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The Wisdom Of God10 POINTS OF PRACTICAL WISDOM FOR HAPPIER LIVING1. Give something away (no strings attached).2. Do a kindness (and forget it).3. Spend a few minutes with someone older then you (their experience can be priceless).4. Look intently into the face of a baby (and marvel).5. Laugh and smile often –(it takes less muscles and people will wonder about you).6. Give thanks and count your blessings (a thousand times a day is not enough).7. Pray (or you will lose the way).8. Work (with vim and vigor).9. Plan as though you will live forever (because you will).10. Live as though you will die tomorrow (because you will die on some tomorrow).Wisdom is something we hopefully will gain as we go through life. Wisdom has been called the application of knowledge. If knowledge information, wisdom is the application of that information. Someone once said. “A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew.” And “Wisdom is the quality that keeps you from getting into situations where you need it.” The bible has well over 400 direct references to wisdom. Four books of the bible are called “wisdom books.” Psalms, gives us great wisdom like. Ps 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. We read bout Solomon – who when God told him he would give him what ever he desired, he chose wisdom. So God blessed Solomon with great wisdom. So much that leaders came from around the world to sit at his feet and learn from him. He wrote the book of proverbs is compiles much of his wisdom- in fact he wrote that purpose of the book. Prov 1:1-4 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young. Proverbs is a book written so that we might live wisely, might have prudence and discretion in this life. The bible speaks more about wisdom. Eph 5:15-16 Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. To live carefully, live wisely because the days are evil. The world is full of evil and those who trust God live a cautious life, a careful life, a wise life. As we continue our studies in 1 Corinthians we have come to the latter part of chapter one where Paul begins to speak about wisdom. But he is not talking about our wisdom or even gaining wisdom, rather he contrasts the wisdom of men to the wisdom of God-when it comes to our salvation. That God’s plan, God’s wisdom - is foolish to the wisdom of this world – and the wisdom of this world is foolish to God. Speaking about wisdom. I read a few years ago about when the great auto maker Henry Ford had 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. Shocked, the rather tightfisted Ford, asked 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. READ THE TEXT 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-25 THE WISDOM OF GODThe central message of 1 Corinthians is the central message of the bible. Jesus Christ and what he has done. Here Paul begins to lay a foundation for these first century Christians so they will keep their focus on the Lord and not on anything else. So Paul contrast the wisdom of men, to the wisdom of God.
Have you ever known a really wise person? Maybe it was a woman who just had relationships down. She was able to keep the peace in the family, her house was always in order, she just seemed to know what to do in every situation. Maybe is was a man, perhaps older, and he just had an intuition to do the right thing all the time. Someone once said. “A truly wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Nobody lives long enough to make them all himself.” Here in our text we learn that when it comes to the things of the Spirit, man’s wisdom does not work. The conventional wisdom, the wisdom of men and women is that: “If you want to get right with God, do something.” Be good, do good things, and if your good enough then God will accept you and all you have done. But that wisdom falls short. Man’s wisdom says we can earn our way to God. Here in 1 Corinthians the Apostle Paul is dealing with that kind of thinking. The Greeks in Corinth sought truth through philosophy but philosophy usually deals only with life and our time on earth. Today the predominate philosophies are "live and let live", or "I'm ok you ok". “Don't speak to me about God, that’s your thing.” “Don't tell me I need Christ because I have everything I need now.” Philosophy at the core assumes that there is nothing after death. It deals with material things, “gain it all” is the predominate philosophy of our day. Or “deny yourself everything” -- that seems to be the real spiritual thing. Either way philosophy deals with life and material things. One great philosopher once said: "The only problem with philosophy is death." How do we deal with death? If for this life, I've got it all figured out, what happens when this life is over? You can't ask a dead man, they don't talk, you can't turn to religion, that is foolishness, because there can not be a God. This is the ultimate wisdom of the world. The world we live in today is exactly like the times in Corinth, men and women will seek to fulfill their lives by the pursuit of materialism, chasing after carnal pleasures, or philosophical understanding of life. But all these lead to temporary satisfaction and eventually emptiness. Man in all his wisdom, comes to an eternity of hopelessness. He tries to eliminate God because in his heart, man does not want to bow before anyone. He wants to be master of his own fate, captain of his own ship. The great Greek philosopher Socrates had no answers. He once said, in his search for truth, "Oh that someone would arise, man or god, to show us God." Years latter he ended his own life. As he lay down to die a friend asked him said: "Shall we live again? To which he could only reply: " I hope so, but no man can know." Socrates also said. “He who finds a good wife will be happy, he who finds a wife, becomes a philosopher.” Voltaire the French philosopher and atheist said: If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him. Later he said, "I wish I had never been born. Then on his deathbed addressed his doctor. "I am abandoned by God and man. I will give you half of what I am worth, if you will give me six months of life." The doctor replied, "Sir you will not live six weeks." To which Voltaire replied, “Then I shall go to hell, and you will go with me." Today, men and women all around the globe are still searching for answers though their own understanding, and it has left them hopeless. Rock stars who earn tens of millions of dollars per year head to India searching for truth and when it doesn’t work and blow their brains out because life is hopeless. No hope beyond death, and no reason for good behavior, the cry from Corinth and of this day: “Eat Drink and be Merry for tomorrow we die.” Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40. Yet their combined 130 years of teaching has not influenced as many people as did the 3 year ministry of Jesus Christ. “He painted no pictures, he wrote no books, he sang no music, but he continues to transform more lives than all the great philosophers and artists of all time combined. The Greeks were looking to the philosopher for the answers and Paul knew that was empty wisdom. The Jews in Corinth, on the other hand were different. They were looking for miraculous signs- that too was chasing after the wind. Not unlike they did with Jesus. TURN TO MATTHEW 16:1‑4They had practical wisdom, they could read the signs in nature, but they could not discern that the Kingdom of God was among them. They wanted to see one more sign, they had seen the blind eyes open, they had seen lepers healed, dead raised, prostitutes turn their lives around, but still they wanted one more sign – then they would have faith. But just like seeing truth in only philosophy they were never satisfied by what they saw. Like today people travel the world, to see a silhouette of the Virgin Mary on a tree in Mexico, or they go to a faith healer in India, or chase to the latest evangelistic meeting to see something that will build their faith. But when Jesus deals with these men who needed another sign, he tells them they will have but one sign, the sign of foolishness, the sign of the Jonah, the sign of the resurrection. That is the sign that will give hope beyond this life. 1 Cor 15:19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. If Jesus gave them more miraculous signs would they have believed? No, because signs and wonders will not build faith. Remember when Israel in the wilderness, they saw the mighty hand of God –Manna from heaven, water from a rock, a cloud and fire that guided them and yet they grumbled and complained and did not believe. What is it that builds faith if signs and wonders don't? ROM 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Paul says that it is not by philosophy or signs and miracles - but by the foolishness of preaching. He didn't say: “By foolish preaching”, but the foolishness of preaching. The message seems foolish to those who are lost. Seeking signs and vain philosophy, that, is the wisdom of the world. But there is another wisdom that is wiser then anything man can think of.
God has always had a different approach then men. When men’s wisdom said, surrender or die, God’s wisdom said, walk through the Red Sea. When men’s wisdom could not see how to destroy the great walled city, God’s wisdom said march around Jericho and worship and the walls were destroyed. When man’s wisdom said send the biggest badest warrior, God’s wisdom said, a young boy with a sling will do the job. When men’s wisdom said, follow all these rules, act pious, dress this way, act that way. God said. I have another way – repent and believe. POWERPOINT. Have you noticed how people view something and they naturally think it is spiritual. Our pictures of Jesus, etched into our mind because some artist came up with it. But notice all the different kinds of Jesus. Blond Jesus – stern Jesus – black Jesus –Hippy Jesus, happy Jesus – Simpson Jesus, Approachable Jesus. There are Jesus toys and Jesus at the world trade center. We see symbols and buildings and think in our wisdom that they are holy. Much of the world looks at what I think are weird statues or painting and sees them as spiritual. We have huge groups that dress in such a way that says – they are spiritual. Some look strange, others angry, some are happy, others you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark ally. Young and old, their dress their speech, the way they do things say “I am spiritual.” They might not be able to tolerate one another but their outside appearances show us in our wisdom that they are special to God. Their dress, their looks, their appearance is all about outward things. But the kingdom of God is upside down. Matt 23:27-28 (Jesus said) "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Could it be that it is a changed heart, it is the love of God working inside that makes us right with God. Could it be that our outward judgments of appearances are foolish to God. When Jesus said, all men will know you are my disciples by your love one for another. END SLIDE SHOW. There it is - God's wisdom given to men – the Gospel, simply this Jesus Christ crucified. That we are all sinners, far from God, and by faith in Jesus Christ, and by his the perfect sacrifice we have eternal life. I can not move God by what I do. I could not appease him by how I dress, but Jesus made it so that God's mercy and love could be demonstrated upon me a sinner. John 17:3 Now this is eternal life : that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. The wisdom of God , Jesus Christ and him crucified, makes those who are looking to the ten commandments, the law, stumble. There in Corinth it was the Jews - today it could be anyone who thinks that they must doing something to appease God. They are just like religious people all around the world who beat their bodies, have themselves crucified, deny certain food, shave their heads, live in isolation because they believe if they yell loud enough, if they dress religiously, God will listen to them. So to the wisdom of men, - Christ crucified causes them to stumble. Christ crucified is just plan foolish to those who, like the Greeks, are looking toward man's wisdom for the answer. Christ crucified seems foolish to those like the Jews in Corinth who tried to keep all the rules and regulations to be right with God. The natural man's wisdom wants to be in total control, the gift of God - eternal life, is to those who place Jesus Christ in control of their life. In weakness God's power is reveled. The weakness that Jesus went willingly to the cross. He took the scourging, he took the crown of thorns, he took the beatings, and he took the cross. Foolishness, but wiser then anything man could come up with. Wise because there was no other way, for God to demonstrate his love for his creation. Foolish because it is contrary to the understanding of the natural man, who wants to appease God or wants to deny God. Today, many people want to believe they are going to heaven. They say, "I believe in God." They mix a little religion, with a lot of philosophy. They say, "God is love, heaven is for me, because I'm a good person, hell is only for Adolph Hitler, Edie Amean, and those type. 2 Cor 10:12 …When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. The measure of goodness is by God, so it is foolish when people measure their goodness by comparing themselves to others. The foolishness of God says. "You and I will never be good enough to get to heaven, so Jesus came and was good enough for you." It says that by faith in him, eternal life can not be earned -- but it can be given.
Only a few in Corinth were of the elite, only a few here in this room are influential in this world. Only a few in the world are of noble birth. But those who trust in the Lord are like Paul reminds the Corinthians, children of God. If your father is God, you are of the elite. You have privilege that the world will never understand. When Christ is your Lord, you understand that it is all what he has done. No boasting, no bragging, simply Jesus and the mercy and grace of God. Jesus Christ has become for us wisdom - our righteousness, holiness and redemption. So, as Paul says. "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." In our natural wisdom we can brag, maybe you have some achievements, maybe your are outstanding in the things of life. Maybe you can repair anything, maybe you can do whatever you set your mind to. But that wisdom will not fly for God is the one who has blessed you with abilities, talents, and life itself. So we do what Solomon said. Prov 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. Do not be wise in your own eyes, do not lean on your own understanding, but acknowledge God, trust God, walk away from evil. And that wonderful promise that He, will make your paths straight. God will guide your life. When wisdom says run away, God says, I will be with you to work it out. When wisdom says this is more then I can deal with, God says. No problem is to big for me. When wisdom says give up, God’s says I am with you even unto the end of the age. Do not worry but seek first the kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these cares of life will be met. When wisdom says, fight for your rights, stand up for yourself, God says that is when you give it up. Matt 16:24-25 If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. PRAY, INVITE, BENEDICTION, SING.
Series: 1 Corinthians -Through the Bible |
(C) High Sierra Fellowship 2008 |
