James 3:13-18
Notes
Transcript
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Bible Study
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Over the last few months we have journeyed through the book of James and we have just passed the halfway point of the book. We have learned about faith and what it means to walk by faith and be the people of God
Today, we are going to look at the last few verses of chapter 3. Here James touches on a subject that he mentions in James 1:5. Here he writes...
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
In James 3:13-18 James takes this subject a little deeper as moves from asking do you lack wisdom to...
Do You Want To Be Wise?
Do You Want To Be Wise?
As James proceeds he actually shares with us who we can walk in wisdom. As we unpack what he wrote here we find three things that we must do if we want to be wise.
1. Show Wisdom (13)
1. Show Wisdom (13)
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
James reveals two areas where wisdom is revealed in our lives. It is in these areas where we must demonstrate our wisdom.
(1) Action
(1) Action
James says - by his good conduct let him show his works
Here James is speaking of how wisdom is revealed by our actions. This is the things we do...
How we handle business
How we deal with dificulty
How we serve one another
How we love our neighbor
James makes it clear that our actions. The way we live reveals if we are walking in true wisdom or not.
Illus.: Over the last few months I have been thinking a lot about how I have changed over the years. I’m not talking about hair and weight alone. I am talking about how I used to walk in less wisdom than I do now. Here’s the kicker - I actually thought I was walking in wisdom.
Here’s the thing - as a Christian you can walk in true godly wisdom or false worldly wisdom.
The fact is often we go back and forth between the two. Yet, as God’s children we have the ability by the Spirit to walk in that wisdom. It’s only by our stubborn will that we chose otherwise.
Those who don’t know Jesus don’t have that choice.
(2) Attitude
(2) Attitude
James says - in the meekness of wisdom
Here James uses meekness to address the attitude that accompanies our actions.
The fact is that you can do the right thing with the wrong attitude or for the wrong reason.
Illus.: Talk about how when I was a kid one of my jobs was taking out the trash. Often I didn’t have the right attitude when I did it. Mom would ask me to take it out. I would snatch it out of the can and sling it in the dumpster outside.
A person who is walk in true wisdom has the right attitude as they do the right thing.
That attitude is not...
Angry
Jealous
Selfish
Whatever
Here’s the kicker. These two things are the litmus test for true wisdom. Our actions reveal if we are walking in true wisdom. If we are able to fool folks with our actions, but it’s harder to fool them with our attitude. Our attitude will most often reveal our heart.
Illus.: What if I came home and I wa short wiht everyone? What would happen you think? In our home an intervention would take place. It would begin with Julie asking to speak with me alone. She would and has pulled me aside and said, “What’s wrong?”
Our action and attitude reveal if we are walking in worldly or godly wisdom.
So, what do we do?
James gives us some more insight...
2. Don’t Fake Wisdom (14-16)
2. Don’t Fake Wisdom (14-16)
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
If our actions and attitudes are not walking in true wisdom, James says that we are faking it. More importantly he says that we have jealousy and selfish ambition in our hearts.
Illus.: One of the greatest struggles many pastors have expressed to me and on social media is a concern about folks coming back to church. I don’t think we need to worry about that. If a person stops following Jesus, then they are being honest. It is at that point that we need to show love and share the Gospel, not invite them to church. We don’t need people coming to church and being fake. We need folks following Jesus and running after his plan for their lives.
Why is it a big deal to fake wisdom?
Why is it a big deal to fake wisdom?
This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
James shares two problems with faking wisdom and trying to fake it till you make it, so to speak.
(1) Worldly Wisdom Isn’t Wordly, It’s Demonic.
(1) Worldly Wisdom Isn’t Wordly, It’s Demonic.
This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
Check out the adjectives that James used to describe false wisdom (which is actually worldly wisdom).
Earthly
Unspiritual
Demonic
The first one is not so bad. The second is pretty indicting. The last adjective might be shocking. However, here is why he used that word. When we walk in worldly wisdom we are refused to walk in God’s wisdom and trust his way.
Isn’t that what demons do?
They lead us away from following the true and living God.
Illus.: Does anyone remember MAPQUEST or Yahoo Maps? tlak about how I used to print those bad boys off all the time whne going to a new place. Finally I gave up because back in the day the directions were only right about half the time. Most of the time they gave me a false assurance that I was going the right way.
Worldly wisdom does the same thing.
(2) Worldly Wisdom Leads To Worldly Problems
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Here James tells us that when we are faking wisdom and walking in worldly wisdom, there some bad results. When we walk in worldly wisdom we will face all kinds of disorde and vile practices.
What does that mean?
Illus.: Share the story of the witchdoctors in Uganda that Bob Goff (Everybody Always) seeks to minister to and incarcerate if necessary. Talk about how child mutilation and sacrifice is a common practice for witch doctors. There worldly wisdom has led them to normalize what the Bible calls murder, torture and abuse.
Sure, we here in the US would never condone such activity. However, we will condone other forms of immorality, lies, etc.
Just because our worldly problem isn’t the same as others doesn’t make ours better.
One more thing about wisdom...
Instead of trying to fake wisdom, we should...
3. Walk In God’s Wisdom (17-18)
3. Walk In God’s Wisdom (17-18)
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Here James gives us a description of what true, godly wisdom looks like.
It’s from above (not from here, it seems out of place here)
it’s pure
it’s peaceable
it’s gentle
it’s open to reason (godly wisdom listens to others)
it’s full or mercy
it bears good fruits
it’s impartial (I think James talk about that earlier)
it’s sincere
Godly, true wisdom is unlike anything this world has seen. no wonder they didn’t recognize it when they saw it walking through the Galilean hillside with twelve rowdy disciple following.
However, this is the wisdom that we are to walk in. This is the wisdom that is from God.
If you have decision to make, run your decisions through this list before you make up your mind.
[GO BACK TO THE LIST & RUN A DECISION THROUGH IT]
James doesn’t stop there. He shares with us the key action and attitude of someone who is walking in true wisdom.
And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
The hallmark characteristic of someone who is walking in wisdom is that they make peace.
Notice, James doesn’t say they compromise truth to get there, but that they make peace.
Those who chose to walk in the wisdom of God will be peacemakers.
Illus.: Talk about serving as a youth pastor with Greg and how I watched folks walk in his office mad or upset and almost everytime they walked out laughing and smiling. He wasn’t 100%. No one is. However, it was his goal to bring truth and make peace.
Do you spend more time make peace or war?
The answer to that question says something about the wisdom you are walking in.
Which kind of wisdom are you walking in?
Worldly?
Godly?
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