Divine Wisdom: The True Message of Christmas
Summary
The passage from 1 Corinthians 1:20 challenges the wisdom of the world, asking, "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" This question is central to understanding why the world, despite its troubles and failures, does not turn to Jesus Christ. The Bible attributes this to the devil, who blinds the minds of unbelievers, opposing God and His kingdom. The devil employs both overt and subtle tactics to achieve this, including distorting the true message of Christmas. The world has adopted a superficial understanding of Christmas, focusing on human goodwill and cheer, rather than the profound truth of God's action in sending His Son.
The true message of Christmas is a divine challenge to human wisdom, a humbling of the world's intellect, and a display of God's glory. It is an announcement of God's action, not a celebration of human achievement. The birth of Christ is a miraculous event that defies human understanding and wisdom. It is a supernatural act that cannot be explained by human logic or philosophy. The world, in its wisdom, fails to recognize the true wisdom and power of God manifested in Christ. This divine action makes human wisdom appear foolish, as it fails to achieve what God accomplishes through Christ: the knowledge of God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
The message of Christmas is not about human greatness or wisdom but about God's intervention in history. It is a reminder that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. The birth of Christ in a humble stable, His life, death, and resurrection, all serve to confound human expectations and demonstrate the power and wisdom of God. This message challenges us to reevaluate our understanding of wisdom and to recognize the true wisdom of God in Christ.
Key Takeaways:
- The world fails to turn to Christ due to the devil's influence, which blinds minds and distorts the true message of Christmas, focusing on superficial human goodwill rather than God's profound action. [04:28]
- The true message of Christmas is a divine challenge to human wisdom, humbling the world's intellect and displaying God's glory. It is about God's action, not human achievement. [11:18]
- The birth of Christ is a miraculous event that defies human understanding, emphasizing the supernatural nature of God's intervention in history. This challenges us to recognize the true wisdom of God. [19:40]
- Human wisdom fails to recognize the true wisdom and power of God manifested in Christ, making it appear foolish. God's action in Christ achieves what human wisdom cannot: knowledge of God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. [30:20]
- The message of Christmas is a reminder that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. It challenges us to reevaluate our understanding of wisdom and recognize the true wisdom of God in Christ. [43:40]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:09] - Introduction to 1 Corinthians 1:20
- [00:32] - The Question of Unbelief
- [01:20] - The World's Troubles and the Devil's Influence
- [02:42] - The Struggle Between God and the Devil
- [03:36] - The Devil's Tactics
- [05:06] - Open and Subtle Opposition
- [07:03] - The Devil's Adoption of Christmas
- [10:07] - The Real Message of Christmas
- [12:35] - God's Action and Human Wisdom
- [16:41] - The Supernatural Nature of Christmas
- [19:40] - The Miraculous Birth of Christ
- [23:05] - The World's Failure to Understand
- [29:16] - God's Wisdom vs. Human Wisdom
- [36:35] - The World's Misconceptions of Greatness
- [43:40] - God's Success in Christ
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- 1 Corinthians 1:20
- 2 Corinthians 4:4
- Galatians 4:4-5
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Observation Questions:
1. What does 1 Corinthians 1:20 mean when it says, "Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world"? How does this relate to the world's understanding of Christmas? [11:18]
2. According to the sermon, what are some of the tactics the devil uses to blind the minds of unbelievers and distort the true message of Christmas? [04:28]
3. How does the sermon describe the world's superficial understanding of Christmas, and what is the true message that is often overlooked? [09:36]
4. What examples from the sermon illustrate how God's actions, particularly in the birth of Christ, challenge human wisdom and expectations? [39:52]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon explain the role of the devil in preventing people from understanding the true message of Christmas? What implications does this have for believers today? [04:28]
2. In what ways does the birth of Christ serve as a divine challenge to human wisdom, according to the sermon? How does this challenge our own understanding of wisdom? [11:18]
3. The sermon suggests that God's ways are not our ways. How does this concept help us understand the miraculous nature of Christ's birth and its significance? [42:45]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the failure of human wisdom to achieve what God accomplishes through Christ? What does this reveal about the nature of true wisdom? [30:20]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on the ways you might have been influenced by the world's superficial understanding of Christmas. How can you focus more on the true message of God's action in sending His Son this season? [09:36]
2. The sermon mentions that God's ways are not our ways. Can you think of a time when you had to trust in God's wisdom over your own understanding? How did that experience shape your faith? [42:45]
3. How can you actively counter the devil's tactics in your own life, especially during the Christmas season, to ensure that you are focusing on the true message of Christ's birth? [04:28]
4. The sermon challenges us to reevaluate our understanding of wisdom. What steps can you take to seek God's wisdom in your daily decisions and interactions? [11:18]
5. Consider the miraculous nature of Christ's birth. How does acknowledging the supernatural aspects of your faith impact your relationship with God and your witness to others? [19:40]
6. How can you share the true message of Christmas with someone who may only see it as a time of human goodwill and cheer? What specific actions can you take to demonstrate God's profound action in sending His Son? [09:36]
7. The sermon highlights the importance of recognizing God's intervention in history. How can you make this recognition a more integral part of your daily life and spiritual practice? [16:41]
Devotional
Day 1: The Devil's Influence on Perception
The world often fails to turn to Christ because the devil blinds the minds of unbelievers, distorting the true message of Christmas. This distortion shifts the focus from God's profound action to superficial human goodwill. The devil uses both overt and subtle tactics to achieve this, including adopting and altering the meaning of Christmas. By doing so, the true essence of Christmas, which is about God's intervention in history through the birth of His Son, is overshadowed by a more secular and commercialized version. This influence is a significant barrier to understanding and accepting the true message of Christ. [04:28]
2 Corinthians 4:4 (ESV): "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
Reflection: Consider how the commercialized version of Christmas has influenced your understanding of the holiday. How can you refocus on the true message of Christ's birth this season?
Day 2: God's Wisdom vs. Human Wisdom
The true message of Christmas is a divine challenge to human wisdom, humbling the world's intellect and displaying God's glory. It is not about human achievement but about God's action. The birth of Christ is a miraculous event that defies human understanding and wisdom. This divine action makes human wisdom appear foolish, as it fails to achieve what God accomplishes through Christ: the knowledge of God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The world's intellect is humbled by the profound simplicity and power of God's intervention. [11:18]
1 Corinthians 1:25 (ESV): "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you rely on your own wisdom rather than seeking God's guidance? How can you begin to trust in God's wisdom today?
Day 3: The Supernatural Nature of Christmas
The birth of Christ is a miraculous event that defies human understanding, emphasizing the supernatural nature of God's intervention in history. This event challenges us to recognize the true wisdom of God, which is often contrary to human logic and philosophy. The miraculous nature of Christ's birth serves as a reminder that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. It invites us to embrace the mystery and wonder of God's plan, which surpasses human comprehension. [19:40]
Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced something that defied your understanding. How can you embrace the mystery of God's work in your life today?
Day 4: Human Wisdom's Limitations
Human wisdom fails to recognize the true wisdom and power of God manifested in Christ, making it appear foolish. God's action in Christ achieves what human wisdom cannot: knowledge of God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The world's wisdom is limited and often leads to misconceptions about greatness and success. In contrast, God's wisdom is revealed through the humble birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ, which confounds human expectations and demonstrates His power and glory. [30:20]
1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV): "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."
Reflection: Identify an area where you have relied on worldly wisdom. How can you seek God's wisdom and understanding in this area?
Day 5: God's Ways vs. Our Ways
The message of Christmas is a reminder that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. It challenges us to reevaluate our understanding of wisdom and to recognize the true wisdom of God in Christ. The birth of Christ in a humble stable, His life, death, and resurrection, all serve to confound human expectations and demonstrate the power and wisdom of God. This message invites us to trust in God's plan, even when it doesn't align with our own understanding or expectations. [43:40]
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to God's plan? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Quotes
The world is in trouble, the world is full of unhappiness, full of failure, full of disappointment. It's tried everything, nothing seems to succeed, yet here confronting it the whole time is this amazing message which is found in the Bible, this message of God's action to redeem men. [00:01:14]
The devil, the one who first came into this world and tempted men and caused him to fall and brought in the havoc, and ever since then he has been opposing God and God's kingdom. That's the great message of this book from beginning to end. [00:02:15]
The devil sometimes transforms himself into an angel of light, and when he does that, he sometimes takes this message and he seems to be adopting it, and he seems to praise it, and he uses it for his own purpose. Of course, he doesn't really adopt it, he doesn't believe it, but he gives the appearance of doing so. [00:07:10]
The message of Christmas is primarily a challenge to the women. Where is the wise, where is the scribe, where is the disputer, the clever men of this world? The men who write brilliant articles, the men who write clever letters about Christianity to the newspapers, the men who denounce it in company and can always raise a laugh at its expense. [00:10:20]
The message of Christmas is a humbling of the world and the humbling of the men of the world. Where is the wise, where is the scribe, where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? He's humbled it. [00:11:02]
The first and the most important thing about the Christmas message is that it is the announcement of what God has done. We haven't begun to see it if we represent this message in terms of men in any shape or form. We are denying it at its very basis, at its very foundation. [00:14:22]
This thing which God has done, which he did on their first Christmas, is something that does not conform to the wisdom of this world. That's the big contrast which the Apostle keeps on drawing in the entire paragraph from that seventeenth verse to the end of the chapter. [00:16:33]
This is something supernatural, this is divine, this is miraculous. My dear friends, I don't stand in this pulpit to apologize for the supernatural and the miraculous. If it were not for the miraculous and the supernatural, I wouldn't be in the pulpit at all. [00:18:32]
The Christmas message to the natural man is utter folly, it's utter foolishness. He says that's madness, he says that's all right in fairytales and in books of fantasy and folklore, but the other thing that doesn't happen in this world. Why, God coming into it, it doesn't happen. [00:23:57]
The wisdom of the world has been made to look foolish and ridiculous. How has he done it? Well, let me answer the question. He has done it, first of all, by showing that the wisdom of this world had failed completely. For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. [00:29:50]
In Jesus Christ, we know God. He said, he who has seen me has seen the Father. Give up trying to understand and to climb the heavens, he says, and look at me. He who has seen me has seen the Father. I and the Father are one. [00:44:44]
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and base things of the world, and things are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. [00:46:52]
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