Where Do You Get Your Wisdom

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR WISDOM FROM? James 3:13-18

We can find wisdom in a lot of places if we’ll just look for it:

• My of us have heard the phrase, “Out of the mouths of babes…” (Psalm 8:2)

I want to share with you some wisdom from kids:

• No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize a cat.

• When your mom is mad at your dad don’t let her brush your hair.

• You can’t trust a dog to watch your food.

• Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a tic-tac.

• You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.

• Never trust a dog to watch your food.

• When your dad is mad and asks, “Do I look stupid?” Don’t answer him.

Like I said, we can find wisdom in a lot of places if we’ll just look for it.

• But this morning I want to ask you a question: Where do you get your wisdom from? (v. 13)

• We studied this in Bible study the other night, and when we did, I didn’t have any idea that I would be preaching about it this morning ~ but sometimes that’s the way God works!

I). Where do you get your wisdom from?

A). Sounds like a simple question doesn’t it? Especially in a church!

• But is it? Not really.

• The Bible here tells us about two different kinds of wisdom.

B). And both of them show (or reveal) themselves in the kind of life that we live!

II). The first place we can get our wisdom is from the world.

A). But there are several problems (read vv. 14,15)

• The Holy Spirit tells that there are (at least) three things wrong with this wisdom: B). First, worldly wisdom is just that: it’s from the world.

• It’s standards are worldly ~ it’s sources are worldly ~ it measures success in worldly terms ~ and it’s aims and ambitions are worldly.

C). Because it is worldly, it is also unspiritual.

• Worldly wisdom doesn’t desire the things of God, but the things of man.

• Worldly wisdom tells you that there is no God ~ there is no sin ~ there is no heaven or hell or need for salvation.

• Romans 8:5, “Those who are living in the way of the flesh give their minds to the things of the flesh…” (BBE)

D). Third, the Word says that this kind of wisdom is “devilish.”

• The source of this wisdom is not God, but the devil. As a result, it produces the kinds of situations that the devil delights in ~ and often the results, too.

• What are those results:

o Disorder and confusion in people & the Church

o People are pushed apart rather than being brought together.

o Ministries are being torn down rather than built up.

o The Mission of the Church is lesser than before rather than greater.

o Instead of producing peace, it produces strife.

o Rather than people going out and “making disciples for the kingdom of God and for the transformation of the world” we are sitting in the Church desiring to be served.

• Jesus said it plainly in John 8:44, “Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants.” (CEV).

• That’s the result when we get out wisdom from the world.

III). But James tells us that there’s a better place to get wisdom (vv. 17-18).

A). True wisdom comes from God: We can never attain it, it must be given and received.

• Remember what the Lord did when Solomon asked:

• 1Kings 3:5-12, One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the LORD God appeared to him in a dream and said, "Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you." Solomon answered: My father David, your servant, was honest and did what you commanded. You were always loyal to him, and you gave him a son who is now king. LORD God, I'm your servant, and you've made me king in my father's place. But I'm very young and know so little about being a leader. And now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count. Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don't, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours. God said: Solomon, I'm pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions. So I'll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live.