Turn with me to the book of Proverbs
chapter 9, Proverbs 9. I was thinking about the message
that we just considered, knowing God. And I think what the Scriptures
say concerning knowing Him, Here's
one that came to my mind. Kiss the Son. Lest He be angry. Just a little. Kiss the Son. Does a man know God? Here's a
question for you. What think ye of Christ? Remember that last verse that
we read, No man knoweth the Father but the Son, and He to whom the
Son will reveal Him. Oh, may we this morning, may we kiss
the Son. How desperately we need for God's Spirit teach us. And we are so, I mean, we can
go through the motions so easily. And I'm talking about have the
right doctrine. I think I understand five points
of Calvinism. I think I understand that. Do
I know Christ? I think I understand total depravity,
unconditional election, particular redemption, irresistible grace,
preservation of the saints. Have I kissed the sun? Lord, help me. Proverbs 9. Last week we started and went
over the first two verses. of this precious book, considering wisdom and his house. Wisdom. The Lord Jesus Christ has a house,
has a family. That's what the house means.
Wisdom hath built her house. And wisdom's house is a holy
priesthood. And wisdom's house in Christ
and by Christ offers spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable
to God by Jesus Christ. God accepts them. The praise
we offer unto Him, Lord, thank You, bless You, Lord, it's acceptable unto God by Christ,
by blood, by the blood of Christ. My sincerity in myself, I'm not
sincere. I'm not sincere. You're not either. No, it is for His sake. This house, that wisdom possesses is built, and built
on purpose. I got a daughter and her husband,
they're building a house down in Rocky Mount. And you know
what? I pretty well got it in my mind, they're doing it on
purpose. They picked out a piece of ground and bought it. Got some plans. Everything's
built just exactly according to that plan. They may change
their mind, you know, and may move a wall or something like
this, but God's never moved a wall. He doesn't change. This house
is built on purpose. Hewn out. That's what verse 1
says. Hewn out are seven pillars. Everything
that this house stands on stands secure. stands upon the foundation,
the pillars, that which holds this house up, this family up. What holds this house up? Christ, the seven pillars. Wisdom, Scripture says, verse
2, killed her beasts. We looked at those five sacrifices. Five sacrifices in the Old Testament. All five of those sacrifices
and what they meant by one sacrifice, He hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified, set apart. Isn't this good news? Lord, that I might be found in
that family. You know the thing that I've
noticed is that those that the Lord has given a new heart, I'll
give them a new heart. Those that the Lord has given
a new heart, those are the ones that struggle the most. Make your calling and election
sure. Unbelievers don't care about
that. A believer, he struggles, he
longs, he's like old blind Barnabas, he cries, Jesus, thou son of
David, have mercy on me. Lord, oh, Almighty God, my very
prayers, if I were judged on the sincerity of my prayer, Lord,
if you marked iniquity, Oh, my Lord and my God, who could stand? Lord, if you counted one, oh,
the deviation. Oh, how I have... I'm so sorry. That's how a believer talks.
That's how a believer struggles. Do you struggle? Oh, here's this
wisdom-killer beast, wisdom-satisfied God. Wisdom, the Scripture says,
hath mingled her wine. Remember that? We looked at wine
being a picture of joy and wine being a picture of judgment.
Wisdom mingled her wine. We looked up that Scripture.
The Lord said, I have mingled my drink with weeping. All the
days of his life, all the days of his flesh, Someone says, at what point did
he realize who he was? Let me answer this. All the days
of his flesh. What kind of a question was that? He bore the weight. He bore the
frailties in his body. He was a man acquainted with
grief. A man of sorrow. I don't know
anything about sorrows. I don't know anything about sorrows.
Oh, the frailty of this flesh and the weakness of our... I
mean, just for a moment, here He was. And that body that was
prepared Him, thirty-some odd years, the weight of that body,
the weight on that body, He that was acquainted We have not a
high priest that cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities,
but he was in all points, like we are, tempted, yet without
sin. Oh, what a Savior. Wisdom built her house, hewn
out her seven pillars, killed her beasts, mingled her wine.
She had furnished her table. I'm telling you, We're sitting here this morning
and we're eating. We're feasting. We're feasting
this morning. Here's a wedding feast. We're
feasting this morning on the bread of heaven. Feasting on
His flesh and on His blood. On His life and on His death.
And we eat. We have to eat every day. Three
times a day. And here we are, we've come this
morning to eat. Feasting at his table, just like
a bunch of Mephibosheths. Isn't that a precious title? That God would make a man or
a woman a Mephibosheth. What did Mephibosheth say to
David? He said, who am I? Like a dead dog, just a dog.
You could snuff me right out. Lord, thank You that You've allowed
me to be here. Thank You that You've given me
a heart that I would just want to come and just hear. Lord,
would You tell me something? Teach me. Here's what the Scripture
says concerning the building of wisdom's house and family. Verse 3, "...she hath sent forth
her maidens She sent forth her maidens. Remember the parable. Look over
in Matthew 22. Matthew 22. I won't read all
14 verses of it, but Matthew 22. Here's the parable that the Lord
set forth. It says in verse 1, Matthew 22,
And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables,
The kingdom of heaven is likened to a certain king which made
a marriage for his son." That's what the father has done. It
was the father that said concerning the son, it's not good that the
man should be alone. Lord, have you been pleased to set Your affection on me,
to make me a part of the Bride of Christ, that I might fellowship
and be where He is and be with Him and be, as the Scripture
says, bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh. Lord, You took
me out of Him. Lord, You chose me in Him. You've
made me what I am by the Kingdom of Heaven. likened to a certain
king which made a marriage for his son and sent forth his servants
to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would
not come." Almighty God, if you read that
whole parable, I'll tell you what it's going to say. God Almighty
sent forth the gospel first to the Jews, and they wouldn't come.
They rejected it. There were some. By and large,
they rejected it. despised his prophets, killed
them. He sent forth his servants again.
He said, they're not worthy. He sent forth and he told his
servants, you go in the highways and byways. And he called out
some Gentiles. And here this morning, here's
a few of them. By the grace of God, God's called out a few Gentiles. and that He would make me that
one that is one of His chosen, one of His elect. Let me not
take that title lightly, that God has shown mercy to this sinner. Wisdom, back in Proverbs, sent
forth her maidens. Sending forth the purity of the
message that they preach. They were maidens, symbolic maidens,
and they preach Christ. They preach one message. They
preach Christ. The Lord said, This is life eternal,
that they may know Thee. How are they going to know Thee?
To whom the Son will reveal Him. Father, You've hidden these things
from the wise and prudent, and You've revealed them unto babes.
And that's how you see yourself. I need to feast on Him, by Him,
sent forth the maidens. This is the preachers, God's
preachers, this is what they do. They preach Christ. They preach a pure message. They
don't preach they're maidens. They're not adulterers and adulteresses. They're not unfaithful. They
preach Christ. They preach Him. They preach
God's will in Christ. They preach Christ, His sacrifice. They preach Christ, His blood.
They preach Christ, His faithfulness. They preach Christ, His righteousness
imputed to me. They preach Christ. What about
yourself? We preach Christ. Oh, that I might be found in
Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law. She sent forth her maidens. And these maidens, verse 3, crying what wisdom cries. She
has sent forth her maidens, and she crieth upon the highest places
of the city." The maidens, sorry, they're the mouthpiece. They're
the mouthpiece. As John the Baptist said, I'm
just a voice. I'm just a voice. It's not my
message. It is my message being entrusted
with me, but this is not. Look at verse 1 of chapter 8
of Proverbs. Doth not wisdom cry, and understanding
put forth her voice?" What did the Lord say? My sheep hear my
voice. You know this message didn't
originate with me. I'm a messenger. Brother Scott's
a messenger. Who are we? Paul said, who are
we? We're just men that God has given a message. This is how
wisdom builds her house. This is how she does. She builds
her house. This is what wisdom has done. She's hewn out her
seven pillars. Wisdom killed her bees. Wisdom
mingled her wine. Wisdom furnished her table. And
what has wisdom done? She sent preachers. She sent some preachers. And
this is what they're going to do. They're going to preach.
What are they going to preach? They're going to preach just
exactly what wisdom has sent them to preach. Himself. That's what Paul said. We preach Christ. I'm determined
not to preach anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. Him putting away the guilt of
God's elect. Him satisfying God's law. I'm
going to preach Christ. I'm going to preach Christ. But what about what we're supposed
to do? If God gives you a heart, you'll
believe Him. You'll believe Him. And I'm telling you, you'll sit
at His table and you'll feast and you'll eat and you'll drink. Listen to what the maidens say
in verse 4. Whoso is simple. Who said that? Christ said it.
They're the mouthpiece. They're the mouthpiece. This
message is concerning Him. This is His voice as it is blessed
by the Spirit of God. Whoso is simple, let him turn
in hither. I want you to notice the gracious
invitation. This is the gracious invitation
that is sent by wisdom himself. If any man thirsts, let him come unto me. Listen to this. Whosoever will. Whosoever will. Now, I know and you know, I don't
have to qualify this. You've heard me long enough.
You know what I'm about to say. You know and I know that man
is dead in trespasses and sins. But if Almighty God makes a man
willing in the day of His power. We're not robots. We're not puppets
on a string that just move. God Almighty gives a man, gives
a woman a new heart. And you know what they do? They
do what they want to do. My people, thy people, shall
be willing in the day of your power. God gives them a new heart. And you know why they worship?
Because they want to. You know why they come? Because
they want to. You know why the simple, the
deceived, that's what it means, the deceived. Anybody simple,
whosoever, whoso is simple, whoever is deceived. And when the Lord reveals to
me, not only having been deceived, in trespasses and sins, but right
now I've got an old nature that wars against the nature of my
new mind. The presence of sin that wars
and strives against me. I am a simple, deceived in myself
man. I must be taught. Lord, teach me. If I knew everything, why would
I come back? I've already learned it all.
You've heard this message. I don't think I'm preaching anything
other than what Brother Scott's preached here for 55 years. This is the same message. Sovereign, grace, Christ, God's
honor, God's praise, God's glory, God's lamb, Christ's blood. Oh, but I'm so forgetful. I am
so simple. Anybody simple, let him turn
in hither. As for him that wanteth understanding,
those that in the continuing of that same thought that lacks, those that realizes their need,
Lord, You may teach me something today. Lord, You may be pleased
to open my eyes to a nugget of indescribable worth and worthiness
concerning Christ. Lord, would You teach me something
today? Lord, would You? I just need some comfort. Lord,
would You, by Your Spirit, would You speak to my heart? I've been disrespectful. I'm
sorry. Help me. Listen to those that have been
made to realize their simplicity and their lack of understanding. You know, we know in part. I
lack understanding. We know in part. We prophesy
in part. I remember telling Brother Scott
when I first came here, I said, you've forgotten, I'm sure, more
than I'll ever know. What do I know? There's no man, woman born in
Adam that knows everything. There was only one to whom the
Spirit, one man, God-man. as one, the Son of Man, to whom
the Spirit was given without measure." There was wisdom Himself, all the knowledge of God. Me,
I'm just simple, lack understanding. If God's given you a heart to
realize your desperate need to sit and listen. You want to do
that? You just want to come sit and
listen. I just want to be there. I just want to be there. David
said, if I could just be a keeper of the door. If you have a heart for that,
verse 5 says, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I
have mingled." Have you been made to realize your desperate
need? Listen to that glorious invitation. Come. Does anybody want to? Just come. Anybody desire to hear the gospel
of God's grace? Anybody want to hear any good
news? You want to hear some good news today? I think of the grave
responsibility. There's times that I will, it's
usually after I preach, but often before. But after I preach, I'll
go over that message in my mind, and I will re-preach it, and
I'll think, you know, I wish I'd have brought that scripture
out. You know, I wonder if I said that just right. I wonder if
I just... And I'll wear myself out. But I think to myself right now,
here is His invitation. Come. And I realize the weightiness
of the message that I preach and I truly desire to be honorable. I want to be. Lord, help me. But it's, as I've said before,
it's not the messenger. It's the message. Come, eat of
my bread. Eat of Christ. Lord, in spite
of this simple mouthpiece that lacks understanding, Lord, You
can speak. Lord, You bring honor to Yourself. Eat of Christ. You that have a new heart, you
know what I'm talking about. Eat of Him. Eat of His life.
Lord, that life that was lived before God Almighty for His law
that You live for me. praying in John 17, says this
to his father, and for their sakes I sanctify myself. Did he mean that he was going
to make himself more holy? No, no. He who is without spot and without
blemish, know what he said is this, I have set apart myself
And I've done that which I've done, walked absolutely holy
as man, their representative, and I've done it for them, not
his sake, their sakes. And for their sakes, I've sanctified
myself. Come, eat of that. Lord, if you give me a heart
for that, I'll do it. of the wine which I have mingled.
Lord, You lived and died for me. Put away my guilt. Lord, even in my little frail
mind, I hear that. I hear it right now. Lord, if
You take that message and You drive it to my heart and You
ignite my heart with it, I will rejoice in it. Otherwise, it
is just words. Just words. Eat of the flesh and drink of
the blood. Lord, You're going to have to
teach me that. I know it. I know it to will
is present with me, but how to accomplish that which I find
not. You know what? I need Him. I
need Him. Last verse. This is what wisdom
says. Forsake the foolish and live.
and go in the way of understanding. The foolish. What does that mean?
Well, I'll just sum it up real quick. Any and an unregenerated state.
Foolish. They're just foolish. The foolish place all their confidence
for eternal life in themselves. Their works of righteousness. Forsake the foolish and live. James said in 4.4, Ye adulterers
and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world
is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a
friend of the world is the enemy of God. See, the foolish make
a mockery. They mock sin. It's not that
big a deal. It's just not that big a deal.
They mock God. They mock His Christ. They mock His gospel.
They mock His people. They just shun Him. Pharaoh said, Who's God? Who's
the Lord that I should obey Him? I'm Pharaoh. Yeah, there you are for just
a minute. Just a minute. Forsake the foolish
and live. You know, if Almighty God by
His Spirit gives a man a heart to do that, that's by the grace
of God. You can't do that. Forsake the
foolish. How can you do that? The prophet said, Lord, you turn
me and I'll be turned. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
Lord. I believe. Help my unbelief.
You struggle with this. I mean, listen to these words.
Forsake the foolish and live. Do you know what it's going to
take to do that? It's going to take God Almighty. I mean to
tell you, we can talk big. I mean, we can talk like we're
somebody. But I'm going to tell you something. For those that
God's called out of darkness that's sitting here this morning,
You are just a bunch of beggars realizing that I can't do that
unless God Almighty does it. Forsake the foolish and live
and go in the way of understanding. I want that. I believe I do. I believe I do. I want to walk
after Him. I do. If you don't keep me, I'm
going to do just like so many that have sat for a while under
the gospel and went out and never came back.
Lord, keep me. I need you. Lord, you're the
one that builds your house. You made all the preparation.
You hewn the pillars. You killed the beast. You mingled
the wine. You furnished the tables. You
sent the preachers. You gave them a message. Lord, you're going to have to
give me a heart to believe. And you're going to have to keep
me. Lord, would you have mercy on
this frail creature who in himself is a beggar? But oh, the honor
in Christ of being made a beggar. Paul, a servant of God, called
to be an apostle. Oh, the majesty of Him who has
given His people all things for Christ's sake. for our good. Amen, Gary.