Nyenhuis Message 2005
Nyenhuis/Klein Message: James 3:13-18
I. Introduction
A. Psalm 111 is a psalm of praise to God.
1. It is how the psalmist begins his song, and it is how he ends.
2. This hymn of praise honors God for His mighty works…the display of His power, righteousness, truth and justice.
3. In response to God’s mighty works, the psalmist is driven to fear God and praise His name.
4. The psalmist closes with this statement – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.”
B. Jack & Stacey, today marks a new beginning in your lives.
1. You’ve come as two individuals, but you will leave as one.
2. You’ve come to recite vows of love and commitment to one another before God and before these witnesses.
3. Today, you embark on a journey that will bring you much happiness and joy, but will undoubtedly also entail trials and hardship.
4. Everyone in this room could atest to the fact that marriage often times does not measure up to Hollywood’s portrayal of sunsets, sappy music, and romantic feelings.
5. Of course, where many couples do go wrong is that they tend to believe cultural values and norms pertaining to marriage rather than God’s values and norms.
6. What we need today is WISDOM to discern the difference.
C. One of the ways you can give praise to God and positively shape your marriage is through the pursuit of godly wisdom.
1. Godly wisdom
a. Not referring to one’s IQ or intellect or one’s ability to analyze and understand life.
b. I am referring to the knowledge that one gains through intimacy with God and evidences that knowledge in everyday life.
2. According to Psalm 111, the beginning of godly wisdom is the fear of the Lord.
a. Jack & Stacey – the greatest pursuit for you as a couple is not money, material possessions, or the pursuit of happiness and romance.
b. No, your greatest pursuit is that of worship and reverence for your God.
c. In so doing, your reverence for God will give testimony to His transforming power in and through your lives.
II. The book of James contrasts one who pursues godly wisdom and one who pursues the so-called wisdom of this world.
A. Read James 3:13-18
B. Pursuing Godly Wisdom
1. Godly Wisdom produces humility (vs 13)
a. Humility before God
1) Godly wisdom recognizes that God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and we are dependent creatures.
2) Godly wisdom also recognizes that God is the Redeemer who saves out of His unmerited love and mercy.
3) Such recognition ought to drive us to our knees in humility before God.
b. Humility before others
1) Godly wisdom recognizes that we are no longer about the promotion of our name, but the promotion of His name.
2) Therefore, godly wisdom promotes humility in our actions and relationships with others, even in the marriage context.
2. Godly wisdom protects us from sin and its devastating effects (vs 14-16)
a. Godly wisdom will keep us from earthly wisdom that is all about self-promotion and self-protection.
b. The moment we stop humbling ourselves before God and others is the moment we set ourselves up for disorder and every evil practice.
c. God’s wisdom will help us to see sin for what it really is – not benign pleasure or excitement; but an awful heinous path whose agenda is destruction and ruin.
3. Godly wisdom promotes the transforming power of Christ (vs 17-18)
a. The characteristics of godly wisdom go counter to our culture and will evidence God’s transforming power in our lives.
b. Purity- absence of sinful attitudes or motives; the exact opposite of one who is self-seeking.
c. Peace-loving as opposed to being competitive with selfish ambitions.
d. Considerate – gentle and kind (not insisting on personal rights)
e. Submissive – readiness to yield
f. Full of mercy & good fruit – always ready to help those in need
g. Impartial – showing no discrimination
h. Sincere – authentic, without hypocrisy
III. Conclusion
A. Godly wisdom begins with a reverent fear of God.
B. Godly wisdom will produces within you a humility before God and others; it will protect you from sin and the false wisdom of this world’s system, and it will promote the transforming power of Christ in your life.
C. May God bless your marriage as you seek His wisdom…
D. “for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.” (Psalm 111:10)
Nyenhuis/Klein Wedding - Message: James 3:13-18
I. Introduction
A. Psalm 111 is a psalm of praise to God.
1. It is how the psalmist begins his song, and it is how he ends.
2. This hymn of praise honors God for His mighty works…the display of His power, righteousness, truth and justice.
3. In response to God's mighty works, the psalmist is driven to fear God and praise His name.
4. The psalmist closes with this statement - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise."
B. Jack & Stacey, today marks a new beginning in your lives.
1. You've come as two individuals, but you will leave as one.
2. You've come to recite vows of love and commitment to one another before God and before these witnesses.
3. Today, you embark on a journey that will bring you much happiness and joy, but will undoubtedly also entail trials and hardship.
4. Everyone in this room could atest to the fact that marriage often times does not measure up to Hollywood's portrayal of sunsets, sappy music, and romantic feelings.
5. Of course, where many couples do go wrong is that they tend to believe cultural values and norms pertaining to marriage rather than God's values and norms.
6. What we need today is WISDOM to discern the difference.
C. One of the ways you can give praise to God and positively shape your marriage is through the pursuit of godly wisdom.
1. Godly wisdom
a. Not referring to one's IQ or intellect or one's ability to analyze and understand life.
b. I am referring to the knowledge that one gains through intimacy with God and evidences that knowledge in everyday life.
2. According to Psalm 111, the beginning of godly wisdom is the fear of the Lord.
a. Jack & Stacey - the greatest pursuit for you as a couple is not money, material possessions, or the pursuit of happiness and romance.
b. No, your greatest pursuit is that of worship and reverence for your God.
c. In so doing, your reverence for God will give testimony to His transforming power in and through your lives.
II. The book of James contrasts one who pursues godly wisdom and one who pursues the so-called wisdom of this world.
A. Read James 3:13-18
B. Pursuing Godly Wisdom
1. Godly Wisdom produces humility (vs 13)
a. Humility before God
1) Godly wisdom recognizes that God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and we are dependent creatures.
2) Godly wisdom also recognizes that God is the Redeemer who saves out of His unmerited love and mercy.
3) Such recognition ought to drive us to our knees in humility before God.
b. Humility before others
1) Godly wisdom recognizes that we are no longer about the promotion of our name, but the promotion of His name.
2) Therefore, godly wisdom promotes humility in our actions and relationships with others, even in the marriage context.
2. Godly wisdom protects us from sin and its devastating effects (vs 14-16)
a. Godly wisdom will keep us from earthly wisdom that is all about self-promotion and self-protection.
b. The moment we stop humbling ourselves before God and others is the moment we set ourselves up for disorder and every evil practice.
c. God's wisdom will help us to see sin for what it really is - not benign pleasure or excitement; but an awful heinous path whose agenda is destruction and ruin.
3. Godly wisdom promotes the transforming power of Christ (vs 17-18)
a. The characteristics of godly wisdom go counter to our culture and will evidence God's transforming power in our lives.
b. Purity- absence of sinful attitudes or motives; the exact opposite of one who is self-seeking.
c. Peace-loving as opposed to being competitive with selfish ambitions.
d. Considerate - gentle and kind (not insisting on personal rights)
e. Submissive - readiness to yield
f. Full of mercy & good fruit - always ready to help those in need
g. Impartial - showing no discrimination
h. Sincere - authentic, without hypocrisy
III. Conclusion
A. Godly wisdom begins with a reverent fear of God.
B. Godly wisdom will produces within you a humility before God and others; it will protect you from sin and the false wisdom of this world's system, and it will promote the transforming power of Christ in your life.
C. May God bless your marriage as you seek His wisdom…
D. "for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise." (Psalm 111:10)
James 3:13-18
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
(NIV)