Where's Wisdom?

Introduction

-{1 Corinthians 2}

-On September 18, 1987, a global phenomenon was born. On that date, Martin Handford released his picture book that would immerse people in a world of searching and seeking that is still a hit today. That’s right…that is the date when they first published the book WHERE’S WALDO? And now, after many decades, people are still looking for that bespectacled, striped-shirt man and his companions. Those books are as frustrating as they are addicting. But what people do with the book is a reflection of a search that they have in their life. In a very similar sense, people are in a real-world search for something by which to found themselves and live their lives.

-This search is reflected in the lyrics of a lot of popular songs. The Eurythmics say that EVERYBODY’S LOOKING FOR SOMETHING in their song Sweet Dreams (although they don’t define what that something is). And, unfortunately for U2, they Still Haven’t Found What They’re Looking For. The world knows that their lives need to be established in something beyond themselves, and so they are out there searching for love and wholeness and meaning and purpose. But the problem is that they try to find these things in the same world that created the spiritual vacuum to begin with. Or, to go with the words of an old country song, They’re Looking for Love/Meaning/Purpose In All The Wrong Places.

-A summary word for what people are seeking might be the word WISDOM. People are looking for wisdom to live their lives upon certain principles—but the problem is that the world is not able to offer it. And when you find the wrong wisdom, you live the wrong life. A good, godly wisdom cannot be found or communicated or lived through normal human means and methods.

-So, where’s wisdom? Through all the searching of the pages of life, are we able to find what seems so elusive? What I want us to find today is that because the means and methods of man are weak and faulty, we seek our wisdom for life from the perfect God of eternity. And Paul tells us all about that:

1 Corinthians 2:1–16 ESV

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

-{pray}

-What does Paul teach us about finding the right wisdom upon which to base our lives?

1) Wisdom is founded upon the gospel (vv. 1-5)

-Paul begins the section talking of the testimony that he gives to them, and it is the foundation upon which true wisdom is based. His testimony was nothing more or less than the pure gospel message. Wisdom must have the gospel as its foundation for it to be true wisdom. What does Paul say about the wisdom founded in the gospel?

a) Its focus is fixed

-The focus of the gospel, the foundation of wisdom, is not someone’s best life now or 100 steps to a better you. Paul tells us in v. 2 that he decided not to know anything else among them, and he refused to testify about anything else, other than Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is the gospel message upon which wisdom is built. The good news that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save people from the power, penalty, and (eventually) the presence of sin, and that He rose again to guarantee eternal life.

-The gospel is the starting point, and in our day and age, that doesn’t sound like much, and even for Christians we begin to thing: THAT’S IT? There has to be more than that. There is, but you are not able to move on to greater wisdom and truths until you start here. The problem is that people don’t want to start there. In the previous chapter Paul tells us that the gospel is a stumbling block / scandal for the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. The world looks at the pure gospel message with disdain. And, unfortunately, many supposed churches and Christians do as well. But there is no wisdom for life where there is no gospel message because there is no wisdom outside of being in a relationship with God. And only the gospel of Jesus Christ opens the door to that relationship. We need the gospel first...

Christ’s gospel is the wisdom of God.

Charles Spurgeon

b) Its statement is simple

-Paul says that his presentation of the gospel was not with lofty speech or wisdom, but came in weakness and fear and trembling. Paul lived in a day where the rhetoric of the philosophers would draw big crowds so they could pontificate on ideas that came from the depths of their wee little brains. Not that Paul didn’t know how to go toe to toe with those philosophers—he was well trained to do so. However, to present the gospel of Christ he didn’t have to use tricks or emotionalism to manipulate the crowds. When Paul gave testimony to Jesus Christ, he didn’t have to search for ways to gain man’s approval or scheme in the power of his own intellect.

-Paul says that the presentation of the gospel was not done in human power, lest people believe in something less than the true gospel. No wisdom for life can be found in a false gospel or a gospel wrongly received. Paul didn’t want to be the cause of stumbling for someone—so his message was simple, fully centered on Jesus and Him crucified. There is an old adage, what you win someone with is what you win someone to. If you use lots of lights and flares and entertainment to try to get someone to “make a decision for Christ,” you haven’t won them to Christ at all but have won them to a cheap streaming show that has no power to save. A light version of the gospel is not solid ground for living wisdom. And so...

c) Its strength is the Spirit

-Paul says that the gospel message was given simply, without fireworks or flashing lights or any other human means, so that the Spirit of God alone would be the power behind what was said. Paul says in

Romans 1:16 ESV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

-The Holy Spirit using the gospel to change a life and give a foundation for wise living—that is it. It truly is that simple, because Paul says if any other foundation is laid then your wisdom is not of God but of men, so you need to have the right start to head in the right direction to get to the right place.

-In the 1929 Rose Bowl, player Roy Riegels picked up a fumble and began to run. After being hit and avoiding players, he lost his bearings and ran to the wrong end zone giving the other team a safety and eventually costing his team the game.

-If the gospel is not our starting point, we are running the wrong way to find wisdom, and it will end up costing us dearly. But there is more Paul says about wisdom...

2) Wisdom is formed upon the eternal (vv. 6-10)

-Just as a building starts with the foundation, it still needs to be built with sturdy material based upon time-tested principles of engineering. Wisdom begins with the gospel, but how we build upon that foundation is just as important. First, what Paul tells us about forming this wisdom is that...

a) It’s obtainable for the spiritually ready

-In v. 6 Paul says that there is a wisdom for the mature. Who are the mature? The mature are those who begin with the gospel and then build upon God-given principles from there. The mature are believers in Jesus Christ. This is an encouragement for us to continue to search for that wisdom. We aren’t just to rest in the fact that we are saved, but then we continue to seek the wisdom to live out that salvation. The gospel isn’t the end, it is the beginning, and once we have begun we are ready to go further and learn more—building upon the foundation that was laid. Wisdom is obtainable for the believer. In fact...

James 1:5 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

-The gospel makes you spiritually ready to obtain this wisdom and begin to build your life upon it. But Paul, again, makes sure we understand the contrast of the direction in which we head. Because he next tells us that the wisdom that we seek has...

b) Its origin is God’s revelation

-Paul says that the wisdom we need does not come from this age and it does not come from the rulers of this age. That means that the wisdom we need does not come from the world, nor does it come from the spiritual powers of darkness that are behind all the systems of the world. The physical world is temporary and will eventually go up in smoke, and the spiritual powers of darkness behind the systems of the world are judged and condemned and will meet their eternal punishment. Paul is saying that these things are temporary—they are not solid things with which to build your life.

-That means that we don’t use the wisdom of the world upon which to base our life. We don’t let our favorite TV shows or musicians or even politicians guide us on how to live. Stranger Things is not going to tell you how to live a good life or a godly life. Harry Styles or Nicki Manaj or Lizzo are definitely not going to tell you how to live a good life or a godly life. In fact, they will lead you in the exact opposite direction. Neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden will tell you how to live a good life or godly life. We cannot find the needed wisdom in the things of the world.

-Paul says that eternal wisdom is that which was secret and hidden which God decreed before the ages. True wisdom is hidden because it has its origin in God Himself. No human could have come up with God’s eternal wisdom. The smartest scholars and philosophers could not have figured out eternal wisdom in their own studies or using their own intellect. No eye ever saw or ear heard what God had in store—until He revealed it in His Word and revealed it in the person of Jesus Christ. But now, for those in Christ, the mature, we see next that...

c) It’s open for man to receive

-Paul says that what God had previously hidden from man is now revealed to us through the Spirit. The mysteries of God no longer are mysteries, but are out in the open if people would receive them. The Holy Spirit inspired the Word of God which is God’s revelation to man, and the Holy Spirit enlightens the understanding of the believer in Christ so they are able to internalize what has been given. So wisdom does not come from this age or the world systems—it is now given through the Holy Spirit, because only the Holy Spirit knows the depths of God. And finally, Paul concludes by tells us that...

3) Wisdom is fundamental for correct living (vv. 11-16)

-Wisdom is not just for having a greater knowledge, but wisdom is something to live out. But I don’t want this to sound like some sort of moralizing…live in this wisdom otherwise you’re not a good Christian or something like that. Instead, I want you to see that this God-given wisdom is a great mercy from God because it leads to our best life. While false teachers think your best life is more stuff, the Bible shows us that our best life is when we are living in the wisdom of God.

-This is so important for the believer, because after we start with the gospel, if we choose to remain spiritual infants and live in the ways of the world, we will be doing ourselves more harm than good. God invites us to live in this wisdom because it is both most honoring to Him and it is best for us (whether we think so or not).

-Have you ever dealt with a kid and told them what to do for what is best for them, but the kid fights you all the way. You need to take this medicine to feel better. NO! You need to eat this food to grow strong and healthy. NO! You need to sleep so you have energy for the day. NO!

-When we decide to live according to our own wisdom and rules, or choose to follow the wisdom of the world, we’re that kid. God is giving us a great mercy in showing us a good path for life, and we are stubborn and say NO! Instead, let’s surrender to this wisdom. We notice three things about wisdom and living...

a) It enlightens the believer

-Paul says that as a believer we receive the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God knows the thoughts of God and the Spirit imparts those thoughts to us so that we are able to understand the things freely given to us by God. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom to understand spiritual truths. You don’t have to travel the world to discover deep spiritual truths.

-Back in the ‘60s it was all over the news that the Beatles (the rock group, John, Paul, George, and Ringo) travelled all through India to find yogis and swamis to teach them how to get connected to the spiritual world. They went to learn transcendental meditation and other occultic forms of getting in touch with the spirit realm. they were seeking for form of enlightenment.

-But they had it all wrong. You don’t need to go anywhere to find the wisdom based on eternal spiritual truths. If you are a believer, you have the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will enlighten you to wise living based on God’s eternal spiritual truths. But the trip the Beatles took proved a point, because it demonstrated that wisdom is...

b) It’s eclipsed from the unbeliever

-Just like the earth prevents light from hitting the moon causing an eclipse, so the eternal truths of God are hidden from those who have not believed in the gospel. Paul says that the natural person, the unbeliever, those without Christ, think that God’s wisdom is foolish. But the reason it is foolish to them is because they are not able to understand and grasp that wisdom because these things are spiritually discerned, and unbelievers don’t have the Holy Spirit by which to discern these things. What seems obvious to us as believers is kept from unbelievers because they are blind to these spiritual truths.

-Talking the wisdom of God to an unbeliever would be like discussing the intricacies of the beauty of the Mona Lisa with a blind person. They aren’t able to tell for themselves. They don’t get it. They don’t understand. Why do all these lost people embrace perversions and violence? Because they are blinded to God’s truths. We can’t expect them to get it because they can’t get it. But for us who are in Christ, we find that this wisdom...

c) It establishes the mind of Christ

-Paul rhetorically asks who has understood the mind of the Lord to instruct Him? The answer is no one—there is no one who can tell God what to do. There is no one who has a wisdom greater than God. But then Paul gives a profound truth—we, who are believers, have the mind of Christ. We are able to understand and live out the wisdom that comes from God because our minds have been renewed and we are able to think God’s thoughts and align ourselves with God’s wisdom. Now, it is a choice of whether or not we will actually live out from the mind of Christ. But it is available to us.

-Where’s wisdom? It’s founded in the gospel, it’s formed upon eternal spiritual truths, and it’s fundamental if we’re going to live a good, godly life.

Conclusion

-But what does that mean for us? Some quick applications:

(i) The wisdom of God determines the gospel we preach and the doctrine we hold

-It is the wisdom of God, not of the world, that determines the gospel that we believe and preach, and the theology and doctrine to which we hold. No matter how much the world tries to tell us that we are out of touch, or how old-fashioned we are, or that we are following an outdated ancient book, we know the truth and we hold to the truth and we live out of that truth.

(ii) The wisdom of God determines our approach to decisions

-The wisdom of God, not of the world, determines how we approach major life decisions (whether it is for how we relate to others, the choices we make with finances, how we view our politics, how we view and are involved in social issues, etc.)

(iii) The wisdom of God determines how we handle life’s trials

-The wisdom of God, not of the world, determines how we view and handle the trials that we go through in life (will we trust God, will we give over to anxiety, etc.)

(iv) The wisdom of God determines our stewardship

-The wisdom of God, not of the world, determines how we manage the resources that God has given us (how we use our time, talents, etc.)--whether use it for selfish reasons or in service to others in Christ's name

-But how can we live out of this wisdom? What can we do to enable this wisdom to dwell in us richly?

(i) Choose to daily internalize God's wisdom--get into the Word

(ii) Don't seek the sensational or the profound, but see how you can integrate the simple truths into life----it is a growth process, you don't start out running----start where you are and work your way toward maturity

(iii) Filter the ways and wisdom of the world through the wisdom of God's revealed Word----anything that is in conflict with the Word, reject

(iv) Where you lack wisdom, pray (James 1:5) and rely that the Spirit will lead in the right way

-Christian, come a pray for wisdom and the strength to live in light of it

-But you cannot live out this wisdom without believing in Jesus...