This morning I want to speak to you the 3rd in the series on wisdom, "The fruit of righteousness". James 3:13-18, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom but if you have bitter envy and self seeking in your heart do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there but the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace".
Father, we thank you for what you've done in this place. May we decrease and may you increase. May the word have its effect in us this morning. In Jesus name, Amen.
The subject of wisdom that we've been looking at over the last couple of weeks is to me one of the most vital issues of the Word of God. The Word of God is God's wisdom for us. His life, his ideas, his purposes, his will are all contained within his written word. The Bible tells us that there is fruit that comes from a life that walks with wisdom. How many of us really want to see the good fruit effective in our lives everyday? I want to tell you that it is ours for the living, it's ours for the having.
Last week we looked at wisdom being the principal thing. The Bible says, "With all your getting, with all that your doing, get wisdom". Somehow in churches the pursuit many times has been put on worldly things. Even in todays day and age the pursuit of things in the church has been about pursuing greater wealth or greater happiness or contentment that we can have. The truth is that when we pursue God with all our heart, and his ways and his will, we'll have all that stuff. That stuff pales in comparison to knowing Jesus. If we would pursue wisdom with as much tenacity that we pursue the American dream, the church of Jesus Christ in America would be walking in the power and might that this Word of God says we can have.
As a matter of fact, I believe that America would be a much different place today if God's people would seek wisdom with all their heart.
There is heavenly wisdom, there is man's wisdom and there's demonic wisdom. We must know the difference. Much of what is taught in the world today, much of what many Christians look at today and pursue is man's type of wisdom, man's ideas. Man's wisdom has become so intertwined with the church. How many understand that fleshly wisdom is not influence by God, it is influenced by the enemy. There are many things that are creeping into the church today, that are creeping into Christians's lives and because many of us are not reading the word or seeking the face of God and not pursuing the Lord with all our hearts, there are alot of different ideas and thoughts that are creeping in and influencing our decisions that are not in God's wisdom but on man's.
True wisdom produces the fruit of righteousness. True wisdom produces something in the life of believers. In verse 18 it says, "Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace". The result of wisdom in our life, Christian, is right living. The result of God's wisdom in our life is right decisions made. The result of wisdom in our life is the impact that we have on the society around us and with our families and friends. First of all, right living is the sense of living and conforming to the known will of God. Wisdom understands first and foremost that God's way is the way.
I was reading the Palm Beach Post this morning and there was a whole story about Christianity changing in America and people are leaving churches in droves and are seeking a different ideal and a different idea as opposed to this word. Because many people are not in agreement with what this word says, they're meeting in single family homes or in different places and coming up with new philosophies. They don't like what they see in this word so they'll change it so that it will fit their situation for that day.
The first proof that wisdom is happening in the life of a believer is the fear of the Lord and living right for him but its conforming our lives to this word. The second thing that proves that wisdom is evident in our life is the ability to live right. Wisdom guides us when we don't know what to do. Wisdom guides us when we don't know what to say. Wisdom guides us when we need to know how to walk and when we ned to know the will of God when it is not specifically written to a moral purpose. How many have ever found yourself in a situation where you're looking through the Word and are saying, "God, I need to hear your voice because I'm not finding it here".
How many have ever needed to get God's direction for your life? The wisdom of God begins to give us that kind of direction but it stems from the knowledge of his word and the knowledge of him. Wisdom is the ability to make right choices. One of the greatest examples of wisdom came when two ladies came to Solomon. One lady said, "This is my baby" and the other lady said, "No, this is my baby". Of course Solomon wasn't there to see who gave birth. Solomon needed to know what to do and I believe that Solomon prayed. Here's the thing that's wonderful. So many times in America we think the wisdom of God is always going to be so purposeful and tidy and make sense to everybody. I believe that God gave Solomon some wisdom that freaked everybody out. Solomon said, "Because I don't know who's baby this is, I'm going to take a sword and lay the baby down in front of me". I believe that Solomon had no intention of cutting that baby in half but Solomon lifted that sword. If that ever happened in the church today and the preacher brought a sword and said he was going to cut that baby in half, a patrol car would be there ready to take him to the funny farm.
The wisdom of God is a radical thing and the longer I live for Jesus, the more that I see that man's ways really make no sense and God's ways make a lot of sense. In church today, we've gotten away from the radical wisdom of God, bringing his ability and life to us. Listen, I'm not telling you if your having a problem in your marriage to grab a sword and try to slice and dice things. I'm telling you to trust the Lord to give you the right idea when you're going through it.
So Solomon began to lift that sword and of course the real mom said, "Listen, just give her to the other lady because better is a live baby and knowing my son is ok than to have him dead". The other lady cheered him on saying, "Cut him in half". Solomon knew right away who the real mother was. The wisdom of God will teach us what to do. It will help us to know what to say when we're not sure. Wisdom gives you God's direction when you're afraid and you have no idea what to do. The wisdom of God helps you to keep a relationship together when your marriage is struggling.
The wisdom of God helps us to raise our children even when they're doing certain things and they seem out of control and we're not sure what to do, the wisdom of God will teach us what to do and say.
Wisdom helps us to be successful in business. The book of Proverbs even gives us the wisdom to get wealth. The truth is that if you need money, many times you can pray and say, "Lord, I need help in this situation" but sometimes you can say, "Lord, I'm not going to my mailbox for it, I believe you'll show me how to go and meet that need". How many know that God will give you wisdom to do it?
I get excited about what God is doing. People say, "Pastor, this building thing that we're doing, it doesn't seem to all be falling in place nice and neatly. You know what I found out? Most churches never have a nice and neat building program because God is always trying to teach God's people how to live by faith and to trust him in all things and not to make dumb choices. Someone say a good amen.
God will give you the wisdom not to get in debt. God gives wisdom, it speaks to us so that we could stay moral and godly when things in this life are pulling at us and struggles are getting hard and the enemy is pulling us in directions that aren't God's will. Wisdom begins to kick in and helps us to see before we make the decision, the outcome that decision will have. Wisdom is a powerful thing. Wisdom sparks in us the ability to have knowledge beyond ourselves when we are in times of trouble and to understand how to get through it. The wisdom of God teaches us what to say when we're in situations where we don't know all the answers. How many of you have ever found yourself saying, "God, I need your help in this", then you're saying things and doing things and you're thinking, "I know that wasn't me".
The wisdom of God is so important and when we have the foundation of his word inside of us, that wisdom lays a foundation that all the rest of what God wants to do can be built and produce the fruit of righteousness.
Proverbs 3:7 gives us good advice, it says "Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and depart from evil, it will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones". I have found that the wiser someone becomes, the more they realize they don't know everything. The wiser a Christian becomes the more they wind up depending on God. As a matter of fact when I begin to pray, everyday it's a part of my prayer life, "Lord, I want to be wise. If there would ever be a man like Solomon, I want to be like that.
God, I know what your word says but I believe that wisdom can be mine".
The more that I pray that prayer, the more stupid I realize I really am and the more God really knows everything.
The truth is that the moment we become wise in our own eyes is the moment we begin to take things into our own hands and we begin to move backwards. Those who are wise are dependent on the Lord. Solomon did that for a long time and then in all of his wisdom decided he had it all under control. If you wanted to see a man in confusion then read Ecclesiastes and it will give you some great insight into a man whom God gave wisdom then began to take things into his own hands. Finally at the end he came to himself and said, "I've realized this, what I need more than anything is the Lord".
Wisdom is reflected in our works. James 3:13 says, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom". I want you to hear me, I do not believe that we are saved by works but I do believe that if you are saved and you are living for Jesus, you're life will reflect what God is doing in the way that we live everyday. It will be evident and it will be seen. The Bible asks, "Who's wise, who understands? Prove it". We've got a saying around our house, "Show me, don't snow me". I've got a lot of people that will say, "I'm living for Jesus, I'm on fire for God, God is doing a work inside of me". Listen, the way that I know that, the proof of that life of Christ inside of them, there is something different about somebody who has made Christ their everything and they prove it by the way that they live.
They're not struggling with flesh and living in sin. When they go through the troubles, they are honest about the troubles that they have and are giving glory to God and are asking him to help them through it. There is a difference, "Show me, don't snow me". How many know you can snow alot of people all the time but Jesus can always see your heart?
The knowldege and wisdom that God gives produces fruit when it moves past the head and past our heart into everyday life. It is one thing if you know it and it is another thing if Christ lives inside you but it is something else entirely when it begins to produce some kind of a fruit in your life and it is evidenced by all who see. I want to say it again, there is something new that has happened today where people are going back to those old time ideas of ancient wisdom. Bald men in orange robes sitting around, uttering strange sounds in goofy positions. I wrote it in last month's Harvest seed about when I was growing up when people talked about the wise man on the mountain. He was cold, wearing an orange robe with his legs crossed. I grew up in Pittsburgh, I know that's uncomfortable. People would go up to that man for wisdom. Any man sitting in an orange robe on a high mountain without a fire nearby really is not producing any kind of scruples in his life. Something has got to happen, come in out of the cold.
That kind of wisdom to me is like the smoker who knows he should quit because it's going to kill him and he can't breathe but doesn't stop. Wisdom is produced in a life. Wisdom, the Bible says, is meekness. Our works are to be done in humility. I believe this is a key to the way that we live, our conduct and our works, done in the meekness of wisdom. The Bible says that in James, "Those who are wise will live their lives in the meekness of wisdom". That word meekness in the greek means wisdom that is not just expressed in humility but it is the overflow of the grace of the soul. There is something inside that is so wonderful, so giving and so gracious to others. Gentleness is a word that some have used to describe this but it doesn't do the word justice because some people are weak and gentle because they can't help it. But the greek word is a condition of the heart and mind that is a result of power. How many know that Christ through his spirit came to give us great power?
The Lord was meek. Jesus was meek on the cross because when he went to the cross, he could have called 10,000 angels to come and get him out of there. The Roman army would have been running. Jesus could have pulled himself off the cross and immediately been made whole but there was wisdom in what he did. Jesus was wise and meek, not because he was helpless on the cross but because he was all powerful on the cross and he stayed there.
Meekness is if you're attacked and you've got a 357 and they have a knife, they lay it down and you don't shoot them.
Wisdom is when you use the power that you have to bring glory to the Lord to do good with it. It's the opposite of self interest, of self assertiveness and allows us to receive God's instruction and his discipline and to live our lives pleasing to the Lord and in service to others. Verses 14-16 says, "But if you have bitter envy and self seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth, this wisdom does not descend from above but is earthly, sensual, demonic". Worldly wisdom is the opposite of the fruit of righteousness.
Worldly wisdom says that if you want it, to go ahead and promote yourself and get it, to go ahead and declare everything that you are, if you've got the power and you can run over other people, go get it for yourself. The wisdom of the world says, if it looks good and feels good then it must be good and that wisdom is sensual because it's dealing with the idea of just the senses. I want you to listen to me, how many of you know sometimes the wisdom of God asks us to do things that are uncomfortable, asks us to do things that are not really natural to our way of thinking?
The wisdom of God is spiritual. Alot of times in the church we do things based on our five senses but can I tell you that each of us has a sixth sense and it's not ESP. The sixth sense is your spirit and the spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. How many of you recognize truth in the inner man? It's more than a head thing. There's something deep that recognizes what is pleasing to the Lord. I'm not trying to teach you some sort of mystical sixth sense thing now, I'm teaching you about the wisdom of God.
The wisdom of God is built on purity. It's built on God's gentleness, power and kindness. Where Godly wisdom leaves us open to God's will, worldly wisdom opens us up to demonic influence. That's why with all our getting, we are to get wisdom. That's why with all our getting we're to know God and his word. The fruit of worldly living is not righteous wisdom but the Bible says that it brings confusion and evil work. That's not fruit, that's garbage.
1st Corinthians 3:18-20 says this, "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God for it is written, he catches the wise in their own craftiness and again the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are futile. Therefore let no one boast in men but we are to boast in the Lord".
Godly wisdom is foolishness to the world. It is so important that we as Christians have a distinctive difference because of what Christ is doing in us than what we see day to day in everybody else. That wisdom of God produces a fruit that is lasting and life that is holy. The Bible says that wherever there is jealousy and contention and rivalry and selfish ambition there will be confusion, unrest, disharmony and rebellion and all sorts of evil.
The Bible spells out how wisdom practically reveals itself in right living. The Bible says first of all the wisdom of heaven is pure, that means it's set apart for God, holy and clean. If we can't show good judgement in things that are cleanly spelled out by his word, how can we go deeper? Listen, why am I preaching so hard? Sometimes we think that wisdom is so mystical but the wisdom of God is very practical. The wisdom of God is first of all pure, it is clean, it is set apart. There is something that happens in those that are growing close to the Lord. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride and arrogance and every evil way. There is something about wisdom that really likes things to become pure in all ways, not attractive like the world puts things out. The Bible says we are to live morally faultless before the Lord.
Secondly, the wisdom of God is peaceable. Those who are wise are peacemakers. The Bible says blessed are the peacemakers, those who bring peace. I want you to hear me, the wisdom of God will bring peace into our lives and for some reason right now you are living in confusion, it may be the result of not living right before the Lord. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:11, "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present but painful, nevertheless afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it". How many have found that those who have been growing in wisdom find themselves having to discipline their life to have it? How many have found you have to make time for the word of God everyday? Have you noticed the first thing the enemy wants to steal every morning is your time with Jesus? Then when you finally get to bed at night you are so tired that you almost don't have time for the word.
I want you to hear me, there have been alot of people that I have met in churches that are saying, "My life is in a little bit of turmoil, there is somethings that is going on and I don't understand it". Remember when Solomon pulled out the sword, how many think there was a little bit of turmoil going on in two mother's lives? There are times when God allows us to be trained through difficult circumstances to bring wisdom to our life.
I want to encourage you, if you're going through a hard time right now, allow the Lord to speak his training into your life so that you can gain wisdom. The Bible says that no chastening seems to be joyful in the present but afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
The Bible says wisdom is gentle, wisdom is caring for other people. I have found that those who are wise, even when they are frustrated with other people and feel like they're being wronged, respond in a way that is far different than everybody else. Instead of getting angry and frustrated, although they might be stirring inside, they're kind to others and caring.
The Bible says that the wisdom of God is willing to yield, not always demanding its own way. How many of you have ever found yourself in conflict with someone and God tells you not to prove that you're right but preserve the relationship and step back. That makes no sense to the world. I remember one time I was in a grocery store and I had bought something and when I got out to the car I realized I had left it in the store and I had paid for it. When I came back in, I went to this one person and told them I had left it on the counter and they said they didn't know where it is, it's gone. I said, "Listen, I've got the receipt right here, I promise I'm not lying to you, I'm a preacher, I'm not going to lie". They didn't care.
I was getting kind of angry, all I wanted was my stuff, it cost $10.00. "Listen, I know I'm right, here's what I'm telling you, I was wrong and I didn't mean to leave it but somewhere in your inventory there's another one of those things I bought. You're going to make 10 more dollars off of me, here's my receipt, I want it". I could feel things stirring up and you know what the Lord said? "It's $10.00, you're right, you should be taking care of right here but now that you've told everyone you're a preacher (I hate it when he does that). What I didn't know is that person had been going through one of the worst days they've ever had.
How many know $10.00 really doesn't matter? I could have used it, I really could have. Remember, my Dad was born Jewish so I can be a little tight. After all, $10.00 is $10.00. God said, "Let go of it, I can make all grace abound to you". Thank you, Jesus. I remember I stopped and said, "You know what, I'm not going to bother you anymore. Here's the truth, I need this thing and I know we're not seeing eye to eye. You know what? it's just $10.00, I'll buy it". And she began to weep and said, "Sir, no one has ever let it go like that before, and I had to or I was dead meat when I got home. It was just a matter of being willing to yield. I was right but If my being right is going to ruin my witness then I needed to not be right but to step back. That's the wisdom. The world doesn't get it, the world is saying "I need that thing, it was $10.00 and I'm going to stand here until I prove it to you". How many have ever ran into people like that?
The Bible says wisdom is full of mercy and mercy is compassion in action. The fruit of the spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. The fruit of the spirit must be evident in people's lives, that's a sign of the wisdom of God.
Wisdom is without partiality. The truth is there are some people in this room that you will treat better than others. All of us have personalities and there are certain people we get around that we love to be with and there are other people when you get around them you're ready to walk away. If you don't feel that way you are lying to yourself. Listen, the Bible says the wisdom of God is without partiality. It will care for people regardless, the smart ones, the stupid ones, the ones with good breath, the ones with bad breath.
Listen, wisdom is without hypocrisy. The Bible says that those who are wise know that they don't believe one thing and do something else. I've said this time and time again and I'm going to say it until we understand it. People are the only ones that can lie to themselves and believe it. Wisdom does not live with hypocrisy.
I want to close with this last thought, wisdom produces fruit. The fruit of the righteous not only effects our lives but those who are wise invest in others. Wisdom produces fruit beyond itself. Proverbs 11:30 is one of my most favorite scriptures in all the world, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he who wins souls is wise". James says, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace". There is nothing more important than a soul coming to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. Those who are wise produce fruit.
God has called us to be soul winners. The thing that I have found about those who are wise is that every time they speak there is a consciousness about them when they are talking with others, they are helping to impart life beyond themselves. If they can issue instruction, not preaching but helping and if they know someone who doesn't know Jesus, they realize that person's life can be turned around as soon as Christ becomes their savior. Life can become beautiful. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he who wins souls is wise.
As God is growing this church and we have exciting things that are going on, when I talk about the wisdom of God in this church I believe that one of the things that God is calling us to understand more than anything is how important it is that we bring other people to Jesus. You can become a winner at anything else in this life but are you a winner of souls? How many know that brings great fruit because that life is changed for eternity.
