The World’s Wisdom VS God’s Wisdom
Context: Paul writing to a church he was part of starting, dealing with their issues
He started with Unity and then He clarifies what they are United around
This church, like us, is geographically situated in ‘This World’
We are called to be in this world but not of it; Spiritually ‘Set Apart’ by following Christ
It starts with a clear understanding of and belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Everything we are as a church starts with the reality of Christ!
Who He is, and what He has done are not understood by the means of this world
God’s ways are scoffed at by the popular culture of our day, as they were 2000 yrs ago
1st Corinthians 1:18-31
The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” (Isiah 29:14)
- Not believing in the unconditional gift of the Cross = The height of foolishness.
- The only way to truly experience the ‘Very Power of God’ is to surrender to Him
- God says HE WILL
So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.
- The pursuit God is not an educational, philosophic, information based endeavor
- God’s way is for you do it His way and that is by ‘Relational Faith’
- You don’t need to know everything, you don’t even need to know much:
- You just need to know The TRUTH
It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.
- Jews wanted a replication of Moses
- Greeks wanted to ‘reason’ it out with logic
- The Gospel of Christ dosen’t fit mold of this worlds thinking (never has, never will)
But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
- The only way it makes any sense is that God enables it
- God is calling, will you let him be heard in your heart & soul?
- It’s beyond ‘This World’s’ capabilities to fully understand God’s wisdom & strength
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.
- Did any of us really know anything before God called us?
- I know I was truly humbled…I thought I knew somethings…
- I’ve been considered foolish by friends, family & others for being a ‘Real Christian’
- They think I have wasted my life…we will see
God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
- The manner of Christ’s birth was a low as it gets
- The manner of Christ’s death was the epitome of nothing: shameful & despicable
- But through this God, and God alone made the way for us to have EVERYTHING
- True Faith takes no credit for the salvation of Christ…But we do take part!
COMMUNION: Celebrating & ‘Taking Part’ in ‘The Gift’ of Christ-Given Salvation
This is a Sacrament only for Surrendered Disciples of Jesus Christ (Start Today)
God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:24)
- Being united with Christ is an ongoing practice
- The Lord’s Supper is a: Remembrance / Reconnection / Reenactment of GRACE
- Who Christ is and what He did enables us to:
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- Enter into a right relationship with our Creator
- Become pure & Holy, Christ’s purity and Holiness become ours
- End being ‘Owned’ by Sin…it still oppresses, us but dosen’t own us
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- Since we could make none of that happen, we have nothing to take credit for
Application Questions:
Why does the reality of the Gospel destroy the wisdom and intelligence of the world?
Why does God not want us to know Him through ‘Human Wisdom’?
Why do you believe Christ is the power and wisdom of God?
Why is the reality of God displayed through foolish, shameful and despised things?
What are some ways you can ‘Boast only about the Lord’?