The Wisdom of God (10)

[Choir singing] He comes with pens to help we go, He comes with pens to help we go... [Voiceover] Church fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God will desire a godly home. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. You will be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 1] We give him adoration. We thank him for this time again to gather in his presence. And we trust in the Lord that as we gather again in his presence, it will be a time of refreshment, a time of encounter, a time of blessing in the name of Jesus Christ. Let's take this song together as we have a word of prayer. [Singing] You are the Mighty God. You are the Great I Am. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. You are the Mighty God. The Great I Am. Hallelujah. Oh, hallelujah. [Speaker 1] Everlasting Father, we thank you again for this time in your presence. Unto you we gather this evening. Our Father, we are praying that your Spirit will work within us, among us, in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, we look up, O God, in faith this evening, and we are asking that Lord God, you will meet with each and every one of us at the point of need in our lives in the name of Jesus. Lord, as we press on again in the matter of the wisdom of God, today being the 10th episode of the wisdom of God, Lord, we pray that Lord, you will deliver us from all, every form, all manifestation of foolishness or lack of wisdom in the name of Jesus. Oh Lord, our eyes on you. Let nothing prevail against your purpose for our lives. Thank you, Eternal Father. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. So, last week we in a way looked at a very important topic: When riches increase, do not lay your heart on it. We saw how King Asa grew and at the height of his growth, at the height of his achievement, he began to trust in riches. He began to trust in increased wealth as against in the Lord. And the Lord appeared and told him that in this matter of not calling upon me, instead of calling on me, you sent to the King of Damascus to come and help you fight the King of Israel. You have done foolishly. Henceforth, you will have war. And my prayer is that we will not do foolishly in every area of our own lives in the name of Jesus. Because of that, the matter of "when riches increase, do not lay your heart on it," we took a break on the matter of the wisdom of God. So, we are resuming back the matter of the wisdom of God. And in our December episode, which was Episode 9, today is Episode 10, we were looking very closely around how the wisdom of God and the wisdom of man operate, and the implication of the manifestation of the wisdom of man as against the manifestation of the wisdom of God. And we mentioned in Episode 9 that by the time we'll be moving on, we'll be pressing on on this topic, we'll be looking at... we will go beyond how the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God, upon the wheel on which they operate. We will move on to look at the characteristics. What are the characteristics of human wisdom, and what are the characteristics of God's wisdom? And I said the Scripture specifically record how these two wisdoms manifest themselves. And that is what we are going into today: the manifestation of the wisdom of God and the manifestation of the wisdom of man. So that you can check your life. You can look inward, areas of your life where what is manifesting is a supposed wisdom of God when the reality is the wisdom of man. And that is why we are here this evening. We want to press on to look at the characteristics of God's wisdom and human wisdom. And to do that, we want to go to the Book of James. The Book of James, we are going to Chapter 3. Chapter 3. The Bible says... let me read from verse 12. I want to read from verse 12. James Chapter 3 from verse 12. The Scripture wrote, "Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or can a grapevine bear figs?" Then he says, "Does no spring yield both salt water and fresh water?" Now, the Bible is trying to make us see something very, very fundamental. A matter that the Lord Jesus raised in Matthew 7:16-20, when the Lord said, "By their fruit you will know them." A good tree cannot bear a bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear a good fruit. So when you check their fruits, you will know them. And that is what James 3:12 is saying, that ordinarily, if a tree is a grape, is a grapevine, you don't expect it to bear fig. And if something is a fig tree, you don't expect it to bear olives. Now, he's trying to make us see that the being precedes the doing. There is something about our being that take precedent over our doing. In other words, we cannot bear fruit contrary to who we really are. Anyhow we try to do it, who we really are is the fruit that we will bear. We may camouflage, we may deceive, we may do all kinds of things, but already in camouflaging, in being deceitful, you are already bearing a fruit. So people who appear holy but are not truly holy, they are already bearing a fruit that they are not holy. So whichever way you look at it, it is important for us to know that the being precedes the doing. It is impossible for figs to bear olives, just as it is impossible for a grapevine to bear fig. Now, having established that, the Bible now step into the matter of the two kinds of wisdom in verse 13. The Bible says, "Who is wise and understanding among you?" Who is the person that is wise? Who can we really say among the brethren is wise? Who is the person that when we want to celebrate in respect of wisdom, who is that person? It is that person we will celebrate. He says, "Who is wise and understanding among you? That person that is wise, that person that have understanding, that person who is not a fool, he says, 'Let him show it by good conduct that his work are done in the meekness of wisdom.'" Now, the Bible is trying to make us see something. There is a way to know a man that is wise. There is a way to know a man that is foolish. There is a kind of wisdom that a man will display that you will know that this person is a foolish man. And there is a kind of wisdom that a man will display that will make you know that this person act the wisdom of God. So, he's telling us that if you are wise, that actually wisdom has characteristics. Wisdom has conduct. When a man is wise, when a man is wise, that wisdom is displayed in conduct. You cannot separate wisdom from action. A wise man will show forth wisdom by conduct. If a man is operating the wisdom of God, how will he show it? He will show it in his conduct. If a man is operating the wisdom of men, where will he show it? In his conduct. So, the Bible is making us to know that wisdom has conduct. There is a way different kind of wisdom conduct themselves. And by that way that wisdom is conducting itself, you can say, "This is God kind of wisdom" or "This is human wisdom." Don't forget I said our focus today is to explore the characteristics of the wisdom of God and the characteristics of the wisdom of man. Now, he says something further. He says there is something about when a man is truly wise. When a man is truly wise is to have God's wisdom. Please don't forget something that we have noted that the only way to be wise is when God speaks. When God does not speak to you, you can never be wise. You cannot be wise. The Bible says the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The Bible says out of the mouth of God cometh wisdom. We have look at all of these earlier. We have said except God speak, there is no wisdom. Now, the Bible is now saying, "Who is a wise man?" That is, who is a man that actually God is speaking to? Who is a man that has been able to hear God? Who is that man who is living by inspiration? Who is that man who is not experiencing inspiration deficiency syndrome? Who is the man who is not experiencing it? Who is the man that is actually wise? Who is the man that is not foolish? He said number one, there is a conduct. But there is some other thing. He said number two, "Let him show by good conduct that his work are done in the meekness of wisdom." Can we try some other translation? Let's look at NLT for that verse 13. "If you are wise and understand God ways," are you seeing it? So if a man does not understand God ways, can he be wise? He can never be wise. So the person that is wise is the person who understand the ways of God. He says, "Live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth." Are you seeing it? So the wisdom of God has conduct, it has characteristics. There is a way it displays itself. He say, "Who is that person who understand God's ways? The person will live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth from his life." So, you are seeing that there is something very serious. In King James, he said, "Let him show out of his conduct." Now, we are seeing clearer that actually he's talking about good conduct. Good conduct. "Let him show." And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you are truly wise. So what do you notice about the wisdom of God? When a man is operating God's wisdom, what is one, two hallmark that shows forth in that life? Number one, good conduct. Am I correct? Number two, what is it? Humility. So when you don't see good conduct in a life, and you cannot see humility in a life, you'll know that that person, no matter how that person think he's wise, the person is foolish. The wisdom the person is operating is not the wisdom of God. The person is operating the wisdom of man. God's wisdom, there is this two things that go with it: a steady life of good deeds, number one, and number two is humility. And please, can we quickly make reference to that about Jesus? In Matthew 11:28-30, what did our Lord Jesus say about himself? He says, "Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will do what? And I will give you rest." The next thing, "Take my yoke upon you and do what? Learn of me. Why? For I am what? I am meek and I am what? And lowly in heart." Don't forget that Jesus is the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God personified is our Lord Jesus. And did you notice what he said? He said, "I am meek" and "lowly in heart." Do you see that? That's number one. Don't forget two hallmark of God's wisdom before we go to the specific characteristics. The hallmark. What did the Bible says again about our Lord Jesus? In Acts 10:38, the Bible says, "How God anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth with what? With the Holy Ghost and power." And what do you notice that he went about doing? "He went about doing good." Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I'm showing you the characteristics of God's wisdom. Do you notice again that the wisdom of God personified, when he was going about, what was he doing? Good works. Good works. So when you notice that an individual is not eager to help people, they are not eager to be useful, they are not eager to be available to help, they are not eager to quickly do things for people, they are not eager, they always show reluctance, they are always drawing back, they are always not available, they are always too busy, they are always this, they don't understand that they are foolish. That is not wisdom. Let me show you something. Look at the Book of Titus. Titus is after 2nd Timothy for those of us who may not be too familiar with that book. Titus Chapter 2, I want to read from verse 11, talking about the grace of God. Titus Chapter 2 from verse 11. It says, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to how many men? To all men." And when the grace of God appeared to all men, who did we see? They saw Jesus. Jesus is the grace of God. He says, "The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all..." Who brought salvation? Is it not Jesus? So, the Bible says, "For the grace of God..." So Jesus is the grace of God. I'm trying to show you something. He says, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." And what is grace doing? Verse 12: "Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, we should live righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." Please look at something. Who gave himself for us? For what reason? Look at the reason. "That he might redeem us from what? From every lawless deed, misconduct." When a man still have misconduct, the reality is that it's not only that he's not saved, he's not wise. He may not be a saved person. That's what I'm trying to... I'm going somewhere. When a person is full of... because we are actually redeemed from misconduct, behaving anyhow. When a person is saved, he is actually saved from behaving anyhow, talking anyhow, dressing anyhow, acting anyhow. Just lawless, misconducted, not obedient, not submissive, not ruling. The way you find particularly young people today, they just think that making noise and just living anyhow, that's what it means to be matured. Foolishness. We have been redeemed from lawless deeds. We don't just behave anyhow, talk anyhow, dress anyhow, do things anyhow, and then you are in the university, they are calling your parents. You're in your workplace, you have answered three, four, five query because you did this, this one yesterday, you did that one yesterday. You are asked to live with people, they could not even make good recommendation about you. You are just lawless. You need to check whether you are really saved. Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty. Don't misunderstand me. But the liberty is to do good works. It's not liberty... there's a way we interpret this liberty to mean we can just shout anyhow. Sometimes you enter into fellowship, people are just unruly, ungodly, and they are talking about liberty. No. We have been redeemed from lawlessness. See, I'm going somewhere. That's not all I'm saying in this verse. I'm actually journeying somewhere. He says, "Who gave us from every lawless deed," so we should have good deeds. Look at the next thing. He says, "And purified for himself..." What did he purify for himself? "His own special people." What is special in these people? Please look at your Bible. "They are eagerly committed to doing good deeds." So like their Master, what are they? They go about doing good. They are eagerly committed to doing good works. That is how you know Jesus' people. When you see people who are eager to be useful, eager to be helpful, eager to be available to help, eager to say, "Oh, how is it? Okay, what do you..." When you see they are eager, eagerness. When you see men who are withdrawn from good deeds, who think that that is what it means to be matured, who think that that is what it means to be grown up. They think that to be served is what it means to be great. They are foolish people. Look at what Jesus said. He said, "Let the greatest among you be what? Be the servant." It is worldly wisdom that make leaders sit down to be served. Godly wisdom make leaders arise and serve. That is why Jesus said, "Yes, I am your Master, but I did not come to be what? To be served. But I came to serve." And the person who will be the greatest among you, let him be the person that serves. But what do you notice about worldly wisdom today? What does men who think they are leaders do? They sit down to be served. That is foolishness. And many times, I see believer displaying this foolishness. I see children of God displaying this foolishness. Jesus did not sit to be served. He came seeking to save that which is lost. He went about doing good. What I'm trying to make you understand, we are looking at the characteristics. And what I'm first showing you is the hallmark of God's wisdom. I'm still coming to the specific characteristics of it. But listen, there is a hallmark before we begin to come to the subordinate small, small, one, two, three, four, there's a hallmark. There is something that marks it. Once you don't find good works and humility, God's wisdom is not there. Just forget. That is the obvious identifier. Once you don't find that one, you don't need to start searching for the other ones. The small characteristics it should wear. Once you see self-centeredness, you see selfishness, bitter envy, and self-centeredness, you just know that no, there's no need to be searching for the other things we'll be talking about next week. There's no need. So brethren, I want you to check your life. Are you really a peculiar person to Jesus? He says people, their peculiarity that they are eager to do good. They're humble and they're lowly in heart. Let's begin to talk to the Lord. Please talk to the Lord this evening. The hallmark of God's wisdom and the hallmark of human wisdom. Check inside. Look inward. Where do you stand? Where do you really stand? Everlasting Father, we bless your name. Almighty God, we worship you. King of Glory, we give you praise, we give you honor, we give you adoration. We are particularly grateful for all who you are to us. We thank you for helping us again to press further on this matter today. And in pressing further, we were constrained the hallmark of the wisdom of God and the wisdom of man. Lord God, we pray. Help us to examine ourselves, to consider our ways, to be sure that our paths, they are right in the name of Jesus. Lord, as far as eternity is concerned, we will not be foolish. Thank you, Eternal Father. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Let's share the grace together. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. [Voiceover] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission aid. Our regular activities are discipleship class every Monday, 5:00 p.m.; adolescents and singles club every first Saturday of every month at 10 a.m.; marriage forum second Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m.; family life seminars, regular school outrages, and every day counseling. For further counsel, you can reach us at our location, Life Camp by the First Bridge, Illere community, opposite Very Joy filling station, along Ijerre Road, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.