CRCF””11/8/09
Wisdom Works
James 3:13-18
ME:
My oldest daughter, Hannah, who I”™ll always call “Baby Girl”, was recently honored as GPTV”™s Scholar Athlete of the Week””and we”™re real proud of her. Hannah is smart and hard-working.
BUT””if Hannah doesn”™t humbly love other people, then I”™ve failed as a father and Hannah has failed as a person and as a Christ-follower!
True wisdom results in a life of humble love.
I”™ve had the privilege to study God”™s Word in the original languages and study theology for years. But if I don”™t humbly love others, then I”™m a fool! The seminaries of America are full of fools who can talk theology all day and read straight from the Greek and Hebrew texts but they never put God”™s truth into practice and humbly love others! For all of their learning, they are not truly wise!
Thomas Manton: Wisdom is the ability “to honour knowledge with practice.”
True wisdom results in a life of humble love.
WE:
Do you ever struggle with what life”™s all about? Do you priorities change regularly because you get confused about the way to be successful in life””giving your energy in this direction this week, in that direction next week?
True wisdom results in a life of humble love.
Why do we need to get this?
Because we so quickly deceive ourselves about what true wisdom, according to God, is, and buy into our own ideas or those of the world around us.
GOD:
True wisdom results in a life of humble love.
James 3:13-18 (NLT)
13 If you are wise and understand God”™s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don”™t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.
The Message
14 It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.
15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God”™s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
The Message
15-16 It’s the furthest thing from wisdom””it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.
17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
The Message
17 Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced.
18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
True wisdom results in a life of humble love.
Again, James didn”™t come up with all of this””he got it straight from Jesus!
Matthew 5:3-9 (NLT)
3 God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.
4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them.
6 God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full.
7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
True wisdom results in a life of humble love. And it is God”™s definition of wisdom that matters””He”™s the One that designed this life on planet Earth to begin with!
YOU:
How should this change our lives?
We need to let God change our lives with His wisdom by making a life of humble love for others our goal.
We are called to show Jesus to the world””and Jesus embodied God”™s wisdom!
1 Corinthians 1:30 (NLT)
God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself.
Ephesians 4:31-5:2 (NLT)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Follow God”™s example in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.
WE:
When people think of you, do they think of someone who humbly loves others?
Is there a difference in the way you and I approach life? Do our priorities and schedules and checkbooks and words and actions prove that true wisdom is the blueprint we”™re building our lives on? Is there a strangeness to our lives, an outlook that is uncommon, a love that is extremely rare?
Can you imagine the changes in our world if all of God”™s people really lived out the kind of wisdom that James has shown us?
Celebration of the Lord”™s Supper
A time of submitting to God”™s true wisdom for our lives, as embodied in Jesus””especially when He gave Himself on the Cross for us!
–Men to serve the congregation