Wisdom – Seeking True Understanding Of Life Series

Wisdom – Seeking True Understanding of Life

Series: Wisdom for Life (The Book of Proverbs)

Brad Bailey - July 1, 2018

Intro

We all know the story of Alladin and the magic lamp.

There are many take offs of that story, such as the three sailors whose ship went down, and they made their way in a raft to a small atoll. One was an Englishman, the second was an Italian and the third of indistinct origin, (to be politically correct). They had eaten all the coconuts and were slowly starving to death when a bottle came floating up on the beach. They were almost too weak to go down to get it, but they drew sticks and the Italian had to fetch the bottle. When he brought it back, they pulled the cork out of the bottle, and a genie came out and granted each of them one wish. The Italian immediately said, "I wish I was back in Rome drinking coffee at a sidewalk cafe on the Via Venato, just watching the people pass by." Immediately, there he was back in Rome drinking his coffee. The Englishman said, I wish I were back in London eating fish and chips in Piccadilly Square, and immediately there he was back in London. The third then said, "I am so lonely without my two friends I wish they were back here to keep me company."

So let me ask each of us to consider: If you could ask for anything… or imagine that God spoke to you and said: ask “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Some of us may be thinking about what we SHOULD choose…

but if we were truly given the choice…I wonder what we might truly choose.

• Long life on earth

• Popularity

• Wealth

• Lebron to come to the Lakers

But as some may recall… one man was in a unique position in God’s redemptive history… and given such an opportunity.

You may recall that God had called out a people to Himself… to know who He was.. and to ultimately bless the whole world. At one stage they sought to have a King who would help them by ruling well… and that began with Saul…was followed by David… and then came Solomon…one of David’s sons. At the very start…one night he went off and offered a thousand offerings.

Needless to say… he was deeply sobered by the position he was in.

And we read…

2 Chronicles 1:7-12 (NIV)

That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

8 Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”

Wisdom….

As we will begin to explore this morning…. nothing could have chosen that would serve his life and ultimately all whose lives he effected…more than wisdom.

Solomon grasped what few do…and he grew in the wisdom that became vital in leading…and to which he became known far and wide. What he learned he invested into some writings… parts of the Bible’s “Wisdom Literature”…including Ecclesiastes…Song of Solomon…and much of the Book of Proverbs.

Today we are launching a series and focus for these summer weeks…on the wisdom which Solomon sought…. and which serves life….particularly as shared with us in the Book of Proverbs.

These first nine chapters of Proverbs are the call to seek wisdom… wisdom is personified as calling one to listen….capturing the value of wisdom and the character required to pursue it with diligence. From chapter 10 on, the writer shares specific wisdom as it applies to various common aspects of life. In this series we will gain wisdom from the great book of wisdom… the Book of Proverbs… including wisdom related to friendships, marriage, work, money, and decisions. [1]

While I will be sharing the majority of the weeks…we have identified areas that flow naturally through various pastoral team… so we will be hearing from Joel, Marlo…and Kevin… in the final week before CV joins us on Labor Day weekend.