First Baptist Church Laredo
Sunday 8-23-2020
  • Trust And Obey
  • Raise A Hallelujah

      • Psalm 96:8–13CSB

  • Way Maker

      • Psalm 139:1–16ESV

      • Psalm 116:2HCSB

  • I Love You Lord
  • Last week, we began a new series entitled “Do Justly”. Let’s read our theme verse together.
    Micah 6:8 CSB
    8 Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.
    Automaker Henry Ford asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory. One day the generators ground to a halt, and the repairmen couldn't find the problem.  So Ford called Steinmetz, who tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life--but Ford got a bill for $10,000 from Steinmetz.  Flabbergasted, the rather tightfisted car maker inquired why the bill was so high. 
    Steinmetz's reply: For tinkering with the  generators, $10. For knowing where to tinker, $9,990. Ford paid the bill. There is a big difference between knowledge and wisdom.
    Open your Bible to 1 Kings 3. Solomon, David’s son, had become king of Israel after his father’s passing. One night, before the Temple to God in Jerusalem had been built, Solomon was at Gibeon to offer sacrifices to God. The narrator recorded that Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to God. It was during this act of worship that God appeared to Solomon in a dream. God asked Solomon, “What should I give you?”
    What a question to be asked! “What should I give you?” What would you say? Would you say that you would want riches or a long life? Would you say that you want peace or health? There are so many things we could ask for, but Solomon, at this point in his life, demonstrated humility. Some people think Solomon was between 20-25 years old when he became king. Solomon recognized there was much he didn’t know. He wasn’t experienced in leadership and he would be responsible for leading the nation of Israel. Famously, Solomon asked for wisdom from God.
    1 Kings 3:9 CSB
    9 So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?”
    Solomon asked for discernment. He asked God for wisdom to do justly. The word translated “discern” in 1 Kings 3:9 means to comprehend information. It to distinguish between two things and respond properly. It is about having wisdom, not just knowledge. The Hebrew word for wisdom is the word

    Chokmah (חָכְמָה) - wisdom, the capacity to understand and to have skill in living

    The Greek word for wisdom is

    Sophia (σοφία) - wisdom, discretion, the capacity to understand and act wisely, to have insight

    Knowing facts might help you win a game show, but wisdom is more than just knowledge. Wisdom is about having the ability to make decisions in difficult circumstances. Wisdom is about knowing what to do and when to do it. Wisdom is about taking the information available to you and making the best possible decision. Wisdom is about leaning on God and waiting for him to give you insight.
    The Scriptures record that Solomon’s request pleased God.
    1 Kings 3:10–14 CSB
    10 Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested this. 11 So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to administer justice, 12 I will therefore do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again. 13 In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor, so that no king will be your equal during your entire life. 14 If you walk in my ways and keep my statutes and commands just as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”
    Solomon asked for wisdom to be able to do justly. This pleased the Lord. Solomon cared about doing what was right. It wouldn’t be too long before Solomon would be presented with a test. This next passage of Scripture is often used during Mother’s Day messages. I am not sure why because these women are not painted in a flattering light.
    The Scripture writer recorded an episode of what could only be termed a dramatic tragedy. Two women, who are described as prostitutes, lived together in the same house and they both became pregnant around the same time. These women would have been societal outcasts. They were single, unwed mothers, who were prostitutes. We would have to think that no one cared much about them. They were just used and discarded. It would seem as if no one were interested in deciding the case and doing what was right. Listen to the situation. Both women gave birth around the same time, one woman gave birth three days before the other. During the night, one of the women rolled on her own son while she was sleeping and suffocated him. Then, at some point in the night, realizing what had happen, she took the baby from the other mother and placed the dead baby in the sleeping mother’s arms. When the sleeping mother woke up to nurse her baby, she realized the baby was dead, but upon closer inspection, she realized it was not her son. Of course, the other mother told the opposite story. In her presentation, she said the other mother had killed her own baby and was trying to take her son.
    There were no witnesses. There was no video tape. There were no birth records or DNA to compare. There were no fingerprints. We would have to think that this case would have been presented to lower officials before elevating the case up to King Solomon. King Solomon is presented with an extremely difficult case. What is he going to do? How would he handle the case and make sure to do justly? You would have to think that the king’s court would be watching how Solomon handled this case. How Solomon handled this situation would tell them a lot of about what kind of king Solomon would be. Take note of this and write it down. Wisdom draws out hidden truth.

    1. God’s wisdom draws out hidden truth. (1 Kings 3:22-27)

    Most likely, you already know the outcome, but look at what King Solomon said. Don’t read it too fast. Let the situation impact you. Put yourself in the king’s court when he makes his ruling.
    1 Kings 3:23–25 CSB
    23 The king replied, “This woman says, ‘This is my son who is alive, and your son is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead, and my son is alive.’ ” 24 The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought the sword to the king. 25 And the king said, “Cut the living boy in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
    Why would he give us a grotesque order? Why order the killing of the baby? The court might have gasped when Solomon gave the order. What kind of monster would this king be? He just decided to kill the child by cutting the child in two pieces! This king is heartless and cruel, or is he? King Solomon had no intention of slaughtering an innocent Jewish boy. Solomon was applying God’s wisdom to draw out hidden truth.
    1 Kings 3:26–27 CSB
    26 The woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she felt great compassion for her son. “My lord, give her the living baby,” she said, “but please don’t have him killed!” But the other one said, “He will not be mine or yours. Cut him in two!” 27 The king responded, “Give the living baby to the first woman, and don’t kill him. She is his mother.”
    Solomon knew the true mother would not want her son to be killed. He knew the boy’s real mother would rather the boy live than she be right. Solomon took what he knew about the nature of the heart of a mother and applied it to the current situation. He was able to draw out hidden truth through applying God’s wisdom.
    Notice, that I am not saying Solomon’s wisdom. Wisdom didn’t and doesn’t belong to Solomon, or by extension to us. Wisdom belongs to God.

    2. Wisdom belongs to God. (1 Kings 3:28)

    1 Kings 3:28 CSB
    28 All Israel heard about the judgment the king had given, and they stood in awe of the king because they saw that God’s wisdom was in him to carry out justice.
    Wisdom belongs to God. It was God’s wisdom in Solomon that enabled him to do justly. It wasn’t Solomon’s wisdom, as if Solomon was a super smart guy. It was God working through Solomon which enabled him to do justly. God’s wisdom enables us to do justly. Turn in your Bible to James 1:5.
    I want you to see this because we need to know and be reminded of this truth. This is so important, especially in the time in which we live. We need to know that God’s wisdom is available to us.

    3. God’s wisdom is available to you. (James 1:5)

    James 1:5 CSB
    5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.
    I know I lack wisdom. I know I need God’s wisdom. I have never thought I would be a pastor during a virus which would shutdown so many churches. I never thought I would see a nation so divided against itself when we have so much to be thankful for. I never thought I would see people so gripped by fear. I never thought I would witness the legacy media turn so harshly against the prosperity of our nation. I know I need God’s wisdom. How about you? I think we all recognize the need we have for God’s wisdom to be given to us. Each one of us are confronted with situations where we don’t know what to do. Frankly, most of this year has been one big situation where we didn’t know what to do. Whoever thought 2020 would be the type of year it has been, and it is not over yet. If there was ever a time where we recognized our need for God’s wisdom; it is now. The beautiful thing is that God makes his wisdom available to you. All you have to do is ask! Isn’t that wonderful? You may not know what to do, but God does, and he will show you what you need to do when you ask him.

    - God’s wisdom is given generously.

    The word generously means “without reserve”. The reserve is the hold back. Think about eBay. If you have ever bought something or sold something on eBay, you know that you can set a reserve price. Meaning, if that amount is not reached, the item still belongs to you. You have to meet the reserve to get what you want. It is not so with God. God doesn’t set a reserve on the giving of his wisdom. God holds nothing back from those who ask him for wisdom. This statement amazes me. The God who knows everything willing shares his understanding enabling us to do justly - to do what is right by all people. Isn’t that good?

    - God’s wisdom is given ungrudgingly.

    This word is made up of two words in the Greek, the word “not” and the word “reprimand”. In other words, God doesn’t look down on people who ask for his wisdom. He doesn’t say, “Well, you should have known that.” Have you ever said that to you children? I have seen those Facebook video when some idiot is surprised when he does something completely stupid. I think to myself, “Dummy, he should have known not to do that.” God doesn’t treat us like that. He doesn’t chastise those who seek to know His ways of wisdom. He welcomes those who come to him humbly, as Solomon did, asking for wisdom.
    God’s wisdom enables us to do justly. It is available to us. We need God’s wisdom. To say we live in crazy times would be an understatement. Our world seems like it is going off the rails at a record pace. I don’t think I need to say more because we all know that these are truly crazy times, evil times. Maybe God is allowing such times so that we will recognize our need for him. Maybe God is allowing things to happen in our lives so that we will turn to him and ask him for wisdom. There is so much we don’t understand, and we need God’s wisdom to do what is right. The matters are complex. It is hard to know the truth. Turn to God and ask him for the wisdom you need to do justly.
    If you forget everything this morning, remember this. God will show you how to do justly when you humbly seek him

    God will show you how to do justly when you humbly seek his wisdom.

    Perhaps there is someone listening to this message who has never made the decision to trust in the saving grace of God. The wisest thing you could do this morning is turn from your sin and turn to Jesus. God loves you and he sent Jesus into the world to be born of a virgin. Jesus lived a perfect life. Jesus went to the cross and shed his blood. He died and he rose again. He did all of this because he loves you and he wants to save you from your sin. He wants to transform you, so you can experience his goodness, so we could experience his grace.
    On the third day, when the stone was rolled away, Jesus was not there. The tomb was empty. Jesus had risen from the dead, so that anyone, that includes you, who calls on the name of Jesus would be saved and forgiven. The amazing grace of God, no matter how bad you have been, no matter how dark your life is, no matter how many people you’ve let down, when you call on Jesus, he hears your prayer and he will forgive every sin and make you clean.
    This morning, if you are here and you know that you need God’s forgiveness for your sins; realize that you are not here by accident. Will you surrender your life to God and experience his forgiveness? Will you pray this prayer with me expressing that you are trusting in God’s ability to forgive you and save you?
    “Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sins, make me clean. I ask Jesus to be my Savior and to be the Lord of my life, first in every way. My life is not my own, I give it to you. Thank you for new life. In Jesus’ name, I pray.
    With heads bowed and eyes closed, if you prayed that prayer for the first time and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, will you raise your hand this morning?
    Close in Prayer.

      • Micah 6:8ESV

      • 1 Kings 3:9ESV

      • 1 Kings 3:10–14ESV

      • 1 Kings 3:22–27ESV

      • 1 Kings 3:23–25ESV

      • 1 Kings 3:26–27ESV

      • 1 Kings 3:28ESV

      • 1 Kings 3:28ESV

      • James 1:5ESV

      • James 1:5ESV

  • Take My Life And Let It Be (Hendon)
  • Hallelujah (Your love is Amazing)
First Baptist Church Laredo
https://fbclaredo.org
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