Written By Rev. Law Hui Seng
10th May, 2009
Posted By Teresa Han
Posted By Teresa Han
James 3:13-18
Main idea: Choose wisdom that comes from Heaven
Objective: 1. Differentiate between the wisdom that comes from the evil and wisdom that comes from heaven. 2. Teach the congregation to choose wisdom that comes from heaven.
A. General Introduction
-Last Sunday I preach to you on controlling our tongue based on James 3:1-12.
Today, James helps us to go deeper into controlling or taming our tongue.
-He helped us to see that in order to control our tongue we must practice pure speech that comes from wisdom.
-Our tongue can be controlled by speaking words of wisdom.
-And there are 2 kinds of wisdom we can choose.
B What are the 2 kinds of Wisdom?
-James is teaching all teachers and others not to misuse the tongue.
-According to verse 18- James emphasized that their speech and actions lead to
community peace.
-Verse 18, “…its peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”
-if teachers and Christians don’t speak and act to produce peace, then, the spirit inspiring us to speak is clearly not God’s spirit.
-Then, how do we know a certain wisdom is inspired by God or not.
-This is where James gives us instructions on how to differentiate whether a
Wisdom is inspired by God’s spirit or not.
-With certainty, we highlighted the fact that true wisdom will show itself in good deeds which flow from a proper life style.
-That is, he says in verse 13, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deed done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”
-A person who is inspired by God’s spirit who is wise, who speaks words of wisdom, must produce good life, backed by good deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom.
-He elaborated this true wisdom that is inspired by God’s spirit to be----first of all pure: peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit impartial and sincere, in verse 17.
-You see, if you are inspired by God’s spirit, your life will be characterized by peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit: impartial and sincere; then you can control your tongue.
-On the other hand the opposite will happen if we are not inspired by God’s spirit, but inspired by devil.
-The second kind of wisdom is coming from the devil. How do you know?
-That is where it comes from; James says in verses 14-16, “…but if you harbor bitter, envy, selfish ambition in your heart, do not boast it or deny the truth. such wisdom does not come down from heaven but from earthly, unspiritual , of the devil for where you have envy and selfish ambition sure you find disorder and evil practice.”
-If our tongue causes denial of truth, then we are not inspired by God’s spirit, but we are inspired by the devil.
C Application
-So, we have to deliberately choose wisdom that is coming from heaven and we know it is there.
-Our lives will reflect the heavenly wisdom because of the good deeds and fruit produced in our lives – peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, good fruit, impartial and sincere.
-Is your life producing these characters? If yes, then you are controlling your tongue.
- For those of you who are still struggling with anger, I pray that the following illustration will help you to develop the character of self control to over anger and control your tongues.
-James is teaching all teachers and others not to misuse the tongue.
-According to verse 18- James emphasized that their speech and actions lead to
community peace.
-Verse 18, “…its peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”
-if teachers and Christians don’t speak and act to produce peace, then, the spirit inspiring us to speak is clearly not God’s spirit.
-Then, how do we know a certain wisdom is inspired by God or not.
-This is where James gives us instructions on how to differentiate whether a
Wisdom is inspired by God’s spirit or not.
-With certainty, we highlighted the fact that true wisdom will show itself in good deeds which flow from a proper life style.
-That is, he says in verse 13, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deed done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”
-A person who is inspired by God’s spirit who is wise, who speaks words of wisdom, must produce good life, backed by good deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom.
-He elaborated this true wisdom that is inspired by God’s spirit to be----first of all pure: peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit impartial and sincere, in verse 17.
-You see, if you are inspired by God’s spirit, your life will be characterized by peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit: impartial and sincere; then you can control your tongue.
-On the other hand the opposite will happen if we are not inspired by God’s spirit, but inspired by devil.
-The second kind of wisdom is coming from the devil. How do you know?
-That is where it comes from; James says in verses 14-16, “…but if you harbor bitter, envy, selfish ambition in your heart, do not boast it or deny the truth. such wisdom does not come down from heaven but from earthly, unspiritual , of the devil for where you have envy and selfish ambition sure you find disorder and evil practice.”
-If our tongue causes denial of truth, then we are not inspired by God’s spirit, but we are inspired by the devil.
C Application
-So, we have to deliberately choose wisdom that is coming from heaven and we know it is there.
-Our lives will reflect the heavenly wisdom because of the good deeds and fruit produced in our lives – peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, good fruit, impartial and sincere.
-Is your life producing these characters? If yes, then you are controlling your tongue.
- For those of you who are still struggling with anger, I pray that the following illustration will help you to develop the character of self control to over anger and control your tongues.
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
-What is at stake now? The characters! Characters will decide the wisdom we have is from heaven or from the devil.
-In order to allow wisdom of heaven to prevail; to occupy the top priority in our lives, then, we need to consciously choose wisdom of heaven.
D Conclusion
-Wisdom of heaven is what we need.
-Don’t gamble away wisdom of heaven by missing the mark of characters.
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