June 12, 2019
The Principle Thing #
Pro 4:1-13
Intro.
In these 13 verses, Wisdom is held as the most important thing! Verse 7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing”. Yet it is often the most overlooked thing! We have elevated knowledge over wisdom! Look at all the degrees that people tote, and how elevated it is when someone has an earned degree. I’m not against education, I’m just contrasting the fact that God doesn’t elevate knowledge over wisdom! Wisdom is knowing what to do with the knowledge we have. Some people know a lot of things, but they don’t know how to use what they know.
This story illustrates wisdom:
A barber Shop was filled with customers when a little boy walks into the shop.
Looking at the little boy, the barber whispers to his customer, “This is the most foolish kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you.”
The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which do you want, son?”
The boy takes the quarters and leaves.
“What did I tell you?” said the barber. “That kid never learns!” the barber said laughing.
Later, when the customer leaves the shop, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store.
“Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?” asked the man.
The boy licked his favorite ice-cream and replied,“Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over.”
Get understanding (comprehension) - Peru boasted of a high reading level, yet peoples reading comprehension, was very lacking.
Reasons to listen:
1. Vs 2 - He Teaches good doctrine (teaching)
2. Vs 3-4 - He was taught (David)
I. Purchase - wisdom & understanding (5, 7) #
A. Get, means to obtain at a cost. (purchase). #
Wisdom will not just fall on us, because we have access to good teaching!
Wisdom is not knowledge, it is taking what we learn, and applying it to life!
Understanding, is being to able comprehend.
You can hear the preaching every week, you can think it is great, but until you actually apply it to your life, it isn’t doing you any good!
B. Forget it not! #
It takes work to get it, it takes work to retain it!
Sometimes when a 3rd or 4th grader asks a question about school… we don’t know the answer, why? We haven’t worked at retaining it!
II. Preserve you (6) #
A. Wisdom keeps you right! #
There is a lot of confusion, and wrong ideas in the world.
It would be easy to be sidetracked, confused, and messed up.
a) (2 Tim 4:10) “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.”
Wisdom will preserve you! It will keep you from falling into the
snare of the world.
Forsaking wisdom and understanding, is just not smart.
III. Protect you “keep thee” (6) #
What do we need protection from?
A. Devil #
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(1 Pet 5:8) “¶ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
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(2 Cor 2:10–11) “To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
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(Eph 6:11) “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
B. World #
- (1 John 2:15) “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
C. Self #
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(Prov 12:15) “¶ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”
Wisdom will protect you from falling into the traps of the devil, world, and even your own ignorant mistakes!
IV. Promote you (8) #
A. Exalt wisdom! #
Toot their own horn to get a promotion, not true!
Actually, if you promote wisdom (the fear of the Lord), then Wisdom will promote you!
B. God promotes #
- (Psa 75:6–7) “¶ For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”
V. Honor you (8) #
A. Solomon knew a thing about being honored! #
1. 1 Kings 10:1-7 #
2. He was talked about through all the land! #
3. Solomon was one of the most revered and honored kings of the Old Testament! #
- (Matt 6:29) “And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
VI. Respect you (9) #
A. Grace #
1. Favor among others! They will look up to you. #
2. Respect is always earned, never taken. #
3. You cannot force people to respect you! #
4. You cannot take a crown for yourself and put it on your head. #
5. Placed on the head, as a crown is placed! #
B. Glory #
1. High honors! #
2. He builds on the last thing mentioned, it gets bigger! #
3. There was not a King with more wealth in his kingdom than Solomon. #
4. He had a crown of glory among the kings of Israel. #
VII. Put you on a right Path (11-12) #
A. Steps shall not be straitened (12) #
When you retain wisdom and understanding… you life is kept on the straight and narrow!
There is no need to straighten your steps.
When wisdom and understanding are forsaken, like Demas, then the steps need straightened out!
B. Shall not stumble (12) #
If we walk in the light… you will not stumble!
People stumble when they cannot see clearly.
VIII. Prolong your life! (13) #
A. Physical life #
Often, young people think they want to go out and party and live in the world… and it can meet with tragic ends!
It is sad how often someone’s life is cut short because of sin in the world! Drugs, alcohol, parties, things get out of hand, and it ends in tragedy!
Simple wisdom, can keep people from that!
B. Eternal life #
- (John 10:27–28) “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”