Divine Wisdom vs. Earthly Wisdom: A Spiritual Journey

 

Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound distinction between divine wisdom and earthly wisdom. Many people seek spiritual nourishment but often dilute it with cultural opinions, much like dipping a nutritious apple in sugar. This analogy highlights how we sometimes prioritize the flavor of societal norms over the pure wisdom that comes from God. The Bible speaks of two types of wisdom: one that descends from above and another that is earthly and demonic. Earthly wisdom, though it may sound appealing, leads to chaos and confusion because it is not rooted in the divine source of all wisdom.

The wisdom from above, as described in Romans 16:27 and Job 28, is unique because it originates from the only wise God. This wisdom brings order and peace, unlike the earthly wisdom that results in conflict. God, being infinite, knows the location of true wisdom, and it is through the fear of the Lord that we gain understanding. Our finite nature limits our perspective, which is why we need divine guidance, much like using a navigation app to find our way.

We often face challenges in life because we rely on earthly wisdom, which is informed by hell, rather than seeking divine wisdom. This is evident in various aspects of our culture, where confusion reigns due to the abandonment of God's wisdom. Even as Christians, we can fall into the trap of thinking that merely possessing biblical knowledge equates to wisdom. However, true wisdom requires marrying knowledge with understanding.

The story of my experience at Pine Cove Camp illustrates this point. Just as I struggled to ride a horse by giving contradictory signals, we often confuse our spiritual journey by mixing divine wisdom with our own understanding. To truly follow God's path, we must align our actions with His wisdom, avoiding the contradictions that arise from relying on earthly insights.

Key Takeaways:

- Divine wisdom and earthly wisdom are fundamentally different. While earthly wisdom may seem appealing, it leads to chaos and confusion because it is not rooted in God. True wisdom comes from above and brings peace and order. [00:57]

- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Understanding and departing from evil are essential components of divine wisdom, as God alone knows the true path to wisdom. [03:06]

- Our finite nature limits our understanding, which is why we need divine guidance. Just as a navigation app helps us find our way, God's wisdom provides direction beyond our limited perspective. [03:52]

- Merely possessing biblical knowledge does not equate to wisdom. True wisdom requires marrying knowledge with understanding, allowing us to apply God's principles effectively in our lives. [05:53]

- Mixing divine wisdom with our own understanding leads to confusion. To follow God's path, we must align our actions with His wisdom, avoiding the contradictions that arise from relying on earthly insights. [09:53]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - The Flavor of Culture
- [00:38] - Two Types of Wisdom
- [01:12] - Earthly Wisdom's Source
- [02:00] - Wisdom from Above
- [02:19] - Job's Insight on Wisdom
- [03:06] - The Fear of the Lord
- [03:52] - Our Limited Perspective
- [04:25] - Knowledge and Understanding
- [05:04] - Cultural Confusion
- [06:25] - The Candy Apple Analogy
- [07:39] - Riding the Horse
- [09:24] - Contradictory Signals
- [10:08] - Divine vs. Human Wisdom

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Romans 16:27
- Job 28:12-28

---

Observation Questions:

1. What are the two types of wisdom mentioned in the sermon, and how are they described? [00:38]
2. According to the sermon, what is the source of earthly wisdom, and what are its consequences? [01:12]
3. How does the sermon describe the role of the fear of the Lord in gaining wisdom? [03:06]
4. What analogy does the pastor use to illustrate the mixing of divine wisdom with human understanding? [09:53]

---

Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the sermon explain the difference between possessing biblical knowledge and true wisdom? [05:53]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that earthly wisdom leads to chaos and confusion? [05:04]
3. How does the analogy of the navigation app relate to our need for divine guidance? [03:52]
4. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between cultural norms and divine wisdom? [00:10]

---

Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a recent decision you made. Did you rely more on earthly wisdom or seek divine guidance? How might the outcome have differed if you had chosen the other path? [03:52]
2. The sermon mentions the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom. How can you cultivate a deeper reverence for God in your daily life? [03:06]
3. Consider an area in your life where you feel confused or conflicted. How might aligning your actions with divine wisdom bring clarity and peace? [09:53]
4. The pastor shared a story about riding a horse and giving contradictory signals. Can you identify a situation where you might be sending mixed signals in your spiritual journey? How can you correct this? [09:24]
5. How can you ensure that your pursuit of knowledge is accompanied by understanding, leading to true wisdom? [05:53]
6. Think about a cultural norm you have accepted without question. How does it align with or contradict divine wisdom? What steps can you take to reassess its influence on your life? [00:10]
7. Identify one practical way you can seek divine wisdom in a specific area of your life this week. What resources or practices will you use to support this pursuit? [03:52]

Devotional

Day 1: The Source of True Wisdom
Earthly wisdom, though often appealing, is not rooted in God and leads to chaos and confusion. In contrast, divine wisdom descends from above and brings peace and order. This distinction is crucial for understanding the nature of true wisdom. Earthly wisdom is influenced by cultural norms and societal opinions, which can dilute the purity of spiritual nourishment. Like a nutritious apple dipped in sugar, it may taste good but lacks the substance needed for spiritual growth. Divine wisdom, however, is pure and originates from the only wise God, as described in Romans 16:27 and Job 28. It is through this wisdom that we find true peace and order in our lives. [00:57]

James 3:15-17 (ESV): "This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you relying on earthly wisdom instead of seeking the peace and order that comes from divine wisdom?


Day 2: The Beginning of Wisdom
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and understanding and departing from evil are essential components of divine wisdom. God alone knows the true path to wisdom, and it is through reverence and awe of Him that we gain understanding. Our finite nature limits our perspective, making it necessary to seek guidance from the infinite God. Just as a navigation app helps us find our way, God's wisdom provides direction beyond our limited understanding. By acknowledging our limitations and seeking His guidance, we align ourselves with the true source of wisdom. [03:06]

Proverbs 9:10 (ESV): "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight."

Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper reverence for God in your daily life to gain greater wisdom and understanding?


Day 3: Navigating Life with Divine Guidance
Our finite nature limits our understanding, which is why we need divine guidance. Just as a navigation app helps us find our way, God's wisdom provides direction beyond our limited perspective. In a world filled with confusion and conflicting messages, it is easy to rely on our own understanding. However, true wisdom comes from acknowledging our limitations and seeking guidance from the infinite God. By doing so, we align ourselves with His path and find clarity and direction in our lives. [03:52]

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: What is one area of your life where you need to seek God's guidance instead of relying on your own understanding?


Day 4: The Marriage of Knowledge and Understanding
Merely possessing biblical knowledge does not equate to wisdom. True wisdom requires marrying knowledge with understanding, allowing us to apply God's principles effectively in our lives. It is not enough to simply know the scriptures; we must also understand and apply them in our daily lives. This requires a deep relationship with God and a willingness to seek His guidance in all things. By doing so, we can effectively navigate the challenges of life and live in accordance with His will. [05:53]

Proverbs 4:7 (ESV): "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight."

Reflection: How can you move beyond simply knowing scripture to truly understanding and applying it in your life today?


Day 5: Aligning Actions with Divine Wisdom
Mixing divine wisdom with our own understanding leads to confusion. To follow God's path, we must align our actions with His wisdom, avoiding the contradictions that arise from relying on earthly insights. Just as the speaker struggled to ride a horse by giving contradictory signals, we often confuse our spiritual journey by mixing divine wisdom with our own understanding. By aligning our actions with God's wisdom, we can avoid these contradictions and follow His path with clarity and purpose. [09:53]

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 specific action you can take today to align your life more closely with God's wisdom?

Quotes


He describes wisdom in two ways. He says that there is a wisdom that does not come down from above. Verse 17 says but the wisdom from above, so there is a wisdom that comes down from above and their wisdom that does not come down from above because it's Earthly. So he deals with a contrast approach to wisdom. [00:29:02]

There is wisdom that comes down from heaven but he says there's wisdom that comes from Earth and any wisdom that comes from Earth he says comes from hell, it's demonic. So even though it's coming from Earth if it disagrees with the wisdom that comes from above it came from hell even though humans are giving it. [00:63:47]

The wisdom from above brings order and peace the wisdom from the earth brings conflict and consternation because it's coming from the wrong source. The wisdom from above according to Romans chapter 16 verse 27 comes from the only wise God. There's only one source of wisdom. [00:110:58]

Job chapter 28 is the most comprehensive statement outside of proverbs on wisdom and just to give you a couple of verses from Job 28 he says in verse 12 but where can we where can wisdom be found and where is the place of understanding. Verse 13 says man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. [00:135:29]

Verse 20 where then does wisdom come from, and where is the place of understanding, thus it is hidden from the eyes of the living and concealed from the birds of the air where do I find it verse 23 God understands its way, and he knows its place of location, for he looks to the ends of the Earth. [00:165:11]

And sees everything under the sun verse 28 and to man he says behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from Evil is understanding what he's saying is your source for wisdom has to be rooted in God because he's the only one who know Kate knows where it's located. [00:190:44]

And the reason why he's the only way he knows who where it's located is because he's infinite and we're finite in other words he is without limitation we are with plenty limitation that's why we go oops, that's why we go my bad, that's why we go I thought I felt because we have limited scope. [00:207:43]

That's why you need an app, we have limited scope so we need a Waze app a wisdom app that can negotiate because it can see further than we can and he says he understands God's name is I am present tense he has no paths no future everything for God is now anything tomorrow he's already been there and come back. [00:232:51]

So he cannot be flawed he cannot make a mistake he cannot advise incorrectly but when knowledge gets mixed with understanding giving birth to wisdom many couples get a divorce because they say I'm not happy when they never got around to finding out what a man is supposed to be what a woman is supposed to be. [00:260:06]

What a husband's supposed to be what a wife is supposed to be then have the understanding of how to apply it so that they don't have to get divorced because they went back to the wise person who established marriage in the first place, when you abandon with you're left with education. [00:275:13]

When you abandon wisdom you're left with information, when you abandon wisdom you're left with chaos, what you're seeing in our culture today are fools on display, we got racial fools political fools social fools gender fools why because they have abandoned wisdom from above they have accepted the wisdom of Earth. [00:291:43]

He says Divine wisdom and human wisdom are mutually exclusive, he says the wisdom that is not from above will not work because God is not going to be involved in it even if you have the right data, you'll just have conflict. [00:605:34]

Chatbot

  • I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from May 24, 2023. Do you have any questions about it?

Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?