Whose Wisdom are you Walking By?
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Intro
Intro
*Colossians 2; I Corinthians 1*
There are a lot of voices out there telling you how to live...
From Podcasts, to YouTube channels, to TV preachers, to “influencers”, to philosophers...
There are a lot of people who are promoting themselves as being able to tell you all the answers of life...
Have you ever taken a step back and evaluated why you do what you do and where does that decision come from?
Does it derive from wordly wisdom or wisdom from God?
Many Greek philosopher’s words are looked at with high respect among some groups, such as:
Socretes: who claimed he did not know what happened to the soul after death
Plato: who believed the soul was free to go wherever it wanted to
Aristotle: who admitted he wasn’t sure you had a soul
Lao Tzu: claimed your body becomes with the universe after death, which is referred to as Taoism
Epicurus: created Epicureanism - belief that the goal of life revolved around happiness, which was only found in eliminating the fear of punishment or death...
Not to even mention that Marxism came from a “philosopher”...
Philosophy is simply one man’s opinion...
As you can see an extremely varied opinion...
We don’t need philosophy because we have the Bible...
We need philosophy as much as we need a pope...
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Worldly wisdom says “I must find bread”
But Godly wisdom says “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
When Paul wrote these epistles or letters to these churches, they had very pointed purposes...
Much like when Jesus brought the evaluations on the churches of Revelation 2...
Very much to the point good or bad, right down the pipe...
Here in I Corinthians, the apostle Paul is speaking to saved people in the church...
2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
I. The Wisdom of God is the Cross
I. The Wisdom of God is the Cross
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Words in the wisdom of man reduce and diminish the power of the cross...
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
The cross is the wisdom of God...
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Had they known godly wisdom, they would not have crucified Jesus...
The wisdom of God is the cross, but the wisdom of the world is to crucify Jesus...
II. The Wisdom of God is Salvation
II. The Wisdom of God is Salvation
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Worldly wisdom is destruction… they knew not God...
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
III. The Wisdom of God is Truth
III. The Wisdom of God is Truth
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
The wisdom of God is truth, but the wisdom of the world is external...
Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom...
Jews want to see something...
The Greeks want to hear something...
Not many are after a true change of the heart...
Actually getting to the root of the problem...
Worldly wisdom is like when you go to the dentist with a hurting tooth...
The dentist simply gives you some Tylenol and sends you home...
But Godly wisdom actually gets to the root of the problem and doesn’t just put a patch over the current issue...
Godly wisdom gets to the root of the issue and is like the other dentist who actually finds the infected tooth and removes it...
****This leads into what Paul was teaching****
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
He began by instructing them to forsake worldly wisdom and to adhere to Godly wisdom...
Then he starts teaching them why...
Not “many” wise men after the flesh, mighty, noble are called...
I believe Paul wanted these churches to be in a position where they could be most used of God...
He was helping them learn that it is not in the things we place such emphasis on sometimes...
In fact, those things can be bad for you...
***Paul then tells them why***
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
a. Forsake wisdom of the world
b. Adhere to Godly wisdom
c. God can use someone who seeks the right kind of wisdom
d. Because it’s all for his glory
Now we get to the heart of the message:
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
a. Paul was highly educated under the teaching of Gamaliel, but he did not come to them with excellency of speech or wisdom
He came declaring the testimony of God...
It wasn’t with “enticing word of man’s wisdom”...
But it was in demonstration of the Spirit and of power...
****So their faith would not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
If you get your wisdom from an unsaved person, beware because vs. 14 says they are “spiritually discerned”...
They don’t understand the things of God like a saved person does...
If you can philosophy every truth of God’s Word into the truth I want, I’ll never have to be convicted again… Then I can live my life as an Epicurean… revolved around happiness by eliminating truth...
Their advice is not based on godly wisdom, but worldly wisdom...
A marriage cannot be fashioned off of Hollywood and Ephesians 5...
You cannot raise a Godly seed by worldly wisdom...
Don’t philosophy God’s Word… obey it
Are you running your marriage based on wisdom of the world or Godly wisdom?
Are you raising your children based on wisdom of the world or Godly wisdom?
Are you living your Christian life based on wisdom of the world or Godly wisdom?
Are you managing your desires and emotions based on wisdom of the world or Godly wisdom?
