Dalton First United Methodist Church Podcast
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Dalton First United Methodist Church Podcast
Pursue Wisdom | Part 1 of Walk in Wisdom - Pastor Steven Usry
Imagine embarking on a spiritual journey, where we unravel the beauty and power of God's wisdom embedded within the Book of Proverbs.
Pursue Wisdom | Part 1 of Walk in Wisdom - Pastor Steven Usry
You are listening to the Dalton First United Methodist Church podcast. To learn more about Dalton First United Methodist Church, visit us online at DaltonFUMCcom. We hope that today's message from Pastor Stephen Usry inspires and encourages you.
Speaker 2:Well, we're starting a brand new series today. It's all about wisdom. It's about walking in wisdom and I'm going to be making a huge challenge. But I want to invite you this morning, if you will grab that outline maybe grab a pin located in the seat back in front of you this morning and I'm going to tell you in advance. In the next six weeks we're going to dive deep into the Book of Proverbs, but today we're going to take a flight 30,000 feet over. It's kind of like the beginning of a series and I just want to I hope to inspire you this morning to go on an adventure with me, if you will, and I know you guys think I'm excited all the time, but I'm really excited about this series that we're about to dive into. Guys, it can be life transforming if you will go with me on a journey for the next six weeks.
Speaker 2:Now let me ask you a real quick question. Have you heard about the dummy books? You know the books you can buy for dummies. They got all kinds of them right. They may look like what's that one? Facebook for dummies. Anybody need that one the dummy books. They have sold something like one billion copies of the dummy books because you can find a dummy book about almost anything Birdwatching for dummies, computers for dummies, fishing for dummies I mean there's amazing, all the different things you can buy dummy books for. I wrote down a few. I went online, I just wrote down some cocktail parties for dummies how about this one? Law for dummies? I mean, do you want your lawyer to be reading a dummy book? Right, how about there's another one? Parenting for dummies, sailing for dummies, sex for dummies you got to be really dumb. Anyway, these dummy books people buy these books and I'm not going to ask you to raise your hand if you ever bought a dummy book, because a lot of these dummy books have sold.
Speaker 2:I went online and I was looking at all these dummy books and I found a guy who wrote a comment in it and I want to share his little review, his little customer review that he put online on Amazon about a dummy book that he had bought. Matter of fact, he bought several dummy books and he wrote these words. He said I buy these books because, no matter the subject, they can make it simple, they make the complex understandable, even for a regular guy like me. I can get it. Guys, I share with you that idea of the dummy books, because when I see dummy books, you know what I actually think about.
Speaker 2:I actually think about how God uses the book of Proverbs. The book of Proverbs is this book filled with incredible wisdom. It's got wisdom on finances, wisdom on relationships. It's got wisdom on anger and how to operate businesses. It's got all kinds of phenomenal wisdom. But here's the cool thing it doesn't have a lot of theological terms. You don't have to have a seminary degree to understand the book of Proverbs. I like to think of it this way God takes his infinite wisdom and he puts it on the lowest shelf and he says listen, I want you to learn my ways, I want you to learn my thoughts. The book of Proverbs is a phenomenal way for you to grow in God's wisdom. As we dive into the next six weeks, I just want to tell you I hope that you will go on a journey with me and I'll explain what that looks like in a minute.
Speaker 2:But in your outline there, I've given you some great Proverbs, because the Proverbs are really. They're so different, they're not all the same. There are colorful Proverbs, for example. I've got a couple there for you, right at the top of your alley, just colorful. A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as a match sets fire to paper. You get that image, don't you? Right away? Look at the next one. When a man is gloomy, everything seems to go wrong. When he is cheerful, everything seems right.
Speaker 2:There's some Proverbs that are humorous. I like this one. If a man loudly blesses his neighbor in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. Can you even get the image of that Walking out of your house and just loudly blessing your neighbor? I think that's funny. There are some proverbs that are graphic. Look at this one he who keeps malice harbors a viper in his heart. Ooh, that's an image, isn't it? There are some that are deep. There's one that says in Proverbs 11, 17,. Your own soul is nourished when you are kind and it is destroyed when you are cruel. That's deep, but what I think you'll find if you read the proverbs over and over again is that you're going to find practical wisdom, practical knowledge that just will bless your life. A few of those Proverbs 24,. If you won't plow in the cold, you won't eat at the harvest. Right, that's just practical. You're with me. Here's another one the Lord hates cheating and delights in honesty. And just one more An excellent wife or spouse who can find, for her worth is far above jewels. I love the proverbs.
Speaker 2:There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs and when I was a little boy, young Christian, I had a pastor of mine tell me that one of the ways that you can grow in your faith is if you ever pick up the Bible and you want to study the Bible but you don't know where to begin. And a lot better planned, by the way, than just like this. Anybody ever done this one right here. Oh Lord, please teach me something today. Then Jesus began to denounce the cities, right? So a pastor of mine. He said, listen, there's 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs and if you're ever wondering what to study or you don't know where to go, he said, whatever the date is today is October the 8th whatever the date is, just read that chapter. Whatever day you're on, there's 31 chapters, normally 30 to 31 days in a month. He said, just go back and just read, take one chapter and say God, show me some wisdom in some verse in this chapter this next six weeks. I'm inviting you to go on a grand adventure with me. I'm inviting you to pursue wisdom. I'm inviting you to start tomorrow and every day thereafter for six weeks, to read one chapter of the book of Proverbs. Tomorrow is October the 9th.
Speaker 2:I wonder what chapter I'm going to invite you to read. What is it? Nine? Yeah, you're a smart crowd, that's right. I'm going to invite you to read Proverbs, chapter 9, and to pursue wisdom, to go after it. Say God, what do you want to teach me? Chapter 9 and chapter 10 and chapter 11. This is a cool idea, not only for us to be reading the Bible together as we're journeying towards Thanksgiving, but how about this? For every one of us in this church to say God, I want you to grow me, I want you to teach me, I want to pursue wisdom. Why, well, you got your pin. Why? Because I want to talk about what happens when you get wisdom and when you don't get wisdom. You've got your pin. Here's the first thing I want to point out. Take the Proverbs challenge. Why? Well, first of all, the payoffs are huge. The payoffs when you get wisdom, when you acquire wisdom, are absolutely huge. Now, I'm going to say it this way If you will arrange your life around receiving wisdom from God, you cannot imagine how God will teach you and grow you and bless you. But you've got to make a schedule change. You've got to make a disciplined effort. You've got to pursue wisdom and when you do, if you do, the payoffs are huge.
Speaker 2:The Scripture, the reading this morning. I want to read it one more time Happy is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gets understanding. Now listen to a few things. Maybe you to underline some things, for it is better than getting silver and fine gold. Underline that she's worth far more than stones of great worth. Underline that Nothing you can wish for compares with her Long life. Underline that it's in her right hand. Riches, underline that and honor, underline that, are in her left hand. Her ways are pleasing and all her paths are peace. Circle that word peace.
Speaker 2:Now here's the question Do you really believe that getting God's wisdom can provide all those things? Now listen to what we just said. We just said you can have a steam and honor, you can have a long life, you can have wealth and peace. Do you believe this? Matter of fact, let's just stop for a minute and I want you to just scroll in your mind through some people in your past that you think are wise people. Now, I'm not going to assume for a minute that you had a wise father, but can we just think for a minute about wise fathers? You know in your mind. I want you to think about what a wise father is. A father who knows when to correct and when to instruct and when not to. A father who knows how to say a seasoned word, a word of encouragement, at the right moment.
Speaker 2:Now here's the question what is the value? What value would you place on growing up with a wise father and what would you place on that if you didn't have a wise father? You know, the Bible says in Proverbs an old man's grandchildren are his crowning glory. A child's glory is in his father. You know, there is such a thing as foolish dads, right? There's a lot of people who have had a rough life. Now listen, a lot of people who've had a very rough life, not because they haven't worked hard, not because they're not a smart person, is because they had a foolish father. So the question is this what is the value of having a wise father? Let's think the same thing about moms for a minute, okay. What is the value of having a godly and wise mother, a mother who nurtures and cares and believes and provides. You know again, the Bible says it this way in Proverbs 31. Her children arise and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praises her. Many women do noble things, but you, you surpass them all.
Speaker 2:What is the value of having a wise mom, a wise dad, of having wise parents? I want to tell you it pays. It pays when you really pursue wisdom. The payoffs are amazing. The payoffs are huge. By the way, turn about his fair play. What is it? How valuable is it to have a wise child, right? How valuable is that? To have children that make good decisions and then honor other people and that are good workers in their workplaces? How valuable is that? I mean, that's a beautiful, valuable thing.
Speaker 2:The Bible says it this way A wise son brings joy to his father. Many of you are parents and you know this. You know nothing beats that To have your children walk in wisdom. By the way, we're thinking, we're scrolling through, we're thinking about just wise people. Anybody know somebody who is incredibly wise and skilled in their workplace. I mean what they do for a living. They do a great job, but they're also just. You look at them and you go. Not only do you do a great job, but you bring wisdom beyond your years to the way you do it. This is valuable to a company, to an organization, to have wise people who are operating and doing a great job.
Speaker 2:The Bible says it this way Do you see a man skilled in his work, he will serve before kings and he will serve before obscure men. You know, that tells me. That tells me that if you're good at what you do and you do it routinely, generally, if you just keep doing it over and over, if you perform at a high level generally, over and over, eventually, over some time, you're not only going to get recognized, but you're going to get rewarded because of your skill and your wisdom. Guys, the payoffs are huge. Wisdom pays and over the next six weeks, I'm going to invite you to go on a journey with me and to pursue wisdom, to go after it, because wisdom not only pays, but God's wisdom pays huge. Now let's think about the flip side of that. You get your pin. The consequences, the consequences for not getting or neglecting wisdom, are also huge. Now, by the way, if you go on this journey with me for the next six weeks, I want to tell you in advance.
Speaker 2:Fasten your seat belts, because the Bible and this book, the book of Proverbs, it does not mix words with people who are not wise. As a matter of fact, it will use a lot of different language. It will say they are foolish or they're fools. It will say things like they are just folly and you'll hear that. By the way, in my home I grew up with, there was three words we could not say in the home I grew up in Okay, you could not say shut up, you could not say liar, and one of the things you better never say is called somebody a fool. All right, but in the book of Proverbs, in the book of Proverbs, there's this, there's this beautiful thing that you're going to find, that, over and over, god's word says this the wise person looks like this, walks like this, thinks like this, does like this. And it'll also say and the fool, or the foolish person, the foolish person, they do like this, they walk like this, they think like this, and it's going to draw this incredible contrast between the wise and the foolish.
Speaker 2:By the way, the Bible says it this way in Proverbs 22, 15, folly, foolishness, folly is bound up in the heart of a child. Can I just sit right there for a minute? That's a picture, isn't it? Folly is bound up, right, it's bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. Can I just, can I just live in this for a minute? This is Solomon. He's teaching you and me something. Now listen, church, I'm going to come down here so you can really get it. Okay, he's not talking about just children, he's talking about you. Raise your hand. If you were never a child, you were never a child. Let's take that test one more time. All right, everybody here was a child. Right, you were a child at one point.
Speaker 1:Raise your hand.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to raise my hand If you were never. We were all child. We're all children, right? The Bible says now listen carefully. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. So this, the Bible teaches us that you were not born as a blank slate. You were born with the case of the follies, you were born with the case of foolishness. That's what the Bible teaches. If you need a picture every parent's had it before Think of the little infant that you put in the in the sandbox.
Speaker 2:What does he do? He's sitting there, playing with the sand. He's looking at his hands and all of a sudden he gets hungry and he, he takes the sand and he starts to put it in his mouth. What does that parent do? The parent runs and stops him. Right, because why? That child has a case of the follies, impulses, whatever, whatever. I want to do, I'm going to do those things. And what does the Bible say?
Speaker 2:Two things we need to pick up from this one passage. The Bible says that every one of us in this room and beyond this room, was born with the case of the follies. We all, in our heart, were born with foolishness. But he goes on to say that that foolishness can be driven out of a person. Now you're talking my language. What does it look like for me as a dad, as a pastor, as a friend, as an uncle? What does it look like for me to say God, I want to be wise. I just really want you to drive every piece of foolishness and folly out of this old, old heart of mine.
Speaker 2:The consequences of neglecting wisdom they're bad guys, they're really bad. So you know, I want to challenge you to think about how many impulses we have that are foolish. Sometimes we have impulses to lie, to cheat, to steal, to buy things we shouldn't buy. Anybody ever had those impulses before. Anybody ever had the impulses to make a commitment before you really thought through that commitment.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you, sometimes it's hard to drive foolishness out of our hearts. So what we've got to do is we've got to come to a place. It's kind of like a white flag surrender. Enough folly. I mean, there may be somebody here this morning and you're thinking to yourself okay, it's not by accident that I'm here. I've been making decision after decision. It's not helpful, it's not good for me. I'm done with that. God, teach me. Teach me how to be truly wise. Teach me how to be the person you want me to be, and if you can get yourself in that place, if you can sign up for a course in God's wisdom, and you're in the right spot, because God will pour his wisdom into you and your life can change.
Speaker 2:You know, if you're sitting here today and you're looking for God's wisdom, I'm inviting you to go with me on the grand challenge, on a grand experiment For the next six weeks. I want to challenge you every day to read one chapter in the book of Proverbs and to ask God to highlight something, pick up something, share something with you that grows your soul. And here's my promise to you. I will guarantee it. Are you ready? I will guarantee you this If you will pursue wisdom for the next six weeks, you will never regret it. Why? Because wisdom, getting wisdom, pays, and it pays huge. And neglecting wisdom has phenomenal detrimental consequences. And if you're here this morning and God has you here for a very purpose, right, it's not by accident that you're here and you're saying okay, pastor Stephen, I'm ready, I'm going to go on the adventure, I'm going to go on the challenge. Lord help me. I'm going to read 9, 10. I'm going to read through the entire book of Proverbs in the next six weeks, and I'm asking God to drive folly out of my heart. Here's what I want to tell you. You might say, oh, how can I become wise? This is what that's going to look like. All right, you got your pen. The first thing is this If you sign up for this adventure, you will be making a move towards God. So make a move.
Speaker 2:One of my favorite scriptures in the whole Bible is this James 4.8. It's not in your outline. James 4.8 says if you take a step towards God, he will run towards you. So what would it look like for you today to make a move towards God? You know, the book of Proverbs says it this way the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So if you want to get smart, god's way, if you really want to get smart this is what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Guys, recognize who God is. He's the author of all wisdom. He knows everything, and here's the beautiful thing he knows you. He knows all about you, the good, the bad, the ugly, the indifferent, and he still loves you. He loves you. He is radically, deeply, unconditionally in love with you. And so this is this beautiful thing.
Speaker 2:If you say, oh God, I'm going to take a step towards you. Let me tell you, he's going to run towards you and if you go on this grand adventure, the first thing you can do is when you take a step towards him and you say God, I'm asking you to teach me, grow me, stretch me, give me your wisdom. He is going to envelop you every day. You get in his Word. Here's the second thing I would tell you. You want to become wise? Apply what you read. Apply God's Word. I mean, put it into action. Apply the proverbs to your life. You know, if you go on this challenge with me, here's what's going to happen Every day.
Speaker 2:You're going to get in a chapter and you're going to read these little small proverbs, and one may not speak to you, but another one really just might shock your world, and you say, well, that's it, I'm just going to stay here. Here's what I challenge you to do, however. However, it works for you to apply it. For me, sometimes, that means I just get a little sticky note and I'll write it somewhere where I can see it On my desk, on my computer screen, on my mirror in my bathroom. A little card. How would it look like for you to keep the Scripture before you, that God speaks to you and say God, help me, put this into action, help me to apply this. I guarantee you, if you will take a step towards God, he will run towards you. And if you will try to apply the proverbs, you will see God's goodness and his wisdom start to operate in your life. And then thirdly, thirdly, write this one down you want to become wise.
Speaker 2:You hang out with wise people. You hang out with people who are wise. You know, if you hang out with people who are not wise, here's just the truth. The truth is their ignorance and their folly, their foolishness, is going to seep into you. This is the way it works. I don't even know how my mama used to say it. You can't lie down with dogs, not get up with fleas or something. You don't tell me anybody ever been there. There was wisdom in our mamas and daddies, right? The idea here is you want to get wise. You hang out with wise people. The Bible says it this way in 1 Corinthians Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good morals. And then the Proverbs he who walks with the wise will grow wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm. All right.
Speaker 2:So here we are. I'm inviting you to go on an adventure with me For the next six weeks. Get your word and every day, go after Pursue wisdom, god's wisdom. Here's the promise from the scriptures. You can have a long life, you can have a steam, an honor, you can have peace if you'll go after wisdom, god's wisdom. I promise you. Church is more valuable than gold. Go after it with me, if you will. Let's pray together.
Speaker 2:God, I thank you for the journey you're about to take us on. I thank you that you're going to speak to our hearts. You're going to mold and shape us. I thank you that you love us so much that you love it when your children just say Father, god, abba, teach me, mold me, shape me, stretch me, help me become more like you. Oh, drive this folly, drive this foolishness from my heart. Oh, god, lord, I pray that for every person who's going to go on this grand adventure, and I pray that for us as a church, that we, as your children, while we're running towards wisdom together, you just bless us, that you'd breathe on us and teach on us and mold us, and that you would do a great work in us because of who you are. We love you, god. We thank you for the word that it teaches us, and it is life. May it be life for us as we pursue you every day in your wisdom. In the name of Christ, we pray Amen.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Dalton First United Methodist Church podcast. If today's sermon resonated with you, we encourage you to share it with someone who might benefit from the message. Join us for worship and stay connected at daltonfumccom. God bless and see you next week.