Grace and peace are yours through the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of the Holy One. Amen.

Almighty and eternal God, enable those who do not acknowledge Christ to receive the truth of the gospel. Make them wise for salvation. Help us as members of your Church, to grow wisdom and understanding, and to grow in love for you and for one another, so that we become more perfect witnesses of your love for all people. Amen.

Today we start a new sermon series called "Carry Your Christianity With You." Just like you bring your lunchbox to school or your briefcase to work or the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to your kids at home, so you should always be carrying your Christianity with you.

Christianity isn’t something you leave behind when exit the church on Sunday morning. It isn’t a cross you carry once in a while. It is a daily occurrence, a mindset, a way of life.

Today we learn from Solomon in our Proverbs text that we carry our Christianity with us as we learn the lesson of wisdom. Solomon teaches us that the wise can be wiser still. The wise fear the Lord. And the wise will be rewarded.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived gives some wise advice in verse 8: "Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you." The mocker is another description of a biblical fool. He is an arrogant person who refuses to listen to the godly counsel of others because he is never wrong. Mockers reject the advice of Scripture, because, to them, the Bible seems "unscientific" or because the morals seem "repressive" and "old-fashioned" or because the way of salvation seems "irrational."

The mocker rejects God’s wisdom. He belittles it and insults it. He calls it a crutch for the weak, or foolishness, or a waste of time. Jesus used a striking picture to illustrate this: "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6) In ancient Israel, the unclean street dogs were nothing but scavengers. Pigs were unclean animals. Some wicked people simply will not listen to God’s Word. They despise it, mock it, trample all over it.

On the other hand, a scripturally and spiritually wise person appreciates having his sins pointed out. As painful as this is, he doesn’t feel threatened by such revelations. On the contrary, he is happy to know of his sin so that he may repent of it and turn to his Savior for forgiveness and new life. The scripturally wise are those who desire what God desires. The spiritually wise are also aware that they do not live up to God’s perfect standards. They humbly recognize their weaknesses. They are not wise because they are "smarter" than other people. Their wisdom lies in God’s gift of repentant hearts, which the Lord has spiritually renewed.

Sad to say, most people do reject wisdom’s invitation. Jesus tells us in his parable of the wedding feast, "For many are invited, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14) A wise man isn’t like that. He gladly receives the invitation. And he is open to the correction of God’s Word. May we, by God’s grace, never become proud and "above" rebuke! Rather, may we always be open to correction and instruction, especially in spiritual truths.

Solomon continues in verse 9: "Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning." The wise person is also willing and eager to learn more, to become the student and listen. Though he is wise, he has not run out of space for wisdom. The wise man knows he has never arrived at the end of his journey when it comes to learning, especially in learning about God and his Word. The journey is never ending. Even in repetition there is room for growth in wisdom.

No matter who you are, there is room to grow in your wisdom of God’s Word. The more you know, the better prepared you are. That is why we have Bible classes designed specifically for each of you. There are Sunday morning adult classes, confirmation classes, Sunday school and nursery classes. There are women’s Bible studies, teen classes, and much more.

You may think that you already know enough about the Bible, but knowledge and wisdom are two different things. Knowledge means that you know about something. Wisdom means that you know how something works, how to apply your knowledge, and how to teach your knowledge to somebody else. For example, I learned from my dad how to fix things with baler twine, wire and duct tape, but those are not the wisest ways to fix everything. I have the knowledge to measure, cut and sand a board, but not the wisdom to make a grandfather clock. I know that if I turn on a light switch, the light goes on, but I don’t have the wisdom to teach my daughters how to rewire my basement.

You may have enough knowledge of the Bible to get into heaven, but do you have the wisdom to console your friend when she is dealing with a messy divorce, brain tumors, and a son killed in Iraq? You studied the commandments way back in confirmation class, but do you have the wisdom to debate your secular, atheist professor when he starts lecturing that there is no God, no absolutes, and no set truths? You know Jesus as your Savior, but do you know how to effectively witness that knowledge to a "foolish" unbelieving friend who is on the path to hell?

The wise will be wiser still. The rich get richer. As Jesus said of those who trusted in him and listened to his parables: "For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance." (Matthew 25:29) The more one knows God’s Word, the more one trusts God’s promises, follows God’s ways, accepts the crosses God sends, and is generally prepared for this life and the next. I will see you in Bible study and Sunday school, because the wise will be wiser still.

The wise also fear the Lord. Solomon tells us: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." The phrase "the fear of the Lord" means that you have a healthy respect for God. You recognize God’s greatness, his vastness, and his awesome power. A wise person is comforted by God’s greatness. The foolish person is terrified by God’s greatness. The foolish person is horrified that God will use his awesome power against him in judgment. On the other hand, the wise person has faith that God is using his awesome power to work everything out for his eternal benefit. This brings him an entirely new view of life. He evaluates everything he sees and everything that happens to him through his fear of the Lord.

Likewise, knowledge of the Holy One leads to understanding. Some people are tempted to regard Bible study, as a rather dry, academic, and impractical use of one’s time. Yet as we know more about God, as we learn more about his nature, as we get an increasingly accurate and balanced picture of him, then we can make more sense of our life. The Holy One explains our source, our purpose, and our destiny. He is our peace and comfort. He teaches us right from wrong. He teaches us we are sinners in need of a Savior. He teaches us that all our righteous acts are like filthy rags, but that we have been washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. Without knowledge of the Holy One, we could understand none of this.

Bob had recently been widowed. He had had a normal working life and was now retired. He had straight rows of lettuces and potatoes in an attractive garden. His car was well polished. His family got along well with him. He was an active part of the community. He was a smart, pleasant man. Yet, there was something missing in this Bob’s life. What was it? He had no apparent regard for God. God was not a factor at all in his life. Bob had reinvented his life – Sunday was about getting straight rows of lettuce instead of getting his life straightened out with God.

We cannot and are not going to find wisdom, understanding, and lasting happiness away from the Lord. The wise fear the Lord.

The third point Solomon makes as we learn the lesson of wisdom is that the wise will be rewarded. 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 carmaker 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. Wisdom will be rewarded.

Although, you certainly can be paid well for your wisdom, Solomon isn’t talking only about financial rewards. He writes: "If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer." There is a huge difference between the folly of the mocker and the spiritual wisdom of the wise. Folly leads to death. Solomon writes in verse 18: "But little do [the foolish] know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave." Folly is the entrance to the grave and the gate of hell. Those who enter expect to find pleasure and freedom, but find destruction and death instead.

The opposite is true for the wise who follow Jesus. Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Solomon writes: "For through [God] your days will be many, and years will be added to your life." Godly wisdom leads people toward godly living. Following biblical wisdom means living a healthier lifestyle, which, in a way, prolongs our life. But it’s really God who decides. The ultimate prolonging of life is the eternal life that is ours through Christ.

The idea that God’s ways lead to life is not just wishful thinking; it is reality here and now. Science is finding that those who follow God and learn the lesson of wisdom find a longer and fuller life. According to the Southern Medical Journal, alcohol abuse is highest among those with little or no religious commitment. Researchers have found that the single best predictor of whether young people will become involved in substance abuse is the importance of religion in their lives. Recent studies state that decreased levels of depression and stress are found in people with strong religious faith. People who do not attend church are four times more likely to commit suicide than those who attend frequently. Marital stability and satisfaction is stronger among those who practice their faith. Medical studies linking physical health and longevity are directly linked to the practice of religion in a person’s life. This does not mean that everyone attends church and has a deep faith is healthy and has a good marriage, but it does mean that it is far more true for these people than others. The wise will be rewarded with life.

The wisdom of God may lengthen our life and make it more enjoyable here on earth, but God’s wisdom first and foremost makes us "wise for salvation." (2 Timothy 3:15) Since it teaches us that Jesus Christ is our Savior who forgives our sins, it infinitely extends our days and years into eternal life.

Two choices face us. Two claims of truth. Two worldviews: the way of Wisdom or the way of Folly. The wise choose to be wiser still. The wise choose to fear God and follow him. They choose to avoid deception and believe in God’s truth. The wise will be rewarded. They are rewarded with a blessed life here on earth and especially eternal life in heaven. Carry your Christianity with you. Learn the lesson of wisdom. Wisdom has earthly and eternal benefits. Amen.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Amen. (Proverbs 9:10)