Practical Living - Part 2. Wisdom - James 1:5-8

Practical Living - Part 2. Wisdom - James 1:5-8

Intro: Last week - “Living Reverently”. Reverent Living is HUMILITY (on-level with others); JOYFULLY (in test); PERFECTLY (imitators of God).

Today, “Wisdom.”

Wisdom = possession of experience, knowledge, and good judgment

You can have experience and not wisdom.

You can have knowledge and not be wise.

You can have good judgement and not be wise.

An equation; takes all three.

Pro 1:7 “7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

Pro 3:13 “13 Blessed is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.”

Eph 5:15-17 “15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

We pray, “Lord, You are testing me, and I don’t want to fail. Help me.”

Notice the context…WISDOM comes with the test.

How do we get Wisdom? ASK!

James 1:5 “5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”

James tells us to ASK for wisdom.

Recall your experiences with God.

Ask God to give you knowledge of your present.

NOW, you know how to Ask God to for the ability to make sound decisions that give Him glory and give you peace.

We can ask with assurance that God will not rebuke or refuse us.

Now you may be saying, I have asked and I still end up in the same situation.

God never fails.

Perhaps, the problem is HOW you’re asking.

How should I ASK? ALONE

James 1:6 “6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.”

James says when we ask we must be sure your faith is in God alone.

God + anything = NOTHING!

God is God alone. He doesn’t need any help. He may use people or objects but that’s His choice.

Judges 6-6 - Gideon and the Army.

Leah?

What does God want from me? Allegiance!

James 1:7-8 “7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

Wife who depends on man to supply her needs.

James says “Disloyal people will not receive anything from God.”

They can’t receive because they are divided between the world and the Lord.

They can’t receive because God has tested them and they have proven themselves to be disloyal.

BE CLEAR - God is not punishing you for living disloyal...

But on the flip side, God provides wisdom and blessing for those who are loyal…those who pass the test.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

SO-Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

don’t worry yourself over the one who prospers,

over those who carry out evil.

You just Refrain from anger, and stop going on the warpath!

Because when you worry and stress yourself; it leads you to evil.

For the evildoers shall be cut off, but they that wait upon the Lord shall...

Praise Break!

CLOSE: Ask for wisdom

In Faith Alone

Pledge Your Allegiance to God.