Embracing Ancient Wisdom for a Flourishing Life

Devotional

Day 1: The Nourishing Power of God's Word

God's word is likened to rain that nourishes the earth, providing the sustenance needed for growth and flourishing. In a world overwhelmed with information, it is easy to overlook the profound insights that ancient wisdom offers. This wisdom is not just about accumulating knowledge but about making decisions that lead to a fulfilling life. By engaging with God's word, we allow it to nourish our spirits, guiding us toward a life of purpose and fulfillment. [00:41]

Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV): "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

Reflection: In what ways can you allow God's word to nourish your spirit today, and how might this influence the decisions you make?

Day 2: The Danger of Chronological Snobbery

In "The Screwtape Letters," C.S. Lewis warns against "chronological snobbery," the belief that newer is always better. This mindset leads us to dismiss ancient wisdom as outdated, yet wisdom does not necessarily progress with time. We must be humble enough to learn from the past, recognizing that the insights of those who came before us can correct our errors and guide us toward truth. Embracing this humility allows us to appreciate the timeless truths that ancient wisdom offers. [06:24]

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 (ESV): "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, 'See, this is new'? It has been already in the ages before us."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you might be dismissing older wisdom. How can you open yourself to learning from the past today?

Day 3: Understanding God's Foreknowledge

Boethius, a philosopher from centuries past, explored the complex relationship between God's foreknowledge and human freedom. He suggested that God's eternal perspective allows Him to know all things without infringing on our freedom. This understanding can deepen our faith and trust in God's wisdom, encouraging us to engage with ancient texts and ideas. By contemplating God's eternal perspective, we can find peace in the knowledge that our freedom is preserved within His divine plan. [02:12]

Psalm 139:1-4 (ESV): "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether."

Reflection: How does understanding God's eternal perspective change the way you view your own freedom and choices today?

Day 4: The Timeless Truth of Love

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13, provides a timeless definition of love that remains unmatched in its depth and truth. Love, as described by Paul, is patient, kind, and selfless. It is a standard by which we can measure our actions and attitudes, offering a blueprint for living a life that truly matters. By embracing this definition of love, we can transform our relationships and interactions, aligning them with the profound wisdom of the past. [09:45]

1 John 4:7-8 (ESV): "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Reflection: Think of a relationship in your life that could benefit from more patience and kindness. What specific actions can you take today to embody the love described by Paul?

Day 5: Embracing Ancient Wisdom Today

By embracing the wisdom of the past, particularly the wisdom of love, we enrich our lives and the lives of those around us. Being patient, kind, and honoring in all interactions allows us to live out the timeless truths that ancient wisdom offers. This approach not only honors the past but also creates a ripple effect of positivity and growth in our present and future. Let ancient wisdom guide your actions today, and witness the transformation it brings. [10:49]

Proverbs 3:13-15 (ESV): "Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her."

Reflection: How can you intentionally incorporate the wisdom of love into your daily interactions today, and what impact do you hope this will have on those around you?

Sermon Summary

Revere ancient wisdom, for it holds timeless truths that guide us toward a flourishing life. In a world inundated with information, we often overlook the profound insights of the past. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that just as rain nourishes the earth, God's word and wisdom nourish our spirits, enabling us to flourish. This ancient wisdom is not just about accumulating knowledge but about making good decisions that lead to a life of fulfillment and purpose.

In C.S. Lewis's "The Screwtape Letters," the character Screwtape highlights a modern issue: the tendency to dismiss ancient wisdom as outdated. This is often due to what Lewis calls "chronological snobbery," the belief that newer is always better. However, wisdom, unlike technology, does not necessarily progress with time. We must be humble enough to learn from those who came before us, recognizing that their insights can correct our own errors and guide us toward truth.

Boethius, a philosopher from centuries past, tackled the complex issue of God's foreknowledge and human freedom. He suggested that God's eternal perspective allows Him to know all things without infringing on our freedom. This understanding can deepen our faith and trust in God's wisdom, encouraging us to engage with ancient texts and ideas.

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13, provides a timeless definition of love that remains unmatched in its depth and truth. Love, as described by Paul, is patient, kind, and selfless. It is a standard by which we can measure our actions and attitudes, offering a blueprint for living a life that truly matters.

Today, let us embrace the wisdom of the past, particularly the wisdom of love. Be patient when tempted to react harshly, be kind when faced with cruelty, and honor others in all interactions. By doing so, we not only honor ancient wisdom but also enrich our own lives and the lives of those around us.

Key Takeaways

1. The Nourishing Power of God's Word: Just as rain nourishes the earth, God's word nourishes our spirits, enabling us to flourish. This ancient wisdom is not merely about knowledge but about making decisions that lead to a fulfilling life. [00:41]
2. The Danger of Chronological Snobbery: We often dismiss ancient wisdom as outdated, falling into the trap of "chronological snobbery." However, wisdom does not necessarily progress with time, and we must be humble enough to learn from the past. [06:24]
3. Understanding God's Foreknowledge: Boethius offers insight into the complex relationship between God's foreknowledge and human freedom. By understanding God's eternal perspective, we can deepen our faith and trust in His wisdom. [02:12]
4. The Timeless Truth of Love: The Apostle Paul's definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 remains unmatched in its depth and truth. Love is patient, kind, and selfless, offering a blueprint for living a life that truly matters. [09:45]
5. Embracing Ancient Wisdom Today: By embracing the wisdom of the past, particularly the wisdom of love, we enrich our lives and the lives of those around us. Be patient, kind, and honoring in all interactions, and let ancient wisdom guide your actions. [10:49]
** [10:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:28] - The Importance of Rain and God's Word
[01:09] - Introduction to Ancient Wisdom
[01:23] - The Problem with Prayer and God's Knowledge
[01:48] - Boethius and God's Eternal Perspective
[02:39] - Revering Ancient Wisdom
[03:14] - Wisdom vs. Information
[03:55] - The Historical Point of View
[05:05] - The Danger of Chronological Snobbery
[06:38] - Tradition and Learning from the Past
[07:42] - The Right Side of History
[08:36] - The Truth of Love in 1 Corinthians 13
[09:45] - The Characteristics of Love
[10:49] - Applying Ancient Wisdom Today
[11:02] - Closing Encouragement

Sermon Clips

"That just like the rain can't fall to the earth without watering it making it flourish in bud so it is with every word from God every thought every action every expression of God achieves his purpose and his attention and that thought was expressed more than two thousand years ago and it brings great uh hope to me that God wants my life my spirit my mind to butt into flourish and so he's sending his word his goodness his love to me from one moment to the next." [00:37:44]

"Boethius was a brilliant philosopher he lived four or five hundred years after Jesus he was imprisoned by the Romans for treason died a horrible death but before he died wrote a book called the consolation of philosophy which is one of the great books of all time and he talks about this particular question of God's knowledge and he says really because God transcends time because God has eternity and that means life whole and perfect in one moment God doesn't so much force the es he simply sees and that makes it possible for God to know all things and still honor human freedom." [01:06:24]

"Now there is of course a difference between wisdom and information a series of facts wisdom particularly as it's talked about in the wisdom literature of the bible like the book of proverbs is above everything else the ability to make good decisions that lead to flourishing life and we are being drowned in information but there is a drought of wisdom and this is a fascinating observation by screw tape only to learn read old books we have now dealt so dealt with the learn that they are of all people the least likely to acquire wisdom by reading old books." [03:12:72]

"The historical point of view put briefly means that when a learned person is presented with any statement by an ancient author the one question they never ask is whether it is true he asks who influenced this ancient writer and how far the statement is consistent with what he said in other books and what phase in the writer's development or in the general history of thought it illustrates and how it affected later writers and how often it has been misunderstood especially by the learned person's own colleagues and what the general course of criticism on it has been for the last 10 years and what is the present state of the question." [04:03:92]

"To regard the ancient writer as a possible source of knowledge to anticipate what he said could possibly modify your thoughts or your behavior this would be rejected as unutterably simple-minded and this is very pervasive in our day and particularly in realms of education there is an old musical that i love singing in the rain some of you may have seen it and lena lamont is the woman in it who plays a movie actress often in these old 17th century french restoration pieces and she will wear these big elaborate wigs and she says this is stupid anybody that would wear a wig like this is a dope and she's told back then everybody wore wigs like this and she says well then everybody was a dope." [05:01:84]

"One perspective on history is to say that when it comes to wisdom now obviously there's areas in technology or scientific understanding where there have been enormous levels of progress but that when it comes to wisdom what is beauty what makes a person good is life worth living when it comes to wisdom we should be humble and we have much to learn from previous generations lewis talks sometimes about the idea of chronological snobbery and the idea of chronological snobbery is that every generation of course is smarter better stronger wiser than the generations that went before so we have nothing to bother to learn with them and then we cut ourselves off from enormous amounts of wisdom." [06:44:72]

"Gk chesterton said that uh tradition is a very important part of human life that it's really the extension of democracy to the dead and we want to be humble enough to learn from those who went before us screwtape goes on since we cannot deceive the whole human race all the time it is most important thus to cut every generation off from all others for where learning makes a free commerce between the ages there is always the danger that the characteristic errors of one may be corrected by the characteristic truths of another but thanks be to our father and the historical point of view great scholars are now as little nourished by the past as the most ignorant mechanic who holds history as bunk and you might remember that ignorant mechanic was henry ford." [06:58:16]

"The alternative to this is to recognize that there is great wisdom in the past but the historical point of view is more and more prominent in our day and you recognize this by phrases like sometimes people will say you don't want to be on the wrong side of history what's the idea what would be the wrong well the idea would be that history automatically is the same thing as progress and therefore wherever history leads that's the question we want to ask where's history going because we want to be on the right side of history a different way of thinking is for example what dr martin luther king jr said that the moral arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice in other words history is just the passage of time justice is a standard by which human actions and the course of history will be judged." [07:47:44]

"First corinthians 13 where paul is writing about the truth of love and love understood as it was taught and embodied by jesus he says though i speak in the tongues of men and of angels if i don't have love i'm just a resounding gong or a clanging symbol if i have a gift of prophecy and i can fathom all mysteries and knowledge if i have all faith so that i can move a mountain but don't have love i am nothing if i give away all my possessions to feed the poor and give my body to be burned peter wagner used to say based on that passage that martyrdom is actually a spiritual gift but it's the gift you can only use one time if i give away everything but don't have love i gain nothing." [08:40:56]

"If i do have love i gain something if i do have this kind of love i am something what is this love like love is patient love is kind it does not dishonor others it is not self-seeking it is not easily angered it keeps no record of wrongs love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth it always protects always trusts always hopes always perseveres love never fails now has anyone come up with better knowledge about love than that where did paul get these ideas nobody talked about zeus in those terms nobody talked about baal in those terms those words are not just inspiring they are not just poetic they are true and we are to live our life by them." [09:43:83]

"Today be patient when you're tempted to snap today be kind when you're tempted to be cruel or gossip i do those things so easily today honor others today don't be easily provoked today revere ancient wisdom make it a wonderful day." [10:49:36]

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