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…
Why are people DEPRESSED? Lack of wisdom.
Proverbs 3:13 ( KJV ) 13Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Why does a person get sexually transmitted disease? Lack of knowledge
Why do people sometimes get unemployed? I know many times it has nothing to do with a person, but often it does. Why? It’s a lack of knowledge.
Proverbs 4:7-8 ( KJV ) 7Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
Why are so many…
--lives are cut short
--destinies are not fulfilled
--churches die, when they ought to grow
Why? A lack of knowledge and it has serious consequences
There is A DANGER to not having knowledge
Which brings me to the second point…
2. THE DIRECTION TO OBTAINING KNOWLEDGE
How do I get knowledge?
The truth of the matter is that IT’S NOT GOING TO AUTOMATICALLY COME
You’ve got to WANT it and DESIRE it!
It will not just automatically come
2 Timothy 2:15 ( KJV ) 15Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
You must get knowledge from someone or something outside of yourself!
Don’t we just hate to ASK FOR DIRECTIONS?
It takes a little bit of humility to actually thing that WE DON’T KNOW IT ALL!!
Benjamin Franklin said, "The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of your own ignorance."
Donald Rumsfeld said…
As we know, there are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know There are known unknowns. That is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don't know we don't know.
Here’s another way of putting it…
•HE THAT KNOWS NOT AND KNOWS NOT THAT HE KNOWS NOT, HE IS A FOOL--SHUN HIM.
•HE THAT KNOWS NOT AND KNOWS THAT HE KNOWS NOT HE IS SIMPLE--TEACH HIM.
•HE THAT KNOWS AND KNOWS NOT THAT HE KNOWS,
•HE IS ASLEEP--WAKE HIM. HE THAT KNOWS AND KNOWS THAT HE KNOWS, HE IS A WISE MAN--FOLLOW HIM.
And let me give you the sources of knowledge and wisdom
First of all…
A. THE WORD OF GOD
The Bible is the ABSOLUTE and FINAL source on all the wisdom and knowledge you need in this life
This book is not just another book, it’s alive, and in it is the mind of God and the plan of God for your life
You need to get real acquainted with the Word of God
Not what somebody says about the Bible (that has a place), but ultimately what you learn as you’re reading and studying and applying it!
B. PRAYER
This is a great source of knowledge
James 1:5 ( KJV ) 5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
C. THE COUNSEL OF THE GODLY
Psalms 1:1-3 ( KJV ) 1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
And let me tell you that there’s a load of the WORLD’S WISDOM…
--the Psychiatrist
--Dr. Phil
--Oprah
But if you listen to the world’s wisdom, you’ll get the world’s mess
Someone said…
We have learned to travel faster than sound but we are going faster in the wrong direction. We have accumulated piles of knowledge about the world we live in but we haven’t learned any better how to live in the world!
D. THE INWARD WITNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
•John 16:13 ( KJV ) 13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…
•1 John 2:20 ( KJV ) 20But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
Not only…
--the DANGER of having no knowledge
--the DIRECTION on how to obtain the knowledge of God
But, finally, let me close with…
3. THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE ONCE YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE
Because you must, then, make a decision to act on it
Can’t just have it, and not use it
I heard about 2 football teams and one team had found the other team’s play book and posted it on the internet
And the other team used it and defeated
What happened? They acted on that knowledge
If you knew that a certain pill would cure cancer – just that knowledge wouldn’t help you – you have to act on it and take it!
How many people KNOW that they need to be saved, but they don’t
You can actually REJECT knowledge
It says in our text that they REJECTED it – they didn’t want to know the truth
But my friend, what a foolish mistake that is
IN CLOSING
The following is a true story that is taken from the proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute.
A man was telling what happened one day in the maneuvers, and two battleships were maneuvering, they were in a training process. They were at sea and the seas were heavy and the visibility was not good and the captain was there on the bridge, on the watch out to take care of the ship. And a message came. The message came from the man on the lookout and this is what he said.
He said, There's a light bearing on the starboard bow. And so the Captain said, Is the light steady or is the light moving astern? The answer came back from the wing, It is steady sir. And so the Captain said, Signal that ship that we are on a collision course and tell them that they are advised to alter their course twenty degrees. And so they flashed that signal to the other light and a signal came back and it said, No, you alter your course twenty degrees. And the Captain was infuriated and he said, Send the message back - I am a Captain. You alter your course twenty degrees. And the message came back I am a seamen second class; advise that you alter your course twenty degrees. The Captain was furious. He said, I'm in a battle ship. Alter your course twenty degrees. The message was flashed back, I am a lighthouse. You alter your course twenty degrees. And then according to these proceedings the man said, We altered our course.
Some of you need to alter your course this morning
If you really knew what was ahead – you would heed the warnings God is giving you
Come to Jesus today!
