In this message, Dr. Stanley explains the difference between godly and human wisdom. Godly wisdom is the capacity to see things from God’s viewpoint and respond according to the principles of Scripture. On the other hand, human wisdom is earthly, natural and demonic—it has no place in the believer’s life.
we’re living wisely we will be able to
walk to the deepest darkest valleys of
life we’re going to walk through pads
and we think there’d be no way to walk
we’re going to be able to walk through
situations and circumstances and
heartaches that we would never think we
can ever in do but when you walk in
wisely here’s what happens God says this
is the next step next on InTouch moving
wisely or foolishly why would a city
known for its red economy over all these
years you’re bankrupt why would they go
bankrupt
unwise decisions that probably started
years before why would a family choose
to buy a home house that they know that
they cannot afford but they gonna bide
anyway unwise decision why would a
person marry just for a sexual
fulfillment not thinking about other
things unwise decision why would a
person drank alcoholic beverage in front
of their children early in life leaving
them an image of their dad sometimes
being drunk thinking nothing of the
consequence very unwise decision when
you think about the kind of your life
that you’re living would you say that
the decisions that you’re making a wise
or unwise I think about people who never
consider the will of God for their life
they make decisions based on what they
want how they feel what makes them feel
good or what other people think and
never asking what’s the will of the
Father
unwise unwise decision and we could go
through life thinking about all the
decisions
people make for example they stack up
credit on their credit cards to the
point that they know they can’t make the
payments why did it event unwise
decisions people make unwise decisions
because they leave out the most
important thing in their life and that
is the wisdom of Almighty God what place
does God have in your decision-making
process you’re going to live it on your
own are you going to be wise enough to
seek the wisdom of God before you make
in a decision so let me put it this way
right up front before you make a
decision you should always ask this
question is this is this the wisest
thing to do
there is always an answer is this the
wisest thing to do whether it’s marriage
or whether it’s something financial or
health or whatever it might be is this
the wisest thing to do that’s always the
right question whether it’s major or
minor is this the wisest thing to do
somebody says well I don’t know what
wisdom is we’ll come into that but
living wisely is the best life wisdom is
a gift from God living unwisely is a
very expensive lifestyle to every aspect
of our life so I want you to turn if you
will the 1st Corinthians chapter 3 and I
want to look at the 19th verse beginning
with that and the number of verses I
want us to consider here but I want you
to keep asking in your thinking
decisions that that are before you today
that when you get home today or maybe
tomorrow this week at the coming weeks
decisions you have to make are they
going to be wise decisions or unwise so
listen to what he says in this third
chapter beginning in verse 19 and notice
what he says
for the wisdom of this world is
foolishness before God look at that the
wisdom of the world is foolishness
before God the way the world thinks
apart from God
for it is written he is the one who
catches the wise and their craftiness
you don’t get away with it there are
their consequences and again the Lord
knows the reasoning of the wise that
they’re useless
he says it’s empty they make unwise
decisions so with that in mind I want us
to look at this whole issue of wise and
unwise lifestyle and how people are
living it and the description this thing
which is in between here so let’s look
at wise living for a moment and the
first thing we want to do is define what
do we mean by true genuine wisdom godly
wisdom that’s real wisdom godly wisdom
is doing things from God’s viewpoint how
does he see them and then responding to
those things in the basis of what the
Word of God teaches so if I look at
things from God’s viewpoint where am I
going to find it I’m going to find it in
the Word of God and the Bible teaches it
all the way to description so think
about that it’s the capacity to do
things from God’s viewpoint and then on
the basis of that respond to them
accordingly so you’re facing a decision
what’s the question the question is this
what is the wise thing to do if I’m
going to find that out I need to turn to
the source of all wisdom that’s Almighty
God to leave God out of your life is
foolish devastating and only a fool who
hears the Word of God
turns away shuts their mind out since I
don’t want any event because you’re not
thinking wisely you’re thinking
foolishly so when we look at this
passage of Scripture and with that in
mind think about this God is omniscient
he knows everything he knows about
yesterday he knows about the day he
knows about tomorrow he knows what
happened yesterday perfectly you and I
don’t we only know what humans can know
God has absolute total complete infinite
knowledge about every single thing he’s
never behind because he knows the past
president
nothing ever startles him and surprises
him he knows perfectly before during and
afterwards so it is only wise to consult
one who knows everything and who has
never said oh I forgot oh I never
thought about that the world’s
foolishness is just that it’s foolish
they think they know when only God knows
that’s why believers are set apart we
are a part of the body of Christ we are
set apart by God through His Son Jesus
Christ to do what to allow him to live
his life in and through us we are listen
we are the walking children of the
Living God whose names are the Lamb’s
Book of Life who eternally secure in him
and who have him is our God for every
single day we can come to him and ask
him about any decision that needs to be
made and he is willing to give us
direction but if you don’t know him if
you think you see watch this and I say
this not to be smart aleck about it not
to be critical but to tell the truth
that’s the only thing I’m up here for to
tell the truth that if you live in
disobedience to God what you’re saying
is I don’t need omniscience I don’t need
omnipotence I don’t I don’t need on the
presence I can handle it in this
mixed-up crazy sinful wicked vile world
that is a foolish conclusion a foolish
conclusion we all need Almighty God all
of us need him everyday and so when I
look at these passages and see what Paul
said in this particular passage he says
the wisdom of the world’s foolishness
now of God look at this decides in which
we live well look at what’s happening to
us every single day you wake up one
morning and you hear this wake up the
next one and you hear that let me ask
you something when’s the last time you
looked at the television or read the
newspaper or heard anything about what’s
going on youth a said finally a great
day has arrived
it’s not true so what a Christian do we
supposed to be worried and frustrated
anxious and fearful you want to better
wonder what’s going to happen no we know
what’s going to happen listen we’re
sleeping in the presence of Almighty God
who never sleeps who has all power all
knowledge of every single thing listen
we are his children how foolish to live
apart from holy God who has made it
possible to have everything we need in
Christ Jesus that’s wise for us to have
but then there’s the other life there’s
the people who live foolishly so I want
you to turn if you will to let’s turn to
James over to James and I want you to
look at this passage in in this third
chapter and verse 13 he asked this
question and similar to what Paul asked
who among you is wise and understanding
let him show by his good behavior his
deeds in the gentleness of wisdom but if
you have bitter jealousy and selfish
ambition in your heart do not be
arrogant and so lie against the truth
this wisdom is not that which comes down
from above but is earthly natural and
demonic now I want you to think about
this for a moment there are two
different council wisdom there’s the
wisdom of God and there’s the wisdom
that comes to men’s thinking and I want
you notice how he describes this he says
this wisdom is described in the
following fashion
it is earthy natural and demonic now
what does he mean by that
he means by earthy that it’s limited to
what man can do it’s limited to man’s
reasoning in his thinking his attempts
in his his accomplishments in life
that’s that’s how limited that is well
listen how smart is man today we might
be able to invent things and go to the
moon and this that nothing we can’t get
along with each other and so we can
think about all the things that man’s
wisdom and his knowledge and
understanding without God can create
can’t do anything without God it’s
earthy so that’s one part of them for
wisdom and then second he says it is
natural that is we all have a
naturalness in us that is that part of
us that that part of us that does not
want to obey God that part of us that is
subject to temptation that part of us
that desires our will in our way
you may not yield to it but all of us
have that naturalness in us some people
call it a sin nature color what you want
to but all of us have it and so he says
those who are walking unwisely there was
this earthy than did nowhere and
secondly it’s natural is sensual it
relates to the fallen nature and if you
recall in frustratin chapter 2 verse 14
he says but a natural man doesn’t accept
the things of the Spirit of God that
foolishness to him and he cannot
understand them because they’re
spiritually appraised so you’re getting
a discussion with somebody it doesn’t
believe what you believe about the Lord
Jesus writes that God are holy things
and you know we say well why can’t you
believe that and that you know why they
can’t because God said they couldn’t
apart for the Spirit of God they will
not be able to understand the things of
God but then he says for example it’s
demonic
its root is found in Satan himself so go
back to Genesis chapter 3 everything was
absolutely perfect
and Satan convinced Eve she believed a
lie and look at the consequences the
many people today you may be one of them
you’ve listened to the devil’s lie
you’ve listened to him say to you you
don’t need God those church people a
week you can handle it and you’re smart
enough to hand you got position you got
money you got intellect you got talent
you know you don’t need that religious
stuff at all mark it down bad is the
voice of the devil
the Word of God says it is demonic it
deals with your naturalness and that
earthen is a part of you and if you
listen to Satan’s lies he’s always going
to tell you well this is the easy way
the issue is this what is the wisest
thing to do when you your children come
to you and they ask you about what
should I do about this that the other
what do you say to them well let me
think about it or do you say to them no
oh why not because I said so why don’t
you say to them I’ve been thinking about
that and my conclusion is it’s not the
wisest thing to do one thing we need to
instruct our children is to ask that
question what is the wise thing to do
now what does everybody else doing
what’s the wisest thing to do when there
was what does God see on the basis of
his omniscience of knowing everything
omnipotence having all power on the
presence being in he’s in the middle of
everything you’re dealing with the
question is what is the wisest thing to
do they can you tell me a better
question than that not really because
therein is Almighty God and so what he
does he shows us here in this passage of
Scripture in James here’s the difference
look at this it is third chapter he says
but the wisdom that’s from above is
first listen to this pure look at that
God’s wisdom is pure that means it is
absolutely perfect to get that it is
absolutely perfect wisdom it’s pure and
peaceable his wisdom will bring you
peace gentle
there’s nothing harsh about it
reasonable reasonable listen from God’s
viewpoint full of mercy and good fruits
unwavering without hypocrisy that’s the
wisdom of God listen would you not agree
that it’s foolish to choose something
else look at that passage the wisdom
from above that’s God’s wisdom pure
peaceable gentle reasonable full of
mercy good fruits on way
with other partners that’s kind of life
I want to live amen now what did he say
up here
jealous is selfish ambition disorder and
every evil thing on the two choices in
life you can choose to live wisely or
you can choose to live unwisely and now
I say this you’ve already made that
choice wherever you are you’re walking
in the pathway of the wise are you
walking in a pathway of the unwise
change paths if you’re walking unwisely
listen you’re not smart enough you may
think you are but you’re not you’re not
smart enough to outsmart God you’re not
intellectual enough to know more than
God you don’t know your future God does
apart from Almighty God through the
saving person of Jesus Christ who
forgives us of our sin cleanses of SN
writes that name in the Lamb’s Book of
Life has a will for us and lives
presently within us through His Holy
Spirit he will give us wisdom and every
single decision we make in life there is
no other way to live now if I 130 years
of age you can say what do you know
about it I’m glad I’m 80 now watch this
because I know that I have 68 years of
proof that everything I’m telling you is
the absolute truth of Almighty God
now uh I can I’ll be able to tell you
that 100 you know why because it doesn’t
change that’s who God is you can trust
him he’s not going to change on you
about anything you have two choices live
out your life wisely living obediently
before him living in wisdom or you can
live foolishly convince a lot of people
do a lot of things go a lot of places
have a lot of stuff then you’re going to
die and my friend when the last seconds
of your life come I have a strong
feeling you’re going to wish you had
listened the most tragic thing you can
do is die without Christ you know why
because the consequences are eternal may
not live the best life in the world as a
Christian may not have a lot of stuff
may not have any degrees behind your
name may not have any notoriety most
people never know your name’s not in the
newspapers even all that stuff but you
live for God you’ve walked obediently
before him you see God’s bad news not
the same as man’s what he thinks is
absolutely awesome is not what the world
thinks so you may keep in mind you can
live wisely are you gonna live foolishly
you’ll play the fool if you live
foolishly you’ll be wise if you choose
Christ in his way of life and that’s my
prayer for You Father how grateful we
are that you made it simple and knowing
that you loved us enough to send Jesus
to die for some payers in debt in full
you must have an awesome love for us and
so we want to be obedient to you because
we’re the ones who end up profiting from
that in so many ways and I pray that
every person who listens to this message
will think think honestly and realize
that they’ve only heard the truth it is
appointed unto men once to die and after
this the judgment but all the sin can be
forgiven by asking and believing
entrusting we love you dear father we
thank you for the awesome gift of your
grace to all of us in Jesus name Amen
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