James: Wisdom from Above
Notes
Transcript
What do I believe God wants them to know? Godly wisdom leads to PEACE and Good Fruit
Why? we all want PEACE and GOOD FRUIT
What do I believe God wants them do? Seek Godly wisdom through prayer, friends, and following God and His commandments
Why? It leads to PEACE and FRUIT
ME/WE
Have you had a time in your life when you were faced a decision to where you had to choose between this thing or that thing or that things..
It was not choose between A or B, but choose between A, B, C, or D
To make matters maybe more complicated None of the options were bad or unGodly....it is not like we are saying we have an option to do a sinful thing or bad thing or a good thing
they might turn to bad
For some of us we have faced this with jobs....should I take this job or that job…should I leave this job to go to that job
Should I date that Christian person of the opposite sex or not.
Should I choose to do make this decision or that decision
And there is no book of the Bible called First (fill in your name) Alex, Trish, Carla, Ben that says in chapter 4:3 you should do ____
TENSION
So what do we do? Do you we just play ennie minnie minny mo or put a the decisions on a paper and hope for the best
NO!
What you need, what I need is GODLY WISDOM, not worldly wisdom or fleshly wisdom (which we will get to what that looks)
Godly wisdom leads to life....worldly wisdom leads to death.
There are two competing wisdoms here is the TRICKY thing at times THIS GOOD TO KNOW, and sometimes they over lap, worldly wisdom would agree with Godly wisdom....
NOT ONLY DO THEY BOTH CALL THEMSELVES WISDOM…
WORLDLY WISDOM at times alines with each other
But let us not use that as an excuss to follow WORLDLY wisdom because by and large it does not lead
WHAT GODLY WISDOM ALWAYS DOES IS LEAD US TO LIFE
Look at what James says
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
James is almost using the same language as he did early when he says who has faith? You say you have faith....James says “show me” show me your faith.
Again James says “show me” you are wise.....how? by having wise sayings? No, by your actions.
James says to us wisdom is not just WISE SAYING…anybody can say something wise....WISDOM IS DISPLAYED IN ACTION
We look at a person and say they are wise not just by what they say but what they do
How do we show it? meekness and wisdom
What does it look like?
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.
What does James say?
Two I want to focus on PEACE and GOOD FRUIT
Godly wisdom always has in wake, the after affect of us walking in Godly wisdom is PEACE and GOOD FRUIT.
First let’s talk about PEACE
How many times have we had a decision and we asked someone “which decision gives you the most internal peace?”
that you fell best about
Godly wisdom will give you and an internal PEACE about your decision.
You will have PEACE....shalom
Why do we say in the decision of life, if it is two decisions that we ask which one do you have peace about?
This decision feels right
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
it is not just internal peace....it is external peace…that this
It brings peace to our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors
Sometimes not right away
BUT IF AFTER A MONTH OR TWO OR THREE…things are not PEACEFUL externally…you really need to question if you heard from the LORD
WORLDLY PEACE WILL SOMETIMES DISGUISE ITSELF AS GODLY PEACE
BUT IT CAN’T JUST BE PEACE, because our feelings might be off the second thing that a wise decision produces is GOOD FRUIT.
Things are growing and not dying.
Externally....your decision had made your world a better place, there is more life, more joy, more fruit of the Spirit
Is your decision producing good fruit?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
IF WE DO NOT HAVE PEACE and GOOD FRUIT we are not walking in GODLY WISDOM
BIG TEST
This is is what James said about WORLDY WISDOM…lets look at the fruit of the worldly wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
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.
Roman wisdom was selfish, it was about my needs and wants
YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU
But the scriptures say LIFE IS NOT ABOUT YOU
Worldly wisdom is selfish and looks out for itself and produces EVIL and BAD FRUIT
I love what James says, he doesn’t mince words....worldy wisdom is DEMONIC....it might not look bad....just like in the garden of Eden
it does not alway look bad…oh this thing will hurt me…I will touch that…and sometimes we do because we wonder if it will really hurt me.
WORLDY WISDOM IS POOP WRAPED IN FOOLS GOLD WRAPPED
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
What are some forms of worldly wisdom?
BIGGER IS BETTER
DO WHAT YOU LOVE or FOLLOW YOUR HEART
YOU SHOUDL LIVE TOGETHER BEFORE YOU ARE MARRIED, TRY IT OUT
Cohabitation
divorce rates are about 50% in our country so to help prevent let’s live together before we are married…that is against God’s word already
What do you think the divorce rates of those who live together before they are married?
20%
30
40
80
WORLY WISDOM always lead to bad fruit, destruciton.
Godly leads to PEACE and GOOD FRUIT
Worldly to disorder and evil fruit, bad fruit
this is what is at stake when it comes to wisdom
BEFORE WE GET TO HOW DO WE GET GODLY WISDOM....lets look at how it fleshes out? What does Godly wisdom look like?
HOW DOES IT OFTEN LOOK?
GODLY wisdom that looks at our past circumstances, present situation, and God direction and call on my life and it shows me the wise thing to do.
it sorts all the knowledge, past, present, future, and God’s call and commandments and says this is the decision you are to make.
2 examples of how this fleshes out
had this with a friend this week.....my friends current situation of his family is too busy....they are always running from sporting event to sporting event to school thing to family thing to church (current)....all good things…He loved COVID they could stop and rest as a family (PAST) …but they were lacking joy and happiness and peace....people were getting irriated....he realized God is calling them to be a family and they were just people in the same home going to the same things…he realized they need to not keep up with the Jones and yes to everything but to somethings.
2. Personal level it was this phrase that started to (we all a proclivity to certain sins, habits or hangups....one of the things we need is GODLY WISDOM, not just “hey don’t do it!” bring tremedous victory in my battle as a young man with looking at things online that I should not be looking at....I looked at my future direction and I saw it as one living a holy life and serving the Lord...
past littered with looking at things at a young age of 6 through a family members magizines
Current situation: I was getting victory but still felt a stuck in where I was....and I realized I had a unflitered computer and I was in small group but not in community where I was fully known and loved…I was not confession my sins James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Or seeking help outside of myself, brothers who have been down this road...
What I did was have a filter softward on my computer, went into an accountablity group with some brothers in Christ where I was fully known and loved, and sought help.
What happened? When I lived out Godly wisdom?
God brought victory and a result PEACE, wholeness, JOY, GOOD FRUIT
How do we make wise decisions…we want to make wise decisions, we want to have PEACE and GOOD FRUIT
I don’t know anyone who says please give me chaos and confusion and evil fruit
Pray for Wisdom
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
Look how great our God is, God says pray....ask God to show you lead you, guide you
GOD SHOULD I DO THIS THING OR THAT THING
How do I work in this hostile work environment
How do I handle this situation in my family
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
2. Walking with Wise people
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
THIS IS HUGE....You are highly, highly influenced by who you walk with.
A lot of our shaping in life does not come from what we hear but by what who we watch.
- A lot of what we know is Caught not taught
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
3. By fearing/revering the Lord
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
BY WORSHIPPING GOD…HE IS THE ONE IN MY LIFE THAT I AM WORSHIPPING
I am going to worship God, He is going to be my guide. He is going to be my standard, I am going to take His ways seriously.
Hear’s the deal we are all fearing or revearing something....sometimes an idealial, American dream,
Sometimes a person...
Sometimes a boss
4. Seek the Lord and His commandments
What a blessing we have in the word of God
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
God says when you Pray, Walk with the Wise, Fear the Lord, and Seek Him and His commandments you will become wise and as a result you will have
PEACE and GOOD FRUIT
Communion
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Living together before you are married....worldly wisdom....80% of