Old Testament Lesson; Proverbs 8:22-35
Epistle Lesson; Colossians 1:21-29
Gospel Lesson; Luke 10:38-42
Sermon Text; Colossians 1:21-29

This past week was, (as you have seen so far in our service today), Vacation Bible School Week, here at Holy Cross. One of the familiar sections of scripture (which was one of the lessons shared with the VBS kids) was the story of Mary and Martha.

As Jesus came to the house of Mary and Martha, (as we heard in our Gospel Lesson for today), it was Martha who became distracted by all of the things that she wanted to do for Jesus. It was Mary who was sitting at Jesus' feet, soaking up the wisdom from His Word. That is when Martha looked at Jesus and asked for Him to tell Mary to come and help her. And then we hear the familiar words from Jesus, "Martha, Martha." It was Mary who had chosen the one thing that is needed. It is Mary who was sitting down at the feet of Jesus, and she was soaking up that wisdom that Jesus had to share. And that is the wisdom from God's Word.

Today, as we gather together for worship, our Gospel Lesson contained that very same story that our Vacation Bible School youth heard this past week. Not only does our Gospel Lesson, but actually, all three of our lessons for today focus on wisdom and the wisdom we have from God's Word. Take for example our Old Testament Lesson for today, from Proverbs chapter 8, particularly, as you look at the last few verses there, it lays out for us the wisdom that we have from God's Word. Beginning at verse 32,

"Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD."

So today, as we gather together for worship, it is my encouragement for all of us to hold on to wisdom. Let's look at it, really, in these three ways. Let's see what we were like before we had the wisdom of God's Word. Then, let's look at how we are now, having heard the wisdom of God's Word. And finally, let's also look into the future and see what is there, for us, in the future.

But first, let me back up for a second. How many of you (and you are probably going to be 35 years old or older if you raise your hand for this) but, how many of you remember what life was like before a microwave came into existence? You know what life was like before microwaves. You now know what life is like with a microwave. And you can't imagine what life would be like without it. It is something that we love, and something that we depend upon.

Think about that in the same way with God's Word. There was a time in our life, before we had the wisdom of God's Word. We now have the wisdom of God's Word in our lives right now, and it is almost hard to believe what life would be like without the wisdom that we oh so cherish from God's Word.

And so, let's start today by looking at what life was like before we had the wisdom of God's Word. For some of you, this may be a matter of mere minutes or days, if you were baptized right after you were born. For others, this may be a couple of decades before the wisdom of God came into our hearts through the hearing of God’s Word. The Apostle Paul reminds us of who we were, before we had the wisdom of God's Word. And note, the two titles that he uses to tell us who we were. He says that we were aliens. And he also calls us enemies of God. Before we had the wisdom of God's Word, we were aliens and we were God's enemies. The reason we are enemies of God and aliens is because we are sinners, born of sinners. The Bible tells us,

"Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me."

The Bible goes on to say,

"The sinful mind is hostile to God."

Before we had the wisdom of God, we were His enemies. And without the wisdom of God's Word, we are simply blind, dead, and enemies of God.

Now we need to look no farther than the author of our text for this morning to see an example of someone before he had the wisdom of God's Word. The apostle Paul wrote these words. (Before he was the apostle Paul, he was Saul.) Straight from ‘the horse's mouth,’ the apostle Paul says, "I persecuted the church of God."

We also know the example of Saul on the road on the way to Damascus, when Jesus came to him and said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

This is an example of someone before he had the wisdom of God's Word.

Now, so too, with us. Before we have the wisdom of God's Word, (and even now, as we have the wisdom of God's Word), we are sinners who do not obey God's commands, perfectly. Let me just share with you two examples. The Fourth Commandment says, "Honor your father and your mother." When we don't honor our father and our mother, when we grumble and complain, listen to what God's Word says that we are.

"He who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted."

By breaking the Fourth Commandment, we are enemies of God.

Or, take for example the Second Commandment. The Second Commandment says, "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." When we take God's name and use it as a curse word, we are God's enemies. The Bible says,

"The Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His Name."

We are God's enemies. We are guilty. We deserve to be separated from God for all eternity, in Hell. That is what we are like before we have the wisdom of God's Word in our life. But now, as the wisdom of God's Word has come to us, there is a great and awesome change that takes place in our lives. Wisdom has been disclosed to us. The one thing that is needed has been revealed to us, through God's Word and that is our Savior, Jesus. The Bible tells us that God's Word is able to make us wise for salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus.

God's Word reminds us of what it is that our Savior, Jesus, did for us, in order to forgive us of all of our sin. There are two simple things that the Bible reminds us. First of all, Jesus lived a perfect life for us. Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not.

Now, let's go back to those two commandments that I stated, just a little bit ago. Not only did Jesus keep all of the commandments for us, but He also kept the Fourth Commandment - honor your father and your mother. The Bible tells us that Jesus was obedient to His parents. Jesus also kept the Second Commandment for us. He did not take God's name and use it as a curse word, but He used God's name in prayer and praise.

Secondarily, Jesus took that perfect life to the cross and there, Jesus offered up His perfect life, in death, as a sacrifice for our salvation. How awesome it is that our Savior, Jesus, lived the perfect life that we could not. And how awesome it is that Jesus took that perfect life to the cross and there died to give to me and to give to you the forgiveness of all of our sin.

The wisdom of God's Word has so touched you, has so come into your heart that you now know that Jesus is your Savior.

The wisdom of God's Word though, also helps us to see whether statements that are spoken are true or false. For example, recently in the newspapers we have heard statements that have come out of the Papacy, in Rome. Those statements have said that salvation is found only in the Catholic Church. Now, as we hear that statement, we can compare it with what God's Word says, and see if it is a true statement, or a false statement. God's Word says, "Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Him."

And so, we know from God's Word that anyone who believes only in Jesus as their Savior, is saved, whether they are in the Catholic Church or whether they are outside of the Catholic Church. The wisdom of God's Word has come to us, and it helps us to discern what is true and what is false.

Now, what does the wisdom of God's Word contain for your future? Well, the wisdom of God's Word for you, right now, has given to you the forgiveness of all of your sin. Which means, when we look into the future, the forgiveness of sins leads to our eternal life, our salvation in Heaven. In keeping with this very section of scripture, particularly with the phrase at the end of our text for today, to "present everyone perfect in Christ."

Pastor Kuschel in a commentary on the book of Colossians in one paragraph says, "Paul preached Christ with the great aim of bringing souls to know and believe in Jesus and be saved. He did not neglect the spiritual growth of those who had already been brought to faith. He wanted to present everyone perfect in Christ. We are still sinners. We will not reach perfection in our faith and lives, here on earth. So, we need to press on and to strive constantly to grow toward full maturity in Christ. We need to work to maintain our faith and to grow in our Christian living. To help us achieve this growing and maturing, we need constant thorough instruction in God's Word."

This past week was Vacation Bible School, here at Holy Cross. This past week the youth were able to come and sit at the feet of Jesus, and there really soak up the wisdom from God's Word. We too this morning have had that wonderful opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus and to be reminded of the wisdom of God's Word, that one thing that is needed. God's Word is able to make you wise for salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus. And so, let us hold on to that wisdom.

Amen.