A group headed to Florida for camp this morning, so we want to pray for them. Pray for our time together. I'll be attempting to teach this morning so and also preach. So pray for me, please. Let's bow. Father, we do thank you for this day. We thank you for your. Amazing grace. Your steadfast love. That endures forever. Lord, would you meet with us today? Help us to keep our focus upon you. And we do pray father for those who are traveling even now. Headed to camp lore that you'll give them safety in their travels. But Lord, you would bind them together with new friendships. But most of all, Lord, as they go throughout the camp, that their focus would turn toward you and you would do a work in each heart to draw your people closer, Father, for even salvation to come to those who need it. Father, would you help today in the teaching and the preaching and throughout the service that we might glorify Christ and uplift you. So give us much strength, we pray in Christ's name. Amen. All right, so it's my joy and privilege to teach again on another of the attributes of God, and this one being the wisdom of God. Now, all of the attributes that we learn, we know that God holds or God, these attributes consist in God in perfect wisdom. To think of His omnipotence, omnipotence, that he has all power, but he has as well the wisdom to know how to disperse that power, how to use that power, how to activate that power, how to work it in all things. Also, he has all knowledge, and thus the wisdom to know what to do with that knowledge. And so all of his attributes he holds in wisdom. Before we attribute wisdom to God, let's think about what is wisdom? What is wisdom? Wisdom, according to Webster's, now look at this definition, the right use or exercise of knowledge, the choice of laudable ends and the best means to accomplish them. Notice the date of that, 1828. Don't do this, but if you were to search Webster's definition of wisdom today, this is what you would find. Ability to discern inner qualities and relationships. Insight. Good sense. Judgment. Generally accepted belief. Accumulated philosophical or scientific learning. Knowledge. That's wisdom. according to Webster's today. I don't think he would be satisfied with that definition. What do you think? So we go back to this one. The right use or exercise of knowledge, the choice of laudable ends, and the best means to accomplish them. I like that better. So wisdom, according to Wayne Grudem, wisdom goes beyond knowledge. and specifies that God always chooses the best goals and the best means to achieve those goals. So some would say that wisdom is the right use of knowledge. While that can be true as applied to man, that wisdom for us is being able to take biblical knowledge, take the knowledge that we have, and apply it to good means, to good ends. So using knowledge well. But with God, it's not that he chooses the best goals and the best means, but he chooses the most perfect. The most perfect goals. The most perfect. He uses knowledge perfectly. So let's think of that. Wisdom. This is David Strang. He says creatures gain wisdom by growing and learning, by interacting with the world in time and space. So as we get older, we should get wiser. But that's not the way God is wise. He does not need to acquire wisdom. The wisdom of of God defines God himself. He's exhaustive, comprehensive, He has exhaustive, comprehensive knowledge and understanding of all that is, but not by deduction or calculation. So let's remember that all the attributes of God are not what God has. God doesn't have wisdom. God is wisdom. He is love. He is His attributes. God is infinitely wise, He's consistently wise, and He's perfectly wise. Now, A. W. Tozer says, among other things, wisdom is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve those ends by the most perfect means. Perfect ends. Bringing those ends about. by the most perfect means. It sees the end from the beginning, so there can be no need to guess or conjecture. Wisdom sees everything in focus, each in proper relation to all, and is thus able to work toward predestined goals with flawless precision. Is there a passage that states that? Many. Let's take a look at Isaiah 46 right quick. Isaiah 46. I love this passage. I'm reading from the King James version and I don't apologize for it so. Bell bows down. Nebo stoops. Their idols were upon the beast and upon the cattle, whose carriages were heavy laden. They are burden to the weary beast. The gods of the people have to be carried. They're a burden. They stoop. They bow down together. They could not deliver the burden, but themselves have gone into captivity. Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which Listen, their gods are born by beast, but you are born by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb. Aren't you glad that the abortion amendment got kicked out this past week? Praise the Lord. He carries them from the womb. And even to our old age, I am he. Even to gray hairs will I carry you. I have made and I will bear. Even I will carry and will deliver you. To whom will you liken me and make me equal and compare me that we may be alike? They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith, and make it a god. They fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in this place, and he stands. From his place he shall not be removed. Yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer. nor save him out of his trouble." They make these gods. They fashion these gods. They stand these gods up. They have to carry these gods. But they cannot answer them in their time of trouble. Remember this and show yourselves men. Bring it again to mind, O you transgressors. They have forgotten that they are not serving a god that was made out of wood, precious metals, but the very God who carries them and upholds them. Remember this. Remember the former things, verse 9 of old, for I am God and there is none else. I am God and there's none like me. Here it is. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done. Saying My counsel shall stand. I will do all my pleasure. That's our God. That's the God of wisdom who declares the end. He's already declared the end. When did he declare it? At the beginning. Hey, You've read the back of the book, right? And what? We win. He wins. He wins. Declaring the end from the beginning. From ancient times to things that are not yet done. Saying, my counsel shall stand, I will do all my pleasure. Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that exalted my that executes my counsel from a far country. Yea, I have spoken it. I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also do it. So what can we say to this? The very thing that happened yesterday was declared from the beginning. God's in control. He's working all of these things through His perfect wisdom. All that is happening is happening by and through the perfect wisdom of God that He declared at the beginning. And all the means by which everything is happening is headed to something. It's all going to a certain end mean. And we'll see that. Verse 12, hearken unto me, you stout-hearted that are far from righteousness. I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, for my salvation shall not tarry, and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel, my glory. God is up to something. He's always up to something. Let's take a look at some other passages. Daniel answered and said, Bless the name of God forever and ever to whom belong wisdom and might. With him, our wisdom and might, he has counsel and understanding. Oh Lord, how manifold are your works. In wisdom, you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. What is this telling us? That the heavens declare the glory of God. Everything that God has done, we can look and see how everything is working in our Universe. How can you open your eyes and look around? And not say there is a God. There is an intellect behind what we see. How time is kept, how the seasons are, how the planets, everything that's working, is working by the perfect wisdom of our God. He is all wise. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments, how unscrutable His ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been His counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ. What are we starting to see in these verses? The end means, the end of all means, the end of everything. What is the chief end of man? But to those who recall both Jew and Greek, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. And because of Him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Verse 31 says, that according as it is written, he that glories, let him glory In the Lord. You know, the end. Colossians 2, 2 and 3, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ and whom are hidden. All the treasures. of wisdom and knowledge. You want to learn the wisdom of God, the knowledge of God. Look to Christ. For since in the wisdom of God. The world did not know God. Through wisdom, through its wisdom. It pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. The greatest wisdom display of God is the cross. of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that all glory might go to Christ. Who could have devised such a plan of salvation? You could gather the greatest minds of all times, gather them together, give them a millennial to come up with a plan of salvation, and they could never do what God did. Never. It's the perfect plan. I've heard preachers preach, and the last time I heard it, it was all I could do to not stand up and say blasphemy. He said, God could have chose to save us any way He wanted to. But He chose to send His Son. No, He couldn't. There was no other way. There was no other way. Do you not think if there was another way when Jesus prayed, God, if there be any other way, let this cup pass from me. There was no other way. This is the perfect display of the wisdom and the knowledge and the power and the glory of God that we see in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. What glory! What wisdom! What might! Why did He do it this way? Because He's all wise. And so that the world would look on and say, this is foolish. But unto us who are saved, we would look on and say, oh, the wisdom and the power and the might of God. What glory in the cross. There's wisdom of this world. But know that it is not from above. It's what men think of themselves. It's the way they see things. But wisdom from above is different. Wisdom from below is earthly. It's sensual. It's devilish. And from it comes envying and strife and bitterness. Why are there wars? Why are there assassination attempts? Because of the wisdom of this world. Isn't it great? But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. May we grow in the wisdom and the knowledge of God and display it in our deeds, our actions. Wisdom from above is available. It's available to you. It's available to me. What does the scripture say? If any of you lack wisdom, Let him ask of God. Who gives in abundance. He's not stingy. He will not withhold. The perfect wisdom of our God. Let's pray. Lord, As we sit before you this morning and we think. Of how wise you are. We must say. Every one of us. We lack wisdom. But you say if we lack wisdom. Let us ask of you. Lord, we ask of you this morning. To give us wisdom. Wisdom from above. Lord, you will not withhold, you say. You will give it. In abundance. Lord, we need wisdom as we face each day, each moment. Would you help us to have? Demonstrate. To display. This wisdom from above. Would you help us now as we go into the time of prayer? As we go into the services, Lord that. In every part. Christ would be exalted. The gospel would be proclaimed. Your glory would be made known and we would worship. In Christ's name we pray.