Truth Baptist Church
Mark 2:13-22
  • Shine Jesus Shine
  • At Calvary
  • Build My Life

      • Mark 2:13–22ESV

      • Mark 2:13–22ESV

  • Jesus Calls the Outcast
    Jesus is still in the town of Capernaum
    The crowds are still drawn to Him
    And he continues to compassionately teaching them
    One day as He was walking beside the Sea of Galilee
    As Jesus passes by Levi who is working in his tax collector booth He calls to him
    This has a similar feel to how Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James, and John in Chapter 1
    James Edwards points out that Mark sharply focuses on Jesus as a Man of Action
    This is why Mark doesn’t include many of Jesus’ famous sermons
    Jesus is moving efficiently & getting things done
    Here we see Jesus call a 5th disciple
    “Follow me”
    Just like the other disciples Levi son of Alphaeus (better know as Matthew)
    Isn’t given an explanation, and he doesn’t ask any questions
    He probably had experienced seeing Jesus in town previously
    Might have listened to one of His teachings just before this
    But Levi feels the drawing of the Savior
    He simply obeys, leaves the tax booth and he follows Jesus
    This act of following sounds easy
    But Edwards points out it involves risk and costs
    We often miss this idea of Christian life being risky and costly
    But make no mistake if the gospel isn’t costing us something
    If we aren’t giving up time, energy, money, our reputations for the Gospel
    We aren’t really experiencing the true cost of discipleship
    And Levi either follows Jesus to his own house or takes Him there
    Levi was a tax collector
    If you’ve spent anytime in a church, you know the Jewish nation hated tax collectors
    They were traitors to their people
    Operating as agents of Rome
    Levi was likely collecting taxes for Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Galilee (ZSB)
    These tax collectors exercised positions of power
    They would collect for the local rulers
    On top of the Roman taxes they would charge a collection fee for themselves
    And most collectors would charge much more than the Romans required
    RC Sproul points out this was part of one of the most corrupt tax collection systems the world has seen
    Extortion was a big part of what they did, Exalting Jesus in Mark compares them to the Mafia
    For all these reasons Tax collectors were despised and hated
    They were outcasts of Israelite society
    Shunned by their families and communities
    They were kicked out of the synagogues, and were cut off spiritually
    And rightfully so because their was nothing godly about their treatment of others
    Levi was an interesting choice of Disciple for Jesus to chose
    Like His choosing of the (4) fisherman
    Jesus again choses someone outside of the religious establishment
    Jesus is deliberate in the choosing of His Disciples, He’s not choosing randomly
    The choice of Levi, is even more striking because Tax collectors were the complete opposite of the religious
    The Jewish writing placed tax collectors in the same category as murders and thieves
    Levi/Matthew, had built his life around riches, he had lived for the money
    It’s likely he had a big house and wore the finest clothes
    He had used extortion to steal that money from his surrounding community
    Theres another layer to this, it’s likely that the other (4) disciples as fishermen had previous run-ins with Levi
    When he collected taxes from them
    The fishing on the Sea of Galilee was highly a lucrative business, they fish they caught were even exported to Egypt
    There wasn’t anything in Matthew that drew Jesus to Him
    But rather, there were plenty of reasons for Jesus to stay away from Levi
    The beauty of the gospel is Jesus chooses the loves who are unlovable and rescues us anyway
    But Jesus saw the disciple He could mold Matthew into
    Matthew is going to be changed by Jesus
    The Spirit will use him to write a gospel account
    28 chapters proving Jesus is King
    Application:
    The choosing of Levi displays Jesus love for the Outcast
    A songwriter put it like this: “Jesus loves the outcast, He loves the ones the world just loves to hate, and as long as there’s a heaven, there’ll be a failure to excommunicate”
    No one is too far from God’s grace, no one is so far gone they are beyond the reach of the mercy of Jesus
    That is good news for us to today, many refer to this passage as “the Scandal of Grace”
    Jesus calls to the vilest sinner, “Follow me”
    This is grace that will make a town talk
    When the town gossip, the town drunk, the town prostitute, or even the town religious person is captured by the Gospel of Jesus
    It becomes the talk of the town
    God help us to hear this kind of grape vine talk
    To hear about Jesus’ grace capturing in the most unlikely of individuals
    God forgive us for getting over the scandalous grace of God
    May you & I never get over the fact that God saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now I’m now I’m found, Was blind but now I see”
    Too easily we get over the grace of God, and move to a position of “of course God saved me!, what would Jesus do without me!”
    And we turn into the 21 century Pharisees and religious leaders
    Acting like we are Entitled to the grace of God, that we somehow deserved being saved by Jesus
    Forgetting the grace of God is a free gift, not of works lest anyone should boast
    So if we boast let us boast in the scandalous grace of Jesus
    Then Jesus shares a meal with Levi and a bunch of Levi’s friends
    And Levi as an outcast from traditional Jewish society had friends who were also outcasts
    Eating in the middle east was, and still is a sacred experience
    If you were eating with someone it meant, you were signaling deep covenant and social alignment with them
    Jesus dines with Sinners
    Again the religious leaders find fault with Jesus
    Last week we saw them accuse Him of blasphemy against God
    They see Him eating in the house of a Tax Collector
    Something they deemed as making a person unclean
    To make matter’s worse He was eating with sinners
    The Gospel accounts time and time again we see sinner’s and the outcasts of Jewish society were irresistibly drawn to Jesus Luke 15:1-2
    Luke 15:1–2 ESV
    Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
    The kind of people who didn’t devote their lives to living out the law of God
    Unlike the Pharisees who strictly followed the Law of the Elders
    The Law of the Elders were traditions that were designed to prevent keepers of the law of Moses from even coming close to breaking it
    The Religious leaders confront Jesus’ disciples and question “why does He eat with sinners and Tax Collectors “
    The Pharisees were notorious for staying away from anyone or anything they saw as unclean
    The word Pharisees means “the separated ones”
    They would steer clear of anyone who didn’t practice the law as they did
    They loved to shun those who were unclean
    They put up barriers
    It really did give them a complex of superiority
    Mark 2:17
    Mark 2:17 ESV
    And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
    In the previous passage Jesus demonstrated His power to save sinners
    Here He tells the Pharisees He exclusively came for the sinners
    Jesus did not come for the religious hypocrites who think they are earning their way to heaven
    He did not come for the self-righteousness who believe through their goodness they can save themselves
    Jesus comes to redeem
    Jesus tears down barriers and walls that stand between God and man
    He came to be the bridge, Christ is the stairway Jacob dreamed
    By the redemption Christ purchased on the cross, sin is paid for
    Jesus purposes to forgive sin that means He goes to where the deepest need of forgiveness exists
    He goes where the are sinners
    Jesus came for the ones who recognize their need for a Savior
    For the ones who acknowledge their failure to live up to God’s righteous standard
    Who realize they cannot be their own Savior
    These understand they need something outside of themselves to make them right and whole
    The sad reality was these Pharisees also needed that forgiveness
    They were staring at the very face of God
    They were looking at the very Messiah they were waiting for
    And instead of accepting them they were angry with Him
    Their religiosity blinded them to Jesus, having eyes they couldn’t even see Him
    Their self-righteousness had fooled them into thinking they were right Jesus had to be wrong
    In our culture many people take this verse and completely take it to the other end of the spectrum
    And will say “Jesus hung out and with the prostitutes and the sinners and so I do the same”
    I’m hanging out at the bar with the sinners, just like Jesus would be if He were here
    It’s often worn as a badge of courage, as standing against hypocrisy and living a “real life”
    But Jesus in His reaching of sinners was never supportive of their sin
    His message to all was “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is Here”
    Jesus came to save sinners out of their sin, not to live in sin with them
    But Jesus loves us before the transformation from sinner to saint
    We don’t stop sinning then come to Jesus
    Jesus comes to us while we are in our sins
    Matthew is an example of that
    Matthew leaves the tax collection business behind and He never goes back to it
    He doesn’t collect taxes on the side along with being a disciple of Jesus
    Just as we saw Jesus touch the Leper in Ch1:41 and not contract leprosy
    Jesus, the Holy One of God, could be with sinners yet not being contaminated by sin
    He transforms sinners into saints
    Application:
    We must also be friends of sinners like our Savior
    To rescue the perishing, to care for the dying
    Gena powerfully mentioned in SS last week how she pictured the sinners eternity without Christ and how that profoundly moved her to more earnestly share the gospel
    May we never feel a sense of superiority over sinners
    But rather feel the distinction of being a sinner saved by grace
    But as Christians we must be careful, we are not Jesus, it is easier to get pulled down than to pull someone up
    Christ is the only one who can pull the sinner out of the sin
    We are susceptible to the sins of others
    But Jesus has called us to be in the world but not of the world
    We are not to buy an island and start a church completely isolated from everyone else
    But we are called to reach other’s with the gospel
    To carry Christ to those we know are in need of His saving grace
    Jesus explains His uniqueness V18-22
    Both of these passages, the calling of Levi and the question about fasting are found in all (3) synoptic gospel accounts
    And the fasting question follows “the Call of Levi”/Matthew in every account
    It’s likely this question stems from the feast Jesus is sharing with Levi and the sinners
    Jesus is feasting while both the pharisees and John’s disciples are fasting
    Fasting is found in the OT
    There is only one day, in the law of Moses, where the Israelites were required to fast
    That was on the day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
    We see a tradition of fasting during times of repentance
    Esther calls for a fast when she goes before the King
    The Pharisees had taken fasting and added it to their rituals
    Pharisees typically fasted twice a week
    On Tuesdays and Thursdays
    This was a sun up to sun down fast
    In the parable that Jesus told about the Pharisee and the Tax collector praying in Luke 18:12
    Luke 18:12 ESV
    I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
    The Pharisee brags to God in his prayer, that he fasts twice a week
    MacArthur says Fasting for Pharisees had turned into such a show that they had to make rules forbidding the Pharisees from fasting at weddings
    John the Baptist’s disciples also fasted regularly
    He had preached a message of repentance and fasting being a sign of repentance, it makes sense John was a big propionate of fasting
    Everything about John the Baptist, what he wore, what he ate
    He was constantly abstaining
    But Jesus isn’t abstaining from eating
    Jesus defends His lack of fasting with an illustration about the Bridegroom
    It is a no-brainer you don’t fast at a wedding
    Jesus here is making the astounding claim, again, that He is the Messiah
    While Jesus was on earth it was a time to celebrate the coming of the Messiah
    Not to a time to fast and mourn
    Jesus goes so far to say, they cannot fast because of the Messiah’s presents
    The bridegroom metaphor is found in the OT, and often utilized in the NT
    In the Prophets we see God [Yahweh] call Himself the husband of Israel
    Jesus is here claiming to be that Bridegroom of Israel
    Logos says, By this Jesus is implicitly assuming a role previously reserved for God alone
    Because the Messiah is never referenced as the bridegroom in the OT prophecies
    Isaiah the prophet, prophesied that God would again marry His people
    In Is 54:5-6, Is 62:4-5, Hos 2:19
    Hosea 2:19 ESV
    And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
    But Jesus then prophecies about a coming time of fasting
    When the bridegroom is taken away from them
    And notice the language here, the bridegroom doesn’t leave but is taken away
    Jesus is for the first time in Mark’s account alludes to His death on the cross
    It is subtle but clear nonetheless
    In the Now and the Not Yet, it’s good for us as Christians to utilize Fasting
    It reminds us that restraint is good, and it’s help to practice
    Jesus is different because He does not fast then...
    Jesus illustrates His uniqueness and provides His reason for not fasting with (2) parables
    The first parable Jesus uses the idea of sewing a new piece of cloth to an old garment
    I don’t know how many sewers we have her
    But I do know new clothes always shrink in the dryer,
    This act of cloth shrinking has been around along time
    Cotton shrinks, and when a new patch of cloth shrinks on an old garment
    The tear is made worst than before the patch
    Jesus is saying, I’m not patching the problems of your religion
    I’m bringing something brand new
    Then Jesus illustrates it was a second similar illustration of wine in wineskins
    I’m gonna go out on limb and assume most of us haven’t put wine in wineskins
    In 1st century AD, they would ferment new wine typically in goat skins
    The gases created by the new wine’s fermentation would stretch the goat skins
    Fresh goat skin containers could handle the stretching while old skins that had already been stretched no longer contained the necessary elasticity
    So they didn’t put new wine in old wine skins
    Jesus used to parables to explain He was doing something new
    Jesus brought the New covenant that the prophets of the OT pointed to
    He was bringing a newness that was incompatible with the fake religion of the Pharisees
    Jesus uses these parables to explain, His actions will continue to standout against the religious system the Pharisees had setup
    The OT sacrificial system pointed to the coming of the Jesus who was the completion of that system
    Jesus the final Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world
    the one who once and for all fulfilled the law
    Because of Jesus, that old system is put to rest
    And we live in a separate system of Faith embodied in the person of Jesus
    The veil to the Holy of Holies was torn when Jesus cried “It is finished!”
    The Holy Spirit now resides in each every believer
    Our access to God the Father is found and bound up in Jesus Christ alone,
    It’s not found in a temple or in High Priest, but rather Jesus is our Great High Priest
    Jesus points to His exclusivity with these parables
    Practicing Jews then and now are holding on an old System of worship
    And system that pointed to Jesus and was fulfilled by Him
    Sadly these practicing Jews despise and hate Jesus, part of this is because they recognize the incompatibility He brings to their Judaism
    There are many other religions that try and patch Jesus in
    Islam says Jesus was one of God’s greatest human prophets
    Baha i faith says Jesus was a reflection of God, but not God incarnate
    Mormonism says Jesus worked His way to a godlike status
    Buddhism and Hinduism see Jesus as a wise teacher & holy man
    Jesus in verses 21-22, right here says to all these world religions, I am not compatible with them
    Jesus is exclusively, the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life
    There is no other name under Heaven by which we can be saved
    I am thankful for a Savior who doesn’t fit into any Box or stereotype
    Jesus will burst out of any box or standard
    Because He is God, and is the Great I AM who defines Himself by Himself
    He will not be a patch for our life, He is The Life
    He will not exist inside of another system
    He is the system!
    He completely transforms lives making them brand new
    Every world religion says, do this and you can work your way into heaven
    Jesus stands apart as He says I am the way to heaven “I came to save sinners”
    Our salvation does not depend us being good enough, that would have been impossible
    Christ has brough redemption to us
    Through His incarnation, His perfect, sinless life, through His redeeming death on Calvary, by raising again on the 3rd day conquering Death and Hell, and returning to the Father, where He intercedes
    For very sinner who placed their complete trust in Him
    today Jesus calls “follow me”
    To the Christian who’s forgotten the scandalous grace of Jesus
    And to the one who’s never experienced this scandalous grace before Jesus says “Come”
    Taste and see that the Lord is good

      • Luke 15:1–2ESV

      • Mark 2:17ESV

      • Luke 18:12ESV

      • Hosea 2:19ESV

  • 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
  • He Is Lord
Truth Baptist Church
truthbaptistnc@gmail.com
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