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Shelburne Free Press https://shelburnefreepress.ca/?p=16305 Export date: Sun Nov 24 22:42:33 2024 / +0000 GMT |
Crossroads Community ChurchGathering together in worship and praise Pastor Don prayed, as we come humbly before you this morning, Dear Father God, we pray for our hearts and minds to be opened to accept and understand the words of your message. We pray for your Godly wisdom to be within us so that we will be peacemakers. We pray this morning for humility in place of boastfulness, realizing all true wisdom is a gift from you. May we always use this wisdom to build up your kingdom, recognizing our hopelessness without your grace and mercy. We pray all this in the name and authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen. True wisdom is not a matter of how much one knows, but of how much one actively trusts, loves and obeys the Lord. Today we studied wisdom, looking at James 3:13-18. We have more knowledge at our fingertips today than ever before. Yet with all this knowledge and information, do you think we are any wiser? In Job 28:12, Job asks “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? In Job 28:23, Job says, “God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found” and verse 28 states “And this is what he says to all humanity: The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.” To fear the Lord means to have respect and reverence for God and to be in awe of His majesty and power. Proverbs 1:7 – “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:32b – “Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.” In Proverbs, the fool is the one who, knowing right from wrong, doesn't actively follow God's ways. Proverbs 4:7 – “Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgement.” Knowledge and education alone do not make you wise. Knowledge comes from books. Wisdom comes from God. James 3:13 – “If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” Have you ever known anyone who boastfully deigned to be wise but acted foolishly? James 3:14-16 – “But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” James 3:17 – “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.” Romans 12:18 – “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” For Proverbs 14:30 reminds us “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.” James 3:18 – “And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” Wisdom that is modelled on God's wisdom is pure, peacemaking, gentle, able to listen, full of mercy and good works, impartial and sincere. Indeed, “It is God's privilege to conceal things”, however, seeking practical, divine, Christ like wisdom from God should be our priority. James 1:5 – “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” Just as it is God's privilege to conceal things, it is also God's privilege to reveal things. So pray to the Father who is fair and just, in Jesus' name, with faith, sincerity and purity of motive for wisdom from above, giving thanks. “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.” (James 1:6-8) Colossians 3:16 – Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Amen. May God richly bless His word here this morning. Amen. |
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Post date: 2015-12-14 15:17:28 Post date GMT: 2015-12-14 20:17:28 Post modified date: 2015-12-22 10:40:46 Post modified date GMT: 2015-12-22 15:40:46 |
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