Don’t cheat yourself

This week, Senator Chuck Schumer said, “Now more than ever, we’re short of workers.

“We have a population that is not reproducing on its own with the same level it used to.”

The he went on to talk about offering illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.

Now, forget about the immigrant part.

Focus on this one sentence, “We have a population that is not reproducing on its own with the same level it used to.”

Ok, in 1st Corinthians, Paul talks about God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom right?

So let’s look at Senator Schumer’s statement in light of God’s wisdom.

This is a perfect example of what Paul calls the “wisdom of this world.”

What is God’s wisdom, what is God’s plan for humanity? Let’s start there.

Paul says to flourish, right - we’ve been studying that.

So what does Jesus say about how to keep birth rates up?

He speaks to it.

Matthew 19:4–6 ESV

He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Have a husband protector.

Have a wife nurturer.

Put them together in one place and you’ll have babies.

“What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

That’s Godly wisdom, right?

That the way the Lord designed society to work from the very beginning.

And it’s worked very well, to the tune, this week, of 8 billion people.

But what is man’s wisdom?

It started before my day, but the Boomers made it worse.

Stephen Stills song said, “Love the one you’re with.”

And before you dig on Boomers, let me just add that every generation after the Boomers has pushed the envelope further and further.

And if you love the one you’re with, chances are a baby will be made.

That wasn’t the intent.

It wasn’t what you set to do - no problem.

In fact, we made a way to get rid of that “problem” but still be able to keep “loving the one we’re with.”

Man’s wisdom has allowed us to get rid of over 60 million problems.

I did some research and found that if Roe v. Wade ruling had been different, 40 million of those problems would probably never have been created.

And 20 million of those problems would have been born.

20 million boys and girls, men and women who would have helped America have “the great future” Senator Schumer says additional population will bring.

Man’s reason says to take something wrong to fix something wrong.

I have to take this one step farther - a lot happened this week.

The Senate voted to bring the Respect for Marriage Act to the Senate Floor for a vote.

I read the bill - it’s short - one page - a five minute read tops.

The first thing is does is repeal the Defense of Marriage Act passed under Bill Clinton in the mid 90’s.

The Defense of Marriage Act stated that it was the position of the United States Government that marriage was between a man and a woman.

The United States government will no longer believe that once the Respect for Marriage act passes.

The Respect for Marriage Act very simply says that in any place in the United States, no person may deny the “full faith and credit” of any marriage between any two individuals on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.

It says that the Attorney General of the United States can bring a federal civil action against anyone found denying the validity of someone’s “marriage.”

And it says that an individual can bring a federal civil action against that person too.

There is no exemption for religious conviction.

The Respect for Marriage act is in place solely to support so-called “gay marriage” and whatever other marriages people may choose.

Which, by the way, encourages people to act on whatever inclinations they may have and if it involves same-sex inclinations.

Well, no babies.

And our society continues to commit suicide rather than flourish.

Man’s wisdom removes God’s guardrails from life.

I would say reckon how that is going to turn out, but we don’t need to speculate.

We have empirical, scientific evidence.

There are 10.7 million job openings in the United States.

And in our wisdom, we eliminated 20 million problems.

You see how this works?

Our text for today is Paul’s summary statement for the first three chapters of 1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 3:18-23.

If you have your Bibles, please open them up to 1 Corinthians 3.

If you are joining us via live stream, welcome.

We thank God for you and pray something said today will capture your heart for God.

Hear now the Word of the Lord

1 Corinthians 3:18–23 ESV

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

God is not amused

Have you noticed that Paul keeps referencing the Old Testament?

There is good reason - although Paul doesn’t know it, he’s writing the New Testament.

The Old Testament was the only scripture that Paul had.

And in that Old Testament, Paul saw God.

There’s not an Old Testament God and a New Testament God.

There is not a judgment God and a love God.

There is one God, eternal, unchangeable and sovereign.

And Paul has studied the scriptures and he’s learned a few things about God.

In verse 19 he quotes from Job:

Job 5:13 ESV

He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.

Did anyone’s mama every say, “You’re too smart for your britches?”

I usually heard that when I was arguing for something my young mind thought I absolutely had to have or I would die.

And I argued like mom and I were the same age.

I was acting like I was an adult arguing with an adult and I wasn’t.

I was an inexperienced kid arguing with a mature adult.

I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

I was too smart for my britches.

When we look at the instruction God has given us and we think there is a better way, what are we doing?

We are too smart for our britches.

We are acting like a god arguing with God, right?

I know you said Lord, but I think...

So you do it - and how does that work out for you?

I have found in my lifetime that my own wisdom ends up being what causes my own pain.

In verse 20, Paul quotes from Psalm 94:11

Psalm 94:11 ESV

the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.

Yes, Paul uses the word “futile” in his quote, but it’s the same idea.

Anybody go outside in the morning last week?

Did anyone see their breath?

How many of you have ever stood outside when it was cold, and went (hold mouth open like making fog)?

Yeah, we all have.

That’s how the Lord looks at our wisdom.

It’s fog.

You see it for a second, then it’s gone.

We do what we think is best - we give it our best effort.

And it lasts - for a minute - could be a long minute - but then what?

And see, here’s the deal - when we do that - we have no idea we’re being God.

We have no idea that we are a child arguing with a wise parent.

It just seems right to us - and so we do it.

And it always causes us pain.

The factions in Corinth, they were there because to some people, it seemed right to them to cling to Paul or Apollos or Peter or whatever to the exclusion of everything else.

Nobody could tell them a thing.

Never a second thought - it just seemed right.

How many times has that gotten you in trouble?

That it just seemed right?

Nobody meant it to go wrong.

Nobody dreamed it would turn out THAT way.

“I never meant for that to happen.”

But it did.

Because you were so honed in to one thing that you couldn’t see anything else.

Paul says in verse 21, “So let no one boast in men.”

Because it will never turn out like we expect.

In Corinth, they started arguing over who’s gospel was the best.

They went to the mat over it thinking, what?

That they’d prevail?

That they would be right and everyone would see the error of their way and join them?

Is that what they expected?

We know better than that.

What did they really get?

Division.

Strife.

Envy.

Heartache.

They didn’t get what they expected, they didn’t get what they wanted.

Because, when we follow our own wisdom, separate from the gospel, all we get is more problems.

So what is Paul’s remedy?

Get back to where you once belonged

Look at the second part of 1 Corinthians 3:18 “...If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.”

Now we’ve studied this for several weeks now.

You know what this means.

“Let him become a fool...”

What does the world think is foolish?

The gospel.

Paul is telling all of the worldly wise Christians, remember Jesus and then you’ll become wise.

I used to get aggravated when I was a young boy that all the preacher ever seemed to talk about was reading your Bible.

Now I understand why.

I’m just finished reading through 2 Samuel this week.

King David - the man after God’s own heart at least twice in his life, thought himself smarter than God.

He knew he answered to God, but he was a king.

And a couple of times, that went to his head.

We all know the story of Bathsheba.

But there’s a less exciting story in chapter 24.

David was the king and he wanted to know how many people he ruled.

God had told him a long time ago - don’t do that - don’t count your people.

No need to know that - leave it alone.

But David was a man after all, subject to inclinations, like we all have - like pride.

So he ordered a count.

His most trusted advisor told him not to - but he did it anyway.

Have you ever done that?

Someone told you not to do something?

Someone told you not to go there?

Someone told you not to date him or her?

This isn’t going to turn out like you think?

But you did it anyway.

2 Samuel 24:10 “But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.””

You go ahead and do it, and as soon as you are done your conscience kicks in, and you know you’ve done wrong.

And the Lord is faithful - He forgive when we repent.

But the consequences - they live on and on and on.

Isaiah 5 talks about Isaiah 5:21 “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!”

Woe.

Sorrow.

Distress.

Troubles.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes..

Why is this such a big deal?

Because when we do this, we act like we are equal to God

And God is seriously above our pay grade.

Our only remedy is to repent and turn back to what you knew from the start.

Otherwise,

You are going to cheat yourself.

Verse 18 begins, “Let no one deceive himself.”

You only think you are smarter than God.

You only think His ways are old fashioned and you are enlightened.

You are scientific.

You are reasonable.

The Lord says to us, “Let no one deceive himself.”

The reason you have to keep adjusting your plan is because you really aren’t as wise as you think you are.

Don’t deceive yourself.

But here is something I found curious.

The word deceive also means cheat.

And what Paul has been trying to get everyone to see from chapter 1 verse 1 is this:

To follow anyone or anything other than the Lord is to cheat yourself out of what God wants for you.

Look at verses 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 “So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.”

For all things are yours - listen to what he says.

Paul, Apollos or Cephas - all three of them are right.

You can have the teaching of all three because all three point to the same gospel.

They are all pointing to the foundation of a flourishing life.

They all point to gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Or the world or life...”

1 John 2:16 ESV

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

The biggest temptation to us in the world is the world.

Every kid is going to be the next major league ball player and have a stadium full of people cheering for them.

Everyone dreams of the winning touchdown, being first through the tape, the winning goal, the sound of the crowd.

The stock market.

The promotion - the dream house, the perfect car.

The ideal vacations - free time.

These things make us drool.

When I was young, I loved the lights of the city.

Nothing like Atlanta in the dark.

Always people.

Always something exciting to do.

Someplace exciting to be.

And we get so locked in to what we are seeing.

Locked in to the exclusion of everything else.

The desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life - the world is incredibly tempting.

It is so very enticing but it will consume your soul.

Yet Paul says, the world can be yours too.

The world can be enjoyed.

Life can be more than we imagine could be because the Lord has a plan for your life.

There is a way to enjoy the world that honors Jesus.’

There is a way to live that honors Jesus and leads to more contentment than any one thing we can chase.

And it’s ours to be had.

“and death...”

How can death be mine?

Do you know what I mean when I say “you own something?”

When Georgia played Vanderbilt, the score was 55 to nothing Georgia.

Georgia “owned” Vanderbilt.

Because of Jesus, we own death.

Every time we encounter death, the score will be one to nothing us.

That takes the fear away from our decisions.

It gives us a longer time frame to operate in.

I might not have it all now, but I will have everything I’m supposed to have.

Because of Jesus, I own death.

There is so much more life for me to live.

“or the present, or the future - all are yours...”

I don’t know where you are this morning.

I don’t know if you are in your happy place,

Or if this week was your “little shop of horrors.”

But whatever this week, or this month, or this year

Or this lifetime is doing to you.

Paul says, “You own it...”

You can flourish in every situation.

You have what it takes because

“...you are Christ’s...”

Life can be lonely.

People can be cruel and the devil is an ugly adversary.

He whispers all kinds of insanity into our heads.

And sometimes we believe it.

But it’s not true.

Because we know His Voice.

John 10:3–4 ESV

To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

We know when it’s Jesus speaking.

Because His Word has told us what to expect.

I have a saying, “Sounds like condemnation, can’t be Jesus.”

Jesus doesn’t condemn.

He corrects.

He restores.

He strengthens.

Because

“Christ is God’s.”

The Father is the sender, sending wisdom to the world.

Jesus is the sent, the Savior come to take away the sins of the world.

The one who came to give you and me “all things.” You see,

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Just saying it makes you more peaceful, doesn’t it?

You are not in a race against the clock.

We are resting in Jesus, learning to live life His way.

Depending on His wisdom.

Don’t cheat yourself.

Get back to where you once belonged.

Get back to the gospel of Jesus Christ.