Acquire Wisdom

This morning on this Father’s Day we will be in the book of Proverbs in chapter 4 which is on page 643 of the Bible under the chair in front of you.

-When someone looks back on their childhood, they often remember certain toys they received very vividly. Sometimes it’s because of the occasion when the gift was given, such as Christmas, or it could be because the toy was really fun for you to play with as a child, and you have a lot of memories with it.

-I remember when I was pretty little, we were on vacation once and my parents bought me this little toy that came in a box and it was this little night in shining armor. He had a little helmet you could put on and a little cart with weapons he could haul around. So as a boy, that kind of toy was right up my alley.

-Now it was a small toy, smaller than a lot of the other toys I had but the toy’s size and all the weapons and accessories that came with him weren’t the coolest part. The best part about this toy is that it didn’t come assembled.

-In fact, it came as little pieces in the box and it had this little booklet with it on how to put together this little man with his cart piece by piece.

-And so, I was able to build the little 3-inch-tall man with all of his gear but then I could take him apart and build something else out of it. It was endless fun because I could build with it, destroy it, then build something else with it, and then I got another little set that I could do the same thing with.

-I could build that one with the instruction manual but once I was tired of it, I could tear it apart, and put all the pieces I had together with both sets to make something else with my imagination.

-That first toy is so memorable to me not because that one little knight in shining armor was my favorite but because it was the beginning of my childhood obsession with Legos.

-Throughout my childhood, I continued to collect new sets of Legos, build them with the manual, and then take them apart so I could create whatever I wanted with them.

-My mom at one point bought me an organizing storage bin with different drawers so that I could organize the pieces by size but then later she bought me a bigger organizing bin because I had gotten more Legos, and the first one was too small.

-Even though I would tear these creations apart, I would always keep the manual because if I ever wanted to build the spaceship again, I would need the manual. So, mom would keep the manuals safe so that I would be able to use them if the day ever came when I would want to rebuild one of the sets I had been given.

-Now, wisdom is often described as knowledge applied. Meaning there is a difference between pure knowledge and actually having wisdom.

-Knowledge is mainly about information but wisdom is being able to use that knowledge and to apply it in the proper way.

-And I think that is a lot like these Lego sets every kid likes to play with.

-You see, knowledge is like having all the pieces. If I buy a 5,000 piece Lego set of a racecar, I have all the pieces to build the racecar. But what if the manufacturer forgot to put in the instructions? I’d be lost.

-Well, the instruction manual is wisdom. The manual is what allows you to put the pieces together in the right way and so wisdom is what allows you to apply knowledge in the way God has designed it.

-And this is what the book of Proverbs is all about. King Solomon has written this book about wisdom regarding the common subjects life and it teaches us how to use the knowledge you have been given in a way that is useful and appropriate for the circumstance.

-All sorts of people in this world have knowledge but having true wisdom is much harder to come by!

-Now when you think of the book of Proverbs you may mainly be thinking about short and pithy statements about life that are really disconnected from the surrounding verses.

-Proverbs 18:13

-Proverbs 18:17

-But the book of Proverbs has multiple sections to it. The latter portion of the book mostly consists of the pithy statements regarding wisdom but the first 9 chapters go together as a discourse on wisdom. It emphasizes the importance of wisdom, what it looks like to value wisdom, it contrasts wisdom with foolishness, and it gives multiple examples of the wise life and the foolish life.

-And through out the first 9 chapters, how does the author address the reader? -My son

-The book of proverbs is framed as a father discussing how to live life to his very son. The book can obviously be applied much more broadly than that, but what better book to study on Father’s Day than a book that’s context is that of a father teaching his child. And this is very appropriate as we are going through this year’s theme of…

Building on our Heritage

-And in our passage this morning in Proverbs chapter 4, we see a father urging his child to follow his wisdom knowing that his wisdom is useful for life, that it’s given in love, and that the instruction he is giving ultimately leads to life.

-READ PASSAGE

Acquire Wisdom

3 Reasons to celebrate the wisdom of a godly father’s instruction

I. His instruction is useful (v.1-2)

providing understanding

1. Proverbs 4:1 -¹ Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding,

-Teaching is one of the primary means of development and maturing

-In this case this just means the transferring of information so they can use that information in life.

-Teaching is nearly always important for a father

-I say nearly because you can’t exactly teach them when they are a baby

-“Miriam Joke” – Teach her how to change a diaper

-The content of the teaching changes as children grow up

-Toddler – Simple instruction about obedience

-Don’t touch the outlet

-Don’t throw the ball in the house

-Share your toys with your brother

-Older child – a bit more complex and beginning to be more about relationships

-Don’ play in the street

-Make sure you give them a turn

-Ask for forgiveness when you’ve wronged someone

-Teenager – Obedience is important but now it’s even more about relationships

-How to live purely as a teenager

-What does it look like to serve with your time

-Faithfulness in responsibilities

-Teaching about God doesn’t change as a child gets older but it becomes deeper and richer

-Toddler – Truths of the Gospel

-Older – Truths about God’s character and basic theology

-Teenager – Teaching them how to read the Bible on their own and study it in their own time

TS: And this kind of teaching is useful to a child to the point that it…

having great value and is not to be abandoned

1. Proverbs 4:2 -² For I give you sound teaching; Do not abandon my instruction.

-There is all kinds of information that is not helpful to store in your brain for forever

-Illustration

- Calculus class

- Accounting majors

- volume of a cylinder

- volume of a cone

- I’m sure there was a point to this, but none of us remember how to find the volume of a cone

-That information was sent to the mental recycle bin as soon as I turned in the final exam

TS: But that is not how we should be viewing the teaching of a godly father. That instruction is considered…

1. Useful טוֹב (ṭôb). adj. good, useful, pleasing, beautiful. Having the qualities that make something useful and desirable.

-A godly father’s instruction is the kind of instruction that you want to pass down.

-It’s the kind of wisdom to write down and remember

-It’s not the kind of information that is in one ear and out the other

-No this is the kind of information that you know so well that you will be able to teach it to your children someday.

- learning to write things down somewhere that you can keep them is a helpful practice for keeping this kind of wisdom.

-Some bits of wisdom can easily be memorized but other instruction sometimes needs to be written down so that you can go back and look at it in time of need

-When I begin meeting with a young man, one of the first things I do is give him a journal so that he can take notes

TS: And because this kind of instruction is useful and not abandoned, it then has a…

potential for generational impact

-How many generations are in this passage?

-Three

-In verse three Solomon refers to his own father

-So, we can see this generational impact here in the passage

-This passage can also be applied to spiritual children in the sense that someone who lives a godly life can have a great impact on people they will never meet here in this life.

-Faith Church example

-Raise your hand if you ever met Pastor Bill Goode who was the previous senior pastor here at Faith Church.

-Pastor Goode passed away in 1997 so he has been with the Lord for quite some time now.

-I wasn’t even two years old at the time

-Now, raise your hand if you have ever been impacted in any way by Pastor Goode’s ministry

-Almost everyone in the room’s hand should go up

-And why is that?

-Bill Goode’s ministry clearly went beyond himself.

-As the senior pastor of this church, he had an impact on many people’s lives.

-He helped the church…

-start our biblical counseling ministry,

-reinforced the confidence we have in the sufficiency of God’s word,

-helped the congregation learn how to solve problems God’s way.

-You probably don’t even know what Bill Goode’s voice sounded like but the sound of his voice has sure impacted how you live your life as a Christian.

-Another example of this generation kind of wisdom is in some of the discipleship relationships here at Faith West

-Just last Sunday I was at a wedding and there was a young Sophomore there by the name of David.

-David has a special relationship with the groom because the groom at the wedding is disciples or mentors David on a regular basis

-So, the mentor was the one getting married and his mentee if you want to call him that was there celebrating with everyone else.

-Well, I thought that was the case, but I couldn’t remember for sure, so I texted David the day after the wedding and just said “it was good to see you yesterday, is Luke the one who is disciplining you”

-He said, “yes and explained how it has been so good in his life to have Luke there.”

-Then he went on to thank me

-I have mentored Luke

-But there’s more to the story

-I was mentored by someone else

-But there’s more to the story

-Brent Aucoin

-Now how many generations of discipleship is that?

-Five

-Now what is the point of this?

-You can have a generational impact

-You can make a lasting difference in someone else’s life who will continue to do the same in other’s lives

-“Everyone needs a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy”

-So, who is your Timothy?

1. You don’t need to have a theological education to disciple someone

2. There are plenty of people wanting someone to be their mentor

3. If you need help with finding someone, or learning how to disciple someone, just come ask one of the pastors

-we would love to help equip you in this way

TS: And so a father’s instruction, just like a mentor’s, is useful for the child. Whether it be a physical child or a spiritual child. And it is important to note that…

II. His instruction is in love (v.3-6)

A. Recognizing the tender and vulnerable nature of children

-Children really can be the most teachable crowd out there

-they often want to learn and they are willing to gain knowledge from someone.

1. Proverbs 4:3 -³ When I was a son to my father, Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,

-Although teaching is probably the primary way a child learns and grows, biblical instruction has multiple tools at its disposal.

1. Proverbs 3:11–12 -¹¹ My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord Or loathe His reproof, ¹² For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

-In some cases, discipline is a way that a father can instruct his child when necessary

-But within the context of discipline, it is important to remember that biblical discipline is always for the purpose of growth.

1. Psalm 103:13 -¹³ Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

-A father’s discipline is supposed to reflect the discipline God has for His children.

TS: God disciplines His children when they are going astray but it is always because…

B. Desires for one’s children to live and flourish

1. Proverbs 4:4–5 -⁴ Then he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live; ⁵ Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

1. Proverbs 23:22–24 -²² Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. ²³ Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding. ²⁴ The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

1. 3 John 4 -⁴ I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.

-Principle of the Path

-You can choose the path but you cannot choose the destination

-Wisdom à Blessing

-Foolishness à Destruction

1. Mark 8:34–36 -³⁴ And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. ³⁵ “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶ “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?

-GOSPEL CALL

C. Understanding the need for protection beyond a father’s care

1. Proverbs 4:6 -⁶ “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you.

-Illustration à Not learning something when you could have and now needing it

-We have all had a time when we wished we had learned something we needed now back when it was the time to learn it

-Maybe you didn’t pay enough attention in class and now that the exam is in front of you, you wish you would have actually listened to what the professor was saying in class

-Maybe you wish you would have paid more careful attention when dad was teaching you how to use jumper cables, now that you’re stranded at the grocery store

-We have all been in some sort of situation like that.

-“I wish I would have been a learner then…”

-It’s one thing to not have an answer on an exam when you need it, but it is another to not have wisdom for life when you most need it.

-Our relationship with our heavenly Father is eternal, but our relationship with our earthy father is temporal.

-Children are not always under dad’s roof and so children need to make the most of that time and fathers need to make the most of that time.

-Children will one day be on their own.

-The need for an abundance of counselors – “Board of Directors Illustration”

-Proverbs 11:14

1. Proverbs 1:7 -⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

1. Proverbs 9:10 -¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

-Explanation of the fear of the Lord as the foundation of wisdom

-House illustration

-Explanation of God’s Wisdom – God owns all wisdom

III. His instruction brings life (v.7-10)

A life that brings appropriate exaltation and honor

1. Proverbs 4:7–8 -⁷ “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. ⁸ “Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her.

-Illustrations of the principle of the path à You see people at both destinations

A life that is beautiful and points to the beauty of the Lord

1. Proverbs 4:9 -⁹ “She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

1. James 1:5 -⁵ But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

-Explanation of Wisdom incarnate in the New Testament

-Christ is the picture of wisdom we all need to follow

-Colossians 2:1-3

A life that is long and well lived

1. Proverbs 4:10 -¹⁰ Hear, my son, and accept my sayings And the years of your life will be many.

-Explanation of Proverbs being generalities but also guaranteed in their context

CONCLUSION

-Celebrate fathers and our heavenly Father because of their wise instruction

1. Ephesians 6:1–4 -¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), ³ so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. ⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.