True Blessings: Wisdom, Relationship, and Eternal Life

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound concept of blessings, as outlined in Proverbs 3:13-18. The essence of being blessed is often misconstrued in our modern context, where material possessions and external achievements are seen as the primary indicators of a blessed life. However, Solomon's wisdom offers a different perspective, emphasizing that true blessings are found in wisdom and understanding, which are gifts from God. This wisdom is not merely intellectual but is deeply rooted in a relationship with God, leading to a life of obedience and alignment with His will.

The Hebrew words for blessed, "osere" and "barak," highlight a state of happiness and favor from God, respectively. While material possessions can bring temporary happiness, they are not the ultimate measure of a blessed life. True blessings are a response to receiving God's favor, which is most profoundly experienced through a relationship with Him. This relationship is the greater blessing, transcending material wealth and leading to eternal life.

We are reminded that the ultimate blessing is not in the abundance of possessions but in the possession of eternal life through Christ. This eternal perspective shifts our focus from temporary gains to the lasting joy and peace found in a life aligned with God's wisdom. The call to obedience is not about legalism but about living a life that reflects our love for God and our desire to walk in His ways.

Key Takeaways:

- True blessings are found in wisdom and understanding, which come from God. This wisdom leads to a life of obedience and alignment with God's will, offering a deeper sense of fulfillment than material possessions can provide. [41:15]

- The Hebrew words for blessed, "osere" and "barak," emphasize a state of happiness and favor from God. While material possessions can bring temporary happiness, they are not the ultimate measure of a blessed life. [31:56]

- The ultimate blessing is a relationship with God, which transcends material wealth and leads to eternal life. This eternal perspective shifts our focus from temporary gains to lasting joy and peace. [01:08:22]

- Obedience to God's word is foundational to experiencing His blessings. This obedience is not about legalism but about living a life that reflects our love for God and our desire to walk in His ways. [59:50]

- Material blessings are temporary and cannot sustain true satisfaction. The greater blessing is the possession of eternal life through Christ, which offers a lasting sense of fulfillment and joy. [01:18:52]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:56] - Introduction to Blessings
[41:15] - Understanding True Blessings
[51:56] - The Role of Obedience
[59:50] - The Foundation of God's Word
[01:08:22] - The Greater Blessing
[01:13:00] - Redemption and Salvation
[01:18:52] - Eternal Perspective
[01:21:34] - Contentment in Christ
[01:26:34] - The Value of the Kingdom
[01:30:51] - Walking in Obedience
[01:34:34] - Prayer and Reflection
[01:37:08] - Communion and Closing

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Seeking the Greater Blessing

Bible Reading:
- Proverbs 3:13-18

Observation Questions:
1. According to Proverbs 3:13-18, what are the benefits of finding wisdom and understanding?
2. How does the sermon describe the difference between material blessings and the blessings of wisdom? [31:56]
3. What Hebrew words are used in the sermon to describe the concept of being blessed, and what do they mean? [41:15]
4. How does the sermon explain the relationship between obedience to God and experiencing His blessings? [59:50]

Interpretation Questions:
1. Why does the sermon emphasize that true blessings are found in wisdom and understanding rather than material possessions? [31:56]
2. How does the sermon suggest that our modern understanding of blessings might differ from the biblical perspective presented in Proverbs? [41:15]
3. In what ways does the sermon connect the concept of blessings to a relationship with God and eternal life? [01:08:22]
4. How does the sermon explain the role of obedience in experiencing God's blessings, and how does this differ from legalism? [59:50]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life: Do you often equate blessings with material possessions? How can you shift your perspective to value wisdom and understanding more? [31:56]
2. The sermon mentions that true blessings come from a relationship with God. How can you deepen your relationship with God this week to experience these blessings? [01:08:22]
3. Consider a time when you felt blessed. Was it due to material gain or a deeper understanding of God's wisdom? How did that experience impact your faith journey? [41:15]
4. The sermon highlights the importance of obedience to God's word. What specific steps can you take to align your life more closely with God's will? [59:50]
5. How can you cultivate a mindset that values eternal life and spiritual blessings over temporary material gains? What changes might you need to make in your daily life to support this mindset? [01:18:52]
6. Identify an area in your life where you struggle with obedience to God. What practical steps can you take to overcome this challenge and experience His blessings more fully? [59:50]
7. The sermon encourages us to find contentment in Christ regardless of our circumstances. How can you practice contentment this week, especially in areas where you feel lacking? [01:21:34]

Devotional

Day 1: Wisdom as the True Blessing
True blessings are found in wisdom and understanding, which come from God. This wisdom leads to a life of obedience and alignment with God's will, offering a deeper sense of fulfillment than material possessions can provide. [41:15]

"Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her." (Proverbs 3:13-15, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you seek wisdom from God rather than relying on your own understanding or material success? How can you actively pursue this wisdom today?


Day 2: Happiness and Favor from God
The Hebrew words for blessed, "osere" and "barak," emphasize a state of happiness and favor from God. While material possessions can bring temporary happiness, they are not the ultimate measure of a blessed life. [31:56]

"Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'" (Jeremiah 9:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt truly blessed. Was it due to material possessions or a deeper sense of God's favor and presence in your life? How can you cultivate that sense of divine favor today?


Day 3: The Ultimate Blessing of Eternal Life
The ultimate blessing is a relationship with God, which transcends material wealth and leads to eternal life. This eternal perspective shifts our focus from temporary gains to lasting joy and peace. [01:08:22]

"And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3, ESV)

Reflection: How does the promise of eternal life through Christ change your perspective on your current challenges and pursuits? What steps can you take to deepen your relationship with God today?


Day 4: Obedience as a Reflection of Love
Obedience to God's word is foundational to experiencing His blessings. This obedience is not about legalism but about living a life that reflects our love for God and our desire to walk in His ways. [59:50]

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever." (John 14:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you demonstrate your love for God through obedience today? Is there a specific command or teaching of Jesus that you feel called to follow more closely?


Day 5: Eternal Fulfillment in Christ
Material blessings are temporary and cannot sustain true satisfaction. The greater blessing is the possession of eternal life through Christ, which offers a lasting sense of fulfillment and joy. [01:18:52]

"Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." (John 6:27, ESV)

Reflection: What are some material pursuits or desires that you need to let go of in order to focus on the eternal fulfillment found in Christ? How can you prioritize your spiritual growth and relationship with Jesus today?

Quotes

"One of the things you might have noticed is right out the back, Solomon says to his son, as he continues to give his son these instructions, is right out the back, he says, hey, blessed. He starts off describing what a blessed person is, a blessed person, somebody who finds wisdom, who obtains understanding. Quite different than how we typically talk about blessing. Quite different than how we typically look at the blessed person. Typically we look at the blessed person as the person with an abundance of possessions, the abundance of wealth, the abundance of anything." [00:33:54] (33 seconds)


"This idea of blessed or osere is this word that literally means, again, to a state of happiness. It's a state of being, right? Think about it as in the sense of you got a new car, you are blessed. You got a new job, you are blessed. You got a new boo, or you in a relationship, or you got a healthy family, or whatever the case may be, you are blessed. Somebody will look at the acquiring of something, and they might say to you, oh, you're so blessed for that, right?" [00:35:29] (29 seconds)


"Obedience to the command of God is how we become blessed. So when you go back to the beginning and we're already established, a state from being happy versus receiving the favor, you understand how we receive the favor and then get this state of happiness. But the favor of God follows those who obeys him. It's a promise of God. And here's what I love, though. It is a promise of God that those who obey him will be blessed." [00:46:55] (26 seconds)


"Sometimes God looks at us in our mess and our foolishness, and he still doesn't withhold blessings from us because he wants us to come to him. He wants us to know, I know I'm foul and I don't deserve this, but yet you gave it to me anyway. How good of a God must you be that I'm wicked, I'm foul, and you still have been merciful to me, and that is supposed to produce a gratitude in us that causes us to say, to wake up again from our sin stupor, to wake up and say, you know what, Lord? I surrender." [00:49:17] (34 seconds)


"Meditation on the law of the Lord is that I keep the word continually on my mouth. I keep the word continually, not empty thoughts, but thinking on the scriptures throughout the day. I read something now all day long. I'm constantly thinking and reciting what it is that I read and what it is that the Lord said to me throughout the day, right? That is how we take what we read and apply it to our daily life. You don't close the Bible. You go about your life meditating on whatever devotional words you heard from the Lord as you keep going." [00:52:42] (32 seconds)


"Notice the tree of life is back. It's in the new heavens. It's in the new earth. It's the picture that we go back to Eden, right? It's the picture that that blessed state that we were in before we fell, before Adam fell, and Adam we fell too, that all who put their faith in Christ Jesus, we return back to Eden, back to the garden of God, back to the temple of God, back to the dwelling place of God, where we now see him again as he is, face to face, unveiled. We are blessed not by the abundance of our possessions, but by, but through our possession of eternal life in Christ." [01:16:34] (40 seconds)


"All that we receive, all the material rewards, they, they fade, but the eternal reward of salvation does not. First Peter 1, 4 -5, that we obtain an inheritance, which is what? Imperishable, undefiled, and it will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are protected by the power of God through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Nothing compares to the reward of wisdom, because everything else fades, but not a reward of salvation. Solomon has an eternal perspective in mind when he's talking to his son." [01:17:52] (35 seconds)


"Jesus here is addressing the person who focuses so much on the material blessings that they won't give it up. Hey, if you want to know who your treasure is, just think in your head of the thing that you got to give up to walk with the Lord. And maybe he ain't even called you to give it up yet. But just think of that thing that is like, man, if he said that, this is going to be tough. Whatever it was, that's your treasure." [01:25:00] (27 seconds)


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Transcript
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