WISDOM SERIES

 

“WHEN WISDOM SPEAKS”

 

Mike Barnett, September 9, 2007

 

·        As we are winding down on the Wisdom series this week, let me share with you some wisdom that the Lord has shared with me from the book of Proverbs over the years.

 

·        Some of these truths are old truths I knew long ago that the Lord has brought into my life in new and fresh ways.

 

·        Other points in this message are new truths that the Lord has recently shown me.

 

·        My hope is that you will pick and choose one or two of these biblical truths that will apply to your life this next year.

 

·        The first one is…

 

1) WITHOUT HOPE IN THE FUTURE, THERE IS NO POWER IN THE PRESENT!

 

Proverbs 13:12 says:

 

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life”.

 

·        You see, ever since planting this Church called New Heights Christian Fellowship back in 1995, I always had vision that God would send a Spiritual Revival where…

 

·        Many sinners come to faith in Christ and Christians grow up in Christ becoming more like him and less like the world.

 

·        A revival where the sick are healed, the dead are raised and demons are cast out.

 

·        A revival where miracles and the power of God are demonstrated.

 

·        A revival where the Christians at New Heights do what Jesus was doing and even do greater things than these according to John 14:12

 

John 14:12 says:

12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

·        A Revival where people fall in love with God and worship him in Spirit and in Truth

 

·        A Revival where Christians learn to love God with all their heart, mind and soul and love people as they love themselves.

 

·        God has done many marvelous works among us these past 12 years.

 

·        Over 200 hundred people have given their lives to Christ.

 

·        Numerous Christians has discovered who they are in Christ and are in the process of “Becoming the person God created them to be”.

 

·        Spiritual Leaders have been developed.

 

·        Numerous marriages have been saved

 

·        Countless people have discovered their spiritual gifts here at New Heights and are using them in ministry.

 

·        The Lord has been good to us, but we have not yet experienced the full boar Spiritual Revival I have expected.

 

·        I have a renewed hope that God is preparing our church to experience this long anticipated Revival.

 

·        Not only do I think so, but many have also commented that they sense God doing a new thing at New Heights Christian Fellowship – these are exciting times.

 

2) WHEN A PERSON IS TIRED AND HOPELESS, THEY CAN SAY FOOLISH WORDS THAT THEY LATER REGRET.

 

Proverbs 15:2 says: “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish gushes folly”.

 

·        When a person is tired, they can gush folly.

 

3) WHEN A PERSON MAKES COMPARISONS, UNKOWINGLY IT IS TO JUSTIFY WHY THINGS SHOULD BE DIFFERENT AND SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO ACCEPT

SITUATIONS AS THEY ARE AND SEE THEM AS GOD’S BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE - SOME CIRCUMSTANCES WILL CHANGE BUT ONLY AFTER  WE CHOOSE TO CHANGE  OUR ATTITUDE TO MATCH GOD’S WISDOM FIRST!

 

·        PEOPLE AND CIRCUMSTANCES ONLY CHANGE AFTER YOU DO AND EVEN THEN THERE IS NO GUARANTEE.

 

·        BUT SOMETIMES THEY DO NOT NEED TO CHANGE – MAYBE I DO.

 

·        OR PERHAPS THEY AND ME ARE JUST BEAUTIFUL THE WAY WE ALREADY ARE!

 

THE SERENITY PRAYER:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

·        God’s wisdom will set you free from comparisons and set you free from your futile attempts to even try to change people because many times they do not need changing, but we do!

 

NEWSFLASH: YOU CANNOT CHANGE ANYBODY BUT YOU!

 

Proverbs 3:13-18 says:

13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
       the man who gains understanding,

 14 for she is more profitable than silver
       and yields better returns than gold.

 15 She is more precious than rubies;
       nothing you desire can compare with her.

 16 Long life is in her right hand;
       in her left hand are riches and honor.

 17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
       and all her paths are peace.

 18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
       those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

Proverbs 8:8-13 says:

8 All the words of my mouth are just;
       none of them is crooked or perverse.

 9 To the discerning all of them are right;
       they are faultless to those who have knowledge.

 10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
       knowledge rather than choice gold,

 11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
       and nothing you desire can compare with her.

 12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
       I possess knowledge and discretion.

 13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
       I hate pride and arrogance,
       evil behavior and perverse speech”.

·        When you compare one person with another – you are just going to get more of the behavior you do not like because you will always attract more of the things you despise in life – Choose God’s wisdom instead so you can be free from this bondage.

 

John 8:31-32 says:

 

31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

 

4) MATURE PEOPLE TRUST GOD ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY KNOW GOD SPEAKS THROUGH WISE CONSELORS.

 

Proverbs 15:22 says:

 

“Folly delights a man who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding keeps a straight course. Plans fail for lack of counsel but with many advisers they succeed.”

 

5) THE OUTSIDE WORLD THAT PETURBS ME IS JUST A REFLECTION OF WHAT IS GOING ON INSIDE OF ME.

 

Proverbs 27:19 says:

 

“As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man”.

 

·        IF I CAN SPOT SIN IN OTHERS, THEN IT IS A SURE SIGN I GOT IT TOO!

 

·        SAID ANOTHER WAY, THE VIRUS THAT I SEE IN OTHERS IS A SIN PROGRAM THAT I HAVE BEEN INFECTED WITH MYSELF BECAUSE LIFE IS JUST A MIRROR OR REFLECTION THAT SHOWS ME WHAT IS GOING ON IN MY OWN HEART!

 

·        To see pride in another person means I have pride in my own life – it takes one to know one.

 

Romans 2:1 says:

 

 1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

 

·        DO NOT WAIT FOR PEOPLE AND CIRCUMSTANCES TO CHANGE BEFORE YOU DO!

 

·        WHEN YOUR INSIDE ATTITUDE CHANGES FIRST, YOUR PERCIEVED PROBLEMS OUTSIDE OF YOU WILL NO LONGER BOTHER YOU AND OFTEN TIMES EVENTUALLY GO AWAY IN TIME!

 

6) SOMETIMES OUR PHYSICAL PAINS AND SYMPTOMS ARE JUST A REFLECTION OF INTERNAL EMOTIONAL STRESS THAT WE NEED TO LET GO OF.

 

Proverbs 17:22 says:

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
       but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

·        THE TRUTH IS, OUR PHYSICAL BODIES CAN HOLD OUR INTERNAL PAIN.

ILLUSTRATION:

·        About six months ago I had this pain behind my rib cage that just would not go away.

 

·        I had MRI’S and tests done, but nothing showed up.

 

·        The doctor said I was healthy.

 

·        But the pain persisted.

 

·        Finally I just surrendered everything to God in a new and fresh way.

 

·        God began to show me a vision of the future – a vision that resembled the original vision of me leading a revival at New Heights where many sinners came to faith in Christ and Christians grew in Christ becoming more like Him!

 

·        Within a few days the pain went away and has not been back since.

 

·        As I released my past frustrations to God and let go, my body healed.

 

·        I no longer felt swamped by the external circumstances.

 

·        I once again took control of my life.

 

·        My bones no longer felt dried up because my spirit was no longer crushed.

 

·        Once my heart became cheerful in Christ again, my physical symptoms went away.

 

Proverbs 17:22 says:

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
       but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

·        Keep in mind that the external circumstances did not change, but my attitude did!

 

·        WHEN WE CHOOSE TO BE JOYFUL REGARDLESS OF THE EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES HAPPENING AROUND US, OUR BODIES AND LIVES RESPOND POSITIVELY TO OUR JOYFUL SPIRIT.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 says:

16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 19Do not put out the Spirit's fire.

7) PASSIVITY LEAVES AND BOLDNESS COMES AFTER A PERSON RECEIVES WISE INSTRUCTION FROM THE LORD WITH FEELING AND CONFIDENCE.

 

“The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion”  Proverbs 28:1

 

·        A PERSON WHO HAS GOD’S WISDOM IN THEIR HEART NO LONGER WAITS FOR GOOD THINGS TO HAPPEN TO THEM - THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY IN PART CREATE THEIR OWN REALITY BY PLACING THEIR  FAITH IN GOD’S WISDOM AND TRUTH THAT MOVES MOUNTIANS!

 

Proverbs 13:4 says: “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied”.

 

Proverbs 18:10 says:

10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
       the righteous run to it and are safe.

Proverbs 4:18-27 says:

18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
       shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
       they do not know what makes them stumble.

 20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
       listen closely to my words.

 21 Do not let them out of your sight,
       keep them within your heart;

 22 for they are life to those who find them
       and health to a man's whole body.

 23 Above all else, guard your heart,
       for it is the wellspring of life.

 24 Put away perversity from your mouth;
       keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
       fix your gaze directly before you.

 26 Make level [a] paths for your feet
       and take only ways that are firm.

 27 Do not swerve to the right or the left;
       keep your foot from evil.

·        A person who has God’s wisdom in his heart, is no longer double minded – he has the focus and single mindedness to move in the right direction with confidence and boldness.

7) REALIZING THAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN INFECTED WITH THE SAME SIN PROGRAM GIVES ME COMPASSION FOR OTHERS WHERE THERE WAS ONCE HYPROCRITICAL JUDGEMENTALISM.

Proverbs 10:21 says:

21 The lips of the righteous nourish many,
       but fools die for lack of judgment.

·        WHERE THERE WAS ONCE JUDGEMENT FOR PEOPLE WHO FALL SHORT, THERE IS NOW COMPASSION KNOWING ON MY WORST DAY I AM CAPABLE OF REPEATING THE SAME SINS.

 

·        GOD BLESSES HUMILITY BEFORE HIM, COMBINED WITH LOVE AND COMPASSION FOR OTHERS!

 

Proverbs 19:21-23 says:

21 Many are the plans in a man's heart,
       but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

 22 What a man desires is unfailing love [a] ;
       better to be poor than a liar.

 23 The fear of the LORD leads to life:
       Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Proverbs 21:21 says:

 

21 He who pursues righteousness and love
       finds life, prosperity [a] and honor.

 

·        JESUS LEFT US WITH THE INSTRUCTION TO LOVE GOD AND TO LOVE PEOPLE – WHEN WE LOVE GOD AND PEOPLE WITH ALL OF OUR HEART WE CAN EXPECT A SPIRITUAL REVIVAL IN OUR LIVES BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE, SPIRIT AND TRUTH THAT SET’S THE CAPTIVE FREE!

 

·        I BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART THAT GOD IS PREPARING NEW HEIGHTS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP FOR A SPIRITUAL REVIVAL WHERE SINNERS COME TO FAITH IN CHRIST AND CHRISTIANS GROW IN CHRIST AND IT ALL STARTS WITH LOVING GOD AND LOVING PEOPLE!

 

Matthew 22:37-40 says:

 

37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

·        EXPECT REVIVAL AT NEW HEIGHTS – IT IS COMING!