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00:02 God is doing some amazing things uh in India and Genesis media has been at the
00:08 the heart of that now for all those years since 2003 and every day we see people coming to
00:15 know Jesus and people writing and asking tell us more we want to know about this
00:20 Jesus and it's so it's a real privilege to be here this morning and to to share those
00:26 stories with you and to give you a little insight into a ministry that is
00:31 effective in places where people have never heard the gospel before. What a privilege to be part of that and you can
00:38 be part of that too. And that's what we'd love to see that perhaps First Baptist here in Sububang became an
00:45 active partner with GMTA in India and helped us helps us take the gospel to
00:51 those who've never heard about Jesus Christ. You can play an important role
00:56 in that. When I was talking to my friend Richard
01:02 about coming here this morning, we were texting each other by WhatsApp and uh
01:07 and Richard said, "Yeah, that'll be great. You can all you can come on this Sunday, the 16th of July, and share with
01:12 us. There'll be time in the service for GMTA." And then he sent another text back and he said, "But the church would
01:19 like you to preach on that Sunday. You able to do that?" And I said, "Yeah, that's fine. I'm quite happy to preach
01:25 on the Sunday." And then another text came back and they said, "But here's your topic."
01:34 Wisdom and its limitations. Well, I don't know whether that was wise
01:40 or that's an example of wisdom's limitations. It's probably the latter,
01:47 but Richard in his wisdom decided not to be here.
01:53 He's down in Melbourne. and we're here today. Anyway, good friend Richard. It's
01:59 I'm sadly missing him on this trip, but we'll catch up with him somewhere along the line. But thank you for for having
02:06 us here today. It's a real privilege to come. I'm sure we've all we all have stories
02:15 and personal experiences where we have seen the limitation of
02:21 wisdom. I guess if I were to go around the audience here this morning, many of you
02:28 could stand up and say, "I've got a story I can tell you about wisdom's limitations in my own life."
02:35 Well, I certainly have. Number of years ago, my wife and I
02:41 decided to take a break from missions. That was probably wisdom's limitation
02:46 for a start, but we decided to take a break from missions. and with another
02:51 couple, we went into a little business, little motel business, tea rooms,
02:57 looking after people. And as you do before you go into business, you check things out, don't
03:03 you? You find out if this is probably going to work or not going to work,
03:09 what's the climate like, how are you going to to live, the four of you in this business, and you make your plans.
03:17 We did all that, and we prayed about it, too. And we all felt that this was what God wanted us to do.
03:24 But you know, we weren't in the business very long when the government of our day of that
03:30 day in Australia decided that for the economy of Australia, we needed to go into recession.
03:40 Well, that's an example of wisdom's limitation. We didn't know that. We took all every
03:47 help that we could find to get wisdom about what we were deciding. We didn't
03:52 know what the government was going to do. Limitations.
03:58 Now, in this passage in Ecclesiastes chapter 8, we're encouraged to use
04:03 wisdom, but certainly know its limitations.
04:10 Now you know and I know the wisdom literature especially Proverbs and Ecclesiastes
04:16 gives us many insights into our daily lives. Yet wisdom alone cannot solve all our
04:24 problems. That's clearly illustrated by the life of Solomon, perhaps the wisest man who
04:32 ever lived. Solomon was not some thinker who shut
04:37 himself off from the world. On many occasions, he used his wisdom to do great works. He did great things. He
04:44 says of himself, "I undertook great projects. I built houses for myself and
04:50 planted vineyards." Back in Ecclesiastes chapter 2:4,
04:55 the reign of Solomon was the height of Israel's power and glory.
05:02 But sadly after his son Riabom came to the throne, his lack of wisdom
05:08 soon resulted in the kingdom of Israel being divided and Solomon's work being
05:14 undone. Perhaps Solomon foresaw this when he said, "I hated all the things I had
05:22 toiled for under the sun because I must leave them to the one who comes after
05:28 me." And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool. Yet he will have
05:36 control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun.
05:43 You see, wisdom did not bring Solomon fulfillment.
05:50 He said, "For with much wisdom comes much sorrow. The more knowledge, the
05:58 more grief. Ecclesiastes 1 verse 18.
06:03 We can have the next slide if that's okay. Solomon's fault lay not in seeking
06:08 wisdom, but in his approach to life. He sought wisdom for himself, trying to
06:16 find meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in his own existence
06:22 apart from a higher reality. His focus was self-centered.
06:30 His wisdom led him to realize the fleeting nature of life. Even though he
06:35 had much wisdom, he knew he was going to die. Just like
06:41 everybody else, like the fool, the wise man too must die, he says in
06:47 Ecclesiastes chapter 2. So, as a result, Solomon was alone
06:55 without any close personal relationships. You know, that's a sad place to be, isn't it? To get to that
07:02 point in life where you're alone and no personal relationships.
07:10 And we can experience this if we rely only on earthly wisdom
07:18 instead of the wisdom that comes from God. God forbid that any of us should end up like that in our Christian
07:25 experience. Now, the Apostle Paul also homes in on
07:32 the limitations of wisdom when he writes to the church in Corenth in 1
07:37 Corinthians chapter 1. And in verses 17 and 18,
07:44 he points this out. He says that true wisdom is found in God's seeming
07:50 foolishness regarding the crosswork of Christ.
07:57 Worldly wisdom is limited by the cross.
08:03 Now, we know that the cross is absolutely essential to the gospel. We sang about it this morning. It's really
08:10 important. But the cross places all people, all of us
08:16 into two distinct categories. And every one of us here this morning
08:23 fit into either or of those categories.
08:28 Can't be anything else. It's this one or it's that one.
08:34 So the first category is the perishing. The gospel is foolishness
08:40 to those who are perishing. You see, if you never accept Jesus
08:47 Christ as your savior and lord, then the cross has no purpose for you.
08:54 The cross has no value. Jesus may as well not have died on the
08:59 cross. If you never come to that point in your life where you say, "Jesus, I
09:05 believe who you are and I accept you as my Lord and as my Savior.
09:14 Sadly, there are many people who say, "Okay, um I can think that perhaps the
09:19 cross might be important and Jesus might be important in my life, but not now. I've got too many things I want to do.
09:27 Perhaps when I'm older. Perhaps when I'm getting close to the
09:32 end of my life, then I'll give my life to Jesus. Then I'll accept what he is
09:38 saying." But how foolish is that? Your life could end suddenly
09:46 or at the end of your life you may be too sick to even think clearly
09:53 about accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If that's your wisdom,
10:00 then it's sadly limited. You need to see Jesus for who he is. The
10:07 son of God who willingly laid aside all his rights and privileges to be born
10:13 into this world and then willingly lay his life down in being crucified
10:20 to pay the price for your sin and mine. From a worldly point of view, this is
10:27 utter foolishness. But only God could step in to bring
10:34 salvation to mankind. There was no other way.
10:40 One of the recent responses from a listener to GMTA in India
10:46 also demonstrates the limitation of worldly wisdom. This is what he wrote.
10:52 I'm a Hindu priest from Uruda Pradesh.
10:58 Our village has very little regular electricity. We've installed a solar
11:04 panel. My son works in a nearby town. One month ago, he bought a TV.
11:11 Every day we watch devotional programs on the on that channel in the morning
11:16 and then I go to work. That morning which was Easter
11:21 when we were watching we saw your program and we came to know about this God Jesus
11:29 that he went to the cross for my sin as a sacrifice and rose on the third day.
11:36 So I write to you to send me more about this god.
11:42 Send me a picture I'll put with the other gods.
11:48 Now that's sad. So many in India
11:54 see Jesus as just another god. Yeah, they've heard about him. Some
11:59 have, but he's just one of many gods. We'll have him along with all the others.
12:07 Do you know that almost 50% just under 50% of India's population have never
12:15 heard the gospel? never.
12:23 That's why GMTA's ministry is so important. That's why we need your help
12:29 in getting the gospel to those people so they have the chance to come to Christ
12:35 for salvation before it's too late. We need you to stand with us. You see, God
12:42 is not willing that any should perish. And that's what drives GMTA on in its
12:49 ministry in India to touch the lives of those who need to hear about Jesus
12:55 Christ. So I pray to God this morning that none of you are in that first category, the
13:02 perishing, hurrying on your way to a lost eternity.
13:08 Because the the other category is where we should all be
13:13 amongst the saved. To those who have accepted Christ as
13:19 savior and lord, the gospel is the power of God. If you've been saved by the blood of
13:25 Christ, then you have come to believe that the message of the cross expresses
13:31 the very power of God. You're no longer perishing, but you're saved and set apart for God's
13:40 glory and for eternity. Listen to this response from India.
13:47 I am Sanjieve, a listener from Assam. I'm a regular listener to radio GMTA and
13:54 I've been doing that since 2004. I listen to Hindi and Bengali programs
14:02 and those programs are a great help and inspiration. Now listen to this. I became a believer
14:11 by listening to those radio programs and through the books that you sent to me.
14:17 Praise God. one of many, many people
14:24 that are responding to the message of salvation. You see, God is at work
14:30 through Christian radio, through television that they do at Easter and Christmas, through practical help in the
14:38 villages where they put in electric light and provide radios.
14:44 also by helping young women in remote villages by providing them with sewing
14:49 machines, teaching those young women how to sew so they in turn can make a living
14:55 for their families. God is at work through many many ways in
15:02 India. The message of the cross is foolishness
15:08 to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it's the
15:14 power of God. Is that where you are this morning?
15:20 Are you amongst the saved? Are you amongst those who have given your life to Jesus Christ? Oh, I pray
15:28 you are because if you haven't, why not this morning? Why not today?
15:35 Say yes. Today is the day I invite Jesus into my life
15:42 to be my savior and lord. Now in Solomon's quest to to live a
15:49 meaningful life, he addresses the use of wisdom, but he's also very aware of its
15:55 limitations. I want to tell you this story.
16:01 Helmouth von Muli was drafted to work in
16:06 counterintelligence for Nazi Germany. Yet his Christian faith made him a
16:13 staunch opponent of Adolf Hitler. Von Mulki believed it was wrong for him
16:19 to use violent violent force against the Nazis, but nevertheless he used his high
16:26 position to rescue many prisoners from certain death. Not surprisingly,
16:32 he was eventually accused of treason, put on trial, found guilty, and
16:37 sentenced to die. In his final letter home to his wife,
16:42 Freya, von Muli described the dramatic moment at the trial
16:48 when the judge launched into a tirade against his Christian faith.
16:56 Only in one respect does national socialism resemble
17:03 Christianity, the judge shouted. We also demand the whole man.
17:12 Then the judge said asked von Muli to declare his ultimate loyalty. From whom
17:19 do you take your orders? from the other world or from out of Adolf Hitler.
17:27 Where lie your loyalty and faith? Von Muli knew exactly where his loyalty
17:34 lay. He put all his hope and trust in Jesus Christ. There he for he stood
17:40 before his earthly judge as a Christian and nothing else.
17:46 Nothing else. His faith had enabled him to act wisely in government service
17:55 and now it enabled him to act wisely when he faced his final hour.
18:01 As a believer in Christ, von Muli understood the difference between the proper exercise of authority
18:09 and the abuse of power. He also knew the wise course of action
18:16 when he was under someone else's control and in danger of his very life.
18:25 In Ecclesiastes chapter 8, Solomon considered the matter of submission to
18:30 authority. He was aware that God set up kings and
18:37 authorities and he discussed how people are to relate to civil authorities.
18:45 Now you know the Bible. You know that right throughout history, God has used
18:50 people whether they're Christian or not, whether they're followers of God or not, he's used them to fulfill his purpose.
19:01 And Solomon is very much aware of that fact. In different countries and cultures,
19:09 this can be a very difficult issue, can't it? How do you respond
19:16 to absolute corruption and evil government and leaders?
19:26 Now, I'm going to plead this morning with you for a little bit of grace.
19:33 I'm an outsider. I don't live in your country.
19:41 I can't possibly understand what it really is like.
19:49 And whether it's wisdom or wisdom's limitation,
19:55 I'm going to leave the finer points of how you respond to authority in your
20:00 country to your own leaders. I don't think it's right for me as an
20:06 outsider to lecture you on what you should do.
20:14 Maybe that's wise. Maybe that's wisdom's limitation.
20:21 However, I do want to share with you the basis of God's instructions
20:28 as Solomon wrote them here. The teacher's instructions are based on
20:33 wisdom. And so in verse one, he exalts the wise man and the wisdom he possesses. The
20:41 preacher asked in verse one, "Who is like the wise? And who knows the
20:46 interpretation of a thing?" One could also read the verse as follows. Who is
20:52 as blessed as the wise man? And who knows the explanation of a thing? A wise
21:00 person's understandings of things is reflected in his face. Solomon goes on
21:05 to say, that's what the preacher says in verse one. Also, a man's wisdom makes
21:10 his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. You say, "Really?
21:17 If I have wisdom, it's going to change my appearance. I'm going to look differently."
21:23 Well, think of Daniel.
21:29 He was led into Babylonian captivity as a young teenager. Eventually, because of
21:34 his wisdom, he was selected to receive special training. But Daniel and his friends were wise and
21:41 requested that they not eat the king's food, which had most likely been offered
21:46 to other gods. At the end of 10 days, it was seen that they were better in
21:54 appearance than all the youths who ate the king's food.
22:02 Now, it's strange, but true. Godly wisdom makes a difference even in the
22:07 way people look. Now, I guess we'll all go around looking at each other's faces and saying, "Is that wisdom I see?"
22:18 A prominent atheist, his name was Matthew Paris,
22:24 wrote in 2008, an essay about a strange phenomenon that he had observed in
22:30 Africa. And it's amazing. As an atheist, he wrote an essay for the Times edited
22:37 Why Africa Needs God. Although Paris made it clear that he
22:43 does not believe in God at all, he admitted that Christianity made a tangible difference in the lives of
22:50 people he knew in his boyhood home of Malawi and in other countries across
22:56 Africa. Not only did he admire the good work that Christians were doing to care for
23:01 the poor and sick, but he also liked the way they looked, he said the Christians
23:08 were different. Their faith appeared to have liberated
23:13 and relaxed them. There was a liveless, a curiosity, an engagement in the world.
23:21 Whenever we entered a territory worked by missionaries, we had to acknowledge that something changed in the faces of
23:29 the people we passed and spoke to. Something in their eyes.
23:36 Isn't that amazing? He's an atheist and he sees the difference that God can
23:42 make and yet he's still an atheist for the time being anyway.
23:52 Biblical wisdom does bring personal transformation.
23:57 The passage also teaches us that although we should use wisdom to survive in the world, wisdom has limitations.
24:07 It doesn't enable us to know all the work of God. We have to learn with our
24:13 limitation. Sorry, we have to live with our limitations. We simply cannot understand everything
24:20 that God does. I don't know whether you're a reader of um these notes called
24:26 our daily bread. If you use those, I want to read you something from here,
24:32 but just a couple of days ago, there was a a a write up there that said
24:38 this. Prayer is conversation with God. I'm sorry, that's that's not the one.
24:47 I thought I had the right page, but I don't. Oh, here it is. Here. This is the one. The universe is astonishingly
24:54 grand. Right now, the moon is spinning around us at nearly 2,300 mph.
25:02 Our Earth is spinning around the sun at 66,000 m an hour. Our sun is one of 200
25:09 billion other stars and trillions more planets in our galaxy. And that galaxy
25:16 is just one of a hundred billion others hurtling through space. Astounding.
25:22 Do we understand all that God is doing? No. We can't possibly.
25:28 It's way beyond us. In comparison to this vast cosmos, our little earth is no
25:36 bigger than a pebble and our individual lives no greater than
25:43 a grain of sand. Yet, according to scripture, the God of the galaxies
25:50 attends to each microscopic one of us in intimate detail.
25:57 We can't possibly know all there is to know about God and the works of God.
26:03 It's way beyond beyond us. So as believers, we must use our
26:08 God-given wisdom in this life. We must also accept the fact that life
26:15 on earth sometimes presents us with mysteries that we cannot fathom.
26:24 Solomon was unwilling to make sacrifices necessary to live the way that brings
26:32 happiness in life. In the New Testament, Jesus taught a way of life based on a value higher than
26:39 wisdom, the value of love. Jesus taught that two great keys to
26:46 spiritual well-being are to love God and to love fellow humans.
26:52 Paul wrote, "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries
26:59 and all knowledge, but have not love,
27:04 I am nothing." The hope of all who follow Christ is not
27:12 in this life. No one who is overly concerned with this life can achieve lasting happiness.
27:20 And that was Solomon's mistake. That is the limit of wisdom
27:27 of practical advice regarding this life. Jesus told all of his followers
27:37 that the hope of all who follow Christ is not in this life.
27:44 No one who is overly concerned with this life can achieve lasting happiness.
27:50 And that was Solomon's mistake. Jesus said, "Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life. What you will
27:58 eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. See how the liies of the
28:03 field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in
28:10 all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
28:15 But seek first the kingdom of God
28:20 and his righteousness and all these things will be given to
28:25 you as well. As followers of Christ, we must look beyond the concerns of life to eternal
28:34 life and happiness in the kingdom of God.
28:39 We need to acknowledge that our human wisdom is so limited.
28:45 True wisdom comes from God alone. I want to finish with a story. A story
28:52 that demonstrates the limitation of human wisdom. In this
28:58 story, human wisdom would have said, "Give up. Quit."
29:03 But for the Christian, that's not an option. Obedience
29:09 is what Christ requires from us. Let me just tell you this story.
29:15 The year was 1968. The place was Mexico City. The closing
29:22 ceremonies of the Mexico City Olympic Games had just finished.
29:28 The spectators were picking up their belongings and preparing to leave
29:33 when the PA announced them to remain in their seats.
29:40 Outside the stadium, the sounds of police sirens could be heard and the flash of blue lights seen encircling
29:47 someone making his way toward the stadium. The man was John Steven Aquari.
29:57 The marathon runner from Tanzania, Africa, the last marathon runner, had entered
30:04 Olympic Stadium hours earlier before the closing ceremonies.
30:09 The medals had already been awarded. Why then was John Steven Aquari so late?
30:19 As Aquari entered the stadium, the confused spectator soon realized he was
30:24 covered with blood. He'd taken a terrible fall early in the
30:30 race, whacked his head on the pavement, seriously damaged his knee, and endured
30:35 a trampling by other runners before he could get back up on his feet.
30:43 The crowd rose to their feet and began cheering as the injured runner ran in
30:49 through the stadium. When John Aquari crossed the finishing line, the crowd let out a thunderous
30:56 roar. Aquari was quickly wished off to hospital to be treated for his injuries
31:03 and severe dehydration. The next day, Aquari was interviewed by
31:10 a sports journalist. The first question the journalist asked was, "Why
31:17 after sustaining the kinds of injuries you did, would you ever get up and
31:23 proceed to to the finishing line when there was no way you could possibly win
31:29 the race?" Aquari said,
31:34 "My country did not send me over 11,000 kilometers
31:43 to start a race, but to not finish one."
31:51 The analogy is obvious. Christ has not called you and me to start a race. He's
31:57 called us to finish it. And we don't understand all the implications involved
32:03 in the race and what's along the way because of our human limitations.
32:10 But God nonetheless calls us to a life of obedience
32:17 to trust him. No matter what we don't understand, no matter where we're at or whatever
32:23 happens to us, he calls us to a life of
32:29 obedience. And the Apostle Paul could say, "And this one thing I do,
32:36 forgetting what is behind all of my failures, all of my
32:42 shortcomings, all of the things that have made me
32:50 just fall short of what God requires. Forgetting all those things, I press on
32:55 to the goal to win the prize for which Christ is calling me
33:01 heavenward in Christ Jesus. Let's pray together.
33:10 Father, this morning we thank you for the book of Ecclesiastes.
33:16 Thank you for the teaching of the preacher. You have given your people wisdom.
33:24 You call us to live by wisdom in this world. However,
33:29 even though we use the wisdom that you have given to us, we still do not
33:35 comprehend all the work of God.
33:40 Father, Aresh this morning, we come to you and we say, Lord Jesus,
33:46 here am I. I want to recommmit my life to you. to be the person in this world that you
33:53 want me to be, to be part of your plan in taking the gospel to the needy people
33:60 of Southeast Asia, of South Asia, of the whole world.
34:05 Help us to trust you even when you move in mysterious ways your wonders to
34:12 perform that we don't understand. Father, we recommmit ourselves to you
34:19 for the task that still needs to be done. And we pray in the mighty name of Jesus.
34:27 Amen.
