Goodmorning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
I can remember an old teaching from school, that learning doesn’t happen by osmosis, and what I mean by that is you can’t put a book underneath your pillow at night and expect that somehow the information is going to transfer into your brain as you sleep.
This reminds me of the Christian life.
We learn things by hearing them taught by others, and Jesus was pouring all of His wisdom into His young apprentices. Wherever He went, He was close by, constantly helping them to grow in their faith and handing down His knowledge freely to His followers.
But who did Jesus call as His original Apostles? Well, they weren’t the ones that a lot of people probably expected. Many times people can be very judgemental because they see a person that God is using, but they really don’t fit into their mold. They don’t wear the right kind of clothes, or spend a lot of time combing their hair. If they had to go to a job interview, most people wouldn’t even sit down with them and give them the courtesy of their time.
But preaching the knowledge and wisdom from God’s Word, doesn’t require a three piece suit. Instead of choosing religious leaders of the day, Jesus hand picked a publican and some fisherman. He picked everyday common people that you could relate with. These were men who weren’t overly puffed up with education, whom the Lord Jesus could pour His divine knowledge into.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath 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 which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
The men Jesus picked didn’t have divinity degrees. They didn’t have plaques of ordination or a certificate to hang behind their desk. They didn’t go off to seminary or receive a diploma from a religious school. Their office was a fishing boat, where they listened each day as Jesus taught them, learning from the Master. They were Apostles in training, preparing for the day that they would pick up the torch for Christ. People were shocked at how much knowledge and wisdom that they possessed after they had been educated by Jesus.
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Many Jews were offended at how much knowledge that Jesus was filled with.
John 7:14-17 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
Steven was another man of God who was so full of God’s wisdom that they couldn’t even resist what he said.
Acts 6:8-10 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
There really are only two forms of wisdom, wisdom that comes from this world, and the wisdom that comes from God. Worldly wisdom is all going to fade away, while God’s wisdom is eternal.
1 Corinthians 2:4-8 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
God wants to give us His wisdom, but we need to ask for it in faith.
James 1:5-6 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
The Apostle Paul was filled with God’s wisdom, but referred to himself as the chief of sinners. All of us have sinned foolishly and come short of the glory of God, but God chooses foolish sinners, to confound those who are wise. In the world people like to choose the powerful and the strong to lead, yet Jesus calls the meek and lowly. He chooses people who are hated, and lifts them up over the proud-hearted. Wisdom of the world is foolishness in God’s sight.
1 Corinthians 1:19-21 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 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? 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.
If you were in charge of hiring for a company, the criteria for employment in the world is quite different than what you will find with the Lord Jesus. He hires and chooses wretched sinners, and picks the ones who are unacceptable in the eyes of the world.
Matthew 9:10-13 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Look at the man that Jesus chose to lead His church. At one point, he even denied the Lord Jesus Christ three times. But one must remember that Peter understood that he was a sinner, which is the very first step in beginning a relationship with Christ, and moving on to being used for His glory.
Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Most of the time, the men that God chooses are not going to be the same ones that the world would pick. After all, look at the life of the Apostle Paul who was trying to destroy the Church of Christ, but later was used by God to write a lot of the New Testament that we have today.
The laborers are few, and God wants men to repent, and go out and preach the gospel of Christ. In order for people to be saved, they have to understand the will of God, which is found throughout the teachings of Holy Scripture. The Apostle taught the church that it was high time that they ought to be teachers, so they can help one another grow in their faith. Men must start preaching, because knowledge cometh by hearing, and hearing the Word of God, because wisdom cannot be gained simply through a process of,……
……Osmosis
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.♥️
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This study was edited and updated.
