because you are stronger now would you
come and make us wise that we might live
lives that make clear to the world that
you are superior in every way that is
worthy
don't leave us now help us continue to
worship over your word I pray and Lord
grant that you would speak in such a way
that those who are here pondering
whether they should seek wisdom in this
school would hear from you I ask this in
Jesus name my assigned topic is get
wisdom so I'm gonna take the first half
of the message and talk about what it is
that you should get and the second half
and talk about how to get it what is it
as a rule if someone asks you to find it
to define a word you should respond by
saying according to whom in what setting
in what book in what chapter in what
verse because definitions vary according
to speakers according to context
according to time and even within the
Bible so in general
be wary of doing what I'm about to do
I'm going to venture a definition of
wisdom that in general I think covers
almost all the uses in the Bible risky
and I do this because we have to talk to
each other and you cannot carry on a
conversation with anyone and pause and
define every work you can do it
conversations and communication will
come to a screeching halt
if
you say well they told us that's time
College in seminary that we have define
our words and so word definition word
definition word it's over right we're
not going to communicate so we have
massive assumptions every time we're
talking to each other that in general we
know what we're talking about so I'm
gonna venture a definition that in
general if you talk to me this is what I
would mean about wisdom so first a
general definition then we'll get more
specific generally the greatest human
wisdom and I say it that way because
then you can you can deduce from the
definition gradations of less great from
this the greatest human wisdom is the
factual knowledge and the situational
insight and the necessary resolve that
together has the greatest likelihood of
achieving the intended righteous goal so
for example a military battle justice on
your side the intended righteous goal is
victory a wise general will have the
factual knowledge he needs the terrain
the weather the strength of the opposing
army where they're located how they
fight how skilled are his own troops how
weary are they from the day before and
lots of other factual knowledge without
which he will act the fool and he has to
have the situational discernment and
insight so that as the critical moment
the way the enemy is slowing on the
right flank signals to him one thrust
from my elite troops at that point will
cause the entire day to be mine and then
he must have the resolve to do it
knowing everything
hangs on this decision in a sinful and
dangerous world almost all acts of
wisdom requires some measure of courage
so wisdom combines knowledge of the
facts of reality specific immediate
discernment insight intuition this is
what separates the good counselor from
the paid counselors not good and he's
got lots of factual stuff in his head
she doesn't get you just doesn't get you
in this situation at all he's just not
discerning and necessary resolve you
won't act as wisely as you could if
you're ignorant of relevant reality if
you're undiscerning of the immediate
dynamics of the situation and if you
don't have the resolve to act because
you're lazy or fearful now the reason I
said having these things gives you the
greatest likelihood of success in
achieving your intended righteous goal
is because only God never fails to
achieve his intended righteous goals the
wisdom of God his general knowledge of
reality his situational discernment his
necessary resolve always succeeds
no exceptions he attains his ends that's
not true of finite human beings
believing or unbelieving the greatest
human wisdom with all its factual
knowledge all of his situational inside
all of its necessary resolve will
sometimes be thwarted in achieving its
intended righteous goals because only
God has the power to guarantee his whist
so let's define God's wisdom then
without qualification divine wisdom is
the perfect factual knowledge of reality
and the perfect situational insight and
the omnipotent resolve that together
will succeed in achieving his intended
righteous goals oh the depth of the
riches and the wisdom and the knowledge
of God how unsearchable are his
judgments how inscrutable his ways they
cannot be fathom by humans they kind of
be thwarted by humans for from him and
through him and to him are all things to
him be glory amen
I love the wisdom of God I love the God
who has perfect wisdom now I said that I
would get more specific that's the
general definition of wisdom best among
men and in God here's my more specific
definition the greatest human wisdom is
the factual knowledge of reality and a
situational insight and the necessary
solve that will succeed in attaining
full and lasting happiness
so I'm not qualifying it like has the
best chance of attaining and now that's
gone because God has ordained that no
power in the universe can keep his
redeemed people acting in his spirit
given wisdom from attaining full and
lasting happiness in his presence
forever nothing can hinder it finally
1st Corinthians chapter 2 verse 7 we
impart the Apostles to believers we
impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God
which God decreed before the ages for
our glory that divine wisdom planned
planned for his people before creation
cannot fail he's not crossing his
fingers when that wisdom is imparted to
us by the Holy Spirit in the new birth
and we walk according to that wisdom in
faith we cannot fail to be happy forever
you cannot it was decreed for your glory
which won't bore you so my more specific
definition of the best human wisdom the
kind that we want and we can have blood
bought by Jesus given by the Spirit
through faith that wisdom is the factual
knowledge situational insight necessary
resolve that together succeed
entertaining full and everlasting
happiness now before we turn to how do
you get that let me give you a Bible
he's like you didn't quote Bible yet
except kind of sideways okay here's the
foundation where I'm building second
timothy 3:15 the sacred writings are
able to make you wise for salvation
through jesus christ now notice how
wisdom works it is a means to a goal
wisdom is always a good means to a good
goal the scriptures it says make you
wise unto wise unto wise unto you get
this wise unto salvation going somewhere
wisdom is how you get there two means to
an end
so I'm inferring from this text that
Paul means the Scriptures impart to you
the necessary knowledge of reality the
necessary discernment of situations and
the necessary result unto salvation they
impart to you what you will need to walk
on the narrow road of faith and
obedience that results in final
salvation for than everlasting happiness
or proverbs 3:13 happy is the man who
finds wisdom biblical wisdom is not a
dead-end street in the cul-de-sac of
misery it's a path it's a road to
lasting happiness or proverbs 24
thirteen my son eat honey
for it is good and the drippings of the
honeycomb are sweet to your taste know
that wisdom is such to your soul
wisdoms like that to your soul if you
find it there will be a future a honey
sweet future and your hope will not be
cut off honey sweet forever if you find
wisdom or proverbs nineteen eight he who
gets wisdom loves himself
not meaning finds himself lovely no
that's not what it means it means
embraces for himself a glorious future
he who finds wisdom embraces for himself
a glorious future okay here's the
beautiful summary from Proverbs 8 32 to
36 wisdom is talking I love the way she
talks
and now Oh sons listen to me wisdom
listen to me blessed are those who keep
my ways
walk wisely blessed are those who keep
my ways blessed is the one who listens
to me watching daily at my gates waiting
beside my doors for whoever finds me
finds life and obtains favor from the
Lord but he who fails to find me injures
himself and those who hate me love death
could it be clearer that wisdom is the
knowledge the insight the resolve that
successfully leads to full and
everlasting joy or proverbs 16 16 to get
wisdom is better than gold why gold can
buy almost anything almost anything it
can't buy life can't buy joy forever it
can buy lots of earthly things can turn
men into idiots folly is a joy to him
who has no sense but it cannot buy what
we want what we need most full and and
everlasting happiness only wisdom true
wisdom can do that those who find wisdom
find life and all who hate her love
death don't you put my picture up
outside my study at home hanging on the
wall is this and I passed it every day I
have for 17 years it's a calligraphy
from Timothy Botts and France sent to me
that's a that's a pure silver piece at
the top and a pure gold piece underneath
I have no idea what they're worth
they're not coming out of that frame
unless somebody breaks into my house and
it says choose my instruction instead of
silver knowledge rather than choice gold
for wisdom is more precious than rubies
nothing so you're heading to work you're
heading to speak your head and who knows
where you're heading today nothing
your desire can compare with her why
because she leads to the fulfillment of
all your desires end of definition get
wisdom how when I was in the 11th grade
I wish I remembered her name she was
quite the teacher it was a trigonometry
class least half of those trigonometry
and I forget with the other ones I never
made calculus but trigonometry was my
last end of mathematics yes never again
will I take any math course I love
scientists I love them on her wall was
proverbs four seven the beginning of
wisdom is this yet wisdom and in all
your getting get insight but that's a
strange first in a trigonometry class
but it made the point
don't be neutral right don't be neutral
okay so here's what I'm gonna do I'm
gonna give you I think I forget how many
but paths to wisdom that I'm not gonna
focus on but I feel like the one I want
to focus on would be so lopsided if I
didn't mention these that it would be
strange so here's the ones I'm not
focusing on and I love them hope you'll
love them too some of them might be
appointed for you
number one get wisdom by prising her
proverbs 4:8 prize her highly and she
will exalt you she will honor you if you
embrace her so don't be neutral prize
her esteem her desire her cherish her
she will honor you with her presence
if you prize her if you're neutral
she will walk away she's not dumb
neutrality is not attractive to God or
wisdom or any human being for that
matter
don't be neutral number 2 pray for it to
come for God to give it James 1:5 if any
of you lacks wisdom let him ask God ask
God who gives generously to all without
reproach and it will be given number 3
get wisdom by pursuing her prising
praying pursuing if you make your ear
attentive to wisdom if you seek her like
silver if you search for her as for
hidden treasure you will understand the
fear of the Lord and find the knowledge
of God so don't be passive don't be
neutral don't be passive
listen seek pursue she will be found by
those who prize her pray for her and
pursue her and you should ask pursue her
where and my answer might be Bethlehem
College and Seminary and what why would
I even think of that accept the fact
that this is Preview Day the reason I
would think of it is because we
intentionally work hard here to help you
on the path of wisdom to pursue it and
there are 5 biblical ways to pursue
wisdom that we self-consciously try to
help you with number 1 we are committed
to helping you pursue wisdom in the word
psalm 19:7 the testimony of the Lord is
sure making wise the simple
you will not be a wise person
apart from the testimony of the Lord
therefore the burden lies heavy on us
can we help them walk in the testimony
number two we are committed to helping
you pursue wisdom not only in the Word
of God but in the world of God
proverbs 6:6
go to the ant is a serious
go to the ant Oh slow gird consider her
wha ways and be wise huh one of the main
reasons that we believe in a liberal
arts education where you read lots and
lots of stuff outside the Bible is
because the Bible tells us - the Bible
tells us there are dimensions of wisdom
to be found in the assiduous penetrating
critical biblical observation of the
world not only in the Bible so somebody
says well you're you're drifting away
from the Bible by reading books outside
the Bible our answer is we're obeying
the Bible to look at ants you can look
at ants in the ground you can look at
ants in a biology book lots of ways to
look at ants or a thousand other things
that God Almighty and His infinite
wisdom has put in this world not to be
ignored
so the great books that show these great
things oh my what you can learn from the
world
it's folly its rudeness its calamities
its wonders it would be dishonorable
dead and get wise number three we are
committed to helping you pursue wisdom
by helping you walk with wise teachers
proverbs 13:20 whoever walks with the
wise becomes wise God never intended you
to walk through the word or walk through
the world alone ever he never intended
you to do that walking with the wise as
you ransack the word and walking with
the wise as you ransack the world makes
you wiser than if you ransacked the word
and the world alone
number four we are committed to helping
you pursue wisdom in the light of
eternity Psalm 90 verse 12 teach us to
number our days that we may get a heart
of wisdom so I'm walking to church half
an hour ago about that 45 minutes and
sirens coming from both ends
from HCMC got an ambulance from the fire
station over on Franklin you got a fire
truck and they stopped at the corner of
12th and 11th and they go into the brown
building on the corner can't see any
problem number your days old man 72 year
old John Piper who's walked this path
twelve thousand times number your days
they're gonna ring for you that helped
me preach
that made me wiser about this moment
that put a weight on me an hour ago
that's why they were there among other
reasons don't miss it teach us to number
our days that we may get wisdom you you
come to Bethlehem you will smell
eternity the sweet breezes of heaven and
the smoke of hell blow through these
halls regularly because walking near
eternity makes you wiser in the world
the preacher said please est seven it is
better to go to the house of mourning
than to go to the house of feasting for
this is the end of all mankind and the
living will lay it to heart and become
wise number five we are committed to
helping you pursue wisdom by bringing
all things into relation to Jesus Christ
the second I'm gonna leave this for
Jason but I'll just quote Colossians all
things were created through him and for
him in him all things hold together and
in him are hidden all the treasures of
wisdom you miss him
you miss everything maybe smart you
won't be wise so those are my vital
paths that I'm not focusing on alright
now we close with what I intended to
focus on from the beginning
so prized her pray for her pursue her in
the word in the world in the company of
lost teachers in the light of eternity
in relation to Jesus that's my non focus
here's my focus 1st corinthians 3:18 let
no one deceive himself if anyone among
you thinks that he is wise in this age
let him become a fool that he may become
wise gorgeous purpose clause here is an
and indispensable path to wisdom become
a fool that you who may become wise he's
not merely saying if you seek to be wise
in the eyes of God the world will regard
you as a fool he is saying we must
happily embrace the role of fool in the
world happily embrace the role of fool
in the world quote in order that you may
become wise Hinna
gimmick I suppose
we must not be ashamed of being a fool
for Christ you give it all up if you're
embarrassed by Christ and His Word now
here's the context in first corinthians
that makes sense out of that statement
paul says that at corinth there are wise
people who are emptying the cross of its
power now substituting their eloquence
for the cross and it's offense with the
wise men of corinth are to them cross
his foolishness 1:18 the world did not
know God through wisdom 1:21 rather the
thoughts of the wise are futile 3:20 the
wisdom of this world is folly with God
3:19 God will destroy the wisdom of the
wise 1:19 God chose what is foolish in
the world to shame the wise 1:27
therefore become a fool that you may
become wise this is an embrace it's not
a mere result why do I focus on this I
focus on this because Bethlehem College
and Seminary is an academic institution
academic institutions like once glorious
ghost towns breed fear of being called a
fool like slums breed rats
academic institutions or academia breed
cowardly conformists posing as
cutting-edge progressives students and
teachers in academic institutions have
the strongest aversion to being seen as
fools in the eyes of other academics
that's why to be a faithful Christian
obedient to the Word of God truly wise
in Corinth or the Areopagus of Athens
where Paul was called a babbler when the
smartest men in the first century to be
a Christian to be obedient to God's
words we truly wise in cars in Athens
and in the halls of an academic
institution you must become fool
thoughtful fools to be sure hope Phil
fools to be sure happy fools with lots
of serious joy to be sure but fools
nevertheless unashamed happy fools not
self pitying not dour not defensive not
forlorn not miserable not oh poor me
fools but on ashamed happy hope Phil's
fools for Christ
so here's the crucial question for your
future and our school will we be ashamed
of believing what the Bible teaches when
the world calls us fools or or will we
out rejoice the world not only in spite
of the
insults but because of them will we be
like Paul who said second Corinthians
12th for the sake of Christ I am
thinking he breath content with insults
really will we respond like the Apostles
when they were ashamed when they were
shamed as fools in acts 541 they left
the council rejoicing that they were
counted worthy to be shamed for the name
that's a miracle we breed miracles like
that here cor we fail I think or it's up
to 16 beaten with rods strip thrown in
jail midnight they're singing Paul and
Silas are seeing it must have galled
them those Rascals who thought we got
rid of them and then there's an
earthquake will we obey Peter's letter
when he says chapter 4 first Peter
rejoice if you are insulted for the name
of Christ the spirit of glory and of God
rests on you will we turn from the
pitiful rewards of boasting in men and
remember all things are yours I'll say
it again
all things are yours whether a palace or
Paul or Cephas or the world or things
present or things to come or death or
life all things are yours and you are
Christ's and Christ is God's why would
you boast in man or give one slip of
their shaming words unless you don't
believe it
so I exhort you get wisdom become a fool
that you may become wise a thoughtful
hopeful happy fool for Christ don't you
stand it I'll pray for you as you go
Lord these are all miracles we're
talking about here ordinary human beings
the natural man does not have the
emotional wherewithal to rejoice at
being shamed something happened
something miraculous happened Oh God
caused it to happen to these friends and
through this school I pray in Jesus name
