Wisdom for True Success

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Wisdom for True Success

• A Special Sunday Message
• Proverbs 31-12
• September 1, 2013
• Pastor Paul K. Kim

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WHAT WE MUST FIRST KNOW ABOUT PROVERBS 3

• It is a fathers counsel to his son.
• So, we must consider this NOT as fortune-cookie
  advices but as our heavenly Fathers counsel to
  us as Gods children.
• It is a set of proverbsi.e., wise
  observations/sayings of general truths and
  underlying principles of how life works.
• So, we must treat this passage NOT as air-tight
  promises but as wise principles of living.
• It is Gods wisdom for a way of life path for
  fruitfulness.
• So, we must look for NOT shortcuts to temporary
  success but for life principles of lasting
  success.

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WHAT WISDOM DOES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER OFFER US
FOR TRUE SUCCESS?

• 1) A relentless PURSUIT OF GODS WORD Keep Gods
  commandments in your heart and life.
• 1 My son, do not forget my teaching,but let your
  heart keep my commandments,2 for length of days
  and years of lifeand peace they will add to
  you.3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness
  forsake youbind them around your neckwrite
  them on the tablet of your heart.4 So you
  will find favor and good successin the sight of
  God and man. (vs.1-4)
• All the paths of the Lord are
• steadfast love and faithfulness, for those
• who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
• Psalm 2510

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WHAT WISDOM DOES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER OFFER US
FOR TRUE SUCCESS?

• 1) A relentless PURSUIT OF GODS WORD Keep Gods
  commandments in your heart and life.
• 1 My son, do not forget my teaching,but let your
  heart keep my commandments,2 for length of days
  and years of lifeand peace they will add to
  you.3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness
  forsake youbind them around your neckwrite
  them on the tablet of your heart.4 So you
  will find favor and good successin the sight of
  God and man. (vs.1-4)
• The first and foundational wisdom for true
  success is to keep the Word of God close to heart
  and practice as our guide.
• How? We must seek Scripture daily for guidance
  and vitality .
• In so doing, we must believe that Gods Word
  guides us with steadfast love and faithfulness.

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WHAT WISDOM DOES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER OFFER US
FOR TRUE SUCCESS?

• 2) A wholehearted TRUST IN GODS GUIDANCE Trust
  in the LORD and be not wise in your own eyes.
• 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do
  not lean on your own understanding.6 In all your
  ways acknowledge him,and he will make straight
  your paths.7 Be not wise in your own eyesfear
  the Lord, and turn away from evil.8 It will
  be healing to your fleshand refreshment to your
  bones. (vs.5-8)

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WHAT WISDOM DOES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER OFFER US
FOR TRUE SUCCESS?

• 2) A wholehearted TRUST IN GODS GUIDANCE Trust
  in the LORD and be not wise in your own eyes.
• 5 Trust in the Lord...  How?
• with all your heart
• do not lean on your own understanding.
• 5 Trust in the Lord...  How?
• 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and
  this is why he will make straight your paths.
• 5 Trust in the Lord...  How?
• 7 Be not wise in your own eyes
• 5 Trust in the Lord...  How?
• fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
• this is why 8 It will be healing to your
  flesh and refreshment to your bones. (vs.5-8)

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WHAT WISDOM DOES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER OFFER US
FOR TRUE SUCCESS?

• 2) A wholehearted TRUST IN GODS GUIDANCE Trust
  in the LORD and be not wise in your own eyes.
• 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do
  not lean on your own understanding.6 In all your
  ways acknowledge him,and he will make straight
  your paths.7 Be not wise in your own eyesfear
  the Lord, and turn away from evil.8 It will
  be healing to your fleshand refreshment to your
  bones. (vs.5-8)
• Trusting in Gods guidance requires (1) trusting
  with all our hearts, (2) saying no to
  self-reliance, (3) acknowledging God as the
  Center/Guide, (4) fearing the LORD in our
  everyday life.
• It is a lifestyle of the godly as truly
  successful people.
• We are to do this fourfold practice of trust
  wholeheartedly.

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• The Spirits Inward Prompting and Gods Written
  Word
• Earnest Christians seeking guidance often go
  wrong. Why is this? Often the reason is that
  their notion of the nature and method of divine
  guidance is distorted. They look for a
  will-o-the-wisp they overlook the guidance that
  is ready at hand and lay themselves open to all
  sorts of delusions. Their basic mistake is to
  think of guidance as essentially inward prompting
  by the Holy Spirit, apart from the written Word.
  This idea... is a seed-bed in which all forms of
  fanaticism and folly can grow... But the true way
  to honor the Holy Spirit as our guide is to honor
  the holy Scriptures through which he guides us.
  The fundamental guidance which God gives to shape
  our livesthe instilling, that is, of the basic
  convictions, attitudes, ideals and value
  judgments, in terms of which we are to liveis
  not a matter of inward promptings apart from the
  Word but of the pressure on our consciences of
  the portrayal of Gods character and will in the
  Word, which the Spirit enlightens us to
  understand and apply to ourselves.
• ? J.I. Packer

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WHAT WISDOM DOES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER OFFER US
FOR TRUE SUCCESS?

• 3) A deliberate HONORING OF GOD WITH POSSESSIONS
  Honor the LORD with your wealth and firstfruits.
• 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth    and
  with the firstfruits of all your produce10 then
  your barns will be filled with plenty,    and
  your vats will be bursting with wine. (vs. 9-10)
• The best of the firstfruits of your ground
• you shall bring into the house of the LORD your
  God.
• Exodus 2319a

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WHAT WISDOM DOES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER OFFER US
FOR TRUE SUCCESS?

• 3) A deliberate HONORING OF GOD WITH POSSESSIONS
  Honor the LORD with your wealth and firstfruits.
• 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth    and
  with the firstfruits of all your produce10 then
  your barns will be filled with plenty,    and
  your vats will be bursting with wine. (vs. 9-10)
• Honoring God requires more than words, feelings,
  thoughts. Why? Where our treasure is, there our
  heart will be also.
• Practically, it is not merely tithing but with
  every good thing that we possess and the best of
  of what we produce.
• The only way to properly honor God in this way is
  to make this a top priority in managing our
  possessions and income.

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WHAT WISDOM DOES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER OFFER US
FOR TRUE SUCCESS?

• 4) A willing ACCEPTANCE OF GODS DISCIPLINE Heed
  your heavenly Fathers reproof and training for
  you.
• 11 My son, do not despise the Lords
  disciplineor be weary of his reproof,12 for
  the Lord reproves him whom he loves,as a father
  the son in whom he delights. (vs. 11-12)
• For the moment all discipline seems painful
• rather than pleasant, but later it yields the
  peaceful fruit
• of righteousness to those who have been trained
  by it.
• Hebrews 1211

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WHAT WISDOM DOES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER OFFER US
FOR TRUE SUCCESS?

• 4) A willing ACCEPTANCE OF GODS DISCIPLINE
  Embrace your heavenly Fathers reproof and
  training for you.
• 11 My son, do not despise the Lords
  disciplineor be weary of his reproof,12 for
  the Lord reproves him whom he loves,as a father
  the son in whom he delights. (vs. 11-12)
• Gods reproof is not to punish us but to train us
  for what the LORD prepares for us in love.
• If we are not disciplined or trained, we are
  illegitimate childrenconversely, Gods
  disciplines are a sign of his love.
• Our perspective must be changed if we are to
  embrace Gods disciplines in our lives by faith.

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THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE

1. In what ways can I gear up on relentless pursuit
   of Gods Word in my everyday life?
2. What would it mean for me to live out a
   wholehearted trust in Gods guidance rather than
   leaning on my own understanding?
3. What do I need to change in order to deliberately
   honor God with my possessions?
4. How can I more willingly accept and appreciate
   Gods disciplines in my life?

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