Last week we looked at James teaching on the. The Compass. Leading Families Toward Spiritual Maturity PROVERBS 2:1-9

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1 The Compass First Family Church VOLUME 3 ISSUE 21 March 13, 2016 Leading Families Toward Spiritual Maturity PROVERBS 2:1-9 This Week s Core Virtue Bible Study (Hebrews 4:12): I study the Bible diligently to know God, to become like Christ, and to discern His will for my life. Last week we looked at James teaching on the topic of wisdom. James tells us in Chapter 3:13-18 that there are two kinds of wisdom Worldly Wisdom (from below) and Godly Wisdom (from above). He also gives us clear identifiers we can use to spot the fruit of true Godly Wisdom (v. 17). This week we will turn our attention back to the Old Testament to learn more about how we can acquire wisdom from above, or Godly Wisdom. Solomon is universally recognized as one of the wisest men to every live. The book of Proverbs, which Solomon authored, is the centerpiece of the Old Testament wisdom literature. Proverbs 1:7 identifies for us where wisdom comes from The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Starting in Proverbs 2, Solomon begins a lengthy discourse on what he describes as the pursuit of wisdom. This will be the focus of this week s Compass. Solomon begins his argument concerning the pursuit of wisdom with an if/then statement. Prov- Continued on page

2 Page 2 The Compass Step 1 ENCOUNTER God s Word to put yourself in touch with him. Proverbs 2:1-9 (ESV) The Value of Wisdom 1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. 9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; Mark the text to highlight the themes and key points. Continued from page 1... erbs 2:1-4 lay out the conditions of the if/then statement. These short commands provide the context for how we gain Godly Wisdom. Starting in Proverbs 2:5, Solomon gives two then statements that describe God s response to those who diligently seek wisdom. Godly Wisdom is the result the spiritual process of seeking after God and crying out for discernment. Solomon identifies the tools God uses to impart His wisdom to His children, and these include His Word, His Spirit, and our Prayerful response to Him. And where does it all begin? With the fear of the Lord (v. 7). Keep in mind that the fear Solomon is talking about is not to be afraid of the Lord, but fear in the sense of a holy respect or awe for the Lord. When we acknowledge Yahweh as our Creator and a three-times Holy God who calls us His child and we call Him Father, this invokes a great sense of awe or fear within us. This sense of awe, Solomon tells us, is the beginning of wisdom. Let me encourage you to download the full version of The Compass this week and spend time prayerfully studying Proverbs 2:1-9 as we investigate how we gain Godly Wisdom. Included with this week s newsletter is a wonderful sermon by Adrian Rogers on Proverbs 2 that breaks out in detail the tools God uses to impart His wisdom to us and how we can best make use of these tools. May God use His Word and His Spirit to impart His wisdom upon you this week as you prayerfully call out for wisdom and discernment. May you seek it as you would seek silver or gold or a great hidden treasurer. For the Lord gives His wisdom to those who diligently seek it. Chris Eller

3 The Compass Page 3 Step 2 ENQUIRE the answer to these questions to better understand what the passage means. Use the questions below to guide your reading and to ensure you are grasping the key lessons and themes of the text. This is called Inductive Bible Study, in which you ask the questions, Who?, What?, Where?, Why?, When?, How? as you read the text. (Also known as the 5Ws and an H. ) 1. What did Solomon encourage us to do? Why? (2:1-5) 2. What is the theme of this chapter? (2:1-22) 3. What are some of the benefits of wisdom? (2:1-22) 4. How should we look for wisdom? (2:4) 5. What happens to the person who accepts these words? (2:5) 6. What does the Lord give? (2:6) 7. What does the Lord do for the upright? (2:7-8) 8. What did Solomon say the reader would understand? (2:9-11) Summary Notes Write a one paragraph summary of this week s text including key areas of interest and significant instruction. Consult the commentary on the text and the notes following this page for additional help. About The Compass The Compass is a ministry of First Family Church and is edited by Chris Eller. The purpose of The Compass is to help you better grasp the truth of the biblical text from which the weekend sermon is based. The Compass also connects readers with the principles of discipleship found in 10 Core Beliefs (doctrine) 10 Core Practices (disciplines), and 10 Core Virtues (spiritual fruit). If you would like The Compass delivered each week to your box, you can to to for a free subscription.

4 Page 4 The Compass Step 3 EXPLORE the commentaries to answer the questions. God s Way To Health, Wealth And Wisdom By Adrian Rogers Main Scripture Text: Proverbs 2:1-9 Introduction Many people make it a practice to read one chapter of Proverbs every day, and I do not do that everyday, but frequently I will get into a mold where in my devotions I will begin to read through the Book of Proverbs and I am certain that I ve read it through many times as you have read this marvelous book too. We re titling this series of sermons God s Way to Health, Wealth, and Wisdom. Now there s an old proverb, not a biblical proverb, just an old proverb that says, Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise. But, the problem is that a lot of people who go to bed early and get up early they re not healthy, they re not wealthy, and they re not wise. Now, because going to bed and getting up early doesn t make you healthy, wealthy, and wise, what is taught in God s Word will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise, if you understand what true health, wealth, and wisdom is, as we re going to see here in a little bit. Now, what is a proverb anyway? Somebody said that a proverb is a short sentence based on long experience that is, it is a lot of wisdom that has been distilled, crammed into, packed into, a sentence. That is, by a proverb we can learn from the experiences of other people. Somebody says you better learn from the mistakes of others; you ll not live long enough to make them all by yourself. And so, you re going to have to learn from mistakes of other people. But, these proverbs here are not like earthly proverbs. Earthly proverbs are learned from experience; but what we have here are not necessarily things that have been learned from experience. These are truths that are given to us by divine revelation. These are not just simply things that are being worked out by human ingenuity; these are God s words of wisdom given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. You know, proverbs are good, but sometimes they are confusing, sometimes they re wrong, sometimes they even seem contradictory. For example, one proverb might say, Look before you leap you ve heard that, sure. Another one says, He who hesitates is lost. So, that s kind of disquieting, isn t it? You don t know which one of those proverbs to take. Or, we hear a proverb like this: You only get what you pay for. That sounds good until somebody else comes along and says, The best things in life are free. And, it just seems a little bit confusing. Or somebody else has a proverb: Leave well enough alone. And then, somebody else comes along and says, Progress never stands still. So, these are human proverbs, and there s some truth in all of them, if you rightly see them, and see what the person who was giving the proverb has to say. But, God s proverbs are not merely short sentences based on long experience; they re not little riddlecisms that sometimes sound good, but not so good until after you examine them. These are revealed truths from the Word of God, and they are God s ways that God s people can know true health, true wealth, and true wisdom. And today, we re going to be talking about the subject of wisdom, because wisdom is the theme of the entire Book of Proverbs. And, if you read the Book of Proverbs and I hope you ll do it while we re in this series as you read the book of Proverbs through, you might draw a circle around that word wisdom, as God uses it so many times. Wisdom is used over and over and over again. For example, if you were to read the first six verses, you would find the word wisdom or wise used over and over again just in those first six or seven verses here in the Book of Proverbs. So wisdom is the key; and we re going to be talking today about wisdom what it is and how to have it. That s the first in these series of messages. Now, I want to say, dear friend, that we re not going to preach on every proverb. You say, Well, praise the Lord for that, because we d be half way into the millennium and still would not have preached really well on each of these proverbs. But, by God s grace, I m going to try to pick out some key passages, and some things that will cohere together, and help at least to whet our appetite for this wonderful book, which is indeed God s book to health, wealth, and wisdom for his children. Health, wealth, and wisdom, properly understood, as we ll see not what some may mean by health and wealth and wisdom, in the eyes and minds of this world today. What I want us to think about as we think about wisdom today is just two things, and then we ll get right into the Scripture. First of all, we want to think about the incomparable work of wisdom. And, then we want to think about the infallible way to wisdom. Okay? The incomparable worth of wisdom; and the infallible way to wisdom. I. The Incomparable Worth of Wisdom Now, look if you will in Proverbs 1:1: The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; to know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding (Proverbs 1:1-2). And then, 2:1: My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou Continued on page 5...

5 The Compass Page 5 understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path (Proverbs 2:1-9). Just ask me, what would you like? Choose. Do you want me to give you something? What do you want? What would you ask Him for? Well, if you were hungry, you might ask for food, if you were sick, you might ask for health, if you were an egotist, you might ask for wealth and power. What would you ask Him for? Did you know that God came to Solomon, and God said, Solomon, son, what do you want? What can I give you? And, we read there in 2 Chronicles 1:7: That night God appeared to Solomon and said, What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you! (2 Chronicles 1:7). Now, every time in the Old Testament when God appeared, that s what we call a theophany; that was a preincarnate presence of the Lord Jesus that is, when Jesus came and took upon Himself a particular form. And here is the Lord Jesus speaking to Solomon, saying, What shall I give thee? Now, what did Solomon ask for? He didn t ask for health; he didn t ask for wealth; he didn t ask for power over his enemies; he didn t ask for honor. Do you know what Solomon asked for? He asked for wisdom. Listen here s what Solomon said. He said, Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great? And God said to Solomon... and I m sure that if we could picture God, He d have a smile on His face And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like (2 Chronicles 1:10-12). That is, Solomon, I m going to give you wisdom, because you have discernment enough to ask for wisdom; and with that wisdom, I m going to give you many other things that people have dreamed for, and schemed for, and sold their souls for. You will have these things because you have asked for the best. Friend, I want more for my children than anything else that my children have wisdom. Did you know that? As a father, I desire that my children have wisdom. As a pastor, I desire wisdom to lead my people. I want for my church members to have the wisdom of God. I tell you, dear friend, there is nothing more that you could ask for, besides wisdom, that would be greater, because so many other things are included in wisdom. As a matter of fact, this same Book of Proverbs says, in Proverbs 8:11: For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it (Proverbs 8:11). There s nothing to be compared to wisdom. Now, that s a pretty big statement: everything that is to be desired is not to be compared with wisdom. So, if wisdom is so important, let s think of the incomparable worth of wisdom. Now, what is the incomparable worth of wisdom? Why is wisdom worth so much? A. The Promise of the Father Well, first of all, I want to say that wisdom is worth so much, because the Father provides it. Now, notice in 1:1, these are, The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel (Proverbs 1:1). Now, notice what Solomon said in 2:1: My son, if thou wilt receive my words... (Proverbs 2:1). What you have here is a father speaking to his son. Here is King Solomon, who has a son he loves, his son just as I love my children and he wants his son to be successful, he wants his son to be useful, he wants his son to have fulfillment and integrity in life. And so, He says, Oh, my son, here is something that I have for you, something that I desire for you: the promise of the father it is the promise of the father wisdom. Now, a father who is a king is speaking to his son did you understand that? Now listen a father who is a king is still speaking to his children. This is not just what God has said this is what God is saying; and, not only is Solomon speaking to his son but God is speaking to his children. You see, we re children of the King, and this is not only Solomon s word; this is the inspired Word of God. And these are the words of the King for His children. I entitle this series, Wise Words for the King s Kids, because that s what they are. 2:1 says, My son, if you ll just hear my words. Listen how important it is that we understand wisdom, because it is the purpose of the Father that His children be wise. God desires for you to be wise. That s the reason it pleased God so much when Solomon asked for wisdom. B. The Product of the Spirit Now, secondly, not only is wisdom the promise of the Father, wisdom is the product of the Spirit. Look again, in 2:1: My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom... (Proverbs 2:1-2). There s to be a teacher. Who is the teacher? The teacher of wisdom is the Holy Spirit. We are to incline our ear to Him; we are to listen to our teacher. Jesus said He will guide us into all truth. In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of wisdom. Now, dear friend, there s a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Did you know that you can get knowledge without the Holy Spirit, but you cannot get true wisdom without the Holy Spirit? Now, what s the difference between knowledge and wisdom? Now, there s nothing wrong with Continued on page 6...

6 Page 6 The Compass knowledge, and you ought to have knowledge but knowledge is learned; wisdom is given. Knowledge comes by looking around; wisdom comes by looking up. Knowledge comes from studying; wisdom comes from meditation, and wisdom is the way to apply your knowledge. So don t fail to have knowledge; don t fail to study. The Bible says we re to study to show [ourselves] approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed (2 Timothy 2:15). But, dear friend, all of that knowledge is but splendid ignorance apart from the wisdom that God will give you to apply that knowledge. The word wisdom is related to the word skill in the Old Testament. That is, in the Old Testament, when those people built the tabernacle, the Bible says that God gave to them the spirit of wisdom to build the tabernacle. Some translators translate that God gave to them the spirit of skill, or God gave to them skill to build the tabernacle. Now, that word wisdom and the word skill are related together. Now, what does that mean to us? Do you know what wise living is? It is living skillfully, living to the optimum. It is abstracting the most out of life, and making the most out of life. You become an artist; you become a practitioner; you live life with skill. Have you ever watched a cabinetmaker build something? Boy, I try to build things and I m a wood butcher. I mean, it s not even fit for the fire when I get finished with it, doesn t make good kindling. But oh, to see somebody who puts things together skillfully! Now, dear friend, we re to put our lives together that way we re to learn to live skillfully and it is the product of the Holy Spirit. Do you know the Bible says that great men are not always wise? There are a lot of people who have head knowledge, but they don t have wisdom. I think of Einstein, Albert Einstein I was reading about his life. Einstein died in Before he died, he said this I want to give you what I consider to be a pathetic quote from a brilliant man. He said, I feel like a man chained. And then, he said, If I could only be free from the shackles of my intellectual smallness, then I could understand the universe in which I live. Oh, he said, my mind is not great enough. Oh, if I could just take the shackles off, if I could just probe into the mysteries of the universe. He would never, no never, know the mysteries of the universe, unless he knew the Man who made it. You see, a man can have knowledge, but he needs understanding, he needs wisdom. In order for Einstein to know the secrets of the universe, he d have to know the Lord Jesus Christ; for the Bible says, in Him in Jesus are hidden all of the treasures of wisdom in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the secret of the universe; Jesus is the glue of the galaxies; Jesus is the secret of it all. And so, this wisdom is produced by the Spirit; and the only way that a man can know it is not by books, but by knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. There are some things you cannot learn from experience. There was a boy whose father owned some gold mines out west in the early days, the gold mining days and this father had a number of very successful gold mines. He wanted his son to take over the business, and so, he sent his son, when his son was old enough, to go to school back east, to the eastern seaboard of our country, to study in great universities over there. And, the boy studied engineering and mining and metallurgy, and, after he graduated, he came back out west to the gold mine, and he said, Now, father, I m ready; put me to work. And the father said, Well, son, I believe the best thing for you would be to put on some old clothes and go down into the mines and work with your hands, and first of all, gain that knowledge that comes by experience you can get it no other way. And the boy said, Daddy, I don t need to do that. He said, We ve been to school, we know things you ve never thought about. He said, I have experiences now that I ve learned, and he said, I m ready to go to work. He said, If you ll give me the best gold mine that you have, he said, I ll show you how to really make it produce. The father said, All right, and he gave him such a mine. And, the boy was doing well for a while. But, after a while, he sent a wire to his father, and he said, Father, I need some help here, I ve got a problem. You know, the mine is backed up to a lake, and the water is beginning to seep in. What do you suggest we do? The father didn t answer. After a while, the boy wired his father again. He said, The situation is getting bad. He said, We have shored it up, but, he said, the shoring is slipping, and we re not able to stop the water from coming in. I need some advice. The father didn t answer. The boy wired a third time, and he said, Father, the situation is desperate, the lake is coming in, we re about to lose that gold mine, and, if you don t tell me what to do, we re going to lose the best gold mine we have. The father wired back and said, Shove your diploma in that hole. C. The Presence of the Savior Now, there are some things you can learn in school, friends, and there are some things you can t learn in school; and wisdom is more than common sense. You see, that boy didn t even have common sense. But, wisdom is a gift; it is a supernatural gift from God. It is a promise of the Father; it is the product of the Spirit. But now, wait a minute. Wisdom is more than the promise of the Father, where he says, My son, hear my words. It is more than the product of the Spirit, where the Spirit begins to teach us supernaturally. Wisdom is the presence of the Savior. You will never have real wisdom, until you know the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart. Now, notice he says here, if you will, in 1:2: We re to know wisdom and then, later on, we re talking about 2:10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart... (Proverbs 2:10). Whose is the wisdom that comes into our heart? I hope that some of you Bible scholars will not think that I m twisting a point when I tell you that wisdom is Jesus Christ. Jesus is wisdom, and no man has wisdom until wisdom enters him; and wisdom enters a man, when Christ enters a man. Christ is our wisdom. I want to show you something here in 1 Corinthians 1. Just turn to it with me, just keep one Continued on page 7...

7 The Compass Page 7 hand there, if you will, in the Book of Proverbs, and look, if you will, in 1 Corinthians 1, beginning in verse 20. God says, Where is the wise? Now, he s not talking about wise men, he s talking about the wise guy right here. Where is the wise? He s talking about the wise of this world. Where is the scribe? That is, the PhD, the intellectual. Where is the disputer of this age? He s talking here about the debater, the man, the philosopher. Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? We d have to say amen to that, friend. We boast of our wisdom, and civilization is caving in on us. For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God... (1 Corinthians 1:20-21). I think that s one of the neatest things in the Bible. God is so wise that he won t let you learn about Him by human wisdom. In the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knows not God. We talked about Albert Einstein. But I want to tell you Albert Einstein had no more of a head start to God than little Shane Smith who was up here today. Did you know that? That little boy wasn t he a handsome little fellow? Now listen Albert Einstein, with all of his brains, doesn t have a leg up on knowing God. The Bible says, [God hath] hid these things from the wise and prudent, and [hath] revealed them unto babes (Matthew 11:25). Aren t you glad? I m not against intellectualism. I m not preaching against that. But, I m telling you, dear friend, when you come to God, you don t come headfirst, you come heart first. Did you know that? God hath hidden these things from the wise and the prudent. And, before you can know God, you re going to have to lay your intellectual pride in the dust, because you see if a person with a big IQ could know God better than somebody else, then God is not fair. God is not fair. Not everybody has a head, but everybody has a heart. Amen? I mean, we can know God, we can love God with all of our hearts, and, in the wisdom of God, He hath hidden these things from the wise and the prudent. But now, let s go on to see what he says for verse 22: For the Jews require a sign the Jews were looking for a mighty Messiah and the Greeks seek after wisdom the Greeks were looking for sort of a double Socrates; they had intellectualized God, and they had begun to worship of the shrine of their intelligence. But Paul says, But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:22-24). Jesus is wisdom personified. Let me tell you about wisdom. It commences with conversion; it deepens by discipleship. Real wisdom: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). That is, a man does not even have a modicum of wisdom, until he knows the Lord. When a man reverences God, when a man receives Christ, when a man has a personal encounter, that man receives the wisdom of God. And, here is the incomparable worth of wisdom. It, dear friend, is provided by the Father; it is produced by the Spirit; but only by the presence of the Son. When you have the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart, then you are ready to have that real wisdom. Now, that s the incomparable worth of wisdom. God desires it so much that he sent his own dear Son, the Lord Jesus, to die upon Calvary s cross that you might know this wisdom; and he sent his dear Holy Spirit to teach it, the incomparable worth of wisdom. No wonder the Bible says there s nothing to be compared with wisdom nothing. II. The Infallible Way to Wisdom Now, let s talk a little bit about the infallible way to wisdom. How can you have this wisdom? Well, look again if you will in our scripture here in Proverbs 2. There are three things that I see in this scripture, three things that teach me of the infallible way to wisdom. Now pay attention. A. The Pursuit of the Scriptures First of all, if you were to have wisdom you must pursue the scriptures, there must be the pursuit of the scriptures. Look again in 2:1: My son, if thou wilt receive my words... (Proverbs 2:1). It s all predicated on that. If you don t want to receive God s Word, you ll never have wisdom. Friend, this book, God s Word, infallible, inerrant, is God s handbook of wisdom for His children. You must pursue it. You must pray over it. You must study it. You must saturate yourself with it. We Must Appreciate the Word of God. Now, what must you do? Let me tell you about pursuing the Scriptures. First of all, you must appreciate the Word of God. 2:1 says you re to receive God s Word. That literally means welcome God s Word, just like you receive somebody into your house that is, you re glad to see them. You know, some people come to church on Sunday morning with a sign hung around their neck. Do you know what it says? Please do not disturb. Listen we re to receive God s Word. Are you receiving it today? Are you listening? Is your mind out there gathering wool? You re thinking about how you re going to get the onions out of your grass, and you re thinking about what you re going to have for lunch, and who is going to be playing basketball. I shouldn t have reminded you of all of that, should I? And you re just not receiving God s Word. We Must Appropriate God s Word. Oh, my friend, listen if you will receive Him, we must appreciate God s Word; but not only must we appreciate God s Word, we must appropriate God s Word. Look again and hide my commandments with thee (Proverbs 2:1). That means, not only to let it get in, but let it get down. Thy word have I hid in mine heart (Psalm 119:11). As you appropriate it, as you take it in. You know, some people don t even bring a Bible to church, some people never make any notations, some people are not serious they re not serious, friend. If we would possess wisdom, wisdom must possess us. I mean, we must Continued on page 8...

8 The Compass Page 8 get into God s Word, we must hide God s Word down in our heart. We Must Assimilate God s Word. Not only must we appreciate God s Word, not only must we appropriate God s Word, we must assimilate God s Word. Look again in verse 2. The Bible says, incline thine ear unto wisdom (Proverbs 2:2). The words incline thine ear literally have the idea of sharpening the hearing, have the idea of tuning in. It s kind of like when E. F. Hutton speaks; you say, what s that? I mean, God s going to give me some wisdom. We Must Activate God s Word. Man, I want to appropriate it, I want to assimilate it, but not yet has it begun to work all the way. You must appreciate it, you must appropriate it, you must assimilate it, but you must activate it. Look here look if you will and he says here in verse 2:... and apply thine heart to understanding (Proverbs 2:2). When you apply it, when it gets out of the notebook into your head, and it gets out of your head into your heart, and when it gets out of your heart into your life, and you begin to live it, and you begin to apply it, and you begin to activate it, at that moment, it becomes wisdom to you. The Bible says, when a man hears the Word and doesn t do it, that man is a fool. You are to begin to apply the Word of God. Now listen study of the Bible gives you knowledge about God; obedience gives you knowledge of God. Did you hear that? Study of the Bible gives you knowledge about God, obedience gives you knowledge of God. Jesus said, He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John 14:21). That is, when you keep God s Word, when you obey God s Word, then God begins to reveal Himself to you. And the manifestation of God to you, among other things, means that you re going to have wisdom in your life. And so, if you would know wisdom, you must pursue the Scriptures, you must appreciate the Scriptures, you must appropriate the Scriptures, dear friend, you must assimilate the scriptures, you must activate the Scriptures. Be a man of the book and you ll be a man of wisdom that s the first step. You must pursue the Scriptures there must be the pursuit of the Scriptures. B. The Prayer of the Saint Secondly, there must be the prayer of the saint. Look in verse 3: Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:3-5). We Must Pray with Intensity. Now here, he s talking about the prayer life, and how we re to pray. First of all, we re to pray with intensity. Look at it in verse 3: Yea, if thou criest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding... (Proverbs 2:3). This is not a namby-pamby, will-o - the-wisp, now I lay me down to sleep, type of prayer. Oh, with all of the function and unction and emotion of the mind, body, soul, and spirit, a person says God, I want to know wisdom. God does business with those who mean business. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16). That s what James told us. And James is the one who taught us much about praying for wisdom. Do you really want to know the way of God? Do you cry out after wisdom? Do you seek wisdom? We re to pray fervently. God forgive our cold, indifferent halfhearted prayer life. If a man really wants wisdom, he ll cry out for it. We Must Pray with Insistency. Not only are we to pray with intensity; we re to pray with insistency. Look in verse 4: If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures... (Proverbs 2:4). Suppose you knew that in the yard of the house, or somewhere in the house that you purchased, there s a valuable treasure hidden. The former owner had put it there, and when you got the house, you got the treasure. And it s all yours, if you just find it. And you know that it s there. Would you look for it? Of course you would I would. It d be a lot easier for me to spade my garden. You d be looking for it. You d say, I know it s here. Boy, wouldn t it be a great day when God s people seek wisdom like they seek wealth? You know, some people are really upset about that young boy, a football player, Steve Young for the LA Express. Do you know how much they re paying him to play football? Now, buckle your pew belts you ladies don t know this, you men already know this $40,000,000! I didn t say $40,000 $40,000,000 to get a bag full of zipped up air across a pasture. $40,000,000! You say, Well, the President only makes $200,000 a year. $40,000,000 for playing football. Well, you say, I don t believe in all of that. Well, let me say something to you. Most of you have not even begun to pursue wisdom like that young man has begun to pursue excellence on the football field They for a corruptible crown, we for an incorruptible. (1 Corinthians 9:25) I tell you, there s something worth more than $40,000,000, and that is wisdom. For what effort, what training, what diligence, what persistence? I tell you, these athletes put us to shame they for a corruptible crown, we for an incorruptible. We Must Pray with Expectancy. Wisdom nothing to be compared to it... more valuable than rubies, the Bible says is this thing called wisdom. We re to seek for wisdom, we re to search for wisdom, as a man seeks and searches for a hidden treasure. We are to pray with fervency, we re to pray with persistency, and we re to pray with expectancy. Continue to read here chapter 2. And read with me verses 5, 6: Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:5-6). Do you know what that is? That s a promise: The LORD giveth wisdom. When you get into the Word of God, and then you couple that with prayer, by crying out after God when there is a fervent, persistent, expectant prayer, I tell you by the authority of the Word of God that the God of Continued on page 9...

9 The Compass Page 9 heaven, the God of grace, the God of glory, is going to grant to you wisdom. You ll know it. Now you know, when we pray, the Bible says, if we ask God anything, according to his will, we know that he hears us. Now, we know that it s God s will that we have wisdom. God desires wisdom for his children. James 1:5 says, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not do you know the next part of that? And it... what? it shall be given him. It shall. But then, the Bible says: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed (James 1:5-6). He s unstable in all of his ways (James 1:8). Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord (James 1:7). Now, when you come to God with fervency, consistency, expectancy, after you have received the Word of God, then you can pray to God for wisdom, and it shall be given. God s not going to scold you, he s not going to upbraid you, he s not going to say, Is that you again, pestering me again? Oh no! God is pleased when I come to him daily and say, God, I need wisdom here. Lord, I m preparing a sermon. Lord, help me. Lord, I m making a decision. Lord, help me. Lord, I m seeking a college, a wife, I need to buy a home, I want to win souls. Lord, I want to be used. God, give me wisdom. God will give it. He will give it. He will give it. He will give it. God wants you to have wisdom. Out of his infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again. verse 10, he speaks of pleasantness. In Christ, there is satisfaction. In Christ, soundness; in Christ, strength; in Christ, security; in Christ, satisfaction. Conclusion Would you know wisdom? There must be the pursuit of the Scripture, there must be the prayer of the saint; but all of these are no good, unless there s the presence of the Savior. It is Christ who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Oh, to know Jesus, the wisdom of God, and the power of God! Christ in the heart. Let s bow our heads in prayer. This sermon from the Adrian Rogers Legacy Library 2010 Rogers Family Trust. Used by permission. Adrian Rogers, The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection Sermons, (North Palm Beach, FL: Adrian Rogers Foundation, 2011), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: God s Way To Health, Wealth And Wisdom. Thou art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring; For his grace and pow r are such None can ever ask too much. (John Newton) Hallelujah! C. The Presence of the Savior But, there s one other thing, and I ll be finished. Not only must there be the pursuit of the Scripture, not only must there be the prayer of the saint, but I want to say it one more time: there must be the presence of the Savior, if you would know wisdom. There must be the presence of the Savior. Now, notice again verses 7 to 9: He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path (Proverbs 2:7-9). Who is our righteousness? Who is our wisdom? It is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, look in verse 7. He speaks of sound wisdom. The word soundness means wholeness. Oh, dear friend, I want to tell you, In Christ, there is soundness. In verse 7, he speaks of a buckler or a shield. In Christ, there is strength. In verse 8 he speaks of preserving his saints. In Christ, there is security. In verse 1, he speaks of every good path, and in

10 Page 10 The Compass Daily Bible Reading Plan SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 3/13 3/14 3/15 3/16 3/17 3/18 3/19 Num. 19:1-20:29 Num. 21:1-22:20 Num. 22:21-23:30 Num. 24:1-25:18 Num. 26:1-51 Num. 26:52-28:15 Num. 28:16-29:40 Luke 1:1-25 Luke 1:26-56 Luke 1:57-80 Luke 2:1-35 Luke 2:36-52 Luke 3:1-22 Luke 3:23-38 Psalm 56:1-13 Psalm 57:1-11 Psalm 58:1-11 Psalm 59:1-17 Psalm 60:1-12 Psalm 61:1-8 Psalm 62:1-12 Proverbs 11:8 Proverbs 11:9-11 Proverbs 11:12-13 Proverbs 11:14 Proverbs 11:15 Proverbs 11:16-17 Proverbs 11:18-19 For complete details on First Family s Daily Bible Reading Plan, visit our website at WORDSEARCH all the words come from this week s text or lesson. The Way of Wisdom Proverbs 2:1-9 March 13, 2016 L Y M W K S V M F Y M U E N V L I Y H T M U Y R R I G H I M W C G T X B J Z C E J N S Z R Y N H E W C T E S R J A I T T G I S V S J S N S E W D I C A M W A D A I R I Y W S E I O K V I I C A O E D E T Y I R O U G G T V T R T X G Z Q G D S S R R D I C S G T M E O I H N O N L C I K S H J O U D S E V H O J S T V U I I T E P Z Z O M N T I U R S T N E I N L N E Q Y A S T E X G Y T M Y O E N E D A I G N J I O E A S W T Q S O S U Z Q M K W D S D N M O G S R J R K R A R X B G U H A X H A I L O Z D Y O Q S I L V E R C W W R O T S I R M M N N E J I H D J J Y U P R I G H T R D P L N E D N O D P D N K P J P A T H S O F J U S T I C E E L I L U M R G U A X S F S E E K O A T W B Q F B S S D N A T E A E T P P E R A I S E Y O U R V O I C E S Y G S H N C H S O Q P J U S T I C E I C B T H E L O R D C C T R Z Q V W I C I N C L I N I N G F X N A X T G N D S L My Son Receive My Words Treasure Commandments Attentive Wisdom Inclining Heart Understanding Insight Raise Your Voice Seek Silver Search Hidden The Lord Knowledge God Mouth Stores Sound Upright Integrity Shield Paths of Justice Guarding Watching Saints Righteousness Justice Equity Good Path To see the answers to the puzzle, go to

11 Page 11 Family Devotional The Compass Sinning With Silence For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity. Proverbs 2:6 7 (ESV) At this hour in world history the state of religion is such that the Church is in grave danger of losing this priceless treasure [wisdom]. Her gold is being turned to copper and her diamonds to glass. Even among those who make a great noise about believing the Bible, that Bible has virtually no practical influence left. Fiction, films, fun, frolic, religious entertainment, Hollywood ideals, big business techniques and cheap, worldly philosophies now overrun the sanctuary. The grieved Holy Spirit broods over the chaos but no light breaks forth. Revivals come without rousing the hostility of organized sin and pass without raising the moral level of the community or purifying the lives of professing Christians. Why? Could it be that too many of God s true children are sinning against God by guilty silence? When those whose eyes are opened by the touch of Christ become vocal and active God may begin to fight again on the side of truth. There are moral situations where it is immoral to say nothing and basely immoral to do nothing. A. W. Tozer The Perfect Revelation of God The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. Psalm 19:7-11 Memory Time Memory Verse For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity. Proverbs 2:6 7 (ESV) Key Virtue Bible Study (Hebrews 4:12): I study the Bible diligently to know God, to become like Christ, and to discern His will for my life.

12 The Compass Page Core Beliefs The Bible (2 Timothy 3:16 17): We believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. God the Father (Psalm 121:1 2): We believe God is personally involved in and cares about the daily lives of His children. Jesus Christ (John 1:12): We believe in Jesus Christ, His deity, virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death, burial and bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father and His personal future return in power and glory. We are significant only because of our position as children of God. The Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14): We believe the God of the Bible is the only true God and is eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Humanity (John 3:16): We believe all people are born separated from God by sin, but God in his love sent his Son Jesus Christ as their savior. Eternity (John 14:1 4): We believe there is a heaven and a hell and that Jesus Christ is returning to judge the earth and to establish his kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the dead: the believer to life everlasting and the unbeliever to the resurrection of judgment. The Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:15-16): We believe in the church as the body of Christ, which is composed of all believers who have accepted Christ as Savior. We believe the church is God s primary way to accomplish His purposes on earth today. Stewardship (1 Timothy 6:17-19): We believe that everything we have, including our very life, belongs to God. Salvation by Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23-25; 8:38-39): We believe a person has a right relationship with God only by His grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. This makes believers eternally secure in Jesus Christ. Compassion (Psalm 82:3-4): We believe God calls all Christians to show compassion to those in need. 10 Core Practices Worship (Psalm 95:1-7): I worship God for who He is and what He has done for me. Bible Study (Hebrews 4:12): I study the Bible diligently to know God, to become like Christ, and to discern His will for my life. Service (Colossians 3:17): I give away my time to fulfill God s purposes. Witness (Matthew 28:18-20): I live to tell the story of Jesus and to make disciples of Him even to the ends of the earth, knowing he is with me always. Biblical Community (Acts 2:44-47): I fellowship with other believers in a small group to accomplish God s purposes in my life, others lives, and in the world. Prayer (Psalm 66:16-20): I pray to God to know Him, to lay my request before Him and to find direction for my daily life. Spiritual Gifts (Romans 12:4-6): I know and use my spiritual gifts to accomplish God s purposes. Authenticity (John 13:33-34): I know and understand biblical truths and transfer these truths into everyday life. Who I am on the inside and outside is a pure reflection of Christ and His Word. Simplicity (Matthew 6:33): I seek to live a simple life focused on God and his priorities for my life. Possessions (Luke 16:11 12): I seek to maintain an eternal perspective on money and possessions, realizing God has give me all that I have, and that he expects me to manage it wisely for His glory. 10 Core Virtues Gentleness (Philippians 4:5): I am thoughtful, considerate and calm in dealing with others. Faithfulness (Proverbs 3:3-4): I have established a good name with God and with others based on my long-term loyalty to those relationships. Hope (Hebrews 6:19-20): I can cope with the hardships of life and with death because of the hope I have in Jesus Christ. Joy (John 15:11): I have inner contentment and purpose in spite of my circumstances. Love (1 John 4:10-12): I sacrificially and unconditionally love and forgive others. Peace (Philippians 4:6-7): I am free from anxiety because things are right between God, myself and others. Self-Control (Titus 2:11-13): I have the power, through Christ, to control myself. Humility (Philippians 2:3-4): I choose to esteem others above myself. Patience (Proverbs 14:29): I take a long time to overheat and endure patiently under the unavoidable pressures of life. Kindness/Goodness (1 Thessalonians 5:15): I choose to do the right things in my relationships with others.