Surviving Through Knowledge Series

SURVIVOR SERIES

#6 – SURVIVING THROUGH KNOWLEDGE

This morning, we are continuing with our theme of SURVIVOR

And what we’ve been doing over the last few weeks is we’ve been talking about the fact that in times like these, with…

--bail outs

--lay offs

--budget cuts

We need to know how to SURVIVE

And we’re basing this on the TV Reality show where a bunch of people get thrown on an island with the bare essentials, with nothing to eat sharing this wonderful experience with a bunch of alter-egos and have to survive as best they can

Well, IN A SENSE, God has placed us in a hostile world, but according…

2 Peter 1:3 (KJV) 3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

In other words, HE’S PROVIDED everything we need not just to SURVIVE but THRIVE

But here’s the key: You cannot THRIVE if you don’t SURVIVE

And we’ve covered many things, so far, that will help us SURVIVE

So far, we’ve talked about…

--The Assurance of Salvation

--Surviving Motherhood

--Surviving Through Prayer

--Surviving Through the Holy Spirit

--Surviving Through Worship (last week)

Next week, we will talk about SURVIVING TOGETHER – and I will talk specifically about how West Road Church will not only SURVIVE, but THRIVE

But, today, being that this is GRADUATION/PROMOTION Sunday, one of the most important things that you will need to SURVIVE is KNOWLEDGE & WISDOM

And let me say from the outset of this message this morning that I’m going to be using KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM interchangeably – there is a difference between the two, but just for the sake of the message today, I’m going to use them alike

So, the title of today’s message is SURVIVING THROUGH KNOWLEDGE and with that in mind, let’s read…

•Proverbs 4:7 ( KJV ) 7Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

•Proverbs 5:9-13 ( KJV ) 9Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: 10Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; 11And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, 12And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; 13And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

•Hosea 4:6 ( KJV ) 6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

INTRODUCTION

Ronald Reagan told the story about the man who was asked what was worse in our country today, ignorance or apathy? Reagan said the man answered back, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

Well, according to our last text, this thing of “I DON’T KNOW” – this thing of LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, the prophet here lays as the ROOT CAUSE of the problems facing his day

In other words, it was not so much…

--idolatry

--wickedness

--forsaking God

That was the problem – no, these were the RESULTS of one main problem

And what was the problem that was causing…

--the country to go down

--people to suffer

--idolatry

--wickedness?

The root of the problem was this: MY PEOPLE ARE DESTROYED FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE

And I believe what this scripture is PLAINLY TEACHING us is that if we’re going to be a SURVIVOR in times like this, it’s going to take KNOWLEDGE & WISDOM

First of all, let me mention to you…

1. THE DANGER OF HAVING NO KNOWLEDGE

Notice it says that my people are DESTROYED

In other words, their…

--pain

--sorrow

--grief

--punishment

--confusion

--calamity

Are all a result of LACK OF KNOWLEDGE

In other words, their life would have been…

--much different

--more blessed

--the head and not the tail

--blessed coming in and going out

--blessed in the city, and blessed in the country

(All these blessings are listed in the book of Deuteronomy)

All these things would have happened IF they had attained the knowledge that God was wanting them to have

And I want you to know something this morning, if you’re going…

--to be blessed

--to be all that God wants you to be

--to have the life that God wants you to have

--to SURVIVE

Then you will need this thing called KNOWLEDGE

Why do people fail financially? Often times it is a lack of knowledge

Many lottery winners have killed themselves or are totally bankrupt

Why do marriages fail? Lack of knowledge

1 Peter 3:7 ( KJV ) 7Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [your wives] according to knowledge…