TRUE WISDOM

 

The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,  “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”  Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.

 

1.      The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.  Such a sad fact.  Why is that? 

 

a.      People do not look at themselves as sinners.   They are blissfully ignorant.

b.     They do not have any want of salvation they feel fine the way they are.

c.      They do not see themselves as people to be judged.  They believe in their own goodness.

d.     They cannot or will not see that they cannot help themselves. 

e.      They do not want or see the need for Jesus Christ.  Satan has blinded them.  He has shut up their ears, eyes, minds and hearts.

f.       They have not been awakened to look for what their soul needs or they try to fill that need with other things.  Sometimes religion has made it to convenient.  It tells them through some church right or ceremony they are heading for eternity.  This may be the most damaging of all.

g.     They are not content with Christ or what God wants and they want eternity on their terms.

 

2.      To us who are being saved it is power of God.  Do you know how long God has worked on your heart?  How many times He has sent people across your path?  How many media messages people have heard?  In Canada it is in the hundreds.  Throughout the world only God knows.  That is why I love bringing Christ through social media, love our worldwide coverage on Am 930 the light.com and the 5 days a week I get to share on the radio.  Right now someone is being awaken by the Holy Spirit to the fact that they are being saved.  The Holy Spirit now is convicting someone of their sin, how they are facing judgment and how they can be righteous. 

3.      God’s love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and power are reaching out to the ones who are being saved.  I pray every day for my unsaved loved ones.  I claim Acts 16:31.  I pray for the church that we will go into our world to tell others and love them.  I pray for the disenfranchised that God will employ them again and return them to God’s house to be healed and whole.  I ask the Lord every day to bring back the backslider to reinstate them.  For the unsaved, I cry out to God to open their eyes and ears.  To reach into their minds and hearts.  My heart breaks because I know the joys of heaven and the agonies of hell.  While I was a sinner Christ died for me.  I grew up in a church but did not know I was perishing.  I thought going to church made me a Christian.  Such folly.  Going to church does make you a Christian any more than being in a garage makes you a car.

4.      The Bible makes it clear God does not want anyone to perish.  He sent Jesus so that it would not happen.  As we learn that week Jesus gave everything that all mankind could to be saved and free.  God has done and doing everything possible.  Our part Is to agree and to do our part in this rescue mission. 

5.      Paul then says that God will destroy the wisdom of the wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerner He will thwart.  Why would God do that?  There are three types of wisdom in this world.  Satanic which originates from satan.  Worldly and godly.  James 3:13-18 describes the different types of wisdom. 

 

a.     14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.   This is demonic and worldly wisdom.

b.       17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.  This is godly wisdom.

c.      Now I chose to use verse 13, as the application of godly wisdom.  13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.  Godly wisdom is knowing what to do with what has been revealed through the word, prayer, revelation, and knowledge.

 

6.       Paul asks four questions?  Where the one who is wise?  Where is the scribe or learned one?  Where is the debater?  Has not God made foolish of the world?  We know why from what we read in James.  Socrates, Plato, Buddha, Krishna, Confucius and the list goes on.  They are the wise of this world but not one can save you.  No mantra, creed, teaching, philosophy or religion can save you. 

7.      The world cannot know God through wisdom,  enigmas, word puzzles or wise sayings.  Solomon said in Proverbs 1:6 that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.   Only through the foolishness of preaching can someone be saved and they must believe.  They must hear with their ears, put in their minds, mull over it and then decide by an act of the will to transfer it to their heart and put their complete trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Through the method of what I am doing now will people get saved.  The really amazing thing is that God has done all the work all we have to do is present it.  Also what is amazing it can happen anytime and anywhere.  All we have to do is be ready.  That is why Paul said, be ready in season and anytime.  What a great message.  People do not have to perish.  They can have eternal and abundant life.  Redemption is amazing.  We can have love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, peace joy and righteousness.  I love salvation it turns a sinner into a saint.  In a moment of time a person heading for hell is heading heaven.  It cost Jesus everything but He knew you were worth it.  In the sight of God you are precious, priceless and loved beyond measure.  God cannot love you anymore than He does because to Him you are His greatest creation. 

 

For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

 

1.       In Paul’s day the Jews sought a sign.  They asked Jesus for a sign and He told them the story of Jonah in the belly of the big fish.  The Son of Man who would be in the grave for three days.  The Greeks wanted wisdom.  The three great Greek Philosophers were Plato. Socrates and Aristotle.  They ideas are the foundation for our Western society. 

2.      Christ crucified is a stumbling block to the Jews.  Remember Jesus was a rebel, breaker of the law, radical, revolutionary and He was killed because of His claims to be the Messiah.  To the Greek to think man needed salvation that God would send His Son or that a good man would die for sinful man.  Foolishness.  Talk about what happened to Paul at Mars Hill.  That is why he made his reset. 

3.      This next part is so powerful.  To those who are called.  To those who answered the call.  To those who realize they have been called.  To those who make themselves chosen by responding to the call and giving their lives to Jesus Christ.  Both Jews and Greeks, slave, and free.  Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.  Jesus Christ is the embodiment of the power and wisdom of God.  He is power and wisdom.  Oh that is good.  Jesus is power and the wisdom of God with a face.  He is the two in one.  You want power and wisdom Viola Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  His resurrection proved it.

4.      Paul close off with saying for God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom.  God uses the foolish to confound the wise.  Crazy, wild, beyond human comprehension.  This is God’s way.  God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.  I might add demonic as well.  Paul made a choice.  To preach and know Christ crucified, dead and risen.  Let us do the same.