Wisdom Is From God, by Elder Gabriel Adunmade
TEXT: Job 32 vs 1-9
The theme for this month as we all know is staggering accomplishment. You know sometimes when you accomplish a great achievement and you want people to know, especially those who are not aware of the great accomplishment and you want them to know by asking you, the way you walk may arouse their curiosity and cause them to ask, my friend or my brother or sister, what is up, what is happening, I can see there something that is making you happy. Then you will begin the story…….. This is what the Lord has done.
I pray that will be your story this month and this year IJN.
For that to happen, you have got a role to play. Staggering accomplishment does not just happen like that. Oh I know I have got to work hard you may say.
Yes that is true, but sometimes working hard may not necessarily make one to experience staggering accomplishment.
Remember Peter and his friends work hard that night, but they caught nothing.
You remember he said in Luke 5 vs 5a “And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing:
When somebody is said to have toil or toiling, that suggests to me that that fellow is not a lazy man, rather he is hard working individual.
It is one thing to work hard, it is another thing to accomplish or achieve. It is the blessing of God that makes one rich without adding sorrow.
( if it is hard work that makes one rich, Gambari surpose to be the richest, they are know to dig bore hole, drainage etc)
But Peter did something afterward and he experienced staggering accomplishment.
What he did is what God wants to bring our attention to today.
That is why I have simply titled this message ” WISDOM FROM GOD OR WISDOM IS OF GOD”
The common definition of wisdom is correct application of knowledge. Knowledge is vital to wisdom in that without knowledge there will be nothing to apply correctly. Of course we must have the knowledge of the word of God before we can apply it.
In other words you can only apply wisely what you have knowledge of. No matter the level of your wisdom, if you don’t have knowledge, wisdom is useless.
Knowledge according to English dictionary is acquaintance with fact, truth or principle. And this comes from study, investigation or research.
Knowledge they say is wealth or power. It depends on the power you are talking about. It is never said anywhere that knowledge is wisdom.
Generally speaking, knowledge is being taught in school inform of education, I am yet to come across or hear about university of wisdom.
I have heard and seen many prominent universities; university of Oxford, Cambridge, premier university in Nigeria or college of technology, college of art and science etc. But I have not come across university of wisdom.
Which university did Solomon go to acquire all the wisdom he had. None, he simply asked from God.
The best all this universities can offer you is knowledge but not wisdom. That is why the bible says in James 1 vs 5 that“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
Age is not synonymous with wisdom, though sometimes wisdom often come with experience, but not in all cases.
Jesus Christ was just 12year old when he was teaching in the synagogue, and all the teachers of law marvelled at His teaching.
That is the wisdom of God.
There is only one place to go to if you lack wisdom, that is God. We have read that in the book of James.
Prov 4 vs 7-13“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.”
Psalm 90 vs 12:“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”Heart of wisdom is wisdom that is well grounded in the words of God and dwell only in the word.
Basically speaking, there are two main sources of wisdom. Wisdom is not witchcraft, proverbs, wonderful stories or philosophy.
These two sources of wisdom are typified by the two of the trees in the garden of Eden. There were many trees in the garden I believe, but two were in the centre stage of the garden; tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life.
Genesis 2 vs 8 “And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
The two tree in the garden had special importance :
The tree of life was probably to make physical death impossible.
The tree of knowledge of good and evil was designed to test Adam’s faith and obedience to God and His words.
Man was created as moral being with ability to choose freely to love and obey their creator or to disobey and rebel against Him.
Knowledge is a set of facts, principles, theories and law, but wisdom is a person, his name is Jesus.
If you need wisdom to operate your life in this world, then you need Jesus, the only source of wisdom.
1 Corithian 1 vs 24 “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”
Oh you may want to tell me, you know Jesus or you believe Him, that is why you come to church this morning. It is not only about coming to church, it is about relationship. You personal relationship with Him in your day to day life and activities.
Life without Christ will be full of crisis.
It takes wisdom to know which season one is at every stage in life.
David said that a successful man is like a tree planted by stream of water which yield it’s fruits in season ( Psalm 1 vs 3 NIV )
There is appointed time for every season to be fruitful, i.e when blessing and success occur. Eccl 3 vs 1.
When the right season comes, it is effortless for a tree to produce what is stored within. Without effort.
There is fruit within every one of us that can only be produced successfully when you understand the season you are in.
There are four season we have in a year ( a man of God said this here not too long ago ) Spring, Sumer, Autum and winter.
These four season are similar to God’s time table for our lives and we must understand which season we are at every point in time if we are to fulfil in life and end well ( and we will end well IJN )
There are rules attached to every season.
Spring is for training and discipline, that is when we begin to see God’s purpose for our lives and prepare for it if we care.
It is the time we prepare for realities of life.
Summer is for maturing what Spring started. Whatever you nurture then, good or bad will grow and multiply.
Autum is when you no longer have passion of youth, then the full strength is no longer there. (physically speaking.)
If you are wise, you will now be working smart not hard. (I believe you know there is different between working hard and working smart).
To succeed, one has to balance the two.it is time to prepare for upcoming winter.
Winter is when you assess your accomplishment, enjoy your asset, pass on you counsel and take your bow.
It is time to say like Paul, I Have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith and finished the course.
If you do it right, each season can be the best one of your life ( and that will be so IJN )
Finally brethren, to avoid shipwreck in your life, you must be wise enough to know who you will take advice from. Don’t take advice from wrong people, even the so call expert atimes .
The bible say in Act 27 vs 11“But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul.”(NLT)
It is possible that the ship owner was expert in business and the captain expert in marine matters.
Nevertheless both men were incapable of hearing the voice of God. We all know the rest of the story.
Bottom line, be decerning about who you allow to speak into your life. Just because someone is successful in a secular field and expert in it does not mean that they are qualified to give you spiritual guidance . It takes wisdom of God to do this.
ALTAR CALL.
Is there anybody here this afternoon, have heard this message, want God to take absolute control of his/ her life. Who want the true wisdom who is Jesus Christ to take over the affairs of his/her life henceforth. Please signify by raise up your hand. God will take over indeed.
PRAYER.
Father, teach me to number my days aright, so as to apply my heart unto wisdom.
Father, grant me the wisdom to identify your purpose for my life, and run with it.
Father, help me to live my life for you and you alone, so that at the end of my race I will be able to declare that I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, a crown of righteousness has been laid for me.
The sermon, Wisdom Is From God, by Elder Gabriel Adunmade, was delivered on August 21, 2016