I. Our Text James 3:13
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
The question in our text looks for a person with two qualities.Where is the person among you that is both wise and has knowledge?The writer recognizes the importance of this combination for one without the other can leave us ineffective in walk with God. But put together we have a winning combination.
“Knowledge is proud that she has learned so much, Wisdom is humble that she knows no more.”
It has been said that “a mind is a terrible thing to waste”. The United Negro College fund used this slogan to ignite a pursuit to further education. This pursuit is about more than the accumulation of facts and figures, it is the pursuit of understanding the capacity of an individual mind.There is no computer capable of processing more information faster than the human mind. Its ability to handle multiple task a once is the model the template of multitasking. The exercise of the mind fuels the acquisition of information. It is this act that we refer to as knowledge.
II. The Bible speaks of the importance of knowledge
A. Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
1. Without knowledge my people are destroyed
2. God rejects those that reject knowledge
3. Held Positions are lost because knowledge was forgotten
4. Identifies knowledge as the law of thy God
5. When his law is forgotten in one generation it affect the next generation.
B. Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The word knowledge is defined as information in mind: general awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles specific information: clear awareness or explicit information, e.g. of a situation or fact all that can be known: all the information, facts, truths, and principles learned throughout time.
C. Two Type of Knowledge
1. Indirect knowledge is to know something or someone through the witness of another.
(Joh 4:39 KJV) And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
Many Samaritans only had indirect knowledge and they believed.
Indirect knowledge will only go so far.
What was it about the testimony of this woman that made others want to meet Jesus?
I believe her encounter with Jesus change her in a way that no one expected.
It revealed to her something about God himself.
2. Direct knowledge is to know something or someone personally.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
God is not limited
True worship is not subject to the opinions of man
Man’s opinions are limited to only what they see.
"You don’t have to sing to worship"
"You don’t have to shout to worship"
"You don’t have to dance to worship"
"You don’t need to be noisy to worship"
"You don’t have to come to church to worship"
No one has to know just do it on the inside
It doesn’t take all that
But until you have walked in my shoes
Until you have faced what I have face
Until you know what I know
How can you know what it takes?
It is easy to look at a person’s worship and judge them through our own lives and experiences.
D. True worship
1. The power of his Spirit
2. The power of truth
What truth it’s about what the Lord has done for you.
Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
You don’t know like I know What the Lord has done for me.
You were not there when he saved me
When he raised me
And filled me with Holy Ghost
But it was on that day that my life was changed forever
a) Not because of a church
b) Or and ministry
c) Or a message
d) Because within us we want more than indirect knowledge
3. This woman found out that God wants what we want.
a) True worship is not regional it is relational
(1) It is not format but as function of the hear
(2) It is not religious it is revolutionary
(3) It is not a place we come to it is the place that God lives
(Joh 4:40 KJV) So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
b) They were not interested
(1) in merely meeting Jesus.
(2) in one of his messages
c) They besought him, begged him, they pleaded with him,
(1) to tarry with them.
(2) They wanted him to stay.
What a difference in what we see today.
People don’t have a problem hearing about Jesus
People don’t have a problem being introduced to him
But how many people are ready for him to come home with them?
How many really want Jesus to stay?
(Joh 4:41 KJV) And many more believed because of his own word;
E. Though many would believe because of indirect knowledge
1. Many more would believe because of direct knowledge
(Joh 4:42 KJV) And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
2. The testimony of another can serve to inspire and encourage others to know. It is the visible impact on their life that causes others to act.
3. Proverbs was designed to help the reader to fear of the Lord and know the knowledge of God.
(Pro 2:5 KJV) Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
F. Paul told Timothy the purpose of study
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1. Shew thyself
a) Approved unto God
b) Workman (not lazy)
c) Unashamed (confident)
(Jer 1:17-19 KJV) Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
Paul stated Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
d) Accurate in both understanding and application of truth to your life
III. What does the bible say about being wise?
Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
1. Wisdom is the principle thing.
A: a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption b (1): a rule or code of conduct (2): habitual devotion to right principles <a man of principle> c: the laws or facts of nature underlying the working of an artificial device
b: an ingredient (as a chemical) that exhibits or imparts a characteristic quality
2. Where knowledge brings insight and understanding, wisdom is the key ingredient to activate that knowledge.
B. Getting wisdom is not a suggestion it’s a command.
Pro 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;…Pro 2:6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
C. The wisdom of this world is inadequate
(1Co 1:20-24 KJV) Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe… For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; (1Co 1:24 KJV) But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
IV. True Wisdom will be demonstrated
(1Co 2:4-5 KJV) And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
(Jas 3:13 KJV) Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
A. Wisdom is not
1. shown by what is known.
2. It is known by what is shown.
B. This question will never be answered by finding the most intelligent or the most capable.
1. This person will be found by listening to their conversation and watching what they do.
2. James is a great man of faith, yet he knows that faith that is inactive is no faith at all. He describes it as dead.
3. If your faith does not impact your actions then your faith is dead.
C. You cannot live by something that is dead.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Joh 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
D. A common experience is not enough
(1Co 10:1-5 KJV) Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
E. Jesus Defined what a wise man looks like
(Mat 7:24-27 KJV) Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
1. The difference is that we must do what we know.
2. Our faith must be reflected in our conversation and way of life.