Wisdom - 31 Days of Proverbs: Wisdom versus Knowledge

Click Here to Listen to the Sunday, July 31, 2011 Sermon by Pastor Rodger S. Loar


Click Here for the August 2011 Proverbs Contest


Scripture Reference: Proverbs 1:1-33


Knowledge, Yeah, we’ve got. that Information, it’s all over the place. Data, it’s pouring out of our computers at an unbelievable rate. Trying to keep up with all of this is like trying to drink from a fire hose.

It’s been said, “Knowledge is power.” But, power needs control.

The problem with knowledge is that you need wisdom to apply it.

Wisdom, however, is not running in large amounts. In fact, it seems that the more information we have, the less wisdom that seems to be present.

Open any newspaper. Flip on the TV news. Look at the entertainment sites on the internet. There are plenty of intelligent people, people with college degrees, people in charge of companies and government agencies who are doing dumb things. These are smart people, but they lack wisdom.

The month of August is Wisdom month for MVCC. We will be reading the book of Proverbs, seeking wisdom. Proverbs 2:4 instructs us to seek wisdom as one would look for hidden treasure. We should search for wisdom as a thing of value.

Our challenge to you this month is to begin reading the book of Proverbs. Read one chapter each day, chapter 1 on August 1^st, chapter 2 on August 2^nd, and so on till you complete the 31^st chapter on the 31^st of August. Don’t worry if you missed yesterday, it’s easy to catch up. It should only take 5 – 10 minutes each day to complete the challenge.

Proverbs is a fun book of wise sayings. You’ll find yourself laughing at ones like Proverbs 25:24 (especially if you are a husband). You’ll find some that are humorous, but Oh so true like Proverbs 27:3 and others that are just plain wise advice such as Proverbs 22:24-25.

I encourage you to highlight the best proverbs that you come across. Share the advice on Facebook. Write them down and memorize them. Wisdom is a valuable thing.

Pastor Rodger

Standing Firm

Click Here to Listen to the Sunday, May 22, 2011 Sermon by Pastor Chip Moody


Click Here to Download the Philippians Outline Chart


Scripture Reference:  Philippians 3:10 - 4:1

Stand firm. Stand fast. Stay faithful. Keep the faith. Never give up. Stand your ground.

We all want to be that guy who never gives up when the chips are down; to be the one who remains strong and faithful to his family, his friends, his principles. It takes the courage we want to have; it takes the determination we want to exhibit. We want to be faithful to Jesus Christ in a world that assaults us with their insults, their skepticism, their impatience, their intolerance.

Stand firm. Oh, how we want to do so.

Here is what the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:1: “. . . THAT is how you should stand firm in the Lord!”

Whoa, wait a minute. I need the HOW part to help me stand firm in the Lord. Where is that part?  In one of those ironies that pop up now and then, Stephen Langton, who established the Bible’s chapter divisions in the year 1205, made a booboo here. Verse 4:1 should have been in chapter 3. (To his credit, he got most of the chapter divisions right.)

So we back up to chapter three to find out HOW to stand firm in the faith. But the HOW isn’t what you think it is.

No talk of church business meetings, committees, building funds, Sunday Schools, or seminaries. No talk of degrees, certifications, titles, or pedigrees. In fact, Paul makes clear that these things are “of the flesh.:”  He means that they have no eternal value, and are in fact tainted with the brokenness of the fall as much as anything else we bring to the table of life. He thinks that compared to the glory that is to come that these things are trash:

“. . . I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord . . . I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ  and be found in him . . .” Philippians 3:8-9  

He was telling the disciples at Philippi that standing firm is something other than what we can do for ourselves. It is something God must do in us. He uses the athletic imagery of the Roman games to illustrate:

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Forget what lies behind. Strain toward what lies ahead.

That’s it? That’s how you stand firm in the faith?

Yep.

The passage goes on to say:

“Only let us live up to what we have already attained.  Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” 

I boldfaced the words I wanted you to see most. Note that he says our citizenship IS in heaven. Present tense. It is now that you are citizens of the Kingdom of God. It is not something we are waiting for.

Second, the power that transforms us into his likeness is his. We can’t do it. God says he can. No, actually he says he will. Done deal.

So we are citizens of the right kingdom by Jesus’ sacrifice for us. And it is he who empowers our ongoing progress in becoming like him.

That’s why Paul can write: “Forget what lies behind. Strain toward what lies ahead.”

The past? Forget it. It doesn’t count anymore. Sure, learn from it. But it isn’t worth worrying about.

The future? It belongs to God, not to you or me. We only think we influence it. (For some reason we keep thinking we are in charge of our life.) Paul is telling us to keep our eyes on the Christ who has saved us, is saving us, and will save us.

“Forget what lies behind. Strain toward what lies ahead.”

And THAT is how to stand firm.

Sound too simple? Maybe it’s meant to be.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

One final note:  This was the last Sunday for Chip as Pastor at Mountain View Christian Church.  Pastor Chip has retired from the day-to-day life as a pastor at MVCC.  This doesn't mean that he's slowing down, heaven's no.  Chip is the Dean of Students at Phoenix Seminary and is teaching the next generation of Pastors and Church Leaders for God's church.  We, at Mountain View, wish many blessings on Chip and Gina Moody and thank them dearly for the 22 years of service that they have given this community.