“Wisdom of Searching for Wisdom” - Proverbs 2:1-5
Sermon series: Navigating Life with Proverbs
Sermon Title: Wisdom of Searching for Wisdom
Scripture: Proverbs 2:1-5
Introduction:
Continuing on from last week’s sermon, we know wisdom is rooted in Jesus first and foremost. But even as devoted believers of Christ, we can still find ourselves feeling very lost and confused in the face of difficult decisions, having a tough time asking for help or guidance.
There’s a company called TrekAce which makes GPS powered devices. They’ve clocked the extra distance of users who’ve gotten lost before, on average, walking up to an extra 900 miles (1,450 km) in their lifetime. Going to places they never intended to go to, all the while refusing to ask for help.
In today’s passage, there are two groups of people being mentioned: the fools and the wise. The wise actively search for wisdom, while fools choose to figure things out on their own. In contrast to the fools, the wise are mentioned as ones who live skillfully like Jesus in the midst of a complicated and messy world. Growing and maturing into wisdom, year after year.
Overview:
This first section of Proverbs 1 to 9 covers Solomon’s fatherly instruction to his son.
Prov 2 specifically outlines the reasons of why we live within wisdom
There is urgency for the search and pursuit of wisdom
Wisdom is readily available (Prov 1:20-21) – crying out on the streets, being shouted at the corners, being seen and heard wherever one is. Yet the paradox is even as it is calling out, we are called to desperately and proactively search for it.
There is an escalation in the urgency of our pursuit of wisdom:
Receive my words
Treasure my commands
Call out for insight
Raise your voice for understanding
Wisdom is of great value, but not necessarily for a good or prosperous life only (Prov 2:4)
The Proverbs is a call to lead us away from needless suffering, to avoid making decisions in isolation, and capitalize on wisdom at the precipice of life and death. The Proverbs is not wisdom on its own, but wisdom is obtained through the discerning mind of utilizing the Proverbs.
There are two kinds of suffering in our lives:
Divine pain
Pain we endure for God’s sovereignty is maturing us through the sorrow
Our character is built up as we mature into Christ’s likeness
Not all pain is divine pain, therefore we must wisely pick our battles: enduring and persevering through divine pain for the sake of maturity, for wisdom, and the refinement of our souls
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Gal 2:20)
Dumb pain
Could have been avoided
There is another way out of this, but how?
Do we know of the need to search for wisdom? Or why do we not search for wisdom, this wisdom which is calling out for us?
A fear of judgment in being exposed for one’s weaknesses; invert into self-isolation
A pride of self (self-sufficiency) preventing one from reaching out for help; exacerbates the fear of judgment
A shame of our weaknesses manifesting as a projected self to keep up a façade of contentment while suffering in isolation
We desperately need the gospel! The gospel is what reshapes our fear. The same gospel reshapes our pride and our underlying shame. For Jesus is Lord, we are not.
Implications:
Where can we search for wisdom?
Prayer
King Solomon entrusted his worries and pursuits onto God by wisdom
The Spirit as the source of wisdom is within us
Prayer to God is different from prayer at God. Be radical in opening yourself up to God’s ways for you.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:9)
Scripture
Our culture is prevalent with biblical illiteracy which distracts and distorts how we can see and seek true wisdom from God
The Spirit is what enables us to make sense of scripture and in transparency, illuminate the truth of scripture into our lives
People of God
Remaining in fellowship with God’s people
Each one of us has experienced particular events and growth in our walk with God, and this knowledge and grace is meant to be passed on
Within this coming week, pray that you may be able to seek for wisdom in prayer, in your meditation of the scriptures, and as you partake in close fellowship and communion with your brothers and sisters who have also matured in wisdom through abiding in Christ.
Sermon reflection questions:
Over this past week, have you more actively sought wisdom? If so, what caused this desire? If not, why not?
Have you personally experienced needless suffering or getting somewhere you completely didn’t plan on arriving at? Was this because of a lack of wisdom in the situation or something else?
Which of the two types of pain have more heavily shaped your life up to this point? If it is dumb pain, which of the three avenues to find wisdom (prayer, scripture, community) do you fail to be rightly supported in?
