This year, we are going to ride on the wings of the hidden mysteries and the revelation of God, and that's why we'll be looking at Leveraging on the Wisdom and Power of God. And our major text will be taken from 1 Corinthians chapter 1:18-31.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the Wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Verse 20, Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the Wisdom of this world? For since, in the Wisdom of God, the world through Wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. Verse 22, For Jews, request a sign, and Greeks seek after Wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the Wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. Verse 26, For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. Verse 27, But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us Wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
How are we supposed to live in this new year? How are we supposed to be different in this new year leveraging on the Wisdom and the power of God? It has come to a time in the world that it is not about saying I am a believer, it is not about saying I'm born again, it is not about saying I am a follower of Christ or I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ; your life must show it, your daily living must show it. If there is nothing to show then there is no business we have following Christ. Apostle Paul was speaking to the Corinthians in chapter one that we read, and he was making them to understand that it is important we come to terms that there is Wisdom of this world and there is Wisdom from God, that there are two devices in this world. The Lord has been ringing that in our ears this year, that there are two kingdoms that rules this world; the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom light: the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of Lord Jesus Christ.
It is important, we understand this, that you cannot sit on the fence. You cannot say, I don't belong to either of the kingdoms; I'm just a good person living my life. I'm not interested in Satan, he's not interested in me, God should leave me alone, I'm just on my own, it's not possible, you will either choose one, God said that in this world you will serve one master, you will either love one or hate the other. So, it's important we know that when we are talking about leveraging on the Wisdom and power of God, we are talking about the fact that you need to make a choice this year, you need to make a choice on who you want to express this year, you need to make a choice on the kingdom you want to represent this year; because you cannot expect that you are serving somewhere else, and you expect another kingdom to pay you.
For example, you are serving a company; company A, you work for that company all year long, or throughout the month, then you now go to Company B to pay your salary. Is it possible? That's what we do. Many of us have found ourselves in that situation, we serve the interests of the devil, we express the devil, then we go to God when we are in need of payment or reward. It does not work like that. And that's why sometimes we pray and there is no answer because prayer being answered is like speaking to God for a reward; asking God, God pay me and God is asking, what have you done for Me? It is who you serve that you expect reward from, it is whom you serve that you expect payment from. And that's why it is important this year that we understand that we must serve the living God: we must serve the kingdom of God, and that's why leveraging on the Wisdom and power of God is about expressing Christ.
That is why in that verse 24, Apostle Paul was saying to them; “But to those who are called: both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the Wisdom of God.” So, when we talk about leveraging on the Wisdom and power of God, what does it mean? One of the things I have come to realize is that there are two things that rule the world: which are Wisdom and power; every other thing can find its expression under them. Wisdom, and power are what rule the world, every other thing: strength, honor, all those things, find expression under them. Wisdom and power are two critical pillars and they rule the world. And that's why Apostle Paul was saying to them in verse 22, for Jews request a sign ‘a sign of power’ and Greeks seek after Wisdom. The question is, what is our world seeking after today? Is it not the same thing, Wisdom and power? That's why when you see a place where miracles are taking place, wheelchairs are being flung, so many things are happening, people rush there, and what are they looking for? Power!
When you are been told that there is a place where you can make money in seven days. In fact, give me your 5000 I will double it for you, and people rush there; is it the power? No! they are seeking the Wisdom that doubles money. But God said the Wisdom of this world is foolishness. So, how do we leverage on the true Wisdom? Not the Wisdom of the world. How do we leverage on the true power? Not the power of the world. And that's why in verse 20, he said; ‘where is the wise man’? Amplified Version of First Corinthians chapter 1:20, “Where is the wise man? The philosopher that sits down and says there is no God, look at everything; there's nothing man cannot make: where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? The scholar who has read all the books. Where is the investigator, the debater, the logistician of this present time and age, and has not God shown up the nonsense and folly of this world’s Wisdom?” Through our lives this year, God will rubbish the Wisdom of the world, because we are going to learn on how to leverage the Wisdom and the power of God.
How to Leverage on the Wisdom and the power of God. I have about eight things that we're going to look at, and that is where we're going to pay attention to.
Number One: Fear the Lord. Proverbs chapter 3:7, “Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and depart from evil.” What does it mean to be wise in your own eyes? It is when you tell yourself, I have it figured out. I have my life figured out. I can do it on my own. If I can add two plus two, my two plus two will always equal to four. I know how to get around it. I can make it happen. Now, the fear of the Lord we are saying is that, be in awe of God, don't live your life as though you created yourself. How to leverage the Wisdom of God and the power of God is that you fear God. Don't be quick to make decisions about your life, don't be quick to be there and say, ‘I'm going to do this by next year, by the next two years I'm going to be there: no! James said to us, he said, don't say tomorrow I'll be there; say by the grace of God. What is he was saying to us? To fear God. Let God be involved in your day-to-day affairs, it is important. Don't say every time I'm going to work, this is the way I pass; this is the road I take and I will continue to take it: I don't care! And there is a nudging in your spirit that don't pass this road today. Don't ignore that nudging; that is been wise in your own eyes. Respond to God, fear God, and be in awe of God; this is how you leverage the Wisdom and power of God.
The Wisdom and power of God will not just come upon you, it will not make you look as if you are a drunkard. No! that's not how it comes, it comes with instructions. The Bible says you will hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way, walk in it. When you want to do something, you are used to calling somebody and suddenly there is a nudging in your heart not to call that person, but to hold on; don't be wise in your own eyes and say afterall, what is there? Let me call, I have always been calling the person. He said God will put the Wisdom of this world and turn it into foolishness. Fear God, it is important. It sounds very subtle but these are the things that will change our lives this year.
Number Two: Follow instructions/obedience. Genesis chapter 2:16, “And the LORD God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden, you may freely it, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.” Have we seen the instruction there? God said, of all the trees, eat it. But this tree: knowledge of good and evil, don't eat it. Now let's go to Genesis chapter 3:6-7, So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruits and ate, she also gave to her husband with her and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. What happened to Adam and Eve? They did not follow instructions.
The Wisdom and the power of God is available. Some of us will think if God knew that eating that tree was going to make them fall, why didn't God just hold their hand as they were going to eat it? God has given us a free will, to obey or disobey; because God does not want it to be that He is forcing us like horses or camels, dragging us by the neck, that anything He wants us to do, He is forcing us to do it; you must of your own free will, do it: that is why it is called obedience, you are obeying the instruction. When God gives His instruction, He will not force you to obey. Don't think when you're about to sin, one Angel will appear and say, don't do it! It won’t happen because it did not happen for Adam and Eve, but there is a witness in your heart that you have been instructed in a certain way, and going contrary to it; is disobedience. And this is how we leverage the Wisdom and the power of God.
Obedience; following instructions. If you refuse to follow instructions, you know what will happen? Just the same thing that happened to Adam and Eve. God said, you will surely die, and they did not die physically, but something had happened to them. Something had happened to their future, something had happened to their destiny, and that's what happens to us. When we go against the instruction of God, it looks as if our life is continuing; we tell ourselves there is no big deal and that God is merciful, but remember, whatever you do for God, or against God does not leave your life. And that's why when Jesus came; He came and die for you with His blood so that those sins that did not leave your life, that you have sinned, He can wash it away; it is there because there won’t have been a need for Jesus cleansing power in His blood if those things were not in your life; but the power of Jesus, the power of the cleansing blood comes to take it away from your life so that those things will not stand against you.
The Bible says that He blotted out the handwriting that is written against us, which is contrary to us because those things are going to stand for you in the future. So, you feel that God said do not commit fornication, and you committed fornication because nobody saw you, nobody was there, nobody taped it; but your Father in heaven, who sees in the secret, He rewards in the open. Those things that you are doing, that it looks as if nobody is seeing you, that they are secret sins; they are in your life, and they are not leaving: they are only waiting for you in the future. And that's why when we talk about leveraging the Wisdom and the power of God, it is for our benefit. And that's why when we become born again and we cry out to Jesus, those things that we have done, that have not left our lives, Jesus comes by His blood to wash them away so that they don't stand against us.
Why does the Bible call Satan the accuser of the brethren? It is because he has evidence against you, and he presents the evidence before God; but because you have received Jesus, Jesus now stands in heaven as your Lawyer, that even though she has done it, she has asked Me for mercy, and My blood has cleansed her of all these wrongdoings. That's why we can't joke about the importance of Jesus in our lives. Jesus actually came to rescue us; He actually came to help us; so that the devil will not have an accusation against us. That's why the Bible says, therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus; that means outside Christ Jesus, there is condemnation. But for those who are in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation; for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. The Bible says the wages of sin is death.
When Eve sinned: she disobeyed instructions; she did not die physically, but something died in her destiny. When Adam sinned against God, he did not die physically but something died in his destiny. If you go through the Scriptures, there are examples. Look at Gehazi, Gehazi was supposed to have a future that was alive. If Elisha had a double portion of the anointing of Elijah, what was Gehazi supposed to have if he was faithful? He should have a triple portion of the anointing: at least minimum. But Gehazi chose to seek after material things, and it looks as if he collected them and nothing happened, but the glory of his destiny died. And that's why we should understand that life is spiritual, and we cannot afford to live it anyhow. Adam and Eve did not physically die, but they died in the spirit; something happened to the glory of their destiny, something happened in their future; a wrong seed was sown, standing against them in the future. The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.
Number Three: Yield to God. I want us to see the Scripture in Isaiah chapter 29:15-16, “Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, and their works are in the dark; they say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?” Verse 16, surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; for shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? This is a Scripture to ponder and think about. Meaning that, if we don't yield to God, our Maker and Creator, we are esteeming ourselves above God. Verse 16 says shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; God is the Potter; we are the clay. I want us to use that example to understand what God is communicating to us. Have we seen potters i.e people who mold things before? When you see clay, does clay stand on the head of the potter? Any clay that stands on the head of the potter refused to be made. Every clay is in the hand of the potter. To be made is to be in the hands of God, and to be formed is to be in the hands of God. Don't be that man or that woman whose life is on the head of God. Be that man, and be that woman whose life is in the hands of God, because He is the Potter; you are the clay.
What does it mean to be in the hands of God? It means you are yielded to God, you are saying God, this is me: take me, mold me and use me; that is how to leverage on the Wisdom and power of God. Do you know why this is important? You cannot be wiser than God, you cannot be more intelligent than God. God is the Maker of all things including you. The wise thing to do is to release yourself in His hands and say God take me. Do you know why it is important? When Toyota makes a car, they put instructions on it; they have different models. They can say, for this model of car we made it keyless, so, when you want to drive the car, we have given you something that is like a chip, put it around you. Then there is a place for thumb start in the car, press it. Once you press it, the car will start, and you now go inside. You put that key or that sensor in your pocket, you now press it (the thumb start) and the car starts. Is it your Wisdom? It is Toyota’s Wisdom. But does it work? Yes, it does! That is the same way our lives will work in the hands of God because God is the manufacturer, and He has given us instructions on how to live, if you will live like that, your life will work.
The reason it looks as if our life is not working is because we are in the vehicle of our lives, abandoned the instructions of the manufacturer; we are now doing trial and error. This key looks like a start key; let me press it: you're now pressing all manner of buttons in your life and nothing is working. Why? You have refused to leverage on the Wisdom and power of God. You have taken it upon yourself to find out how your life will work when you're supposed to yield yourself to God. You have told yourself; I can make it work. You don't know the things that God has put inside of you for your effectiveness, so you are trying this and that. And it now looks as if there is confusion in your life. God is not the author of that confusion; it is because you have not yielded yourself to the manufacturer.
Number Four: Be Given to the Knowledge of God i.e., Understand and Know. Understand and know God, it is to your advantage. I want us to see a Scripture in Jeremiah chapter 4:22, “For My people are foolish, they have not known Me. Do we see God speaking to us? “For My people are foolish, they have not known Me. They are silly children, they have no understanding, they are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge”. If you don’t have knowledge of God, you can't have the knowledge to do good. Even though you will to do good, because you don't know God; you can't do it. I want us to see Jeremiah chapter 9:23-24, “Thus says the Lord: “let not the wise man glory in his Wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these, I delight,” says the Lord. Know God!
So, leveraging on the Wisdom and the power of God is to understand and know God. What does it mean? It is not just saying that God is the maker of heaven and earth, it is about knowing God intimately, not what people tell you about God, but having an experience of God. I want us to see Matthew chapter 7:24, It says; “Jesus said, therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Whosoever have this knowledge of Mine, understands this knowledge of Mine, He said, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Knowing God intimately, experientially is building your house on the rock; that house means your life on the rock.
In verse 25, He said, “When the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house (life), and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Leveraging on the Wisdom and the power of God is to understand God. The Bible says that, and God made known His act to the children of Israel, and His ways to Moses, no wonder Moses was able to be wise; he understood God. This year, if there's any desire in your heart, let it be to understand God. That's why Apostle Paul said that I may know Him; knowing Him makes the difference, knowing Him is Wisdom: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed even to His death. All these we are discussing are not religion, it is not about Christianity, it is about the life of God. God is God and He is one; to understand Him, to benefit from Him is to know Him. I'm not talking about the benefit that the sun shines on everybody, rain falls on everybody; that is not the benefit I am talking about. I am talking about you becoming such a person that when people encounter your life, they can see God in your life.
Number Five: Honor God. Romans chapter 1:21-23, “Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things”. Leveraging on the Wisdom and the power of God is to honor God. And that's why Jesus said, He says, seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; seeking first is honor! Honor God! Don't just know Him, saying, God is mighty, God is great; honor Him as God. Don't just know Him, let your life honor Him. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and every other thing shall be added; it is not just a Scripture, it is how to live. Put God first and see what God will do with your life; because putting God first is that you are sowing the seed of honor, and it will not leave your life: it will shape your destiny.
All these things we are saying are seeds to be sown in your lives so that your life will show God, your future will show God, and your destiny will reflect the glory of God. Honor God! Even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God. In everything you are doing this year, put God first. When God was going to give the children of Israel the commandments, He puts honor as part of the commandment, because the ten commandments are an expression of how God wants to guide us; how God wants to guide His people. So, He looked at it: since they did not have the Spirit of God to lead them, He gave them the law to serve as a guide for them to be able to please Him. Honor was number one, He said you will not serve any other god, you will not worship any other god outside Me; honor! Then He said, you would observe the Sabbath day and you will keep it holy; honor! God made sure that He allowed His people to understand that the honor they must have for Him is undebatable. So, if you are also guided by the Spirit of God, He will teach you how to honor God.
Number six: Receive from God; Wisdom. The Bible says if anyone lacks Wisdom, let him ask of God. How to leverage the Wisdom and power of God is to receive, and that means you have asked: ask from God; Wisdom and receive it. I want us to see Proverbs chapter 2:6, He said, “For the Lord gives Wisdom and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding”. The Lord gives Wisdom, so receive it from Him. If you lack Wisdom, it is because you have not received it, and you have not asked. Jesus said, whosoever asks will receive, whosoever seeks will find, whosoever knocks, the door shall be opened. If you observe in your life, that your life is lacking Wisdom; ask and receive from God.
Isaiah chapter 40:28, why do we need the Wisdom of God? Why do we need to receive it? “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable”. That's a dimension of the Wisdom of God. That's why we need His Wisdom; because His understanding is unsearchable. You can't google the things that God knows: you can't google search it, google is limited. Search Engine Optimization cannot optimize the Wisdom of God. That's why we need it. Jesus was saying to His disciples, He said when you get to a place, don't be afraid of what you will say: right there, and then: the way the Wisdom of God operates: you will be given what to say. No satellite beats that; right there and then, you don't need data: you will be given what to say. He said, I have given you a mouth and Wisdom: that's the kind of Wisdom we're asking that we receive from God, that your adversary cannot gainsay nor resist. The Wisdom dimension of God that was possible in the life of Jesus, Jesus on the spot was answering the devil and the devil was quiet. Do you know the devil is very resourceful?
When the devil started tempting Jesus, and at a point, you realize that Jesus was going Scriptural; the devil also went Scriptural. He said, is it not written in the Bible, that if you fall, He will give the angels charge over you, that you will not dash your feet against a stone? Imagine Jesus did not have the Wisdom of God, and He says God, what do I do; the devil has quoted Bible. But He had the Wisdom, He was able to discern that even though he was quoting the Scripture, he was not quoting it in truth. So, it is not about reading the Bible, we are talking about the Wisdom of God that is able to mark the difference in your life, and turn the Wisdom of this world to foolishness. So, we are to receive that Wisdom from God.
Number Seven: Be humble. You can’t receive the Wisdom of God in pride; be humble. You can’t leverage it in pride. Proverbs chapter 11:2, “when pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is Wisdom”. In Luke chapter 7:35, Bible says, Wisdom is justified by her children. The kind of results or the kind of foods that you will see out of Wisdom, you will not see pride in it. We're talking about the Wisdom of God, not the Wisdom of this world. If you go back and read James chapter three, to see the description of the Wisdom of this world: it is haughty; full of pride, it is not pure. There is a hidden agenda to the Wisdom of this world, but with the Wisdom of God there is no hidden agenda: it is pure; the intent is pure, it is not manipulative. The Wisdom of this world is manipulative, it is towards an end, that is selfish. But with God, it is selfless and pure; so, there is no pride in that Wisdom. So, to leverage that Wisdom is to be humble. Be humble! Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and in due season; He will lift you; He will exalt you: if you do not faint, and you're not weary.
Number Eight. Be led by the Holy Spirit. Be led by the Holy Spirit; He is the Spirit of Wisdom. I want us to see a Scripture in Proverbs chapter 13:10, “By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is Wisdom”. How does the Holy Spirit come into this? Jesus said concerning the Holy Spirit, He said, it is good for you that I go, it is to your advantage that I go. Howbeit, the Spirit of God is going to come, and when He comes, He will lead you into all truth. What does it mean? He will be your adviser and your counselor. So, he said, to be well advised is to be led by the Holy Spirit, and to be well advised is Wisdom. Be led by the Holy Spirit! Leveraging on the Holy Spirit is leveraging on the Wisdom and the power of God. The Holy Spirit is available to us, to help us express the Wisdom and the power of God.
The Holy Spirit is available to us, to help us live the life of God that produces Wisdom and power. If you look at the case study of Daniel, in Daniel chapter 2:23, Daniel was giving thanks to God, he said, “I thank you and I praise you, O’ God of my father's, You have given me Wisdom and might, (another word for might is power) and have now made known to me what we asked of You, for You have made known to us the King’s demand”. What was the king's demand? He had a dream, and he said that dream, he was not going to tell the dream to anybody because he was looking for the interpretation of the dream. If we start from Daniel chapter one, we will see how Daniel differentiated himself by the Wisdom of God, they set all kinds of foods before them and Daniel chose not to partake of them; so as to show that our God is mighty.
He said, give us beans and vegetables and he said that is what they will eat for the period they were there. And those that were eating the food for mental strength kept eating it; they called it the King’s delicacies. They were choice food carefully selected so that they will perform well. The Bible says when the time was elapsed, Daniel and his companion were ten times better. The Wisdom of God put into foolishness the Wisdom of the world. They were ten times better of vegetables and beans than those that were eating the King’s delicacies. Studying in Harvard or Oxford does not solve the darkness of this world, because if it is by those Ivy League schools, there should be no problem in this world: it should be solved in their classrooms. Their professors should have been able to take care of COVID and all manner of challenges the world is facing.
In every generation, in every year, in every dispensation; God finds a way of raising a man, looking for a man, looking for a woman that will put to foolishness the Wisdom of this world. In the time of Daniel, in Babylon; in a strange land, God found Daniel and his companions. In this time, will God find you and I? In our world, today, will God find us as men and women that will leverage His Wisdom and power and put to foolishness, the Wisdom of this world? Will God find us? They looked at Jesus, and they said, Jesus, we know Him; He is the carpenter’s son, and we know His village, they even said can any good thing come out of Nazareth because we have realized Nazareth is good for nothing? Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? But Jesus came out of Nazareth. And they said He speaks as one that has authority.
Jesus became a brand, so powerful that when He left the scene, and His disciples were on the scene, and they were producing the same results, they looked at them and they said, these men have been with Jesus: they didn't go to Harvard, they were not schooled by Gamaliel; they became a formidable brand. They observed that they were unlearned men. They wondered where they came from because they were exuding a kind of excellence in Wisdom and power. They have been with Jesus; Jesus became a brand. And He's still that brand today, and He's still seeking men or women, that He can put that brand on, that they will look at you this year and say, we've not seen anything spectacular happening but we've seen that he has grown in his knowledge of God, we see that he is seeking after God. I see that she's seeking God. I see that she's pursuing after God, but there is something about his life and her life that I cannot place but her address has changed; you have been with Jesus.
Christ has become for us, the Wisdom and the power of God. To assess the Wisdom and the power of God is to connect to that brand; Christ. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Looking unto Him alone makes the difference. In our lives this year, the difference we'll make is that we're looking unto Him alone. In Christ alone, our Wisdom and power is found.
