Sermon Tone Analysis

Well, as we have been looking in the book of James over the last couple of weeks, in the Sunday morning services, I would like to continue with a topic that we find James addressing in his epistle.

Well, as we have been looking in the book of James over the last couple of weeks, in the Sunday morning services, I would like to continue with a topic that we find James addressing in his epistle.

This topic is one that I spoke on about a year ago and in reading in James, it jumped back out at me.

Turn with me in your Bible this evening to the book of , and let’s read this passage,

The topic that we are going to zero in on and look at very briefly tonight, is found in verse 5 of this passage: WISDOM.

I actually like the rendering of this passage in the AMP Bible, as it reads verse 5 like this, “If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.”

THE WISDOM OF BABES

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Out of the mouth of babes?”

Certainly you have.

It comes from the simple truth that sometimes it takes a child to reveal lasting wisdom.

It seems foolish but it isn’t!

For example:

· Patrick, age 10, said, “Never trust a dog to watch your food.”

· Michael, 14, said, “When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?"

don’t answer him.”

· Michael, wise man that he was also said, “Never tell your mom her diet’s not working.”

· Randy, 9 years of age said, “Stay away from prunes.”

One wonders how he discovered that bit of wisdom.

· Kyoyo, age 9, said, “Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time.”

· Naomi, 15 said, “If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse.”

· Lauren, age 9 said, “Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick.”

· Joel, 10 years old, said, “Don’t pick on your sister when she’s holding a baseball bat.”

· Eileen, age 8 said, “Never try to baptize a cat.”

The Amplified Bible.

(1987).

().

La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

If you remember, there is difference between the words WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE.

Knowledge is really about facts and ideas that we acquire through study, research, investigation, observation, or experience.

Wisdom is the ability to discern and judge which aspects of that knowledge are true, right, lasting, and applicable to your life.

Knowledge can exist without wisdom, but not the other way around.

You can be knowledgeable without wisdom, but you cannot be wise about something, without knowledge!

Just like we have offered and are getting ready to do another gun certification class from the church, taking the class helps to give you some knowledge about how to use a gun.

You can read every book on that gun and shoot it 5 times per week, yet this is only the knowledge of the gun.

The wisdom of that same gun, is not knowing how to load, or fire, or clean the gun, but rather, the wisdom is knowing when to keep it holstered and when to draw it and use it!

says,

You cannot come to know the truth about who God is without first having a reverential fear of Him.

There are those who have a KNOWLEDGE about God and then there are those who truly KNOW God!

Those who have READ the Word of God, have a knowledge about God.

BUT, those who have humbly submitted themselves to studying the word of God and pray and seek His face, they KNOW God!

The more that you learn from the Word of God, the more knowledge of Him and His ways and His will you begin to understand.

Then, as you develop this KNOWLEDGE and understanding of God, He begins to give to you the wisdom of knowing how to use that knowledge for serving the kingdom and for your spiritual health as well!

This whole book is spiritually nutritious for every believer!

(It is what I refer to as the Christian buffet!

It is all that you can eat!)

,

So, you read the word and you gain knowledge.

Then, God equips us with the WISDOM of how to use that knowledge, right?! AMEN?!

So, in the passages, that we are looking at tonight, we are dealing more with the issue of Godly wisdom; not Godly knowledge.

There are a lot of Christians who wield the Sword of the Spirit, that is, they have a knowledge of the word, and yet they lack the WISDOM of how to use it.

Many people have used the word of God, the Sword of the Spirit, to cut others and cast judgement and/or condemnation upon that person.

They took the scripture passages that they had a knowledge of either turned them to fit their own agenda, or they used them with expedient and harsh judgement upon another person’s fault or weakness!

Much in the same way, different denominations have taken the word and built whole beliefs structures off of a passage or passages and then enshrine themselves within this “KNOWLEDGE” that the they have and all the while leading others into a false understanding of the word.

There are two types of wisdom that exist, worldly wisdom and Godly wisdom.

Solomon, being the wisest of any man before his time and since, was full of wordly wisdom and yet, he forsook the greater wisdom which comes from drawing closer to God and filled his life with the things and pleasures of this world.

It was at the end of his life, that Solomon reflects back upon all that he had done and he gives us this summation of life, as found in ,

There are many things that we do each and every day, decisions that we make for our lives, some basic, functional decisions, like what to eat, what to wear and what route to take on our destinations.

And still, other decisions that we make are more impacting, like how to respond to another person’s hurtful accusations, or what to tell a family member who is struggling in their life, when we know that they are living in sin.

These sort of decisions all have lasting impact and we should strive to use our knowledge of the Word in conjunction with Godly WISDOM!

Some decisions that we make and how we interact with people hit us a lot harder than others:

Too Much To Drink

A man was pulled over by a policeman and asked if he knew he was going too fast.

He said, ‘I’m sorry officer.

I had my cruise control on and just forgot the speed limit changed.’

His wife said, ‘Harry, I told you two miles ago that you were speeding.’

Harry gives his wife a dirty look as the officer pulls out his ticket book.

‘By the way, sir, did you know that your left rear signal lens was broken?’ the policeman asks, to which Harry replies, ‘Oh wow, it must have just happened in the mall parking lot we just left.’

His wife again interrupts and says, ‘Harry, how can you sit there and lie to that nice policeman?

I told you to fix that three weeks ago!’

Harry gives another look that could kill as the officer starts writing.

The policeman adds, ‘I am going to have to cite you for not wearing your seat belt, also.’

Harry says, ‘I just unbuckled as you came up to the car so I could get to my driver’s license if you needed it.’

The little lady pipes up, ‘Harry, you know good and well, I tell you all the time that you better buckle up, ’cause YOU NEVER WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT!’

Having taken all he can stand Harry turns to his tormentor and says with great exasperation, ‘Woman would you keep your big mouth shut!’

Now the officer looks at and addresses the little lady and asks, ‘does he verbally abuse you like this often, ma’am?’

Says she, ‘Oh no, only when he has had too much to drink.’

In , we read of this account with Jesus speaking to the crowds about John the Baptist and how they did or did not receive him and his message and even more so, the message that Jesus, Himself, was bringing!

In this account, we see the two types of wisdom being displayed.

Jesus, in His defense of the John the Baptist, mentions of John being exactly what God sent him to be.

The passage shows that those who had heard and received the message of John were baptized and thus saw the justice of God, in that they were convicted by the message and brought to repentance through their baptism.

Yet, the religious leaders rejected John and said that he had a demon and they said that Jesus was a drunkard and a friend of the tax collectors and sinners.

All because they refused to repent and admit that their knowledge of the Word of God was wrong and that they were using it to justify and uphold their position and title with the people.

Jesus said in verse 35, “ But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it”, meaning that the wisdom displayed by those who were repentant sinners, was true wisdom as they looked at the meaning of the message of John and Jesus and saw God behind both; however, the those who rejected John and Jesus, were children of this world and its beliefs.

John was an ascetic (someone who was strict and wouldn’t eat bread or drink wine, or bend to any luxury or comfort) and yet the religious leaders didn’t like him, because his message of repentance, was uncomfortable and so they said he had a demon!

Jesus was not the ascetic like John and thus He dined with the societal sinners and brought both sides of the spectrum together, the rich and the poor, and the wretched sinners.

The religious leaders would have no part of associating with common sinners, so they wrote Jesus off as a drunkard and dismissed His message.

This is why Jesus said they were like children throwing a temper tantrum and yelling because they were not getting their way!

This is NOT GODLY WISDOM!

You are a child of which ever side you lean towards: you’re a child of the world if you lean towards it’s thinking and logic and you are a child of God if you choose His message and His way!

In , we see what Godly wisdom looks like,

This passage in James shows us what we just saw in the account in Luke.

Your conduct will show what wisdom you possess.

If your conduct has bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, if it has boastfulness (pride) and deception (lying), then this is worldly and demonic!

This is what the religious leaders were showing.

If your actions show peace and and gentleness and forgiving and non-judging and humility, then you are operating from Godly wisdom!

NOTE: In verse 17 James says that the wisdom from above is first, PURE, PEACEABLE and GENTLE.

These are the building blocks of the very thing that James faults the church for not having in opening of the next chapter in verse 1, where he asks about their quarrelling and conflict (i.e.

no unity!)

Godly wisdom being shown in the church body will bring UNITY to the body!

Note what Jesus said of Himself if we would come to Him, in ,

Jesus’ actions showed peace, humility, love and comfort!

This is GODLY wisdom through and through.

Turn with me to ,