Everlasting. We pray this in Jesus name. amen today in our lives we have tons and tons of voices clamoring for our attention If you want to lose a few pounds and you Google it, you'll get all sorts of recommendations.

1:22Either carnivore diet you eat a keto diet go vegan low carb low carb Whole30 Mediterranean diet. If you ask your friends, they'll say well I tried intermittent fasting or time restricted eating or exercise more with high intensity interval training or another friend might say you got to lift more weights or take more walks or sleep a little bit more. Another friend might say well you really got to try ice baths. That's the new craze and cold showers or just take a pill take ozympic and you'll be fine. The same is true when it comes to life. There are. So many voices that are speaking in saying this is how you live a good life.

2:10And discernment is needed and it's the need for discernment is greater than ever. So. Which voices should we prioritize? Which voices are the most beneficial which voices in our lives? Should we obey which voices have our joy and our good in view? Who should we trust? That's the critical question that set before us this morning in Proverbs 2. It's the plea of a father to a son saying walk in the way. of wisdom walk in God's ways. Because those are the ways that lead to life. It's like the words of Jesus where Jesus says enter by the narrow gate. Because the gates wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction.

3:05And yet the gate that leads to life is narrow. So the question for us this morning is Our God's ways truly best. I think that's what Proverbs 2 tries to answer for us this morning Our God's ways truly best because if they are then we're gonna listen to God's voice. We're gonna listen to God's ways. We're gonna listen to God's wisdom and we'll walk in those ways but if deep down we don't actually believe God's ways are best. Then well maybe read the word but we won't obey the word. Will be those who hear the word but don't become doers of the word Because deep down. We're not convinced at the end of the day that God's word is true.

3:55So this morning Proverbs 2 tries to convince us of the benefits of following God Proverbs 2 is about here are the benefits of following God in the main point is this That following God is the path of joy and blessing joy and blessing come in Walking In God's wisdom. There are great benefits and rewards and unspeakable Joys that come in following God. And the flip side of that is true as well. There is incredible ruin and heartache if you forsake Gods ways, so the aim of this text. the aim of the sermon Is that we would listen to God? And not only that we would see the benefits of wisdom. But ultimately we would see the beauty of Jesus this morning.

4:52That we want to build our life upon the wisdom and the ways and the world view revealed in God's word and ultimately in his son Jesus. Jesus is wisdom incarnate and we're called not just to receive and pay attention to some concept. But to receive a person. And to trust a person and that is Jesus. so Proverbs 2 Gives us three benefits to wisdom and let me just break down the kind of flow of the text because we had a long text that was just read for us. If you'll see in verse 1 there's an if my son if you receive my words and throughout one through four we get these repeated if statements and then we see then in verse 5.

5:41Beginning of verse 5 then you see it again in verse 9. So essentially there's two paths the way of wisdom and the way of Destruction and the father saying take the way of wisdom and within the way of Destruction that there's two tempters the man of folly and the Forbidden woman. So that's kind of the broad outline. And what we're going to do is look at verses 1 through 4, and then we'll see the three benefits of wisdom and then tie it up at the end with the summary in verses 20 to 22. So first we want to see this call to seek God's wisdom in verses 1 through 4. We get eight ways of rephrasing almost essentially the same thing with this if Clause so, look there verse 1 my son. If you receive my words treasure up my Commandments with you making your ear attentive to wisdom inclining your heart to understanding call out for insight Raise Your Voice for understanding seek it like silver.

6:44And search for it as hidden treasure. So eight different ways of kind of getting at this main point of this Dad looking at his son saying son. You have a choice to make You can either go in the way of Darkness or you can go in the way of wisdom, but there is no. Middle Ground you can't straddle the fence on this one. And so these eight different ways are just continuing to highlight. That he's to listen and receive and accept and yearn for and treasure this wisdom what the father is saying in these eight things is go all in on God's ways. Go all in on God's ways. You can't live with one foot in the world. And one foot in the church one foot in God's ways and one foot in the ways of wickedness go all in.

7:40a little foolishness corrupts a whole person That's what the father is trying to highlight for this son. Just a little bit of foolishness in your life will lead to ruin. You can't just Harbor a little bit of foolishness and think but the rest of my life, I'll follow God right? It's like this illustration I once heard If I had a glass of water just imagine one right here. And I said I put a very microscopic amount of human waste into the water. Very tiny. You can't taste it. You can't see it. It's very very little Would you drink it? Well, no. a little bit contaminates and corrupts the entire thing. You can't Harbor a little bit of foolishness following the ways of the world and expect that your life will go well.

8:36So the sun is to choose the path of God's wisdom and God's ways he's to receive it and heat it and Obey it and seek after it and call out for it and value it like treasure eagerly and fervently and urgently he's to seek out this wisdom for living and the question for us then is why why should this young man? Listen to his father? Why should we this morning? Follow God's ways. What are the benefits of following God's ways. And so that's what the rest of this passage seeks to illuminate for us this morning. So the first benefit to obtaining wisdom in verses 5 through 8 is to know God the benefit is that we can know God.

9:23Look at verse 5. He says then so here we get the ifs and then now that then the statement then you will understand the fear of the Lord. And find the knowledge of God. You'll understand what it really looks like to fear God to Revere God you'll see God rightly and understand how you as your as his creature approach this fearsome God to Revere him and to come in awe and then he says and you will find the knowledge of God. That's the very first benefit of seeking after God seeking after his ways seeking after his son. Jesus is that you will be able to know God. And I don't know if we realize how astounding that is we can know who God is.

10:20What matters more than anything in the world? Is not what you know about God. But whether you know God. And when we know God we can see ourselves rightly in light of the creator. And this is a huge problem in our world today people stand in front of the mirror and they say my parents told me I was a boy and it looks like I'm a boy, but I don't feel like I'm a boy and so I must be a girl. People have lost their minds because they don't know their creator who says they are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. And only when you recognize that there is a Creator who has designed you fashioned you and he's made you for his glory to reflect who he is.

11:15And then we just see ourselves through the funhouse mirror of the world distorted and corrupted and confused about who God has made us to be. We can know God because of what verse 6 says. Look at verse 6 for the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding he stores up sound wisdom for the upright. So what does that mean that if we lack wisdom we go to the very source of wisdom, which is God himself and we remember James 1:5 if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given to him if you seek after God. You will find him.

12:01And if you seek wisdom from God you will ultimately find God. That's the benefit of seeking wisdom. Is that you will know God now additionally. There's the second half of this benefit in knowing god. We are known by God and we're protected by God. Look at verse 7. He says he stores up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in Integrity guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his Saints. It means that God not only knows you but he's watching over you. He's protecting you you see that he's a shield to those who walk in Integrity. He guards the path he watches over the way of his Saints.

12:46God watches over those who walk in his wisdom. It just recall calls to mind Psalm 121 for me. Where it says the Lord is your keeper. The Lord is your shade on your right hand the sun shall not strike you by day nor the Moon by Night the Lord will keep you from all evil. He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and you're coming in from this time forth and forever more. So while the world says following God, come on guys, you're on the wrong side of History following God's ways God's ways are outdated God's ways our backwards God's ways our hateful. God's word tells us that knowing fault knowing God's ways walking in God's ways lead to knowing god and even being protected by God and so here's the choice that lies before us and our young people in particular the world lays out before us this massive feast.

13:49If this big long table, and it's full of cotton candy. Different colors different flavors different, you know shaped like a elephant cotton candy just tons and tons of cotton candy and the world has taken eat. Enjoy yourself passion fruit flavored cotton candy and watermelon flavored cotton candy and if you consume enough you'll feel sick. And It ultimately leads to death and starvation. in opposition on the other hand God's word says He makes known to us. life at his right hand are Pleasures Forever More in his presence is fullness of joy. So that's the benefit the beauty of following God's ways.

14:40So this morning? Do you want to live a life of joy? Do you want to Avoid a lifetime of guilt and shame. Seek God Walk in his ways and ultimately take hold of put your hope in the embodiment of wisdom, which is Christ himself. Now this leads to our second benefit of wisdom in verses 9 to 15. The first was to know God the second is to avoid folly or to not be a fool to avoid Folly. Look at verse 9. It says then you will understand righteousness and Justice and Equity every good path for wisdom will come into your heart knowledge will be pleasant to your soul discretion will watch over you understanding will guard you.

15:30So not only will we know God but I think it's trying to draw out here that will actually know what's right from wrong. Well understand righteousness and Justice in equity and wisdom will come into our heart. So not only will we know right and wrong but we'll actually internalize those very truths. It comes into our heart. So God's wisdom gives us insight to discern. What is right and what is wrong? And that that's what plagues our world today you guys. Remember Jonah Jonah goes to the ninevites doesn't want to preach finally preaches big fish all that. Right? And what does God say right at the end chapter 4 Chapter four verse 11 and should I not pity Nineveh that great city and what was wrong with this city?

16:17In which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left. They don't know God so they don't know what is right and what is wrong and they're completely blind to that fact. And that's why they needed Jonah to come and preach. Last week we saw this in Proverbs 132 for the simple are killed by their turning away and the complacency of fools destroys them because they don't know God's ways. They don't know what's right and wrong or Hosea 4:6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. And yet this is speaking about our culture today. Unfortunately, Isaiah 5:20. I think I have repeated that.

17:05and I just keep coming back to it. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Who put Darkness for light and light for Darkness who put bitter for sweet and Sweet for bitter? Just here in our own state. This is fresh off the headlines. Right? We you guys are staying aware. We have people thinking they're doing good that they're the righteous ones that they're protecting children. By making it easier for adults to permanently mutilate children in gender affirming care.

17:45They're fools. And they don't even know it. They don't know what is right and what is wrong? This is the state of our world. There's a reference to righteousness and Justice and Equity that's repeated from Proverbs. 1 chapter chapter one verse 3 which John Allen highlighted when he brought that first sermon and he did a good job highlighting that but let me just repeat what those three phrases mean again through those three words righteousness means to judge accurately like using accurate weights and Psalm 97:2 says that righteousness and Justice are the foundation of God's Throne which means righteousness is very part and parcel of God's very character, which means whatever is righteous has to be in accord with who God is And then Justice is what must be done in order to restore up or uphold. What is right and so again, what's right it's whatever is according to God's standard and then Equity it means straight or upright the same word is translated as right in Proverbs 8:6 where God says, I will speak Noble things and from my lips will come what is right. So Equity is actually treating others impartially without favoritism or discrimination. According to God's standards. So Psalm 98 9 says God will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity and when he says Equity there does he mean that everyone will get the same outcome when he judges?

19:24No. What he means is everyone will be judged impartially according to God's perfect standard. Now look with me at verses 12 to 15. Not only will we understand right from wrong God's righteous ways, but will actually be kept from Evil. This is where we will not become full. So verse 12 says delivering you from the way of evil from the men of perverted speech who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of Darkness who rejoice in doing evil and Delight in the perverseness of evil men whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. And so what this these verses are saying is if you walk in the way of wisdom, you're not gonna go this way, you're not going to go in the way of these Wicked and perverted men and down their Paths of disaster.

20:13So the big idea here is that God watches over his children and those who walk in his ways and those who walk in wickedness will go down crooked paths towards the way of Darkness. And just calls to mind a story or not a story but a news story that I heard not long ago. I think it was a here in Minnesota. Just two years ago. There were five young men who committed any armed carjacking of a Mercedes SUV in Minneapolis actually in Robbinsdale. And the police pursued the suspects and they got on a little Chase and eventually the SUV crashed at an intersection and two of the carjackers were killed. And I look at that and I think that that's just a sermon from two weeks ago that they set the net for others and they themselves get trapped in it.

21:06This is the end of those who do not walk in God's ways. They ultimately find their untimely death or if you look at the news headlines, there's the founder of FTX which is a cryptocurrency who was discovered to be committing fraud and money laundering and Lord willing and I hope he'll spend significant time in jail because those who walking god's ways though. Don't worry when the investigators come they say our conscience is clean. My books are clean take a look and yet those who walk in wickedness will find their end. If not in this life certainly in the one to come. So what Psalm 2 is trying to show us is that by following Jesus following God's ways following God's wisdom. We avoid making a shipwreck of Our Lives.

21:57and so this morning How much is your piece of Mind worth? How much is how much money would you trade for a clean conscience? What amount of money? would you give It's not worth it. What Proverbs 2 is trying to show us is God's design God's ways for our life are good. God's ways are good following God is the path of joy in life. The world is lying when they say you can have fast money and cheap pleasure. And abandon God's ways. And not only do we have to believe it but we have to believe it out and share it with others. Know God don't be a fool. Those are the two first two benefits. The third benefit is that you'll avoid sexual sin.

22:52We see that in verses 16 to 19 or avoid spiritual death. It's another way to put it. so Verse 16. So you will be delivered from The Forbidden woman from the adulteress with her smooth words who forsakes the companion of her Youth and forgets the Covenant of her God for her house sinks down to death and her paths to The Departed none who go to her shall come back nor do they regain their Paths of life. So, Too tempters the man of perverseness or the Forbidden woman personifications of types of Temptation that come not just to young men but to all of us.

23:36And this second temptation is described as a forbidden or strange woman, which I think just primarily points to sexual sin. She promises easy pleasure without consequence her words are seductive and compelling. Drawing in the naive down a path of Ruin she holds out this promise of intimacy and pleasure and saying that there no one will find out no one will know. And It ultimately leads to death. It says this woman is an adulterous. She's forsaken her husband the companion of her Youth and she forgets the Covenant of her God. She's departed from God. And this is a very real temptation. It's like that German fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. You guys know what I'm talking about?

24:27These two it's a very dark fairy tale for children. But but that aside for a moment, you know learn in by gingerbread house and Cake and Candy and this old witch is fattening up Hansel so that she can eat him for dinner and yet it's illustrating the powerful Allure. of sexual sin that ultimately results in death and so today the risk of sexual sin is even greater with the pervasiveness of pornography accessible from every phone tablet and computer. None of us would have dreamed to bring up copy of Playboy and put it in our jacket pocket and bring it to church and yet we all have a phone which is just one click away from the most horrific things out there on the internet and you think perhaps a VPN or incognito mode will lure you into thinking.

25:28Well, nobody will know. God knows sexual immorality will inevitably lead to guilt and shame and ultimately spiritual death unless we turn and repent. Fleeting Pleasures are not worth it. And so the father looks to the son and says don't go down that path. It will lead to ruin. death I lifetime of heartache and addiction. Memories that you can't wash away and thank you for the blood of Jesus, but don't go down that path. Please son. Don't go down that path. As John Owen has said be killing sin or sin will be killing you what this passage does for us is it shows us the true consequences of sexual sin?

26:28So if you're trying to buy a car, you can go on the web and you can search the true cost of ownership for a car, you know, not only what you pay at the dealership, but then there's the maintenance and the oil changes and the repairs and you know, depending on what car you buy, you know, you got to replace the transmission and whatever else. There's the true cost of ownership. And what Proverbs 2 is it pulls back the curtain and it shows us the true cost of sexual sin. Look at Verse 18. Her house sinks down to death her paths. To those who are departed to The Departed none who go to her come back nor do they regain the paths of life.

27:12It wreaks havoc on our lives. And so I want to call us this morning. Don't go there. I remember several years ago. I heard someone and very often sexual sin holds out for us lies. No one will know pleasures and he said Take a Word document and then jot down all the true consequences of sexual sin, and I remember writing and I'm gonna just read you a few. So if I commit adultery? I grieve Jesus Christ who died for me. And suffered the punishment for my sin. I dishonor Christ's reputation bringing reproach on the name of Christ trampling on bloodbought Grace. I experience discipline from God and discipline from my church Elders, which I rightly deserve.

28:07I hurt my wife and my best friend undermining the respect and trust that she has given to me. I lose the respect of my children. Causing them to doubt God's fatherly goodness. I hurt and anger my extended family my relatives my friends my colleagues my congregants and acquaintances that here of my disqualifying Behavior. shame before friends and mentors knowing that if I persistence sin. I could lose my wife and children and ultimately prove that I was never saved. Rather I was a seed that was choked out by the weeds. I forfeit all pastoral Ministry. I could catch a disease. I could impregnate another woman. I could destroy multiple marriages and Families.

29:00When you pull back the curtain on sin and see it for what it is. Oh that we would flee. wickedness and walk in the goodness of God's ways ask anyone who's been married 30 years and say would you trade it for one night? No. men flee sexual immorality women flee sexual immorality moms and dads teach and help your children to avoid pornography like the plague and to channel their sex drive towards the gift of marriage grandparents. pray for your children Oh, they need your prayers. no children Need unlimited and unhindered access to the internet. Teach them to see the true cost. of sexual sin and then show them the beauty.

30:02Of obeying God's ways. Oh. To be like job and say I won't set any wicked thing before my eyes. My conscience is clean before the Lord. Back when I was a kid, there was a thing called public service announcements, you know at 10 pm. Something would come across the screen and it would say it's 10 pm. Do You Know Where Your Children Are? And this morning for parents? Do you know what your children are scrolling and clicking on and watching? If we fall asleep at the wheel our children will experience a world of pain and heartache and and we were praying earlier, you know, we've talked about growing trees, right? We want our congregation to be Cedars of Lebanon and Oaks of righteousness and pornography and sexual sin will be like a disease that just runs rampant killing every tree at the root.

31:00And so let's not let that happen. Together let's pray for God to do a better work in this generation. Now we come to the summary. final three verses verse 20 so you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the pads of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land and those with Integrity will remain in it. So this is harkening back to Deuteronomy and the people of Israel dwelling in the Promised Land. that as God's people kept God's Commandments they would dwell in God's place as God's people under God's protection and in God's presence. but verse 22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

31:53So that's the benefit of Walking In God's ways and wisdom and ultimately believing in his son Jesus. That will dwell in his presence forever and the wicked will be cut off and this point to the inability of all of us to perfectly keep God's law there are many benefits and yet we all know that we all fall short we all go astray and thank God for the Cross of Christ. Thank God for his grace that whatever sin. You've committed. There is a way back. You don't have to live with guilt and shame forever. I know what it says in verse 2 that men whose paths are no, that's not the verse. It's Verse 18 sinks down to death path to the part in verse 19 Nor do they regain the paths of life and yet now in Jesus you can regain life.

32:54God can bring restoration to a marriage where there has been adultery. It doesn't matter how old you are how much you have failed in your past Jesus brings his grace that can wash us entirely clean and make us new and in give us his spirit so that we would walk in his ways. He can write his law within our heart so that we will obey not because we have to but because we would love to and it overflows from our very lives. and so this morning here is your call to seek and pursue and treasure not just wisdom. But treasure Christ. Oh how glorious is the grace of Jesus? That no matter how we have fallen short no matter how many times we go down the path of death.

33:49He can bring us back. He can hold us fast wash us clean and make us his children once again. So joy and blessing come in Walking In God's ways according to his wisdom and submission. To the Lord Jesus Christ wisdom incarnate and so this morning see the joy and the life and the beauty of entrusting yourself to Jesus. You're never going to regret it. You're not going to live your entire life get to your deathbed and said, I wish I slept around more. I wish I took drugs. I wish I stole more you're just not gonna do that. You're gonna get to the end of your life and say, oh how precious was the grace of the Lord Jesus?

34:35Oh how good it is to dwell in the presence of my God. I would rather be a door Keeper in the house of my God then dwell in the tents of wickedness. So whatever you're pondering this morning, I know that there's probably some there's some opportunity before you you don't see the true cost of going down that path. Oh, don't do it. Don't do it. So what voice will be allowed to speak into our lives?

35:07Let it be God's voice. Let it be the voice of Jesus Christ. So this morning? Let's receive God's words that lead to life. Let's treasure up his Commandments that are good for our souls. Let's make our ear attentive to his wisdom that teaches us how to live. Let's incline our hearts to understand his mysterious ways. Let's call out for insight if any of you lacks wisdom if any of you don't know God call out. Pray, Lord. Help me Lord, Save Me Lord. Show me where I'm going. Astray. Call out for help. You can reach out to our counseling department if you're struggling in sexual sin. Raise Your Voice for understanding Don't be content to just read and not do.

36:05Say Lord, I don't understand all of this. Help me see more in your word to treasure it. Seek it like silver search for it as for Hidden Treasures. and if we do We will never be disappointed. Let me close with this quote from a song. We're going to sing. Come find what this world? cannot offer come find your joy here complete. Taste the Glorious Living Water Jesus never thirst again. Rest here in his wondrous. Peace Father We ask that you would do far more than we can ask or imagine in our hearts and minds and souls for the glory of Christ. For the good of your church. Oh, don't let root rot spread.

37:00protect us keep us and cause us to flourish. in your presence and perhaps for even some this morning that they would find Freedom at the foot of the cross. in jesus' name amen

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Proverbs 2:1-22

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