WISE OR OTHERWISE?
James 1:5-11
INTRODUCTION
A man was pulled over by a policeman and asked if he knew he was going too fast.
He said, ‘I’m sorry officer. I had my cruise control on and just forgot the speed limit changed.’ His wife said, ‘Harry, I told you two miles ago that you were speeding.’ Harry gives his wife a dirty look as the officer pulls out his ticket book.
‘By the way, sir, did you know that your left rear signal lense was broken?’ the policeman asks, to which Harry replies, ‘Oh wow, it must have just happened in the mall parking lot we just left.’ His wife again interrupts and says, ‘Harry, how can you sit there and lie to that nice policeman? I told you to fix that three weeks ago!’ Harry gives another look that could kill as the officer starts writing.
The policeman adds, ‘I am going to have to cite you for not wearing your seatbelt, also.’ Harry says, ‘I just unbuckled as you came up to the car so I could get to my driver’s license if you needed it.’ The little lady pipes up, ‘Harry, you know good and well, I tell you all the time that you better buckle up, ’cause YOU NEVER WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!’
Having taken all he can stand Harry turns to his tormentor and says with great exasperation, ‘Woman would you keep your big mouth shut!’
Now the officer looks at and addresses the little lady and asks, ‘does he verbally abuse you like this often, ma’am?’
Says she, ‘Oh no, only when he has had one drink too many.’
Abraham Lincoln said, ‘I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.’
Well this morning we come to that passage in James where it talks about true wisdom and how to get it. Let’s consider what this wisdom James is talking about really is.
WHAT IS WISDOM?
Is it the same as knowledge? Is wisdom really just another name for knowledge?
(AWAIT RESPONSE)
Knowledge is closely aligned with wisdom – listen to 2 Chr 1:10-12 (READ PASSAGE) But as Billy Graham says, ‘Knowledge is horizontal; wisdom is vertical and comes from above.’ Scripture makes it clear that they often go together – but you can be knowledgeable & yet unwise. LOOK UP THE SCRIPTURES ON YOUR OUTLINE AT YOUR OWN LEISURE TO PROVE THIS. So knowledge isn’t wisdom – but wisdom is knowledgeable. Wisdom knows what is right. Do you understand the difference?
Is wisdom discernment? Is discernment really another name for wisdom?
(AWAIT RESPONSE)
Likewise discernment is often linked with wisdom in Scripture – (READ PROV 17:24). Scripture makes it clear that discernment and wisdom often go together, but as the passages on your outline indicate it is not the same as wisdom. Discernment isn’t wisdom – but wisdom is discerning. And discerning the need for wisdom is wise! They go together – yet discernment is not wisdom.
Is wisdom understanding? Could the word understanding replace wisdom?
(AWAIT RESPONSE)
Listen to an example of how understanding is often linked to wisdom – (READ PROV 3:19; 24:3). And yet again understanding although closely tied to wisdom is not wisdom. Once again the passages on your outline proclaim this.
How would you define the wisdom James is referring to?
(AWAIT RESPONSE)
Wisdom = not so much what we need to know as what we need to do! ‘Who is wise & understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.’ (James 3:13) It is being able to detect God’s hand in our everyday circumstances and face them in a godly way. Wisdom is what is true and right combined with good judgment. That’s wisdom! And that’s the wisdom that James is encouraging us to seek. In James 3:17 we are told this, ‘But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy & good fruit, impartial & sincere.’
Now according to this James passage,
1. To Whom Is The Promise Directed?
Look at James 1:5, ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.’
We need to recognise that James is addressing believers – those who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember vs 1, ‘James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations…’
So this God-inspired word from James is directed to those in the family of God. ARE YOU PART OF THAT FAMILY? Scripture teaches us clearly that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Do you reverence, trust & hold in awe the one & only true & living God? ‘James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations…’ ‘…If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God …’
The first WISE step we can make is to turn from running our own lives and become like James who declared himself to be a ‘servant’, a ‘bond-slave’ of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Having established that this exhortation is for Christians – who amongst them is it applicable to?
Listen again to verse 5, ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.’
To whom amongst the family of believers is this applicable?
(AWAIT RESPONSES)
‘If any of you lacks…’
It is the person who does not have. ‘If any of you lacks wisdom…’
Do we as Christians need wisdom?
(AWAIT RESPONSES)
Of course we do!
The only people to whom this exhortation and promise does NOT apply are those who do not recognize their need. Those people will not ask because the need is not perceived. How utterly tragic!
There is a very real sense in which the Christian is wise – for Christ is his wisdom! Listen to 1 Cor 1:20-24 & 30 (READ PASSAGE). So the Christian is, in one sense wise, in that he has been made right with God through Jesus. The beginning of wisdom – the fear of the Lord has been to some extent established. However, it does not necessarily follow, unfortunately, that the Christian is wise in thought and action. Whether it is perceived or not we all need wisdom. And I want to suggest that James very well knew this.
So to whom is this promise directed?
a. Christians and,
b. Christians who perceive their need
This leads to our second point -
2. What Actually Is It That We Are Instructed To Seek?
When the going gets tough what are we to ask for?
Does James exhort us to ask for deliverance from the trial? Are we encouraged to seek an easy life? Does he suggest that we find the easy way out?
You’ll observe that we are not instructed to pray for the trial to be removed, or for deliverance, or for ease – and yet this is very common in our prayers, isn’t it? God is concerned about making us mature in Jesus. He’s concerned about character transformation. He’s concerned about the fruit of the Spirit.
God says this about Job, ‘…my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’ (Job 1:8)
Here’s a man whom God Himself proclaims to be the most righteous man on the face of the earth – who after going through severe testing says this, ‘My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.’ (Job 42:5)
Job, a man who trusted in God, had his life changed through hardship – he became mature.
Nor, are we directed to pray for patience, or for a stronger faith. What we need in facing life’s challenges is, first and foremost, Divine wisdom.
Then, having wisdom, we will be able to go through what we now detect God in. I believe that one of the main causes for complaining arises simply because we are not wise enough to see God.
3. From Whom Are We To Seek?
Obviously God! ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God …’
o God delights in giving. ‘… ask God, who gives generously to all…’
o God gives continually. ‘… ask God, who gives …’ - the present continuous tense
o God gives not finding fault. ’… ask God, who gives … without finding fault …’
How wonderful! – God delights in giving, He continually gives and He gives without finding fault.
Why do you think He gives without finding fault?
I believe it is because He knows we need this wisdom to live the Christian life!
‘If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.’
4. How Are We To Seek?
a. I must be a believer. We’ve spoken of this earlier. But this is foundational.
b. I must ask. You do not have because you do not ask. And when you do ask you ask with wrong motives.
c. I must ask in faith. Not only must you have faith – you must be in the Faith. As mentioned earlier you need to belong to Jesus.
The doubting man dishonours God. When God makes a clear promise, He will grant it, and if we come before Him doubting we dishonour Him.
Further, the doubting man is unstable in all his ways James tells us. He is double minded and cannot, by reason of his very nature, receive that which is sure. How can he ever know where he stands! One moment he thinks yes the next he thinks no.
Believe in God – ask for His wisdom – trust Him for the outcome!
5. What Benefit Is Wisdom?
‘If God were to come to you one day and say, ‘I’m going to give you one wish. You can ask for anything in the whole world. You can have one wish.’ What would you ask for? A guy got a chance at that one time. In the Old Testament, God came to Solomon and said, ‘You’re the king of Israel. I’m going to grant you one wish. What do you want more than anything else in life?’ Solomon thought it over and said, ‘I’m so inadequate as a leader. I don’t know what to do with these people. More than anything else I want wisdom. I want to be able to think the way You think, to see things from Your point of view, be able to make decisions the way You would make them. I don’t want to make mistakes. I don’t want to look back on my life later and have regrets. I want wisdom.’ The Bible says that God was pleased with that request. He granted it to him, just like God always gives wisdom to those that ask for it. He said, ‘Solomon, because you asked for wisdom, I’m going to give you the other things too: wealth, fame, long life.’ Solomon not only became the wisest man, but he was the wealthiest man, a famous person, and he lived a long life.
If God came to you and said, ‘What do you want in life more than anything else?’ If you could have one wish from God, what would you ask for? Would you ask for wisdom? He says, that’s how important wisdom is. Proverbs says, ‘If you don’t get anything else, get wisdom.’ ‘ (Rick Warren ‘How To Make Up Your Mind’ James 1:5-11)
What benefit is wisdom? It is beyond compare!
Choose God – choose life – ask for His wisdom – believe, anticipate the promise!
PR 4:7 ‘Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
PR 4:8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honour you.
PR 4:9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendour.’
Sermon Outline
02 March 2003
‘WISE OR OTHERWISE?’
James 1:5-11
Pt 3 of a series entitled ‘Living by Faith’ taken from the
book of James
‘If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.’ (James 1:2)
True Wisdom and how to get it
Wisdom Isn’t:
* It’s not: ____________________________
(see 1 Cor 8:1-3; Heb 10:26-27; Rom 1:28)
* It’s not: ____________________________
(see Prov 3:21; Ps 119:125)
* It’s not: ____________________________
(see Prov 2:6; 3:5; Ezek 28:4-7; Col 1:9)
Wisdom is: ___________________________________
___________________________________
1. To Whom Is The Promise Directed?
a. ________________________________________ (James 1:1)
b. ________________________________________ (James 1:5)
2. What Actually Is It We Are Instructed To Seek?
* Not: ____________________________
* Not: ____________________________
3. From Whom Are We To Seek?
* God delights in ____________________
‘… ask God, who gives generously to all ...’
* God gives _____________________
‘… ask God, who gives ...’
* God gives not _____________________
‘...ask God, who gives … without finding fault ...’
4. How Are We To Seek?
a. I must be a _________________________
‘… To the twelve tribes …’ (cf. John 9:31)
b. I must _________________________
‘… he should ask God …’
c. I must ask without ___________________
‘… when he asks, he must believe and not doubt…’
5. What Benefit Is Wisdom?
_____________________________________
(Prov 4:7; 8:11; 16:16; Eph 1:17; Js 3:17)
For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Prov 2:6)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Prov 9:10)
AM I WISE OR OTHERWISE?
