A Lineage of Wisdom

1. How long did the hundred year war last?

2. Which country makes Panama hats?.

3. What is Camel's hair brush made from?

4. In what month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

5. What was King George VI's first name?

6. What colour is a Purple Finch?

7. Where are Chinese Gooseberries from?

8. How long did the Thirty Years War last?

1. How long did the hundred year war last?

Answer: 116 years, from 1337 to 1453.

2. Which country makes Panama hats?

Answer: Ecuador.

3. What is Camel's hair brush made from?

Answer: Squirrel fur.

4. In what month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

Answer: November. The Russian calendar was 13 days behind ours.

5. What was King George VI's first name?

Answer: Albert. In 1936 he respected the wish of Queen Victoria that no future king should ever be called Albert.

6. What colour is a Purple Finch?

Answer: Distinctively crimson.

7. Where are Chinese Gooseberries from?

Answer: New Zealand.

8. How long did the Thirty Years War last?

Answer: 30 years of course. 1618 to 1648.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

The Bible does not shy away about talking about 2 kinds of wisdom. Specifically in James 3:13-18 the Bible says that there are two kinds of wisdom, wisdom from above and Earthly wisdom.

James tells us that Earthly wisdom is based in selfish ambition and envy- in both of these cases the center is YOU. Worldly wSidon is seen as a kind of equity or power; the more you obtain the better you are. We see this in the world; the more letters you have after your name the more opportunities to advanced in a field you are given; or in many places the more degrees you have the more valuable your opinion is. Worldly wisdom says that if you want to matter you need more, more, more.

James goes on to tell us that this kind of wisdom will cause disorder and every kind of evil practice. And let’s be honest, we have seen so much of this the past few years- our entire society has been arguing and at the forefront have been people with “worldly wisdom” Who all claim to know more than the others making claims and stirring up disorder in our world. The talking heads on the news, CNN, or Fox News all trying to defrock one another and will stop at nothing to disprove one another.

Bit Godly wisdom is quite different, says James. Because Godly wisdom is James 3:17 “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” Why? Because Godly wisdom is based in God’s best for us, our world and all those around us. Instead of equity to separate us, Godly wisdom is a cord that binds us together.

The Center of Wisdom

There is a bit of a shift that happens in the Bible in terms of wisdom. In the OT wisdom is personified in the book of Proverbs as a lady- one that we are to seek and the center of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. If you want to be wise then you live you life in fear or respect of the Lord- and to do that these are the things you must do. Proverbs was a manual of sorts on living a life pleasing to God.

But in the NT wisdom is no longer personified- it is embodied and it is embodied in Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:24 “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Jesus embodies the wisdom of God and in him we find all that we need to live a life pleasing to God.

When this center switches from lady wisdom to the wisdom of Jesus it sets things on their heads. In OT if you wanted to be connected with God you needed to live wisely- in the NT through Jesus you are connected to God and wisdom becomes the product of that life. Wisdom is not merely something to consume but a way to live.

Obtaining that Wisdom

That challenge is, of course, that worldly wisdom and Godly wisdom are not obtained in the same way. Worldly wisdom is obtained in school, training, and things of that nature. If you want to become a mechanic you go to tech school, take the classes and do an apprenticeship, and you receive a certification saying you are able to do the task at hand. Today that is what we celebrate with our grads, and that has it’s place in society.

But Godly wisdom is different- it is not found in seeking something; but in seeking someone- Jesus. Godly wisdom comes through Christ.

When I was growing up my parents often told me about the dangers of having bad friends and the benefits of having good friends- because the people that you spend you time around influence you greatly. And I noticed, didn’t you? After all, I didn’t wake up one day in high school and say- I think I would like to start using curse words- but I hung around with a bunch of people who used them a lot and soon I started using them too. I never made a conscious decision to tell more inappropriate jokes, but I was friends with some guys who told them, and so I picked quite a few up——- it has probably happened to a lot of us.

But what if I told you being with Jesus had the same effect- that by spending more of your time in the presence of God; in the Word of God, and with the people of God your life will begin to change, and a lot of the wisdom of God will become part of your life.

This week in our devotion I shared a bit about a friend of mine who once said that he had a friend who was wise and his words were “sticky” because they just stuck to you when he shared. Jesus is like that. The Words of the Bible are sticky and if we allow them they will catch onto us and follow us.

Apply After Obtain

But here’s the trick, you still have to chose to apply that wisdom. You can get it all day long, but eventually there is a choice you have to make.

Think of it this way- when winter comes and there is snow and ice on the road we often share road conditions and such across the news, social media, neighbors and all the like- but you get to choose how to use that info. You could say- I drive this road all the time, I know exactly what I am doing and I do not need your advice, and bust down the icy road just like you drive in the middle of the summer time, and chances are eventually you will face some consequences for that decision, not because you didn’t have the wisdom, but because you did not use it when you got it. Or as Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”

It is not just what you know, but what you do with what you know. Or as Larry Lea said “Wisdom is the God-given ability to perceive the true nature of a matter and implement the will of God in that matter”

And for many of us it is not obtaining the wisdom of God that is the problem- it the application.

Pass it on

But there is more, right? Because this entire series is about passing things on and building a lineage. Not just about our wisdom, but how we sow that into others.

Be intentional

Most of you all know that our twins love to play basketball, and they have some pretty big dreams on playing ball. So we try our hardest to empower them to get where they want to be. When they were little I spent hours with them teaching them to dribble the ball right, correct jump shot form, all the ins and outs that I knew about the game. We put them in little league and they played AAU with Jake; by the time they got to middle school they were going to a couple bball camps at local schools, and even at JMU; now they watch Youtube videos and learn new drills— we continue to intentionally help them develop into the players they want to be. Earlier this year they met some of their goals- their team went undefeated and won a regional championship; and the two of them hit some really cool personal goals through the season; and a few weeks ago they went to Washington DC to play in a National Showcase and got to play with some of the best players on the East Coast….

How much different would they be if when they were 4 or 5, when they first showed an interest in basketball- if I would have thrown them a ball and said “there you go, figure it out kid” and walked away? Maybe they would be good players- but chances are they would not have developed into the players they are today. Their development has come from coaches like Jake Hull; Coach Ben at Cornerstone; and others teaching them; it has come from hours of gym time and Jess and I making the decision to get them there; it has come from buying a goal and putting it up at the house; it not just about the talent, it is about the support system and the people around them.

I am betting if I threw them a ball all those years ago and said “figure it out” they might not have even stuck with the game…

And how often do we do this to new Christians, kids in the church, or others in our faith? They show an interest in Jesus and we bring them to church a time or 2 or we give them a Bible and then pretty much leave them on their own to figure it out.

Deuteronomy 6:4–8 ““Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”

Friends, we need to be diligent in teaching our kids. Did you notice how many of our videos have talked about a parent or grandparent making sure that their family was at church, or in youth group or church camp, or how many talked about seeing their family read the Bible?

Steward the Teachings

A few years ago I got some tomato seeds from Jim Buchanan. He found some tomatoes many years ago that he loved and didn’t want to lose; so every year he took one of those tomatoes, got all the seeds out of it; dried them, stored them, and the next year he would plant the seeds; he had done this for years and had given some of those tomatoes and seeds to people in our community.

2 Timothy 2:2 “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

One of my goals as a pastor is not just to preach each week to make us feel good or help us as a church. One of my hopes and goals each week it to teach from the Bible in a way that you can take it from this place and teach someone else.

Tend your own garden

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

I’m not going to grow Jim’s tomatoes if I plant cucumber seeds

I’m not going to grow apples if I plant lemon trees

So often we plant one thing and we expect to grow something else. If I want to grow in the wisdom of God I should plant Godly things…..