Walk the Walk - Words of Wisdom
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Words of Wisdom
Words of Wisdom
Intro - Thanks
Don’t talk about graduation yet. Talk about being back on sermon series in James…2 more Sunday’s in James...talking about how we are to walk the walk and not just talk the talk...
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of 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. 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.
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Pray
firstslidehere
Graduation, whether from Kindergarten, High School, or college, is a huge milestone in our life. It is the moment when we are celebrated for our accumulation of wisdom and knowledge. And let me reiterate, graduates, we are all so very proud of you. You have applied yourself to become great at something, and to take all that you learned out into the world, and make it a better place. God bless you for that.
Graduation is also the time when you get all the last bits of advice your loved ones want you to know...
[move towards the advice of James on this day of celebration…]
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
Js 3:13
[read]
You know, when I hear that verse I think of one thought. If you want to be wise, show your work. You ever hear that phrase, church? Show your work. I know our graduates have. Essentially it means, let me see how you came to the conclusion you came to. I want to know how you handled the process, how you thought through it.
Show your work.
Graduates, this is one of the most prevalent themes of your life. I mean, sure, you can go far by always having the right answer or schmuzing your way to the top. You can glad hand and make friends until you are where you want to be. But eventually, you will get caught not knowing how to do what you are expected to do.
And the same can be said of our faith! Sometimes we learn the right words, and have the right answers, there are even books that give us shortcuts to those answers! But eventually, we will all come to a point when we don’t know how to do what God expects of us.
If only we would have shown our work along the way, we would know how to do what we need to do. More important than that, it is through showing our work that we are reminded of who we are supposed to be!
More important than that, eventually, you will forget who you are supposed to be!
Listen, showing your work can be tedious, and can seem silly, but if you take that approach to life, church, you will find that you can learn a lot about how you work and how you think! And once you know that, then you begin to be wise! So show your work, church. Don’t be ashamed to have to step away from something because you don’t understand. Ask questions. But let your process, your faith, be known throughout it all by showing who you are and what you are made of. Show us that, by your work, not by your words.
Show us who you are, and what you are made of. Show us that, by your work, not by your words.
This world you graduate into, and that we all live in is one that is fond of words. Words of power. Words of authority. Words that establish causes or tear down our enemy.
Now make no mistake, I have said this many times, and I believe it to be true; words matter. But actions matter too. And we must have those things in sync if we are going to be about God’s work. And for Christians, if we ever want to lead, we must have wisdom, the wisdom from God, in order to do so.
And that wisdom can only start if we show who we are through the works that we show to this world. So show your work. Let it shine out from your life. Take on the attitude of a servant of God no matter what career you might be going into, or what situation you might find yourself in.
What do I do with my life?
Church, having that attitude - the attitude of showing who you really are, and showing it through your work, will put us in a tough spot from time to time. You see, whether in your fields or in faith, we all get to a point when we think we know enough, right? We graduate into the world and are filled with wisdom. And at some point, all that wisdom leads us to a crisis of faith, or a crisis of conscience. We realize, at some point, that no matter how much we know, that we need something else. Some guiding light. Some help. Something to help us to know we are on the right track.
It is a natural feeling; whether in faith, of in life in general.
What do I do with my life?
I remember when that feeling hit me the hardest. I had gone through it several times, but by the time I was graduating from Western with my Bachelor’s degree, I had forced myself into a full blown crisis.
You see I had just gotten back from the University of Michigan. I had auditioned up there for their Master’s program, and had gotten an assistant-ship. So I should have been pretty stoked.
But there in the back of my mind was this calling to ministry. This thing that I was supposed to be and do. This work that God had given me to show, but that I wasn’t thinking about right then.
And when it hit me, it hit me hard. I was looking at my life and knowing full well what to do, I could feel myself pulling away, and moving toward these selfish goals I had placed out there in my mind.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
James 3:16
I was jealous of everyone who could just choose what THEY wanted to do in life, and just float along and be what THEY wanted to be. And in the midst of that jealousy, I gave in and chased after my version of my life.
Now I tell you that, not to dissuade you from chasing your dreams. Not at all. But I tell you that because when we all face those moments when we wonder “what should I do,” we tend to lean on these base human instincts. We look around and want what others have. We seek only selfish goals and ambition above all else. And when we do that, we will feel the disorder that comes from only caring about what each moment can give you rather than the peace that comes from giving others what you have been equipped to give!
Besides,
If you find yourself more concerned about career than God’s plan, or even God’s creation - the people, your family - if you find yourself valuing what you can be more than what you can do for this world and for God, then you need to take a moment and reevaluate.
When you let those thoughts brew in your heart, even if you convince yourselves that your intentions are good, you will find yourself lost and going down the wrong road. And there in the middle of that lostness you might ask again, “God, where are you? What do I do now?”
You may, like me, even start talking at God, telling Him what you can do if only He would listen and care. If only He would change His mind about what He thinks you are supposed to do, you could handle it from there! Let me tell you, I have been there. Those are my exact words.
No, when you ask yourself “what do I do now?” “What do I do with my life?” The answer is always the same.
Wait for God
Wait for God to move in your life. Keep moving toward Him. Keep working it out. But don’t make that big decision, don’t change your course, until you feel God’s peace come over you. Until it is apparent that God is guiding you down that path, whether it is uncomfortable or comfortable.
Wait for God’s wisdom to enter into your heart and take you to where you are supposed to be.
No I am imagining a 25 year old me sitting here in the congregation thinking to himself, fat chance! If I wait for God to take me where I want to be I will be stuck here forever.
It reminds me of a good war movie, but I don’t suggest you watch it - there is a bit of a language issue in it. But in the movie Full Metal Jacket, there is a recruit that has trouble with an obstacle, he just can’t seem to get over it. And the drill instructor, who is sitting on top of it starts yelling at him to get over it. And when it’s clear he can’t he yells “I guess if God wanted you over that obstacle he would have miracled you off it!”
Sacrilegious talk aside, there is a familiar feeling there. Sometimes we can feel like if God wanted us to do something, why didn’t He just open all those doors and miraculously bring us to where we are supposed to be.
Wait for God.
Some of you might not like that answer. I wouldn’t either. So what do I mean by that?
Well you have to wait for God to expose the opportunity or the need, in order to feel led to take action!
I remember when I was an associate pastor I prayed about this tug on my heart to be a senior pastor. And I had to remind myself, wait for God. He will open the door. He will provide both the motivation and the opportunity if I was just patient enough. And let me tell you, just when I was about to break, right before I felt like I was going to quit ministry altogether and join the circus, that door opened!
You see, I needed to feel like it was time to go AND for there to be an opportunity to go. I didn’t need to rely on MY ability to get a job, but on GOD’S ability to get me to where He wanted me to be, no matter what the job looked like.
So wait on God, for His timing, and especially, for His wisdom.
And thankfully, James tells us what that will 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.
James 3:17
Wait for that stuff!
You see when we press the issue, we aren’t being peaceable. And when we want only money and fame and fortune, we aren’t pure. And when we bulldoze our ways through a career we aren’t gentle. And when we doggedly just chase after some juvenile version of our dreams, we miss out on the fulfillment of those dreams because we aren’t open to reason!
God has so much for us if we would just wait on it! I know I talk about parent theology a lot, but you parents know of those moments when you offer your child a couple things and give them the opportunity to choose immediate gratification or delayed gratification. And almost every time, unless you offer Disney world or something like that for the delayed gratification, they will choose the instant.
It’s just the way we are wired. We even have old sayings about it, “a bird in hand is better than two in the bush.”
God doesn’t agree. The wisdom from above is open to reason. It understands that we might have a season of not getting exactly what we want, but that will pass! And on the other side of that season is the best season! The season of knowing and doing God’s will! A season that allows us to fully be pure and peaceable! A season when we can “let our gentleness be known to all,” as Paul says in Philippians, because the Lord is near to us!
A season of good fruits. A season when should we be asked to show our work, we would proudly pull out that report card, and let everyone know that every bit of that was done by the will and power of God Himself, and not us!
A true harvest of righteousness.
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That is the wisdom we are chasing. That is the life that awaits you outside of those doors. Every single day is an opportunity to taste and see that the Lord is good! To try new things! To follow bravely wherever God leads! Don’t waste time on those things that fall short of God’s best for you! Just be patient! Look to God every single day. AND DON’T STOP LOOKING NO MATTER WHAT! EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL IT, GOD IS WITH YOU! IN THOSE LOW POINTS WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP, IN THOSE HIGH POINTS WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ALONE ARE THE SOURCE OF YOUR SUCCESS; GOD IS THERE! GOD IS THERE SHIELDING YOU FROM PAIN YOU WILL NEVER KNOW OF, AND FREEING YOU TO LIVE UNBURDENED BY THINGS THAT WILL CAUSE YOU PAIN, EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU WANT THOSE THINGS!
AT THE END OF THE DAY, GOD IS THERE IN ALL WE DO, BUT WE MUST STOP LOOKING AT OURSELVES AND OUR PLANS, AND START LOOKING AT HIM IF WE EVER EXPECT TO SEE HIM! SO EVERY TIME YOU FEEL ALONE. EVERY TIME YOU FEEL LOST. STOP TRYING TO FIX IT, JUST FOR A SECOND, AND SEEK GOD! LOOK TO HIM TO GUIDE YOUR ACTIONS! LOOK TO HIM TO SHOW YOU THE WAY! JUST LOOK TO HIM, AND WHATEVER YOU ARE FACING WON’T SEEM AS BAD.
I want to close on that point, because it is honestly one that we all need to hear.
Sometimes this life gets scary. Sometimes we feel lost and overwhelmed. That is just going to happen, church. And when it does, remember something for me. Remember those moments when you were a child, or when you had a child. Remember those moments when you were in a scary situation, or maybe watching a scary movie. What did your parents do?
They covered your eyes.
Whenever Olivia or Daisy are in a scary situation I always tell them the same thing, which is really a take on my favorite Mister Roger’s saying.
I look at them, and hold their faces in my hands and tell them, just look at me. If you just look at me, everything will be OK. Keep your eyes on me, and I will take care of you.
Roger’slookforhelpers
That is how God works church. When life is overwhelming you look to Him. When you are lost or scared just focus on Him. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, JUST KEEP YOUR EYES ON GOD AND EVERYTHING WILL BE OK!
He is your guide, your comforter, your friend.
Your helper.
Just keep your eyes on Him, and chase after His dreams for you and you will have all the wisdom you need to help change this world. And let me tell you, when you live like that, for Him instead of for you, you will love every minute of it, even when it’s hard.
Invitation
life?”…talk about the “envy and selfish ambition” stuff juxtaposed against the Godly way from vereses 17-18. Maybe tell about leaving IT and $ to take 50% cut in pay to go into ministry.
[at some point you HAVE to get to the question “What do I do know?” or “What do I do with my life?”…talk about the “envy and selfish ambition” stuff juxtaposed against the Godly way from vereses 17-18. Maybe tell about leaving IT and $ to take 50% cut in pay to go into ministry.
When you do things God’s way God provides all you need. God adjusts your expectations so that you care about what God cares about, and when that happens, all the money in the world, all the prestige in the world, it is all useless to you!”
“When you do things God’s way God provides all you need. God adjusts your expectations so that you care about what God cares about, and when that happens, all the money in the world, all the prestige in the world, it is all useless to you!”]