WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:00.880 May be seated. 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:06.959 Well, another delightful passage for 2017, uplifting to you. 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:09.279 Just don't seek wisdom, right? 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:10.000 Just forget it. 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:12.080 Forget knowledge, forget wisdom. 00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:15.119 Those of you in school, you might like that passage actually. 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:16.800 You'll quote it back to your parents. 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:19.359 All right, well, let's make sense of this passage. 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:22.800 What is Solomon saying here in this book of Ecclesiastes? 00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:26.800 And that's what we're doing for the next couple months, working our way through the book of Ecclesiastes. 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:34.079 So if you're here last week, if you braved the cold and the ice, we talked about Wiley Coyote and the Roadrunner. 00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:45.280 If you remember that conversation, you remember that cartoon and what that was, if you remember, was Wiley woke up every day to chase that bird, right? 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:51.359 And he had good gear, he had good weapons, he did bombs, he had all the good stuff, and he could just never quite pull it off. 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:54.320 He could never quite get that bird. 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:59.840 And he even if he had, even if he had gotten that bird, we know how the storyline would have worked because it's how our lives work. 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:12.079 He would have gotten the bird, he would have cooked it, he would have had a nice meal, he would have slept well that night, and he would have woken up the next day, and he would have found another bird to chase, right? 00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:14.480 That's just what we do. 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:19.840 It's what we do with approval, it's what we do with money, it's what we do with knowledge, it's what we do with looks. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:30.159 This is this is where King Solomon is at at the end of his life, and he's done a lot, and he has a lot, and to all of that, he says, vanity of vanities. 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:33.040 He says, Havel is the word, vapor. 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:37.840 It's like a vapor, and it's there just for a second and then it's and then it's gone. 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:39.519 And this guy has a lot. 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:46.879 I mean, the equivalent of probably around a billion dollars a year coming in, right? 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:48.480 Like, I'd like to try that roadrunner. 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:49.760 Anybody want to try that roadrunner? 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:51.920 He's like, I think I might be okay with that roadrunner. 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:55.280 And even then he's saying, no, it's it's vapor, it's vapor. 00:01:55.359 --> 00:02:02.560 He's revered, he's powerful, he's insightful, he authored Proverbs. 00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:07.120 Okay, that's a book in the Old Testament, like the wisest book ever written. 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:17.199 And I know we're a room full of smart, accomplished people, and you've you're gonna do something, or you did something already, but you didn't write Proverbs, okay? 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:19.360 That's one thing you didn't do. 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:22.800 This guy has you beat, okay? 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:30.960 He has me be more money, more power, more talent, more accomplishment. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:35.680 And to that, he says, a bell, vapor. 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:37.599 Like it's all there. 00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:39.840 And then it's gone. 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:41.280 Right? 00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:51.520 And the question we asked last week, we'll keep asking is what do you do when everything you thought would give you meaning doesn't deliver? 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:53.759 What do you do then? 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:56.800 What do you do when you realize it was vapor? 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:00.479 So that's our text, Ecclesiastes 1, 12 through 18. 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:03.439 I'll reread a couple different chunks in two different passages. 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:14.080 All right, 12 through 15, I, the preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem, and I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:15.840 So this is the one thing he wanted so much. 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:17.120 He wanted this so badly. 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:23.919 And he says this it's an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:35.199 I have seen everything that's done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, vapor, and a striving after wind. 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:39.840 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:47.599 He's saying, here's what I've been doing, and I've done a lot, and I'm exhausted. 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:49.919 And so a few points to guide us. 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:51.599 Number one, wisdom. 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:54.879 Wisdom, wisdom is insight into how life works. 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:56.080 That's what wisdom is. 00:03:56.319 --> 00:03:57.599 We love wisdom, right? 00:03:57.759 --> 00:03:58.639 We all love wisdom. 00:03:58.800 --> 00:03:59.439 I love wisdom. 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:03.120 It's why every morning I wake up and I listen to a podcast. 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:06.960 I listen to a new podcast every single morning. 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:09.280 Something new, something new to learn. 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:13.280 And I mean, it's kind of a rotation of like leadership and then psychology. 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:17.199 And I listen to this one where a guy interviews comedians just because I love it. 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:17.600 I love it. 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:18.800 I learned something from it. 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:20.160 Or a theology. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:26.160 This week I listened to a great one on how Cliff's son built the Cliff Bar Empire, and I was like loving it. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:29.199 I come home and tell Christy all about Cliff Bar started. 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:32.319 Like it's like wisdom, and there's always a new book. 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:35.920 There's always an there's always some new book to read. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:39.439 We love wisdom. 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:41.839 We form groups to share wisdom. 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:45.199 We send links because of wisdom. 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:48.800 And wisdom helps us, like it really helps us. 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:54.319 It helps us avoid heartache, it helps us avoid problems, or we're in a problem and we seek out wisdom. 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:56.079 You're like, hey, can you help me with this one? 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:58.079 And somebody helps you with that and it gets you. 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:03.600 There's wisdom for how to walk the spiritual Christian walk with Jesus. 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:11.920 There's wisdom and how to do your finances, there's wisdom for relationships, there's wisdom for parenting, there's wisdom for career, there's wisdom for so much, right? 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:17.759 After two weeks of utter failure of building a fire in my own fireplace, I can't do this. 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:21.120 Brad teaches me how to build a fire in my fireplace. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:22.480 I needed that wisdom. 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:23.519 I have two weeks. 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:25.600 I'm going, how can I not start a fire in my own fireplace? 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:26.800 I mean, this is ridiculous. 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:27.920 I need some help. 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:31.360 I need some wisdom to help me, right? 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:33.920 And nobody would say, you know what? 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:35.439 Be unwise. 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:37.040 This is the path. 00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:39.600 This is the path you should go down. 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:44.160 Go down the path of being unwise, make unwise decisions. 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:47.680 This would be a great path for your life. 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:49.519 Nobody would say that. 00:05:49.680 --> 00:06:01.040 And yet, here's a guy who has pursued wisdom, has gained wisdom, has written the book on wisdom, and he says the pursuit of wisdom is an unhappy business. 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:04.800 He says, You're gonna chase the wind. 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:16.079 He says, You're gonna run, and you're gonna run, and you're gonna run, and you're gonna feel like your life is always just like you're not quite catching your breath. 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:18.959 And he's not even done with his point. 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:20.800 Like, I mean, he goes back into it again. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:22.319 And this is what we see in Ecclesiastes. 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:24.240 Like, he just lets it rip. 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:31.759 Ecclesiastes so verse 16 I said, in my heart, I've acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me. 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:38.480 And my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge, and I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:43.360 I perceive that this also is also but a striving after when. 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:49.680 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:51.519 So what is he saying? 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:53.519 What's he feeling? 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:57.199 He's feeling something, he's experiencing something. 00:06:57.600 --> 00:06:58.160 What is it? 00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:01.279 Point number two, wisdom's never ending. 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:05.040 It's not that it's not good, it's just that it doesn't end. 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:05.680 Right? 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:07.680 And this is part of the greatness of it. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:13.600 There's always another podcast, there's always another book, there's always another nugget to apply to your life. 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:16.319 And this is part of the greatness of it because we need it. 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:21.600 We're never quite the parent we should be, or the spouse, or the friend, or the son, or the daughter, or the coworker. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:23.040 We're never quite that. 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:27.199 And so we always need another nugget, and that's also the curse of it. 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:29.199 Because where does it end? 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.079 And this is what he's saying: where does it end? 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:46.240 And he's he's just journaling this, just raw feelings, and he's feeling like I thought I was gonna hit something, like I thought I was gonna hit the end of wisdom and find something, and he's just finding that it's never ending. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:54.000 And see, what this does is this nails, it nails secular self-help and it nails performance religion. 00:07:54.160 --> 00:08:02.879 It nails both of them because both of them keep you on treadmills where you aren't quite sure if you're ever enough. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:12.879 If you're ever really okay, really accepted by God as you are right now. 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:22.959 Or if you need just a little more, just another application, just another refinement, and then you'll be okay. 00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:33.279 Oh, you know, that that nugget, you know, that bit of wisdom about your false self, that bit of Christian living principle to apply, then you'll be okay, then you'll be secure. 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:38.240 See, he's nailing secular self-help and performance religion. 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:41.360 He says, Havel, vapor, vapor. 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:42.399 But there's good news. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:44.000 Good news, there's another way. 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:45.360 That's the good news. 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:48.399 He's hinting toward another way. 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:51.039 And this is point number three. 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:55.039 There's a wisdom behind the wisdom. 00:08:55.200 --> 00:09:00.159 So wisdom is never ending, but there's a wisdom behind the wisdom. 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:06.559 So my three-year-old has a lovely um, this is giraffe. 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:07.840 Draffy. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:09.600 This is her lovey. 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:12.480 Yeah, I don't know what who you know if your kid has a lovey. 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:13.919 This is this is giraffe. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:18.559 We got real creative on the name, real creative household, uh, because it is in fact a giraffe. 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:19.759 And she cuddles it. 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:23.120 I've been watching the sweep as I've been thinking about the sermon and thinking about this illustration. 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:29.919 So she gets the head of giraffe and she gets it right up in here, and she just cuddles it in, right? 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:34.639 Well, every night, she's this is very important. 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:36.720 Giraffe is very important. 00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:38.480 Come about 7 o'clock. 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:40.080 Giraffe is very important. 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:45.279 A few weeks ago, a month ago, uh, our family came in from out of town from Virginia. 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:52.240 My sister, her two daughters, some of my nieces, uh, some of my three-year-old's cousins, Emma and Alyssa, all there. 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:57.679 Somehow Giraffe makes it into the minivan and takes a trip to Virginia. 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:00.399 Okay, Giraffe's taking a vacation. 00:10:00.559 --> 00:10:03.120 She's got a little too suffocated there all night. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:06.000 All right, so Giraffe goes to Virginia. 00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:11.039 I explain to my three-year-old, Giraffe is on a trip. 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:14.000 We know where he is, he is safe. 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:17.039 Objectively, she does understand this. 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:22.320 Okay, I know she's three, but she understands Giraffe is with her cousins. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:27.919 She loves her cousins, she knows Giraffe is safe, but it's objective, right? 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:33.200 So at this point, it it's sort of, it's not personal, it's it's objective. 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:39.039 So she understands Giraffe's safe, but she can't, she can't get Giraffe. 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:43.759 She understands Giraffe is safe, objective, but not personal. 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:52.960 All right, three days later, Giraffe arrives via UPS, suffocating in a box, on a plane. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:53.840 I don't know, I don't know. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:54.879 She doesn't care, right? 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:55.679 Like just magic. 00:10:55.840 --> 00:10:57.360 Giraffe shows back up. 00:10:57.600 --> 00:11:00.720 This was helpful three bedtimes later, right? 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:05.440 Like we got through three bedtimes, giraffe's back, and we move, right? 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:10.960 We move back from objectivity back to back to something personal. 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:15.120 Like back to something she could she could have close to her. 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:18.480 But here's the reality of Giraffe. 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:23.200 It'll never be transformative for her. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:25.679 It's just personal, right? 00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:28.720 So it's objective, it's personal, can't be transformative. 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:30.480 It's just helping her get along. 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:31.519 And it does that. 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:32.960 It's wonderful for that. 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:34.399 It helps her get along. 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:37.519 Legitimately, it does its job. 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:39.759 I mean, really, he's a crutch, right? 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:40.639 That's what I tell her at night. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:42.240 I tuck her in and I say, he's a crutch. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:50.480 But the point is, and we know it, the point is, we know it. 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:54.000 Draffy only has so much power, right? 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:55.120 Right? 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:59.120 Objectivity and personal, that's wonderful. 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:00.639 That's wonderful. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:03.120 Here's my point. 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:16.799 Slowly she will, she will begin to see, and it might, it'll take a few years, she will begin to see there's something, there's something behind the draft that's bigger, and she won't need the draft anymore. 00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:23.279 Like she'll slowly begin to realize her security in our home is not really based on holding on to Giraffe at night. 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:34.879 She's gonna realize there's actually two parents that search the house frantically at about 6:45 to find Giraffe wherever he ended up during the day so that she would have it. 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:41.200 And that love is the thing that becomes security for her. 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:43.679 See, that's the wisdom behind the wisdom. 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:46.879 It's love behind wisdom. 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:52.559 That's the transformative power behind the thing that's even personal to us. 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:56.960 Wisdom is personal and it's helpful, but it only goes so far. 00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:01.200 We have to understand there's a love behind wisdom. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:02.240 Here's what I'm saying. 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:04.320 When I say this, there's wisdom behind wisdom. 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:21.440 Paul's saying it in 1 Corinthians 1 30, and because of him, you are in Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, let the one who boasts boast in the Lord. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:26.399 See, Jesus is the wisdom behind the wisdom. 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:43.039 And that wisdom is unmerited love and redemption on the cross, all of your sin and shame, all the inadequacy that we're trying to use wisdom for to make us feel more adequate. 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:56.960 He takes all of that sin and shame and inadequacy on the cross and he puts over onto us righteousness and redemption, salvation for eternity and for here and value as human beings. 00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:10.559 See, Christ stepped into that never-ending trying to be good enough and know enough and be enough, all the exhaustion Solomon is feeling from all of his pursuits. 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:13.600 Christ comes into that and says, I'm your wisdom. 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:16.879 I'm the wisdom behind all of that wisdom. 00:14:17.200 --> 00:14:20.159 In me, you can be finished. 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:23.120 That chase can be finished. 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:25.440 And it gets better. 00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:29.440 It gets even better because Christ as our wisdom. 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:31.039 All right, thinking caps here. 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:31.919 Thinking caps. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:39.519 Christ as our wisdom allows wisdom to not be an exhausting false savior. 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:42.240 But rather for it just to be what it is. 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:44.080 Help. 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:45.759 Just help for our lives. 00:14:45.919 --> 00:14:47.360 But not a savior. 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:57.200 Not trying to make ourselves feel justified or righteous or valuable because of how much we know or how much we can apply, or we're gonna go, oh, I'll go to that next level, right? 00:14:57.279 --> 00:15:00.799 Like I don't feel good here, but that next level of Christian spirituality. 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:04.480 If I can only learn that next thing, then I'll be okay. 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:13.120 Christ making you fully, fully redeemed by his work for you allows wisdom just to be for what it is. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:14.240 Wisdom. 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:16.080 So here's what I'm saying. 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:18.960 I was trying to think of just an example, just an example. 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:20.080 What does this look like? 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:23.120 So four years ago, we start the church. 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:27.120 And relatively strangely, I wasn't too anxious. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:31.440 I think probably too numb by that kind of decision to be anxious. 00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:37.919 And so for the first few months, outside of like, oh man, some money coming in would be really, really nice. 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:40.879 Outside of that, uh, feeling pretty good. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:43.360 And then we start in the fall at the Walker School. 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:45.919 Some of y'all were there, some of you came along at that point. 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:48.639 And so I start to deliver sermons. 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:54.080 Sermons for preachers can be extremely anxiety-filled. 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:58.080 And the most anxious time of the week for me became Saturdays. 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:03.279 Because Saturdays were the day, just an anxiety day before doing this. 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:11.039 All week you've been studying, you've been outlining, plugged some illustrations in, figuring things out, writing your ins and outs, how you're going to say something. 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:14.720 And then Saturday's the day before, so you're just all built up anxiety. 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:18.720 And Saturday's also the day I should be the most present at home. 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:20.960 My kids are at home. 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:32.399 And so I end up cranky on Saturdays, and the only thing that would settle me down, especially that first year, the only thing that would settle me down was to work on the sermon. 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:34.320 Well, this is a problem. 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:37.039 This should be the day I'm not working on the sermon. 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:38.559 I shouldn't be cranky. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:40.720 I should be present with my family. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:53.919 And so I vent all this to my mentor, which at the time I was meeting with him every other week, and I'm venting all of this, and he responds to me, Well, what's going on in your heart when you feel like that? 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:55.919 I'm like, what's going on in my heart? 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:57.360 What are you talking? 00:16:57.519 --> 00:16:59.360 Like, I mean, that made me so mad. 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:00.960 Don't give me that feely stuff. 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:04.240 Tell me what to do, is what I'm thinking. 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:05.119 Right? 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:08.880 Give me some wisdom for what to do here. 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:12.640 Tell me what's in my heart. 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:15.920 I mean, and the first few times he asked me, I was like, how dare you? 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:17.200 How dare you ask that? 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:18.160 I'm gonna throw him out. 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:19.599 Let's talk about the falcons. 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:22.720 You know, let's like my heart. 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:32.640 And what he was doing is he was he was leading me to the wisdom behind the wisdom. 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:35.519 I see, there's practices to help that. 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:36.240 Right? 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:39.839 I mean, there's practices to help anything you're you're wrestling with. 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:42.799 But the real issue is always inside the heart. 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:46.079 That's where it starts, in the core of your being. 00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:47.680 I knew the wisdom. 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:55.279 Study hard, outline the passage, plug in your illustrations, and rehearse and rehearse and rehearse and rehearse. 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:58.240 I knew the and then be present with your family on Saturday. 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:01.839 Let go of it and be present, rely on the Lord, the Holy Spirit's gonna speak. 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:06.799 Like I knew, I knew what to do, but I couldn't pull it off. 00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:08.480 I wasn't pulling it off. 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:17.440 And see, I had to see, and this is what he was trying to do, he was taking me past wisdom to the wisdom to Jesus. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:26.000 I I had to see that God loves me so much in Jesus that this sermon can be rubbish. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:32.319 And I am still fully redeemed, fully loved as his child. 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:47.519 I mean, I I still have to see that this church can crumble, and I am still fully valuable before God, valued, loved as a human being and as his child. 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:51.200 And I don't have to use this church to be my savior. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:53.680 I mean, I still have to see that. 00:18:53.920 --> 00:19:09.680 And then I'm free, and then I'm free because I'm secure, then I'm free in the wisdom, in Jesus, to not use wisdom or anything else, church, anything else, as my savior. 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:21.920 See, Christ as my wisdom allows me to become open to wisdom for my life without wisdom for my life to be exhaustion to my soul. 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:23.279 I'll say it again. 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:36.880 Okay, Christ as my wisdom allows me to become open to wisdom for my life, without wisdom for my life to be exhaustion to my soul. 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:42.640 See, if it's just self-awareness and evolution, then I need more, I need more, I need more, I need more. 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:43.599 Right? 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:44.799 I've done that. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.400 You've you've probably done it. 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:47.039 Right? 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:53.039 Follow more principles, learn the next thing, and and you can stay hidden in that for a long time. 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:55.839 You can pretend your way through a lot of life. 00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:12.400 But Christ as your wisdom, it demands an opening of yourself to be loved in all of yourself, letting go of the sin of autonomy, the sin of self-justification, all your idols to live securely in Jesus. 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:15.039 And that He is sufficient. 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:31.279 And then we begin to live day by day by the Spirit of God reminding us that our value and our worth and our salvation, our redemption is in Christ's work for us, and we're confessing over to God our bad and what we do, bad, and even our bad and the good stuff we do. 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:43.839 And what we're hearing is is we're hearing what's been being whispered behind wisdom the entire time, and that is Jesus is sufficient for the neediness of the core of your being. 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:49.359 And then we don't have to use all the other help in life to be a savior. 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:54.400 So, my brothers and sisters, may He be your wisdom. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:55.920 Okay, let's pray together. 00:20:57.119 --> 00:21:04.720 God, thank you for the great gift of Jesus, that He is the wisdom behind the wisdom. 00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:13.519 Incarnate, never-ending love, that we do not have to be on a never-ending search. 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:24.000 Would you help us to trust in greater ways in your son and not rely on all the good things that are around us? 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:38.640 And would you put back the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of how you want us to walk in this world in its proper place behind our security in Jesus? 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:42.720 We thank you for your love toward us in all things. 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:43.599 Amen.