Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20070128.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
1 Corinthians: Discipling Believers With Very Sinful Backgrounds
II. Overcoming Human Personality Followings
C. Discerning God's Wisdom From Man's Wisdom
(1 Corinthians 2:6-3:3)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Though we learned in last Sunday's viewing of 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 that a great gulf exists between various popular religious beliefs and what the Bible actually teaches, many believers have noticed such a gulf often exists between professing Christians as well! This creates confusion for the believer who wants to use God's wisdom, but is not sure what it is due to the many differing groups in Christendom that claim to have it!

(1) For example, an academic catalogue I recently received advertised J. Gordon Melton's book, Nelson's Guide to Denominations that lists "more than 800 American and Canadian churches" with their associations -- a great number of fellowship differences between groups in Christendom just in North America alone! Yet, each group doubtless is convinced that it possesses God's true wisdom!

(2) In another catalogue, I noticed a promotional ad on a book by Billy Graham's daughter, Ruth Graham. The book was entitled, In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart where, according to the promotion, she shares of her "tragic divorces, her teenage daughter's two pregnancies" and other trials she has faced in her adult life.

I thought this promotional ad might be a troubling one for many Christians to read, for, if the daughter of a key leader in today's evangelical realm would write a book exposing her own trying relationship gulfs in her various failed marriages and family life, and then in the title of the book imply that her experience extended to those "in every pew", many Christians reading this ad might wonder if they can sure they have God's wisdom so as to succeed in basic family relationships!



So, as EVEN professing Christians WIDELY DIFFER on WHAT COMPRISES God's wisdom, or WONDER if they can HAVE it or HOW to IDENTIFY it, HOW can the average believer DISCERN God's wisdom so he can CHOOSE to use IT as OPPOSED to choosing man's false and harmful wisdom?!



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "Though the last sermon taught me to use God's wisdom over man's wisdom, Christians DIFFER on DEFINING the two so that I am UNSURE what it IS in order to USE it! Any suggestions?!"
  1. The divisive personality followings of the Corinthian believers that [we before learned] was caused by using MAN'S wisdom produced SIN in Paul's readers that had to be corrected, 1 Corinthians 3:1-3.
  2. So, to MOTIVATE his readers to REPENT from using MAN'S wisdom, Paul CONTRASTED the TWO WISDOMS, providing DISCERNMENT for us about them (as follows), 1 Cor. 2:6-3:3:
    1. Paul noted God's wisdom was hidden from the unsaved [and from the carnal Christian who lives by his sin nature], 1 Cor. 2:6-9 [2:14; 3:3].
    2. Yet, this divine wisdom is revealed to the believer by the Holy Spirit [as the believer is in right relationship with Him], 1 Cor. 2:10-12 [15].
    3. The Holy Spirit searches out the deep things of God and reveals them to the mind [of spiritual people], 1 Corinthians 2:10b, 13 [15]; Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament , p. 510.
    4. However, the "natural man" -- that is, either the unsaved person or the Christian who functions as "carnal", or under the control of his pre-salvation sinful nature -- has no capacity to accept God's "deep truths". They are foolish to him, and he can not understand them as they cannot be known by mere human ability, cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14.
    5. Conversely, one who is "spiritual", that is, one who is in right spiritual relationship with God, is able to discern spiritual truths, including the "carnal" and "immature" state of other people around him although the ungodly person can not understand the spiritual believer's thoughts and actions, 1 Corinthians 2:15; 3:1-3. [For this reason, the carnal man can not discern realities of the spiritual man, 1 Cor. 9:1-5!]
    6. The spiritual believer possesses this capacity because God the Holy Spirit instructs his mind with God's viewpoint, giving him the mind of Christ that puts him at a supernatural advantage to "carnal" [saved and unsaved] people in outlook and resulting lifestyle, 1 Cor. 2:16!
    7. Also, man's false wisdom is exposed not only by the limited insight of the carnal party, but by his conduct that is typified by characteristics such as envy and strife, cf. 1 Corinthians 3:3 with Galatians 5:19-21.
  3. Now, we can ARRANGE Paul's information to CONTRAST the viewpoint and conduct that arise from MAN'S wisdom FROM the viewpoint and conduct that arise from GOD'S wisdom (as follows):
    1. Heeding man's wisdom produces the following viewpoint and deeds:
      1. Man's wisdom is preoccupied with sinful interests, and it has no capacity to understand and thus to enjoy God's truths, 1 Cor. 2:14.
      2. Accordingly, one can use man's wisdom and not be aware that he does so as he is blinded by it [as seen in the case of 1 Cor. 9:1-5].
      3. Since the use of man's wisdom comes by way of the sin nature, we know from Galatians 5:19-21a (ESV) that man's wisdom produces actions typical of sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissension, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and other similar problems.
    2. Heeding God's wisdom produces the following viewpoint and deeds:
      1. God's wisdom is preoccupied with God's righteous instruction to the spiritual man (1 Cor. 2:16), producing these characteristics:
        1. One who relies on God's wisdom discerns God's truth and its application, including his own godly state and the spiritual status others around him, 1 Corinthians 2:10, 15; Ibid.
        2. The spiritual man thus functions with a supernatural advantage, for, having God as His Teacher, he has the mind of God on the spiritual states of everyone around him, 1 Corinthians 2:16!
      2. God's wisdom produces the "fruit of the Holy Spirit" in living (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV): these include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Application: (1) If we discern that we are "carnal," may we heed the appropriate step(s) above. (2) If we see that we are spiritual, may we thank God for His gracious ministry unto us and stay dependent upon Him by faith for outlook and godly action!

Lesson: (1) If we see some Scripture truths or even some believers as "boring" or incomprehensible, and struggle as a regular way of life with inner unrest and sins, we are "carnal", and thus must (a) trust in Christ as Savior to be saved [if we have not done so] and thus receive the Holy Spirit (John 3:16; Rom. 8:9b). Otherwise, we (b) as a BELIEVER must confess our carnal status as sin (1 John 1:9) and rely in faith on the ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit and Scripture for discernment and power for godly living, Galatians 5:16. (2) However, if we understand and enjoy God's truths in Scripture and in other godly people, and Biblically discern the spiritual states of everyone around us, and see the Holy Spirit's "fruit" in our lives, we are godly and feed on God's wisdom!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

At my ordination to the pastorate over thirty years ago, the key speaker was the Reverend John P. Forsythe who admitted to us in the dedicatory sermon that he had once hated to part with his money!

He explained that, as a new believer, he had told the Lord he would never give anything less than a quarter when the offering plate was passed in Church. Then, one Sunday while the offering was being taken, he discovered that he had only a dime and a twenty dollar bill in his pocket, and anguished over what to do about it! He did not want to part with his twenty dollar bill, but he had his promise to the Lord to keep! Thus, in great discomfort, he kept the promise and put the twenty dollar bill in the plate, vowing never again enter a Church without at least a quarter in his pocket!

However, after having grown in his relationship with God in serving the Lord for many years in the pastorate, Reverend Forsythe lost his life's savings of $80,000 in a business deal with a fellow believer that went bad! However, much to his own surprise, instead of feeling rage and bitterness about it, he found God had so greatly "delivered" him from the lust of money that he almost felt lighthearted in first learning of the loss! He had gained great victory over the carnal immaturity he once knew when fretting over putting a twenty dollar bill in the offering plate!

Some years later and before he went home to be with the Lord, Reverend Forsythe gave me a financial gift as encouragement for my serving the Lord in the pastorate! [Yes, it was decidedly more than twenty dollars!] Recalling where he had once been in his Christian walk regarding his money, I received his gift in a spirit of thanksgiving not only to him, but especially to the Lord for His overcoming power in the man's life!



May we evaluate ourselves in view of 1 Corinthians 2:6-3:3 to see whether we use man's wisdom or God's wisdom, and shift if need be from relying on man's wisdom to using God's wisdom: may we (1) trust in Christ for salvation to receive the empowering Holy Spirit, or, (2) as Christians, confess as sin to God a carnal state and rely on the Holy Spirit to heed God's Word. Then we will know the JOY of God's work IN our hearts to His glory as Reverend John P. Forsythe came to know in his walk with God!