The LORD's Day November 18, 2007

The Vastness of Wisdom

Proverbs 8

We tend to think of wisdom as spoken by Solomon, in our hearts and life and that is the extent of it. This chapter in Proverbs corrects that limited view and shows us the full extent of wisdom.

In his book, Your God Is Too Small, J.B. Phillips writes about how we often put God in a box in our minds. We fail to recognize His greatness. We come up short of comprehending just how mighty and all knowing He is. We forget He is everywhere.

Wisdom is treated like that. Wisdom is from God. The Book of Proverbs is His Word. He breathed these words through Solomon for the time in which it was given and for all time. In fact these truths existed before they were given to Solomon.

When we see how great it is we realize how much we need it. It is written all over. It raises its voice.

1. Wisdom is calling out to us in every day life. vs.1-3

In the country side... outdoors, even in our backyards. Take the ants we spoke read about in c.6 - they are outside and call out for us to consider their ways, particularly in the area of diligent work.

Inside the city... where people dwell. What the writer of Proverbs is describing here is the beginning of a day in many of the workers-laborers of that day. Jesus gave a parable about this in Matthew 20.1-16 The scene is one very common to Jerusalem in Biblical times. Workers would make their way in from the surrounding areas around Jerusalem. They would come to a certain area and wait for the vineyard owners or managers to come to hire them to work the fields.

So, on our way to work and while we work wisdom is calling out to us. God has written it into the very order of life so that as we live we encounter wisdom. It is impossible to miss. It is in every day life

This is interesting because so often we think we need to go away somewhere to find wisdom. Maybe off in some mountain retreat or in some other secluded place I will find it. God has written it into life so the man that is a common laborer may attain it

Wisdom takes her stand (v.2) The idea is that of appointing a deputy. She stations herself. Where the paths meet- where there is human habitation- home. She stands among us wherever there are people living/dwelling. She comes to you and to your home, to your family. She is calling for you to continue to embrace her for all your life. We are to be so close to wisdom that it is like a marriage with her. We are to be as protective of her as a brother is with a sister.
Wisdom cries out in the market place, in the town hall, in the church sanctuary. Its voice is heard in the buildings. Jesus spoke about this with the wise and the foolish man and the houses they built. The wise man built his on the rock, the foolish man on the sand. The foundation determined the future of the house. The buildings of a city must take into account the law of gravity. Therefore they must be built at 90 degree angles in their inner structure or they will fall. Gravity will see to that.

This is also speaking here about the way of life, the manner of living. Wisdom is calling out to us: Build your house on the Rock (and that Rock is Christ), build your family and your career and your future in Him. Love Him with all your heart


2. Wisdom is calling out to every one- all mankind. v.4

This is a universal call.
It is going out through all the earth. It is to fools- for them to become wise.

It is a call to all the sons of Adam.
Every nation, language, tribe and people.

It is a call to come to the LORD and be wise.
Even those who are in the way, it is call to increase wisdom.


3. Wisdom is calling out to souls in every situation they find themselves in. vs.5-17

The simple (v.5) are those whose minds are wide open to all kinds of ideas and things just float in and out about life. They are spiritually naive. They are on the broad way that leads to destruction. Wisdom is calling out to those in that situation to gain a shrewdness, a discerning heart to see that this type of thinking is foolish. It is call to consider Christ.

The foolish (v.5) are those who are stupid in their decisions and arrogant as well. Wisdom calls out to them to leave their foolish ways. People who do not follow Jesus in their decisions are like the builder who does not observe the law of gravity and builds at an angle other than a 90 degree one. The whole thing is going to come crashing down. It will cave in. Add to this that others are hurt when a person makes an unwise decision.

The discerning (v.9) need wisdom to continue to make the conscious decisions to do what is right (v.10) The original ideas expressed in chapter one are repeated here. We need to marry ourselves to Wisdom and stay married to it.

We need to continue to choose it. We all know people who have begun out with what appeared to be a good foundation. They lived right, but then something happened that changed their course. They went off the deep end and their lives fell apart. That was the story of so many when we used to feed the homeless.
It is a once for all decision to be wise. We come to Christ. We ask Him to be the LORD of our life.

It is also a daily decision. We must keep Him as LORD of our lives. We must endure hardship. We must run this race with perseverance. We must not become weary in doing good. We must keep our eyes upon Jesus. We must be faithful no matter what happens to us.

4. Wisdom is eternal. It was used by God in creating the heavens and the earth vs.22-31

It is written right into creation. We cooperate with its laws and we will reap benefits. We go against them and we’ll reap destruction.

Before the world began God appointed wisdom to be the guide for life. It came from eternity. Before all the creation took place, wisdom was present. When God created the heavens and the earth He used wisdom. Look at how everything works together perfectly. The other day Lucy and I were having lunch, watching the leaves fall as we ate. Those dead leaves breakdown and form more soil, they enrich the earth.

I found this website for the official US Time. It has a map of the world, showing where the sun is shining and where it is dark It is a site to behold The address is in your bulletin. You get to see the whole picture of the earth and how there is a set pattern- a precise pattern God set up in the heavens

The whole water and watering system God set up is phenomenal Just try and keep a house plant healthy. It is work. I have some Thanksgiving Cacti blooming right now. They are beautiful. They are extra special in meaning because they came from people in the church. I was reading up on the watering process when they are blooming. Then I read about the whole process of watering them and it is not easy. God takes care of His creation Take the aquarium versus a backyard fish pond. Inside is a lot of work. Outside is very little God does it


5. It is wise to hold Wisdom close and keep it in our hearts. vs. 17-21, 32-26

The benefits of doing that are full of rewards in this present life Sinful living these days is more destructive than ever. The wages of sin are death. The rewards of following Jesus are out of this world (even the ones that are in this world ) C.S. Lewis wrote, “Aim at heaven and you’ll get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither.”

When wisdom is held close to our hearts and incorporated in our lives there are great blessings that come. The benefits of our relationship with wisdom are wonderful. Even though it was used to form the universe and it is all around the world, it needs to be in our hearts to reap the full blessing of it.


* If you seek for it, you will receive it
This is Solomon’s personal testimony. Let’s read it again: I Kings 3.5-15 What a wonderful passage He sought it- God gave it

* Riches, honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. God will bless us. Dominican Republic, Lima Batay Saturday night- drinking and partying... Pastor Lyswa and family far ahead of many of the others... Prosperity

* Yet its fruit is better than fine gold and surpasses that of choice silver
Peace in the heart, mind and life.
Rest in your soul- no longer seeking for something to fill the place of eternity within.

* A full treasury- The picture is of someone who has not sought after wealth or riches but like Solomon God has blessed them with it. The picture is one of a person realizing that there is no comparing wisdom with money or material wealth. It is picture of a person who knows how to handle the blessings God gives by giving Him thanks and honoring Him with it.

The blessing of life for those who keep it.

Life
green (of vegetation) There is a fruitful, youthful quality in all of Jesus’ followers who pursue wisdom. It is childlike faith.
There is a flowing of God’s Spirit. It is fresh like springs of water. New strength for each day
There is a liveliness to the soul of that person under God’s Blessing.
It is like the reviving of the springtime. This person who begins to grasp the enormity of wisdom and takes it into his soul. His soul grows. His heart enlarges

And the LORD’s favor- Not only His blessings but His acceptance of you as a soul

Let the vastness of wisdom enter your mind. See the LORD’s handiwork all around See the laws of gravity for an example that the other sciences demonstrate His Wisdom. See discoveries as just that- things that existed that are being uncovered.

Let wisdom enter your heart. This is more than just Bible Knowledge The Pharisees knew it perfectly but missed the Master. They rejected the all wise God. Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

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The LORD’s Day
November 18 , 2007

We Worship In Singing
We Worship In Prayer
We Worship In Hearing the Word of God
The Vastness of Wisdom
Proverbs 8

*Tithes and Offerings can be placed in the box at the rear of the sanctuary*
Please join us for our Annual Harvest Dinner downstairs if you are visiting today.

This Week
Bible Reading Proverbs 9
Monday Men’s Prayer Meeting 6:30am in the church basement
Tuesday- Thanksgiving Service- 7:30pm The LORD’s Supper Served
Next Lord’s Day
Morning Prayer- 10am in the church basement
Morning Worship- 10:30am(Sunday School for Children)
Spanish Service- 4pm

In Your Prayers For All of God’s People
Remember the men serving in the armed forces: Bradley, Julia Bujold’s grandson with Special Forces in Afghanistan, home on leave right now, Ken Brown, Pastor’s friend’s son finished his third tour of Iraq- His parents thank us for praying for him. Billy Knapp, Jr. in Iraq with the Marines (neighbor of the church and Pastor- Billy’s sister graduated from Good Shepherd). He is due home this week. Matthew Klaus, brother of Good Shepherd parent in Iraq as a firefighter for Haliburton. Pastor’s nephews’ and niece’s cousin Kim’s husband, Jay, in Iraq. Pray for them and the others away from their families. Praise God for keeping David Louis, Jake Morgan, Ken Brown and Tom Hindelang, Billy Knapp Jr. safe during their times in Iraq. Please pray for Johnathan Kruzner (friend’s son of Rudy Migliore) who lost his arm from a roadside bomb in Iraq last month. Katharina’s Family in the death of her daughter... Remember Robert, her husband and her sons, Norman, Raymond &Jonathan anf their families. Kathy, Ziggy and Margot’s daughter-in-law, under the doctor’s care for fibromyalgia. Thank God for answers to prayer for her as well as Lucy, their daughter, who faced two surgeries this week, one an emergency. Thank God is she is recovering. Pray for Eloise Brooks’ Family in their loss and sorrow... Remember Jean Louis on dialysis. Grace Martin, Edie Raevis’ daughter, recovering from surgery on her back and uindergoing Physical Therapy. Edie’s daughter’s mother-in-law, Millie Espisito remains in serious condition. Reginald Mooney, friend of Terri and John Garry, with a tumor in his kidney. Please remember Pastor’s friend Kim Richardson’s daughter, Kelly recovering from a mastectomy. Please remember this whole family in prayer..she has completed chemo therapy for now and has begun radiation. Leah May’s cousin, Joan, respiratory problems now home... Lucy Mancini under Orthopedic Specialist’s care and physical therapy for pain and injuries resulting from the accident. Pastor’s Dad, Larry Mancini, Sr. In an intermediary care facility, undergoing physical, occupational and speech therapy. There is a blog for him: www.papa2all.blogspot.com . Stephen Huges, brother of a Good Shepherd Nursery School Mom, their parents home in Hewlett was destroyed in a fire.. Please remember Dr. And Mrs. Mucci in your prayers as well as Judy’s daughter Tatum. Alice Gordon’s family in the loss of her brother, Everette, Please remember his wife Monica and the whole family...Alice will return home this evening from the funeral. Anka’s family in their time of loss and grief. Joey Reda (Charlie and Diane Davison’s Grandson) experiencing some heart arrhythmia. Prudy’s Mom, Rose Ragusa, has begun chemo and radiation treatment this past week. Pastor’s friend, Rudy Migliore, received a very good report from the doctors .Romans 12.15 Jack Simon, a friend of Pastor’s, undergoing treatment for a lung problem...Pray for those children who will receive Christmas shoe boxes this December. Remember those who lost family and friends in the cyclone in Bangladesh. The death toll is over 2,200.


Thanksgiving Service this Tuesday, November 20th at 7:30pm
The LORD’s Supper will be served

Notes on Our Time in God’s Word This Morning...

The Vastness of Wisdom

Proverbs 8

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Pastor’s messages are now available online:
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Church e-mail: bayshorenaz@rock.com
Church Phone: 631-969-1730
1314 Pine Acres Boulevard, Bay Shore, Long Island, NY 11706-5436