While studying for my sermon last week in John 6, I was struck afresh by just how foolish and offensive it must seem to believe in a broken, bloodied, crucified Messiah. Yet that is precisely what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:23: “But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness.” Just a few verses later, Paul declares,

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

As I read these verses last Saturday night, it occurred to me they really do summarize my salvation, and explain God’s whole redemptive history recorded in the Bible.

Why did God set His favor on an obscure Chaldean named Abram? Why did God choose a lowly, young shepherd boy named David to become king of Israel? Why did he use a harlot named Rahab? Why did Jesus minister in the rural region of Capernaum? Why did He choose lowly fishermen for disciples? Why did the Messiah arrive in a manger, and why did He die on a cross? Because again, and again, and again in the Scriptures, God chose the foolish, and the weak, and the base, so that no man may boast. God alone deserves the praise and glory for my salvation. His redemptive story, from beginning to end, is an exciting drama of mystery and grace!

Treasure hunting is a risky business. A few strike it rich, while many others come out empty handed. Mel Fisher was one of those who had just the right mix of perseverance, luck, and ingenuity to make a fortune.

In 1969, Fisher began searching for the famous Spanish galleon Atocha. For two years, he scoured the Atlantic for any signs of the ship, and in 1971, he found his first clue: a few silver coins. Two years later, three silver bars were discovered. Fisher knew he was on the right track. After two more years, he discovered five bronze cannons, clearly marked with the name Atocha. But it took a total of 16 years and 60 million dollars before Fisher’s crew finally found what they were looking for. On July 2, 1985, Mel’s son Kane exclaimed, “Put away the charts; we’ve found the main pile!”

The Atocha was called “the shipwreck of the century,” yielding hundreds of millions of dollars, and compared by some to the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. Now, most of us will never find buried treasure, either by land or by sea. (I did find a $20 bill at the county fair one year, but that was probably the extent of my treasure hunting adventures.) There is another kind of treasure, however, which we all can obtain – a treasure which surpasses any earthly riches, and which endures beyond this life. It is a treasure called “wisdom,” and the treasure map is found in the Book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 3:13-15 says, “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her.” King Solomon says that you are truly blessed when you “strike it rich” by finding wisdom.

Have you found the treasure of wisdom? In the opening verses of Proverbs, King Solomon mentions three different kinds of people. Which one describes you?

• The foolish man. According to Proverbs 1:7, “Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” A fool is someone who ignores God’s Word, is defensive when confronted, and does what is right in his own eyes. The fool wanders astray, associates with the wrong crowd, lacks self-discipline, and is notorious for saying stupid things. It’s very dangerous to remain anywhere near a fool. As one proverb puts it, “Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction.”

• The wise man. On the other end of the spectrum is the wise man. Proverbs 1:5 says, “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.” Whereas the fool runs from truth, the wise man actively listens. He is humble, teachable, and eager to learn. He carefully weighs decisions and never stops learning. He learns from his mistakes rather than justifying them. The very first step toward wisdom is the “fear of the LORD” (Proverbs 1:7), i.e. a holy trembling, reverence, honor, and obedience toward God. We all should aspire to be wise, but there is one other kind of person which may describe you.

• The simple man. In Proverbs 1:4, Solomon says the purpose of his book is “to give prudence to the naïve, to the youth knowledge and discretion.” The Hebrew root for “simple” (or “naïve”) means to “have an open door.” The simple is someone who is easily influenced, seduced, and swayed. They lack discernment and are kindergartners in the academy of wisdom, wandering aimlessly along and very vulnerable to error and deception. Unfortunately, many Christians remain simple their whole lives, being “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14).

By the grace of God, let’s make sure we are not characterized by simplicity or downright foolishness, but by a steadily increasing wisdom. Let us humbly acknowledge our need for wisdom, as Solomon did in 1 Kings 3. Let us treasure and diligently study the Word of God which “makes the simple wise” (Ps. 19:7). And let us cling forever to Jesus Christ, the very One in whom “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).

A couple years ago, I read an article called “The Dreaded Christian Table” that has been forever etched into my mind. It testified to the careless, stingy manners of many Christians in restaurants, and that Christians, in general, have a bad reputation as being terrible tippers. Here’s an excerpt:

When other servers got word that I had the “Church table” they all immediately patted me on the back and told me everything would be all right. My “non-Christian” co-workers automatically volunteered to help me out because they knew what was coming. They told me that I might as well not waste my time by trying hard at this table, because they were going to be rude and leave me next to nothing. The entire staff at the restaurant, including the manager on duty, had nothing but contempt for this group of people—the Church people—because time and again they come in and treat the staff like second-class citizens.

In a separate blog, a young man writes,

When I delivered pizza in college, I had a rotten feeling everytime I went to a door that had a fish outside or one of those ‘as for me and my house …’ plaques outside the front door.

Another guy I went to school with worked parking at what was then Starwood Ampitheatre in Nashville. He said his worst experience ever wasn’t Metallica or the rock shows but an Amy Grant concert.

What a tragedy! The Bible says “whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). Surely, behaving rudely or leaving a lousy tip is not honoring to God. In 1 Timothy 6:16-18, Paul exhorts, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share…”

If I leave a shabby tip, I might rationalize it is good stewardship, but in all reality, I’m missing an opportunity to give generously and reward a laborer who is worthy of his wages. Worse yet, I’m damaging my Christian witness. Our actions speak louder than words. I can smile, be friendly, pray in public, and leave a tract at the end of the meal. But if I don’t accompany all of those little gospel seeds with a reasonable tip, then I’ve probably just driven that person further from the gospel. Not sure who deserves a tip, or how much is “reasonable?” Check out this “Tipping Etiquette” article. I have bookmarked it and refer to it often.

Generosity is important for all Christians, but especially for us pastors. We must model good tipping. God is watching. Our church members are watching. And that waiter is watching. Why not surprise him by tipping a little extra? Let’s tip to the glory of God, and for the spread of the gospel!

Fridays are often dedicated to practical church ministry issues. If you have a question or suggested topic for the future, please email me.