WISDOM VS STRENGTH
ECCLESIASTES 9:13-18
INTRO: HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK WISDOM IS IN EVERYDAY CHRISTIAN LIFE? I AM SURE MOST OF US HERE WOULD SAY VERY IMPORTANT. THEN LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION. HOW MANY OF YOU PRACTICE WISDOM EVERYDAY IN YOUR LIFE? IN THE EVERYDAY COMMON STRUGGLES WE ALL GO THROUGH? I WOULD LIKE TO CHALLENGE YOU DURING THIS SERVICE TO UNDERSTAND A FEW THINGS ABOUT WISDOM.
1. WISDOM IS NOT POPULAR. BEING POPULAR DOES NOT NECESSARILY MAKE YOU WISE, AND BEING WISE DOES NOT NECESSARILY MAKE YOU POPULAR.
a. A LOT OF PEOPLE PROBABLY DISAGREED WITH OUR PRESIDENT LAST NIGHT ON HIS ACTIONS AGAINST THE TERRORIST RESPONSIBLE FOR YESTERDAY’S TRAGEDY. PEOPLE SAID WE NEEDED TO ATTACK NOW! THE THOUGHTS ARE WE’RE THE BIGGEST, WE’RE THE STRONGEST. AND NO ONE MESSES WITH THE UNITED STATES. HOWEVER, THE LEADERS SAID WE WILL WAIT UNTIL WE INVESTIGATE AND FIND OUT WHO WERE THE ONES REALLY RESPONSIBLE.
b. IN OUR LIVES DON’T WE DO THE SAME? OUR THOUGHTS CAN BE: DON’T
MESS WITH ME I AM STRONGER THAN YOU, I AM PRETTIER THAN YOU, I AM RICHER THAN YOU, I HAVE GONE TO CHURCH LONGER THAN YOU, I HAVE READ MY BIBLE MORE THAN YOU, AND I AM JUST PLAIN OLD FASHIONED BETTER THAN YOU. OUR TENDENCY IS TO REACT QUICKLY TO THOSE WHO HURT US, BERTRAY US, OR EVEN JUST DISAGREE WITH US. LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE WISDOM WHEN DEALING WITH THESE TYPES OF ISSUES. DON’T BE SO QUICK TO REACT. THE BIBLE SAYS IN PROVERBS 14:29,” HE THAT IS SLOW TO WRATH IS OF GREAT UNDERSTANING, BUT HE THAT IS HASTY OF SPIRIT EXALTETH FOLLY.”
ILLUSTRATION: MY DAD TOLD ME TO NEVER MAKE DECISIONS BASED UPON EMOTION, BECAUSE IT WOULD ALWAYS RESULT IN A BAD DECISION.
THIS MAY NOT BE THE MOST POPULAR DECISION, BUT IT IS THE WISE DECISION. REMEMBER WHAT I SAID BEING WISE IS NOT THE POPULAR WAY TO HANDLE THINGS.
2. WISDOM IS DESPISED. CAN YOU RELATE TO VS 16? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE CHILDREN? TELL YOUR OWN STORY. HAVE YOU EVER FELT YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING IS PROBABLY TRUE, BUT YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT?
3. WISDOM IS BETTER THAN WEAPONS. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS IS OUR MOST DANEROUS WEAPON WE POSESS? TURN TO JAMES CHAPTER 3 AND READ VS 5-12. PREACH A LITTLE ABOUT THE DANGERS OF YOUR TONGUE. TELL A STORY HOW MY TONGUE HAS GOTTEN ME IN TROUBLE.
CLOSING: MY ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOU IN THIS SERVICE IS TO LEARN HOW IMPORTANT WISDOM IS IN YOUR EVERYDAY WALK WITH CHRIST. THIS IS A BASIC PRINCIPAL OF CHRISTIANITY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE WITH WHAT JAMES RECORDS IN HIS BOOK. JAMES 3:13-18
