Truth Baptist Church
Mark 1:12-20

      • Mark 1:17ESV

  • Majesty
  • What A Beautiful Name
  • Victory In Jesus
  • Because He Lives
  • Intro
    3 points
    Jesus Takes on the Enemy V12-13
    Jesus Usher’s in the Kingdom of God
    Jesus Turns Fishermen into Fisher’s of Men
    Jesus Takes on the Enemy V12-13
    The Spirit immediately drives Him out and into the wilderness
    Mark loves this word “immediately” he uses the Greek word behind this phrase 42 times
    Jesus is focused & on-mission and He keeps an extremely efficient pace of His public ministry is dizzying
    He is constantly on the move, and if He’s not preaching, healing, or discipling
    He is making time to get alone with God and praying for extended periods of time
    Jesus is being controlled by the Holy Spirit that had just descended on Him
    “Drove” has a very forceful meaning, Jesus is being “Driven out”, “Thrust out into”
    It’s the same word translated as casting out demons later in Mark
    The Wilderness, represents isolation, a lack of control, survival
    Jesus went to wilderness to meet John, and now He is being driven deeper into that wilderness
    ESV Comm, calls this the “war in the wilderness”
    This war has been raging since Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.””
    The Battle resumes here and will only escalate from this point
    The wilderness is Satan’s territory
    The ESV Comm. says this is “A divine invasion of enemy territory”
    Jesus is taking on Satan on Enemy home terf
    Just as the inauguration of Jesus’ baptism was appointed
    Jesus testing is also divinely appointed, and followed immediately the Father’s divine endorsement
    This is not coincidence
    The Spirit is driving Jesus to this testing ground, Jesus resolve and resilience are going to be tested
    When God commission’s someone tested can be expected shortly after
    Mark includes an odd detail about Jesus being with the wild animals
    The wild animals are mentioned after Satan, showing probable association with him
    Wild animals are a big part of what makes the wilderness feel dangerous
    This was especially true for the early Church who were in constant danger of being tortured for their faith by these wild animals especially for Roman Christians
    Roman Historian Tacitus wrote saying “Christians were covered with the hides of wild beasts and torn to pieces by dogs”
    Jesus has no time to sit back and bask in the beauty of God’s powerful statement from v11
    Or relax in the Spirit’s indwelling or sit and chat with cousin John
    He is driven deeper in the wilderness
    Many commentaries point out the connection here that Jesus is being represented as the perfect Israel
    Jesus passed thru the water of baptism, Israel passed thru the Red Sea,
    Israel was declared God’s son, Jesus is God’s only Son
    Israel spends 40 years of temptation in the wilderness and fails, Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness and succeeds
    Jesus does not betray the Father during His testing in the wilderness
    Similarly He’s shown as the Perfect Adam, Adam fell in the garden to the schemes of Satan
    Jesus succeeds against Satan not in garden with all you can eat fruit trees , but while starving in the wilderness
    Matthew tells us Jesus is being Led by the Spirit, and it reminds us of the Lord’s prayer
    “Lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from evil”
    The Spirit, acting as the will of God, leads Jesus to a time of temptation
    The Spirit both commissions and then immediately tests Him
    Jesus’ faith and loyalty to God the Father is going to be tested
    This Temptation is brought by Satan meaning “adversary”
    The ancient enemy of God is given an opportunity to attach the Son of God
    The temptation comes after Jesus has fasted for 40 days
    40 days representing a sufficient amount of time
    A long time to go without food
    Jesus is, humanly speaking: weak, exhausted, and running on fumes
    This provides Satan with a great opportunity
    For Jesus it would have been easy to complain, grumble, or give up like the Israelites did, especially given the weakened state He was in
    But Jesus obedience to the the Father refuses to give in to sin
    In typical Mark fashion, the details are minimal
    He gives 2 verses, while Matthew and Luke provide 11 & 13
    Matthew and Luke record (3) temptations Jesus experienced
    He probably experienced more over the course of the 40 days but the Spirit recorded these for us
    The temptation to turn stones into bread
    Satan takes advantage of Jesus weakened and hungry state
    He challenges Jesus “If you are, the Son of God”
    This would be easy for the Son of God, if you really are the Son of God
    This has a similar ring to “Did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?”
    Satan always questions the Words of God
    Jesus responds to each temptation with scripture saying “It is written”
    Each time using a verse from the book of Deut.
    “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” Deut 8:3
    Satan tells Jesus to thrown Himself off the pinnacle of the Temple
    Here Satan co-ops “scriptural” support, he attempts to backup his request with supporting Bible passages
    Satan cites Ps 91:11 A verse that speaks of angelic protection
    This proves Satan's knowledge of God’s word and his tendency to twist it for his evil purposes
    Jesus replies “Again, it is written, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” Deut 6:16
    Finally Satan offers Jesus the kingdoms of the world and their glory
    If Jesus will fall down and worship him
    This time Jesus demands, “Be, gone Satan!” “ it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” Deut 6:13
    Each of these temptations appear designed to entice Jesus to end His suffering
    You’re hungry, You should really eat
    The angels can protect you from physical pain, you don’t need to ever suffer, just call the angels
    Finally, You don’t need to suffer to redeem mankind, I’ll give You their worship for bowing to me
    Jesus battles each temptation, not with supernatural power, but by simply stating God’s revealed Word
    Jesus powerfully overcomes temptation through faithful obedience to God’s word
    God provided Jesus a form of comfort during these temptations
    Ministering angels supported Him throughout this testing
    Now Christ is our comfort during testing
    We have the Spirit to help us fight temptation
    God has sent His holy ones to protect and aid His children during trials
    Application
    Jesus was tested, we will be tested
    Recognize here the Spirit of God does not protect Jesus from temptation, but its the opposite, the Spirit drives Him to the testing
    Hebrews 2:18 “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
    God uses testing in the life of the believer to break our love for sin
    To increase, exercise our Faith
    To highlight areas in our lives where sin is still fiercely hanging on
    And to drive us closer to Himself
    Christ teaches us how to fight dark spiritual forces
    Use the Word of God
    Faithfully obey the Word of God during temptation
    Our failure in temptation is rooted in choosing sin over God
    We know the right choice
    Don’t run from suffering, Jesus endures through the suffering, and doesn’t try to escape it
    Understand Satan’s playbook
    Satan has been around since before creation, he utilizes certain plays he has found successful
    He’s always twists God’s word and makes us question it
    He will attach at our weakest points
    We must respect the strength of our enemy
    We understand Satan is powerful, he is cunning
    We must never fight spiritual forces in our own strength
    Like we just sang, God has no rival, He has no equal
    But we understand God is so much greater than Satan
    God is all powerful, all knowing, and omnipresent
    Satan is not god, he possess none of these attributes
    Satan is ultimately on a leash (a long leash)
    God has set his limits, and he cannot go further than God allows
    Ultimately we know the end, God wins this war
    After going through the gantlet of temptation
    Transition: Jesus takes His ministry public
    Jesus Usher’s in The Kingdom of God
    John the Baptist ministry is fading out as Jesus public ministry is building up
    The Apostle John explains Jesus and John’s ministry do overlap for a short time
    John the Baptist is completing his ministry as forerunner for the Messiah
    He is arrest by Herod for speaking against Herod’s marriage of his brother’s wife, and put in prison
    In John 3 John the Baptist willing takes the back seat
    D.A. Carson says “John finds his joy, not in grudgingly conceding victory to a superior opponent, but, in wholeheartedly embracing God’s will, and the supremacy it assigns to Jesus”
    Jesus takes the torch from His forerunner
    The Message “the Kingdom of God is at Hand”
    The Gospel, the good news to be preached, herald, and shouted from the rooftops
    Jesus Christ has come into the world to save Sinners!
    It is not a religious system, not a philosophy to study, and not a self-help book to tackle
    It is the holding up of a Person, Jesus Christ
    Who is the way, the truth and the life
    Tim Keller said God did not give the Christian a full-proof argument
    We cannot neatly remove all reasons for not believing Christianity
    Doubts about Christianity will be raised we cannot fully satisfy
    Mostly because Faith will always be essential for belief
    But God provided a Person instead of an argument
    The beauty of Christ, who He is, His life, His work of atonement, lies at the center of Christianity
    His distinctness is striking and hard to miss
    Many unbelievers recognize His beauty by admitting they admire His teachings
    But He is so much more than a moral teacher
    The Kingdom of God had come to earth drawn near to us
    Jesus brought the Kingdom of Heaven to earth
    Jesus often illustrated the Kingdom of Heaven with Parables,
    It is a difficult concept to succinctly express
    James Edwards says, “In Jesus of Nazareth the Kingdom of God makes a Personal appearance.”
    Jesus is the revelation of the Kingdom
    Jesus is the embodiment of the Kingdom of God
    His absolute devotion to God, His love for Sinners, while still hating sin, His standing against religious leaders who were not genuine
    God’s Kingdom was not what the Jewish people expected
    They were hoping for a political Kingdom that provided a King to reign then and there
    Today we are no different, too often we long for political solutions over spiritual transformations
    We constantly hope for a politician who will be different from the rest
    Who will provide lasting changes
    Then we’re disappointed when our politicians let us down
    This political longing will only be satisfied by the King of kings and the Lord of lords
    Jesus ushered in a Spiritual Kingdom
    Mark Strauss says Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom by His death, burial, and resurrection
    Jesus did change the political systems of His day
    The Kingdom of God doesn’t have Borders or any physical land
    But it does have ambassadors
    This Kingdom exists today in the Church
    We as the body of believers are the representatives of Jesus’ Kingdom
    He provided us with a new way to be human
    As the Church we live in the “Already” portion of the Kingdom of God
    The Spiritual kingdom that is here alive and well
    We eagerly wait for the final consummation of the Kingdom of God on earth
    The portion we refer to as the “Not yet”
    The coming day when The Kingdom of God will be visible, tangible
    And Jesus will reign on the earth
    This Kingdom requires a simple price of admission repentance and faith
    This was the message Jesus consistently preached, it’s here in V15
    This is not a Kingdom of violence, many of the world’s Kingdoms are
    No one is brough into this kingdom by coercion or through force
    But entrance into God’s Kingdom does require spiritual transformation
    It must begin with repentance: a recognition of living a wrong lifestyle
    Willing surrendering & exchanging a life pursuing self-ambition
    For a life submitted to God as Lord and Savior
    Following hard after Him and adopting His priorities
    This lifestyle is summed up by the (2) greatest commandments
    To Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength
    And loving our neighbor as we love ourselves
    It requires a childlike faith, and humility
    God’s Kingdom is the only one worth living for
    This world offers a huge variety of kingdoms to live for
    We can live for the weekend or retirement, living to spend all our free time at the beach, the lake, the mountains
    We can live for entertainment wasting our lives soaking up all the best movies, tv shows, music, video games
    We can live for good things like family and friends, helping others
    But this is elevating God given relationships to a level they were never meant to occupy
    The genuine Christian sees these other lifestyles, and understands they are temporary traps
    Instead pursue something greater than ourselves, a Kingdom that will last forever
    Jesus brought His Kingdom near at the specific and this precise time
    Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled” V15
    I was going through a Bible study of Ephesians years ago
    where is says “as a plan for the fullness of time”
    We were discussing why God chose to send Jesus around 33 AD
    And we were confused by it and wrestling with it
    Obviously we don’t know all of God Sovereign purposes for sending Jesus around 33 AD but He has given us some clues
    The OT scriptures point to Christ & prophecy about Him they had to be compiled and completed
    The people of Israel at the time of Christ where eagerly waiting for Him
    Before this time for much of their history the Israelites preferred idolatry over the real God
    Jesus came when the Romans where in control of much of the known world
    Roman roads allowed His word to spread quickly
    As well as most of the known world spoke the Greek language
    There was a large dispersion of Jewish populations scattered throughout the world which provided a strong God-fearing population with the OT scriptures
    These reasons help show why God sovereignly chose this specific time
    Transition: The Kingdom message had to spread, and Mark introduces us to the first individual’s chosen to spread the message
    Jesus Turns Fishermen into Fisher’s of Men V16-20
    Here Jesus calls the first four of His disciples
    This is Jesus first act of His public ministry
    Not miracles or a sermon, but calling disciples
    It underlines the importance of the relational aspect of following Christ
    According to John 1:35-49 Jesus had met Andrew and Peter before this because Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist
    John the Baptist said “Behold the Lamb of God!”
    And from then on Andrew followed Jesus, and spent the rest of the day with Him
    Then went to Peter his brother telling him they had found the Messiah
    Shortly after this initial meeting Jesus is walking by the Sea of Galilee
    He sees Simon and Andrew, James and John fishing, and Jesus calls these Fishermen to be His disciples
    The “Follow me” phrase Jesus used carries a lot of weight
    In the Jewish culture students wanting to learn the Torah
    Would pick the Rabbi they wanted to learn from
    That rabbi would then teach them the Law
    The student’s loyalty was to the Law not to the rabbi
    The ESV Comm says Jesus form of discipleship is fundamentally different
    He handpicks the disciples going to them and calling them to follow Him
    Jesus doesn’t say “I will teach you the law” but “follow me”
    This is based on the authority of who He is
    Their allegiance will be to Him
    The Greek work “akoloutheo” means “follow me”
    Root Meaning “to be in the same way as”, “to occupy the same road”
    “LearnfromChrist” put it this way Jesus was demanding was “not agreement from distance but conformity through a lifetime of imitation”
    Romans 8:29 “being conformed to the image of the Son”
    I have the tendency to make Christianity an intellectual thought more than a lifestyle
    When Jesus called these fishermen, it was serious
    Involving complete life imitation, learning the way Jesus prayed, the way He interpreted scripture, the way he treated people, how He handled opposition
    James Edwards points out, there are NO prerequisites or necessary qualifications for these fishermen
    Rabbi’s typically required their students demonstrate knowledge of the Torah
    But Jesus doesn’t survey these guys
    Fisherman were interesting choices for Jesus’ first disciples
    Jesus bypasses the religious leaders, to mold these Fisherman into Fisher’s of mean
    Thank God Jesus doesn’t call the equipped but He equips those He calls
    Jesus calls these men for the purpose of bringing other’s into the Kingdom of God
    Jesus plays off their occupation, they’re graduating from fish to men
    Very quickly these men will be sent out
    In following Christ we simultaneous “follow Him” and “go out”
    We don’t first go through 4 years of “how to be a Christian” then go out
    As soon as a life is transformed by Christ, that individual is called to share the good news of personal transformation
    The response of the disciples: they drop everything and follow Jesus
    Simon and Andrew immediately leave their nets and follow Jesus
    James and John, immediately leave their Father and the hired servants and follow Jesus
    No don’t ask questions they simply follow
    There is an deep understanding of who Jesus is
    The key to this response is “beholding the Lamb of God”
    These men had gazed on the face of Jesus, and understood, they were looking at the Kingdom of God
    When Jesus says “follow Me”, the only response is obedience
    The ESV Comm says this, “The call to follow Jesus is clear and unconditional! In essence Jesus puts before us a blank contract and says “Sign at the bottom, and I will fill in the details”
    This is a call that requires losing control
    Laying down our desires to pick up His cross is difficult
    He promises us it will not be easy but also promises that it will be worth it
    Peter, James, John, and Andrew traded their nets for crowns they will receive one glorious day
    Application:
    We must ask honestly ask ourselves:
    Are we really disciples of Jesus, are our lives being modeled to look like His?
    Being transformed into His image?
    Do, we act, speak, think, like Jesus?
    Or are we secret admirers, looking on from a distance?
    Or are we disciples with baggage, trying to follow Jesus but are still dragging our nets behind us?
    Imagine if Peter and John had followed Jesus but towed their fishing nets with them
    that would have been ridiculous
    But awe all try to follow Christ without dropping our baggage
    May the Holy Spirit reveal what baggage we’re still clinging to as we follow Jesus

      • Mark 1:12–20ESV

      • Genesis 3:15ESV

      • Deuteronomy 8:3ESV

      • Deuteronomy 6:16ESV

      • Deuteronomy 6:13ESV

      • Hebrews 2:18ESV

      • Romans 8:29ESV

  • A Tale of Two Wisdoms

    Happy Father’s Day! Recognize!
    Ephesians 6:4 Love wife, lead family. Spiritual leader in the home.
    Psalm 103:13 Example of God our Heavenly Father.
    The main verse of the letter is probably be James 1:22 - “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only”.
    In chapter two, James taught that genuine saving faith demonstrates itself through good works. Faith without works is dead. Chapter 3 introduced another external indicator of one’s inner spiritual condition - the tongue. What we say matters and it often reveals our spiritual condition. Now, we see the solution to speaking well and living well is to have wisdom, specifically godly wisdom.
    Scripture:
    James 3:13–18 (ESV)
    13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
    Introduction
    We have called James a collection of wisdom sayings, the Proverbs of the NT. The passage today is all about wisdom.
    Last week…we saw how speech is an indicator of our spiritual condition, focusing on the power and potential harm our speech can have. James provides a remedy for taming our tongues. It is wisdom. Just as James mentioned the wisdom of God to have a divine perspective on trials (James 1:5), we also need the wisdom of God to use our tongues, to know what to say, when to say it, and how to say.
    But, what is wisdom? In the Old Testament, living a life well requires a relationship with God, and the wise person lives well by applying God’s principles to everyday circumstances.
    How do we learn to respond to life’s challenges and troubles? We need wisdom.
    How do we learn to speak good things, even in challenging circumstances? We need wisdom.
    How do parents learn to raise their children to be God fearing and Christ-exalting? Wisdom!
    Fathers need wisdom to lead, and children need a father’s wisdom. Someone once said, “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience often comes from bad judgment.” Fathers can help children benefit from lessons they learned. A father's greatest display of wisdom may not be his words but his example. A wise father helps his children avoid dangers they cannot yet see. In the same way, James points us to a wisdom from above—a wisdom that comes from our Heavenly Father, who sees what we cannot see and lovingly guides us in the path of righteousness. We need the wisdom of God to live a live well for God.
    James has already mentioned, if we lack wisdom, we should ask for it (James 1:5). 
    The passage today provides another example of the letter’s main theme of calling us to ensure our behavior (works, speech, relationships, etc.) matches what we say we believe. To borrow the “faith and works” theme, faith without good works means a life of evil works. And since the evil of the tongue is ignited by the evil of hell (James 3:6), we should ask ourselves, what is guiding us, the heavenly (James 3:17) or the hellish (James 3:15)?
    This message will reveal three truths about wisdom.

    True Wisdom is Demonstrated by Actions

    James 3:13
    If I asked you to name a wise person, some might say Solomon. Others might say, a favorite teacher, a grandparent, or a trusted mentor. What is probably similar with all of these is that we rarely describe wise people by their IQ, income, or accomplishments. We typically describe wise people by their character, judgment, and how they treat others. James would agree. To answer who is wise, James points not to what a person knows, but to how a person lives.
    James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 
    It is possible that, just as some church members were apparently taking the mantle of “teacher” upon themselves recklessly (James 3:1), so were some (maybe the same people) setting themselves up as “wise” or “understanding”. Such believers needed to be reminded of the true nature and fruits of wisdom.
    James starts with a question, “Who is wise and understanding?” We should probably see this question as one of those that you want to be careful answering. If you raise your hand, “Yes, I am wise and understanding”, James is prepared to challenge that assertion.
    “Really?”, James would say, “Show me your wisdom and understanding.” 
    James had already taught that God grants wisdom to those who ask Him in faith (James 1:5–8). In this passage, James went into more detail concerning the origin and expressions of wisdom. True wisdom is grounded in the “fear of the Lord”.
    Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
    What makes biblical wisdom distinctive, aside from it beginning with the fear of God, is that is associated with godly character., i.e., good works. Any claim to wisdom is tested by the life and demeanor of the supposed wise person. James describes wisdom as not merely intellectual but also behavioral…“by his good conduct”. By his good conduct, show his works. Again, James was asking people to prove what they say.
    If you say you have faith, show it (James 2:18). If you say that you are wise, show it by how you live.
    When one stands in proper awe and respect (fear) of God, the result is “meekness”. Meekness, which is translated “gentleness” in Galatians 5:23) was considered weakness by the Greeks. But meekness is not weakness. Meekness comes not from being weak or cowardly, but rather from trusting God and therefore being set free from anxiously promoting self (i.e., selfish ambition). Jesus elevated meekness to a primary Christian virtue (Matthew 5:5; Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.) Recognizing one’s proper place in creation and submitting to the Creator’s will in daily life is wise.
    Next, we will see the difference between two kinds of “wisdom”.

    The Fruit of False Wisdom is Disorder

    James 3:14-16
    If there are two kinds of wisdom, what does the false wisdom look like?
    James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 
    Verse fourteen begins with the word “but” to show a contrast between the values expressed in the previous verse. While the person who is wise should show his or her wisdom by good works, this is not true for those who are not truly wise. We could read verse fourteen, “But if [you claim to be wise while at the same time] you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast [about your so-called wisdom] and be false to the truth.” 
    As opposed to the “good conduct” and humble deeds (James 3:13) that are outward expressions of true wisdom, false wisdom pours forth evil conduct and arrogant boasting. James describes the characteristics of this evil conduct, but first he looks to the inside of the person (to the “heart”). As we mentioned last week, any outward behavior is an overflow of the heart. 
    Luke 6:45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
    Two things “in our hearts” that James mentioned are bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. A person with false wisdom is characterized by “bitter jealousy.” God’s jealousy is legitimate as He alone deserves our worship. God is rightly jealous for His honor and the loyal devotion of His people because He deserves it. On the other hand, human jealousy often demonstrates itself as a wicked desire for the abilities, possessions, or status of another that do not belong to the one jealous.
    Whether it is sinful jealously and godly jealousy hinges on motive—do you rightly deserve what you fear losing and does it matter to God. Human jealousy, like ambition, becomes distorted by sin. James adds the word “bitter” to “jealousy” (the same word that is used to refer to “salty” in James 3:11), to make it clear that this jealousy is an attitude of resentful competition that is worse that the usual wicked desire.
    “Selfish ambition” (James 3:14) is another sinful heart condition that is contradictory to true wisdom. There is a godly ambition that should not be suppressed, which is a personal drive that seeks to honor God and benefit others. A couple of biblical passages that speak to godly ambition include 1 Timothy 3:1 about men aspiring to the office of overseer, and Colossians 3:23-24 where believers are encouraged to work heartily as for the Lord rather than for human approval. 
    But, that is not the ambition James mentioned here. James described a prideful desire to promote oneself or one’s personal concerns without reference to God or the genuine needs of others. “Selfish ambition” is a willingness to split a group in order to achieve one’s personal desires. It focuses on what “I want” instead of what God wants. This same word is translated “rivalry” elsewhere in scripture, e.g., Galatians 5:20.
    James warns us about having bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. He wrote, “Do not boast [about your supposed wisdom] and be false to the truth” (James 3:14). In other words, if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, don’t pretend to be wise. Repent, and ask God to change your heart.
    James then described the characteristics of this false wisdom.
    James 3:15–16 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
    Such false wisdom is not from God. James described worldly behavior in terms that “progress” from bad to worse, recalling the list in James 3:5–6, the tongue is a “world of unrighteousness”. Rather, this false wisdom is…
    Earthly: Such behavior is ultimately earthbound. It stands for the human, rational approach to things that does not take the revealed will of God into account.
    Unspiritual: This describes someone who is self-absorbed. It means being out of touch with God—operating according to natural human impulses rather than divine guidance.
    Demonic: Its resembles the powers of darkness. Just as evil speech comes from Satan (James 3:6), so does this “worldly behavior”. Recall Jesus’ rebuke of Peter (Matthew 16:16–23) where Peter had spoken both a godly word and a demonic word. 
    Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are, at their root, expressions of a worldly and demonic rebellion against God. The evil of the tongue and ungodly wisdom are influenced by hellish evil. Later James exhorts us to “resist the devil” (James 4:7).
    Though we can never really look into the hearts of others (and sometimes rarely within ourselves!), we can clearly see the fruit of false wisdom. The bitter jealousy and selfish ambition of a wicked heart cannot be contained but it will express itself in “disorder and every vile practice” (James 3:16). The result of such devil-driven conflict can only be disorder and every vile practice.
    Think about the damage one person or group in a church can cause by jealousy or selfishly ambition. It causes disorder or worse in the congregation. Therefore, we must resist these destructive patterns and embrace the wisdom that comes from God.

    The Fruit of True Wisdom is Righteousness

    James 3:17-18
    The answer to the “disorder” of verse sixteen is to seek wisdom from above. Whereas the earthly wisdom finds its origin in Satan, true wisdom comes from God, has godly attributes, and produces godly results.
    James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
    The wisdom that comes from God is characterized by both internal and external fruits, similar to the list Paul reveals in Galatians chapter five on Fruit of the Spirit. This should not be surprising as James reveals the characteristics of wisdom that is born from the Spirit of God.
    Internally, true wisdom is “pure” (i.e., fundamentally motivated by goodness and holiness, not by sin). Purity is the primary virtue (“first”) with the rest providing aspects of this moral purity. Pure wisdom displays the love of the believers without showing favoritism (2:1).
    Second, this wisdom is displayed by being peaceable or “peace-loving.” This fruit of wisdom is the polar opposite of “selfish ambition” and the discord it produces. Those who make peace are committed to the unity of the fellowship. Peacemaking often means unity-protecting.
    The peaceableness of wisdom has the virtue of gentleness or the quality of being “considerate.” The is similar to “a soft/gentle answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1). These people are also going to have a willingness to yield (“open to reason”), merciful, impartial, and sincere. True wisdom is a genuine expression of a heart redirected by God. Just as false wisdom results in “disorder and every vile practice” (v. 16), so true wisdom bears distinct and recognizable good fruits.
    James then emphasized the critical attribute of peace in the last verse as the pure believer.
    James 3:18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
    Just as verse 17 referred to “fruits”, verse 18 uses the word “harvest.” This is an interesting concept to consider that what we sow produces a harvest…it could be a harvest of good or a harvest of bad. 
    Gena has been trying to grow a garden at home. While I have not really helped much in this effort, I see her hard work of planting, tending, watering and caring for things she has planted. She has already seen evidence of things growing, the fruit of her labor. Likewise, we reap good things by sowing peace. Peace is the soil in which righteousness grows.
    A truly wise person goes through life “making peace” with those around him. The legacy of those who live in peace and make peace rather than conflict is a harvest of righteousness. In other words, James ends this section by reminding us that the truly wise person is a peacemaker who leaves behind a legacy of righteous behavior and influence. Jesus said that peacemakers are truly blessed and called the children of God.
    Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
    One of Gena’s favorite things to do in her practice of law is being a peacemaker. She helps to mediate conflict between people in order to help them come to a resolution without having to go to court.
    God is the Great Peacemaker Who made peace with us through Jesus. If it were not for God wanting peace, none of us would be saved. And as God has brought peace to us through Jesus, He wants His people to make peace with one another, and help others have peace. God expects His people to be peacemakers.
    A church that is rich in reconciling activities, that is, telling others about Jesus, defending the poor, counseling the troubled, offering hospitality to the stranger, sending gospel missionaries throughout the world, and many more, reaps a rich harvest of righteousness.
    Will you seek peace with one another?
    Will you help others come to peace?
    Pursue the wisdom from above that brings peace and unity and which is consistent with the redemptive work of Christ. This affirms our calling as peacemakers, and creates an environment that reflects the kingdom of God on earth.
    Conclusion
    In closing, James calls us to be wise people who follow the Holy Spirit. But, do we actually follow our “selfish ambition”?
    When others succeed, are we jealous?
    How do we feel when someone else does something well, gets a promotion, is given a responsibility that we once had or one that we want to have?
    What is the condition of our “hearts”? Do we have bitterness, anger, resentment, or “disorder” in our hearts?
    The greatest problem James identifies is the sinful heart that produces earthly wisdom. Only Jesus can change that heart. Jesus died for our pride, envy, selfish ambition, and hypocrisy. He rose again to give us a new heart and a new way of living.
    Before making decisions this week, ask yourself this question:
    “Is what I am doing or thinking of doing from below or from above?”
    Then choose the path that looks most like Jesus.
    We can serve God boldly, moving forward in faith, knowing that even though our weak service is often tainted with sin, our gracious heavenly Father is eager to forgive His children who ask for mercy (Luke 18:13–14). We must ask for God to fill us with true wisdom, His wisdom, which reveals itself in the fruit of righteousness and peace. God chose to regenerate us (James 1:18) by implanting His saving Word inside us (James 1:21), and now He is calling us both to act and to speak as His holy people. 
    Let the Holy Spirit lead you and your words and actions will become instruments of grace rather than weapons of destruction. Choosing godly wisdom over earthly wisdom glorifies God and fosters unity among His people. Meanwhile, we look forward to the new heaven and new earth, in which all of our motives, actions, and words will be completely holy.
    This is good news. Thanks be to God. Amen.
    Closing Song: Where He Leads Me I Will Follow
  • I Have Decided To Follow Jesus
Truth Baptist Church
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