Sylvania Wesleyan Church 1
Sunday Morning 8/31

      • Proverbs 16:3NIV2011

  • Good Morning. I am so glad that we can be here together this morning.
    Over the last several years if you have been attending church here you might have heard me say something like this.
    The sins today are the same as back then but the biggest difference is how fast they are coming at us.
    The Speed at which life is changing and information comes at us is absolutely amazing these days. It also creates alot of challenges for us as we naviagte the world today. WE have access to information and both good and bad at just our finger tips.
    This is very interesting given that it is labor day weekend.
    Labor day weekend exists to remind us of the labor and strength that is needed in our country to achieve al that we have.
    Today we don’t have to work as hard as we used to. Our lives are marked by comfort and ease. We sit back and can enjoy the fruits of our labor.
    The bad part about this is there are a lot of people out there who get information but don’t know how to use that information. We all get the opportunity to think that we are right because we can all access the information. To problem comes is that there is a lot of incomplete, or one sided information out there that informs many of us.
    The art of being critical thinkers and discerning has become even more important.
    We live in a word where I am right and you are wrong. Maybe this image will help us understand it.

    6 and 9 image

    Who is right here. The man saying 6 or the man saying 9. the truth is that both are right but the perspective matters. Like the information that we take in we have to remember that there are different points of view and that if we aren’t careful we can look really foolish when we walk to the other side of the number.
    James shares with us the truth that we have to always remember we have to seek wisdom as Christians and we must look for where it comes. Let’s read together in chapter 3.
    James 3:13–18 NIV
    13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

    Wisdom

    There are a lot of people who have a lot of words to say out there. Yet, as a call back to earlier passages James calls us to examine the actions of people not just their words.
    James calls the people to look to the wise people of their day and then look at their lives. Do their words match their actions.
    Going back to the idea of how often we have access to information out there. How often do we hear about people who live life a certian way and then they get caught in the act of doing something else. It is always a shock and a surprise and people didn’t expect it. Yet when it happens it is a gut punch to the words that those people have spoken.
    Also takes us back to last week to be reminded of how important it is to hold those who teach and lead to high standards.
    Yet, people of wisdom who live out their lives in a way that is honorable and matches the words that they speak. It gives us confidence in what they say and we look to those people. Yet, is this the only aspect of wisdom we should look at.
    Can someone be wise but the wisdom not be from God.
    James 3:14–16 NIV
    14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

    Earthly Wisdom

    Earthly wisdom is can exist in the world. People can say things that sound like they are good ideas or valuable thoughts but they can be awful truths to live by.
    Often times the mark of these kinds of emotions or ambitions. The desire to seek and to pursue things with a self interested approach does not line up with the teachings of God.
    Our faith is marked by an attitude of sacrifice not by one of selfish ambition. WE are to let go of the things of the world and focus instead on that of how we can honor God.
    We are to give of ourselves just like Christ did for us on the Cross.
    Think about it for a moment the things that the world would say are wise fly in the face of what we think as Christians.
    Earn all the money! Do what it takes to get to the top! Look out for #1. so many other attitudes that the world wants to tell us are ok but we must remember truths like this.
    Hebrews 13:16 NIV
    16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
    or we can go back to James
    James 3:17 NIV
    17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

    Heavenly Wisdom

    Pure. Well that right there alone is a lofty standard.
    Peace loving
    Considerate
    Submissive
    Full of Mercy and Good fruit
    Impartial and sincere
    I thought about this list of descriptive words for heavenly wisdom and one of the common threads that strings them all together is the fact that they are centered on others not on the person delivering the wisdom.
    With our words and actions the idea to seek out the guidance that brings these attributes is a powerful one. It is the prayer that we all should have.
    To ask God to provide us the words and the actions that will lead to these kinds of results.
    Have you ever done that before?
    Have you ever asked God entering into a tough situation, that you seek his guidance and direction in the situation.
    Have you ever asked him for the words to say?
    This has become a regular practice for myself. It is always difficult because there are moments that everyone is looking for different answers or insights. Sometimes they want you to say something to reassure them and that is something you can’t give.
    Sometimes people are looking for a truth that they haven’t heard before.
    Sometimes its entering into a situation where there are no right answers yet God provides in ways we can’t even begin to imagine.
    Sometimes its in our actions. There are times that no words are needed at all. That we are to simply be there as a means of mercy and love in our presence.
    These things come from Heaven because we ask for them. God’s wisdom is to be sought after and desired as we engage the world in all aspects.
    How might our lives change if we started asking him for more wisdom on the daily?

    True Wisdom

    In this last moments I have asked you a lot of questions. It is always a challenge to think that we are called to live a life that begins first with submission.
    The submission that we don’t know it all despite the face that we might think we might be the expert.
    The Submission to the idea that Wisdom comes from God and that needs to be filled with peace, love, consideration, submission, mercy and sincerity.
    That we will let our words and actions reflect our trust in God not in our individual knowledge.
    That begins by us submitting to him. To letting God have is own way.
    To letting him shape us.
    In fact lets close out by singing that last hymn we sung one more time. Join me.

      • James 3:13–18NIV2011

      • James 3:14–16NIV2011

      • Hebrews 13:16NIV2011

      • James 3:17NIV2011

Sylvania Wesleyan Church 1
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