True Religion - Week Four: "Conflicts & Disputes"

Today, we will continue the sermon series True Religion: Lessons for the Church from James, which we have worked on for several weeks.  

This series seeks to answer the question: "How do we define what it means to be a  Christian?" This is one of the most important questions that those who claim to follow Jesus should be asking now. 

Today, we will explore what it means to seek a different kind of wisdom—what James refers to as "wisdom from above."  

Before we get into that, though, let me talk about Know-It-Alls. 

Know-it-alls, One-Uppers, and Your "Actually" friend—we all know someone like this. They don't just want to be right; they must be right.  

The definition of a know-it-all: is a person who acts as though they know everything and who dismisses the opinions, comments, or suggestions of others.   

Some people feel compelled to do this; it's like they can't help themselves, which is sometimes true.  And they can be annoying beyond the pale.  

But here's the problem:  Most of us tend to rate ourselves higher regarding our intelligence and capability than we ought to.  Truth be told, know-it-alls annoy us because we are aware, at some level, that we might be one.  

There's that old quote, which I'll paraphrase: People who think they know everything are annoying to those who do. 

Today, we will drill down on the notion that intelligence is a value in our culture that is lifted higher than wisdom. Even though most of us confuse the two, there is a difference between intelligence and wisdom.  

James tackles this in the passage we will read and study today. He blasts the notion of intelligence as a higher value than wisdom and highlights a "wisdom of gentleness" or a "wisdom from above" marked by humility and seeking the greater good. 

Here's what I want us to hold on to today: 

TRUE RELIGION IS MARKED BY THE WISDOM OF GENTLENESS

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

This passage follows up with a discussion about our words.  

13 Who is wise and knowledgeable among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant and lie about the truth. 

15 This is not wisdom that comes down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 

Wisdom from “below” marked by self-centeredness “psychike"

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Wisdom from above is marked by outward focus, single-mindedness 

Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2 You want something and do not have it, so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it, so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have because you do not ask. 

3 You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

A dipsychos person (double-souled) - cannot find true wisdom. 

Wisdom from God (eternal); We become what we worship; hevel (empty)

James concludes that proximity matters—drawing near to God, resisting the accuser, asking for wisdom.

True Wisdom: purity, peacefulness, gentleness, humility, mercifulness, action, impartiality, and integrity.

Questions We Need To Ask 

1. Am I more interested in being right and making a point than making a difference?
2. Am I more interested in being an expert than building relationships?
3. What does it look like to seek/ask for wisdom?  

TRUE RELIGION IS MARKED BY THE WISDOM OF GENTLENESS