What Are You Seeking Series

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James 3:13-18

“What are you seeking?”

“A person after the heart of God should also seek the wisdom of God.”

Sunday Morning Sermon

09.23.07

Intro: (Start with title and text)

A professor of mine said – “You will make time for the things that are important.” If church is important – you will make time for it. If your children are important you will make time for them, sacrifice and do what is in their best interest, even if the choice is tough. You will do and make time for, whatever is important to you.

Allow me to ask one of the most basic questions – why are you here this morning? The worship is good, the fellowship is good, and communion is a blessing, you have a good looking preacher who is humble. I would bet that all of us are here for different reasons, out of duty, out of love, a hope of encouragement for the week, fellowship with friendly people. There are a number of different reasons we come this morning, a number of different things and events that brought us here. Let me suggest the best reason is to seek after the heart of God. Regardless of what or who brought you here – could you agree with me that as the church body we should seek after the heart of God? Ok – good. If we are after the heart of God – it’s safe to say that we should also seek after the wisdom of God too.

Discussion:

You look like a pretty smart group of people – I think wisdom is a good thing. I think education and growing in your knowledge of something is excellent. I don’t believe you will ever graduate from your need to learn and grow in ability. I wouldn’t want a doctor to not read up on the latest research, because he already has his degrees and doesn’t need any more information. Part of giving your trust to a doctor or a mechanic, is that they are wise in their understanding of what is going on. I had a break job done on the explorer in August and it was pretty important to me that we find someone who could do the job professionally. Wisdom is a good thing.

What happens if, in your search for wisdom and knowledge – you move yourself away from the wisdom of God – Would you know it? What would happen if you began to question everything, and approached Christianity with such a doubt that you ended up at the opposite end of God’s will – would you know it? If you were, while reading God’s word, struck with an idea or a concept that was against what you were reading – would you know it? Here’s what I’m saying – wisdom is an excellent thing – but not if it moves you away from God. We are here this morning to seek after the wisdom of God.

Turn with me to James 3:13-18 (Read) (Advance)

Remember this is written to the church – to people who had a lot of religious background. A church who should have been going after and seeking the heart of God, and the wisdom of God, but wasn’t. James is going to set them straight and give them an understanding of the two kinds of wisdom. I think it’s important to identify the two kinds of wisdom

(Advance)

I. Wisdom that Fits (13-16)

I don’t mean that in a good way. Wisdom that is worldly is hard to separate from Godly wisdom – because it makes sense to our sinful nature. James separates the two – and says you can identify them by

a. Lifestyle – He says:

The wise and understanding will show their wisdom and understanding by their good life and deeds done in humility. The New American Standard says, (Advance) “…Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.”

i. Wisdom and good deeds

1. Work together – they compliment each other

If you are – if we are seeking after the wisdom of God we must show it by our deeds, in humility. This is a contrast to the world’s wisdom that says – I have to advance myself, or I have to be number one. This is a contrast to the world’s wisdom that puts personal advancement above people. The example we have from Jesus is servant hood. He could have been holding catfish buffets and healing revivals – He could have been king. (Advance)

Matthew 8:1-3 (NIV) 1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy Luke says this man was covered with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.