Turn with me to the book of Proverbs
16.16. Proverbs 16.16. I was going over my notes this
morning, and this thought went through my mind. I mulled it over and I contemplated whether I
would share it with you or not. I've decided to. My mind went
to the certainty of the day of judgment. I know that there is
a day coming in which all men are going to stand before God.
I know that. I know that. I thought about the Scripture
that says, many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, haven't
we prophesied in your name? Haven't we cast out demons in
your name? Done many mighty works in your name? And the Scripture
says that I will say unto them, depart from Me, you workers of
iniquity, I never knew you. And as I was mulling that over
in my mind, I thought to myself, in light of situations that had
happened to me, if something would happen, if I, I don't know,
hurt myself, fell, cut myself down. And then I thought to myself,
you know, if I would have only, if it would have been one second
difference than it was, or if, what if, what if? And then I
thought to myself in that day, how many will say, oh, that I
had listened. Oh, if I just had another opportunity. Oh, what I wouldn't give for
just one more time to hear the gospel. To be in a day in which
Almighty God was set forth. Well, today may be it. This may be it. This may be the
last time. This may be the last time that
we ever meet together just like this. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what tomorrow, I
don't know what the end of this day, I don't know what's going
to happen before this service is over. But I do know that we've
got right now. This may be the last time you
ever hear the gospel. And I pray that Almighty God
have mercy. I pray that the Word that I know
is not going to return void. I pray that God bring forth fruit
unto salvation. But you that have heard, I'm
talking to me. I pray that I hear what is set
forth in this verse of Scripture. Proverbs 16, 16. How much better
is it to get wisdom than gold, and to get understanding rather
to be chosen than silver. Solomon was the penman for the
book of Proverbs. He penned Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes,
Proverbs. And the Lord asked him in 1 Kings
3, 5, What shall I give thee? And Solomon answered, Give therefore
thy servant an understanding, a hearing heart. My sheep hear
my voice. What do you want me to give you?
Lord, I pray that you give me a heart that hears. Give therefore thy servant an
understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discern
between good and bad. For who is able to judge this
thy so great a people?" And the Lord gave it to him. Solomon wrote concerning, after
the Lord gave him wisdom, that everything apart from the Lord
Jesus Christ, the One in whom are hid all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge. That's Colossians 2.3. This is what He said. Everything
apart from Him is vanity. It's empty. It's nothing. Nothing. It gives no expectation. And also, the word vanity means
to lead away. It leads away. Well, since everything apart
from Him is vain, empty in expectation and act, God's Word teaches us. And oh, may the Lord be pleased
to teach me this today. I went over this and went over
this and went over this. How much better is it to get? That is, to desire, to purchase
or to own. How much better is it to get
wisdom than gold? And to get understanding rather
to be chosen, rather to be selected than silver. Now as I read that
verse of Scripture right there, I realized this. The issue in
this passage of Scripture is not whether wisdom and understanding
is better. than gold and silver. Scripture
bears that out. The issue is how much better
is it to desire to have it. Whether or not it's better is
not the issue. You ask a person, just ask them
off the street, just say, listen, I've got a question for you.
Would it be better, do you think it would be better to have eternal
life with God or would it be better to have money? Well, even
an unregenerate, at least outwardly, you know, they would always say,
well, I guess it would be better to
have salvation. I guess that would be better.
The issue here is not whether or not wisdom and understanding
is better. The issue is, do I desire it? That's what the word get means. How much better is it to get,
to desire to have it, to long to have it, I want you to turn
back a few pages to Proverbs 3.13. Proverbs 3.13. My son, forget not my law, but
let thine heart keep my commandments. I'm sorry, I read Verse 1, I
want to go to 13. Proverbs 3, 13. Here we go. Happy is the man that findeth
wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise
of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof
than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies,
and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared
unto her." All the things that a man would want, would hunger
for, would long for, nothing compares to the longing for,
the hungering after a knowledge of Christ, wisdom and understanding
of Him. The merchandise, it says of her. The merchandise. And here again,
it's kind of a deceiving thing. Well, that's not a right word.
It's confusing. That's the word I'm wanting.
When it says the merchandise of her, the word merchandise
there, it means the profit that you obtained for merchandising. You go out and you're in a business
and you've got something and you're selling something. Well, if you sell something and
you make some money, then it's a profit. You made a profit.
You made some money on it. You gained more than you had. When it says the merchandise
of wisdom and knowledge and understanding, it means the profit that is obtained
from seeking after it is more to be desired than anything else. Not only the wisdom and knowledge
itself, but the profit that is obtained from desiring to have
it. Turn again to Proverbs 2. Proverbs
2. Proverbs 2, 1-6, My son, if thou
wilt receive my words, then hide my commandments with thee. So
that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart
to understanding. Yea, if thou cryest after knowledge,
and liftest up thy voice for understanding, if thou seekest
her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures,
then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the
knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom out of his mouth,
cometh knowledge and understanding." A desire. The hunger. Here's the issue. I'm going to
talk to me and you listen in. Do I desire anything above knowing
Him? Is that the very essence of my
heart? Is there anything that I desire
more than Him? And oh, what a convicting question. Lord, help me here. Oh, how easily
do I see this sinner struggling with himself. Lord, I love You. Lord, help me here. Help me desire
You above all things. Above every... How much better
is it? How much indescribably better
What do we want? What do we want? My mind went back just then to
that day of judgment. I thought, in that day, what
is going to matter? What's going to matter? What
else you wanted? I'm getting ready to enter. I've already entered in the day
of judgment. I've entered eternity. What is going to matter in that
day? How much better, beyond expression,
there is no words to express, hungering after Him. Oh, God's
grace. God's grace to teach. It takes
the grace of God to desire Him above all things. Everything else is dung. Everything
else is dung. What? What do I put ahead of Him? What
is more important than Him? Oh, what a struggle! Oh, that
I truly might know Him. Oh, that I might be found in
Him. That grace that is eternal, this
silver and gold is temporal. I know, I know. It takes money to buy stuff.
But he who has said, I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going
to forsake you. Consider the lilies. They don't
spin. They don't toil. And Solomon
in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of them. One little
flower. What am I desiring more than him? Wisdom and understanding. Christ,
the wisdom of God, the Lamb of God. And understanding to know
that salvation is all of grace. Ecclesiastes 7.12 says, for wisdom. And I know wisdom is Christ.
I know that. For wisdom, Christ is a defense. He's a shadow. And money, the Scripture says,
is a defense, a shadow. So I know that Christ is a shadow,
the covering to the wise. And I know that money, and it's
the same word, shadow, it's a defense to the foolish. So it's Christ
or money. Which one is it? Oh, but the excellency of knowledge,
the true knowledge of God in Christ taught by the preaching
of the gospel of God's grace is, here it is, the excellency
of knowledge is that wisdom that Christ giveth life to them that
have it. Here's the excellency of knowledge
that I did not procure it by my own work. That's the excellency
of knowledge right there. That's the epitome. Here's the totality of it. Salvations of the Lord. Because
in that day, what else matters? What else do we have? I give
unto them. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. I give unto them eternal life. They'll never perish. So the
question is, which is better? Which is better? I mean, the
question is not, I'm sorry, which is better? Wisdom and understanding
or gold or silver? The question is, do I desire
it above all things? Him. Wisdom and knowledge of
Him. That's the question this morning.
What's my heart? I've got four questions. Four
quick questions. What is wisdom? Or rather, who
is wisdom? We know this. Who is wisdom? Doth not wisdom cry? When we talk about having wisdom,
a believer knows that means to have him, to have Christ, not
mere intellectual thoughts. To possess wisdom is to possess,
by the grace of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Wisdom. And actually the word
wisdom, it means skillful. Skillful. The wisdom of God. He who is skillful. Wisdom Himself. The skillful one. The wise one. He who satisfies the law of God. Skillful. Able. Honored that law in the redemption
of his people. Wisdom. Wisdom. He is the skillful
God. who walked in perfect obedience
before God Almighty, God Himself, who looked upon him and said,
this is my beloved Son, whom I am well pleased. No deviation. Never, never deviated word, thought,
or deed. I'm satisfied. Wisdom Himself. And He, as understanding, He
is the understanding. He is the discretion and the
intelligent one of God. Understanding. Understanding
is Christ Himself. Wisdom and understanding. The
omniscient God who applies the voice of His understanding, who
applies the voice of Christ Himself. That voice that his sheep hears.
So how much better is it to get, to desire to own Christ than
gold? To get Christ rather to be chosen
than silver. Here's my second question. The first question was, who is
wisdom? Here's the second question. If
it's better, exceedingly better, indescribably better, to desire
Him above the desire of the temporal thing. When we say gold and silver,
it's not just money, but it's anything that is temporal. Anything. Anything. Whatever
it is. What is more important to me? What is the desire of my heart?
Is there anything that I desire more than him. My second question,
how has he gotten? If the issue is the desire to
have him, then how has he gotten? Isaiah 55. You know this. Isaiah 55. Verse 1 to 3. Every one that thirsteth, come
ye to, it says waters, and I looked it up. The original is singular. Come ye to the water. He that hath no money, Come ye,
buy and eat, yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without
price. Wherefore do you spend money
for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which
satisfies not? Hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good. Let your soul delight itself
in fatness." Incline your ear and come unto me, here, and your
soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with
you, even the sure mercies of David." How is he procured? He's bought and eaten by faith. Not by works of righteousness.
By faith. He's purchased. The Scripture
says, Come ye and buy. He's purchased by faith. He who alone satisfies the soul's
thirst of a needy sinner. I tell you, the Lord creates
the thirst and then reveals the quenching of it. Now, man is
not born thirsty. He doesn't thirst after God. Our dead soul does not thirst
after God. So I can tell you this, thirsting
and hungering has got to be life there. A real strange thing,
I think I told you this when we were in Mexico a few years
ago. Cody brought us around to this big courtyard, this great
old big cathedral thing there. Had these little huts built out
in the yard. And they had palm tree, palm
branches hanging over them. A little old house. It was about
that square. It was on the Day of the Dead.
Halloween day. And on the Day of the Dead, what
they would do, they'd go to these graves. I mean, they built a
little hut right on top of the grave. Of a grave. And they'd
come in there and they'd take whatever that person that died,
whatever their favorite was, favorite food, favorite drink,
whatever their favorite was, they came and fixed them up a
nice plate and had the food and drink and all that kind of stuff
and came there and set it right by the grave so that they could
enjoy it. I told Cody, I said, they truly
believe that? He said, oh yeah. They truly
believe that the soul of that deceased person comes back and
is able to savor that food and that drink. And they get pleasure
out of that. And I thought to myself, they're
dead! They're dead! Man by nature believes
that a person can thirst and hunger after Christ and then
go after Him. God has to make a man alive first
before he ever thirsts. Oh, everyone that thirsteth,
come ye to the water. He already has. And he shall. And he continues
to. A person that's made alive comes
and comes and comes and comes and there is no ceasing. He that cometh to Me. You that have no money, you that
know Him, you know you don't have anything to buy with. He's
purchased by faith and He had to give you that. Come ye buy
and eat. Come you buy without money and
without price. What do you mean without price? How are you going to put a price
on Him? By faith, the Scripture reveals
that a believer purchases with something that wasn't his. And
it's given something that was by the grace of God. That no
price could be put upon, priceless, unto you that believe. He's precious.
He's only one. Thirdly, why is it much better
to give wisdom and understanding rather than gold and silver?
Why is it better? Because He is life. And everything
else is death. In that day, oh, that I might
know Him. Oh, that I might be found in
Him. He said, I am the way. I am the truth, the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. He is the only way. This is my
beloved Son whom I am well pleased. Why is it much better to get
wisdom and understanding than gold and silver? In that day,
every man is going to know the answer to that question. Why
is it better? Only by wisdom and understanding
is a regenerated sinner secure. My sheep hear My voice. I know
them. They follow Me. I give unto them
eternal life. They shall never, never, never
perish. Oh, in that day, when I know
that in reality, by faith right now, I know it by faith. Oh, Lord, that I might know it
afresh. that I might truly know it. Lord,
grant me a heart to desire You. Above all things, Lord, forgive
me for the fickleness of my little wavering heart. Fourthly, last
question, when is it better to get wisdom and understanding?
When is it better? Well, it wasn't better yesterday,
I can tell you that. Because that day is gone. It's not going
to be better tomorrow. Because tomorrow never comes. When is it better? Right now. This is all you've got. Turn
to 2 Corinthians 6. 2 Corinthians 6. When is it better? Now listen
to me. Listen to me. There are many
that are sitting here today that have heard preaching for years
and years and years. Some of you, the Lord has called
out of darkness. And you know. Some don't know
Him. Salvation is all of grace. Salvation
is all of grace. And Almighty God is going to
save whom He will. But you listen to the words of
God. You listen to Scripture right now. This word right here
leaves no man with an excuse. Let me say it like that. 2 Corinthians 6, we then as workers
together with Him beseech you also that you receive not the
grace of God in vain. What does that mean? What does
it mean to receive the grace of God in vain? You look at it, you think on
it for a moment, then you walk away. That's what it is. To receive it, you heard what
I just said. You heard what I just said. Receive
not the grace of God. Christ is the grace of God. Christ is the grace of God. Receive not. The grace of God
in vain, for He said, I have heard thee in a time accepted,
and in the day of salvation have I succored thee. Behold, now
is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. No man shall stand before God,
as I've said so many times, and lay at His feet. It's your fault. It's your fault. Believers have a common bond
in unity, in the hearing, in the preaching, in the teaching,
or praying, or witnessing. They themselves desire God's
glory in Christ. They desire God's salvation in
Christ. And they forsake everything else
that they ever knew, everything that you ever trusted in. It
had to do with your works according to Scripture. According to the
words of Paul the Apostle, it's done. It's done. We're fellow
laborers with Him. He is the Chief Shepherd. Redemption,
salvation is of the Lord. Trust Christ. Believe on Christ. Now is the accepted time. If
you just took a breath of air, my friend, There's hope. If you are hearing what I'm saying,
there's hope. Christ saves sinners. You say, well, I thought that
you said that without Him, I can't come. You can. But let me ask you this. Do you
desire to? Do you have a willingness to
come? If you do, He gave you the willingness. If you can hear the preaching
of the gospel of Christ and walk away, if you die with that attitude,
I'm telling you, according to God's Word, He's going to justly
put you in hell. Salvation is of the Lord. Come to Christ. If this is the
last time you ever hear the gospel, God forbid that I should not
be truthful. For Christ's sake,