God's Wisdom Revealed: The True Message of Christmas

 

Summary

In the first chapter of Paul's epistle to the Corinthians, we are confronted with a profound question: "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 challenges us to consider why the world, despite its troubles and failures, does not turn to Jesus Christ. The answer, according to the Bible, lies in the devil's influence, blinding the minds of those who do not believe. The devil's tactics are both blatant and subtle, often adopting and distorting the message of Christmas to suit his purposes.

The true message of Christmas is not about human wisdom or the world's idea of greatness. It is a divine proclamation of what God has done, a challenge to the world's wisdom, and a humbling of human pride. Christmas is a display of God's glory and triumph, making foolish the wisdom of this world. It is a reminder that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. The miraculous birth of Jesus, born to a virgin, is a testament to God's supernatural intervention in human history.

This divine action does not conform to human wisdom or understanding. It baffles the natural man, who finds it foolishness. Yet, it is in this very foolishness that God's wisdom is revealed. The world, with all its philosophies and wisdom, has failed to know God or achieve true righteousness. But in Christ, we find wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The message of Christmas is that God has succeeded where human wisdom has failed, offering salvation to all, regardless of their status or intellect.

The wisdom of this world is made foolish by the way God chose to manifest His wisdom. The world expects greatness in terms of nobility, wisdom, and power, but God chose to reveal His wisdom through humility, weakness, and apparent folly. The birth of Jesus in a stable, His life as a carpenter, and His crucifixion in weakness are all part of God's plan to confound the wise and reveal His true wisdom.

Key Takeaways:

- The devil's influence blinds the world to the truth of the Gospel, using both blatant and subtle tactics to distort the message of Christmas. This spiritual battle is a central theme of the Bible, highlighting the struggle between God's kingdom and the devil's opposition. [02:23]

- The true message of Christmas is a divine proclamation of God's action, challenging the world's wisdom and humbling human pride. It is a display of God's glory and triumph, making foolish the wisdom of this world. [11:45]

- God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. The miraculous birth of Jesus, born to a virgin, is a testament to God's supernatural intervention in human history, defying human understanding and expectations. [19:02]

- In Christ, we find wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The message of Christmas is that God has succeeded where human wisdom has failed, offering salvation to all, regardless of their status or intellect. [46:19]

- God's wisdom is revealed through humility, weakness, and apparent folly. The birth of Jesus in a stable, His life as a carpenter, and His crucifixion in weakness are all part of God's plan to confound the wise and reveal His true wisdom. [42:51]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:09] - Introduction to the Question
[01:05] - The World's Struggle and the Devil's Influence
[02:40] - The Great Struggle: God vs. the Devil
[04:07] - The Devil's Tactics
[06:21] - The Subtlety of the Devil's Methods
[07:56] - The World's Misinterpretation of Christmas
[10:03] - The Real Message of Christmas
[12:22] - God's Action and Divine Humor
[16:27] - The Supernatural Nature of Christmas
[20:59] - The Miraculous Birth of Jesus
[23:02] - The World's Inability to Understand
[29:09] - God's Wisdom vs. Human Wisdom
[36:19] - God's Manifestation of Wisdom
[43:42] - God's Success in Christ
[51:30] - The Call to Recognize God's Wisdom

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1 Corinthians 1:20-31

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Paul mean when he asks, "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world?" in 1 Corinthians 1:20? How does this question set the stage for the rest of the passage? [00:09]

2. According to the sermon, how does the devil use both blatant and subtle tactics to blind the world to the truth of the Gospel? [02:23]

3. How does the sermon describe the world's misinterpretation of the Christmas message? What are some examples given? [09:46]

4. What is the significance of God choosing to reveal His wisdom through humility and apparent folly, as seen in the birth and life of Jesus? [42:51]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the sermon explain the reason why the world, despite its troubles, does not turn to Jesus Christ? What role does the devil play in this? [02:23]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the true message of Christmas challenges the world's wisdom and humbles human pride? [11:45]

3. How does the miraculous birth of Jesus defy human understanding and expectations, according to the sermon? [19:02]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the world's inability to recognize true wisdom when it is presented in the form of Jesus Christ? [36:19]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you relied on your own wisdom rather than seeking God's guidance. How did that situation turn out, and what might you do differently now? [29:31]

2. The sermon highlights the devil's subtle tactics in distorting the message of Christmas. How can you remain vigilant against these tactics in your own life, especially during the holiday season? [07:56]

3. Consider the ways in which the world's idea of greatness differs from God's. How can you align your values more closely with God's wisdom, as demonstrated in the life of Jesus? [42:51]

4. The sermon emphasizes that God's ways are not our ways. How can you cultivate a mindset that is open to God's supernatural intervention in your life, even when it defies logic or expectation? [19:02]

5. In what practical ways can you embody the true message of Christmas in your interactions with others, challenging the world's wisdom and humbling human pride? [11:45]

6. How can you share the message of salvation through Christ with someone who may be blinded by the world's wisdom? What specific steps can you take to engage them in a meaningful conversation? [46:19]

7. Reflect on the areas of your life where you feel weak or inadequate. How can you trust in God's strength and wisdom to confound the wise and reveal His true power through your weaknesses? [46:54]

Devotional

Day 1: The Devil's Subtle Distortion of Truth
The devil's influence is pervasive, blinding the world to the truth of the Gospel through both blatant and subtle tactics. This spiritual battle is a central theme of the Bible, highlighting the struggle between God's kingdom and the devil's opposition. The devil often distorts the message of Christmas, turning it into a celebration of materialism and human wisdom rather than a divine proclamation of God's action. This distortion keeps people from seeing the true glory and triumph of God's wisdom, which is revealed through humility and apparent folly. [02:23]

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: In what ways have you seen the true message of Christmas distorted in your own life or community, and how can you actively work to refocus on the divine proclamation of God's action this season?


Day 2: God's Wisdom Challenges Human Pride
The true message of Christmas is a divine proclamation of God's action, challenging the world's wisdom and humbling human pride. It is a display of God's glory and triumph, making foolish the wisdom of this world. The miraculous birth of Jesus, born to a virgin, is a testament to God's supernatural intervention in human history, defying human understanding and expectations. This divine action does not conform to human wisdom or understanding, baffling the natural man who finds it foolishness. Yet, it is in this very foolishness that God's wisdom is revealed. [11:45]

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: How can you allow the message of Christmas to challenge your own pride and reliance on human wisdom, and instead embrace the humility and wisdom of God in your daily life?


Day 3: God's Supernatural Intervention in History
God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. The miraculous birth of Jesus, born to a virgin, is a testament to God's supernatural intervention in human history, defying human understanding and expectations. This divine action does not conform to human wisdom or understanding, baffling the natural man who finds it foolishness. Yet, it is in this very foolishness that God's wisdom is revealed. The world, with all its philosophies and wisdom, has failed to know God or achieve true righteousness. But in Christ, we find wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. [19:02]

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 God's ways seemed foolish or confusing to you. How can you trust in His higher wisdom and understanding in your current circumstances?


Day 4: Salvation Through Christ's Humility
In Christ, we find wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The message of Christmas is that God has succeeded where human wisdom has failed, offering salvation to all, regardless of their status or intellect. God's wisdom is revealed through humility, weakness, and apparent folly. The birth of Jesus in a stable, His life as a carpenter, and His crucifixion in weakness are all part of God's plan to confound the wise and reveal His true wisdom. This divine wisdom offers salvation to all who believe, transcending human limitations and expectations. [46:19]

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (ESV): "And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'"

Reflection: How can you embrace the humility and weakness of Christ in your own life, allowing His wisdom and redemption to transform you and those around you?


Day 5: God's Wisdom Revealed in Humility
God's wisdom is revealed through humility, weakness, and apparent folly. The birth of Jesus in a stable, His life as a carpenter, and His crucifixion in weakness are all part of God's plan to confound the wise and reveal His true wisdom. This divine wisdom challenges the world's expectations of greatness, which often equate to nobility, wisdom, and power. Instead, God chose to manifest His wisdom through the humble and the lowly, offering a profound lesson in the true nature of greatness and divine wisdom. [42:51]

James 3:13-17 (ESV): "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 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 can you practice humility and meekness, allowing God's wisdom to shine through your actions and interactions with others?

Quotes


The world doesn't do this because of the devil that's the only answer that it gives the devil the one who first came into this world and Ed men and caused him to fall and brought in the havoc and ever since then he has been opposing God and God's kingdom. [00:02:18]

The devil working through the world seems to have adopted the Christmas message he seems to rejoice in it and the result is you see that the world which never takes up the message of the Cross and the death on calvary's hill and who hates it and any talk about the blood of Christ makes a great thing of Christmas. [00:07:56]

The message of Christmas is primarily a challenge to the world where is the wise where where is the Scribe where is the disputer the clever men of this world the man who writes His Brilliant articles the man who writes his clever letters about Christianity to the newspapers the man who denounces it in company and can always raise a laugh at its expense. [00:10:19]

The glory of Christmas is this let me say again this day when the fullness of the times was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that are under the law what is Christianity is it man exalted to save himself and put a great not at all God so loved the world that he gave he gave his only begotten son. [00:14:57]

This thing which God has done which he did on that 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 17th verse to the end of the chapter and indeed right on till the end of the next chapter. [00:16:39]

Here is a child who is born to a virgin who had never known a man now I'm not explaining that and I'm still further from apologizing for I am asserting it that is what God did the Holy Ghost Came Upon her the whole thing is miraculous and it belongs I say to an order of Concepts which is allog together different from the wisdom of this world. [00:19:02]

The natural men receive not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned if you have never found this message of Christmas rather bewildering it's because you've never realized what it is if you've never had any difficulty about the Christmas message it is because you don't know what the Christmas message is. [00:23:25]

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 it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. [00:29:50]

The world always thinks of true greatness in terms of nobility in terms of wisdom and in terms of strength and power that's the world's idea of greatness it goes by names doesn't it it's not rarely interested in persons as such nor in the particular qualification of the person but if the person comes from a great family it bows to that person. [00:37:08]

The way in which God did it was so designed that he makes the wisdom of men look utter Folly and foolishness ha not God made foolish the wisdom of this world that was its idea but this is what happened and it's the exact opposite crucified in weakness and yet says the Apostle we preach Christ crucified because that is the wisdom of God and the power of God. [00:42:51]

In Jesus Christ we know God he said he who had seen meath 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 he brings us to Christ I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me you'll never know God except in Christ. [00:44:47]

God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise God has chosen the weak weak things of the world to confound the things which are Mighty base things of the world and things which are despised of God chosen yeah and things that are not to bring to not things that are oh thank God for this can every one of you who's listening to me at this moment understand Greek philosophy. [00:48:51]

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Transcript
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