Embracing God's Wisdom: Humility Over Worldly Pride
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, friends. Today, we continue our sermon series, "Dear Church," focusing on Paul's letter to the Corinthians. Last week, Ben discussed the divisions within the church, and today, we delve into 1 Corinthians 2 and the end of chapter 1, exploring the theme of wisdom. The church in Corinth was grappling with divisions, largely because they had shifted their focus from Christ to worldly wisdom. This wisdom had become an idol, causing societal and church divisions.
Paul contrasts worldly wisdom with God's wisdom. Worldly wisdom fosters pride, while God's wisdom calls for humility. Paul quotes scripture, emphasizing that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise and make the intelligence of the intelligent look foolish. True wisdom comes from God, and it is characterized by humility, not pride.
Pride manifests in various ways, both overt and subtle. It can be seen in those who boast about their achievements and in those who internally believe they are always right. Pride is insidious and often hard to recognize in ourselves. It leads to conflict and division, even within the church. We must compare ourselves to God, not others, and lay our crowns at His feet in humility.
Another issue in Corinth was their reliance on human wisdom rather than the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds them that he did not come with lofty words but with the power of the Holy Spirit. The church must trust in the Holy Spirit, not in human leaders or influencers. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can truly transform lives.
Finally, Paul emphasizes that Christ made us. We are not self-made; everything we are is because of Christ. The world may see us as worthless, but God sees us as holy and set apart. Our value comes from what Jesus did on the cross, not from anything we can do. The greatest wisdom is recognizing our need for Jesus.
### Key Takeaways
1. Humility Over Pride: True wisdom from God calls us to be humble, while worldly wisdom fosters pride. Humility allows us to see our true worth in God's eyes and to build bridges rather than walls. Pride, on the other hand, leads to division and conflict, both in our personal lives and within the church. [24:48]
2. Guidance of the Holy Spirit: The wisdom of God tells us to rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit rather than human wisdom. Human leaders and influencers can offer motivation, but only the Holy Spirit can truly transform lives. Trusting in the Holy Spirit leads to unity and spiritual growth. [35:47]
3. Value in Christ: Our value and identity come from Christ, not from our achievements or what the world thinks of us. God has made us holy and set apart through the work of Jesus on the cross. This understanding helps us to live with a sense of purpose and worth that is rooted in God's love. [40:25]
4. Recognizing Pride in Ourselves: Pride is often difficult to see in ourselves but easy to spot in others. It can manifest in overt boasting or subtle internal comparisons. Recognizing and addressing our own pride is crucial for personal growth and for fostering unity within the church. [27:19]
5. The Simplicity of the Gospel: The greatest wisdom and understanding we can have is recognizing our need for Jesus. The gospel is simple yet profound: we need God, and He has made us holy through Jesus. This message is the foundation of our faith and the key to living a life that honors God. [48:25]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[16:24] - Introduction to Wisdom
[17:40] - Explaining Wisdom to a Child
[18:58] - Searching for Wisdom
[20:13] - Context of Corinth
[21:41] - Jewish and Greek Perspectives
[23:14] - Wisdom of God vs. Wisdom of the World
[24:48] - Humility Over Pride
[26:12] - Manifestations of Pride
[27:19] - Recognizing Pride in Ourselves
[28:16] - Politics and Division
[30:16] - Pride Takes the Place of God
[31:16] - Guided by the Holy Spirit
[32:21] - Persuasion by Human Words
[33:27] - Paul's Approach to Preaching
[35:09] - Following Men vs. Following Jesus
[36:15] - Transformation by the Holy Spirit
[37:56] - Relying on the Holy Spirit
[39:14] - Christ Made You
[40:25] - Holiness and Value
[42:00] - Personal Story: The Paint Bottle
[45:54] - God's Perspective on Our Worth
[47:12] - The Simplicity of the Gospel
[49:01] - The Greatest Wisdom
[50:14] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
2. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
3. Proverbs 11:2
### Observation Questions
1. What does Paul say about the wisdom of the world versus the wisdom of God in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31?
2. How does Paul describe his approach to preaching in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5?
3. According to Proverbs 11:2, what is the relationship between pride and wisdom?
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul emphasize humility over pride when discussing wisdom? How does this contrast with the values of the Corinthian society? [24:48]
2. How does relying on the Holy Spirit differ from relying on human wisdom, according to Paul's message in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5? [33:27]
3. What does it mean to find our value and identity in Christ rather than in our achievements or societal status? [40:25]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when pride led to conflict in your life. How could humility have changed the outcome? [27:19]
2. In what ways do you currently rely on human wisdom or influencers more than the guidance of the Holy Spirit? How can you shift your focus to the Holy Spirit this week? [35:47]
3. How do you typically measure your worth? What steps can you take to root your identity more deeply in Christ's work on the cross? [40:25]
4. Pride can be subtle and hard to recognize in ourselves. What are some practical ways you can regularly check for and address pride in your life? [27:19]
5. The gospel is simple yet profound. How can you remind yourself daily of your need for Jesus and the simplicity of the gospel message? [48:25]
6. Think of a situation where you have been tempted to rely on your own wisdom. How can you intentionally seek the Holy Spirit's guidance in that situation? [33:27]
7. How can you encourage others in your small group to find their value in Christ rather than in worldly achievements or opinions? [40:25]
Devotional
Day 1: Humility Over Pride
True wisdom from God calls us to be humble, while worldly wisdom fosters pride. Humility allows us to see our true worth in God's eyes and to build bridges rather than walls. Pride, on the other hand, leads to division and conflict, both in our personal lives and within the church. Paul emphasizes that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise and make the intelligence of the intelligent look foolish. This is a call to lay down our pride and embrace the humility that comes from recognizing our dependence on God. [24:48]
1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (ESV): "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."
Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you felt prideful. How can you approach this situation with humility and recognize your dependence on God?
Day 2: Guidance of the Holy Spirit
The wisdom of God tells us to rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit rather than human wisdom. Human leaders and influencers can offer motivation, but only the Holy Spirit can truly transform lives. Trusting in the Holy Spirit leads to unity and spiritual growth. Paul reminds the Corinthians that he did not come with lofty words but with the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a reminder for us to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance in all aspects of our lives, rather than relying solely on human understanding. [35:47]
John 14:26 (ESV): "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to rely more on the Holy Spirit's guidance rather than your own understanding? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to lead you today?
Day 3: Value in Christ
Our value and identity come from Christ, not from our achievements or what the world thinks of us. God has made us holy and set apart through the work of Jesus on the cross. This understanding helps us to live with a sense of purpose and worth that is rooted in God's love. The world may see us as worthless, but God sees us as holy and set apart. Our value comes from what Jesus did on the cross, not from anything we can do. [40:25]
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
Reflection: Reflect on how you view your worth. Are there areas where you seek validation from the world rather than from Christ? How can you remind yourself of your true value in Christ today?
Day 4: Recognizing Pride in Ourselves
Pride is often difficult to see in ourselves but easy to spot in others. It can manifest in overt boasting or subtle internal comparisons. Recognizing and addressing our own pride is crucial for personal growth and for fostering unity within the church. Pride leads to conflict and division, even within the church. We must compare ourselves to God, not others, and lay our crowns at His feet in humility. [27:19]
Proverbs 16:18-19 (ESV): "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud."
Reflection: Think of a time when you compared yourself to others and felt prideful. How can you shift your focus to comparing yourself to God and seeking His humility?
Day 5: The Simplicity of the Gospel
The greatest wisdom and understanding we can have is recognizing our need for Jesus. The gospel is simple yet profound: we need God, and He has made us holy through Jesus. This message is the foundation of our faith and the key to living a life that honors God. Paul emphasizes that Christ made us, and everything we are is because of Him. This understanding helps us to live with a sense of purpose and worth that is rooted in God's love. [48:25]
1 Corinthians 1:18 (ESV): "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
Reflection: How can you simplify your understanding of the gospel and focus on your need for Jesus today? What steps can you take to live out this simple yet profound truth in your daily life?
Quotes
1. "Wisdom means that you know the right thing to do, and you actually do that thing. And she pauses for a second, and I kept driving, and I was coming to a traffic light, and it turns yellow. So I start slowing down because I'm pretty far away from it. And she says, Daddy, go. Go, go, Daddy. And I was like, who are you to tell me how to drive, first of all? And I said, baby, that would not be very wise." [17:40] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "I think that all of us, at some point in time, we're searching for wisdom. We're searching for knowledge. There are so many times in my life where things were just completely new. And whenever I became a father, six years ago, I definitely was reading a lot of books. And they started growing up, and I was reading different books to teach me how to deal with the things that they were saying, and the people they were hitting and biting, or whatever they were doing." [18:58] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The wisdom of God tells you to be humble. And the wisdom of the world tells you to have pride. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 19, it's almost as if Paul is going to say, hey, I got to get you off of your high horse. All of you guys that think you're better than everybody else, all of you that think you have all the answers, this message is for you. It says, I will destroy. And this is him quoting scripture. He says, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." [23:14] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Pride actually has many different ways to show up in our lives. I think that so many of you guys, as soon as I started talking about pride, some of you guys were thinking, man, I'm going to send this message to so-and-so person. Or man, I'm going to talk to this person about how they're so prideful because there's some people in your life, in your group of friends, there's some people at work maybe even that they just kind of take up all of the oxygen." [24:48] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "With our pride, we start comparing ourselves to other people. And we believe that we're better than everybody else. But with humility, we compare ourselves to God. And realize how much bigger and how much better He is. And we cannot help but to bring all of our crowns and all of our successes and all of our achievements at the feet of Jesus. And that is the wisdom of God. That you would understand that we need to be humble." [30:16] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Nothing in this life will transform people like the Holy Spirit can transform people. Nothing that you can put your trust in, no person, no human being, can transform your life. Because political speeches, even some preachers, even some podcasts that you might listen to, some social influencers that you might be looking at, they might give you a little bit of motivation, but the Holy Spirit is the only one that can transform a life." [36:15] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "The wisdom of God tells you that Christ made you. And I'm not talking just in a physical sense. Yes, certainly, God created you in a physical sense, but everything, everything that you are, everything that you know, your feelings, your emotions, everything that you are here today, God made you. The wisdom of the world tells you that you made yourselves." [39:56] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "The value that is placed in your life is because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross for you. And he has made us holy, not by anything that we can do or anything that we can say. That is why earlier in this passage, he says things, God called you. In chapter one, he says, God chose things of this world, things that the world considers foolish to shame those who think they are wise. God chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful." [46:28] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "The deepest and the greatest form of wisdom and understanding that the church can have is that we need Jesus. That is the greatest wisdom and understanding that we can have. And if you came into this room and you were hearing me talking about pride and you were saying, man, I have nothing. I have nothing to brag about. I have nothing left in my life. Maybe you just kind of came into our church thinking, man, I just need to go to a place where I can find a little bit of hope. This is the message for you." [49:01] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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