The Wise and the Fool

If not, our text is found in the book of Proverbs in the 24th chapter. Proverbs chapter 24. As we have viewed parallel after parallel, there is one thing that the Lord, if he has been our teacher, has taught us, and it is that he has divided all of Scripture into two categories, the sheep and the goats. The wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked, the worthy and the unworthy, and he's the one that makes the difference.

It's not you or I. It's not what we have done or what we have not done. It's that Christ died for his people. He died for us. And he passed by the others. Why would he pass by? That's not the question. The question is, why would he send forth his son to die for a worm such as you and I? And we know why. We don't have to ask and wonder. He said, it's not for your sake. It's for my sake. It's for my name's sake. It's according to my grace, according to my mercy, according to my power and my will. It's by the determinate counsel of God. That's why we rest. That's the only way we can rest. Because if there's one thing we could do to mess it up, you know what we would. And I know that we would. But you can't mess it up because it's finished. From the foundation of the world, it's finished.

Those for who the Lord lived and died for those who he saves by his grace he calls them the wise and those he has left to themselves he calls them the fools or the foolish and that's. mentioned here in our text abundantly as the clear message for the first 12 verses and maybe even more than that. But for now, we're just going to look at the first 12 verses. It's demonstrated here in our text. So let's look at that together. Proverbs 24, and we're going to do one through 12.

Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them for their heart study of destruction and their lips talk of mischief. Through wisdom is a house built, builded, and by understanding it is established. So at the beginning of this, he's talking about the envious, not envious, evil men, and he said their hearts study at the structure and their lips talk mischief.

Then he changes gears. Then he changes to the wisdom. Through wisdom is a house built and by understanding it is established. And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong. Yea, a man of knowledge increases strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war, and in multitude of counselors there is safety.

Wisdom is too high for a fool. He openeth not his mouth in the gate. He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person. The thought of foolishness is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn into death, and those that are ready to be slain, if thou sayeth, behold, we knew it not, doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth he not know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works.

I've titled this message, The Wise and the Fool. The Wise and the Fool. First, we must establish that God is absolutely sovereign. And he's the one that determines the wise and the fool. And if the Lord would allow us to enter into this tonight, I believe we would see that what he's speaking of when he talks in verse three, through wisdom is a house built Wisdom's Christ. We heard in our call to worship in 1 Corinthians 1 that God hath made him unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. And it's also said there that Christ is the wisdom of God. He's a person. Wisdom is a person. So to be wise, I must be found in him. I must have Christ or I have no wisdom. I am unwise. Our Lord gives what he says here. It's interesting because I just about titled this message.

Wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Verse three and four through wisdom is a house built in and by understanding is established and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Last week we looked at wisdom. and knowledge and instruction. And so I said, well, that's a lot. That's pretty close to last week. So let's see what's the Lord saying throughout this entire portion. And I was led to understand there's two differences here. It's the fool and the wise.

And the Lord is the one that make the difference for sure. Our Lord not only gives wisdom and instruction and understanding and knowledge and truth to his people, But he promised he would. He promised he would. He promised he would give us Christ, who is our knowledge, our wisdom, our righteousness, our truth. Christ does all these things unto the Lord's people. We're no longer seeking after something, because we have a person. We're seeking Christ. We're seeking a person.

And so many others will try to seek wisdom and knowledge and understanding through worldly means, as we're going to see in this message, Lord willing, the difference between the fool and the wise. the difference because he gives it to us plainly broken down here. But all throughout scripture, we have account after account of our Lord giving different parables and different circumstances throughout scripture of the full and the wise. And there's always something that stands out through every single one of the stories that's given. Every one of the allegories, Christ maketh thee to differ so that no man can boast. And we heard why over there in first Corinthians one, uh, so that no flesh should glory in his presence. That's why. That's why.

We are taught of the Lord that he's absolutely sovereign, that he must save to the uttermost. He must completely save. He must 100% save us because we're sinners. And it must be established that we're born in sin and shaped into iniquity, so we're born fools.

Do we see that? We're born foolish, meaning, and we're gonna learn that definition here in a minute because definitions are very important through scripture. What we might think is a fool may not be the actual definition that the Lord is saying here. We'll get to that in a minute.

But we're born fools. We're born of no understanding. We're born of no, any ability to comprehend who God is. We don't understand his power. We don't understand his person. We don't understand his character. We can't. We receive everything that we believe by faith alone, and that faith comes by Him. Do you see that? He's gotta give us wisdom. He's gotta give us faith to believe, or we won't have any wisdom. He alone must change the wicked heart that we're born with. You know why?

I thought about this. A lot of things are going on in the economy and different things like that, and I never get political, and I'm not planning on to tonight, but if there was something you could change right now, what would it be? What if you could change anything you wanted to, and it was countless, what would you change? And our flesh would say, well, I would change gas prices, or I'd wheel away a cold, somebody has a cold.

I'd get rid of this cold real fast. You know why we can't do that? Because we don't have any power. We don't have any power over this flesh. You can ask anybody that's had a terminal illness, they'll tell you, well, if I could, I would get rid of it. I can't get rid of it. It's not going away. I can do all the treatments. I can do this. I can do that. But if God doesn't get rid of it, it's going to remain. I can't wield this away. And yet men believe that they can wield their own salvation.

Isn't that foolish? That's the fool. That's the fool. The wise of the Lord are taught, you can't will away a cold. Next time you get sick, go ahead and say, OK, I will you to be gone and see what happens. That's some stuff you see on TV that ain't real. No, it's not real, is it? No, it's silly. And I'm not picking on anybody.

I'm just simply stating the fact that some men really believe that, and they are lost in their own foolishness. goes back to what Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 1 where the Jews sought after, the Greeks sought after wisdom and the Jews sought after a sign. And that's what men do today. They fall into that same category. The foolish always seek after a sign. Well, prove it. Let me see something.

Isn't that what they asked the Lord? He said, Lord, show us a sign. And they say, well, A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, but the only sign to be given is that of the prophet Jonah. Whereas Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, so shall the son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights." What was he talking about? The only sign we got is his resurrection. That's what he's talking about.

And yet that wasn't good enough for the Jews, was it? That's not good enough for the Gentiles either. It's not good enough for anybody unless the Lord gives us faith to believe him unless the Lord gives us his wisdom, his understanding. And here's the good news of the gospel.

The Lord said they all shall be taught of me. That's the good news. So you and I have no power. God has it all. We are not God. He is the only, you know what he's called in a couple of places, Paul says this, he says, to the only wise God, to the only wise God. And I've been guilty of saying the same thing. And, um, I'm not correcting anybody. So don't feel that way, but we often say, I'm glad we serve a God that Even, what does it say, who's a god like unto thee? That pardoneth iniquity, we say a god.

He's the only one, there are no other gods. The Lord said, I am the Lord and besides me there is none other. He's the only potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords. And that's what must be established first tonight in this message, is that he is God and we are not. And if I am to have wisdom, it's gonna have to come from him.

So I'm gonna ask the first question, which is, am I a fool? Am I a fool? Now I'm not asking what we think. I'm asking what does God say? Because it doesn't matter what I think and it doesn't matter what you think. It doesn't matter what the world thinks. It doesn't matter about anybody streaming what they're thinking. What does God say?

And I believe that's why we're here tonight. I want to know what the Lord says. Because if I don't hear it from him, if I just get man's opinion, if one man can talk me into it, another man can talk me out of it. I want to know what thus saith the Lord.

Am I a fool? The definition is to be perverse in thinking. Perverse in thinking. to despise wisdom. And thirdly, to mock when found guilty. To mock when found guilty. How many people do we know that look at others in life and say, I'm not like so and so, or I don't do that, or I don't do this. And what are they doing exactly? Well, they're mocking when they're found guilty. How about those who despise wisdom, which is Christ? How do we despise wisdom?

Well, we say, okay, like we heard Sunday, yeah, Christ is important, but you have to be circumcised, right? That's actually despising wisdom, because the Lord said, no, Christ is all in salvation. I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life. Not part of the way, not part of the truth, and not part, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

And so for a man to add something, or a woman to add something and take away from it, they're saying, I despise wisdom. I despise what he says. You know what the fool has said in his heart? There is no God. That's what the scripture says. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. Have you ever said there is no God?

Think about that. Because I had to process that for a second. I have never said those exact words. but my actions have said the exact words." What kind of actions? Well, I used to say words like, let God, let God. Now, unless I'm saying, let God be true and all men liars, in that definition, that definition's perfect. But I said, let God have his way. Why don't you let God have his way? God's gonna have his way because he's God. That's why we had to establish first his sovereignty. That had to be the primary in order to understand everything else that follows.

A fool's gonna say the wrong words about who he is, about what he's done in accomplishing salvation for his people, and about his isness in general. We don't understand holiness by our nature. It's impossible. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.

Have I ever said that? Some people might hear it and say, I've never said that. with me if you would, or notice I'm sorry verse 1 and 2 and this actually reconfirms what we are saying here. Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them, for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. Has your heart ever studied destruction? Think about that. Has your heart ever studied destruction? You know what is more destructive to the soul than anything else? saying, I gave my heart to Jesus. I made a good choice. I chose to make him Lord of my life.

That's destructive. That's destructive. It's not going to do anything because God has his way in the earth and in heaven and in hell. He's sovereign. That must be established. Well, look at verse seven through 12. Wisdom is too high for a fool. He openeth not his mouth in the gate. He that devises to do evil shall be called a mischievous person. The thought of foolishness is sin. So am I a fool? Well, the question is, are you a sinner? Are you a sinner? That's a good way to put it, isn't it? The scorner is an abomination to men. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death and those that are ready to be slain, if thou sayest, behold, we knew it not, doth not he that ponder the heart consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth he not know it? And shall he not render to every man according to his work? Well, when did I forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death and those that are ready to be slain? By not telling them the truth about God and his gospel.

That's forbearing. That means to withhold, to withhold. I've talked to men that are preachers before, and they said, well, if I preach what you preach, I wouldn't have a congregation. And I said, well, we may be small, but I'm perfectly content with the congregation we have. I don't need a big church. I'm not looking for a big church. It's not about that.

But he said, if I preach that, I wouldn't have any members left. So in my mind, I'm thinking, okay, so you're not preaching the truth because you're afraid you're going to lose people. That is the definition of forbear to deliver them that are drawn into death and those that are ready to be slain.

And then the men are gonna say, well, Lord, I didn't know that. I didn't know that that's what I was doing. But what does the Lord say? What does the Lord say to that? Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it, and he that keepeth thy soul, doth he not know it? He knows all things. We're not gonna slide, there is no sliding underneath the radar, there is no pulling the wool over his eyes. He sees all things, he knows, and purposes, and there's none that can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou?

Every time I've said salvation is up to me. Foolishly, I was forbearing to deliver them that drawn to death. Every time I've said that. Aren't you glad that the Lord saved centers? Aren't you glad that the Lord came to this earth for that very purpose? Call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sin. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.

There's rest. There's rest. Am I a fool? Pretending to the things of God? Yes. Yes. Interestingly enough, the ones that believe themselves to be the fool are the ones that the Lord's given wisdom to. But the ones that profess themselves to be wise become fools. That's what they, we're gonna go to Romans chapter one here in just a minute. And that's what it talks about. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. If I ever said let God, or give God something, or God's waiting on me to do something.

I'm just denying him altogether. I'm denying his isness altogether. I'm denying his person. I'm denying his work. I'm denying his wisdom. I'm denying the blood. I'm denying the resurrection. I'll show us that in a minute also. I'm denying his purpose.

It's to deny his very existence. That's what it's talking about. And that's exactly what he means, their heart study of destruction. That's what that means. Studying destruction means I'm denying God He is sovereign right. Now that doesn't mean it changes anything. He's still absolutely sovereign. But that means in my heart, I'm denying it. I'm not believing it.

The only way we can believe it is if the Lord gives us faith. It's to dethrone God, that's what it is. It's bring him down from above. Or if I must do something to make his work effectual, means I'm bringing him up from the depths. I'm making his death, he didn't accomplish anything until I do something and now it's effectual because I did something. Do we see that? That's why he's talking about Romans 10, six and seven.

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven? That is to bring Christ down from above. I chose God. Well, that makes me God. I'm on the throne now. Do we see that's what he's saying? Or who shall ascend to the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead? Well, I chose to make him Lord of my life. I chose him to be my savior. Well, that is to make his blood effectual.

It's already effectual. I can't change what the Lord has done. His salvation's accomplished. It's secure for his people, for his elect. Can't be changed. Now that might not look like what we think it might look like. It literally means you must do this, or you must do that. Fill in the blank.

Unless the person is saying you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, because believing is passive, brethren. Believing is the gift of God by faith. We believe because we're given faith to believe. But if a man is telling you that the Lord is saying, you need to do this in order to be saved, or you need to do that in order to be saved, the Lord's already saved his people from their sin.

The Lord calls us out of darkness into his light. He doesn't give us an option or a choice. The choice was made on the cross of Calvary. Well, the choice was made before eternity ever happened, or before time ever happened in eternity. And on the cross of Calvary, when the Lord hung his head and said, it is finished, it was accomplished. It was accomplished.

Turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter three. Man says you must do this and that, what does God say? Could have titled the message, What Does God Say, I suppose. Hindsight's always clear when you get up here, you know what I mean? Could have done this, could have said that, especially after. I like what the Lord said, let God be true and every man a liar. And that includes the man in the pulpit. I'm no different than you are. No, I'm no different than you are. We're all sinners needing a savior, the savior. Now there's a controversy going on here.

In Corinthians, there's a division because of who they heard the gospel from. Some were saying, okay, I was baptized of Apollos and I was baptized of Paul and I was baptized to so-and-so and this and that. And they were all like, okay, well, my baptism is real because I was baptized by the actual apostle Paul. Oh yeah, well, my baptism was real because I was actually baptized by Apollos. Well, Paul's saying, okay.

And he actually starts out by saying, I withheld meat from you and just gave you milk because you can't tolerate it. There's strifes, there's contentions. You're fighting, you're feuding, and you're fussing and bickering over everything. It's like, it's not of the Lord. Listen to what he says here. This is how he's correcting it. Verse 18, let no man deceive himself. Don't you like how that words, let no man deceive himself. Our heart is deceitful, right?

If any man among you seem to be wise in this world, let him become a fool. that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain.

Therefore, let no man glory in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come, all are yours and ye are Christ's. And Christ is in God. Christ is God's. So he sums it up by saying it doesn't matter about whether you belong to so and so. Don't have your confidence in man. Don't have your confidence in yourself. If you have wisdom and think in this world, become a fool that you may be wise.

So only the Lord's sinners, only the Lord's fools are the ones that's saved. And yet all men are fools by nature and just don't know it. All men are fools by nature and just don't know it. Am I a fool? Am I a fool in that I've acquired wisdom by this world's judgments and standards? If that's the case, I'm most definitely a fool. If what I think about God has come from the world's opinion, if what I think about salvation has come from the world's opinion, I'm certainly a fool. But those who do that actually boast themselves to be wise, and they're not. If so, I would be deceiving myself, which brings us to the second point, am I wise?

Very simply put, do I believe God over self? Did you know that it is impossible for any man or woman upon the face of the earth to take sides with God against themselves naturally, according to the flesh, naturally speaking? I can give you a perfect example. I don't need a show of hands, I never do that, you know that, but if I was to ask tonight, how many of you were tired before coming to service, and how many did you, Might have had maybe just a thought for a second, I guess I could just stay home and rest and watch them just stream. Have you felt that before? I know I have. Why is that? The flesh hates it. The flesh hates God, hates everything about God. That's just how we are by nature. No way can our flesh choose God, choose the wisdom of Christ, because our flesh is enmity against God.

Am I wise? Do I believe God over self? Well, what does God say? Look at verse 18. Let no man deceive himself. It's not God that's deceiving us. We don't need any help. We deceive ourself, don't we? Lord just leaves us to ourself. If any man among you seem to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise. Am I wise? Only if I have the Lord Jesus Christ. Only if I'm found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but the righteousness, which is by him, by his faith, the faith of the son of God that loved me and gave himself for me. Only those who believe themselves fools have been made wise. And those who believe themselves wise are the greatest fools. How can this be? We'll turn over to Romans chapter one. I got a couple of places to turn to tonight. I don't always do that. So I guess I should have warned you. Look at verse 16 through 25 with me.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Now we've already established that there's Jews and Gentiles, that's the Jews and the Greeks. He's writing into the church of Romans, the Romans, so they relate to that wording. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the judge shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them. For God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so they are without excuse. There's so many things just in this natural world that we see that's a reflection of his isness. of his isness, of life coming out of death, is everything that he does, everything that he is.

Verse 21, because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. If you ever meet somebody that tells you that they know it all, when it comes to the things of the Lord, I know I've already arrived, I know that. Oh yeah, I know that. I know that.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like a corrupt man, into birds, into four-footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore, God also gave them up to the uncleanliness of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. Here it is, who changed the truth of God into a lie. and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever, amen. I usually ask this after we read that verse, who's the creature? I understand he gave us the image like an incorruptible man, the birds, four-footed beasts and creeping things, but who's really the creature? You and I are. You and I are the creature. We are idle factories. We are born desiring to worship something. And if we're not given grace to worship God, it will be our self. Everyone promotes self. Everyone exalts themselves.

A good example of that is if you go to the supermarket, there's only one of something left that's on sale. Very rarely will you find somebody that's like, oh, you can have that. It's fine. My family don't need that. That may happen. But most people put themselves first, do they not? And if that person does that, it's because the Lord said, no, you give that to them. That's one of my sheep. The Lord protects his people. That being said, most people put, well, by nature we put ourself first. By nature we put ourself first.

Aren't you glad the Lord gives us everything he requires? Because if he required one thing of you and I, if he required a perfect nature, there's no way we can produce that. So he gives us one. By the Lord Jesus Christ, he gives us new thought process, doesn't he? You think like you used to think? We don't think like we used to think, do we? I don't think about God like I used to think about him.

Matter of fact, I shudder in my shoes thinking about his power, his authority, his sovereignty. Lord, have mercy on me. The sinner is the cry that comes out every time I begin to think about his awesomeness. Only the Lord's people, only the Lord's elect have been abased and made to plead nothing, but the wisdom of God is all their wisdom.

We no longer serve the creature. There's a warfare taking place, but the elder shall serve the younger, the scripture says. What is that talking about? That's talking about the new man created in righteousness in the old flesh. They hate each other. They fight all the time. That's why Paul, and I say this often, but you know it well, you live it.

That which I would do, I do not, but that which I would do, That which I would not do, that I do. That which I would not do, that I do. That which I would do, that I do not. The very thing that I want to do, I can't find myself doing it. But every time I don't want to do something, I'm like, why did you do that? Why, oh why, again?

And the Lord gives us repentance over and over, doesn't he? It's not like a one-time thing where he's like, well, this is the last time I'm going to correct you with love. This is the last time. After that, it's wrath, no? He's long-suffering to his people. Long-suffering. Means he suffers long. How long? Eternity. Eternity, that's how long he's seen his people in Christ. That's a long, well, to say it's a long time is an oxymoron. That's forever. It's forever.

Brethren, we see our wisdom as but foolishness because of what He has shown us, because of what He has done. Paul said, I'm determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Oh, I'm just a fool. Lord, I need your wisdom. Lord, I'm just a sinner. I need you to save me. Lord, I'm lost. I need to be found. I heard somebody say recently that they found Jesus. I was like, I didn't know he was lost. I'm the one that's lost. He's not lost. I didn't find him. He found me. I wasn't even looking for him. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 1. I knew we were going back there, I just couldn't remember when.

Don't you love how the scripture proves itself? All these scriptures talking about the same issue, foolishness and wisdom and who makes them to differ. I mean, it's all the Lord, isn't it? He gets all the glory. Look at verse 18. For the preaching of the cross to them that perish foolishness. But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. Can you say amen to that? The preaching of the cross, we see it. If it wasn't foolishness, the church would be packed. Why is all the mega churches happening? Because they're not preaching the foolishness of the cross. And it's not foolishness to us.

It's foolishness to the world. It's foolishness, it's a stumbling block to those who are seeking after wisdom. It's foolishness to those who are seeking after wisdom. It's a stumbling block to those who are seeking after a sign. It's not gonna be given. But unto us, it's the power of God, isn't it? Unto us which are saved. Verse 19, for it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. You ever felt foolish? You qualify. If the Lord has made you thus, you qualify for the wisdom of Christ. Why?

Because he only gives his wisdom to great fools. He only gives his crumbs to dogs. He only saves dead dog sinners. He doesn't save the righteous. He said, I come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. They that are holy, not a physician, but they that are sick. He only heals the sick. He only raises the dead. He only touches the leper and makes the leper clean from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet.

The only way that you and I can be found in Christ is if he has purposed it. And if he has purposed it, we will find ourself as the chief sinner, the great fool. And the Lord says, no, no, I see the wisdom of Christ. I see the perfect obedience and righteousness of Christ. I don't see sin upon you. You're wise in my eyes. That's what the Lord sees in his people. How can that be? Because of the finished work of Christ alone. Look at verse 20. Where is the wise? Where's the scribe? You know, the scribes boasted themselves because they were the ones that would start at the beginning of Genesis and they would try it.

They didn't have printers back then. And I know that sounds funny, but we really don't think about that unless it said they didn't have printers. A man's job was to be a scribe. He would start at Genesis or wherever, and he would scribe down in the beginning God, in the beginning God, and he would write all this. Well, in doing so, he got a lot of understanding, or at least a lot of memorization of the Bible, right? See, they thought they were something. They thought they were something, the scribes. I'm a scribe. You're not gonna tell me about God. I've written the Bible 68 times over. Think about the arrogance. That's what he's saying here. Where's the wise? Where's the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world?

Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? How did he do that? God sent forth his son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. That's how he made the wisdom of this world foolishness. Well, it doesn't make any sense exactly. Exactly, why would God send forth his son? Because you and I had no other hope. There is no other way to save sinners, such as you and I. There's no other way to take fools and make them wise, except the Lord become our wisdom by his glorious substitution. Verse 21, for after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God with a foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

I understand something very important. A lot of people will say, if you believe the Lord will save you. I'm here to tell you that if you believe it's because the Lord already has. Lord already has saved you. That's the difference between the fool and the wise.

If I think that my salvation is dependent upon me believing, I am gravely mistaken. My salvation is dependent upon Jesus Christ and my believing is dependent upon Jesus Christ. Everything about salvation and every angle that you look at it is completely dependent upon him giving the increase. If he doesn't do that, I won't be saved. Verse 22, for the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified. Under the Jews a stumbling block and under the Greeks foolishness. Do you know why it's a stumbling block?

The Jews, they were looking for King David to be reincarnated more or less. go set up his kingdom in Jerusalem, rule and reign, destroy all the Romans. They were under Roman captivity, if you want to put it that way, at the time. They were under Roman government, I guess would be a better way to put it. They really weren't kind of captive, might not be the right word, but you understand what I'm saying. The Rome was the power at the time, and they thought, all right, well, when the Messiah comes, he's gonna show you who's boss.

What did the Lord say? This world is not my kingdom. If it were, my disciples would fight for me. He didn't come to set up an earthly kingdom. He came to establish the heavenly kingdom, Zion. It's his salvation where his people are found in Christ. That's why it was a stumbling block to the Jews.

And the reason it was foolishness to the Greek is because it makes no sense whatsoever to the flesh. It can't be that simple that salvation is completely dependent upon God. I have to do something. By nature, our curse tells us that we have to work. Is that not true? A man shall eat bread by the sweat of his face. It's our nature to work. So I have to do something. The Lord says, no, I'll disannul your covenant. Don't put your hand to it. Don't touch it. That's why it's foolishness to the Greeks. Verse 24, but unto them which are called. I love that. Them which are, who does the calling? Well, I don't call myself.

It's the Lord that does the calling, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God, that's Him. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 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 this world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of this 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 naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence.

But of him are ye in Christ, but of who? We have to ask, but of who? But of him, but of God, are you in Christ? If I'm in Christ, it's God that did it. who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, that according as it is written, he that gloryeth, let him glory in the Lord.

The preaching of the cross, brethren, is foolishness to the flesh, but to the Lord's people It's our only hope of salvation. The finished work of Christ, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, everything from election to redemption to regeneration, how that we're kept by his power. Every part of the gospel is where we hang the fullness of our salvation.

We have no hope outside of it. That's what we plead. Lord, your wisdom is salvation, not mine. I can't be saved if I will it. Can't will away a cold, but Lord, if you have purpose to save me, there's nothing that can stop it. As a matter of fact, it's already finished according to your word. All our salvation, brethren, is founded upon one foundation, the Lord Jesus Christ. And the scripture says the foolish man built his house upon the sand. But the wise man built his house upon the rock. You and I, we ain't built nothing. Tennessee came out there, sorry about that. You and I haven't built anything.

The Lord built his church. He's the chief cornerstone that the builders rejected. He's the one that God hath laid the foundation in Zion and the whole church is fit together by him and by his glorious finished work. Christ is the rock. that God hath laid, he's the sum and substance of the gospel.

To the Jews, he's a stumbling block. And to the Gentiles, he's foolishness. But to you and I, he's all our wisdom. He's all our wisdom, he's all our salvation. Which brings us to our last point quickly. Am I the fool that's building upon my wisdom? Or hath God made Christ unto me on my wisdom? Lord, if you haven't made Christ into me, all my wisdom make to not be the night. Only the Lord's people would pray that. Everybody else will hold on to something like, yeah, Christ is my wisdom and I know some things.

It's not what we know, it's whom, I know whom I have believed. Let's go back to our text in closing. Now, I intentionally skipped over three through seven, and this has taken a little longer than I thought it would, so just bear with me a moment. Because we've talked about the fool, and we've talked about wisdom. Now I want to see Christ as our wisdom here.

Verse three, through wisdom is in house builded, and by understanding it is established, and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong, yet a man of knowledge increases strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war, and in multitude of counselors there is safety. Wisdom is too high for a fool. Why? Because it's seated in the heavens. He openeth not his mouth in the gate. Salvation is the house that God built. It is unchangeable. It's unalterable. It cannot be defiled. It cannot be blemished. It's finished. The Lord's salvation is finished, and it's freely bestowed upon the Lord's people all by his grace.

He established his everlasting covenant. He did, according to his own will and purpose. And here's how he did that in verse Isaiah 53, 11, listen to this. God shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities." Notice it says many, not all.

He bore the sin of his people on the cross of Calvary by his knowledge. He knew he was the only one that could do it because he's the wisdom of God. The fullness of the Godhead bodily. He went to the cross bearing the sin of his people, bearing their shame, bearing their guilt before God. And the Lord hath laid upon him, the scripture says, the iniquity of us all. And when he saw the travail of his soul, he was satisfied in that he cleansed us from all sin and stain and guilt. All of God's people. He didn't try to do something. He accomplished it 100%.

Why? Because he's the wisdom that we are not. He was, how could you and I have ever came up with a formula to save ourself? Think about that. In the vastness of our little tiny pea brain, everything that we put together, every man on the face of the earth united as one, they came up with the Tower of Babel. Think about that. We're going to build a tower to God. That's how we're going to fix it. Let's just go ahead. Let's get started. We'll put some bricks together. It's a long ways up. We can do it.

The Lord says, you're not going to, same as a thief and a robber, you're not going to climb up to me by the works of your hands. No, all he had to do was confuse their language. He made Baptists and Methodists and Presbyterians and Catholics. That's pretty much what happened. They don't speak the same language, do they? That's why there's so many churches on every corner. They can't, they don't know who God is. They're the fool. The Lord only came to save his people from their sin. It doesn't matter what religious affiliation I'm with. It doesn't matter.

I get asked a lot, what is your, what is your denomination? And I, I say, well, we believe in the sovereignty of God. We believe in, uh, God's absolutely sovereign in salvation. It's his determinant. It's his choice. And we don't identify with the denomination. Christ is our, uh, confession. Christ is our message. Christ is all. They're like, that's it. There's plenty for us. That's all we want to hear about. He's the wisdom of God. What else do you want?

He's everything to his people, isn't he? Our Lord put away the sin of his people by the sacrifice of himself. He was buried. He was resurrected, signifying we have been justified freely by his grace. He's seated at the right hand of God and our father is resting on his Sabbath, his wisdom. Exactly where you and I rest. Exactly where you and I rest.

In closing, ask yourself this, am I the fool that justifies themself as they did here? Look at verse 12. If thou sayest, behold, we knew it not. Doth not he that ponder the heart consider it and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render every man according to his works? Lord, don't, don't. Don't give me according to my, the works of my hands. No. Give me the work of Christ, my substitute. Give me the wisdom of Christ, my substitute. Give me the righteousness of Christ, my substitute. Give me the sanctification of Christ, my substitute. God knows from the beginning of the end, says, who hath been his counselor? Who's counseled God?

Nobody. What did he tell Job? He said, who is this that darkeneth counsel without knowledge? Reply to me, Job, if you can. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the world? At the end of three chapters, Job says, I'm just, I'm not gonna talk anymore. I'm gonna put my hand over my mouth. Behold, I'm vile. I think that was the chapter over from that. But at the end, the conclusion was, Job says, behold, I am vile. I'm a fool. I'm a fool.

You're all wisdom. You're all wisdom. What does that lead us to do as the Lord's people? Have mercy on me, the sinner. I have to have Christ and his wisdom. Am I the fool or am I looking to Christ and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as all my wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption? If I am, God is the doer of it. And he sees his people as wise because they're in Christ.

Don't you love the fact that he doesn't see our foolishness anymore? He doesn't see our sin. He doesn't see our guilt. He doesn't see our transgression, our iniquity. We've done some foolish things, haven't we? The most foolish thing we've ever done is deny him. He don't see that.

He put that away. We've never denied the Lord Jesus Christ one time. Isn't that glorious? It's all because of his wisdom that this was accomplished. My building on the sand that's shifting, that's a picture of false religion constantly changing. Different covenants, you break the covenant. Somebody here needs to rededicate their life. I've heard that before. I need to rededicate. I don't need to reform anything. Come to Christ. Come to Christ. And then once you do that, keep coming. Keep coming. Keep coming. I'll be building on the sand and resting on the rock of ages.

There is now and always have only been two, the wise and the foolish. The foolish believe themselves to be wise because of what they know, and the wise have been made wise because Christ is their wisdom, and it is not what we know, it's whom I have believed.

And I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." Somebody said, well, I haven't committed anything unto him. Yes, you have if you're his. You've committed everything unto him. All of your wisdom, all of your righteousness, all of your sanctification, all of your redemption.

We declare ourself as fools, pleading the wisdom of God alone, pleading for the grace and mercy of God alone to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord looks at his people and he sees them as wise in Christ. He sees them as holy in Christ. He sees them as justified, righteous. What a gospel. What a savior. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your word.

Apply it according to your will. Give us understanding. according to your purpose, in Christ's name, amen. We're gonna close with number 268, Alferma Foundation. Number 268, let's stand together. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He has said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my gracious omnipotent hand. When through the deep waters I call Thee to go The rivers of woe shall not Thee overflow For I will be with Thee Thy troubles to bless And sanctify to Thee Thy deepest distress When through fiery triangles Thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all-sufficient, shall be Thy supply. The flame shall not hurt Thee, I only design Thy draughts to consume and Thy gold to refine. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to his foes. That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake. Dismissed.

The Wise and the Fool

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