Praying For Wisdom: Who Owns It All?

Paul has a command addressing divisiveness in 1 Cor 3. It means giving up dissension and jealousy.

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Transcript

Title: Praying For Wisdom. Who Owns It All?

SubTitle: Paul has a command addressing divisiveness in 1 Cor 3.

Description: It means giving up dissension and jealousy.

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Praying For Wisdom: Who Owns It All?

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We're going to look at what Paul says needed to happen for the Corinthian Church to get over some of their internal divisiveness. Part of Paul’s solution was to get wisdom from a different source.

Part of my solution is to pray a little later in this episode because I need help.

GO BACK TO THE TEXT

Here's text of the advice Paul gives summing up 1 Corinthians Chapter 3:

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 

TAKE ITS ADVICE AND IMPLEMENT IT

It looks like I'm going to need God's help. Here's why:

The command says I shouldn't deceive myself. I know I'm going to need God's help to do this. I tend to want to congratulate myself every day.

The command says to forsake the wisdom of this age and become a fool. I have been pretty good at becoming a fool without gaining any wisdom in the process. I'm going to need God's help to become a fool and get wise.

The command is to forsake the old source of wisdom -- this age -- and receive God's wisdom. I'm glad I'm going to pray later.

The passage says “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

I don’t want to have futile thoughts. They’re fruitless. They don’t last. The First Psalm says they are like chaff that the wind blows away.

I'm ready to pray:

Father, in Jesus' name let me not seek the wisdom of this age. I turn away from my cleverness, craftiness, self-congratulation and futile thoughts.

Let me become a fool like Jesus so I can receive wisdom like Jesus. Have mercy on me, Oh Lord. Let me recieve your Spirit of love and sanity in Jesus' name.

Here are Paul’s closing words in Chapter 3:

Verse 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 

NOTE: It looks like using the wisdom of this world will cause us to boast in men and miss what God has for us.

Verse 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 

23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Earlier in chapter 3 (verse 9), Paul wrote some examples of who the Corinthian readers are:

“You are God’s field; God’s building” These are two examples where multiple members make up one whole. So the key to having this wisdom from above is to realize membership and ownership. 

Here are my takeaways:

If we believe in Christ, we are God’s field – we are God’s building.

We own everything inside our domain; Christ owns us; and God owns Him.

That ends jealousy and dissension.

Now we can serve God with clean motives and a pure heart and build things that last.

I'm ready to give thanks:

Thank you God for the ministries of the members of the body of Christ. I am one with them – they are all mine. I am Christ’s. And Christ is God’s

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