Insight IV, “Wisdom and discipline” Bible Study 10/21/01

Insight IV
Wisdom and discipline
God’s activity or movement in our life is to bring stuff to pass. God intervenes to help us arrive at places in our destiny. God makes certain things happen. God disciplines us to teach us the principles of wisdom.
I. Keys for finding wisdom for our daily living
1. Must fear the Lord. Start with God. – Proverbs 1:7: 7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. We often hear that the fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom and Knowledge, but they often forget the portion of the scripture that talks about fear. We must fear God or have reverence for God and be open to accept whatever God has to do to get us where we are supposed to be.
2. Learn wisdom from those who fear the lord. When we look at how others went through circumstances in the scriptures, it helps us deal with our trials. Proverbs 1:8-17: 8My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. 10My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.-Why would somebody trying to catch birds then say to the birds, “Come fly into my net”? We have to realize that Satan has nets set out to capture us. People without wisdom do not realize that the nets are set out to hurt us. When you look back over your life, you ought to be thankful that we didn’t have to go through what others went though. When we saw others go through what they did, it caused us to go another way. We thank God that because of what we saw, we applied wisdom to our situation. Everything that happened to others could have happened to us.
3. Answer wisdoms call-wisdom is found in your daily choices. – Proverbs 1:20: 20Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: – Wisdom is screaming and calling out in the street for us. Wisdom is trying to get your attention. We have to answer when wisdom is calling us. If wisdom is calling us, then perhaps we on are on the wrong path.
4. Remember the law of the harvest-consequences follows your actions. If you do an act, you will have a consequence of that act. Proverbs 1:22-33: 22How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. – Wisdom says although you refused to hear her calling, she will have the last laugh. Wisdom will laugh, when you are overtaken. People that adhere to the call of wisdom don’t have to go to bed looking over their shoulder. They will go to bed in peace. Everything we deal with is in the bible. If we sow negativity, it will come back on us. We want the harvest in the form of blessings, when we give our offering, but we don’t want the harvest that comes as a consequence of our negative sowing. Remember you always reap more than you sow Talk about folk (sowing negatively) and see what you harvest. Sow unfaithfulness and see what you will harvest.
5. Let authentic love and loyalty led you every day. Make it your main objective-Our loyalty to God, guides our lives. Your loyalty has to be stronger than your unwise choices. When we are loyal to God and not our unwise choices, we are saying we love God too much to get caught up into negative stuff.
6. Depend on God alone; in everything rely on God alone. Proverbs 3:5-8: 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. 7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.8 Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.
7. Remember that wealth and our possessions are not ours to own. Everything belongs to God and what we have is ours on loan. – This is one of the wisest principles you can get. You don’t own any of what you think you own. We take ownership of stuff God never intended us to take ownership of. Again, it is just a lone. Ex – None of us reading this was rich as Job was in the bible. If we really study biblical history and make a contemporary comparison, you will see some amazing stuff. If you were to try to make a contemporary comparison on Job’s wealth, you would see that Job would probably be richer than Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey together. Imagining taking this kind of wealth, the Lord takes it away, and Job still declares that the Lord gives and takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. You would have a greater appreciate of his view of his attitude about the situation after making this comparison. God will use the thing you have gotten attached to and use it to discipline you and put you on the right path to wisdom. Ex-I’m not going to tithe, because it is my money! When the curse comes in your house, you will realize that you could have given 10% to God, but instead, you end up paying it out anyway through things that have gone wrong in your household in the form of a curse. Some people withheld their tithe from God just to see the dentist get that same money they withheld from God.
8. Sometimes you have to lead up to wisdom through instruction in righteousness. – Proverbs 3:11-18: 11My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 12For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 13Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 14For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 17Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. – Solomon makes a connection between discipline and wisdom. In verse 13, he says a person is happy from their gain of wisdom. .

II. Why is discipline necessary?
Ephesians 6:1-4: 1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
1. What gives God the right to discipline us? It is because the Lord disciplines those whom he loves.-Proverbs 3:12: 12For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. God chastens us, because he loves us. If he didn’t love us, he would let us just get away with stuff. Ex- We often ask how we know when the Lord is speaking to us or showing us stuff. Nobody ever asks how we know when the Lord is whipping us. We don’t ask, because we know when he is whipping us.
2. Love is the foundation and prerequisite of discipline. This suggests that there must be a difference between discipline and punishment.
a. Difference between discipline and punishment.
b. Punishment is the sentence or verdict handed out the when the judgment of guilt has been established. Punishment is the reprimand or the penalty imposed.
c. Discipline seeks to correct, instruct or bring about a change in the behavior of the guilty. Furthermore, it will often require some type of restitution to acknowledge guilt of the offense. With punishment, you have been found guilty, and you go to jail for example. Sometimes punishment can make you bitterer and as a result, it can make you more refined sinner. Discipline seeks to see what is wrong with you. It says I won’t let you go, until I see a change in you. Discipline says it is going to cost you something, because you have to make a mends for you’re what you did. Punishment is like your tell your kid, “Go to your room and don’t do nothing!” Discipline is whipping you, but then talking to you and finding out where you got the shoes from that you stole and finding out what is wrong with you by trying to get at the root of the problem. Punishment is she pregnant; sit her down (from working in the church)! Discipline is you about you not wanting to see the person caught in the same thing again. Everyone that did bad stuff is not a criminal. If you think about it, we all did some bad stuff and if we would have been caught, we could have ended up in one of those orange jumpsuits or prison strips. It was by the grace of God, we weren’t caught.
3. The goal of discipline is to bring about repentance. Proverbs 13:24: 24He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.-This is about repentance. Proverbs 22:15: 15 A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away.-Folly, is a word you might find in the scriptures for foolishness. This scripture says discipline will drive foolishness far from you. You can be a spiritual baby and you have to be treated by God as your parents treated you when you are a baby. God has a right to discipline us, because his son went to cavalry on our behalf. God disciplines us so we don’t have to suffer the death penalty like Jesus did. Remember the wages of sin is death. God whips us, so we won’t die.

III. Four ways God disciplines.
1. God will use his word, the bible. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: 16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works., Psalm 119:33-34: 33Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. 34Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.- This scripture asks God to teach us or show us how to obey God’s word. If you need help obeying God’s word, he will turn his word into a chastening rod. Ex-You come to church and your Pastor doesn’t know what you have been going through. You need a word to help you keep your life from falling apart. God speaks through your Pastor and you look at your Pastor like who told him what you were going through. God uses the word to discipline us. Everyone wants a word about how God is going to bless you; but God often uses the word to discipline us too.
2. God uses spiritual authority. Hebrews 13:17:17Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.- We have to learn how to learn to submit to authority, because we love God. Ex- On the job, you have a Boss, a Supervisor or Department Heads. You Boss gives the word to the supervisor. The Supervisor comes to you and you get an attitude, because the Boss is the one that hired you, not the Supervisor. You begin to wonder if the Boss really gave the instruction or is the Supervisor on a power trip. This is called delegated authority. We struggle with this in the church too. People wonder if the Pastor really said what the Deacons or Ministry Leaders told them to do.. If you don’t submit to delegated authority, when it is your time to be the delegated authority, you will reap that same disobedience as you gave them.
3. God uses leadership. Timothy 4:2: 2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.- This simply to preach when they want to hear what you have to say and when they don’t want to hear it. Titus 2:15: 15These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. -these are things you should teach. – When God raises you up, on your job, career or whatever, you need to know he didn’t raise you up to compromise with people. He needs you to do the right thing. Ex-Bishop is an observer of leadership. Ex- Bishop explains that he is a follower of leadership and the way that it is done. He actually studies the way people lead. He explains that he observed that most of the leadership that the President has been receiving is because he doesn’t compromise on the principle. You have to be willing to say, this is what it is going to be, because it is right. When God raises you up, like a preacher, sometimes you will encourage and sometimes you will have to rebuke. If your friends can’t accept it, then they are too familiar with their leadership.
4. He will discipline us through our finances. You got to stop blaming the recession. Psalm 39:11: 11When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.- God will mess with the things that man holds dearest. Many of you will agree, if you want to get at us as a folk, mess with our money. You can mess with a whole lot of stuff, but messing with our money, messes with our security. God has to sometimes snatch stuff from us just to show us who is in control. Proverbs 13:18: 18Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. – Correction is honored, otherwise we fall to poverty. Imagine all the money that came in your hand and went to foolishness that you could really use right now. That makes you sick just to think about it. Unwise decisions leads to poverty. This is why you can’t give a fool money. You can see someone on the side of road that says they want food and if you go to McDonalds and get them #2, they won’t be there when you get back. They are fools. They want the money for folly and not for food as they proclaimed. God can break you down and you will say, “Lord I need you now”. That is one of the things that you have to understand. If you walk in Devine Order, you will not end up in poverty. Simple, but we miss it all the time.
5. God will dicipline us through difficult circumstances and hardships. God will say our need a good old fashion trail. Just pray for your friend that won’t come to church. Pray that they will get life to threther, and they at they will be able to handle what god will throw on them.
6. Heb 12:7Hebrews 12:7: 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?-, 119:71: 71It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.-this scripture explains that it was good that we were disciplined, so that we might learn. Ex-We wouldn’t be at bible study, if we hadn’t gone through some stuff. We wouldn’t trust God if we hadn’t lost our job. If this thing had not happened to our family, we would not be as close as we are.
Our response is usually, anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven, but the truth is, it is all about our response. You can ignore God or listen to him. Proverbs 3:11-12: 11My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 12For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.-Do not ignore God’s discipline.
Revelation 3:19: 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.-God disciplines who he loves. Everything Bishop talked about in the last few weeks has been concerning wisdom, but it means nothing if you don’t follow the principles that you learned. You will be confronted with unwise decisions when finish reading this. Learn how to submit to God’s wisdom and discipline. When you look at wisdom literature books, you realize the story of Job is dated before the book of Genesis. You have to wonder at what point Job really submitted to God’s discipline. Job didn’t have anything to be disciplined for when he lost everything. God used him to show us how to handle things. At what point did job get to that place, where he understood what God was really up to. We see throughout a couple of verses, he was still questioning God, because he cursed the day he was born. He was still struggling with God whipping him. When Job said, thou he slay me, yet will I trust in him, he had really submitted to God’s discipline. Even though God was allowing this, Job was saying he has to trust God until this thing was over. It was Chapter 14 when Job gets the revelation, because he says a man born of women is but a few days full of trouble. He said there is the how of a tree, that though it be cut down, he will sprout again. God won’t let a child of God to be cut down and not come back. God will let the scent of rain come down, and the simple smell of rain will let the tree bud again. Thank God for whipping us.
Job 14 : 1Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. 2He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. 3And doth thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? 4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. 5Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; 6Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day. 7For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. 8Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; 9Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

Insight Part III, “Making wise decisions” Bible Study 10/14/09

Insight Part III
“Making wise decisions”
Synopsis of Bible Study 10/14/09
Delivered by Bishop Walker III
Wisdom is important to all of us because, when we look at the book of Proverbs, we see that Wisdom is really about focus. It is about staying on the right path. So many of us have struggles with focus, particularly those who have ADHD. We get distracted rather easily. Still it is important for us to understand the power of focus. That is what the book of proverbs is really about. It is about staying on the straight path. Wisdom is really broke down in Proverbs and throughout this series we have been sharing some themes that kind of help support this subject.
The book of Proverbs tells us how to avoid sexual (Chapters 5 – 7), it teaches us how to retain integrity, it tells us how to control our tongue, and it teaches us how to get along with difficult people and how to stay healthy and live long. Proverbs is broke down in these various sections, but we must understand this about focus. In Hebrews 12, the writer says lay aside every weight that so easily besets us and look to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. Our relationship with God is really about retaining our focus. We are going to talk about wisdom starting in Proverbs 8 today.
I. Wisdom calls us.
1. There is a call to wisdom. When you look at how wisdom is personified in chapters 8 & 9, we know the writer wants us to see wisdom as more than a system of information and principles. The writer wants us to see Wisdom as a living being. That’s why the proper noun “She “is used. She, meaning wisdom, can work with you or She can work against you.
2. Wisdom was with God when God created the world. Wisdom stood by God. Wisdom is a person who is able to rebuke foolishness, but at the same time can praise wisdom. She can praise people that do good things. She has a variety of emotions and so when you see the personification that is used in the scriptures; it is going to make sense as we go forward.
3. The writer says in verse 1 is that wisdom cries for attention. If you look carefully in verse 1, wisdom is saying is anyone going to pay attention to me? Proverbs 8:1: 1Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? Wisdom says, “Don’t’ crash your life! Here I am, just pay attention to me!” Wisdom is out there crying out. You must understand that Solomon was being lured away from the school of wisdom, because the opposite of wisdom is folly. The truth is many of us make foolish decision without making wise decisions, because we will listen to foolishness quicker than we will listen to wisdom. This means we have a competition going on between foolishness and wisdom. Foolishness is calling us. Foolishness wants us to do something and at the same time wisdom is speaking to us. As a result, we find ourselves caught between the two.
II. When did wisdom talk to us?
1. Wisdom was speaking through your parents. No matter how many issues your parents had, much of what they were saying was true. God gives us strategic relationships through our parents, grandmothers, grandfathers, and guardians to impart wisdom into us. Proverbs 1:8-9: 8My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.-The things our parents tell us, is like a chain around our neck. We can hear their voice when we try to do something wrong. There has to be a level of respect that we have of our parents. Although many of you may say that you didn’t have a great relationship with your parents, you have do as you do when you are eating catfish. Chew the meat and spit out the bones. Proverbs 13:1: 1A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.-Parents teach us stuff. Ex—Bishop tells a story of a guy he knew named Willy when he was growing up. His Mom used to tell him not to hang out with Willy. Bishop resented it and said that he did not like the fact that his mother was trying to pick his friends. One day Bishop decided to hang out with Willy anyway. When he returned home, he got in trouble for it, but he still resented it. Years later he was in town and the old man walked up to him calling his name. This old man turned out to be Willy. He had lived such a hard life, Bishop did not recognize him. He thought he was just some old man. The point is Bishop’s mother knew best and probably saved him from getting caught up into whatever Willy got caught in that caused him to look so old.
2. Wisdom speaks through our Pastors. God gives us wisdom through spiritual leadership. Jeremiah 3:15: 15And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.- God will give you Pastors. You got to see the Pastor as a conduit though which wisdom and knowledge flows from God. God sends the word through the man of God for a specific reason. It is to bring wisdom in your life. In Hebrews 13:17: 17Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.-It doesn’t mean obey your Pastor because they are better than you. It simply means we must recognize that God has anointed them to be an authority in your life. When you submit, you stand under something. Whatever you stand under is what you understand. If you stand under foolishness, then foolishness is what you understand. If you stand under wisdom, wisdom is what you will understand. When a Pastor is saying something to you, you have to respect it as being something that came from God. Ex-Like when you go to the doctor and he tells you that if you are going to live, you are going to have to do this or eat that. You in turn will say you will quit doing whatever it is that you were doing wrong, because you respect the authority and the wisdom in which the Doctor gave you the direction. When you are in court, you sit there and not say anything, as bad as you might want to say something, because you respect the wisdom of the one representing you. In like manner, when God gives a word to your Pastor, you have to learn how to submit to that word. It is not about obeying the person; it is about obeying that word. 2 Chronicles 20:20: 20And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. -Jehoshaphat says if the people would listen to your prophets, they would prosper. He says they would have victory in everything that they did. You can have success in your marriage, your family, and your career simply by listening and obeying your Prophet.
3. Wisdom speaks out from our Paraclete, which is a Greek word for the Holy Spirit alongside us. There is this awesome reservoir of power within you. John 16:13: 13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. -The bible says he will guide you too all truth. The Holy Spirit is right there inside you crying out wisdom to you. When you get ready to make a decision and something says don’t go that way, it is the Holy Spirit. Wisdom is actually calling you. How many of you can look back over your life and realize that you have made many mistakes. It wasn’t because you didn’t hear your parents. It wasn’t because your parents wasn’t talking, or Pastors wasn’t giving your word, or because the Paraclete wasn’t speaking. It was just that you weren’t listening. You deicide you would never make that mistake again, because you realize what it cost you. It is important to understand that wisdom has a strategic position. Looking at verses 2 and 3, we see the strategic positioning of wisdom. Proverbs 8:2-3: 2She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 3She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. – She (wisdom) is saying, listen ya’ll, I am calling you.
4. Wisdom is :
a. Protection at the next level.
b. Wisdom is protection against losing it all.
c. Wisdom is provision for your life.
5. Wisdom is standing on top of the high places (Proverbs 8: 1-2). Wisdom says you are getting ready to go the next level, but it is telling you that you need to understand that the foolishness from down the lower level will not work on the next level. Wisdom says “She” needs to prepare you for where you are getting ready to go (the next level), because if “She” doesn’t, you will think you can transfer that foolishness to the next level and as a result, you will not be at the high place very long. Every level God takes you, will require you having another set of principles and skills that will guide you and keep you at that level. If not, you won’t stay long. Wisdom says she is not going to let us loose it all. Wisdom says she knows people who were incredibly successful, but when they got up on the next level, they made foolish decisions, because they didn’t hear wisdom when they were on the mountain. When they didn’t have anything, they were in church. They gave to the kingdom. They said to the Lord, “When you bless me, I will still be faithful.” When they got to next level, they stopped coming to church or hearing the word. Then they start listening to foolishness and surrounded themselves with foolish people. As a result, their blessings were short lived.
6. Proverbs 8:2 says wisdom is standing by the way of the path. He is not going to block the path, he is just going to stand by the path and tell you that if you are going this way, you need to know what to look out for. She is not going to block you, because you have free will, but wisdom is trying to tell you that you need to know what is down that way if you choose to go that way. She is not going to block the gate, because gates represent access. You prayed for God to open up a door, but wisdom says she is standing by the doors saying I know you want to go through this door, but you need to know what kind of folk you are going to deal with and what kind of prayer life you got to have if you go through this door. Don’t run wisdom over trying to get through the door! You need to take the wisdom in with you. The problem is we get so excited about the door; we run right past wisdom and wonder what is happening to our blessing. It is because you did not hear wisdom or take wisdom with you. Wisdom says if you trust her, she will take care of you. Gods got you.
7. The writer says in verse 4 and 5 that he is writing this, so that we know who we are. Proverbs 8:4-5: 4Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. 5O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Wisdom is not going to let you slip. Sometimes she will tell you just to hold up! God wants you t chill out and know that he will feed you and keep your lights on and all you have to do is trust him. He will take care of you, until he releases you. We get so anxious, we get ahead of God. You have to learn to hear wisdom. Some know as soon as you walked in the door, wisdom is speaking to you.
8. There are so many folk in our head, we can’t hear what wisdom is saying. Proverbs 14:6-7: 6A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth. 7Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. -It is easy to people that understand it.
9. We have to learn to stay away from all bad influences in your life. Proverbs 24:1-2: 1Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. 2For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
10. The moment you find yourself in the presence of a foolish person, wisdom says, you ought to sense it and get away. Proverbs 14:7: 7Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. Ex-Bishop explains that he has been trying to eat right. Vegetable and water and no bread. Royce, on e of his musicians has been trying to also. After church, they were going to feed Bishop and Royce after a service they attended at Marvin Sapp’s church. It was around 10 or 11 at night. This Mother came out with peach cobbler and Bishop sad that Royce back slid. Bishop figured if Royce was going to back slide, he would jump in and backslide to. He too ate the peach cobbler. When you have been eating healthy for a long time and you put something like that in your body, it bothers your stomach a little later. Likewise, when you have been sitting under a good word and getting wisdom, when you try to back slide with foolish people, you start not to feel right. You will wonder where you were in your life that made you hang out with these people. When you were not getting wisdom, you won’t even realize that you are around foolishness.
III. You got to be student of wisdom.
1. In verse 5 of Proverbs 8, it says we have to understand wisdom. . 5O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Don’t try to intellectualize your sin. All you are doing is trying to take wisdom out of the word and intellectualize your sin.
2. Get those thoughts out of your head. Isaiah 55:6-8: 6Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. – God doesn’t think the way we do.. Proverbs 3:5-6: 5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. -lean not to your own understanding, we have to have a God like understanding.
3. Paul was a great Philosopher and Theologian. He spoke 13 languages and Philippians 3:10, he says out of all he gained, he still wanted to know God more. Philippians 3:10-11: 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! In verse 11, Paul says he wanted to get this thing. Paul was not perfect, but he was trying to comprehend it. Christ had him, but Paul didn’t feel like he had Christ, because he did not fully comprehend him. Paul wanted to know everything about him.
4. Paul went on to say, in verse 12 he counted himself not fully apprehended. What is behind Paul is his Saul experience where killing Christians. He put that behind him reaching towards those things before, which is wisdom. He is after a greater understanding of who God is in his life. Philippians 3:12: 12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
5. What is the value of wisdom? Wisdom is like God is Holy, Righteous and true. Wisdom represents itself in Proverbs 8:6.-7- Proverbs 8:6-7: 6Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. 7For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
6. Wisdom is saying it wants you to understand how to have the right word.
7. When wisdom speaks it is:
a. The right word. -Might not feel like it, but it is right. Psalm 119:9: 9Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.-With our whole heart, we ought to want to stay focused.
b. It rebukes wisdom- Proverbs 9:8: 8Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee -If you go to a person that don’t have wisdom, they might let you have it! When you go to a person with wisdom, they will bless you. If they have wisdom, they will love you. A person with wisdom can stand correction. Ex-Bishop grew up where every child could be rebuked by an adult. They didn’t have to give us toys to keep us focused. He explains that if he was caught clowning, any adult could tell him to sit down. When it was time to go, his Mom would thank that person that told him sent down, and then he would still get in trouble when he got home. Now you say something to a child and the parents will jump all over you right in front of the kids. This makes the kids think they can do anything they want to when they go to school and they therefore disrespect the teachers and other adults.
8. You can beat a fool all day and nothing will change. You can simply talk to a wise man and they will take it to heart. Proverbs 17:10: 10A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
9. Open rebuke is better than secret love. Proverbs 27:5-6: 5Open rebuke is better than secret love. 6Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Some people will tell you that they loved you too much to tell you that you looked like a fool. A friend can say something to you, and you might fall out, but at the end of the day, you are still friends. Remember the last person that kissed Jesus, sold him out.
10. You got to receive it willingly. You got to be able to receive truth and wisdom. Revelation 3:22: 22He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
11. You got to get to a place where you can receive wisdom. Hebrews 4:7: 7 So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.”[a]- You got to know when it is the right time to speak into someone’s life. You got to be able to receive truth too. We are almost done with the reaching up and grabbing the blessing out of the sky phase. Everyone only receives what they think is going to be a blessing out of the word. Why don’t we receive the part that says we are broke because we don’t tithe? Can you receive you receive truth even when it don’t sound good to you? Can you receive truth? You shall know truth by testing it with the word. You don’t’ ever want to be somewhere where the word feels good all time. You need the kind of word that can convict you too.
12. Wisdom has priceless instructions. Proverbs 8:10: 10Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. -Wisdom is better than rubies or gold. You are supposed to be blessed, but it is not about prosperity. It is about focus and priorities. God wants you to have whole person prosperity. It is dangerous to put resources in the hands of a person void of wisdom. It is dangerous to put money in the hands of fools.
IV. What happens when the unwise gets resources
1. They don’t invest into ministry.
2. They are individually minded. They only think about themselves. Before they got the blessing they were with serving God, but now you can’t get them to bless God’s kingdom.
3. Their iniquity leaves them in a mess. How many people do you know that end up in the pigpen after wealth. It is because they don’t have wisdom. 75% of the people that win the lottery end up broke in the first year. Why is this? It is because they didn’t seek the kingdom first. Ex-Bishop explains jokingly that somebody from the kingdom has got to win the lottery. He said it would be interesting to see how someone with wisdom would handle a large sum of money. You give a fool $300 tonight, and tomorrow it is gone. If you give a wise person $300, by the end of the year it might be $700. Give a fool $5000 and they might buy rims. Give a wise person that has Wisdom $5000, they will invest it.
Wisdom is the way to life or death. Proverbs 8:33-36: 33Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.34Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 35For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. 36But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.-All them that hate God, love death. This is running way from wisdom and running to death.
Wisdom is a way to guaranteed blessing. Proverbs 8:32-35:32Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. 33Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.34Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 35For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.-We want favor, but God doesn’t give favor to fools. He gives it to people that have wisdom. Luke 2:52: 52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.-Luke was a physician and gave a lot of description. He says Jesus increased in wisdom, statue, and men. When Jesus recruited 12 men, he said he who is greater among you must first have a heart to serve. Everything he taught was a lesson. He said he had to go, but the Holy Ghost would come to remind them of everything that he had said. Now these disciples had graduated and become apostles. They heard Jesus say things and saw Jesus’ ministry as a model. Because they saw the model of Jesus’ Ministry and heard his wisdom, they found themselves praising God. Acts 2:47: 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. – The Lord added to the church as such should be saved. When you use wisdom to give God the glory, you gain favor, and afterwards come increase. God says when you obtain wisdom, he will multiply and increase you because he will know then you know what to do with the blessing that he will give to you.

Insight Part II, Sermon 10/07/09

Insight Part II
“Understanding what Wisdom is”
Synopsis of Bible study 10/07/09
Delivered by Bishop Walker III

Proverbs 4:7-8: 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.
If God was to give you one wish, what would you wish for? Would it be to win the lottery, would it be a new body, would it be the fountain of youth, or would it be to get a husband or wife? You know there was a person in the bible that actually had this offer extended to them. In 1 Kings 3:5-14 God came to Solomon in a dream: 5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. 14And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. – Solomon had an opportunity to ask God whatever he wanted and Solomon asked for wisdom. Solomon said he wanted to be able to discern between what is good or what is bad because he understood if God had elevated him to a particular purpose and destiny, then he wanted to make sure he walked in wisdom. He did not want to blow it! How many of you want to go through life and not blow it. How many of you know people that God elevated and gave great position to, but they turned around and blew it. They blow it, because they don’t have wisdom. It is important because, in all of though getting, we must get an understanding.
So what is wisdom? Wisdom is not knowledge. You can have a lot of degrees and yet not make sense. There are a lot of educated fools. Wisdom is seeing and responding to life from God’s perspective. It is an attitude and an action. It is a skill that you can develop.
I. Wisdom is the proper application of truth.
1. Wisdom is the proper application of truth. Lot of us go through life and don’t see life from God’s perspective. The reason is we are led by our own intuition or our natural inclination. We go with what we feel. We feel like we should do this and that we should do that. We are often led by our emotions which are so unstable, because one day we feel this way and another day we feel that way. You can’t trust your emotions. You cannot trust your mental intuitions, because the bible says in Proverbs 14:12: 12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. – There is a way that seems so awesome, but then you go that way and realize that there wasn’t much wisdom tied to it.
2. Now that we know what wisdom is, what do we gain when we get wisdom? Proverbs 3:16-18: 16Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 17Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
Benefits of Wisdom:
a. Long life. In other words, there is long life as a result of your wise choices. We realize that your length of days on this earth is set, but through wisdom and the choices that come out of wisdom (what we eat, our environment, how we treat our bodies), we won’t leave this earth before our time.
b. Health – is also a product of wisdom. You can have good health as a result of your wise decisions.
c. Honor – is in wisdom. Honor can be bestowed on you, because of people recognize the wisdom about you. Doesn’t mean you didn’t make any mistakes, but you have chosen to let your wise decisions transcend foolish decisions.
d. Pleasant life – we live our lives pleasant free of drama and tension as a result of living in wisdom. Life is not supposed to be stressful to you.
e. Safety-there is safety in wisdom. Wisdom will protect us and allow us to make decisions that ensure our safety.
f. Happy-when you look at what your consequences could have been, you are so happy you didn’t go there. Ex- “I am sure glad I didn’t get in that car with them!” or “I am glad I didn’t give that fool my number!”
The key to life is to get wisdom!
II. How can we get wisdom?
1. There is only one reliable source for obtaining wisdom. That is reading God’s word. Ex – Bishop explains that God even told Bishop to get back in the word (read the bible on a regular basis) for our sakes. Bishop explains that had been reading the bible, but only to prepare for the sermons that he brings to us. God told Bishop that he need to start taking more time to read the Bible for his own benefit and revelation, so God could do even greater things. God told Bishop that there was a big percentage of his congregation who do not read the bible on a regular basis. God places the burdens of a congregation on the man of God (your Pastor) over that congregation. Some people don’t read the bible at all, but God has instructed this man of God to instruct us to start reading God’s word more and on a regular basis. God said tell his people to read the bible!
2. The best place to start reading the bible is in Proverbs. Proverbs is a book of wisdom and reading it will arm you with wisdom. Proverbs 1:2: 2To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; – In the scripture opens up to say he wants us to know wisdom and instruction. Some people know how to act in certain circumstances, but they don’t have wisdom in other circumstance. You ought to want to know how to make wise decisions in every aspect of life. Ex-You know people that make wise decisions on the job, but you look at their personal life, it seems like they are another person. It’s like they have no wisdom outside of work. For example, we see them being so intelligent at work and we wonder who is that they have on their arm outside of work. For another example, we all know people that are excellent money managers at work and outside of work they bounce checks left and right. Another example is we have people that work good with kids in the church, but their own kids are running crazy. We want to have wisdom in every area of our lives.
3. If we begin to read God’s word, we recognize that there are two forms of wisdom. There is the world’s wisdom and then wisdom gained from God’s word. All the great philosophers in their great wisdom contradict each other and it looks like foolishness to God. This is why we have to apply God’s word to gain wisdom.
4. When you understand this concept of reading God’s word for wisdom, then it comes down to realizing that the word of God is like the manual for our life. Ex-In a new car there is an owner’s manual usually found in the glove compartment. At first we really are not interested in the owner’s manual. When you get a new car, we are just interested where everything is and what works. We concern ourselves with the gadgets on the car. When something goes wrong, you suddenly become interested in the owner’s manual. Ex2-Most men, when we put things together, don’t read the instructions, because we think we know what we are doing. We say we got it and we try to put it together, but there are some screws left over when we finish. As men, we say the screws are left over, but the truth is we rigged it. As a result of us not reading the instructions, our project is now leaning. God’s word is the owner’s manual for your life. Just like this, we jump into marriages and careers without reading the owner’s manual or the instructions. This is why your relationships are leaning.
III. We got to do what God’s word says do
1. You have to learn to memorize scripture. Proverbs 7:1-2: 1My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 2Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. –We memorize everything else, but we fail to memorize the word of God. Many of us can get up and recite the Greek Alphabet, yet we can’t name the books of the bible. We have to find value in knowing God’s word.
2. We have to make the word such a part of us, it is one within us. The word in us reminds us of what we are supposed to do. Romans 8:28 and Psalms 27: 23 are examples of scripture that we should be able to know and know where they are. We need to remember these scriptures because they help us to know God.
IV. We need to know God
1. Fools despise wisdom. Proverbs 1:7: 7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
2. God is not our co-pilot. God is not our co-nothing. If we don’t know him. You got to understand how to get to know God. It is by our experiences and reading the word that we get to know God.
3. Rejoice in your trials. In James 1:2, the writer writes during a time that the early church is being mortared and being killed for what they believed, but James says in James 1:2: 2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;- James said count it all joy when you falling to different test and tribulations. In other words, we need to rejoice during our time of trials. People that don’t have wisdom and understanding will think you are in denial for rejoicing when trials come.
4. What makes a person have joy during their time of crisis? It is because of what we know. We have joy during the time of crisis because of what we know. James 1:3: 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
5. We need to be spiritually mature. James 1:4: 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. – Perfect means mature, entire, or complete.
6. Ask for wisdom and God will give it to you. James 1:5: 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.
7. Ask in faith. James 1:6: 6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.-If we ask in faith, God will grant what we ask for. In otherwords, we have to ask like we believe God is going to do it.
8. God won’t give wisdom to somebody that will not make the right decision or who is unstable. James 1:7-8: 7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9. Ask God to humble you and give you wisdom. James 1:9: 9Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: – A humble person is one that God will exalt. The Greek word for wisdom is “sophia”- It means wise, wisdom, skill, tact, or expertise in any art. Most of us in our relationships can look over our life and say most of the unwise decisions we made was in the context of some kind of relationship.
V. Cost of unhealthy relationships:
1. Character- Character is a reflection of the word in us. We can’t be out there doing anything. The word of God should flow off of our lips. Character is behavior on display. For any relationship to be effective, we must first be in proper relationship with ourselves. If we are not, we will think the relationship we are entering will make our character better. Getting married is not going to change you. You have to work on you before you enter that relationship. When you enter a relationship, you take your character with you. Proverbs 5:1-2: 1My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: 2That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
2. Be careful of who you “communicate” with. Proverbs 5:3: 3For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: – the Devil will assign somebody to your life to try to talk you into stuff. Words are powerful. Who gets into your ear? Every unwise decision we have made was often a result of somebody getting into your head. They kept talking to you, until you finally done it. When you have character and the word, you can resist temptation. Ex-Remember when Satan tried to trick Jesus. Jesus response was the word. He kept saying, “It is written …” Ex- When someone says “What’s up shorty?” you can respond, “It is written, how can two walk together unless they agree” or “We must be equally yoked”. Words will get you so you must know God’s word. How many people have been talked into stuff that you can’t believe you were talked into? Ex: “No! I said no! Stop! Go on now! Stop playing. You play too much. I’ll think about it. Let me check. Well I ain’t staying long”. See how you “no changed”? The enemy speaks to your vulnerability. What can be a blessing to us, can turn into a curse. The Devil has so many ways to get to you now days; it is much easier to get sucked in through communication. We have My Space, Twitter, Face Book, Email, Texting, and much more. This is why we have to be careful with our communication.
3. Camouflage-Proverbs 5:4-6: 4But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. 6Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.-People come with a game on the front end, but later they turn out to be something other than they represented themselves to be.
4. Comfortable-be careful of getting too comfortable. Proverbs 5:7-8: 7Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. 8Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:-You got to cut some things off. Realize that being comfortable is not healthy for you. Men often have a hard time knowing when the friendship of a woman is composed of bad intentions. Women have the sixth sense of being able to see that this is a relationship that should be cut off.
5. Consequences-Proverbs 5:9-10: 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; -Ex- Guys if you cheat, you get put out of the house you bought. Later your wife gets remarried and moves somebody into the house. You are now paying for a house you don’t live and somebody else is reaising your kids. All of this can be consequences of one unwise decision (cheating). Proverbs 5:12-14: 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! 14I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.-Why didn’t we go to the church. We allowed people to keep us out. We look back and realize that we were in church, but the word is going in one ear and out the other. It is not too late, because God kept you, even in your unwise decisions. You still have time to get it right.

Arab Proverb
He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool. Shun him!
He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is simple. Teach him!
He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep. Wake him!
He who knows, and knows that he knows is wise. Follow him!

The greatest decision you can make outside of Jesus, is walking in wisdom. If you could get the years that you lost over stupid decisions, how many years would you get back? Your decision can be the difference in walking in wisdom and foolishness.

Insight Pt. I, “Knowledge & Wisdom” Bible Study 09/30/09

Insight Pt I

“Knowledge & Wisdom”
Synopsis of Bible Study 09/30/09

What separates a believer from a non believer is what a believer knows. People make decisions based on what they don’t know. Hosea 4:6:6My 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.-people are destroyed because of what they do not know. Without knowledge, wisdom won’t happen. Knowledge in other words is the foundation for gaining wisdom. In the Garden of Eden, knowledge (in the absence of Wisdom) came in and ruined everything. Ex- When a car breaks down, mechanical knowledge is needed. The knowledge you have is tied to a problem. God gives us the knowledge to solve life’s problems.

Everything God created was done with knowledge. Proverbs 3:19-20: 19The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. -Whatever God does is an act of love, so he knows what he does. God has knowledge and he wants us to gain it about him and spiritual matters. Why come to church and not try to gain spiritual knowledge.

I. Love without knowledge?
You can have love without knowledge. Ex- There was a mother that only feed her children meat. As a result, they weren’t healthy because they lacked some nutrients that they should have been getting. She read something about nutrition (knowledge) and it prompted her to change their diet. As a result of this, the kids got healthier. Since the mother changed the kid’s diet as a result of the knowledge that she gained, does this mean began to love the kids anymore? Of course she didn’t. The truth is previously she didn’t have the knowledge to do what she needed to do. As a result of the knowledge she gain, she changed what she was doing. This can be applied to other situations. How can a wife or husband be a good spouse without knowing what a spouse is supposed to do? They have to have to knowledge to know what to do in order to do it well. In this same manner, we need to gain knowledge of what God wants us to do and what his will is for our life.
You have to have knowledge to go with your zeal. Proverbs 19:2: 2Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.
Acts 17:22: 22Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.-The Apostle Paul was brilliant, intelligent, a writer, a Theologian, and etc… Paul goes to Mars Hill located in Athens grace and this is the Mecca of Philosophy. This is where the smart people used to hang out to discuss historical things. Paul shows up and is respected because of his history. In verse 22, superstitious here means traditionalism. Paul tells the great Philosophers and Theologians that they had things that they believed in that were not foundational.
Acts 17:23: 23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.- Paul tells them that he knew they loved God, but they have so many traditions, they are ignorantly worshiping him. All of us are smart, but there are areas that we are ignorant in. Ex-Lots of people come to church and have learned wrong because of tradition. Tradition is one of our bigger blockers of what we are supposed to do. The truth has to transcend all of our traditionalism. It is hard accepting that what you grew up believing is wrong. Ex. – some people still have a hard time seeing a preacher wearing jeans in the pulpit. Ex2-The sheet being used on the communion table has no biblical soundness. Historically it was just used for fly problems. Ex3-Holding up the one finger when you tip out of church, really comes from slavery. It came from the fact that slaves had to let their Master know that they were leaving out, so they would do it by holding their finger up. There is no biblical foundation to this. Paul simply reminded the Theologians and Philosophers that traditions were messing them up.
Acts 17:24-25: 24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; – Pual tells them they are only worshiping God in the temple. This is why they thought they could do what they wanted to do outside the church. We come to the church to worship, but we should come to the church worshiping. God doesn’t need us to lift our hands. We need to do lift our hands as a form of surrendering. When you give in a offering, it is not because God needs it. We give because we want to be blessed. We have our very breath because of him. What if he took it away or made us pay a breath tax?

Acts 17:26: 26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; – In the this scripture, Paul is dealing with people so covered in religion, but the truth is, we are all one family. When you come into the truth, you know we are all one blood. In God’s eyes, there is not separate race, or denomination, or anything that cause us to separate ourselves from each other.
Acts 17:28: 28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. -Paul says he wants to bring us into knowledge.

II. Those who are deliberately ignorant and actively avoid truth
Don’t be a fool. Ephesians 5:17: 17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Study God’s word and know what his will is for every area of your life. If we want to be a better man, a better woman, better in our finances, or better in our relationships, we need to read what God’s word says about the goal.
Seek the truth and gain knowledge. Proverbs 23:23: 23Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Leave your simple ways. You are above this stuff. Proverbs 9:6: 6Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
Nothing you can desire can compare to wisdom Proverbs 8:11: 11For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
.

He, who walks with wise, grows wise. Ever notice how fools like to hang out together. Hang out with people who are pursuing what you want Proverbs 13:20: 20He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
You need people who can speak knowledge into your life. You really can’t trust your own understanding. If we were to talk about what happened in the news recently, when it got back, it would be a different source. Lots of time we call it a reliable source when actually it is a re-lying source. Proverbs 24:5-6: 5A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. 6For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
We need to know the source of true knowledge. The source of true knowledge is God. Proverbs 3:5-7: 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. 7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
The Lord gives wisdom. The knowledge we have comes from God. Proverbs 2:6: 6For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
III. The source of true knowledge
They say they are going to trust God and not the doctor. Many people have said they were going to listen to the doctor. They say they are simple going to trust God. Well God gave the physician knowledge and refusing this knowledge is an act of ignorance.

Court, God gave knowledge to the lawyer. Out of Gods mouth comes knowledge. We come to church every week and we come with a problem and we want to know is there a word from the Lord. We are not coming for a word from our Pastor. We are coming for a word from God.. It is God’s word that you after, because God’s word is an answer to your problem. We have real problems and d we need a real word. When you show up, the knowledge you get deals with the problems you are experiencing. Ex-On one occasion, Jesus gives parable which is an earthly story with heavenly meaning. It is about the seeds that were sown by the sower. Some fell by the way side, some fell on stony places, some had no roots and withered away, some fell among thorns and others fell into good ground. Jesus pulls the disciples in and tells them what the parable means. He tells them that the seeds will represent the reaction of the people they spread the word to. Some people the seeds will fall by way side, some will have hard heads, some the world will choke out from the lack of roots, and others will be excited and run with the word. Knowledge is the answer. He then tells them to get in the ship with him after the parable of the seeds lesson. Jesus goes to sleep and the disciples are supposed to ferry the ship through the unpredictable Sea of Galilee. Out of nowhere a storm comes. When it comes, they start panicking. Nobody had the understanding or the knowledge of the storm. If they could have solved it or stopped the storm, they would have. Like us, we are here because we need an answer. The disciples start panicking. They cried out “Master!” They remembered that Jesus was on the ship. Jesus is the word. The word, the knowledge, or the answer is on the ship, during the problem. They have a problem, but the answer is on the ship. Most preachers will say “Peace Be Still” is the main point of the story of this particular storm. That is a powerful sermon but let’s go a litter deeper. The revelation of that text is when Jesus says “o yea of little faith”. If your faith is awake, you can go asleep too. God gave them knowledge on the sea shore with the parable of the seeds. You don’t have to wake up the teacher, when you already got the answer. We get so codependent on the teacher, we keep asking the teacher, when he has already spent time giving us the answer. Jesus is like they woke him up over something that they already had knowledge to understand. The source of knowledge is God. God will give the knowledge to or the answer. You have notes and you have CDs of the sermons falling out of your car. Why don’t we go back to what God has taught and quite asking the teacher for what has already been taught., why don’t you go back to what you have already been taught.

IV. Knowledge, understanding, and Wisdom
Knowledge is the facts. 1 Corinthians 12:8: 8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; – Understanding is the ability to lift the meaning out of the facts, and wisdom knows what to do next.

We are after using knowledge to get wisdom. Ex-There is a man un-churched. The wife goes to church. Her Pastor is teaching on”relationships” a powerful teaching of knowledge. Let’s say she lifts up a piece of the teaching. She waits until Monday night football and tries to talk to her husband who is not into church. She cuts off the football game says she is sick of the way her husband is treating her. She includes that her Pastor says he needs to love her like Christ loved the church. This is a good example of having knowledge without wisdom. She may be right in what she is saying, but coming home and cutting off Monday night football, and demanding that he go by a church principle is not exactly a wisest way to get him to buy into what you believe. How many of us have had the right knowledge, but through a lack of wisdom, acted at the wrong time?

Knowledge Understanding Wisdom
Facts meaning What to do next
Information Principle Application
Memory Reason Action
Scholar Teachers Prophets

Those with knowledge are able to collect, remember, and access information
Those with understanding are able to extract the meaning out of the information
Those with wisdom know which principle to apply now.

IV. There is a principle we need to drop
Revelation is revealed to us by our ability to be able to understand it. Matthew 16:13-15: 13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? -Jesus asks who do they think he is?
Simon Peter said thou art the Christ the son of the living God. Matthew 16:16: 16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Narration: (verse16) Well Jesus, you know I always talk first. I really don’t fit in. I have a knife. I am from the street, I am a little edgier than the others, but I am just me. One thing I know though, I know who you are. You are the son of the living God.-We make judgments on how colorful people s language is. The truth is, some of the folk like Peter are the ones that really know who God is. God is going to use somebody with a messed up background just like he did Peter.

Matthew 16:17: 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. -Even though you got issues, you got the clutter out of your life long enough to receive the word of God and allow God to reveal who I am (who Jesus was).

Matthew 16:18: 8And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.-He said you are Peter (or Pedros meaning a big piece of rock), because you gave revelation knowledge, you will be stable and solid. Upon ecclesia, the study of the church and what it really is, the church will be built and the gates of hell will never prevail against this. There are some satisfied with knowledge, but there are others that want a revelation word or Rama word.
What you receive from people is information, but from God you receive revelation. We want to learn the proper revelation of knowledge. Coming to bible study tells others that you really are hungering for a knowledge of God.