In 1999, State Farm Insurance rated the most dangerous intersections for accidents in the United States. The winner (or better, loser) was the corner of Belt Line Road and Midway Road in Addison, Texas. There were 263 reported crashes at that intersection in the Dallas suburb. That averages out to about five wrecks per week, not counting the unreported fender benders.
Sometimes as we drive down the road of life, we come to dangerous intersections. Sometimes we refer to them as “forks in the road.” They are those moments where a choice we make or don’t make sets us on a course that could influence the rest of our journey. Do we stop or go. Turn right or left. Go ahead or turn back. Perhaps you feel like you are at a dangerous intersection right now in your life.
The Bible speaks about a divine resource we can utilize when we come to those intersections. It is called wisdom. There are many times when we will approach one of those intersections and we will realize we have a shortage of wisdom.
We face difficulties in handling the hazards of life and need wisdom
• Finances
• Family
• Relationships
• Education
• Employment
James 1.5-11
Some practical guidelines for when you know you don’t know:
I. A Wise Request (1.5)
Wisdom comes easily to some and not so to others
A city boy, Kenny, moved to the country and bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.
The next day the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died." Kenny replied, "Well then, just give me my money back." The farmer said, "Can't do that. I went and spent it already." Kenny said, "OK then, at least give me the donkey." The farmer asked, "What are you going to do with him?" Kenny, "I'm going to raffle him off.” Farmer, "You can't raffle off a dead donkey!" Kenny, "Sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he is dead." A month later the farmer met up with Kenny and asked, "What happened with that dead donkey?" Kenny answered, “I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $898." Farmer, "Didn't anyone complain?" Kenny replied, "Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back."
A. Wisdom’s Description
1. Seeing things God’s way
2. “The convergence of knowledge and skill which enables a person to make right choices that honor God.” (by Kelly Randolph)
3. Practical use of knowledge that deals with life’s issues.
B. The Source of Wisdom
1. God – Proverbs 1.7
2. Not just knowing Bible – can be knowledgeable and unwise; Need to know how to USE the scripture
C. Asking is Wise Matthew 7.7-11
1. Solomon’s request – 1 Kings 3.9
2. God is please when we ask for the right things
3. Demonstrates that we understand we are inefficient
4. Demonstrates that we want to be more Christ-like
Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy steel magnate of a past generation, once remarked to a group of men that he did not feel the need of prayer. “What is the use of praying?” he asked. “I already have everything I want. What more could I ask for?” One of his hearers remarked: “Perhaps, sir, you might pray for humility.”
II. A Wise Activity (Putting Faith into Action)
A person asked Flip Wilson about his religion and he replied, “I am a Jehovah’s By-Stander.” “I never heard of that, what is it?” Flip answered, “They asked me to be a witness but I didn’t want to get involved.”
A. Correlation of Hearing and Doing
1. Hearing = Obeying
2. Shema – Deuteronomy 6.4
B. Faith Grows When We Act
1. O Ye of Little Faith
2. We need help – Mark 9.24
D.L. Moody once visited an elderly Christian Woman who showed him her well-worn Bible. By many of the passages in the book she had written “T” and “P”. Moody asked her what she meant by the two letters. She explained – Tried and Proved.
C. Avoid Self-Deception – Matthew 7.21-23
1. Not Just Actions (self-centered)
2. It is the Activity of Faith in Knowing Yeshua
III. A Wise Evaluation (1.9-11)
Highs and Lows of Wisdom
A. God’s Ways are Different – Isaiah 55.6-9
B. Wisdom Sees As God Sees
1. Low is seen as High – 1 Peter 5.5-6
a. Have Not’s become haves – Ephesians 2.1-10
b. In Yeshua (Jesus) We Have It All
c. Gain Dignity and Value
Inventor, Samuel Morse was once asked if he had ever encountered situations where he did not know what to do. He responded, “More than once, and whenever I could not see my way clearly, I knelt down and prayed for light and understanding.” The first words sent over Morse’s telegraph – “What hath God wrought.”
2. High is Low
a. Rich can look to money for security
Back when $5000 was considered a very large sum of money, there was a poor woman who always tithed, regardless of how little she had. One day she received an inheritance of $5000. She immediately went to her congregation and gave the Missions Committee $500 and never said any more about it. After her death, there was found a diary entry which read, “Quick, quick before my heart gets hard.” She refused to let her newly found wealth become a hindrance to her walk with the One who gave it.
b. Security is in Christ
Illustrated in Levites – God was their possession – Ezekiel 44.28
3. Differences are Removed – Galatians 3.28-29
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
1. Distinctions are removed by Christ
2. Distinctions are removed by trials – 1 Corinthians 10.13
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Privilege to suffer for Yeshua (Jesus) –
Acts 5.4
2 Timothy 3.12
1 Peter 4.16
Treatment of trials lowers the exalted and raises the humble
Conclusion
Faith in Action
Fred Craddock once told the story of Oswald Goltar. He was a missionary sent to preach the gospel in India near the end of World War II. After many months the time came for a trip back home. His church wired him the money to book passage on a steamer but when he got to the port city he discovered a boatload of Jews who had escaped from Germany had just been allowed to land temporarily. They had been wandering and had no place to go, so they were all crammed in an attic.
It happened to be Christmas, and on Christmas morning, this missionary went to one of the attics where the Jews were staying. He walked in and said, “Merry Christmas.” The people looked at him as if he were crazy and responded, “We’re Jews.” “I know that,” said the missionary, “What would you like for Christmas?” In utter amazement the Jews responded, “Why, we like pastries, good pastries like the ones we used to have in Germany.”
So Oswald Goltar went out and used the money for his ticket home to buy pastries for all the Jews he could find staying in the port. Of course, he then had to wire home asking for more money to book his passage back to the States. His superiors wired back, asking what happened to the money they had already sent. He wired that he had used it to buy Christmas pastries for some Jews. His superiors wired back, “Why did you do that? They don’t even believe in Jesus.” He wired back, “Yes, but I do.”
Abraham was not the father of all who believe (Rom 4:11), the father of the circumcised (Rom 4:12) and the father of many nations (Rom 4:17) for nothing. Since he clearly knew that God had promised him offspring through Isaac (Gen 21:12), so why did he plan to sacrifice his own son? Abraham knew that God was perfect and nothing was impossible to Him. He could give Abraham his son back unharmed, in one piece, as if nothing had happened. God could even present Isaac to his father better than ever, as good as new and in the best shape possible.
