The Cry of Wisdom: A Call to Life and Blessing

The Cry of Wisdom: A Call to Life and Blessing

Amen. For our Scripture reading this morning, we would like to turn in our Bibles to Proverbs chapter 8. Please turn there with me to Proverbs chapter 8 for our Scripture reading this morning. And when we arrive there, I won't read the entire chapter, but I want to read some selected verses from this chapter. Proverbs chapter 8, verse number 1, beginning. Proverbs chapter 8, verse number 1, beginning. Look down in verse number 14. Look down in verse 32. Verse 32, we notice there it says, Now, therefore, hearken unto me, O ye children, for blessed are they that keep my ways, hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the post of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death. And I pray that God will bless the reading and the preaching of his word this morning.

We were dead in trespasses and sins. If you're a believer here today, you were, in the past tense, dead in trespasses and sins. But now we are alive in Christ. We've passed from darkness to light. We've passed from death to life. We were, in the past tense, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that was in us. Because of the blindness that was in us. But now, we are not ignorant. We are in Christ. We know him personally. We know the one that we were formerly blinded to. And we see him. And we have a relationship with him. Colossians 1.21 will say that we were alienated and enemies. By, in our mind, by, in your mind, it says, Paul says, by wicked works. So, the wicked works were the demonstration of the alienation that, of our life from God. We were estranged to God. We, as Isaiah would say, Everyone has turned to his own way. We've gone astray. We're lost in sin. But when the kindness and love of God, and the grace of God, appeared to us. Not by works of our own righteousness, which we've done. But by his grace, we passed from death to life.

Let's turn over to 1 John 5 this morning. We're going to come back to Proverbs. But let's look over to 1 John 5. Verse 24. 1 John chapter 5. Verse number 24. It's there in verse 24. We read, I'm sorry, I've written down the wrong verse. There's no 24th verse in 1 John chapter 5. Give me just a second. I think I meant to put John 5.24. Jesus didn't speak in the first person in 1 John. Sorry about that. Let's turn to John 5. John 5, chapter 5, verse number 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. He that heareth my word. What is wisdom telling us this morning? Hear my counsel. Listen to what I'm saying to you. He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life. Not that he's going to work up to receiving everlasting life, but he hath everlasting life.

How? Well, just as much as it wasn't our wicked works that made us sinners, but it was the wicked works that manifested the fact that we were sinners. And we were alienated from the life of God. Even so, by faith, the righteous works, the good deeds that come forth from our lives should be the manifestation of the evidence that Christ lives in us. That we are not any longer alienated from the life of God in Christ. That we have passed from death to life. That we love, we love God's word because we know that he first loved us. And has given us his word. He's called us to repentance. He's called us to faith. Not because he hates us, but because he's given us a chance we don't deserve. But because he loves us so much that he laid down his life. Gave his son and Jesus Christ laying down his life for us. To us who believe, this Bible is the word of life. Peter said, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words. Of eternal life. Where else are we going to turn? And how true that is as we look around us today. Whom have I in earth or in heaven beside thee? What do I desire more than the Lord?

The truth, as I've said before, the word truth comes from the word aletheia in the Greek. It simply means the state of not being hidden. The state of being evident. Something that is hidden. It's manifest. And God has given us his word, the word of life, that it may be manifest to us who he is. What he's done. What he wants. He's given it to us. So that we don't have to remain in ignorance. That's why wisdom personified in our text today is crying out.

That's really what we have. We have Bibles everywhere. We have the word of God everywhere. And yet. In our country anyway, we do. Wisdom is crying out. But who's listening? Who hath believed our report? As we read in Isaiah. To whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Well. If we will hear and will believe what this word tells us. We will then love what we once hated. And we will hate what we once loved. Namely, we will hate sin. Because God hates sin. We will love righteousness. We thought righteousness was a bondage in the old days. You know, those stiff and stuffy Christians. I don't want to have anything to do with that. But righteousness. You know, I notice that just naturally speaking. Even as we age. As we get older. Our taste buds change. You know? At least mine have. And things that we couldn't imagine before. Now we've come to a certain stage in life. We've come to a certain stage in life. And we realize, well, that's what they meant when they were saying that. And it's the same. It's not the same. But that's sort of an analogy. We might say.

But in a moment of time, the Lord can change that heart. And change those desires. And put a new desire in us. So that we'll want. We'll have a hunger after the things of righteousness. We will want the things that God offers to us in his word.

Sin is a lie. Sin lies. Sin deceives us into thinking that this is going to be good for us when it's not. It's just like sugar candy. You know, it tastes good when it's going down. But then I notice as I get older that, you know, the things you used to. You just, you know, put that candy in your mouth. Put that candy in your mouth. Don't get me wrong. I still eat candy. But it starts having some effects on you that are undesirable as you grow on. Well. Well, sin is going to be that way. And ultimately, it's going to bring about death. Sin will bring forth death in those that continue in it.

Those that will refuse, as wisdom said this morning. Refuse not my counsel or something to those words. I don't remember the exact phrase. But the word refuse there. We used to live according to lust. We said this morning. All that's in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life. We used to live according to that. But now, we have been delivered from that. We've been delivered by faith. The root problem is, in this world, the lust of the flesh. The, you know, part of that is tied up in, we can see it more and more evident now. The love of money being the root of all evil. The root. At the root of it. What do we read in 1 John 2, 17? We just recited it this morning.

And the world passeth away. We can see it happening right now, can't we? Can you not see corruption and deterioration of this world? It is falling apart. It is passing away. It is in the process. You can tell when you have some, you've had somebody in your family that's gone through dementia. Or they've gone through the degradation of their health. They get to the point where they're on hospice. You can see they are in the process of passing away. You can see that they are dying. This world is wearing out. This world system is dying. And I believe that even now, as we're waiting for the Lord to come back, we can sense that, those last gasps of breath, if you will. Satan knows that his time is short. Even though that statement specifically is reserved for even going into the tribulation period. But he knows, he knows. Even the demons know when Jesus was on this earth. They say, He said, Don't torment us before our time. They know. They know. The world is passing away, the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

This present world rejects truth. Romans 1 tells us that it suppresses truth through lusts, through prides. The world is destroying everything that God intended in His order. Look at the family unit. Families are under attack. The home is under attack. Marriages are under attack today through sin, through lust. And when men live in sin, it tears apart everything God intended for us. It rips it apart. It will destroy homes. It will destroy relationships. It will destroy bodies. It will destroy minds through addiction. Through so many things. Through poisons that people put in their bodies. Through addictions. Through addictions to technology. Technology can be a tool for good, but oftentimes it's a tool to perpetuate lust and pride. And it destroys. It tears apart. It tears apart everything that God intended that's good.

Thank God. Well, we know that as a Christian, I can commit the same sins that I committed when I was in the old life. I can fall into those sins even now. I'm not immune to sin just because I'm a child of God. But thank God that I have passed from death to life. And that I don't have to live in those things any longer. And I should not be living in those ways.

But it's not just a matter of my actions. It's a matter of my thinking. It's a matter of even what we read here. He that doeth the will of God. Well, why would I want to do the will of God? Because He saved me. Because He called me. Because He called me with a holy calling. And now I am anticipating meeting Him. You know, I didn't get to see Him when He came the first time. I didn't get to meet Him. He came and dwelt among us. And we believe the witness of the witnesses of the apostles that told us that He came. And John said, These things write I unto you that your joy may be full. But I'm looking forward to meeting Him in person. And because I'm looking forward and I believe He's coming back. And I believe He's going to judge me. And I believe He's going to judge this world. And I believe that I will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. I want to live for Him. I want to do His will. We sing that song. Once I lived for self alone. Now my Lord is on the throne. Not I have, I call my own. I belong to Jesus. Let the world do as it may. I have found a better way.

Wisdom. Speaking here this morning. Wisdom. Wisdom is calling. Can we just boil it down and say wisdom is calling for men to stop what they're doing. And stop what they're thinking. And listen. We might even say personified here as a woman calling out. Anyone who in opposition to the strange woman. Wisdom is personified. Come here. Listen to me. Turn away from what you're doing and listen to what I'm saying to you. I think. We need this picture. We I know we need this picture. But I I think it's helpful as we look at wisdom this morning.

The world with all his allurements. Sometimes people think. People think that. You know if I become a Christian. What am I going to lose out on all these things. What is wisdom saying this morning wisdom saying you have everything to gain. If you you must repent. What is repentance. Repentance.

I gave our children the example. Our girls in the Bible in Bible class some time ago I said if Lucas. Is running towards the road. And I say Lucas. Come here. And he stops. And he turns around and comes back to me. That's a picture of repentance. He heard. He heard what I said. And he responded to what I said. And in the process of turning to me. And coming back to me. He turned away from the road. Which would have probably meant death for him. Now it certainly will mean death for us if we continue in sin. But I'm just saying a picture. I did not call him away from the road. Because I wanted to rob him of some joy he would experience by. Running around in the road. I called him away from the road. Because I didn't want him to die. In the road. Now thankfully I haven't had to do that. He doesn't even seem to have any desire to go out in the road. But nonetheless. That's what life. And repentance and turning to Christ. Not of our own wisdom. But in response to the cry of wisdom we say. I will not refuse that call. But I will accept that call. I will believe. And turn away from my sins to the Savior. And that's what wisdom is hoping for here. That's what wisdom is calling for.

We notice that there's things in this passage that wisdom is promising. Wisdom is promising. We'll look at that in just a moment. But I notice in Proverbs 6 verse 23. Let's look back a page or two here. Proverbs 6 verse 23. Notice this. It says for the commandments is a lamp. And the law. Is light. And reproofs of instruction. Are the way. Of life. The reproofs. In other words. Don't do that. Do this instead. Those are the way of life.

Thank God that I am in the way of life. The Bible defines it as the narrow way. Christ. But you know what? These reproofs are for our good. In fact. The devil will give you plenty of comfortable lies. But sometimes truth rubs with a heavy grit. It's a heavy grit sandpaper. It doesn't feel good. You know. It rubs you raw sometimes. It pricks you. It convicts you.

And even as Christians. If you're a sinner here today. You don't know Christ. Then if you're a child of God here today. Hear his call. Hear the reproofs of instruction. Hear those words knowing. And we ought to know. As Christians. Everything God has ever done to reprove us. Has been for our good. He purges us. That we might bear more fruit. He wants to bless us. And if he calls us to repentance. About anything in our Christian lives. And he calls us to repentance. And he does. It's not. It's not. It's not going to hurt us. It's going to be good for us. It's going to bring blessing into our lives.

God created life. He sustains life. He redeems lives. He restores life. And it's as we turn from our sins. Turn from our selfishness. Turn from our pride and lust to him. That we find. Blessing. And we find victory. We find abundance in life. It's through that. Call. And responding to him. That we find greater. He doesn't want us to only have life. But he wants us to have it more abundantly. Abundant life. He loves us so much. We've said so many times. That he chastens us. Those that he loves. He chastens. If we're without chastisement. Then we better check up. And say what's wrong. What's going on here. Are we even a child of God. But when God tells us something. His word. You know everything else goes out the window. It doesn't matter how I feel. It doesn't matter how much good. I might have done in the past. It doesn't matter. What my peers say. It doesn't matter. Nothing else matters. All that matters is that wisdom is speaking.

Now some have tried to compare. Chapter 8 to the Lord Jesus Christ. And in one sense yes it's true. That wisdom is. Jesus Christ is wisdom personified. I know that through misinterpreting this passage. Some anti-Trinitarians have had a heyday. With trying to say that Jesus Christ was created. And all that. Jesus Christ is made unto us wisdom. Jesus Christ is our wisdom. He is revealed to us in this word. He's revealed to us. In the Old Testament. All the way through the New Testament. He said search the scriptures. Search the scriptures for they testify of me. The man who rejects the truth. The uncovering. The discovering of what God wants us to know. Will find death. Only death. You know in the Old Testament. In Isaiah. He would say. This people say prophesied to us smooth things. Tell us deceits. We want to hear the truth. We want to hear that which makes us comfortable in. We don't want to change really. We want to keep on the way we are. That shouldn't be the words of a Christian should it? No Lord. Though you smite me. I'll trust you. Lord search me. Lord try me. See if there be any wicked way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting. That should be the words of the Christian.

Thank God. One day as it were. That he interrupted our sleep of death. In that carbon monoxide filled house. Like that carbon monoxide alarm. Beep. Beep. Beep. And it's going off and saying. You need to get up. You need to get out of this house. Or you're going to die. It's comfortable in here. It feels good. But you're going to die in it. You're going to die in it. Thank God that he loves us enough. That he told us the truth. He told us the truth about ourselves.

And repentance is not only something. That we need to do. That we do at the new birth. And when we're born again. But it's an attitude. Lord. Lord if there be any wicked way. In me. Cleanse me. Search me. Try me. The Bible commends this spirit in so many ways. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. He will exalt you in due time. We see in the first church. In the book of Acts. When the word was preached. Great. Fear came upon every soul. Fear came upon every soul. And we see that there was this confessing. Even in the scriptures in many places. But we see that there is the advocation. To confess our faults one to another. Pray for one another James says. That you may be healed. Don't let the sun go down on your wrath. Ask God as I already said. To search you and try you. See if there be any wicked way in me.

And you know. I know I preached in this vein already. The other week. I said well first of all. If there is a need in our life. We have to see the need. We have to admit the need. Then we have to trust that God. The God who revealed the need to us. Is going to give us the grace. To overcome or to meet that need. Whatever it is. We have to confess it. And then we hope in the Lord. That he will give us the strength. To have the victory over them. But what we see is that. That wisdom here is crying out. In the text and saying this. Look back with me. Here in Proverbs chapter 8. If you look back there. In verse number 17. I love them that love me. And those that seek me early. Shall find me. Riches and honor are with me. Yea durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold. Yea than fine gold. And my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness. In the midst of the world. In the midst of the world. In the midst of the paths of judgment. That I may cause those that love me. To inherit substance. And I will fill their treasures.

You know. Part of. Being able to face the times. In which we're living. Integral to that. Fundamental to being able to. To see through the deceptions. It has to do with us. Responding to God's word. As he speaks to us in our personal lives. As he shows us things in our lives.

Daniel. You know there's this. There's this sin of mine. That you're committing. And you need to. You need to confess it. There's this sin of your spirit. What kind of sin? Could it be bitterness? Could it be wrath? Could it be anger? Could it be pride? Envy? Greed? Lust of some sort? Maybe we say it's just a little sin. Well. Get it under the blood. But. Could it be a sin of the body? Could it be sin of gluttony? Could it be the sin of sloth? Laziness? Fortication? Is there something in my life that ought not to be there?

Is there a sin of the tongue? The Bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Am I using my words? Is there some word specifically that I've spoken? Or there's some habit that I have of speaking in such a way. That I'm not ministering grace to the hearers. But instead. My words are corrupting. My words are. Are hurting someone.

Are there sins of omission in my life? Are there sins of not speaking the truth to individuals when I need to speak up for the truth? Is there the sin of not. I come in contact with this person on a regular basis. And God has opened the door for me to witness to them. And I just don't do it. I've omitted in some way. I have failed to seize the opportunity that God put right there in front of me. And Lord. I need to confess that I have sinned in that. Have I sinned? Have I sinned in something that I've failed to help someone that I know has a need. And I have not. Maybe I've been. You know. Kind of like in James. You know. Depart of peace. Be warm and filled. And yet I did not get those things that are necessary to help that person. I say. I say I love you. I might even say the right words. But I haven't acted upon what I know is right. And to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not. To him it is sin. And so we know that. Failing to pray as I ought. Read my Bible. Study my Bible. Failing to attend the assembling of the saints as I ought. And I know I can be there. It's not a providential hindrance. Is there an omission there? Lord. Help me. Help me. You know.

And the thing is that when we respond to the Lord. He. And we. And we. And we agree with him in repenting of something that he's dealing with is about. It's not so much. About just. That's not an end in itself. What happens is he opens the windows of heaven and blesses us in other areas that maybe we're getting. Frustrated with. Because God's blessing is not on those things because we haven't responded to him in this thing. It's. It's. It's. It's all connected. It's all related. Maybe I'm struggling in some relationship in my life because I. I have some other area in my life that I have not given it to the Lord. And he wants to bless me. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled. They shall be filled. The Lord wants. When we look at God's word he is constantly promise promising us abundance. Victory. Blessing. Peace. Joy.

So. You know. When. Well I would say the NASA. Program or maybe more so somebody like Elon Musk if he if he sends a rocket up in the air and then it crashes he doesn't say well I have that exactly right and physics failed. No. He says there's some reason why that didn't work. There's some reason why that failed and in the same thing in our spiritual lives. If we see. If we see the lack of God's blessing in something maybe we need to take inventory and say Lord you know. Maybe where is it where is it that I am and maybe we already know where it is maybe we already know where it is

but here we see here we see that that wisdom cries and says essentially lay up spiritual treasures. Receive my instruction and not silver and knowledge rather than choice gold verse 11 for wisdom is better than rubies and all the things that may be desired. Not to be compared with it to it verse 11 thank God that that we have wisdom still crying today wisdom is always waiting to bless but it is waiting wisdom and Christ himself is waiting to bless us more abundantly than we've ever been blessed before in a moment of time if we will just if we will just take that step of faith. In a moment of time if we will just if we will just take that step of faith. If we will just take that step of faith. If we will just take that step of faith and say yes Lord I hear what you're saying maybe there's something in my life that needs to change and I want to change it to glorify and honor thee and then the resulting blessing will be not only for me but it will overflow to others Psalm 23 you know my cup running over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever may we be may we be more. Conscious of wisdom crying out to us every day when we read our Bibles may we not just go through the motions and say I read my Bible no may we hear what is being said may we respond knowing that every time that we respond to God's word.

And to the voice of wisdom that we will be blessed beyond you know what we can imagine who can tell all the love he will send from above how happy our hearts will be made. And to the voice of wisdom that we will be blessed beyond you know what we can imagine who can tell all the love he will send from above how happy our hearts will be made. And to the voice of wisdom that we will be blessed beyond you know what we can imagine who can tell all the love he will send from above how happy our hearts will be made. And joy and peace and and even in our lives as we are here today as Christians Lord we pray that that we would not be the reason that are the hindrance to any blessing you want to bestow upon us Lord we don't want to stagnate in our Christian lives with that that is our tendency Lord that is our tendency but help us to to not to not hold back any blessing that you would bestow upon us by failing to make anything right in our lives as you say. And to the voice of wisdom that we will be blessed beyond you know what we can imagine who can tell all the love he will send from above how happy our hearts will be made. And to the voice of wisdom that we will be blessed beyond you know what we can imagine who can tell all the love he will send from above how happy our hearts will be made. And to the voice of wisdom that we will be blessed beyond you know what we can imagine who can tell all the love he will send from above how happy our hearts will be made.