TRUE WISDOM
Text: James 3:13-18
INTRODUCTION
1. Illustration: Have you ever heard the phrase, "Out of the mouth of babes?" Certainly you have. It comes from the simple truth that sometimes it takes a child to reveal lasting wisdom. It seems foolish but it isn’t!
For example:
· Patrick, age 10, said, "Never trust a dog to watch your food."
· Michael, 14, said, "When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" don’t answer him."
· Michael, wise man that he was also said, "Never tell your mom her diet’s not working."
· Randy, 9 years of age said, "Stay away from prunes." One wonders how he discovered that bit of wisdom.
· Naomi, 15 said, "If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse."
· Lauren, age 9 said, "Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick."
· Joel, 10 years old, said, "Don’t pick on your sister when she’s holding a baseball bat." and
· Eileen, age 8 said, "Never try to baptize a cat."
2. Wisdom can best be understood by the single words what and how. Wisdom means knowing what something is, what is behind something, and what can be done. It is knowing how to use or relate to something (Practical Word Studies in The New Testament, 2312).
3. James tells us that there are basically two kinds of wisdom...
A. False Wisdom
B. Genuine Wisdom
4. Let's stand together as we read James 3:13-18.
Proposition: Like faith, true wisdom is seen in our actions.
Transition: First let's take a look at...
I. FALSE WISDOM (14-16).
A. Jealousy And Selfish Ambition
1. Just as there is true and false humility, there is also true and false wisdom. So we are first going to look at false wisdom.
2. In v. 14 James says, "But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying."
A. Being bitterly jealous is misguided zeal that results in disagreeableness. It is anger at the accomplishments of others.
B. Whenever we find fault with a leader, we must ask ourselves what is motivating us to feel strongly about that person’s failure.
i. Do we actually share the same weakness? Do we imagine ourselves doing better in that role?
ii. Or are we, in fact, simply envious of the abilities or success God has allowed him or her to have?
iii. A positive answer to any of these ought to make us very careful in how we express our criticisms.
C. Here and in Philippians 2:3, selfish ambition refers to leaders in the church who are developing a “party spirit.”
D. This produces factions who are for or against the pastor or certain programs, who take sides on issues not necessarily central to the Christian faith.
E. Selfish ambition is the desire to live for one’s self and no one or nothing else, only for what a person can get out of it.
F. In an attempt to persuade others, the person may lose his sense of reason and become fanatical.
G. Having confidence in only his knowledge, he arrogantly lords it over others.
H. Such a person should not brag about being wise for that is the worst kind of lie (Barton, 1083).
3. James then conitunes this line of thought in v. 15, where he says, "For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic."
A. The source and standards of this kind of wisdom are from the world and not God.
B. Its teachers are self-centered and shallow. This wisdom doesn’t come from faith—it is earthly and unspiritual.
C. “Unspiritual” could refer to the natural man. The term for unspiritual is used in the New Testament for the person who does not have God’s Spirit (3:15), or does not accept the guidance that comes from the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).
D. This person teaches only the wisdom of this life, based on human feelings and human reasoning alone.
E. The real source of these thoughts is the Devil whose purposes are always destructive; they can produce a climate in the church, at home, and at work that damages relationships.
F. Think of how quickly our words, language, and tone of voice can create a destructive climate (Barton, 1084).
4. Then James shows the destructive nature of this kind of wisdom. In v. 16 he says, "For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind."
A. People filled with jealousy and selfish ambition think they must be first in everything.
B. They cannot stand to see anyone else in the limelight, or have anyone else cast a shadow on what they do.
C. This leads to desires and strategies for revenge that can lead to disaster.
D. By contrast, the following seven characteristics of heavenly wisdom are strung together like pearls.
E. They are what wisdom is and produces (Barton, 1084).
B. Self Seeking
1. Illustration: One of my favorite bands from back in the day was known as The Resurrection Band or just Rez. They were one of the first heavy metal Christian bands. They were a ministry of a Christian community in the ghetto of Chicago called Jesus People USA. They ministered to the homeless and downtrodden. Rez traveled around the world doing concerts about ten months out of the year for 20 years. In the course of their ministry they saw thousands of young people come to know Christ. It was my privilege to work with them and become friends with them in 1982 when I was in Europe. One day at my church back home I overheard two older women discussing one of Rez's concert posters that was hanging in the fellowship hall. They were criticizing them, not for their ministry or music, but because of the way they dressed. So I approached them and told them very respectfully that these people were friends of mine, and that they tour 10 months a year and every concert several hundred young people come forward and give their lives to Christ. Now when you can say that you have led that many people to Christ then you can criticize them.
2. False wisdom is the wisdom of hell!
A. Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT)
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
B. False wisdom is me centered wisdom.
C. It doesn't think of the needs of others, but rather only the needs of self.
D. It seeks only power and glory for self.
E. It seeks to divide and conquer.
F. It seeks only what is important for me.
G. It seeks what pleases the flesh.
H. It seeks control and having ones way.
I. These are all the ways of Satan, who comes to steal, kill and destroy.
J. These are the ways of hell who seek nothing but to lead people away from God and into sin and evil.
K. When this type of wisdom rears its ugly head rebuke it in the name of Jesus and take authority over it in Jesus name!
Transition: The complete opposite of false wisdom is...
II. GENUINE WISDOM (13, 17-18).
A. If You Are Wise
1. James returns to a familiar theme of living out your faith. This is true whether we are talking out faith or wisdom. Don't tell me about it, show it to me.
2. In v. 13 James says, "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."
A. The truly wise person demonstrates his or her understanding of Christ by the way he or she lives.
B. Our works show where our hearts are invested. Do our attitudes and motives match our actions?
C. While we may not claim to be wise, we can aim at living in wise ways—a life of steady goodness.
D. The guidance given to us in God’s word is dependable wisdom. But as we seek to do good deeds, we must watch out for pride.
E. Pride is having an attitude of self-importance about the talents and abilities that God has given us and using them to set ourselves up as superior or to be divisive in our relationships with others.
F. Wisdom, then, involves both actions and attitudes in living. A wise life will display not only goodness, but also humility (Barton, 1083).
3. Then James describes the character and quality of Godly wisdom. In v. 17 he says, "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."
A. To be fruitful for God, we must have moral and spiritual integrity.
B. It is also peace loving. This is peace that goes beyond inner peace; it is opposed to strife.
i. It is peace between people, and between people and God. It must be peace that affects the community.
ii. Christians must not only prefer peace, but they should also seek to spread it.
C. It is gentle at all times. This is the opposite of self-seeking.
i. It does not demand its own right.
ii. To be gentle is to make allowances for others, to temper justice with mercy.
iii. It is the kind of treatment that we would like to receive from others.
D. This wisdom is also willing to yield to others. Heavenly wisdom is reasonable, flexible—willing to listen and to change.
E. Just as good soldiers willingly follow orders from their superiors, people with heavenly wisdom willingly follow God’s orders and respond to his correction.
F. This wisdom is also full of mercy and good deeds. God’s wisdom is full of God’s gracious forgiveness. And his love leads to practical action, helping and serving others.
G. We should be willing to forgive even when the problems we are facing are someone else’s fault.
H. God’s wisdom shows no partiality, meaning single-minded and free from prejudice toward people and without double-mindedness toward God (1:5-8).
I. Finally, it is always sincere, meaning “unhypocritical.” God’s wisdom makes people genuine (Barton, 1084).
4. James concludes in v. 18 saying, "And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness."
A. To "raise a harvest of righteousness" demands a certain kind of climate.
B. A crop of righteousness cannot be produced in the climate of bitterness and self-seeking.
C. Righteousness will grow only in a climate of peace. And it must be sown and cultivated by the "peacemakers."
D. Such persons not only love peace and live in peace but also strive to create conditions of peace (Burdick, The Expositor's Bible Commentary – Volume 12: Hebrews through Revelation, , 191).
B. Godly Wisdom
1. Illustration: Worldly wisdom says you need a plan even when God calls! Godly wisdom says the planning is done if God Calls!
2. True wisdom begins and ends with an understanding of God's character.
A. Psalm 111:10 (NLT)
10 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!
B. If you look at James description of wisdom you'll see that is centered and built upon the character of God.
C. Those that are wise are pure because God is pure.
D. Those that are wise are peace loving because God is peace loving.
E. Those that are wise are concerned with the feelings of others because God is concerned about others.
F. Those that are wise are full of mercy because God is all merciful.
G. Those that are wise are always doing good deeds because God is always giving good things to those in need.
H. Those that are wise show no favoritism because God doesn't show favoritism.
I. These are the characteristics of wisdom because they are the characteristics of God.
J. If you want to be truly wise then be a person who seeks after God.
K. If you want to be truly wise be a person of prayer.
L. If you want to be truly wise be a person of the Word.
M. If you want to be truly wise be a person who displays Christ in everything you do and in everything you say.
Transition: If you want to be wise follow Jesus!
CONCLUSION
1. Wisdom can best be understood by the single words what and how. Wisdom means knowing what something is, what is behind something, and what can be done. It is knowing how to use or relate to something (Practical Word Studies in The New Testament, 2312).
2. James tells us that there are basically two kinds of wisdom...
A. False Wisdom
B. Genuine Wisdom
3. TWO THINGS TO REMEMBER...
A. IF YOU WANT TO BE TRULY WISE BE CHRIST CENTERED AND NOT SELF CENTERED.
B. IF YOU WANT TO BE TRULY WISE LET THE LIGHT OF CHRIST SHINE IN YOUR ACTIONS AND YOUR WORDS.
