Wisdom Acquired, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word, Pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. You see, it's not only you have to know what's true and what the rules and principles are, you have to surrender to them. And until you surrender to them, you'll never be wise. You see, that's what wisdom does. Wisdom surrenders. How can you master your life when you won't submit to the master of life? I know what that's like.

I know for most of us there's a principle at play. Isn't it a lot easier to believe in God rather than surrender to God? Thank you for joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word with Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Fellowship in the Word is the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church located in Metairie, Louisiana.

Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now as once again he shows us how God's Word meets our world. Most Christian parents I know are really pretty successful at teaching biblical truths and principles to their children and even holding them accountable to it. But I think sometimes what's really missing, at least having talked to so many children over the years, is they're not the example. They just don't prove to be the example. And I don't think there's anything, anything that will affect your child more than your example.

It's a sad thing to watch, by the way, as you watch your children get older and older. But you might not want to believe this, but I have shortcomings. And they show up in my boys. You know, they just show up. It's an example. You're an example.

It's just the way it works. He said, you need a Godly example. But he said, there's also something else you need if you're going to live wisely. He says this in verse 16. He says, and all scripture is inspired by God. Now, notice he told Timothy in verse 15 that from the childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you what? The wisdom.

You've known Timothy. And he said, that's where wisdom comes from. He said, and the reason is all scripture is inspired by God. Over the years I always say this, but it's Theos Numitas. All scripture is God-breathed. All of it.

He said, all scripture is God-breathed. Now watch. And it's profitable. For what? For teaching.

In other words, to teach what? The truth. If I want to know the truth about life, it's in the Word of God. If I want to know the truth about me, it's in the Word of God. If I want to know the truth about you, it's in the Word of God. If I want to know the truth about human government, it's in the Word of God. If I want to know the truth about being a neighbor, it's in the Word of God. If I want to learn the truth about work, it's in the Word of God. If I want to learn the truth about how to relate to my enemies, it's in the Word of God. It's all profitable for teaching, but it's more than that.

He says it's not only profitable for teaching, but it's profitable for reproof. What's the reproof of the word of God? I do something, I say something, I go into the word of God and what's the word of God say to me? It says, Bill, that wasn't wise.

That was not wise. You see, it reproves you. That's what the word of God does. He says, not only does it reprove me, it's also good for correction. That's one of the great things about the word of God. It doesn't just condemn me for not doing what I should have done.

It corrects me in order so that I can get back on the path of doing the things I should be doing. So he says, all scripture is God-breathed and he says it's profitable for teaching and reproof and correction for the training in righteousness. So that, or with the result that, the man or woman of God will be adequate and equipped for every good work. Let me paraphrase that. So the man or woman of God will live a wise life. Will be able to live a wise life. You see, that's the way the word of God works. It's not something to memorize. It's something to basically utilize in your life. If you know the word of God and you have an understanding of it, then every single thing that happens in your life, you can push through the filter of the word of God, everything.

Everything is small or something large. You see, somebody comes up to you and they insult you. Now how do you respond? Now you know how you want to respond, right?

Would that be wise? No, I mean, he says, let no one kind word come from your mouth. There's the wisdom. You see how this works and it's everything in our life. You see, once I begin to do that, once I begin to see how my life goes through all these circumstances and how I bring the word of God to bear in all of those, when I do that correctly I end up becoming what the scriptures call a wise man. Malcolm Muggeridge said this, every happening great and small is a parable whereby God speaks to us and the art of life is to get his message. In other words, every time something happens to you is an opportunity. Every time God is speaking to you, every time. You see, there's a message here, an opportunity to be wise or foolish.

Someone cut you off in line. You have an opportunity. You see, your mother-in-law calls. You have an opportunity.

You see, you took your car in to be repaired but it's making a noise now that it wasn't making when you put it in there but you have an opportunity. You see, every single thing that happens in your life is an opportunity. God uses his word and the circumstances in your life to build wisdom into your life. You see, there are certain things that are just flat out true and when you understand what's true and you can apply what's true, you'll benefit from it. I want you to think about this, the idea of principles and rules about everything in life.

Think of all the things that you and I pursue in life, music, law, architecture, medicine, athletics, economics, construction, farming, doesn't matter, anything. Everything that exists is you have to play by the rules. You have to. There are certain rules in play and you have to play by the rules.

You have to apply the principles otherwise there's no wisdom in it. Just imagine that you call in a tax accountant and you say, would you do my taxes? He says to you, sure, I'll be the lighting. He said, before I start, how much money do you want back on your return? About $8,000. I want $8,000 back.

He said, okay. So, he gets a crayon out and he writes on your tax form four times $4,000, do your math, four times $4,000 divided by two, $8,000. There's your return. There's your return.

You're going to get $8,000 back. Now, what would you be thinking now? You see, what would you be thinking?

You'd be, wait, wait, wait a minute. First of all, there's a couple of things you have to take in mind here. Don't you have to apply accounting principles to this thing and don't you have to know the tax code? You see, that's the way life is. You can't do anything. See, there's nothing you can do on your own and ignore the principles or ignore the rules and say that it will work itself out. By the way, that's why people who defend themselves in court, that's a bad idea.

The reason it's a bad idea is you don't know the law and you don't even understand court etiquette. You see, it doesn't matter what it is in life. You have to apply certain rules and principles. And maybe even more importantly, knowing it is not enough. You have to apply it. You see, the tax accountant might have known all the tax codes.

He just didn't apply them. I mean, just imagine that you go in and you're having bypass surgery and a heart surgeon. He walks into the room and the thing that you notice is so unusual is he fires up his chainsaw. Now you're thinking this could be a really bad idea. And the first thought you have is he should know better.

He should. You see, in everything in life, we apply the rules. You can't do anything. You can play sports. I love playing baseball. Baseball is fun to play. But just imagine you get up at the bat and you hit the ball and you say, I'm going to go to third base first this time.

I like to run counter flow. I mean, it doesn't matter what it is. What would someone say if you did that? You're a fool. You're a fool. When you don't apply the principles and rules, you end up becoming a fool.

There's something else there then. And that is, like I said, it's not just knowing it. You have to submit to the principles and rules. You have to submit to them or you won't be wise. You have to submit or surrender to the principles and rules.

What's true in all of the endeavors of our life is true about the essence of life. You see, when it comes to marriage or parenting or your personal finances or friendship or work or management or hobbies or time, you not only have to know. You see, it's not only you have to know what's true and what the rules and principles are. You have to surrender to them. And until you surrender to them, you'll never be wise. You see, that's what wisdom does. Wisdom surrenders.

How can you master your life when you won't submit to the master of life? And I know what that's like. I know for most of us, there's a principle at play. Isn't it a lot easier to believe in God rather than surrender to God?

You see, that becomes a really important aspect of it. That's why we're so foolish. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That's all that phrase says. Andy Stanley said he wanted to paraphrase that verse. And it's quite a paraphrase.

Andy Stanley says this. He paraphrases, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. He said wisdom begins when we recognize that God is God, and then we respond accordingly.

The proper response, of course, is surrender. Once we have surrendered, God is more than happy to reveal more and more of himself. And as we discover more and more of the character and nature of the Father, we gather a greater understanding of the world that he has created. Our expanded understanding results in an improved ability to choose wisely. Thus, true wisdom begins with a proper recognition of who God is coupled with a proper response, surrender.

That's kind of an interesting thing. I'd add one thing to it. The first step is not to just recognize who God is, but you have to recognize who you are in light of who God is. Now, I don't have too much to say about God. He doesn't need me to say much, but God is, he's God.

That's plenty. I'm not, but I do know some things about me. Proverbs says there is a way that seems right to a man, but it ends in destruction. So I know that there's a way that seems right to me in every choice and decision I make, and I know that by principle, usually, that's going to end up to being a bad choice.

I also know something else from Jeremiah 17. The heart of a man is desperately wicked, and it's deceitful above all else. So I know I have a heart that will deceive me. So I know I can make a choice that's probably wrong and a heart that will tell me it was probably right.

And I've just defined a fool. And unfortunately, I think it defines so many of us. You see, it starts with the first step of recognizing who God is and who you are. The second step is recognition of who God is results in reverence for God. If you really recognize who God is and who it is and wants to have a personal relationship with you, you have tremendous reverence for God. And that reverence, if you're going to apply reverence, it's always going to be the same.

It's going to be submission and surrender. That's the step. You see, that's why so many of us don't acquire wisdom. I think most of us know the right principles. It's not a matter of knowledge. If you don't have any knowledge, you need it. But once you have it, you have to surrender.

You have to submit. You see, that's the point. Jesus said to his own followers, he said, why do you call me Lord and then not do the things I ask?

What does he mean by that? Well, you recognize me. You recognize me as Lord.

Well, guess what? Look up a dictionary definition of Lord. Lord means I'm in charge. So why do you call me Lord and then you won't do the things I ask? He knew the answer is because they will not surrender.

They will not submit. Every time I make a wise choice, I'm just committing to the principles of God. What is true?

That's the way life works. Even life out there, the physical world. If you think about what we've done, we've discovered and leveraged so many things in advance so much as a culture. But all it is is we eventually discover what's true and then we submit to it the principles that come from God's creation. We have now explored the genetic code and manipulated it. We have come to understand viruses and bacteria, the way the world really works, and much to the advancement of people.

We've done that. That's wisdom applied. We understand the physics of aerodynamics. I mean for thousands of years, anyone who had a brain in their head said man will never fly. But man does fly because he understands the way the world works. Everything that we claim as human beings that we've created, we have not created anything.

We have simply discovered and then manipulated what God has created. The principles are all there. Reaping and sowing, all those principles are there. And so when we find it, that's an act of wisdom. The question often comes down to then, why don't I submit?

What do I need to motivate me to submit? Maybe this would help. One thing the Word of God says is that all human relationships should be based on mutual submission.

All of them. In fact, you get Ephesians 5 and 6 and it'll say husband and wife, mutually submissive. It doesn't mean the roles are the same.

They are not. The roles are different. But mutual submission, parent-child, mutual submission, master-slave, mutual submission, boss-employee, mutual submission. In other words, what God says in his infinite wisdom is if you want to have a good relationship with everybody, you mutually submit. Paul said it differently in Philippians, consider everybody else as more important than you are.

But the same idea. Mutual submission. You know what's really interesting is God already submitted for you. God submitted for you. Why can't we reciprocate, submit for God? Look at Romans chapter 5. In verse 6, look what Paul writes. He says, for while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. And we know, by the way, by reading early in Romans, that's all of us.

They're unrighteous. No, not one. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So the ungodly there is everybody. For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for a good man, someone would dare even to die.

But God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. What an act of submission. What an act of submission. When you had nothing to offer but sin, nothing, Christ died for you. In Philippians chapter 2, Paul says to the church of Philippi that Jesus emptied himself of his divine prerogatives, and he shows the submission. He emptied himself of his divine prerogatives. He became a man.

Wow, what an act of submission for God. He became a man, but he didn't just become a man. He becomes a servant, the lowest station of a man, a slave. But he doesn't just become a man and then just become a servant. He goes to the cross, and he dies. You see, he dies. Why did he die? Well, in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 2, it says that Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. What was the joy that was set before him? You and me, you.

That was the joy. I will submit myself. I will submit myself to being a human being, to being a servant, to being a substitute and crucified like a criminal. Why?

I love them. You see, I want a relationship with them, so I will submit myself. If Jesus Christ would do that for you, the question comes down to what will you do for Jesus Christ. You see, the cross tells me that I have nothing to fear when I submit to the Lord.

Why? Because it tells me how much he loves me. You see, Jesus said, I've come to give you life, to give it to you abundantly.

What he meant simply was this. I want you to have eternal life. Yes, I want to spend eternity with you, but while you're on this earth, I want you to live a wise life. You see, I want you to live a wise life.

Why? Because that's the abundant life, a life of contentment and satisfaction and peace and joy and hope, regardless of the circumstances. He said, that's what I want you to have. Acquire wisdom. Wisdom is acquired when we know the word of God, and then when we understand the word of God, but we still haven't acquired anything until we surrender to the word of God. When we surrender, we're wise. Every decision, every choice, we surrender to him.

When you do that, you will be wise, and your life, I promise you this, will be infinitely better. Let's pray. Father, my prayer is simple. I would just like every person in this room who knows Jesus Christ to ask themselves just one question, have I fully surrendered to the revealed will of my God? Am I willing to surrender and submit to his word, or am I going to continue to go my own way, to make choices that I regret, to make decisions that cause me and others tremendous pain? Father, I thank you that through your word and through your spirit, we all, every single one of us who know Christ, have the capacity to be wise, and the fruit of that wisdom will spill over on so many others.

Father, I pray we're willing to surrender in Christ's name, and for our sake, amen. You've been listening to Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the Radio Ministry of Fellowship in the Word. If you ever miss one of our broadcasts, or maybe you would just like to listen to the message one more time, remember that you can go to a great website called oneplace.com. That's oneplace.com, and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online.

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