Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-14; James 3:13-18
Theme: Godly Wisdom
Title: Supernatural Wisdom – Yours for the Asking!
INTRO:
Grace and peace today from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
As you read the Bible you begin to understand that one of the great joys of the LORD is to give to us human beings true wisdom, knowledge, insight and discernment.
The Bible is full of passage after passage that instructs us to seek wisdom.
Passages like:
Proverbs 1:1-7 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Bible promises that if we seek for wisdom then the LORD will provide for us wisdom.
Passages like:
James 1:5-8 English Standard Version (ESV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
But exactly what is wisdom?
Is it the same as basic human intellect – i.e. - A high IQ?
Is it basic everyday knowledge – i.e. - Common sense?
Is it the accumulation of a number of certain facts and data?
Is it the ability to attain a certain level of educational degree or technical expertise?
We have to understand that what the Bible calls wisdom is different from what the world may call wisdom. Biblical wisdom may include all those things – high I. Q., common sense, the accumulation of a number of facts and the holding of a certain degree. But then again it may include only one or two of those things or none of those things.
Biblical wisdom is wisdom that comes directly from the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, the Good God of Creation; the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And it is different than let’s say intellect in at least these senses:
+The intellect of man can physically save a life but it cannot save a soul.
+The intellect of man can reach the moon and some of the planets in our Solar System but it cannot reach heaven.
+The intellect of man can assist in bring forth a child into this world but it cannot cause your Spirit to be reborn.
+The intellect of man can help you see a vast amount of our physical world but it cannot open up the doors to seeing all things supernatural.
At some point in our lives we begin to understand that there is a limit to human intellect and worldly wisdom. After all, look at our world. After thousands of years of listening to the collected human wisdom of our world we are still in a mess.
The fact is that without God we may have glimmer moments of wisdom but the truth is without God there is no true wisdom. The Bible tells us that the LORD is the beginning of true wisdom.
Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6)
In other words the only way for us to have true wisdom – the kind of wisdom that knows how to live the abundant life here and now and assists us being able to live an everlasting life on the New Heaven and New Earth can only come from our LORD and Savior God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
That is not being arrogant or putting down the so called wisdom of the world. That is not putting down the collected wisdom of such notable people as Aristotle, Plato, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Madam Currie or Stephen Hawkins. All of those people and millions more have displayed an amazing amount of human wisdom. But what we are talking about this morning is taking that wisdom one more step up and possessing God given, Spirit-filled and guided supernatural wisdom, discernment, insight and knowledge.
This is what we see the Apostle Paul and the Apostle James are talking about in their writings. This is the kind of wisdom that we see being lived out in such people as Job, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Deborah, Ruth, King Solomon, Mary the Mother of Jesus and the Apostles. It is a wisdom that is supernatural. It is a wisdom that goes beyond human intellect, human facts and human wisdom. It is a wisdom that is available to every person who repents, accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior and LORD and who is infilled with God’s Holy Spirit.
Again, what we are talking about is different than logic, philosophy, enlightenment and the things that any human being can absorb and retain. What we are talking about is different than human reason.
One of the saddest aspect of people depending on mere human wisdom is that they can live their whole lives here on this earth and still never have an experience with God. They can have the highest IQ that mankind can determine and yet never experience the New Birth. They can have all the common sense and be able to spit out fact after fact and yet never know what it means to be One with God’s Holy Spirit.
I. It takes having a redeemed relationship with God to have true wisdom
It is that simple and that plain.
Without possessing a genuine relationship with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY you are missing out on being able to be a truly wise person.
You may have all the common sense and be able to recite and regurgitate all the facts and figures in the world.
You may win all the money on Jeopardy and be a master on the World’s Debate team.
You may be a world chess champion and be able to understand the deep things of science, math and philosophy but that will not in and of itself bring you true wisdom.
The world and the Devil have done an excellent job in convincing us human beings that wisdom is only putting together a collection of facts, being able to argue your point in a convincing manner and being able to speak eloquently.
Millions of people have believed the lie that God doesn’t exist or that God is absent from His creation because some so-called genius said so.
Millions of people have been tricked into thinking that Bible is just one book among many people because someone who the world has bestowed upon a certain degree has said so.
The fact is God does exist.
GOD IS ALIVE, ACTIVE AND ENGAGED!
Not because I said so but because if you allow God, God will tell you Himself that He exists. I don’t know God exists because I read it somewhere but because His Holy Spirit testifies to my human spirit that He exists.
Are you saying this morning that Christians should be the wisest people on the planet?
YES!
Not in their own strength, but because they are conduits of God’s Holy Spirit. Not in their own human intellect, but because each day they wake up and ask God to bestow upon them His Wisdom, Knowledge, Insight and Discernment. Not because they have the biggest brains, but because they go to the source of all wisdom and allow the Holy Spirit to infill them, lead them, guide them and give them gifts and graces.
I mean let’s think about it – if the world was so smart then why is it in so much trouble? If the world is so smart why doesn’t it turn back to God and ask for forgiveness?
And if the Devil and all the demons are so smart why did they leave Heaven for Hell? If the Devil and all the demons are so smart how come they fell into the clutches of sin that leads not to life but to death – everlasting and eternal death.
No, those who follow the ways of the world and fall to the temptations of Satan are not wise – they are foolish. For the wages of sin and evil are not life but death. Not happiness but sorrow, pain and loneliness. (Romans 6:23; Luke 13:28)
True wisdom, the kind of wisdom that enables you to possess supernatural wisdom comes only from ONE source – not the School House, or the Library or from the Great Philosophers of the Ages – it comes from GOD – the GOD OF THE BIBLE. THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISSAC AND JACOB.
Let’s look at what True Wisdom will do for all of us:
II. True Wisdom changes our inner and outer being
True wisdom will change us from the inside out.
The Apostle James shares with us a whole list of changes that happens when we allow God’s wisdom to come into our lives.
James shares some distinctive properties of God’s True Wisdom that can be ours for the asking.
+True Wisdom brings us a spirit of meekness.
-We understand that without God we are nothing. We understand that true wisdom is not pointing out the stupidity of others or possessing an arrogant spirit. We understand that true wisdom is not having to be the smartest person in the room or being right all the time. We understand that being the strongest person in the room isn’t the key unless that strong person is under the control of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was the strongest and smartest person ever to walk on our planet and yet He was also the meekest person to walk on our planet.
Jesus is the One who could have called 10,000 angels (Matthew 26:53), the One who stilled storms (Matthew 4:35-41) and raised the dead (John 11:38-44) and yet He knew the wisdom of being a meek person. Enough said, don’t you think?
+True Wisdom brings us a spirit of purity
-True wisdom is being pure – being physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually pure.
True wisdom is making sure that we live a pure life – a life that shows us that we are to “abstain from all evil”. (1 Thessalonians 5:22).
True wisdom is doing our best to make sure that we are Christ’s bride – a bride without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27).
+True Wisdom brings us a spirit of peace
Peace that is more than the absence of conflict. God will give us a Peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
All too often strife and envy follows worldly wisdom. When someone believes that they have the correct answer and another person differs with them what often results is a rather bombastic exchange of opinions, ideas and words.
It is better to be quiet and have people think you are wise than to open our mouths and prove that we really are foolish (Proverbs 17:28). But that is hard. When we think we are right we often don’t know how to keep the peace.
The reality is if we are right, the truth will survive. True wisdom tells us to obey the wooing of the Holy Spirit and we will find ourselves more often than not just becoming quiet and reflective more than combative and argumentative. We need to know that God can fight His own battles. We need to know that the Holy Spirit will lead us to a place of peace rather than a violent verbal storm.
If someone wants to argue with you for argument sake then let it be a one sided argument. Life is too short to battle. Let God give you peace and give them wisdom or vice-a-versa.
The Bible says to do everything to live in peace with all mankind.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” – Romans 12:18
+True Wisdom brings us a Spirit of Gentleness
The Bible tells us that one of the great characteristics of a Church Leader is that of being gentle. The Bible tells us that when we use wisdom we are able to even bring rebuke into the lives of other people in such a way that brings healing and wholeness (1 Thess. 2:7; Titus 3:2).
Before you confront a person we should saturate them with prayer. If you are then led by the Holy Spirit to confront them you avoid exaggerating their guilt or shaming them in public. You plead with them rather than spout out a series of threats. You speak kindly and not roughly. You have a compassionate heart and face.
It doesn’t mean that you don’t have to have some awkward conversations or that you don’t have to at times stand up for what is right. But to the best of your ability you surrender to the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit who will allow you to be as gentle as you can be. At times as it was with Jesus and the Pharisees (Matthew 23:33) it might demand a more stern approach but in most situations we will discover that the more wisdom we possess and use the more gentle we can be in all our relationships.
“ … be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)
+True Wisdom brings us a Spirit of Openness
True wisdom is when we realize that different people have different ideas and opinions and that is okay. Not everyone has received the same amount of revelation and not everyone has walked the same path.
The wiser we become the more we are to understand that truth. The older we get we do have a tendency to not be open to change – to not entertain the idea that someone else has a better idea or that they are wiser than we are in a particular situation. But the very opposite has to happen in our lives if we want to seek wisdom.
The older we get the more we must allow ourselves the opportunity to be open to someone else’s opinions and thoughts. Now, of course if they disagree with Scripture that is another question but in most matters if we stay open we will in fact learn something.
Ed Rickard shared in one of his writings that his sister Carolyn gave him this wonderful little snippet of wisdom:
“As we get older, there are two things we must do to stay young. First, we must always be willing to get down on the floor and play with the little ones. Second, we must always listen to the advice of our children.”1
We all have been given certain gifts and strengths. We also have certain deficiencies and weakness. That is why we need each other. True wisdom helps us to link our strengths up with other people’s strengths and in the end we are a better couple, family, organization and Body of Christ.
+True Wisdom brings a Spirit of Mercy that enables us to bear good fruit
One of the things that occurs as we grow in supernatural wisdom is that we not only see the flaws in our own lives but we can see them in the lives of other people. We see where they may be missing the boat so to speak or getting ready to go the wrong way.
True wisdom helps us be able to share with them some course corrections, do some mentoring or be able to offer some constructive criticism but always done in the spirit of mercy and grace.
I think we all had that one teacher that loved to use red ink. You would turn in a paper and then when you got it back it looked like it had been to the OK Corral or involved a bloody battle somewhere. It looked like there was more red ink than what you used to write the paper.
We all want those people in our lives who know how to help us with as little red ink as possible. And when they do have to use red ink there are also words of encouragement written as well. We all, I believe, want to be that kind of person as well for the Bible says the more we use mercy the more fruit – the more good things will happen in our lives and around our lives.
+True Wisdom bring a Spirit of Sincerity and Impartiality
The Bible has this amazing story about a woman named Deborah. She was the embodiment of this Spirit of sincerity and impartiality. She was a wonderful judge of character and actions. She was used by God as He poured His wisdom into her and enabled her to bring freedom to her people.
The more we allow God’s wisdom to flow into our lives the more we are able to be real – not fake, not made up, not puff up but genuine; caring, loving and kind. The more we allow God’s wisdom to flow into our spirits the more we don’t take sides because we don’t see sides – we only see people who are like us – saved but perhaps still broken, or better yet masterpieces in the making. We become peacemakers. We become agents of positive change.
All of those things – purity, peace, gentleness, openness, mercy, good fruits, impartiality and sincerity lead us to being able to live an Abundant Life as God’s Shining Lights. This is where True Wisdom leads us and enables us to become – God’s Shining Lights in Our World.
III. True Wisdom Causes Us To Shine As God’s Lights
True wisdom not only helps us live the best life we can here on this earth but it provides for us the opportunity to shine the best for our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
In Matthew 5:16 Jesus tells us:
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
We should all strive to be wise – not just earthly wisdom but heavenly wisdom. True Wisdom that is able to not only make a difference in the Stock Market but will make an everlasting difference in the heart, mind and soul of us and another human beings.
By the way one of the greatest ways of obtaining true Wisdom is to saturate ourselves in God’s Word – reading things like the Sermon on the Mount is a great place to start. The words written there come from our Savior and LORD. They are gems of God speech – speech that God wants us not only to get in our ears but get on the inside of us and that will transform us from the inside out.
You don’t have to be the sharpest pencil in the drawer to be one of God’s wisest people.
Years ago there was a man who came to be known as Brother Lawrence. He was just a common man. He had no degrees. He was not rich nor did he come from a prestigious family. He just fell in love with God, with the Word and with others.
He wasn’t even able to become a minister. He wasn’t qualified at that time. And so he worked in a monastery taking care of the monks. Most of his time was spent working in the kitchen, in the garden and around the place cleaning up. But all day long Bro. Lawrence talked to God and allowed God to change him.
After a period of time a rather strange thing happened. The people that normally would come to talk to one of the monks or priests started approaching him. They wanted to know what he thought about this or that. By the time he was an old man the monastery was more known as the place where one could hear the wisdom of Brother Lawrence and read the writings of Brother Lawrence that it was the place that one went to talk to a learned priest or monk.
This morning, each and every one us can become a vessel of supernatural, God given wisdom. All it takes is the ability to be open to God, to open our ears, our eyes and our hearts to the LORD. To listen for God’s voice, to be ready to obey at a moment’s notice and to give your will and your way over to the LORD.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians thanks God that He has given to the Corinthians wisdom, insight and discernment. He tells them that God has enriched them in everything, in every form of speech and in every form of knowledge.
The result was the Corinthians possessed all the spiritual gifts that they needed and were therefore able to receive all of God’s wonderful gifts.
Now, were they perfect – of course not. But when they allowed the LORD to refill them, when they allowed the LORD to lead them and when they allowed themselves to be open to God’s wisdom then their lives went up another level. So, too will ours.
+The more we are open to the LORD’s wisdom the more we will see what is true and holy.
+The more we are open to the LORD’s wisdom the more we will understand what brings truth value and worth to our lives.
+The more we are open to the LORD’s wisdom the more we will know how to live with ourselves and with others.
+The more we are open to the LORD’s wisdom the more we will avoid mistakes, side step pitfalls and live God’s abundant life here on this earth and on the New Earth and Heaven to come.
+The more we are open to the LORD’s wisdom the more we will find ourselves having something of value to say, to think and to accomplish.
This morning how goes it in your life – Do we need to open ourselves up to more of God’s Wisdom?
We can by each day waking up and asking God to reveal to us more of Him, to be infilled with more of His Holy Spirit and to be given more of His wisdom, insight, discernment and knowledge.
If we do that – then we will begin to notice a change not only in ourselves but in those around us. We will find ourselves going up a step in our thinking, in our walking, in our conversations and in our spirit. We will find ourselves developing the mind of Christ. We will find ourselves enjoying life more and enjoying being in God’s Holy Presence. We will find ourselves being more at peace, more kind, more gentle and more loving.
OPEN ALTAR – CLOSING SONG – BE THOU MY VISION (Traditional)
Contemporary Song – I Will Rise (The Wisdom of God) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uTIqu8G-34
1What is True Wisdom by Ed Rickard (Bible Studies at The Moorings). See Ed’s writings on this subject. They are excellent.
