How To Relate Wisely With Others Series

. James begins our text this morning by asking his readers a question: “Who is wise and understanding

among you?”

1. Last week I began with the question: “How many of you have allowed your TONGUE to get you

into trouble?”

COMMENT:

Hands went up all over the place. We readily admit that we have SAID things that we shouldn’t have. But if I was to ask this congregation James’ question: “Who is wise and understanding among you?” How many HANDS do you think would go up? I’m not going to ask

that question . . . but I don’t think many of us would RAISE our HANDS.

Most of us will say that often we don’t make WISE choices, especially when it comes to dealing with PEOPLE.

2. James already told us that “we are to PRAY for WISDOM as we face various TRIALS in life”

- James 1:5.

a. Here in our text James is referring to a WISDOM that is IMPERATIVE to the way we RELATE to

those around us.

b. I think you will agree that there are NO PROBLEMS quite like PEOPLE PROBLEMS!

ILLUSTRATION:

Most of us are around people everyday—at HOME, at CHURCH, at WORK, at SCHOOL, in the CHECK-OUT LANE at WAL-MART. Sometimes there are CONFRONTATIONS.

One time I was at Wal-Mart and was ready to CHECK-OUT. All the check-out lanes had people lined up four or five customers deep. So, I decided to go to the 20 ITEMS or LESS LANE. I

didn’t count my ITEMS, but I knew I had close to that amount.

As I’m waiting in LINE, the LADY behind me took a look at my BASKET and sent her 10 or 11-year-old daughter over to COUNT my ITEMS. After the girl finished counting she yelled, “Mom, he’s got 22!” I thought SECURITY was going to come and TAKE me AWAY. I said, “Oh, I’m sorry!” Then I TOOK OUT 2 items (Chapstick and Altoids) and proceeded to the CHECK-OUT!

COMMENT:

With all the PEOPLE that we are around everyday, there are some who are EASY to GET-ALONG with and others who aren’t. PERSONALITIES CLASH. PEOPLE have a BAD DAY. MISUNDERSTANDINGS OCCUR.

B. Regardless of how tough some RELATIONSHIPS might be, we as Christians have a RESPONSIBILITY

to RELATE WISELY to OTHERS.

1. In our text, James describes two kinds of WISDOM.

a. GODLY WISDOM that reveals itself through the WAY we RELATE to PEOPLE.

b. WORLDLY WISDOM that also reveals itself through the WAY we RELATE to PEOPLE.

COMMENT:

GODLY WISDOM relates to people WISELY and WORLDLY WISDOM relates to people

UNWISELY.

2. Let’s take a look at the two kinds of WISDOM and the RESULTS of GODLY WISDOM.

MESSAGE:

I. TWO KINDS OF WISDOM- James 3:13-16 (READ)

A. GODLY WISDOM- v. 13

1. After asking, “How many of you are wise and understanding,” James goes on to say, “Okay, let’s

see it.”

a. The WISDOM that comes from God is that which is seen in our LIVES and in the GOOD that

we do.

COMMENT:

True WISDOM has nothing to do with how CLEVER you are. How INTELLIGENT you are or how HIGH your IQ is, has nothing to do with the WISDOM that comes from GOD.

b. God’s not interested in our GPA . . . He’s concerned with how we LIVE our LIVES for Him and how we TREAT and SERVE PEOPLE—even in SMALL WAYS.

2. By SERVING others, even in little ways, we SERVE Jesus- Matthew 25:34-40 (READ)

a. Those faithful SERVANTS said, “Lord we don’t remember doing these things for you.”

ILLUSTRATION:

Jesus answered, “Don’t you remember that family whose bread-winner lost his JOB and they had no FOOD to eat, and you went to the STORE and bought them GROCERIES?” “Do you remember that LABORER who was working on the STREET in front of your house during that HOT July afternoon, and you brought him jug of ICED WATER?” “Remember that family whose HOUSE burned down and had no where to go, and you OPENED your

HOME to them?”

“How about that little girl who had no CLOTHES to wear, and you emptied your daughter’s CLOSET?” “Don’t you recall that ELDERLY woman who lied in a hospital bed for WEEKS, and you went everyday to READ to her?” “And how about that young man who

got in trouble with the LAW, and you VISITED with him in JAIL and told him about Me?”

“When you SERVED those HURTING people, you SERVED Me!”

b. When we look into the FACE of someone who is HURTING, we look into the FACE of Jesus.

COMMENT:

We see Jesus all around us—within and without the church. How we RESPOND to those HURTING people by our SERVICE or LACK thereof, is how we RESPOND to Jesus Himself.