Living Wisely or Foolishly – Dr. Charles Stanley

we're living wisely we will be able to walk to the deepest darkest valleys of life we're going to walk through pads and we think there'd be no way to walk we're going to be able to walk through situations and circumstances and heartaches that we would never think we can ever in do but when you walk in wisely here's what happens God says this is the next step next on InTouch moving wisely or foolishly why would a city known for its red economy over all these years you're bankrupt why would they go bankrupt unwise decisions that probably started years before why would a family choose to buy a home house that they know that they cannot afford but they gonna bide anyway unwise decision why would a person marry just for a sexual fulfillment not thinking about other things unwise decision why would a person drank alcoholic beverage in front of their children early in life leaving them an image of their dad sometimes being drunk thinking nothing of the consequence very unwise decision when you think about the kind of your life that you're living would you say that the decisions that you're making a wise or unwise I think about people who never consider the will of God for their life they make decisions based on what they want how they feel what makes them feel good or what other people think and never asking what's the will of the Father unwise unwise decision and we could go through life thinking about all the decisions people make for example they stack up credit on their credit cards to the point that they know they can't make the payments why did it event unwise decisions people make unwise decisions because they leave out the most important thing in their life and that is the wisdom of Almighty God what place does God have in your decision-making process you're going to live it on your own are you going to be wise enough to seek the wisdom of God before you make in a decision so let me put it this way right up front before you make a decision you should always ask this question is this is this the wisest thing to do there is always an answer is this the wisest thing to do whether it's marriage or whether it's something financial or health or whatever it might be is this the wisest thing to do that's always the right question whether it's major or minor is this the wisest thing to do somebody says well I don't know what wisdom is we'll come into that but living wisely is the best life wisdom is a gift from God living unwisely is a very expensive lifestyle to every aspect of our life so I want you to turn if you will the 1st Corinthians chapter 3 and I want to look at the 19th verse beginning with that and the number of verses I want us to consider here but I want you to keep asking in your thinking decisions that that are before you today that when you get home today or maybe tomorrow this week at the coming weeks decisions you have to make are they going to be wise decisions or unwise so listen to what he says in this third chapter beginning in verse 19 and notice what he says for the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God look at that the wisdom of the world is foolishness before God the way the world thinks apart from God for it is written he is the one who catches the wise and their craftiness you don't get away with it there are their consequences and again the Lord knows the reasoning of the wise that they're useless he says it's empty they make unwise decisions so with that in mind I want us to look at this whole issue of wise and unwise lifestyle and how people are living it and the description this thing which is in between here so let's look at wise living for a moment and the first thing we want to do is define what do we mean by true genuine wisdom godly wisdom that's real wisdom godly wisdom is doing things from God's viewpoint how does he see them and then responding to those things in the basis of what the Word of God teaches so if I look at things from God's viewpoint where am I going to find it I'm going to find it in the Word of God and the Bible teaches it all the way to description so think about that it's the capacity to do things from God's viewpoint and then on the basis of that respond to them accordingly so you're facing a decision what's the question the question is this what is the wise thing to do if I'm going to find that out I need to turn to the source of all wisdom that's Almighty God to leave God out of your life is foolish devastating and only a fool who hears the Word of God turns away shuts their mind out since I don't want any event because you're not thinking wisely you're thinking foolishly so when we look at this passage of Scripture and with that in mind think about this God is omniscient he knows everything he knows about yesterday he knows about the day he knows about tomorrow he knows what happened yesterday perfectly you and I don't we only know what humans can know God has absolute total complete infinite knowledge about every single thing he's never behind because he knows the past president nothing ever startles him and surprises him he knows perfectly before during and afterwards so it is only wise to consult one who knows everything and who has never said oh I forgot oh I never thought about that the world's foolishness is just that it's foolish they think they know when only God knows that's why believers are set apart we are a part of the body of Christ we are set apart by God through His Son Jesus Christ to do what to allow him to live his life in and through us we are listen we are the walking children of the Living God whose names are the Lamb's Book of Life who eternally secure in him and who have him is our God for every single day we can come to him and ask him about any decision that needs to be made and he is willing to give us direction but if you don't know him if you think you see watch this and I say this not to be smart aleck about it not to be critical but to tell the truth that's the only thing I'm up here for to tell the truth that if you live in disobedience to God what you're saying is I don't need omniscience I don't need omnipotence I don't I don't need on the presence I can handle it in this mixed-up crazy sinful wicked vile world that is a foolish conclusion a foolish conclusion we all need Almighty God all of us need him everyday and so when I look at these passages and see what Paul said in this particular passage he says the wisdom of the world's foolishness now of God look at this decides in which we live well look at what's happening to us every single day you wake up one morning and you hear this wake up the next one and you hear that let me ask you something when's the last time you looked at the television or read the newspaper or heard anything about what's going on youth a said finally a great day has arrived it's not true so what a Christian do we supposed to be worried and frustrated anxious and fearful you want to better wonder what's going to happen no we know what's going to happen listen we're sleeping in the presence of Almighty God who never sleeps who has all power all knowledge of every single thing listen we are his children how foolish to live apart from holy God who has made it possible to have everything we need in Christ Jesus that's wise for us to have but then there's the other life there's the people who live foolishly so I want you to turn if you will to let's turn to James over to James and I want you to look at this passage in in this third chapter and verse 13 he asked this question and similar to what Paul asked who among you is wise and understanding let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom but if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth this wisdom is not that which comes down from above but is earthly natural and demonic now I want you to think about this for a moment there are two different council wisdom there's the wisdom of God and there's the wisdom that comes to men's thinking and I want you notice how he describes this he says this wisdom is described in the following fashion it is earthy natural and demonic now what does he mean by that he means by earthy that it's limited to what man can do it's limited to man's reasoning in his thinking his attempts in his his accomplishments in life that's that's how limited that is well listen how smart is man today we might be able to invent things and go to the moon and this that nothing we can't get along with each other and so we can think about all the things that man's wisdom and his knowledge and understanding without God can create can't do anything without God it's earthy so that's one part of them for wisdom and then second he says it is natural that is we all have a naturalness in us that is that part of us that that part of us that does not want to obey God that part of us that is subject to temptation that part of us that desires our will in our way you may not yield to it but all of us have that naturalness in us some people call it a sin nature color what you want to but all of us have it and so he says those who are walking unwisely there was this earthy than did nowhere and secondly it's natural is sensual it relates to the fallen nature and if you recall in frustratin chapter 2 verse 14 he says but a natural man doesn't accept the things of the Spirit of God that foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they're spiritually appraised so you're getting a discussion with somebody it doesn't believe what you believe about the Lord Jesus writes that God are holy things and you know we say well why can't you believe that and that you know why they can't because God said they couldn't apart for the Spirit of God they will not be able to understand the things of God but then he says for example it's demonic its root is found in Satan himself so go back to Genesis chapter 3 everything was absolutely perfect and Satan convinced Eve she believed a lie and look at the consequences the many people today you may be one of them you've listened to the devil's lie you've listened to him say to you you don't need God those church people a week you can handle it and you're smart enough to hand you got position you got money you got intellect you got talent you know you don't need that religious stuff at all mark it down bad is the voice of the devil the Word of God says it is demonic it deals with your naturalness and that earthen is a part of you and if you listen to Satan's lies he's always going to tell you well this is the easy way the issue is this what is the wisest thing to do when you your children come to you and they ask you about what should I do about this that the other what do you say to them well let me think about it or do you say to them no oh why not because I said so why don't you say to them I've been thinking about that and my conclusion is it's not the wisest thing to do one thing we need to instruct our children is to ask that question what is the wise thing to do now what does everybody else doing what's the wisest thing to do when there was what does God see on the basis of his omniscience of knowing everything omnipotence having all power on the presence being in he's in the middle of everything you're dealing with the question is what is the wisest thing to do they can you tell me a better question than that not really because therein is Almighty God and so what he does he shows us here in this passage of Scripture in James here's the difference look at this it is third chapter he says but the wisdom that's from above is first listen to this pure look at that God's wisdom is pure that means it is absolutely perfect to get that it is absolutely perfect wisdom it's pure and peaceable his wisdom will bring you peace gentle there's nothing harsh about it reasonable reasonable listen from God's viewpoint full of mercy and good fruits unwavering without hypocrisy that's the wisdom of God listen would you not agree that it's foolish to choose something else look at that passage the wisdom from above that's God's wisdom pure peaceable gentle reasonable full of mercy good fruits on way with other partners that's kind of life I want to live amen now what did he say up here jealous is selfish ambition disorder and every evil thing on the two choices in life you can choose to live wisely or you can choose to live unwisely and now I say this you've already made that choice wherever you are you're walking in the pathway of the wise are you walking in a pathway of the unwise change paths if you're walking unwisely listen you're not smart enough you may think you are but you're not you're not smart enough to outsmart God you're not intellectual enough to know more than God you don't know your future God does apart from Almighty God through the saving person of Jesus Christ who forgives us of our sin cleanses of SN writes that name in the Lamb's Book of Life has a will for us and lives presently within us through His Holy Spirit he will give us wisdom and every single decision we make in life there is no other way to live now if I 130 years of age you can say what do you know about it I'm glad I'm 80 now watch this because I know that I have 68 years of proof that everything I'm telling you is the absolute truth of Almighty God now uh I can I'll be able to tell you that 100 you know why because it doesn't change that's who God is you can trust him he's not going to change on you about anything you have two choices live out your life wisely living obediently before him living in wisdom or you can live foolishly convince a lot of people do a lot of things go a lot of places have a lot of stuff then you're going to die and my friend when the last seconds of your life come I have a strong feeling you're going to wish you had listened the most tragic thing you can do is die without Christ you know why because the consequences are eternal may not live the best life in the world as a Christian may not have a lot of stuff may not have any degrees behind your name may not have any notoriety most people never know your name's not in the newspapers even all that stuff but you live for God you've walked obediently before him you see God's bad news not the same as man's what he thinks is absolutely awesome is not what the world thinks so you may keep in mind you can live wisely are you gonna live foolishly you'll play the fool if you live foolishly you'll be wise if you choose Christ in his way of life and that's my prayer for You Father how grateful we are that you made it simple and knowing that you loved us enough to send Jesus to die for some payers in debt in full you must have an awesome love for us and so we want to be obedient to you because we're the ones who end up profiting from that in so many ways and I pray that every person who listens to this message will think think honestly and realize that they've only heard the truth it is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment but all the sin can be forgiven by asking and believing entrusting we love you dear father we thank you for the awesome gift of your grace to all of us in Jesus name Amen if you've been blessed by today's program please visit us at in touch dot o-r-g leading people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and strengthening the local church in touch with dr. Charles Stanley is a presentation of in touch ministries this program is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts you

Channel: In Touch Ministries

Views: 448,322

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Keywords: Charles F. Stanley Dr. Charles Stanley Dr. Stanley In Touch InTouch God Jesus Holy Spirit Christian, Charles Stanley, Wisdom (Media Genre), foolishness, Foolish (Composition), Religion (TV Genre), living wisely, Dr. Charles Stanley

Id: kbDpJqU7Oy0

Length: 20min 26sec (1226 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 03 2015