WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:04.719 All right, today we are starting a brand new series that we're gonna do all summer long. 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:06.000 I'm so excited about this. 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:08.400 We're calling this our summer of wisdom. 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:10.080 The summer of wisdom. 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:11.359 Very pumped about this. 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:17.280 Actually, our students, our kids, they're actually gonna be doing sort of a uh their own version of this in the kids' areas. 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:20.000 They're gonna be studying Proverbs over the course of the summer. 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:26.559 We're gonna be looking at Proverbs, which is a book in the Old Testament, if you're not familiar, that's all about wisdom, but also some other scriptures. 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:30.879 We're not limiting it to Proverbs in here, but we will be drawing a lot from the book of Proverbs. 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:33.600 We're exploring wisdom. 00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:36.640 And I'm actually not giving the message this morning. 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:38.240 Here in just a few minutes, Fred's gonna come out. 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:39.600 I want you guys to think about this for a second. 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:41.679 Uh, if you've been here for a while, you know Fred. 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:45.200 Fred is wiser than me. 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:46.560 He is. 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:48.240 In fact, that's how our relationship started. 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:48.960 I met with Fred. 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:50.640 It was before he was even going to church here. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:51.359 He's been here for years. 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:53.439 He and Jill and a lot of their friends are. 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:56.079 It's it's a we're blessed to have Fred as part of our church. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:59.200 But I started hanging out with Fred before he was ever part of this place. 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:08.319 I'd been uh introduced to him in a variety of different situations and recognized and talking to him that man, this this guy has wisdom that I don't have, and I want to glean from that. 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:11.120 And so we started to meet and I asked him, hey, could you sort of mentor me? 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:13.280 Can I meet with you and just learn from you? 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:15.519 And that's how our relationship began. 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:27.200 And so to kick off the wisdom series, I thought, I mean, not trying to pat myself on the back, but it's pretty wise to invite someone wiser than yourself to kick off the wisdom series, right? 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:28.799 I mean, just saying. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:36.879 Now, it I was very excited about the idea of Fred kicking this off, and today he's actually gonna talk to us about just that topic itself, wisdom. 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:39.120 Like, what does scripture teach us about wisdom? 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:43.120 Fred's gonna guide us through that this morning, and we're all gonna walk out of here wiser than when we left. 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:46.480 But as this series continues, we're gonna do something really interesting this summer. 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:55.760 I'm gonna have a phone number come up on the screen right now, and we're gonna leave this up for a couple of minutes so you have a chance to take a picture of it, write it down, start sending it a text, whatever. 00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:00.640 Um, this number, we're gonna keep it active throughout this entire series. 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:09.520 This is for you to text in questions that you would have about like specific difficult situations that you or someone you love is facing. 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:17.520 So let's say it's relationships, let's say it's finances, let's say it's career-related, whatever it is. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:20.319 Like, I'm I'm in a tough spot. 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:23.360 And I need wisdom to navigate this. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:26.000 Tell us about it. 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:28.560 We're gonna do our best to answer all of them. 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:30.960 Depends on what the scale is, I guess. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:32.879 Um, that we, by the way, is a me. 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:49.599 So uh gonna be doing a lot of praying and responding to every one of them that I can, and I plan on doing all of them, but not only are we gonna respond to those, like, you know, um personally, we're going to let some of those sort of shape the conversations that we have. 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:57.039 So instead of it just being general ideas, we're gonna be able, as we discuss this over the next few weeks, that hey, there's people dealing with this type of issue. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:02:58.560 Where it's all anonymous, by the way. 00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:01.599 That's a phone number that uh it's not my cell number, by the way. 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:02.879 That is not my cell number. 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:04.080 Just letting you know that. 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:08.479 This is like a one-time thing, it doesn't have any contact stored, so every number is anonymous. 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:15.840 But I'm really excited to look through those questions and and understand what's going on in our lives in a deeper way. 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:19.520 And I think that's gonna end up shaping some of the things that we'll talk about and how we'll approach that. 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.520 So uh that number is for you. 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:23.199 Text in questions. 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:31.439 Try not to troll me too hard, like if a few jokes, a few phony ones in there, sure, but you know, keep it serious if we can. 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:32.479 But I'm excited about that. 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:35.280 Okay, all that said, summer of wisdom. 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:36.719 Who's ready to get this started? 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:38.319 Anyone excited about the summer of wisdom? 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:39.599 I'm very excited about this. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:42.479 And with no further ado, Fred, come on out. 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:44.400 And uh yes, sir. 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:46.719 Fred, Fred Goodwin. 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:48.000 Goodwin. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:51.199 Actually, funny enough, in my your he asked what your last name was. 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:52.639 It's it's Goodwin. 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:54.800 In my phone, it's Godwin. 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:57.199 I actually I put it in wrong when I met him. 00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:00.560 This happened like seven years ago, uh, or whenever we first started hanging out. 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:04.159 I put it in wrong, and I just never changed it because it felt appropriate because you love God a lot. 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:05.680 So rose-colored glasses. 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:07.039 That's I do. 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:07.439 All right. 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:09.280 That's a very big Bible for Edward. 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:09.919 It's very spiritual. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:10.240 That's okay. 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:12.400 Because the print needs to be bigger. 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:13.599 Goodness. 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:20.160 When he first asked me to do the overview of wisdom, I said, and how long do I have? 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:30.399 And um and as a friend said, okay, wisdom has been been talked about for millennium through all the civilizations, and you you want me to just sum it all up? 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:31.839 And he said, Yeah, that's right. 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:32.800 Oh, okay. 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:36.720 So what we're gonna do is we're gonna start with some definitions for clarity. 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:37.920 I hope it helps. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:46.160 Uh, because the first thing we need to talk about is kind of wisdom and it's most of the time, partner, knowledge, right? 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:50.800 There is a difference, like salt and pepper, there's a difference. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:55.439 Uh my buddy Scott said, Well, Fred, the defin that's easy to know the difference. 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:56.399 I said, What's that? 00:04:56.560 --> 00:05:00.000 He said, Well, knowledge is that tomato is the fruit. 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:06.319 Wisdom is you don't put in your in your uh fruit salad or your what what do you say, Scott? 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:08.319 Your smoothie. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:09.439 You don't put it in your smoothie. 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:10.639 That's wisdom. 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:13.439 And and go, well, yeah, that's that that's part of it. 00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:18.639 Knowledge is that is that all that stuff that we need to learn about life, isn't it? 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:23.600 It's information, it's data, it's how does how do things work? 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:31.279 I remember hearing some years ago and wrestling with the reality that how come in the information highway of life I always feel like roadkill. 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:40.879 And when you think about it, that is the problem we've got now with these things that have so much knowledge if we're looking in the right place. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:50.160 Uh knowledge isn't necessarily wisdom, because wisdom is the application of that knowledge, isn't it? 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:56.319 Wisdom is the help that we need, and it doesn't come up naturally. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:58.800 We're all too selfish for that. 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:04.800 Or our our DNA is not geared towards learning wisdom at birth. 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:07.279 Wisdom comes from other sources. 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:15.680 We learn wisdom from others, and wisdom is the application of knowledge in order to navigate life. 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:21.519 If we're gonna start with wisdom, let's at least start with the foundation that life's hard, isn't it? 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:24.079 It's always hard. 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:30.480 It's always going to be hard, whether we make wise decisions or whether we make poor decisions. 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:31.680 Life's hard. 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:59.519 And when you throw in the business of illness, sick children, cancer, Alzheimer's, and you throw in that all the relational stuff, dating, marriage, uh, brokenness, pain, loss, grief, uh, love, uh you throw it all in there and go, I need some help here. 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:04.000 So uh I have a question for us to wrestle with today. 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:06.959 Are you a seeker of wisdom? 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:11.120 Do you know where to find it? 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:13.199 Do you know how to find it? 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:15.680 Um let me let me just give you an example. 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:23.279 How many here were raised in churches where you got a lot of religion but not a lot of relationship? 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:24.079 Anybody? 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:25.759 Yeah, there's a lot of us, isn't it? 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:38.079 Now, uh let me just use that, not to simplify stuff too much, but um at least in the in the church concept and what we find in America, a lot of people have a lot of knowledge. 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:42.000 We might simplify it and say religion. 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:45.040 Um Bible stories, yeah. 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:46.959 Maybe even Sunday school, yeah. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:51.040 Um maybe church history, yeah. 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:56.399 Uh denominational stuff, yeah, denominational priorities, liturgy, whatever. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:07:59.439 And I it's good. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:04.240 I mean, it's good to know some of that stuff, but life can't end there, can it? 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:17.920 And what we obviously spend a lot of time on here in this community is the relationship, knowing Jesus, knowing how to apply all that religion in a way that helps us navigate life. 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:22.560 That's why we're having all these stick arounds, that's why Justin is always preaching from the Word. 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:24.240 Isn't that wonderful? 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:31.040 Uh that he uh uh helps us to understand how do you work through all of this? 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:33.679 And we always need help. 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:46.159 Wisdom is seeking out someone, maybe that's someone is in history, uh a source that we go to, someone who can teach us, or someone hopefully face to face. 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:53.919 And it may not have anything to do with the world's perspective of who is wise, or even a sense of who has a lot of knowledge. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:09:02.000 Let me give you an example, uh, one near and dear to the heart of my entire family, and that's my dad. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:08.320 Here's a picture of my dad with my daughter, daughter-in-law, um, before his passing, of course. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:09.919 He passed at 91. 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:14.960 Let me just give you a little bit about him because he's one of the wisest men I ever met. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:20.559 He was born nine of nine on a dairy farm. 00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:31.679 His job as a kid was to get up early and go find the cows that had wandered into the creek, get them back in the barn so they could be manually milked before school. 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:35.200 His first three years in school were in a one-room schoolhouse. 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:42.159 Truth be told, he said the only way he got through high school was that my mom helped him. 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:44.080 They met in third grade. 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:50.480 And so from the world's perspective, he was nobody. 00:09:51.519 --> 00:10:06.000 But after Pearl Harbor, he enlisted, went to the Pacific as a Marine, uh, came back, and ended up becoming a salesman and ultimately a business executive, but never really in the world's eyes anybody of any consequence. 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:10.879 And yet he was so wise about life. 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:17.200 For example, his most famous quote that he would use often on any of us in the family. 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:29.039 He would say, whenever we were complaining about anything or that we retired, he said, You can't soar with the eagles if you hoot with the owls. 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:33.200 And you know, when I was a teenager, I didn't like hearing that. 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:36.720 Because I didn't want to soar with an eagle, I just wanted a few more hours of sleep. 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:43.919 But I heard it so much that he eventually convinced me, I wanted to soar with eagles. 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:46.879 So I didn't want to stay up late. 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:53.759 And yeah, I'm still the first one to leave a party, much to my wife Jill's frustration sometimes. 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:55.600 I'm the first to go to bed, that kind of thing. 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:57.440 Yeah, I want to I want to soar with the eagles. 00:10:57.519 --> 00:10:59.279 Oh, but there were many, many more things. 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:04.159 I actually asked my family, what are the things you most remember about pop? 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:08.720 I I could go on and on. 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:13.519 He would say to us if we got in trouble about anything, he'd just say, shape up or ship out. 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:15.919 That's all. 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:19.679 He wouldn't point a finger, he wouldn't condemn, he just said, shape up or ship out. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:20.399 Eek. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:29.039 Uh when we, as he got older, we'd often go to him, you know, as you go to the elderly, you know, as you guys ask me, how you doing, Fred? 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:31.039 And this is his response. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.600 I'm fit as a fiddle and ready for love. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:41.279 And we'd all say, Oh, dad, come on, or oh pop, come on, fit as a fiddle and ready for love. 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:45.919 And it would be years before I realized he wasn't joking about romantic love at all. 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:48.720 He loved everybody he ever met. 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:52.960 Because he knew the love of the Lord. 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:55.279 So he just loved everybody. 00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:58.639 He one time told me he never met a single person he didn't like. 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:04.000 And I remember the first time he told me that, I went, I'm not there yet. 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:05.360 Not there yet. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:06.559 I'm not pointing out fingers. 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:07.919 I'm not, I'm not, I'm not really. 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:14.960 Um some other things are just family stuff, but listen to what he wrote, the picture that was with Sarah. 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:19.519 This is what he wrote to Sarah and Josh on their wedding day as a note and gave to them. 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:27.279 Your life will always be complete if you share your life with the Lord and the one you choose as your spouse. 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:35.759 Close every day with love and kindness, and most importantly, never be angry and yell at each other unless the house is on fire. 00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:41.600 Counting your blessings, you have many as you take life, a day at a time. 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:45.519 When I asked my family this week, what do you remember about Pop? 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:46.720 That was what she sent. 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:48.240 She said, I still have that. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:56.879 The last time we saw him, age 91, in the nursing home, Jill asked my dad, Dad, what are you thinking about? 00:12:57.200 --> 00:12:59.039 As he was just looking out the window. 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:01.840 He said, I'm just counting my many blessings. 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:09.840 You know, people who we look to for wisdom don't necessarily have a great education in the world's way. 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:13.120 They may not be paid the most. 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:16.639 But they're people who get it. 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:19.919 They know how to keep going and get through it. 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:21.519 That's what wisdom's about. 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:31.360 Wisdom in the Bible specifically is set apart from all other wisdom and all other cultures because wisdom is clear in the Bible. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:33.120 It starts with God. 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:38.879 That if we want wisdom, we look to the Lord. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:53.360 Now, now, before I go into the scripture, and this is all just introductory stuff, I need to mention that biblically, we are either seeking wisdom or we are fools. 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:58.159 There's actually no middle ground in this particular topic in scripture. 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:09.200 We are seeking wisdom, asking people who we trust are a little further on the journey, asking them to help us on this journey, or we are fools. 00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:17.759 Now, remarkably, that word fool is many words in Hebrew, and it's many words in Greek. 00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:19.919 It's like love or like sin. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:28.480 There's lots of words that we in the Greek and Hebrew in the Bible that we compress into that simple English word fool. 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:38.080 But I want to take the time to explain some of the ways we can be fools in our lives. 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:44.320 And as I prayed about it, I thought Justin's probably not gonna go there, so I'll go there in our introductory remarks. 00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:47.840 There's the word kessel that's used in the Hebrew. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:55.840 It means you're just stubborn, which means, by definition, you're morally bankrupt. 00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:02.639 When we think we're gonna figure it out, we're gonna make it work, I don't feel like doing this, that, or the other. 00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:07.440 Our focus is on self, and we are acting as a fool. 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:09.600 Anyone ever been there? 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:14.799 Yeah, I mean that's but there's another word the Hebrews uh use, it's evil. 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:22.000 It means just corrupt and reckless, not considering the consequences of what our actions are. 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:33.120 Another word that's used that many of you, if you know your your your stories about David, um a man was named this, Nabal, and it just means godless. 00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:46.080 And when I think of that word, I think of we humans who sometimes think we're all that much, we're all that important, like an ant or a bee who says it's all about me. 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:51.360 And if we could talk with the ant or the bee, we'd say, don't be so foolish. 00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:57.120 It's about the whole colony, it's about the hive, it's about your part in the whole thing. 00:15:58.399 --> 00:15:59.759 That's a Nabal. 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:06.799 That another word they used it, which was uh Petri, it just means naive and inexperienced. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:09.679 Just naive. 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:12.879 Haven't had enough life to figure it out. 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:17.440 Now, when you think about it, our teens are leaving for our their big getaway tomorrow. 00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:18.720 Isn't it interesting? 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:22.639 And as many of us are praying, we don't want them to just have an experience. 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:25.840 We want them to gain wisdom, don't we? 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:29.360 We want them to grow in their walk with the Lord. 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:35.120 It plays itself out in our thoughts all the time, this business of wisdom or knowledge. 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:43.759 In the Greek, there's also numerous words for a fool, morose, where to be honest, we get the word moron. 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:46.639 We just are offensive. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:54.399 In what we're saying or what we're doing, if we thought about it for a moment, we'd realize what we're saying or doing just offends other people. 00:16:54.799 --> 00:16:56.240 We shouldn't go there. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:00.720 A second word is offron, which is thoughtless. 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:03.440 We haven't considered the consequences. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:14.640 Finally, there's anados, which just means we're foolish in our beliefs. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:18.240 And we're surrounded in our culture today with people that are like that. 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:25.200 They just believe foolish things, and therefore those lead to foolish acts. 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:28.240 All of that, is that me? 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:38.480 All of that means there's a way of getting beyond ourselves, and that's to seek wisdom. 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:46.960 If someone's shooting, I am ready to duck. 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:49.359 Wisdom. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:51.599 Guys, are we all right? 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:52.799 Should I turn this off? 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:56.079 I'm I'm good to go. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:56.559 Okay. 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:57.519 All right. 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:05.119 I'm watching you. 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:06.400 I'm watching. 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:07.599 Okay. 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:10.640 Let's okay. 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:23.759 Check, check, check. 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:24.799 What? 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:25.920 Hey, there it is. 00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:28.400 See, it's not just me. 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:30.960 Well, I may have to do a mic drop at the end of this. 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:31.359 Thank you. 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:32.319 Thank you, brother. 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:33.200 Thank you, Josh. 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:34.720 All right, we're good to go. 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:38.799 Gee, I starting to feel like Justin up here with a mic in the hand. 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:40.559 Wow, cool. 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:43.279 Okay, let's uh enough introduction. 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:44.559 Let's let's get into the word. 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:45.839 How does he do that? 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:48.960 How do you how do you open oh that's right, he doesn't open a Bible up here, does he? 00:18:49.039 --> 00:19:04.240 He has it all in the let's start where Proverbs starts, because when we get into the business of wisdom, uh we most often, wisdom lit, there's obviously lots of types of literature in scripture. 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:10.160 There's history and there's poetry and there's prophecy and there's all sorts of stuff. 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:20.400 But there are sections of scripture that are known as wisdom literature, and the premier one, as Justin mentioned, the one uh we're gonna be using this summer, is Proverbs. 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:27.200 This is what's said in the very first chapter the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:31.599 Fools despise wisdom and instruction. 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:36.240 The fear of the Lord is where this journey begins. 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:44.240 Now, I I know we have a we have a problem with that in our English language and certainly in our culture because we don't want to be afraid of anything. 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:48.480 And and yet, fear of the Lord is something that goes beyond respect. 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:54.240 Recognizes that he's the creator, the sustainer, the redeemer. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:20:03.759 He is with us, he is here in this room now, he's in our hearts, he's in our community, and he knows what's going on with our lives. 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:13.519 And one day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:25.839 And we are either gonna knee uh kneel in gratitude to our Savior, or we're gonna kneel out of object terror, knowing judgment is coming. 00:20:27.039 --> 00:20:29.759 Because we've lived our lives for ourselves the whole time. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:34.720 Or we haven't done what he's asked us, however, that gets defined in your own life. 00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:39.200 It's it's it's respect at an extreme. 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:45.200 It's that we should watch what we say, what we do, how we influence others. 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:48.480 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:54.559 Now that's that's where Proverbs starts, and there's a lot we're gonna learn this summer in Proverbs, I'm sure. 00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:58.319 There's other books that are referred to as part of the wisdom literature. 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:01.839 Many of the Psalms are referred to as part of the wisdom literature. 00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:13.039 Uh, you might be surprised to hear there's there's a book called The Song of Songs in the Hebrew scripture in Old Testament, and it's about romantic love. 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:21.119 And that's considered wisdom literature because it helps us to understand it and define it and understand how it sometimes makes us a little crazy. 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:23.519 That's the song of psalms. 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:26.640 Uh, Job is considered wisdom literature. 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:31.039 And if you've ever looked at any of Job, you go, the suffering of Job is wisdom. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:40.240 Yes, because it lays out his struggle over all of his loss in his efforts to understand more fully what God's up to. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:50.400 See, seeking wisdom is is not easy, uh, but it's important if we're gonna live a life of value. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:55.920 But there's also, let's admit, there's a lot of other places we would look in scripture. 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:58.480 The Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:02.640 Jesus said, Blessed are the Poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:04.400 That's how the journey starts. 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:06.400 We get rid of ourselves. 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:10.319 We just poor in spirit means you empty yourself of yourself. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:13.119 You stop playing the game that it's all about me. 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:15.359 That's wisdom literature. 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:18.400 And it goes on and describes the journey of faith. 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:21.599 We'd have to say the parables are wisdom, wouldn't you say? 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:23.599 When Jesus is teaching? 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:27.119 When he says the kingdom of God is like a pearl of great price. 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:28.559 What does that mean? 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:31.359 It's worth seeking with all of our lives. 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:34.319 Are you with me? 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:37.279 Wisdom is something we seek after. 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:47.119 We wrestle to try to understand, God, what are you saying to me now, and how do I navigate these hard times of life? 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:53.279 We'd have to say, certainly Jesus in the upper room is teaching wisdom on his last night with the disciples. 00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:55.440 John 13 through 16. 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:58.240 He starts with washing their feet. 00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:01.519 And he says, You call me teacher and Lord, and so I am. 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:04.160 But go and serve one another as I have served you. 00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:06.240 Then he goes to the cross. 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:11.279 So wisdom really is about serving others, not figuring it all out for ourselves. 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:12.799 Does that make sense? 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:16.319 And he goes on and says things like, I am the vine, you're the branches. 00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:18.640 He says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:20.319 No one comes to Father but by me. 00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:22.640 He says, I've come to complete your joy. 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:25.920 If we're out of touch with the Lord, we don't have joy in our lives. 00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:27.599 That's just a given. 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:29.680 But it's important to know that. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:31.839 This is something we have to understand. 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:35.440 So if we've lost our joy, not happiness, happiness comes and goes. 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:38.559 I'm talking about real joy, we're out of touch with Jesus. 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:40.079 Fact. 00:23:42.079 --> 00:23:45.599 Do we have a peace in our lives that passes all understanding that comes from Jesus? 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:46.720 He said so. 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:50.640 Are we seeking to love others as he loves us? 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:52.559 That's the new standard. 00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:55.119 Do you hear what I'm saying? 00:23:55.519 --> 00:24:04.319 It's uh wisdom is that which we have to learn, we have to be taught, we have to even experiment with and try to figure out and maybe get confirmation with others. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:07.440 Um, even the teachings of Paul, the teaching of James. 00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:12.079 In other words, this is where we find wisdom. 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:30.160 So I thought if we're going to do an overview today of just wisdom, and I'm gonna get you out of here in time for us all to do the boxes, then let me just invite you to consider with me what does the Bible say about the value of the Word of God? 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:33.200 And in other words, what does the Bible say about itself? 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:36.480 So that's what I'm gonna walk you through now. 00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:42.079 Uh to be honest, I've tried to get through the definitions, so now just walk with me in scripture, okay? 00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:45.680 And I want to start in Psalm 19. 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:51.359 Because as I said earlier, the Psalms are incredibly full of wisdom. 00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:57.119 And Psalm 19 is a remarkable one because it starts with declaring the heavens declare the glory of God. 00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:08.880 And what that means is, you know, whenever we go out in the sunrise or sunset, or we look at the stars at night, or we look at the beautiful blue sky that we finally had on Saturday, um, and we're blown away, aren't we? 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:12.880 And Psalm 19 says, the heavens are filled with the glory of God. 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:17.200 That is, the heavens speak to us about the glory of God. 00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:19.440 But then the Psalm shifts. 00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:24.559 And it talks about the Word. 00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:33.200 Now it uses poetic words to describe the Word, but it tells the value if we stay in the Word. 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:39.440 Verse 7 says, the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:40.720 Wow. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:47.359 Can you imagine a friend coming to you, a dear friend, someone who you really trust and saying, I need you to read this book. 00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:49.839 It will revive your soul. 00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:52.000 Would you read it? 00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:54.559 You're awfully quiet. 00:25:54.640 --> 00:25:55.440 Would you read it? 00:25:55.839 --> 00:25:57.039 I would think so. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:06.160 The Bible says the law of the Lord, that is a poetic word to use to describe the word of God, the law of the Lord is perfect. 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:07.759 It revives the soul. 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:13.119 But it goes on the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:17.519 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. 00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:22.720 The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:27.200 Now just think about the promises I've just read that we're told. 00:26:27.279 --> 00:26:28.400 That what does the word do? 00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:30.000 Why do we go into the word? 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:35.920 Because it revives the soul, it makes wise the simple, it rejoices the heart and enlightens the eyes. 00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:39.119 And our first response was, You've got to be kidding me. 00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:42.319 No, that's what the Bible says about itself. 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:45.119 That's the power of the word of God. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:54.160 It even goes on and says, the fear of the Lord, and isn't that interesting, another poetic way of describing the Word of God. 00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:57.599 The fear of the Lord is clean, it endures forever. 00:26:57.839 --> 00:27:00.559 The rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:07.359 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:11.839 Moreover, by them as your servant warned in keeping them, there is great reward. 00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:13.279 Wow. 00:27:14.480 --> 00:27:20.319 That's God's word speaking to us, saying, This is what I will provide for you in life. 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:21.839 Wow. 00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:32.640 My soul will be revived, I'll become wise, my heart will rejoice, I'll see things that otherwise I don't see. 00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:41.279 This lasts, the standard lasts forever because it's true and righteous that it's right relationship with God. 00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:45.920 It's better than gold, even better than the sweet taste of honey. 00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:47.599 The word of God. 00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:07.440 The word declares the impact of the word of God on us, and may we speak those words to others. 00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:15.279 You see, one of the businesses of one of the realities of wisdom is that we try to pass it on to others. 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:21.119 What we've learned that makes sense, like my dad did to us, that we just keep passing it on. 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:27.200 So, yeah, my wife and I, uh every day we're giving thanks. 00:28:27.359 --> 00:28:29.039 We're counting the blessings. 00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:30.720 Dad taught us that. 00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:32.880 The Bible teaches us that. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:43.359 Not Psalm 19, 11, but Psalm 119. 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:51.440 Because Psalm 119 is a psalm, the biggest psalm in the in the Bible. 00:28:51.839 --> 00:28:54.799 The whole thing is about the power of the Word of God. 00:28:55.359 --> 00:28:57.759 So I'm just going to pick out a couple verses. 00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:05.359 Uh verses uh one and two say, Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:10.400 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart. 00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:16.000 Now, isn't that interesting? 00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:23.440 The Bible says, if you will seek the Lord with all your heart, you will be blessed. 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:28.880 Now, yeah, there's there's about 40 different blessings in the whole Bible. 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:35.839 Um, the Beatitudes, the seven or eight that Jesus gives in Matthew chapter five are some of them. 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:38.880 But here's one right here. 00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:41.359 He says, You want to be blessed? 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:45.039 Just seek the Lord through the word. 00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:53.680 Now, blessed, of course, in the vernacular, sometimes it's translated happy. 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:55.680 It's much more than that, isn't it? 00:29:55.920 --> 00:30:03.200 It's this deep sense that life is good because God is with you. 00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:09.039 You're journeying with him, you're growing in his love and truth. 00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:11.119 You're blessed. 00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:16.559 It also implies you've been set apart from all the stuff of the world. 00:30:18.160 --> 00:30:20.000