God's Wisdom 2026-01-25

Godly Wisdom does not need Fancy Packaging

Paul's last words in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 were instructions to

only boast about Jesus Christ,

not how great you are

not how educated you are

but Just Jesus Christ

boast about Him and His work in you and through you.

In Chapter 2 of 1 Corinthians, Paul begins by explaining how he chose to present the Gospel, the Message of Christ to them.

That mysterious message of salvation through Jesus Christ, that was hidden from the world, until Christ came.

In verse 1cor1.31 me said

1 Corinthians 1:31 NLT

31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

and then he demonstrates the application of this

1 Corinthians 2:1 NLT

1 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.

Paul,

took his own advise.

Paul was an educated man a rabi of rabbis.

He could talk

Eschatology,

Soteriology and

Ecclesiology with them

if he wanted to impress them about how great he was.

But Paul’s desire was to let people know

how great Jesus is and will be in their lives

if they embrace Him as their lord and savior.

A christian speaker was sharing with pastor’s once that even though he is fluent in biblical Greek, he does not bring his knowledge into every New Testament conversation, to be the definitive last word on every subject.

Reading on Paul says

1 Corinthians 2:2–5 NLT

2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

I don’t think there is any record of miracles that Paul did in Corinth, but in the book of Acts we can read about miracles done by Paul in Ephesus.

Acts 19:11–12 NLT

11 God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. 12 When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.

It is interesting to me, that these kinds of public miracles are especial seen in clashes between Christians and Pagan cultures. My highly respected Bible professor at George Fox College shared about his friends in missionary work, who saw miraculous healings and survived confrontations with witch doctors.

Years ago, Chuck Swindoll observed it’s in the more primitive, superstitious cultures that God performs miracles through his people, not so much in western cultures today.

And yet I would say, even in the west, we pray every day for God’s hand in every situation, and praise Him for His handiwork.

The witness of a changed life, is a powerful testimony in any and every community setting.

I wonder today, what your faith rest on

what my faith rests on.

Does it rest on a Charismatic personality of a preacher or teacher?

Does it rest your current good circumstances?

Does it rest on a false image of walking with Christ will be a walk down easy street?

Or does it rest on Jesus Christ Himself.

That old song about two houses,

one on the rock and

one on sinking sand

says it well

“the house on the sand went splat!”

Lets not put our trust in people or organizations but on the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen? Amen!

Illus. skillful words The canterbery tales, a bunch of stories with consistent rhyming. Page after page of sylible patterns and rhymns. Word of worning, some of the tales are not good, wholesome stories]

Godly wisdom is not Worldly wisdom

Starting at verse 6 we get this discussion of Worldly Wisdom verse Godly Wisdom.

1 Corinthians 2:6 NLT

6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten.

From our perspective the wisdom and power of the world just goes on and on.

But from a heavenly perspective, the rulers of this world, will soon be forgotten.

There is today a continuing clash between God’s wisdom and the wisdom of the world.

World Godly

Me First, Look out for yourself Mark 12.31

Mark 12:31 NLT

31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

The world says

Don’t be inconvenienced by others

God’s Wisdom says

1 Timothy 5:8 NLT

8 But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.

In context, that passage was speaking of old folks, parents, aunts and uncles but,

it could also apply to

your spouse,

your children,

your unborn children!

They all have a right to expect

care from you and me!

that is unless our character is

worse than unbelievers!

Can I get an Amen?

Amen!

The World says willing partners can have marital relations with anyone

God’s word says Matt19:4

Matthew 19:4–5 NLT

4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’ 5 And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’

Reading further in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:7–9 NLT

7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

You might ask,

How do we get the wisdom of God?

We get God’s wisdom,

through His Word.

We get God’s wisdom,

fellowship with other believers

interacting with them and

seeing the choices they make,

as you face life together with them.

We get God’s wisdom,

through life stories believers have shared

We also get God’s wisdom

through his Holy Spirit.

Every Living creature has a spirit.

Some people,

some animals

clearly have crushed spirits.

Someone told me the other day about a rescued dog.

This dog was rescued for starving to death,

and as long as it lived,

their family gave it all the love and affection they could,

yet it never lost it’s food insecurity.

It always wolfed it’s food down, like it was it’s last meal.

And speaking of Spirits, who would know God better then the Holy Spirit of God?

The Spirit of God, is well equipped to share with us, the wisdom of God.

The Spirit Brings God’s Wisdom

1 Corinthians 2:10–12 NLT

10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

The idea that God loves you

is inconceivable to many,

until they accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

The idea that you should stay out of the sack,

until you are married is inconceivable

until the Holy Spirit puts that wisdom in our heart.

The idea that a god or a religious system could have the right to

tell you how to live, is inconceivable

until the Holy Spirit puts that wisdom in your heart.

1 Corinthians 2:13–16 NIV

13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

None of us, has the wisdom to correct God

to advise God,

through some have tried.

But thanks be to God,

In Him and

through his Holy Spirit

along with his Word,

we can have the mind of Christ.

Amen? Amen!

Whose Wisdom will you live by

The question we face every day

The question we consider today is

Whose Wisdom are you and I going to follow?

The Worlds wisdom?

Or God’s Wisdom?

As we share a time of communion you can share your answer to that with God

Father, help us to recognize whose wisdom we are following in all the areas of our live.

Show us where we follow you and

Show us where we are following the world

And if we are walking the fence between those two world views

knock us off,

onto your side of the fence.

And all God’s people said

Amen!