James: Heavenly Wisdom or Worldly Wisdom? (3:13-18)

Hello, I'm Pastor Craig, and thank you for tuning in to New Sun Churches Podcast.

We're a gospel center church in Port Harry, Ontario, for claiming the true and life-giving word of Jesus as we love and serve our neighbors.

May God bless you today through his life-giving word.

Our second lesson is from the book of James, chapter 3, verses 13 to 18.

James 3:13–18

Who is wise in understanding among you?

By his good conduct, let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not boast and be false to the truth.

This is not the wisdom that comes down from above.

What is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder in every vile practice.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace with the word of the Lord.

And now it is my great privilege to invite Rob Denhood up to open God's word for us.

Yeah, please be seated.

Let me also encourage you if you have your Bibles.

Okay, the passage of scripture we're looking at is in James chapter 3, so it's right in your bulletin.

James 3 · chapter mention

But if you don't, if you have your Bibles, that's even better.

So let me encourage you to have your Bibles so you can follow along with me.

I'm gonna pray in a minute, but just by way of introduction, you're gonna be noticing in James chapter 3, verse 13, that it begins like this who is wise in understanding among you?

James 3:13

And maybe you were thinking that Pastor Creighton asked me to bring this message because he saw somebody who was wise in understanding.

But that would not be true.

So I just want to clear that up.

It's not because of who I am at all.

So let me just clear that up.

I'd like to think I can be wise, and I can be understanding at times, but uh many times I I am not.

I have been blessed with multiple university degrees.

I have a seminary degree, I've been a teacher for 12 years, I've been in church leadership for 40 years, and yet, and yet, well, this is what's so either sad or amazing about all this, and yet there have been many times in my life when I've allowed, you know, sinful pride to cloud my judgment.

I've allowed a lack of self-control to just make stupid mistakes and bad decisions in my life.

I've, you know, I've you know, it's just basic common sense kind of goes out the window when all of a sudden you want to do something and you shouldn't do it.

So, so I I can, you know, even though you have all this education, you may have all this wisdom, uh, but there's lots of times when I'm not very smart and not very wise at all.

So just bear with me.

I'm here this morning.

I come humbly this morning in front of you.

I'm a I'm a repentant sinner, I'm saved by grace, uh, to know God's love.

I'm a forgiven servant who lives by the mercy of God every day, and I need his mercy every day.

And um uh my desire is to be like Christ, right?

To be conformed into the image of his son, his our Savior Jesus.

So that's my desire.

And to be really honest, I married up when I married Audrey.

So uh, I mean, I I need wisdom, so I need Audrey.

And uh we've been married for over 50 years, and there's been lots of times when I'm going, oh honey, uh, I need you.

So and uh she would agree.

So uh I'm glad I Audrey's here with me, and uh she's the love of my life.

And we've known we've got a long history, we've known each other since we were in I'm gonna say in nursery in church.

So that goes way back, Toronto, back in uh uh 1954.

So um we have a long history, but um I married up when I married her.

Let me pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word to us this morning, Lord.

It is your word that changes lives, it's your word that gives hope and peace, it's your word and your word alone that carries us through our storms and gives us insight and gives us wisdom and gives us direction.

So, Heavenly Father, we pray that you would just bless your word and may the words of my mouth, may the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight because you are our Lord, our rock, and our redeemer.

Amen.

So our passage in James chapter three is a study of contrasts, so just keep that in front of you in the bulletin or in your Bible.

You're gonna be noticing three con three contrasts.

So I'm gonna just highlight them for you right now.

The first contrast, it's about wisdom.

And the first contrast is where does this wisdom come from?

What's the origin or the source of this wisdom?

The second contrast will be the character.

What does the character of these wisdoms look like?

So in the passage, we're contrasting heavenly wisdom versus worldly wisdom.

And then thirdly, we're going to be looking at uh what kind of fruit does this wisdom produce.

Now, James finishes James at verse 13.

He says, So who is wise and understanding among you, then let that person show it by his good life.

Okay, you see that?

Let him show it in his works, in the meekness of wisdom.

Now, James has already done a lot of heavy lifting.

If you're following through the book of James and the boys, I'm gonna call them the boys.

I should be doing that, but you could be my son.

Uh so Creighton and Matt have been taking us through a lot of heavy lifting through the book of James.

And uh, as you know from the very beginning, he addresses it to the twelve tribes in the dispersion.

So when you see that, don't forget that's the church.

Okay, whether you want to see it as the 12 apostles or how Christ through Christianity is moving through Israel and is now getting up into Europe, going down into Africa.

It's kind of amazing to think about you know, Ethiopia or even Greece or even Italy back in the first century and how Christianized they were, and look at them today.

So it's just kind of very interesting.

But he addresses these 12 tribes, which would be the early church and it's expanding.

And James has been really hard-hitting, he's extremely practical.

It's one of the last books to get into the canon, the book of James, because he's because he's so practical, and he wants people to get this what it is to live for Christ.

And uh he writes some things, so I'm gonna just do some summaries here.

He says, if you're a true follower of God, you will show courtesy and compassion to all without hypocrisy, without prejudice, without bias.

So we've covered that in a sermon.

You you're you're gonna keep the whole law, you're gonna speak it, you're gonna act it, you're gonna show it.

So that's James's keep, he keeps putting, you're gonna show it, you're gonna do it.

And if you really have faith, a sincere faith in Christ, then your spiritual faith, you'll show it in your works, in your service.

Basically, James's line is, you know, faith without works is dead.

Faith without a sincere uh effort to show your faith is is a dead faith.

So show your faith, live it out.

And uh I think it was Matt who who preached the last one at the beginning of this chapter three on taming the tongue.

And so that's all about you know, there's a lot of power in this tongue.

We all know the things that we can say, good and not so good.

So like the whole thing in the beginning of chapter three is control the tongue.

Try to corral your tongue, use it to build up and not to tear down.

So that's the message.

And again, every time show it by your good life, show it, prove it that you're a believer in Christ and you're using your gifts to God's glory.

So then we come at the end of this section on the tongue, and we begin in chapter 3, verse 13, talking about wisdom.

So after he speaks about the tongue and using your tongue, he says, Who is wise and understanding among you?

By his good conduct, by your language, by how you treat each other, how you talk about each other, that will be seen in how you live it out.

Now, as I was thinking about this section, I was thinking about what would be a good word picture.

And the Bible is full of good word pictures.

Jesus was an expert, master, teacher.

And um, so I went to Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

So if we're thinking about wisdom this morning and we're talking about heavenly wisdom versus worldly wisdom, one of the best parables would be the parable of the builders.

So let me read this to you and you'll get it.

So Jesus has been working through the Sermon on the Mount.

He's done the golden rule, he's talking about, you know, you'll judge a tree by its fruit.

And um, those who come to Jesus and said, I did this and I did that in your name, and Jesus said, I never knew you.

And then he says this, Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat against the house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

So he's comparing their wisdom and foolishness, the wise man, the foolish man, the wise man who hears God's word, the words of Jesus, and puts them into practice, lives by them, compared to the foolish person who hears God's word but says, you know what, I'm gonna do my own thing.

So that's really what we're gonna be looking at in this section in James.

We're gonna be comparing heavenly wisdom with earthly wisdom.

How do they measure up?

Now, let me also at this point just clarify the difference between wisdom and knowledge.

Okay, just so we get that right.

I mean, I I could say I've been given a lot of knowledge, lots of university, lots of education, but I don't always apply that knowledge.

So it doesn't matter how smart you are, smart is not the same as wise.

So smart is the ability to gather all kinds of information and know lots of things, and we've got Google.

For us, it was it's so interesting, right?

Audrey and I come from homes, and maybe your home still has, you know, these 40 uh encyclopedias, right?

Bookshelf.

Anybody have any of them left?

Most of us have checked them out the house.

Okay, or I can remember when I was teaching uh first in the ministry, I bought myself a uh a series of expository uh theological books, and I needed 12 of them, all about$100 each.

And then we brought in an associate pastor, and he says, Oh Rob, I've got that on a disc right here.

It's all here, right here in the disc.

And you're going, really?

So knowledge, okay, having lots of knowledge is one thing, but wisdom is the ability to apply your knowledge to life, making discerning judgment, understanding it in the long and short, short and long term, being able to see the information, pull it together, and make sense of it in your life.

That's wisdom.

Okay, so they're very different.

So we're going to be looking at what is what is wisdom.

Now, Proverbs, not Proverbs, of course, is a book on wisdom.

It's filled with contrast between wisdom and foolishness.

But the bottom line in Proverbs would be Proverbs chapter 9, verse 10, that says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One of God is understanding.

Proverbs 9:10

So that's always a good place to go.

I need wisdom.

Where does it start?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One of God is understanding.

So true wisdom begins with an understanding of God.

Understanding how things are made.

If anybody's let read any of the Case for Christ books, Case for Faith, Lee Strobel, it always comes back to an understanding of God.

And he goes to all these intelligent people, cosmologists, you know, philosophers all over the world, and it always comes down to do you have an understanding of God?

If you have a good understanding of God, everything else is going to make sense in the world.

So very good.

And and since heavenly wisdom begins with an understanding of God, and since we are created in God's image, it says in Genesis 1.27, He gives our lives.

Now, this is this is really important.

You know, He gives our He gives to us identity in who He is and who we are created.

He gives us purpose, why you're here and what He expects of us, and He and He gives us meaning.

That's why I'm here.

And for people who disregard God, for people who don't want to read about God or know about God and His Word, they're lost.

They have no identity, no purpose, no meaning.

And look at our look at the world we're living in today.

So let me remind you, uh, as we look at James, back at the very first chapter, chapter one, starting in chapter two.

Like who can say this?

It says, Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith will produce steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, mature, understanding, wise, lacking in nothing.

So that's what we get when we uh put God first and we have a fear of the Lord.

Okay, and looking at the contrast, the first contrast is the contrast of source.

Verses 15 and 17.

Okay, so if you look at verse 15, it's gonna say, this is not the wisdom that comes down from above, and verse 17, but this is the wisdom from above.

So you have a wisdom from above.

We're gonna call that heavenly wisdom.

We're gonna have wisdom that is not from above, that is worldly wisdom.

So and then to compare these two wisdoms, I I think we can, I think we're gonna be able to get it.

So worldly wisdom is earthly wisdom, stuff that we gather from just living in this world, temporal world, not eternal.

It's driven by sinful nature, it's driven by selfish gain.

Worldly wisdom is foolishness to God.

You know, there's a beautiful section.

I think I'll read it.

I I never know how much time we have, but there's just so much to read in scripture.

But but Paul deals with foolishness in the world in 1 Corinthians chapter 1.

1 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

So let me just read a little bit of it to you.

Um, in 1 Corinthians chapter 1.

1 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

Consider your calling, my brothers and sisters.

Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards.

Not many were powerful, not not many were of noble birth, but God chose, now listen to this, but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, the worldly wise.

God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, those who think they're strong in the world.

God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring nothing that are the things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God, and because of him you are in Christ, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

So that as written, let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.

So there's a difference between the worldly wisdom.

Okay, we're we go to school, we get our education, it's worldly, worldly, worldly.

Most things around us are worldly.

Okay, so we have to sort that out.

That's what it bombards us mostly with worldly wisdom.

Worldly wisdom lives under the mantra of things like just do you.

You know, I'm gonna do it my way, right?

Famous line.

Uh be true to yourself, do what makes you feel good.

Just follow your heart, follow the latest trends, do what everybody else is doing.

That's worldly wisdom.

Okay?

That just do what the world is doing.

It's it says in the scriptures there, it is sensual, unspiritual, it appeals to the senses, and it is demonic.

So that's an interesting thing when we're thinking about the world.

We don't often want to think about we live in a spiritual world, but we do.

We're surrounded by spirituality, evil.

Where did that come from?

It was demonic, it was dark.

So when you're thinking about wisdom, being able to sort out, is this wisdom that gives me light, gives me understanding, uh, lets me pull it together with others, or is this demonic?

Is it dark?

Is it confusing?

Does it lead to disorder?

Okay?

That's worldly wisdom.

The other kind of wisdom from verse 17 is wisdom that comes from God.

So in James chapter 1, verse 17, it talks about, it talks about wisdom.

James 1:17

Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, from whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

I love that.

James 1, 17.

So heavenly wisdom, it comes from God.

It says, live by faith and not by sight.

It's it's it's reached, it's we re-reach it, we get it through God's word, through prayer, through spending time with the Lord.

And there's great examples of wisdom.

The best example, of course, will be King Solomon.

So all of you know Solomon's story.

So David's David's son Solomon, and and David is is is handing over the reins to the kingdom to Solomon, and Solomon is looking at the children of Israel and going, Oh my goodness, what am I going to do with these people, right?

Okay, in 1 Kings 3.

So then he says, uh, and Solomon said to the Lord, he's talking to God, and and God says to him, uh, at Gibeon, the Lord appears to Solomon in a dream, and God says, Ask, and I will give it to you.

Okay, can you imagine?

Ask what I can give it to you.

It's like, okay, here's three doors.

And ask, which door do you want?

Right?

That's what's happening here.

And Solomon says, You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David, my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, in uprightness of heart towards you, and you've kept for him this great and steadfast love.

You've given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David, my father.

Although I am but a little child, I do not know how to go out or come in, and your servant is in the midst of your people, whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.

Then he says, This give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people.

So he's asking for wisdom, right?

And then it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this, so God says to him, Because you have asked this, because you chose the right door, I'm gonna give you the other two doors as well.

So then he goes on and says, Because you've asked this and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but you've asked for yourself understanding and discernment.

Behold, I now do according to your word.

Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you have been before, and none like you shall arise after.

I give you also what you have not asked for, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall ever compare with you.

Solomon.

So asking for wisdom is key.

That's the difference.

Going to God for wisdom.

That's heavenly wisdom.

Another good example, you can turn to it, but it's in Exodus 18.

You'll remember the story about Moses, and he's sitting in the tent, and he's got this huge lineup.

He's the only one who has understanding.

He thinks.

And he's got this, you know, people are lined up.

I need help.

I need to go see Moses.

Until his father-in-law says, here's where a father-in-law comes in.

And the father-in-law says, you know, Moses, this is crazy.

I mean, you're spending all this time.

He says, why don't you, and this is this is wisdom, Jethro.

Jethro sits down with Moses, says, Moses, why don't you get some capable people, people you trust, people who are followers, serious followers of God, you know, and divide this up.

So it's not all heavy on you, but divide it up.

That's wisdom.

Okay, so heavenly wisdom versus earthly wisdom.

Okay.

The second contrast is the contrast between character.

What do these wisdoms look like?

So we're going to look at in verses 14 and 16, you see what worldly wisdom looks like.

Worldly wisdom harbors bitterness, bitter jealousy.

It's being envious.

It's wisdom that goes by comparing and coveting what other people have and what other people are like.

It possesses selfish ambition in the heart because it's all about me, right?

Worldly wisdom is about me.

How do I get ahead?

What's best for me?

Okay, it's not thinking about other people.

It's self-centered, it's selfish.

Now, this kind of wisdom is all about having more power and more position and more privilege and more prestige.

That's this kind of worldly wisdom.

And it was this kind of wisdom, if you think about it, this is the kind of wisdom that prompted the devil and his followers who got kicked out of Israel because they wanted more.

They wanted to be like God.

They actually wanted to be higher than God, it says in Isaiah.

So it uh it and you know, it's the kind of wisdom that promoted the disciples.

They're on the way to the cross, they're on the way to the garden, and they're arguing amongst themselves who's gonna be the greatest.

I think Jonathan's gonna be the greatest.

No, no, I think Bob's gonna be the greatest, right?

And so they're all kind of saying to each other, who's gonna be the greatest?

And Jesus turns around and gets so ticked off, right?

And he says, Don't you guys get it?

You know, you're not here to be the greatest, you're to be here to be the least, right?

I've not come to be a to be served, I've come to be a servant of all.

So then he has to teach them that.

And so that's a lesson for them.

So they got caught up in worldly wisdom as well.

So then you compare the earthly, worldly wisdom to heavenly wisdom.

So you look at verse 17.

And as we look at these characteristics, I not only want you to see how they apply to how we need to be, if we're gonna say, I have worldly wisdom.

God has given me worldly wisdom, or God's helping me with worldly wisdom.

But also notice with me the character of these wisdoms, these these natures of heavenly wisdom.

They're they're very they're very sensitive.

They're very thinking about other people.

They're they're putting the God first, loving God first, and then loving your neighbor as yourself.

Okay, so you're looking at, so look at the characteristics.

There's eight of them listed in the passage in James 3:17.

James 3:17

It is pure.

Now that word would be the same as holy.

Be holy as I am holy, right?

God says.

Be blameless.

So we need to be morally pure above all else.

It's be true to God's will.

Don't compromise the truth.

Be pure.

Be peaceable.

The opposite of selfish ambition.

Peaceable.

Hold firm to the truth.

Make every effort to live at peace with other people.

It's gentle.

That is, it's kind in how it deals with others.

It's not harsh.

Even when right and dealing with those who differ with your opinions, it's it's it's it's being gentle.

In 2 Timothy chapter 2, there's just some wonderful verses of scripture that we need here.

2 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

2 Timothy chapter 2, 24 and 25.

2 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

Let me just read these to you.

He says, Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies.

You know that they breed quarrels.

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome.

So this is heavenly wisdom.

It must not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.

God may perhaps grant them repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth.

And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil.

So just you know, gentle, um willing to yield, open to reason, it says in the passage, uh, not in matters of truth, not compromising the truth, but yielding to God's word.

What would Jesus say?

What would Jesus do?

Full of mercy, that means quick to forgive the offenses of others, understanding your own need of mercy, and being compassionate to others, producing good fruit.

Okay, look at verse 13, where it says, we are to show by our conduct our true wisdom and understanding.

And then without partiality, so that's covered in James chapter 2, not being hypocritical, not being a prejudice, not being biased, showing no respect of persons, but treating all people fairly and sincere, real, true, faithful.

James 2 · chapter mention

Don't be an act.

Don't just show it, don't be a, don't wear the don't wear the mask or the costume, but be sincere.

So these are all characteristics of heavenly wisdom, how they contrast with worldly wisdom.

And the third contrast, we're looking at verses 16 and 18, contrast the fruit.

What does worldly wisdom look like?

What does it produce?

What does heavenly wisdom produce?

So worldly wisdom in verse 16 produces, I think you see the word disorder.

I had different translations in front of me, but confusion.

It causes confusion, disorder, because it's deceptive.

Like when you're out for yourself, you're going to be deceptive, you're going to lie, you're not going to be truthful, you're not going to be honest.

It's deceptive.

Every person for themselves for their own gain.

And every evil thing it says there, demonic, again, to the darkness as opposed to light.

Being willing to do wrong things and be cheap and be untruthful, okay, every evil thing.

And it makes you wonder what kind of wisdom, you know, just thinking about the cults in our world today.

There are so many cults.

Any ism is a cult, right?

So whether it's atheism or humanism, modernism, uh, we can go on.

There's a long list of isms.

They're all man-made, man-made wisdoms that are trying to cover up or take as opposed to listening to God and hearing God's voice.

Okay, so that's worldly wisdom.

Whereas heavenly wisdom, it says in verse 18, produces peace, not confusion.

A peace that begins with the fear of God comes from a willingness to yield your lives to Him.

It bears the fruit of righteousness, right living, right thinking, right doing.

It seeks to show God's love, your love for God, and your love for other people.

That's heavenly wisdom.

So there's three contrasts.

Contrasting where is this, what is the source of this wisdom, what does this wisdom look like, and what is the fruit that this wisdom produces.

Now, a couple of quotes that I thought were very good.

J.I.

Packer, which would be a key to this denomination, J.I.

Packer, he says this not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty, acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.

I'm going to say that again.

Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty, acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours?

Isn't that good?

Like, I mean, there's so much truth in that.

Another Christian author, Randy Smith, he writes this don't forget that God is the source of wisdom.

For the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

And though the book of Proverbs relentlessly calls us to pursue wisdom, we must remember that wisdom remains a divine gift.

If we are to seek the wisdom that leads to joy and life and satisfaction and success and meaning, we must turn our lives to God, as He is the source of all true wisdom.

Seeking for wisdom is seeking for God.

And these two pursuits are one and the same and must never be separated.

Randy Smith, so much truth.

So let me just finish.

My time's probably way out, but I thought I would just give you just some examples.

So what is what does this uh heavenly wisdom look like?

So I I can say things like you know, heavenly wisdom is like eating healthy, you know, dress according to the weather, drive according to road conditions, Michael.

No, I didn't mean that.

Okay, okay, got it.

Okay, for any of us, okay, it's snowing outside, I need winter tires, okay.

I need winter tires.

Or I'm I'm famous for, and don't talk to Audrey about this, but you know, things like I I know the gas meter says, uh get gas, but but I've got at least another hour in the tank, I'm sure, right?

And you're just sweating trying to get to the next guy.

Okay, wisdom means get the gas when it's in front of you and don't stress yourself out.

Things like that, just being wise.

Being wise says, this is not good for me.

Being wise is, know you have a heart condition, don't do certain things.

Know you have a certain medical condition, don't do certain things.

Get your pills.

Okay, just wisdom, wisdom and and being smart.

Um you need to make a decision in your life, don't hesitate to pray, right?

Don't hesitate to pray.

Again, what James 1:5 says, and what that's where we we talked with um with Solomon, just ask the Lord for wisdom.

James 1:5

Go to him.

Proverbs 3 and 5, 3, 5, and 6.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will what?

Direct your path.

He will make your path straight.

So important.

Heavenly wisdom, again, from James chapter 1, verse 19.

James 1:19

Heavenly wisdom says this everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

That's wisdom, right?

So James has laced his book with his letter with all kinds of wisdom.

Heavenly wisdom may encourage you to draw a chart.

You're trying to figure out what God is saying to you.

And Lord, we've got all these factors going on.

So part of heavenly wisdom is just common sense, asking God in prayer what you should do, and then he will lead you to say, here's the pros to this, here's the cons to this.

Okay, make a wise decision.

Audrey and I have, of course, okay, since I left teaching, we went to Campbell, left Toronto, went to Campbellford and taught 12 years in Campbellford, and then since God's calling us into ministry, and um just where I was in it with the church, and the church was going through so lots of stuff, and God put me there to work with this church.

And um, and then after a bunch of years, we called a pastor, but then God's working in my heart and my mind, my heart, my heart, my mind.

And uh, and he's saying, you know, maybe you should go into ministry, and I'm saying, no, Lord, I don't want to go into ministry, and I didn't want to go into ministry, I never saw myself in the pastorate uh whatsoever.

And and then uh we get a we get uh an opportunity to go to school, so I could have gone to McMaster Divinity, and we didn't really want to go to McMaster Divinity, and we got a call to a church.

It was a teeny weeny little church.

We had four kids, it was a four corners.

If I mentioned the town, there's probably people here that'll say, Oh, why didn't you go there?

But anyway, okay, I'll mention it.

Okay, we were called to Monk, which is near Arthur, and uh it had a little parsonage there, and it was like, no, we can't go here.

We'll move to Arthur, we can buy a house in Arthur, we can do ministry to children and families in Arthur.

No, no, you have to come to the parsonage.

Yes, no.

You know, it's one of those, and and we were going through this decision making and praying and crying, and oh Lord, and then we kind of had to surrender, but at the same time we surrendered.

God also put somebody in front of my path who said, Rob, God's not an author of confusion, God's an author of clarity.

So if it's not a clear yes, it's a no.

So God gave me that.

I came home, Audrey was just so ready, like she we had cried so much about this.

And then she said, Okay, I'm ready to go.

And I said, You know what, Annie?

If it's not a clear yes, it's a no.

And God was good.

We didn't go to Monk, we went to Thornbury, and I got to go to Tyndale.

So just, you know, just weighing things out, hearing from God, you know, just knowing, you know, putting, weighing all the factors, being smart.

There's so many things I'd like to say to you, but I I think you get it.

We we just need to be smart in how we listen to God's voice.

So let me wrap this up.

As we finish, you know, which wisdom is the better choice?

Just ask yourself.

Worldly wisdom?

You know what everybody else is doing?

Yeah, I just join the crowd, okay.

Just or is wisdom from heaven the better choice?

Which wisdom is the wisdom you know you need today?

Okay, what do you need?

I need what I need heavenly wisdom.

It should be obvious.

Not all wisdom is created equal.

So let's also say that.

All wisdom does not lead to a flourishing relationship and a loving community.

Not all wisdom does that.

So for me, the contrast is clear.

Wisdom either originates from God and his kingdom, is divine, righteous, leads to light, clarity, or wisdom comes from Satan, it says demonic and his kingdom and leads to darkness, which do you want?

Wisdom, which is Jesus' wisdom, is found in God's word.

That's why we can't separate knowing God, being in his word, and looking for answers in Scripture.

He speaks to us.

He does.

So we need to be in our word every day.

Be in God's word for wisdom, for decisions, and ask God.

You know, storms in life come, and we never know when that storm is going to come.

It could come today.

You might be just leaving a storm yesterday.

I don't know all your lives.

So with storms come disaster and destruction.

Our lives can come tumbling down unless we build our lives on the rock.

Amen?

So just getting back to uh the wise builder and the foolish builder.

You know, sand moves easily.

The world promises many things.

The world promises happiness, the world promises pleasure, even peace, but these cannot come from the world.

The world has nothing to offer.

So, but those who build their lives on Jesus Christ, those who know him as their Savior and Lord, those who are ready to surrender.

I'm giving up, Lord.

I can't do this myself.

I need you.

Those who turn to Jesus, who know him as Savior and Lord, operate their lives in a Christian worldview.

These people, us, will stand firm when destruction comes, knocking.

Jesus does not change.

Jesus is the rock.

And what he offers each of us, he offers us wisdom, and that wisdom is solid.

Worldly wisdom cannot save you, worldly wisdom cannot protect you.

But God's wisdom, heavenly wisdom, will.

He will protect you and keep you.

So trust your life into the hands of Jesus, seek his wisdom, and build your life on the rock.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word, and we know that it is true.

We know, Lord, there are many here in this room who are nodding their heads and know that God's word, knowing Jesus, has proven to be lasting and true and secure.

So God help us all, Lord, in those moments in our lives when we need help to cry out to you, Lord.

Say, God, I need your help.

And He and you, Lord, will not turn a deaf ear, but you will listen and you will help.

And we will thank you in Jesus' name.

Amen.

We hope that you've been blessed by God's word today.

If you live in the Port Perry area, we hope that you'll come and worship with us in person on Sunday at 10 a.m.

If you'd like to learn more about Newsong Church, we'd love to connect with you.

Please find our contact information at newsongportperry.ca and reach out to us.

Newsong's ministry is entirely funded by the generous giving of those who worship and journey with us.

If you feel called to support our ministry with a financial gift, please go to newsongportperry.ca slash giving to make your contribution.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.