1. Sermon: The Need for Wisdom in an Unfair Crooked World

2. Mark Twain

3. Example of the Unfairness of Life Under the Sun  The righteous die prematurely but the life of the wicked is prolonged.

4. Two Negative Instructions 1)Do not be overly righteous 2)Do not be overly wicked

5. Meaning of the Two Instructions 1) Instruction of Righteousness : Do not be self-righteous and expect God to give you a long and smooth trouble-free life because of your righteous deeds.

6. Meaning of the Two Instructions 2)Instruction of Wickedness: Do not give yourself to abandoned reckless wickedness and expect God to just let it go.

7. Solomon’s Answer to Unfairness in a Crooked World  Fear God properly and you will avoid the extremes of self- righteousness and reckless wickedness.

8. Truths of Wisdom To Live By in an Unfair Crooked World 1)Wisdom gives strength to the wise man. 2)It is wise to realize that everyone has sinned and there is no one righteous – not one! 3)The search for wisdom is a lifelong quest.

9. Solomon’s Finding in His Quest for Wisdom  The world is crooked and unfair because of the depravity of our hearts.

10. Solomon’s Final Discovery  God made all humans perfect and upright but of our own wickedness we have chosen to rebel against God. See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes. (Ecc. 7:29)

11. What is the Only Answer to the Depraved Human Heart?  The only answer to the depraved human heart is Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God!

12. Romans 6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

13. Romans 6 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

14. Romans 6 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

15. Blaise Pascal  Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride.  Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair.  Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because he shows us both God and our own wretchedness.