Let’s Get Acquainted with Wisdom

Text: Ecclesiastes 7:15-29

Introduction:

 Proverbs 8 Wisdom personified

 Prov. 1:7

 Chapter 7 marks a turn in the book where Solomon goes form discussing life from man's point of view to extolling the virtues of wisdom.

Proposition: Christians need to acquire wisdom in their lives

  1. The Rewards of Wisdom (7:15-22)
    1. Wisdom gives balance & perspective (7:15-18)
      1. Biblical Perspective on Righteous and Wicked
        1. General Principles
          1. The obedient live long (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 4:40)
          2. The Wicked perish (Deut. 4:25-26; Ps. 55:23)
          3. The wicked lifestyle lends itself to destruction
            1. Alcohol
            2. Drugs
            3. Immorality
        2. There are exceptions to the general principle
          1. Cp. Psalm 73
          2. Ro. 8:18
          3. 2 Co. 4:16-18
        3. Remember the Long view, the eternal, not temporal
      2. Moderation or Self-Evaluation
        1. The half-hearted enjoy using these verses to suggest that we be "temperate" in our religion
          1. Same people go crazy over Mark McGwire. Where is their temperance then?
          2. They have not considered the true meaning of this verse
        2. Real Meaning:
          1. It is reflexive
          2. "Don't claim to be righteous or wise"
          3. Don't assume you have arrived and have no more to learn or to do
          4. Don't think too highly of yourself
    2. Wisdom gives strength (7:19-20)
      1. Strength of character
      2. Strength to persevere
      3. Strength to overcome sin
    3. Wisdom gives direction (7:21-22)
      1. Spurgeon: "We all need one deaf ear and one blind eye."
      2. When people criticize you
        1. Consider the source
        2. Consider the criticism
        3. Consider the circumstances
        4. Consider the consequences
      3. Not every criticism needs a response, even unjust criticism
  2. The Facts of Wisdom (7:23-29)
    1. Wisdom is beyond man (7:23-25; cp James 1:5)
      1. Cp. Ro. 11:25 "His ways are not our ways."
      2. Wisdom can be ours if we consult God (Jm. 1:5)
      3. We can know the one who knows the reason.
        1. We may not know the reason, but God does
        2. We live by faith in God, not by faith in circumstances
    2. Sin negates wisdom (7:26-27)
      1. Immorality is against wisdom
        1. Prov. 5; 6:24f; 7
        2. 1 Co. 6
          1. Sins against his own body
          2. Sexually Transmitted diseases
      2. Sin is always foolish
    3. Man can reject wisdom (7:29)
      1. Clever Devices
        1. Rationalization
        2. Redefinition of sin and virtue
          1. Intolerance is the only sin of our culture
          2. Adultery is an affair
          3. Sex in the Oval Office is inappropriate, not sinful
          4. Homosexuality is an alternate, even a "gay" lifestyle
          5. Lying, if about sex or conservatives, is acceptable
        3. Rejection of biblical values
          1. No absolutes
          2. Atheistic or pantheistic cultures are seen as better than Judeo-Christian one
            1. Communism is better than capitalism
            2. Star Trek humanism replaces biblical authority
      2. Man started Upright, but ends devising his own demise
        1. We are all sinners
        2. Our heart is deceitful

Conclusion:

 How to Have Wisdom

 Make decisions based on "Thus saith the Lord" in Scripture

 Eschew the cultural idea of making decisions based on feeling

 Illus. Jurassic Park. "You can't think your way through this one John."

 Illus. Casablanca vs.

 Thomas Sowell: "Need people who can think correctly and make decisions without resorting to feelings." We need people who can make decisions based on sound thinking instead of emotion.

 Fill your mind with God's Word

 Get counsel from Godly men and women

 Two choices:

 God’s Way: Righteousness leads to life Prov. 11:19; 12:28

 Your way: Ungodliness leads to death Prov. 14:12; 16:25