Human Wisdom Won't Cut It

1. SPIRITUAL THINGS ARE REVEALED THROUGH THE SPIRIT. (VERSE 10)

a. WHAT THINGS?

i. (ESV) - 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”

ii. MUCH OF THE TIME, WHEN WE READ THIS VERSE, WE TEND TO GIVE IT AN ESCHATALOGICAL MEANING.

1. IN OTHER WORDS, WE OFTEN USE IT TO REINFORCE THE TRUTH THAT GOD HAS SOME AMAZING THINGS IS STORE FOR HIS FOLLOWERS IN ETERNITY.

a. AND HE ABSOLUTELY DOES.

2. BUT I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU THIS MORNING TO THINK OF IT IN THE HERE AND NOW.

3. GOD HAS SOME AMAZING THINGS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM, RIGHT NOW, TODAY!

iii. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IN THE CHURCH IS THAT WE HAVE BECOME A PEOPLE WHO ARE EAGER TO ACCEPT A GOSPEL THAT SEALS OUR ETERNITY, BUT WE ARE UNWILLING TO EMBRACE A GOSPEL THAT AFFECTS OUR TODAY.

1. I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH WHEN IT SAYS THAT GOD HAS PUT ETERNITY IN OUR HEARTS.

2. BUT THAT’S THE VERY REASON WE CANNOT FOCUS SOLELY ON ETERNITY.

a. DUANE GARRETT, SPEAKING OF THIS PASSAGE IN ECCLESIASTES SAYS THIS, “WE FEEL LIKE ALIENS IN THE WORLD OF TIME AND YEARN TO BE PART OF ETERNITY. WE FEEL THE NEED FOR OURSELVES AND OUR WORK TO BE ETERNAL AND YET ARE GRIEVED TO BE TRAPPED IN TIME. WE ALSO DESIRE TO UNDERSTAND OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF ETERNITY.”

b. I WOULD SAY THAT TODAY, FEW CHRISTIANS HAVE TRULY TAKEN THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF TRYING UNDERSTAND THEIR PURPOSE IN THE UNIVERSE AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF ETERNITY.

3. WHY IS THIS?

a. BECAUSE EVERYTHING MOST CHRISTIANS THINK ABOUT REVOLVES AROUND HUMAN WISDOM, HUMAN DESIRE, AND HUMAN PRIORITIES.

4. WHAT IF, SIR, GOD WANTS TO USE ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN TO REACH A CURRENTLY UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP?

a. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO EQUIP THEM?

5. WHAT IF, MA’AM, GOD WANTS TO USE YOU TO SHOW WHAT THE LOVE OF JESUS CAN REALLY LOOK LIKE WHEN IT IS PUT INTO ACTION?

6. WHAT IF GOD HAS BLESSED YOU FINANCIALLY FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF BLESSING THE CHURCH SO SHE CAN CARRY OUT HER GOD-ORDAINED PURPOSE TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS?

iv. WHAT IF GOD IS CALLING YOU, MORE MATURE GENTLEMAN OR LADY, TO BE A PRAYER WARRIOR ON BEHALF OF SOME SPECIFIC MINISTRY OR SOME SPECIFIC PERSON WHO IS SERVING IN THE CHURCH OR IN A PARA-CHURCH ORGANIZATION?

v. HOW WILL YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU SEEK THE FACE OF GOD?

1. HOW CAN YOU GAIN SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU ARE SWIMMING IN THE CESSPOOL OF HUMAN WISDOM?

2. IN VERSE 10, PAUL REMINDS THESE CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS THAT THESE THINGS, THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NEVER SEEN, EAR HAS NEVER HEARD, AND MIND HAS NEVER IMAGINED; THESE THINGS ARE REVEALED; THESE THINGS ARE REALIZED, IN THE SPIRITUAL SETTING, NOT IN THE HUMANISTIC, PHYSICAL, TEMPORAL SETTING.

b. WHY CAN’T I UNDERSTAND SPIRITUAL TRUTH?

i. BECAUSE YOU DON’T SPEND ANY TIME SEEKING SPIRITUAL TRUTH.

1. IF ATTENDING WORSHIP ON SUNDAYS IS THE ONLY TIME YOU ARE EXPOSED TO THE WORD OF GOD, FRIEND, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU WILL LIKELY NEVER BECOME MORE SPIRITUALLY ADEPT THAN YOU ARE RIGHT NOW.

c. WHY DON’T I HAVE A DESIRE FOR SPIRITUAL TRUTH?

i. BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS CONVINCED YOU THAT SPIRITUAL TRUTH IS OK, AS LONG AS YOU KEEP IT TO YOURSELF, OR AS LONG AS IT IS SOMETHING THAT DOESN’T AFFECT YOU NOW.

ii. BUT PAUL MAKES IT CLEAR THAT SPIRITUAL WISDOM CAN ONLY COME BY SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND THE MYSTERIES OF GOD.

d. LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS IN VERSES 14 THROUGH 16.

e. (ESV) – 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.

2. BUT WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.

a. WHY WAS IT THAT PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS COULD UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD AND SHARE SPIRITUAL TRUTH WITH OTHERS?

i. BECAUSE THEY HAD THE MIND OF CHRIST.

ii. AS BELIEVERS’ MINDS ARE INFLUENCED BY THE SPIRIT, THEY THEMSELVES TAKE ON THE MIND OF CHRIST.

iii. THEY BEGIN TO THINK AS HE THINKS; THEY EVALUATE LIFE AS HE EVALUATES IT.

iv. THOSE TAUGHT BY THE SPIRIT DO NOT FOLLOW THEIR OWN FAULTY REASONING; THEY LEARN FROM THE SPIRIT, WHO JUDGES ALL HUMAN WISDOM.

CONCLUSION:

SO HOW CAN WE OBTAIN THE MIND OF CHRIST?

HOW CAN WE GAIN SPIRITUAL WISDOM?

- TALK TO GOD

o PRAYER IS A GIFT THAT IS RARELY USED THE WAY GOD INTENDS FOR IT TO BE USED.

§ HE LOVES TO HEAR FROM YOU, AND HE HAS MUCH TO SHARE WITH YOU…TALK TO HIM.

- READ HIS WORD.

o LEARN FROM THE ACCOUNTS OF MEN AND WOMEN OF FAITH.

- WORSHIP HIM.

o CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULE, AND MAKE CORPORATE WORSHIP AND SUNDAY SCHOOL A PRIORITY.

- SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GODLY PEOPLE.

o GODLY PEOPLE EXERT A GODLY INFLUENCE OF OTHERS.

o SPEND TIME WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR FAITH.

- KNOW JESUS.

o THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF GAINING SPIRITUAL WISDOM IS PUTTING YOUR FAITH IN THE ONE WHO SENDS THE SPIRIT TO BRING SPIRITUAL WISDOM.

§ IF YOU ARE HERE THIS MORNING AND YOU HAVE NEVER TRUSTED JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR, I WOULD LIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL YOU ABOUT GOD’S SOLUTION FOR EVERY MAN’S PROBLEM.