True wisdom

Philip Swinburn

Messy Church • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

James 3:13–18

Wisdom

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Do you think you’re wise? [CLICK]

Question James asks.

scale 1-10. [won’t say but some will be sitting there thinking - yeah im quite wise]

what does it look like to be truly wise?

when we think of wisdom. Wise sayings. example.

We sometimes do a pub quiz,, and dont usually do that well. But the same team alwasy wins. Full of this group who have a random set of knowlegde.

wise ssayings. Good things come to those who wait. “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” " a balanced diet is a cookie in each hand”

Expert wisdom. Know more and more about less and less until you know everything about nothing!

maybe its appearance. Grey hair, glasses. certificates on the wall. beards. How you doing on the wisdom.

What does it mean to be truly wise? What be benefit does wisdom have. I’m not wise, but I am funny.

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Seek true wisdom from God, and let it produce a life of blessing and goodness.

Two types of wisdom we live by. And what James wants to show us is that in the end the truly wise person will be evident by their lives.

The entirety of our lives portray our wisdom. Not just what we say on Sunday, but everything - our lives at home, at work, at school, in the car, in the pub, club. Wisdom is about what dominates our thoughts, what we are living for, what we give our time to. It includes what we say.

Ronseal. Does exactly what it says on the tin. Wisdom does what it says on the tin.

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Don’t live by the false wisdom of the world.

Read v13-15

Hear is what worlds wisdom says. whispers in your ears.

Bible makes very clear that the eternal God made a world, and designed it to work a certain way. It was the best way. God is for God. He

It’s a Friday night. You’ve had a long day at work, but you get home and your wife says :wonderful husband. Why don’t you sit down. You must be so tired. You work so hard providing for the family. How was your day. Now while I make your favourite dinner, why don’t you think about what you want to do tonight. I just want to make you happy. Tomorrow is Saturday. There is loads to do in the house, but you have worked so hard, why don’t you go fishing. you deserve it. I hope you really enjoy it and I can’t wait to hear all about it when you get home. Don’t worry that baby is due next week, I’ll get everything ready, why should you have to do it? It doesn’t help you relax or make you feel good. And the other kids - don’t worry, I know they are a bit manic today, you just sit, and I’ll deal with them.

Hears what worlds wisdom says:

What does worldly wisdom say???

[CLICK] [PAUSE]

Its all about me!

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Life is about me

v14. Wisdom that is selfish in its very nature. Me and my ambitions. It is the anthem of our culture. You’re number one. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Worlds wisdom is basically about “knowing and submitting to the heart of me in way we think, speak and act.

Bible makes very clear that God is for

It shows in our cultures attitude to freedom of speech. THere is no right way to live, but the way you decide. We live in a world of self definition. You way is the right way - unless it goes against the majority view.

Shows in our cultures attitude of entitlement. We believe we are entitled to everything, The world revolves around me, it’s all about me, therefor I am entitle to the world.

shows in our victimhood culture - I am not to blame but am a victim of my circumstances and deserve to be treated better.

It shows in politics - in Brexit. All the campaigning leave or remain, all the negotiations since - what has been the focus - what is best for Britain - forget rest of Europe. ANd more specifically what are we encouraged to base our vote on - the policies and promises that best fit what I want. Better health, security, wealth, education, social care, business benefits. its all about me and its all about now...

[CLICK]

Our world says life is all about me - tempted to go along because it suits us quite nicely.

Life is only about now

Read v15

Worldly wisdom is about me and its also about now. Earthy. Sort of wisdom that thinks only about the hear and now. Revolves around our happiness and comfort now.

illustration. Take hand put it up in the air. Imagine to the right is eternity past and to left is eternity future. hand span is your life. Put in front of face. What can you see? nothing else. blinded.

Worlds wisdom blinds us to anything beyond the hear and now. And it leaves us in the dark. Because when we decide life is all about me, who is there no room for - God. Or at least not the God of the bible. Because we want to play God. worldly wisdom is unspiritual because we move to be autonomous beings,self dependendent and self reliant - and so no room for power of God, or His Spirit. Our lives become a series of our own achievements or

Perhaps most chilling about this world view - Demonic - fueled by the Father of lies, v14. if you harbour this kind of wisdom don’t boast about it because it denies the truth. Sorry if this shocks you. But life is not about you. You are not the point of the universe. You are not the centre which everything revolves around. God’s greatest purpose is not to make you happy.

Unspiritual. All about me and not about God. It all about stuff and not about soul. No confidence in the power of the Spirit but only a reliance on human reason and emotion. - what I feel or think decides what is true.

Theology we need to get into our heads.

Theology we need to hold - God greatest purpose is to Glorify himself. Created a world in which he is boss. He designed life to be a certain way. In that design creation lived in perfect harmony - knowing its place under his rule.

But Satan in the garden what does he do - offers the fruit form the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve enticed by it - what lie is he selling to her - that she can play God. And the moment she beliefs it this vicious spiral begins - Adam joins in, their union is broken and blame games begin, they experience shame, separation and death.

And this sort of wisdom has infected humanity. The whole of society.

It is worldly wisdom that says my comfort is more important that a unborn child life.

It is worldly wisdom that draws people into huge amount of debt to satisfy that nows need.

It’s worldly wisdom that makes little of marriage because when someone stops being what you want, you should just leave them.

It’s worldly wisdom that says

Its worldly wisdom that says that school is all about me, so if teachers don’t let me do my thing, i’,m not going to respect them.

It’s worldly wisdom ....leads to fights in street because someone cut you up on the road

worldly wisdom that means we hear about celebrities abusing their position and power and influence in all kind of horrible ways.

worldly wisdom that leaves so many insecure about image because they don’t fit popular trends

its worldly wisdom that says my truth over rules objective facts, and so I can define myself however I want.

worldly wisdom that makes tv shows out of personal drama.

Worldly wisdom that causes a man to slander, steel, cheat, kill.

Why - because it comes out of selfish desire and envy - and unchecked it will lead to disorder and every evil practice. How can I prove it to you any more?

It was worldly wisdom that led a group of the most religious people around to take the greatest person who ever lived and get him killed on a Roman Cross. The height of insanity of worldly wisdom.

Crazy.. Jesus the greatest force of good ever to walk the earth. Wherever he went he brought light, healing, salvation, rescue, restoration. But what did it do for religious leaders, who boasted in their own wisdom - out of jealousy, envy, selfish ambition, they got him arrested and killed. Following worldly wisdom the crowds who had been witness to his greatness, went along and shouted crucify. The disciples who had followed this great man Jesus for 3 years, what did worldly wisdom and selfish ambition do for them - in the last moments in self preservation one denied Jesus publicly and the others simply slipped away.

That is where worldly wisdom leads. Because when we make it all about me, and about now, and not about the God of the bible, selfish ambition and envy will rule. and the product will be disorder and every evil practice.

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Soon find that life will spiral. As we go to war with everyone and everything that challenges the me centered universe.

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Find ourselves at war with God....

[CLICK] Very heart of sin is a heart of prideful independence. When we want to put ourselves in the place of God. In small and big things we will live as if God is dead, or God is distant or God is bad because he does not stoop to fulfil my personal desires. When life is difficult we will blame him, get angry at him.

illustration. God

silly example.

Serious example. When life doesnt pan out as we dreamed.

“If your Dad is crusty and your mum's in a flap And you spill the custard in your sister's lap If you're sent to bed and you don't know why And you can't get to sleep and you just want to cry”

remember the Lord. - worldly wisdom says oh yeah remember? IT’s his fault i’m in this mess.

spiral. life is about me. self ambition and envy go hand in hand. If its about me, then why should anyone have what I don’t have.

Serious example. When life doesn’t pan out as we dreamed. When my selfish, self dependent ambitions don’t come true -

Serious example. When life doesn’t pan out as we dreamed.

And when suffering comes, and we don’t understand, then we say God can’t be good. Because if I can’t understand it and make sense of it, then it must be outside of a good God’s control.

As we listen to wisdom of world find ourselves dissatisfied with God of bible because he fit in the box we want him to.

And all of this leaves us rebellion against him. As we turn away.

[CLICK]

Find ourselves at war with others.... wife - example, kids example, - when they require your attention again, and interupt what you want to do, or embarrss you - you end up bitter because they challenge your selfosh ambition of easy life. So you resent them Or are sharp with them. Or dismiss them.

colleagues, classmates - find bitterness towards those more popular than you who don’t include you or accept, or those who have all the gadgets, or those who don’t agree with everything you say. friends, teachers, drivers, (think about 11+)

Find ourselves at war with ourselves. restless striving, dissatisfaction, unhappiness. .... (think about 11+)

Matt Chandler - “the more life is about you the more miserable you will be”

Hard to hear because in some way or another, to different extent we all would love world to be about me. But actually when we listen to worlds wisdom that says its all about me and about now. All we find is misery (even if we are too proud to admit it) We find discontent. Even if we get what we desire, it’s not enough. We find restlessness, as continual battle for self fulfilment is endless and exhausting, and we find uncertainty.

Sound familiar?

In worlds wisdom ident

Heres the problem. We all want a bit of the worlds wisdom. We love to make life about me, but when we do it wrecks our relationships with God and others and enslaves us. We become slaves to trying to fulfil a self made identity. Consumes us.

Demonic. based on lies rooted in our flesh, from devil, and we believe them. no truth but my truth.

war against others, and war against God

Where are you listening to worldy wisdom in your life? Look for the fruit. Where do you see disorder and chaos, and evil practices? Where at you at war. Is it in family life? In relationship with spouse or kids? Is it at work? Is it in the car? Is it in your thoughts - what dominates your thinking? Speech? Wild tongue?

Don’t live by the worlds wisdom- how?

Why do

One Pastor. The person who does you the most hard is you.

Demonic. based on lies rooted in our flesh, from devil, and we believe them. no truth but my truth.

Life is only about now

I know what your thinking - sounds great! You know how I know you are thinking that.. because it does sound great - accept to the wife in this senario. If it doesnt sound great maybe you are the wife thinking as if! But why does it appeal to us - its all about me.

It’s says life is about me.

It says life is

James says dont live by wisdom of world - don’t boast in it.

v14. But where does it come from? v15.

illustration of our me centred culture. Brexit negotiotiations. But notice all of the campaigning what has it been about - what do heart strings do they pull on. Britain first. You first. Your wealth, security, happiness, quality of life.

Do you find trouble or make enemies everywhere you go?

Wjat consumes your thought life? Is it about what can help you know God, or is it all consumed with things in this life - a better car, house, fishing rod. When you enjoy something good, does it point you to a creator God, or have you stopped thinking about him?

In your speech, do you seek to build others up

Problem - we love it. Love to think life is about me. Love to put ourselves at centre.

Why? That is the heart of the world around us. World says you are number one. World that has rejected God as a sovereign being and chosen autonomy - says there is no right way yet same time says my way is right way.

NEED TO RECOGNISE IT, because it has far more influence that we realise?

Gods wisdom grows

Continually ask God for his true wisdom.

Wisdom that wins

Read v13, then 17-18.

Is this not the sort of wisdom you want to be listening to. Sort of wisdom that produces a life of goodness.

I want some of that! Where can i get it? v 17. Heaven. It’s from above. From God.

So we need to ask him for it. continually, and he will give it to us generously and increasingly.

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If you lack knowledge go to school, if you lack wisdom get on your knees.

Maybe little disappointed in answer - we’d love to work for wisdom. Gain wisdom.

What is true wisdom - sort James is talking about. It’s about knowing and submitting to the heart of God in every aspect of our lives.

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Way we get it is by first recognising that God is God and we are not. (sorry to burst bubble). ANd it means recognising at the same time that God is for God before he is for us. His greatest purpose and mission is to bring Glory to himself. Not to bow to our every desire. The universe is his, and everything it. And he made it for his glory -to the praise of his glory, and he gave life a specific design to that end. We’re only start to ask for wisdom when we acknowledge and accept that - but also see that its a good thing for us.

If we are going to seek true wisdom we need to get this, but also we need to see that life being about God and not about us is the best possible way to live. Living out God’s design is the most enjoyable, satisfying, fulfilling way to live. Its the way we were designed. We were designed to praise.

Might need convincing.

C.s.Lewis in talking about his reluctant conversion said he came to a realisation.

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All enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise. . . . The world rings with praise—lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favourite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favourite game. . . . I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment

When we realise that God greatest purpose is to Glorify himself, but that it is good news for us because God has designed life in such a way that his creation is supposed to do well.

Background in design, and i never went very far in industry and others in my field were much better designers, but I did know that what makes a name for a designer - brings them glory is when they design a product that is good, and when

New pram. I love prams. Designer they are fasinating. Mechanisms, erganomics, way we interact, accessories. Our Pram is a Jane -I don’t know if that because designer was called Jane, but lets say it is. Jane as designed this prams we great thought and consideration. So that they are smooth, and easy when being used as prams. It would not do Jane any favour to design a pram that is dangerous for children or parents. Fell apart of had sharp bits. If I decided I wanted to take Janes pram, and use it as a go kart. My right. It would not go well. And there would be no point going back to Jane and getting angry because her pram didnt design her pram to meet my needs.

God created world to bring Glory to himself. And nothing brings God glory more than when his creation flourishes because it follows the blueprint. Nothing Glorifies God more when we live our lives with him as God, and find our enjoyment complete through praising him, in way we think, speak and act. And it’s good for us. We get the very best of him. But it means letting God be God, and recognising that we are creation not creator. It means living a life that says someone else knows better.

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Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God’s holiness and sovereignty…acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours. J.I.Packer

It will look like foolishness o the world because it is a life of humility. and weakness.

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Where does do we see the greatest display of God’s wisdom? More than 2000 years ago, in a manger in poverty. Over space of 30 years or so of an ordinary looking man doing extraordinary deeds of love and speaking words of authority. As Jesus the one who it is all about - the eternal Son of God on earth in form of a man, does not use his power to retaliate but lays it down and willingly goes to the cross. And it meets climax at the Cross. as God’s wisdom and worldly wisdom clash. As Jesus takes on himself the consequences of world wisdom. As he takes on himself our rebellion, our autonomy, our me centred life, and dies in our place, the worldly scoffs at his humiliation. But in that moment what is Jesus doing. He is making a mockery of Worldly wisdom, and Satan. Because in God’s perfect wisdom he had planned before to save those who will listen and trust in the Truly wise Son of God, who victoriously rose.

But what does this wisdom look like a life of good deeds done in humility. It will look like foolishness to the world because it’s not self centred but Jesus centred. But what we find as we accept God as God, and recognise our own limitedness, weakness, fragility, is that rather than being enslaved to our selfish ambitions, our desperate restless war, instead we find freedom. Because when we come to God on his terms, we meet Jesus - who offers us life. and life to the full. Removes the vail of me and now, and shows us life from perspective of eternity, that is all about a God who gives us life and out of love gives his Son and adopts us as children, and to his children generously gives all that they need. - including the wisdom to live life as it was designed to be lived.

Seen as foolishness in worlds eyes, but it is true wisdom - God given wisdom, and just look at what this sort of wisdom produces

Read v17-18 again. how James describes character of wisdom, you might have noticed its similar to fruits of the Spirit. Wisdom is synonymous with a spirit led life. Letting God direct every aspect of our lives, and letting his Spirit produce in us a new character. day by day. as he closes our ears to wisdom of world and opens them to voice of Father.

Counter cultural, because it comes in humit

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v17. We’ll grow in a wisdom that is peace loving, not war mongering. As those who have been given peace with God, we’ll see it flow into all relationships. As dearly loved children no longer need to make identity for ourselves and clash with those who don’t help, but secure free to love others as we are loved.

17. We’ll grow in a wisdom that is peace loving, not war mongering. Why because instead of trying to get glory for ourselves whatever it takes to build our identity, we are freed as children of God to love as he loves, and let peace rule our hearts. Doesn’t mean there wont be disagreements, but it does mean that rather than seeking to win arguments to boast in our knowledge, we will instead seeking to lead each other to our perfectly wise God, and find unity in his love. v18. Striking isnt it. Wisdom of world - selfish leaves distruption and evil, as go to war, leaves wounds and hurt and brokeness, but peeace produces righteousness. Godliness, goodness. And more we sow this peaece - greater the harvest.

Doesn’t mean there wont be disagreements, but it does mean that rather than seeking to win arguments to boast in our knowledge, we will instead seeking to lead each other to our perfectly wise God, and find unity in his love. v18. Striking isnt it. Wisdom of world - selfish leaves distruption and evil, as go to war, leaves wounds and hurt and brokeness, but peeace produces righteousness. Godliness, goodness. And more we sow this peaece - greater the harvest.

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Considerate. It means we will be reasonable in the demands we make on others. When life is all about me, I will wear people down to get what I want. There is no room for their needs, struggles. But when I understand that God is God and I am not, but rather I am a dearly loved part of creation, then ill also see that so are those who are around me - and their value and nourishment and care is equal to mine. I’ll be freed to love my neighbour as myself. Not over burdening them.

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True wisdom produces submissiveness. a willingness to learn. because my value and identity are not hanging on me knowing everything - thank goodness. It frees us from those awful conversations where Im not really listening but waiting for the other person to stop so I can say what I think. Instead it means being open to God’s voice, not deciding what I think he saying, but letting his word, and the wisdom of others as they submit to God guide my way of thinking.

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Full of mercy. Because a heart that is living with God at the centre and not self is a heart that loves others, and has compassion on those in distress. Even if they’ve brought it on themself!

Full of good fruit. True wisdom will produce good deeds done in humility. No need to boast about them. As we let God be God, and find all that we need in his good design for our lives, we are freed to live out the life he has given us - a life of love and good deeds, not done out of selfish motive, but because it is our joy to serve God and others.

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And in these things there will be no partiality - because we no longer need to pick only those who can offer us something in return, but are freed to love everyone, with sincerity instead of ulterior motive.

Sounds so good doesn’t it. But it starts with a right understanding that God is God and I am not. But as his creation he has designed life in such a way that I can find true joy and satisfaction, and identity and enjoyment expressed in praising him, in a way that frees me to do good.

I wonder what sort of wisdom your life shows? It might not always be obvious on outside. But im praying that already Spirit has started to exposes areas where worlds wisdom has taken root. What can you do about it? How do we grow in true wisdom? What wisdom are you living by? What fruit is showing in your life? Where do you see the worlds wisdom at play? Ask God for His wisdom to take root and strive to live his way in his world.

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How do we grow in true wisdom?

Strive for nn ever growing understanding of the God of the bible.

Eartly wisdom tells lies about what God is like, so we need to fill ourselves with true picture -revealed in scripture. - gather round word on Sunday,

Grow in dependence on God of the bible. Get on your knees. Let God by his Spirit lead you into life of love.

pray. pray as you get in the car. pray as you arrive at work. Pray through frustrations and struggles, in shower, in morning at night. let it become a habit.

Walk with other Christians who are growing in wisdom. (surround ourselves with worldly wisdom all the time then its no surprise that we end up listening so much

Remind yourself every day that life is not about you and experience the freedom of service.

Is about me -selfish ambition and envy

comes from wrong view of God. View that thinks only about the now.

James urges us don’t listen to wisdom of world, But let God’s wisdom produce in you a harvest of righteousness.

Earthly. Concerns itself only with the hear and now.

Demonic. based on lies rooted in our flesh, from devil, and we believe them. no truth but my truth.

Where does it lead? War.

True wisdom

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