The Epistle of James: Chapter 3 - Pastor Brad DeLong

All right, so we're going to switch gears here and we're going to turn to the book of James. And I mentioned last week how much I enjoy this book, the study of this book. It's just chalk full of foundational and I would call it in-your-face wisdom. And we're going to dive into the third chapter together. So, open your Bible, get ready. Uh before we do that, we'll have a pop quiz. Okay. Uh this is I'm going to ask for some verbal interaction here. So, you're used to saying amen.

That's all right. Uh, I need you to give me some answers. This is an open book quiz. So, if you got your Bibles, uh, you've got your Bible or your phone, you can access that. I know some of you just came from work and your brain may be as tired as mine tends to be, but I thought it would be helpful rather than me just rehearse all the information and you try to retain it for you to uh, just recall it from memory. Okay? And the good news is is you're not taking this pop quiz alone.

you got quite a few others who can help you get the answers. So hopefully this will help you recall what you've learned when we've studied this or when you study this book yourself and the things you've learned over the last two weeks. Are you ready? No, you're not ready. Are you ready? Okay. All right. I'll throw you a softball. Okay. I gave you these answers last week. So true or false? The author of the book of James was most likely Jesus's half brother. True or false?

True. So there you go. Give yourselves a round of applause, everybody. Excellent. We're not done yet. All right. Okay. Now, this is not a true or false. You just have to give me the answer. Who was the book of James written to? It's written in the first chapter. Who is it written to? 12 tribes of Israel. And where were they? Scattered. They were scattered abroad. Yes. The people of God, the uh Jewish people that were scattered across the world. Okay. Good. All right. You're two for two.

True or false? James frequently uses Jewish and Old Testament themes and concepts in his writing. True or false? True. Okay. It's kind of a uncertain true, but it's it is true. Don't worry. Okay. It's true. It's one of those true. I like it. All right. Okay. Some say James is the New Testament version of what Old Testament book. Ah. All right. I saw the Mike Magcguire senior. He had that one quick. What is the book? What is the book? There it is. Okay. Proverbs. Yes, it is.

It's wisdom literature. Okay. Just a couple more. All right. I know some of you you're you're done, but it's okay. No. James draws a lot from what famous sermon? Sermon on the Mount. All right. He teaches a lot like what famous preacher? Jesus. That's right. His half brother. I uh I I talk a lot like my brother, so I can see the similarity there. All right. True or false? James has six chapters. Ah, there you go. False. I was trying to throw you just throw it out there quick, but it is five chapters.

Okay. True or false? James is presented in a linear arrangement as opposed to a quiltlike pattern. False. You all were listening. All right. It's more of a quiltike. We'll talk about that. And then lastly, this one maybe a little more obscure. Tim Mackey, who is uh a Bible scholar, he says, "James is a beautifully crafted what?" Okay, let's say it aloud for all of us. Punch in the gut. James is a beautifully crafted punch in the gut. That's his expert PhD level uh opinion, and it's true.

All right, give yourselves a round of applause, everybody. You did it. You survived the pop quiz. You gave the answers for yourself, but just for the sake of clarity and reminder, we said the audience, the Jewish people who were scattered abroad. James wrote to people facing persecution. They were facing famine. They were facing uh the the peril of of death and hardship. That's why he says, "Count it all joy." In the first five chapters, James is considered an earlier writing. The Apostolic Study Bible says probably around the year AD48.

Some say he was martyed shortly after he wrote this book. So he knew what trials were about. He had seen uh and watched his own brother go through some pretty horrific things on the cross. And of course he saw his resurrection as well, but he he knew firsthand what trials were. Uh also we need to be reminded James focuses on practical wisdom for Christian living. He's the New Testament book of Proverbs, at least some call it that. He he lines out a lot of his themes in the first chapter.

So, if you want to know what the book is about, you can read the first chapter. He then circles back to those themes throughout the book. And it's a quilt-like pattern. If you could put that scripture up or that uh that graphic up. I know that you can't read all these texts, but each of those little boxes is just one of the the sections of the book. But you'll see that the boxes throughout. And James weaves that theme and and I would say a masterful way.

Okay. And we'll see some of that tonight. Uh he we talked about several of those themes last week. They include things like unity in the church. The rich and the poor. We're not seeing eye to eye. He talks about not showing partiality to people or being impartial. He talks about the royal law. Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. And don't just believe but do what you believe. Faith and works. And then he ends the chapter by by focusing on their faith and their works.

Does anyone remember the two fundamental Old Testament Jewish teachings he used as his anchor point at the end of the chapter to prove his point? Okay. Anyone remember those two just fundamental anchor points? Anyone? Abraham. That's right. He cites Abraham that Abraham had faith and works. That was kind of one of his uh lynch pins of his argument that hey if this guy if the father of faith had faith and works you need to have it too. What was the other one? Anyone remember Rahab was one of the characters but uh kind of in line with Abraham faith and works.

There was one other concept that he really keyed in on before Abraham. He said even the demons believe this one God says there's one God. You believe in one God, you do well. But the demons believe in it and they tremble. Uh so he uses those concepts and he could have ended the book right there. Game, set, match. He could have closed it, but he uh he continues and he's not finished yet. Now, we're going to get into chapter 3. Uh the New King James Version and Bible Project split this into two main sections or themes of that quilt again, that quilt pattern.

So James 3 uh 1-12 continues the theme of works through words. Talks about our words, our tongues, what we say. And then 13-8 talks about the difference between worldly sinister wisdom and a wisdom that is from above. So keep those themes in mind as we read together. Also keep these in mind that James continues a theme of unity of what true religion looks like. He reminds us religion and faith is not just in your actions but in your talk. And he spends the majority of the chapter in how they're speaking.

Circles back to that theme of how you talk in chapters four and five. Uh and then you'll notice verse 13. We're going to about to read this chapter together. He seems to take another hard right turn, but when you really dig into what he's saying, you see that he just weaves all this. He's he's inspired by the spirit to write this. So the Lord's obviously helping him, but it's just it's just incredible. It's it's masterful stuff. So if you look at like, oh, we'll just break these off and this really doesn't have anything to do with this.

I think you're missing the layers to this. With that in mind, okay, put on your history glasses, your historical grammatical. Oh, yeah. Some of you are literally doing it. I love it. All right. Okay. Yeah. And he did that. Okay. You don't have glasses, you could do that. I can't even. It's a suit jacket, I guess. I can't do that. No, no, no. I'll try it later. Okay, we're going to read the third chapter together. Okay, chapter two ends with for as the body without the spirit is dead.

So, faith without works, it's it's dead faith. And then chapter three, my brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things, and if anyone doesn't stumble in word or in speech, he's a perfect man. There's that word perfect. Uses that seven times. Don't forget. He's able also to bridle the whole bodies in complete control. Indeed, we we put a bit in a horse's mouth that that they may obey us and we turn their whole body and look also at ships.

Although they're so large and they're driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small ru rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so, the tongue is a little member, but it boasts great things. See how great a forest, a little fire kindles. Tongue is a fire. It's a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members or our body that it defiles the whole body. It sets on fire the course of nature. It is set on fire by hell itself. For every kind of beast and bird of reptile and creature of the sea is tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no man can tame the tongue.

It's it's an unruly evil full of deadly poison. Real encouraging stuff, I know. With it we bless our God and father. With it we curse men who have been made in the simulture or the image of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. The spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening. Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives or a grape vine bear figs? No spring yields both salt water and fresh.

And then kind of that hard right turn. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, don't boast and lie against the truth. That wisdom does not come from above. It doesn't descend from above. It's it's earthly, sensual, it's demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that's from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy.

Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Is it powerful just to hear those words? Yeah. Scripture stands alone and and you read those out loud. I I just it's sobering and and I'm astounded every time the weight of scripture. I said last week, it stands for itself. Scripture will stand on its own. Even without commentary, it's it's effectual. It's powerful. Even still, this chapter is loaded. It's got layers upon layers of meaning. So, we'll dive in and I will do my best uh to be uh efficient with my time.

Chapter two ends with discussing works. Chapter three opens with some of the most important works that we have and do what we say our speech. Paul says, "Whatever you do in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." So, we know, and we heard about this a couple months ago, our words matter greatly to God. This this lesson here, this chapter here may hit home more than any other because James says it.

We all stumble here. We all make mistakes here. He lines out how powerful and and essential uh our our words are and and how uh unhealthy our words can be in this chapter. And here's a synopsis of the the chapter. It's given by a man named Professor Moo. Uh he actually taught in Illinois for quite some time and uh retired a couple years ago. But he says this, James has already mentioned his concern about the sins of speech in James 1:19. He encourages readers. He said, "You need to be slow to speak.

You need to be uh quick to hear." And then he talks about the bridling of the tongue. Uh it's one of the main ingredients of a pure religion in James 1:26. So he already talked about it twice in the first chapter. Now he comes and attacks this problem at length. He comes back in full force. Perhaps the general issue of works in chapter two has stimulated this section. Namely, that words are also works. Your words matter. Your words can I know that there's that saying, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.

I don't know who came up with that. It's a brick wall or something. Words matter, maybe even more than physical works. These verses, the commentator says, more than any others in the epistle reveal the breath of James background. The problem of uncontrolled speech is a frequent theme in Proverbs and other Old Testament Jewish wisdom literature. James brings this problem of the tongue uh to the forefront with a series of illustrations that would have been very popular in that day and age in that culture. And those illustrations are of a type that they would have been widely known among that culture.

Even those who who may not have been educated would have known it. James gives these pictures of this and he's trying to communicate to the people in this culture how we need to take care about our words. So we see the pattern we outline. Okay. James has a couple jabs in chapter one. I used that boxing analogy last week. I don't know anything about boxing. Okay. But uh couple quick hits. Verse 19 in chapter one. He says, "Hey, be slow to speak." And then he says, "Hey, you should bridle your tongue." And then he brings in the hay maker.

I think that's a boxing thing. Anybody? Okay. No. All right. If I'm wrong, tell me. Tell me later. All right. He addresses this at length. He knows his audience. They would be acquainted with the proverbs and with these analogies that and there's some really cool insights those analogies. You don't even have to be a Bible nerd to appreciate those. But I wish we were all Bible nerds, which means that we love the Bible enough to dive into it. All right. But on that note, we're going to dive in.

Okay. verse uh one of chapter 3. My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. This sets the table for the following 12 verses in the chapter. In order to understand it, let's put on those historical glasses again. I can't do it, but you can do it. All right? Put them on and remember that teachers in their time were highly, highly regarded. They were highly esteemed. In Jewish culture, they they tend to call them rabbis. And they were very influential.

Jesus out of respect they called him rabbi. They called him teacher throughout his ministry. It was a term of great respect and esteem. I believe our teachers deserve great respect and esteem especially the good ones. Oh yeah. Give him a round of applause. All of our teachers. Truth is we need teachers. Education at large. The the church. Entire nations are built upon teaching. And despite how teaching may be viewed today, teachers hold a very high office and they did so in the first century. Just imagine we had brother Shalom here on Sunday and we had evangelist Doug Klein.

Just imagine a circuit of teachers that would circulate and they had uh they were held in very high esteem. Also remember at that time the church had a lot of traveling teachers who were teaching false doctrine. You can see this in all many of the other epistles. James literally dealt with this himself in Acts 15. So he's addressing a common issue of the day. The teachers who Paul calls super apostles were calling Gentiles to observe Jewish laws. They were twisting the word of truth. So James uses them as a starting point to talk about the tongue.

It's so they would have known oh teachers. He's talking about the teachers. Then you'll see in a moment he also reminds them of the proverbs. Proverbs are loaded with instructions on speech and James brings that out. Okay. One scholar said this. It's interesting stuff. He says, "Somewhat comparable to the Jewish rabbi, the teacher in the early church was entrusted with the crucial task of transmitting Christian doctrine. They gave a certain authority and prestige to those in the teaching ministry. This was the case in a society where few people could read and and where people in the lower classes had few opportunity.

They didn't have YouTube videos to learn things. We probably shouldn't have YouTube videos to learn all the things that we want to we can learn, you know, practical stuff, but they they didn't have any of that. They relied on a teacher. So, it's not surprising then that Christians were attracted to a teaching ministry. James is concerned about this. Uh, some taught for the wrong reasons. And James says, "Let not many of you become teachers." And the scholar continues, "One who undertakes to lead others in the faith must be careful that his own life reflects what he's teaching." I've heard someone say, "Practice what you preach." I like uh the other saying I heard, "Preach what you practice." Preach what you practice.

And if you're teaching the word of God in any way or capacity, you are being given great influence. And we don't take that lightly. James's intention is not to dissuade people from teaching, but he does want to tell them the seriousness of the ministry and warn them that it's it's not to be entered into frivolously or for selfish reasons. So, if you're going to teach the word of God, there's an added weight and high responsibility, one that teachers and preachers at the church know and have felt.

In fact, to illustrate this, I thought of when I was in uh college, Ian College, we were in an intro to preaching class and brother Jerry Jones came into that class to teach us how to preach. And we all highly respected, still do respect brother Jerry Jones, he's an exemplary Christian and preacher. And I remember we're just kind of sitting there like leaning in to hear what he was going to say. We're all young, aspiring preachers like, "Wow, he's going to give us something just gold." And I remember him teaching and it was awesome.

And then all of a sudden his tone shifted and he looked at all of us real sternly. I guess it's like he was looking into our souls. He said, "If you can do anything else, if you could drive a school bus, if you could be a plumber, a carpenter, if you if your heart will allow you to do any other occupation but preach, do it. We were like, "What?" What he followed up with was, "If you're tasked with conveying this word of truth, you need to know that you're called and you need to make sure that you do it with care and that you rightly divide the word of truth." I remember the weight of that settling on us that day.

And I still feel that weight. It's one that we don't take for granted, especially in light of James next statements in verse two. So verse one, my brethren, let not many of you become teachers. You'll receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he's a perfect, there's that word, man, able to bridle the whole body. A notable teacher said this when looking at these two verses together. He said, 'The teacher places himself in a greater danger of judgment because of the main tool of his ministry, which is also the part of the body most difficult to control, the tongue.

To highlight the peculiar danger of the tongue, James acknowledges the prevalence of sin. We all make many mistakes. Apostolic Study Bible says James is referencing the human condition. All have sinned. all fall short of the glory of God. And we do aim for sinless perfection. But the impact of that fall on our nature is so pervasive that the Abselic study Bible and the author there said, "We may never reach that lofty goal of perfection until that day when we're made like Jesus." So the writer adds the greatest test of maturity.

One of James seven uses of that word perfect is the measure in which one controls the tongue. James says, "Hey, if you can control this thing, you've got complete control." And it may be the last thing you ever are able to I just find it interesting that the thing that the Lord typically takes over when you receive the gift of the spirit of God, he could have given any evidence. He could have chosen anything. You could have started levitating in when you receive the spirit, but he takes over the tongue.

That's interesting to me. I don't know all the mechanics behind that or reasons behind it, but I think James is on to something here. Obviously, he says, "If you can control this thing, you're a perfect man." Again, referring to someone who's whole or complete. And we all want to be that person. But how many by a show of hands are perfect? Put my hands up. How many are still trying to control this? Anybody? Oh, yeah. All of us. That's James' point. If you have this thing tamed, you're you're a complete individual.

You're able to tame the whole body. This is where we see James lean into the proverbs and into some common analogies of the day. If you read the Proverbs, the book talks about our words in the tongue maybe more than any other book in the Bible. And it references some of the same analogies James going to use in the next four verses. He says, "Indeed, we put bits in horses mouths that they may obey us and and we with them we turn their whole body." That's the first analogy he uses.

Horse bit. Then he says, "Look also at ships." The second analogy. They're so large, but they're and and they're driven by fierce winds, but they're turned by a very small rudder where the pilot desires. Even so, the tongue is a little memor. So he's pointing back to the first two analogies, a bit and a rudder. Small but mighty. And then he shifts. These are small, but see how great a forest, a little fire kindles. There's the third analogy. And the tongue is a fire. A world of iniquity so set among our members, it defiles the whole body.

It sets on fire the course of nature. It's set on fire by hell. So James is on a roll here. hits him with these three common analogies, stacks them to help deliver his message. And those verses three and four, controlling horses with bits and and ships with rudders. That was a common illustration in the ancient Mediterranean. If James would have said the tongue is like a steering wheel in a car, they'd have been like, "What are you talking about?" But he uses analogies that they know of because everyone except maybe the most illiterate would have understood those.

Jewish texts often cast wisdom and reason and God in the role of a pilot steering somebody. James leans on that. But his point here is that the tongue many times is in control. And he uses another common illustration and the tongue being a fire. It's pretty common to compare the spread of rumors to igniting what would rapidly be become a forest fire. Here the image is that of a a tongue that incites the whole body to vi your tongue steers your entire body. Any you ever seen that happen?

Your tongue started before your brain and your heart caught up and you're like, "All right, I guess we're following this guy." You know, not usually a good thing. The boastful tongue plotting harm and and the uh tongue as a hurtful fire. These are old images that James is leaning on. That the tongue is uh a fire sparked by hell suggests where that leads. This is where the proverbs are implied. James knows that his hearers are going to remember truths like Proverbs 16:27 that an ungodly man digs up evil and it and it's on his lips like a burning fire.

A perverse man sews strife. A whisperer separates the best of friends. These are well-known proverbs in that day. Proverbs 26. Like a madman who throws firebrands and arrows and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking." Where there is no wood, the fire goes out. Where there is no tail bearer, strife ceases. Seems to follow those persons. As charcoal is to burning coal and wood is to fire. A contentious man is to kindle strife. The words of a tailbearer are like tasty trifles that go down into the inmost body.

And then Proverbs 18, well known, death and life and the power of tongue. Those who love it will eat its fruit. I've heard uh these moments. I love this analogy, these uh motifs basically described as like a hyperlink. Anyone ever been sent a link to like a Google doc or sent something and you click on it and it takes you back to the original area. So James puts these embeds these hyperlinks all throughout his text. So when they read it, the tongue is a fire. Oh, the proverbs say that and this, you know, they would have known those things and it kind of calls on us to know those things as well.

He puts those like you'd see on in the internet into his letter and when those readers and listeners heard them, their minds likely would have jumped back to those moments. Really cool stuff. He's leaning on their understanding of the proverbs in common everyday things like a horse bit in a bridal ship's rudder. And he he tells them that the tongue can cause great destruction in such a short time. You know that they found out that one man in California set that small fire in the Palisades that eventually destroyed 6,000 structures.

It caused $150 billion dollars in damage. 12 people lost their lives. An entire community was wiped out from one guy up on one hill starting one fire. They actually put the fire out, but it stayed in the underbrush and that's what caused those Palisades fires at the beginning of this year. One guy, one fire, 150 billion in damage. James says, "This is how the tongue works. You might be able to extinguish that fire that you started, but there may be an underbrush still going. James is trying to tell us, you got to watch how this thing speaks.

How many of you have ever noticed, witnessed one slip of the tongue, one misplaced word, one careless moment that caused great destruction? Anybody ever seen that? Almost all of us probably have seen at least the aftermath. The last verse of uh line of verse six might seem extreme but but the tongue he says is often set on fire by hell itself. The professor says this. He says where does this enormously destructive potential come from? Comes from hell says James. He uses the term gehenna here referencing again his acquaintance with Jesus teaching.

Jesus used that word to describe the place of ultimate condemnation. He uses it in the sermon on the mount. The word is a transliteration of the Hebrew valley of hinnam had an evil reputation in the Old Testament and the power of Satan himself the chief occupant of hell gives to the tongue its great destructive potential. You're going to see that theme through the rest of the chapter. James elaborates further. For every kind of beast and bird and reptile and creature of the sea is tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no man can tame the tongue.

It's an unruly evil. It's full of deadly poison. I got to say this quickly, but verses seven through eight are that's creation language. We're made in God's image. People were appointed over creation. But although other creatures could be subdued and tamed, the tongue was like the deadliest of snakes, full of toxin. When you see snake language in the Bible, they usually were thinking one of a couple things. So when you see full of deadly poison or venom, he's pointing back to Satan. He keeps using that same motif.

Pretty interesting analogy here related to something with deadly poison. We just heard that hell's involved with the tongue and and now some kind of beast with venom in it. Kind of like the one in the Garden of Eden. And James is drawing his he knows his audience. He's being very clear here. With it we bless our God and father. With our tongue we curse men who've been made in the image of God. More creation language there. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

That verse right there, verse 9, to me is one of the most convicting scriptures in the Bible. Jewish teachers noted that blessing God while cursing others was incompatible. How can you bless God? You know, Jesus in the sermon of mount said, "Hey, don't even come and worship me if you're at odds with your brother." How can you worship God and curse others with the same tongue? I'll say this, anytime I've made the mistake like that, it seems like I come in the presence of the Lord and I I have a hard time even worshiping.

Now, I should worship no matter what, but it's like the Lord will bring that back to me. Hey, hold on a second. You're just you're going to use that foul mouth. You need some soap. We've got to be careful how we talk about our brother. The royal law is implicated again here. James readers would not have missed this point. Text makes clear the sort of perverse speech that that chapter addresses. Antagonistic speech. It aligns with Satan. James is being really clear with his language. That kind of tongue that would curse someone made in the image of God is likened to the accuser of the brethren trying to accuse the people of God.

James is clear about it. To curse someone made in the image of God and try to bless the God who made them in the same breath. James says, "My brethren, these things ought not to be so." Uses a couple more common analogies. This is an agrarian society. Okay, so does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same open? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives? A grape vine bear uh figs? No spring yields saltwater and fresh? Those are the three most common crops in their entire region.

Figs, olives, and grapes. And he's leaning on their understanding of that, that agrarian language. And each fruit produces after its own kind. So if you've got good fruit in your life, your tongue is going to profess those things. If you've got bad fruit, your tongue is going to profess those. Jesus had something to say about those things. Matthew 7, Luke 6, Luke 6:43. For a good tree does not bear bad fruit. A bad tree doesn't bear good fruit. Every tree is known by its fruit. Men don't gather figs from thorns or they don't gather grapes from a bramble bush.

A good man of the out of the good treasure of a good heart brings forth good. Evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. Out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks. James sounds like his brother. To round this out quickly, he talks about the wisdom that's from above. The last four or five verses. Okay, very quickly before we read those, remember the backstory. One of the first things James addresses in chapter one is asking God for wisdom. He has a theme of wisdom throughout the book.

So he, this is the center of the book, which is significant. He's probably also addressing some concerns, things happening, cultural things happening, uh, that involved earthly or demonic wisdom. Craig Kenir thinks that maybe he was, uh, directly teaching against positions of people like the Zealots or the followers of the Mcabes who were promoting violence and strife, their own agendas during this time. So, their wisdom, as you would see, would promote those things. Uh either way, James is just coming directly against a specific and cultural problem plaguing these believers.

He offers them instead a wisdom that's from above. He says, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by what?" Good conduct, works. That his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. There's that hyperlink. Okay? Just talked about works in chapter 2. You see the theme of wisdom and works all over again. He's not random here. It's not a hard right turn. He's weaving this together. And also, he asks this this question in this section. Who is wise and understanding among you? That's a challenge.

If you claim to be wise, demonstrate your wisdom in the works that true wisdom produces. He offered a similar challenge in verse two. He said, "Hey, if you've got faith, show me." So, he says basically the same thing. Who's wise and understanding? Show me. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. And there's that theme of our words and speech. Again, he's weaving it through. That wisdom doesn't descend from above. In chapter one, remember he says uh every good pu uh gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights.

So that kind of wisdom does not come down from the father of lights. He also says ask for wisdom. This is so cool. You see all this weaving together. You don't even again you don't even have to be a Bible nerd to think that's cool. It's just all these little hyperlinks all throughout. Doesn't descend from above. It's it's earthly. It's sensual. It's demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist confusion and every evil thing are there. It appears that some and maybe maybe it was the zealots and the those in the nationalism camp at the time.

They were priding themselves on their own wisdom and understanding, but they were displaying a jealous, bitter partisanship that was the antithesis of the meekness that James is talking about. If you have true wisdom, it produces meekness. So their wisdom, he's saying it's it's earthly. It's unspiritual, meaning it has to do with the part of man where human feeling and human reason reign supreme. It's demonic. Kind of like the earlier speech inspired by hell. James says, "Don't sin against the truth by boasting about your wisdom." If you're if you got this kind of wisdom, don't be going around boasting about it.

That's only going to lead uh lead to confusion and evil. Instead, he says, "The wisdom that's from above. The wisdom you should ask for in chapter one. It's first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits. It's without partiality and without hypocrisy. The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Truth is, I thought of this today. We could do an entire Bible study on just those two verses. That wisdom is from above. Bishop and I love that passage.

We could it would be a whole night on those. We don't have time for that obviously. So, I'll offer you this from from Craig Keenan. Wisdom from above or from God is pure. Meaning it's not mixed with anything else. In this case, it would not be mixed with anything of the earth or anything demonic. It's also not hypocritical. It's unhypocritical. Many Jewish wisdom texts spoke of divine wisdom coming from above. Again, every good and perfect gift is from above. God's genuine wisdom is nonviolent rather than given to lashing out.

I you know, the the tie-ins with the tongue, if you're having uh earthly wisdom, you're going to lash out. wisdom from above says no, it's peaceable, gentle, open to read. It's not a doormat. You can see other uh uh scripture that doesn't, you know, doesn't say basically, hey, just let everybody uh do evil around you and never never confront that. No, it's not a doormat, but it is peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, unwavering, impartial, without prejudice or favoritism. In their culture, such wisdom is neither that of those like the Zealots or those of the aristocracy.

James is trying to show them a new way. I know that you're being influenced by people like the Mcabes and the Zealots and and the Romans are at your at your door and they're oppressing you, but that our wisdom does not lash out. Told them in chapter one, ask for wisdom, especially with their surrounding political climate. The wisdom he's referencing includes and seems to relate to the believers and Christlike followers being peaceful and being peacemakers. Anyone remember any talk about peacemakers earlier in the year? What sermon?

Yeah, sermon on the mount again. There's his brother talking. In other words, the wisdom God gives you should not cause you to fight and quarrel or cause division or try to pull people apart. It should lead you to make peace, to be peaceable, gentle, willing to lead, full of mercy and good fruits without partiality, without hypocrisy. And he says the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. This is what true wisdom has to offer. Look around in our world right now.

Do you see a lot of that wisdom? Now, I know that social media isn't our whole world, but look at social media. Do you see a lot of that wisdom? No, there's so many more things I want to say, but I won't. Okay, I won't. Instead, I'm going to end with a brief story that's taught me a whole lot about wisdom from above and even the way we speak and the way we talk. A couple years ago, I was called upon uh by a friend to help them move.

And it was under very difficult circumstances. And I remember being kind of on edge. We were packing up his things and placing them in a in a trailer. I had parked the truck in a in a very tight uh spot in the apartment community there. And I didn't realize it, but at the time I had blocked the maintenance man's reserved spot. I also didn't know that he really liked his reserved spot. So, we were moving things in and out. I'm already on edge a little bit, just again difficult circumstance when this white truck pulls up in the parking lot.

And when I say he's going about 40 miles an hour, that's not an exaggeration. And he gets right in front of the truck that we had, slams on his brakes, slides, and almost hits it. And I remember thinking, "What is going on?" I went over to check and make sure everything's okay. And he gets out of his truck and begins to yell things in my direction and really at me. And I remember the adrenaline rising up in me. And I remember some of the things he was saying that I will not repeat to you.

He was upset that I was parked in his spot. Ran over the truck, make sure everything's okay. And before I could speak, he is, "Whose truck is this? Get this out of the way." You know, threaten a couple other things. And again, I'll leave those words out. And I I remember the earthly unspiritual words and wisdom that came just naturally to me. But I also recall several uh just a couple moments or just a pause and and at this time I had friends running up behind me who were ready to go to war.

But thankfully the wisdom and the spirit of God took over and I can't take credit for that. really what came naturally wouldn't have helped the situation. But I responded by telling the man, took a breath. I said, "Listen, I'm so sorry. I did not know that was your spot. I will get in the truck. I will move it. I'll get it out of your way. Uh we won't cause you any issue. I don't know where to park it, but I'm going to get this." And I said, "I I'm sorry." And it was like the red left his face.

And he kind of shook himself a little bit and he said, H hold on. Hold on. Said, "It's fine. It's It's fine." I said, "No, it's okay. I can move it." He said, "No, no, no. It's fine." You know, now he's insisting. He just didn't want to. He said, "No, I I'm sorry." He's like, "You can park there." He's like, "If you if you guys need anything, you let me know. I can help." I was like, "Okay." I thought I was going to get punched in the face, but, you know, this this ended pretty well, you know.

It was such a simple story and illustration, but taught me so much about our words and our wisdom. That gentle, peaceable, willing to yield wisdom, it really works, church. It a soft answer really does turn away wrath. And the world wouldn't have it. Well, you should have stood up to the guy. Sure. Yeah. But I wasn't ready to get in a fight. And I'm telling you that this works. It works. There may be someone in this room that you got a situation going on right now and you feel that natural earthly response coming to you and the spirit of God right now is nudge you and say, "No, no, no, no.

That's not the way." Be willing to yield. Be willing to humble yourself and mutually submit to that person like Ephesians says. be willing to to again not to not to uh appease or coddle but to speak the truth in love. In love. And we all could use more of that wisdom. Amen. We could use more of it. James says to ask for it. So let's stand together. I mentioned to you chapter 3:9, one of the most convicting verses I feel in the Bible. So I'd like us to pray a two-part prayer.

one that the Lord would help us with our words and the other that the Lord would give us wisdom. He said if any of you lacks wisdom you someone here tonight may feel like you know what I don't have the wisdom for this situation. I don't even know how to answer them. If you lack wisdom ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach. So we're going to ask God to help us with our words and ask God to help us with our wisdom.

Would you join with me in a season of prayer? I feel the Holy Ghost here helping us right now. Would you join with me in prayer? Lord, we're so thankful for the word of truth that has brought such wisdom and help and health to us tonight. And I'm praying and asking not only for my brothers and sisters, but I'm praying for myself that you would help me. Let every word, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord.

I pray that you'd help me to put a guard over my mouth. Let every word bring you glory and honor and praise. I pray that my words would build others up and not tear them down. that if I am not able to build someone up with my words, that I wouldn't speak them. If I'm going to tear someone down with my words, that you would help me, Lord, not to say them. And I pray that you would give me wisdom that is from above. Not wisdom that's from this earth.

Not wisdom, Lord, that's from a social media post that doesn't align with your word. I pray that you'd give me a wisdom that is far above this earth. That's a good and perfect gift. And I pray that you would help anyone in this room who is lacking wisdom. Those facing challenges and circumstances that are beyond their thoughts and their wisdom. Give it to us now. We pray in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Amen. I really don't I can't move off of this point.

I need to say it at least one more time. If you are dealing with a situation and you're trying to tackle, especially if it deals with a relationship or you don't you don't know all the ins and outs of that person, you're trying to tackle it in your own wisdom and by your own way, please ask God for his help and wisdom. God will give you the words to say. I cannot count how many times he's done that for me. He will give you the words to say.

You'll be able to speak and it'll be from above and it won't be selfish or it won't be self- serving or it won't be from the enemy. It'll be something that builds up the hearers. The Lord is so helpful to us. I wonder if we just slip our hands to heaven and thank God for his goodness and his mercy and his wisdom. Lord, without your wisdom, we cannot make it. Without your help, we cannot make it. Without your word, we cannot make it. I thank you for your accompanying presence that we feel right now.

You are helping us, Lord. And I pray you'd help us to use that wisdom. Thank you again for it, for the gift of your wisdom in Jesus name. Jesus name. Amen. Amen. I thoroughly enjoy this book and uh so grateful we get to study it together. If you have any questions on it, I don't have all the answers, but I like talking about it, so you can come ask. And if I don't know the answer, I'll send you to to Bishop.