Visiting with us, we want to extend a special welcome to you. And we've got a packet of information about our church. If you'd like to learn a little more about who we are, what we believe, what we're about. You can just raise your hand for a few moments and one of our ushers will spot you and get one of those packets into your hand. But we welcome you to Grace Church this morning.
Just a few announcements. Tonight we'll have our regular six o'clock evening worship service. We have a fellow that's going to come and preach the word tonight to us that's never preached at Grace Church before. His name is Corey Wing. He's on staff at Shearer PCA in our Presbytery up north of Charlotte with Steve Stout.
Corey went to Lamp Seminary with Jay Crestar. They're good friends. And so we've asked him to come and fill the pulpit tonight at our 6 o'clock service.
So join us this evening at 6 p.m. for. For that time of worship. Also, Wednesday night at 7 o'clock, we spend half an hour in prayer, half an hour Bible study. We have children's choir for the kids.
We have a youth Bible study down in the admin building.
So, I would invite you to come be a part of that Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
Next Sunday is a third Sunday of the month. Every third Sunday of the month, we have Cover-dish meal. And so we'll do that next Sunday. Bring enough food for your family and a little bit to share. And we'll invite our neighbors to stay with us and enjoy a time of fellowship.
The men's prayer breakfast will be this coming Saturday, March 15th at 8 a.m. Make sure you sign up in the foyer if you attend. intend to attend that prayer breakfast. And then also the ladies will be having a tea on March the 22nd at 11 a.m. And you can sign up today or next week if you intend on coming to that.
That'll be March 22nd, 11 a.m. There's a special table in there. You'll spot it. That's a tea for the ladies. And then the last announcement, we're going to Host Vacation Bible School again this summer in July.
It's going to run from the 7th to the 11th, 9 a.m. to noon, just like we did last year. And we still need some volunteers for that. Beth has been organizing that.
So if you'd like to volunteer, give her a call, the church office. And we especially need a teacher for... pre-K and kindergarten. Those are the funnest stages.
So uh if you want to be a part of that then uh then call dev and and get your name on the volunteer list. I think there's a meeting after service today. Just for team leaders, okay, immediately following the service. We'll be meeting with Bev to go over some of the logistics, but we still need some help.
So seek that if you'd like to be a part of that. Again, it's July 7th through 11th. Dave, I'm going to invite Dave Wheatley to come up now for our missions moment. Good morning. highlighted for uh this morning's missions moment Are the Grotons and the Smallins.
And David and Danielle are missionaries with MTW. And uh Vinay del Mar Chile. And they are members of Trinity Church, which is a local church plant where they help lead that, and they provide training as well as spiritual, emotional, and physical support to people with disabilities and their families there. This year, they would like to focus on establishing relationships with local hospitals and clinics. and town offices and the surrounding towns.
So that they may be able to that those those may be a resource for their patients and could benefit from their services. The Grotons have two boys whom they homeschool, Jacob 13 and Elijah 11. And prayer requests for the Grotons are: pray for the local church. to be Jesus's hands and feet seeking those affected by disability. and welcoming them into their congregations.
Also pray for a permanent building for Trinity Church. They are seeking a place that can hold 100 plus members.
So that looks that's a healthy plant church that they have there. And pray that the Grottons will be, David and Danielle, will be wise teachers for their boys and that they have the energy and stamina for the year ahead. Roger and Diane Smalling are also MTW missionaries. They serve in Latin America and they've been serving for over 30 years. in Europe and Latin America.
They are dedicated to bringing the Reformation to Latin America. And establish training for pastors and ministry leaders through teaching and through distribution of the books and materials that they themselves prepare. And to date they've prepared over 20,000 uh books and materials. that have been distributed throughout the the Americas are Latin America. A prayer request for them is pray that they're Their resources that they provide and distribute would have its intended effect in teaching.
and bring your people to Christ and pray for stamina and good health. for them to continue their work.
So that's the Grottens and the Smallines.
So I now ask Scott Starcher to come up for a special announcement. Good morning. Had a couple of announcements to add on here. Um One comes from a clarification from our congregational meeting. The question was asked: what's the difference between an assistant and an associate pastor?
And I gave you about 50% of it. Um a assistant Pastor is appointed by the session. is not a member of the session and cannot vote at the session meeting.
So, um It The assistant may attend the session meetings if he's called to attend. If the session invites him to attend, then he could. sit in the meeting. for that. An associate is appointed by the congregation.
and is a member of session and can vote.
So those are the main differences.
Sometimes we call assistant pastors. Um To supplement our staff, a lot of times retired pastors come back as an assistant. To serve in the various roles, appointed roles by the session.
So it's The other way that you have an assistant is I'll say from a I'll call in a new hire or somebody that's younger coming out of seminary or doesn't have a whole lot of experience, they would come in as an assistant pastor.
So I hope that clarifies things. If not See me after class, and we'll have another conversation. Hopefully, I'll do better.
So yesterday we had a called meeting of the Catawba Valley Presbytery to review calls. A called meeting means it's unscheduled, unplanned. And there are guidelines by which you Are you allowed to have the call meeting?
So you have to have, I think, three churches. agree with the the called meeting. and you have to have a quorum just like we would have to have a quorum. in a congregational meeting, the presbytery has to have a quorum there as well to to vote on matters. And the purpose of this meeting of the Catawba Valley Presbytery was to approve the calls.
Of two pastors, George Sire, who's going to be in the missions world serving in Raleigh. Replacing Dan Stone. Darren Stone. and then Eugene Olam as pastor, senior pastor of Grace Church. And so Eugene was officially, they approved the call yesterday.
And so that's the next to last step. In him coming on as senior pastor, and our last step will be he will be installed next Sunday night at 6 o'clock in our evening service.
So we'll have a special service for that. There'll be some visitors here, Bruce Brown and others are coming, I believe Jay Crestar, and we will have Eugene installed as our senior pastor then. And we're going to have turn next Sunday's fellowship meal into a celebration meal for Eugene coming on board as our senior pastor.
So I encourage you to attend, bring a plate of food, and enjoy the fellowship and welcome them as. the senior pastor family. Thank you. Would you please stand with? me for our call to worship.
Psalm 117, the psalmist says, Praise the Lord all night. nations. Extol him, all people. for great is his steadfast love toward us. And the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise. Go away. That's right. Lord, we desire to praise you, to lift up your name, to extol you. To make much of you because you are a great God, you are all-powerful.
You're all wise, you're all present. You're all knowing. And yet you are gracious and merciful. and kind, full of long-suffering toward us. Great is your faithfulness.
Great is your steadfast love. Great is your compassion. Lord, would you stir our affections? Would you steer our minds? Our wills Lord, calls us to worship you truly in spirit.
And in truth, May you be pleased to accept our worship. Through the blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. And so, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we welcome your presence here this morning. We pray that you would commune with your church, that you would nourish your bride. And we pray it in Jesus' name.
Amen. Trevain standing as we sing together Psalm 150. Psalm that's all about praising our Lord. Let's make much of Him. You dream the stormy host, you trace the mountain beast, you paint the evening side with wonders.
The earth is your throne from desert to the sea. All nations as applies, your splendor. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, sing his greatness, all creation, praise the Lord, praise your voice, your heights, and all you devil. From furthest east to west, let everything that has breath praise the Lord, in love your spirit breaths. Informed us in your every mind to know your wondrous works, to tell your wondrous needs, to join the everlasting glorious praise the Lord, praise the Lord, sing his praises, all creation, praise the Lord.
Raise your voice, your heights and all your death from furthest. East to rest. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Let steams and east resound, let drums and choirs wake up. All heaven hear the sound of worship.
Let every nation bring its homage to the king. A roar of harmonies. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Sing his praises.
All creation. Praise the Lord. Praise your Lord with Him. From lights and all in death, from badness east to west, in distant burning stars, all creatures near and part, from sky to sea and shore, sing up forevermore. Let everything that has breathed praise the Lord.
God is great and worthy to be praised, and our praise falls short of his worth. It is good and right in our worship of this great God. To run to Him for mercy, to confess our sin, to acknowledge our trespasses, and to trust that He will show mercy. That he will forgive and pardon.
So, church, would you join me as we confess? our sin together. Gracious God. Our sins are too heavy to carry. Too real to hide.
and two things you want to do. Forgive what our lips tremble to name, When our hearts can no longer bear Yeah. And what has become for us a considerable consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past we cannot change. Open to us a future in which we can be changed.
And grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image. Through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen. Take a few moments now to silently confess your particular sins to the Lord. Listen now to this sweet promise from 1 John 1, verse 9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just.
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God is a merciful, merciful God. He's given us the gospel. He's shown us the way to find that mercy. We come this morning to our New Testament reading in Romans chapter 10.
It points us to that same gospel. Romans chapter 10 begin in the latter half of verse 8, read through verse 13. The word is near you. in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith that we proclaim.
Because if we confess Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified. And with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek.
For the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, will be saved. The word of the Lord. Thanks, Mega Die. Let's stand again as we sing a psalm this morning, a psalm that calls us to consider the question, how can we gain access to God?
And the only way is through absolute righteousness. And the only way we can attain that absolute righteousness is if it's imputed to us, credited to our account. through the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Psalm 15, let's sing. Oh this Lord, who may stay within your tent, your sacred dwelling place, and who upon your holy hill may live before your face, whoever was a faithful bow, who acts in a righteousness, and who will allow us to be.
Always from the heart since ceremonies are any one, nor does his favor run. He has no spite within his heart, or strengther on his love. He allows those who fear the Lord, no pride can he endure those who are. Be able by this will always stand heavenly Father. Each of us could ask.
What have I ever done? to deserve even one of the blessings of no. The short answer is nothing. Lord, we owe all to you. We live and move and have our being.
In you. It is your daily manna, your provision, that keeps these Little barks of life afloat on the river of life. Thank you for loving us despite ourselves. And may you be honored and glorified by this offering. Help us realize in you.
In you, Lord. When this lifetime is over. We will have the time of our life. We pray in the name of all names. Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior.
Amen. What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul, what wondrous love is this, O my soul, what wondrous love is this that cause the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul for my soul to bear the dreadful curse for my soul. To God and to the lamb I will sing, I will see to God and to the lamb I will sing to God and to the son who is the great I am while millions join the field I will see I will see while millions join the field I will sing and from death I free I'll sing on I'll sing on and And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on. And when from death I'm free, I'll sing and joy for me. And through eternity, I'll sing on, I'll sing on and through eternity I'll sing on.
Lord, you are our refuge and our fortress, our God in whom we trust. And when we dwell in your shelter, O Most High, we abide in the shadow of our The One, the only One who is almighty, all-powerful, the One for whom there is nothing too difficult. O Lord, help us to trust in You. There are snares all. around us.
by the enemy of every good and righteous thing. Snares set by the world. That stands at admittance. with you. Lord, even snares set by the desires and susceptibilities of our own sinful flesh.
That you, God, are the one who delivers from the snare. You're the one who. Conquers your own. With faithful wings of protection. You are our shield and buckler.
Teach us then to run to you when the arrow flies at us by day. When terror strikes our hearts in the night. At all times and all places, teach us to run to you for safety and deliverance. Lord, if you are our refuge, then we ought to be bold. Not fearful of evil, not timid in the face of unrighteous opposition, for you're greater than all our enemies.
And you promise that no evil will befall those who belong to you. Almighty God, you even command your angels. to guard us in all of our ways, to bear us up lest we Strike error. feet against the stone.
So Lord, we call out to you today, trusting you to hear us. and trusting you to answer. Lord, please bless this church, bless Grace Church, with your favor and goodness. May its families be strong families. Its marriages sweet, its children godly.
May the members of this body of believers grow. and their knowledge of your word, grow in their faith in Christ. Lord, may the frequency and fervency and even effectiveness of our witness increase. Give us the privilege of seeing the gospel bear much fruit. both in the lives of our own members, our saints here.
as well as in the lives of saints yet to be converted. God of all time, the one who never changes. We are as a church beginning what from our perspective feels like a new chapter. And for us it is new. But Lord, you have not changed.
You never change. You are our refuge and strength. very present help in trouble and in calm.
So Lord, giver of every good and perfect gift, we need help. The fields are white for harvest. I said, would you please send harvesters? Would you please equip us to harvest and harvest? harvest well.
and harvest with zeal and with joy. Specifically, I asked today that you would raise up more elders and deacons to help lead and serve. His precious body. Would you raise up an associate pastor to come alongside us? A one who will be well suited to teaching and loving and administrating this congregation Would you give us all the will and the ability to use the gifts you've given to each saint in our church body to their fullest?
For your glory. and for the building up of an even more glorious, more holy, more Joy-filled gathering of redeemed. Sinners turn saints. That the enemy might be silenced. And that the world might look at us and say, Oh, what a great God their God is.
But you are our refuge and our fortress.
So together this morning we lift our voice to you. And we pray according to how your Son taught us, saying, Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom. Wow. and the glory forever.
I'll let you. Let's stand again as we express So our Lord and our Savior, what a treasurer he is, Jesus Christ is treasurer. Jesus, Christless Treasure, Source of purest pleasure, Truest friend to me, long my heart have kept him, till it well I fainted, thirsting after thee. Thine I am O spotless man, I will suffer not to hide thee but I am As beside thee in thine arms, I rest thee, those who would all ask me, help reach me here. Though the earth be shaking, every heart bequeath, Jesus comes my fear.
Lightnings flash and thunder's crash, yet though sin and hell upsail me, Jesus will not fail me. Hence, with earthly treasure, thou art all my pleasure, Jesus, all my choice. Hence, thou empty glory, God to be thy story, full with tempting voice, pain or loss, or shame or cross, shall not from my Savior move me, since he gains to love me. Hence all fear and sadness, for the Lord of gladness, Jesus enters in. Those who love the Father, though the storms may gather, still have peace within.
Yea, whatever I hear must wear, Thou art still my purest pleasure, Jesus Christless treasure.
Well, if you would please turn with me this morning to. Proverbs chapter 3. We're going to be taking up this chapter in verse 13. Through the end of the chapter, Proverbs 3. Verses 13 through 35.
Hear now the word of the Lord. Blessed is the one who finds wisdom. And one who gets understanding. For the gain from her is better than her. than gain from silver.
and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels. and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways. are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Those who hold her fast are called blessed. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth.
By understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the and the clouds dropped down the dew. My son. Do not lose sight of these. Keep sound wisdom and discretion.
And they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid. When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, Go and come again tomorrow, I will give it. when you have it with you. Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you. Do not contend with a man for no reason when he has done you no harm.
Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways. For the devious person is an abomination to the Lord. But the upright are in his confidence. The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.
The wise will inherit honor. But fools. Get disgrace. Let's pray. Lord, thank you that you have not left us in this world to fend for ourselves, to figure out how life and death work on our own.
But you have given us understandable instruction. guidance, knowledge, and even motivation.
so that we might understand and do that which leads to life. Lord, you are a wise man. God and you've infused that wisdom into every facet of creation. If we could. But know your wisdom things truly would go well for us?
Thank you that you have made that wisdom accessible. And so now, Lord, by the power of your Holy Spirit at work in our souls, open our eyes to see wonderful things in your word, that we might be made wise unto salvation. I pray in the name of Jesus, your Son, the one who. embodies divine wisdom for all to see. And I ask that the wisdom of Christ, the very mind of Christ, might be ours today as we read and contemplate.
and seek to heed What you have said. Amen. Well, we come today to the fourth parental speech or lecture in the book of Proverbs. Remember, the first nine chapters are comprised of these lengthy speeches about various topics all related to wisdom, and then chapters 10 onward, for the most part, are comprised of those short little bursts of moral advice that we typically associate with Proverbs.
So, we're still in the lengthy speech portion of the book. And today's speech, Proverbs 13 through 35 of chapter 3, sort of reverses the sequence of the previous three speeches. The parents have Typically, been giving the conditions first and then the blessings that come from meeting those conditions. But in this fourth speech, the parents describe the blessing first. And once they've painted a glorious picture of what wise living can bring, then they lay out the moral obligations that follow, the conditions that follow.
It's as if they're saying, Son, look at how wonderful wisdom is.
Now go and be wise. And in reversing the typical sequence, the parents, I think, are emphasizing the value or the worth of wisdom. They're portraying the wise life as a great treasure to be sought after. They're saying, how could you not want wisdom in light of all that wisdom has to offer? And so we've seen in the first three parental speeches the enticement of foolishness and the protection of wisdom and the promises of wisdom.
Today, the emphasis is on the value or the worth of wisdom. of wisdom. And if wisdom is as valuable as the parents say it is, then we had better pursue it with all of our might.
So what is the worth? of wisdom. Well, we discover its worth in verses 13 through 18. Verse 13. Blessed or happy is the one who finds wisdom and the one who gets understanding.
For the gain from her, the profit that wisdom brings, is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. If you could have anything you wanted and all you had to do was ask for it, what would you ask for? In other words, what is that one thing that to you is of greatest value in the world?
Now, we're sitting in church and thinking about wisdom from the book of Proverbs, so we're all thinking of the Christian answer, right? The wise biblical answer this morning. But if I were to spring this question on you on a, I don't know, a random Tuesday afternoon, what would you say then? Your brain might know the biblical answer, but what do you really desire? Many people's first thought would be to ask for material wealth.
If I just had more money, life would be happy.
Some would want perhaps relationships. Give me a life full of loyal friends who love me, and then I'll be truly happy. Others maybe would want recognition or power, fame, control. I was thinking this past week about the rich and famous. of the world in light of Proverbs 3.
Mm. And I thought about Elon Musk, who is purportedly the wealthiest person in the world with a net worth of almost $350,000. billion dollars. $350 billion. Elon Musk can easily afford anything.
Any material thing he wants. If he lived to be eighty years old, um. And did not make another dollar, he would have to spend $35,282 per day. to spend all of his wealth. That's just mind-blowing wealth.
But listen to this. Proverbs 3 says that wisdom makes you richer than Elon Musk. The profit gained from a wise life is better than Qualitatively superior to having an extra $35,282 a day to spend.
Now, why does Solomon compare wisdom to wealth.
Well, because most of us treasure wealth more than we treasure wisdom. We think that money and the material stuff that money can buy will make us happy. We think that the comforts and leisure and pleasures that belong to those with exorbitant wealth would make us happy.
Solomon, who by the way was the Elon Musk of his day, says that wealth will not make you as happy as wisdom. In fact, verse 15 says nothing you desire can compare with wisdom. I love the way one Bible teacher put it. He said, money can put food on the table, but not the fellowship around the table. It can buy a house, but not a home.
It can give a woman jewelry, but not the love that she really wants. Wisdom bestows both material and spiritual benefits. But there's more.
Solomon goes on to describe wisdom as something that, verse 16, holds long life in her right hand. And this long life is characterized in verse 17 by pleasantness and peace. And so verses 16 and following explain why wisdom is so much better than mere wealth. Wisdom gives life. and long life and pleasant life and peaceful life.
Now, what exactly is life in this sense? Is wisdom simply promising a lengthy existence? Are we talking here about not dying young, but living into old age? Is wisdom basically just promising a long existence in the world?
Well, the word life has a range of meaning, and in its most literal sense, I suppose, we think of it as referring to temporal existence, the hyphen on the tombstone.
So-and-so lived from 1945 hyphen to 2025, and everything in between those dates was his life. And sometimes the promises of wisdom are promises that pertain to life in this very narrow, literal sense of the word. But more times than not, when the book of Proverbs makes a promise about life, It is referring to the quality, not so much the quantity, of one's existence. It can refer to the way in which life goes smoother when those in authority over me. both human and divine authorities are pleased with me.
Proverbs 16, 15, for example, says, Of a king's face, there is life. And His favor is like a rain cloud in spring. Life in Proverbs is equated sometimes with a happy home. A harmonious home, Proverbs 15, 27. is a life-giving home.
The concept of life sometimes encompasses the psychological state of a person. Proverbs 14:30 says that a tranquil mind gives life to the flesh. And the opposite of that tranquil, life-giving mind is envy that makes the bones rot. A person can be alive in terms of mere existence, but so consumed with envy and hate and a disturbed mind that they're really not living at all. And then, lastly, and most importantly, life as it's used in Proverbs often refers to the quality of having fellowship with God, the quality that you enjoy in relationship with God.
Numerous times in the book of Proverbs, as well as in other parts of the Bible, life is equated with being in a right relationship with the Creator. I'll just mention one example. Proverbs 10, verse 16 says, The wage of the righteous. Leads to life, but the gain of the wicked leads to sin.
So in this Hebrew parallelism, the opposite of life is not death, as we would perhaps expect. The opposite of life is sin. To be in sin is to be at odds with God, at enmity with God, opposed to God. To have life, then, in the sense in which Proverbs 10:16 uses that term, is to be in right relationship with God, in fellowship with God.
So when Wisdom promises long life, pleasant life, peaceful life. It's promising so much more than just a lot of birthdays. It's promising being in right standing with those in authority over you. It's promising a harmonious home, a properly functioning family. It's promising psychological tranquility, peace in your mind.
It's promising a happy relationship with God. Beloved, wisdom is promising. Paradise. In fact, look at how this section concludes, verse 18. She, wisdom, is a tree of life.
A tree of life to those who lay hold of her. And that reference to the tree of life ought to conjure up in our minds that happy, blessed state of Adam and Eve. in the Garden of Eden before the fall. Wisdom restores that state. A life lived wisely is a life lived in accordance with how God intended things to work.
and a life lived in accordance with how God intended things to work. is a life free of the misery of sin. It's a life of impeccable happiness. Because it's a life lived under the smiling face. of God.
And it's better, so much better, than silver or gold or fame or power. In fact, it is better than anything you can desire. This is the worth. of wisdom. But why is wisdom so valuable?
Couldn't God have made strength? or intelligence or even wealth. the the great life-giving attribute.
Solomon answers that question for us next. We see in verses 19 and 20 the reason for wisdom's worth. The reason wisdom is of such immense value is because God is wisdom. And he, as a creator of all that is, has infused his wisdom into the very fabric of everything that he created. By wisdom, verse 19 says, By wisdom the Lord founded the earth.
Solomon mentions the fact that the heavens are established according to God's wisdom, His understanding. When you look up at the night sky and see the dizzying array of stars and planets and atmosphere and just sheer space, you are looking at a display of the glory of God and His wisdom. It all works with absolute precision because God's wisdom made it. and maintains it. It all shines with incredible glory and beauty because it was made with the very wisdom of God.
Solomon mentions God's wisdom on display not just in the heavens, but also here on earth. He points to subterranean miracles and atmospheric miracles. He credits God's wisdom as the cause of the water cycle. Verse 20: The clouds drop down the dew. Let's just stop and think about this process for a moment.
Every morning, we sort of mindlessly walk past the dew on the ground or the puddles in the driveway. Maybe we even mumble to ourselves when the forecast includes rain or snow or ice, but think about how water. without which we will die. Gets from a river far away, goes up to the sky thousands of feet above our head, gets blown over the earth to a place that needs moisture, and then turns into something heavy enough to fall back to the ground in such a manner that it washes the air and nourishes plants and quenches our thirst. That process alone is incredibly mind-blowing in its creativity and efficiency and benefits.
But listen, there are millions of processes like this one that keep life and creation going. What sort of wisdom must have established these cosmic miracles? Both immense ones and microscopic ones, miracles that sustain life with such elegance and effectiveness and even beauty. Only God's wisdom could do this. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth.
Creation works the way it does because God infused every square inch of it with his wisdom. Reality works the way it does because God's wisdom. is over it all and in it all. For from him and through him and to him are all things, and all things were created through him and for him, and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. If God's wisdom can create and maintain everything, seen and unseen.
What an immeasurable treasure this wisdom is. Why is wisdom of greater worth than Elon Musk's wealth? Because wisdom created Elon Musk and created everything that his wealth could possibly buy, and even created the very intelligence that enabled him to make his wealth. This wisdom, God's wisdom, is of such worth that if I align my life, my decisions, my actions, my thought processes and emotions, my relationships, my values and beliefs, all of it, if I align my life with God's wisdom, I am conforming my life to the way God created my life to work. If God's wisdom can keep Jupiter in its proper orbit, it can keep my mind where it ought to be.
If God's wisdom can manage the tides of all the oceans of the world, it can handle the unpredictable pressures of life on my time and my finances and my energy. If God's wisdom can keep the sun contained where it belongs, it can be trusted to lead my children in the way that they should go. Wisdom is of such great worth. Because it comes from a God who is so great, and because that great God has infused the entire universe with his wisdom.
Well, this brings us then to the last section of our text today. in which we see some of the implications of wisdom's worth. If wisdom is of such immense value, because it is the way God orchestrated his world to work. then we should want to avail ourselves of its worth, shouldn't we? We should want the benefits that it is offering to us.
And so we come to verse 21. And we hear the Father's voice once again. My son. Do not lose sight of these. Keep sound wisdom and discretion.
And they will be life. for your soul, in the fullest sense of that word life. What child would not want this great treasure? What parent would not want his child to possess this great treasure. In fact, maybe it would be good for us parents to just stop for a moment and ask ourselves, have I been telling my children about the importance of wisdom?
We've spoken about the importance of children listening to their parents. Heeding the voice of those wise counselors that the Lord has given them, but are we equally concerned with being the kind of parents who point their children to the vast worth of wisdom? Or are we more concerned that our sons and daughters make something of themselves? by temporal standards. That they acquire prestigious credentials, land a good job, marry a pretty wife, a nice husband, stay healthy, buy a home in the right neighborhood, and raise successful kids.
You know, if you want to be the kind of parent Who says, My son, my daughter, don't lose sight of wisdom. It will be life for your soul. You've got to be the kind of parent who also loves wisdom yourself. Do you see its worth? Do you conform your life?
to God's wisdom. Because your children are being discipled, for better or for worse, by your example. If you don't love wisdom, it is highly unlikely that your children will ever love wisdom.
Well, what does Solomon say the implications of wisdom and it's worth R. If wisdom is as valuable as Proverbs 3 indicates, then first... I ought to pursue it. I ought to pursue it. As a parent, as a child, I ought to be ever striving to conform my life to what God says is wise, to what is morally good and true and beautiful in God's estimation of those things.
I have a moral obligation to live a wise life. Part of faithfulness to God, part of obedience to God's will, involves the pursuit of wisdom. Secondly, if wisdom is this valuable, it will bring certain benefits. And we've already seen a number of those benefits, but there are more. Verse 22: it will bring life to your soul.
Verse 23, it will bring security. Do you ever just feel vulnerable in this crazy, mixed-up world? You want to feel safe? Do you want to actually be safe? Wisdom brings real security.
And with that security comes another blessing. Verse 24: you will not be afraid in the middle of the night. How many times last week did you wake up with fear in your heart? Maybe it was fear over some circumstance that's beyond your control. Maybe it was fear over something you've done or failed to do, the fear of guilt.
Maybe it was just fear and you had no idea where it was coming from. Wisdom is so valuable it eradicates fear. What a blessing. Verse 33 indicates that God blesses the house, the home, the family of the wise person, the righteous person. God favors those who listen to wisdom, verse 34.
God honors those who honor Him by heeding the voice of wisdom. Do you want God to favor you? Of course, you do. We're all wired to want the favor of our superiors. Dad, mom, watch me.
Teacher, pick me. Coach, put me in the game. We're wired like that.
Well, wisdom. Brings with it the blessing of divine favor, of God's attention, God's approval, God's Pleasure. Lastly, if wisdom is as valuable as Proverbs 3 indicates. It will demand certain moral obligations of us. Being the beneficiaries of God's wisdom obligates us to a certain moral conduct.
It may appear that verses 27 through 31 have nothing to do with the topic at hand, but they very much do relate to that topic. You see, if God has favored us with the blessings of wisdom. Even though we do not deserve those blessings, we ought to reflect that same favor and grace to others. Hence, verse 27 says, do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it. Just as God has graciously made his wisdom and his benefits accessible to us, we are to extend that same grace to others.
We reflect to others the blessings of God's wisdom that we have received. Verse 28, God doesn't delay in giving wisdom to those who sincerely seek it. And so neither should we delay in giving good things to others when we have the ability and the opportunity to bless them. Verse 29: God is not malicious to those who are looking to Him, counting on Him, trusting in Him. Likewise, we who have benefited from God's kindness and trustworthiness should not treat others maliciously.
Verse thirty: God doesn't contend with us without cause. In fact, quite the opposite. He overcomes the contention between sinners and their Creator. He absorbs that contention. He redeems.
He atones. We ought to do the same. Verse 31, God is not swayed by evil. He's perfectly content in his own character because his character is good and right. In the same way, we should not be swayed by the apparent success of evil people.
If we have been made the recipients, the beneficiaries of God's wisdom, we should never envy those who reject that wisdom.
So we see in this fourth speech that wisdom is of immense worth. And it is of immense worth because it is how God created the universe. And since it is of such immense worth, we as recipients of the blessings of God's wisdom have an obligation to pursue wisdom and to share the blessings of that wisdom. with others. You know, one of my fears as we make our way through the book of Proverbs.
is that we read through these Proverbs and we miss Christ. And we miss the gospel. This book is very action-oriented, isn't it? Its focus is often on behavior, doing the right thing, not the wrong thing, thinking the right thought, not the wrong thought, having right affections and not the wrong affections. And this book, because of its sequence in redemptive history, is also missing explicit references to Christ.
Now there are certainly several implicit references to Christ, especially in chapter 8. And I'll try to always point those implicit references out as we come to them. But if we're not careful, we could walk through the entire book of Proverbs and come away thinking we've got to conform our lives to all of the incredible admonitions given in this book in our own strength. by our own effort. Brothers and sisters, it is so important that we remind ourselves frequently that the book of Proverbs does not exist in isolation from the rest of the Bible.
It has a context. It has a reference point. And that context is actually. the main theme that runs through all of scripture, which is Jesus Christ and him crucified. Taking the Proverbs to heart.
without taking Christ to heart is ludicrous, and it is legalism. And we want to avoid that. And we've seen that wisdom is of greater value than anything else. We've seen that wisdom is at the center of all of God's creation, that it is the glue that holds everything together and makes the universe work the way it does.
So, let me ask you. What is the undisputed greatest treasure in life and in death, in body and in soul, both now and forever? There is only one answer to that question. The greatest treasure in life and death. In body and soul, Both now and forever, is Jesus Christ.
We've seen that wisdom is the thing that holds all this together. It's at the center of the universe. It is the how and the why behind everything that exists. The Lagos, if you will.
So again, let me ask you. What is the first cause and the highest explanation of everything that is? the first cause and highest explanation of everything that is. In other words, the way this world came into existence and the reason for which it exists. Again, is Jesus Christ?
Christ is the wisdom we've been talking about. There is no wisdom apart from Him. He is the starting point of wisdom. He is the sustainer of that wisdom. He is the end goal of all wisdom.
That's why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1, 23 and 24, we preach Christ crucified. A stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, that's you and me. to those who were called. Christ, the power of God and the wisdom. of God.
Solomon knew an awful lot about wisdom. But church, we know wisdom's name. It is Jesus Christ. If you want this treasure, It's there for the taking. Jesus said, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
If you desire the benefits of this treasure, God offers them all to you in Christ. For all the promises of God, Paul says, find their yes. In Christ. On Judgment Day, would you rather have $350 billion in your pocket? or a mediator who washes away your guilt.
and gives you his righteousness and protection. And happiness. and wisdom. And if Christ Will be that kind of treasure on the last day. He is that kind of treasure every day.
Blessed is the one who finds him. Let's pray. Lord God of wisdom, God of might. We need wisdom. Which is to say we need Christ.
And all that he brings.
So we ask you today that you would make us wise. Unto salvation. In Jesus' name. Amen. We need wisdom.
Christ is that wisdom. Christ gives himself freely to us. And so we can conclude. By affirming the blessed assurance that's ours in Him. Church, let's stand as we respond to the sweet truth we've heard this morning.
The last verse. Jesus is mine. Oh, what a four days of glory divine. There is a patience, virtuous abide. For I'm his ribbon, washed in his blood.
This is my story, this is my song. Praise be my Savior all day long. This is my story. This is my song, praise be my saint all that in God Earth, earthly light, visions of rapture thou burst on my side, angels descending break from the heart, echoes of mercy, whispers of all this is my story, this is my song, praise be my Savior. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all the day long, all his at rest.
I am my Savior, and happy and blessed, watching and waiting for me above, filled with his goodness, and all things. This is my story, this is my song, praise be my Savior, Holy Lord, this is my story, this is my song, praise be my Savior, Holy Lord, this is my glory, this is my song, praise be my Savior, this is my glory, this is my song, praise be my Savior. Hallelujah, praise be my Savior. Amen. As we close, would you receive?
The Lord's benediction for Romans 16.
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to the gospel. and the preaching of Jesus Christ. According to the revelation of the mystery that has now been disclosed, according to the command. of the eternal God. to bring about the obedience of faith.
To the only Wise God. Be glory forever through Jesus Christ. And all God's people said,
