(soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) - If you are brand new to Berean, welcome to the church, and after the service is over, please do stop by our welcome booth, which you probably saw as you were walking in, right by the entrance of the facility.

You'll see the people with the blue vests, and we'd love to meet you, answer any questions you may have, so please join us there. I do have some important announcements for us, reminding us of some of the major events that are going on in the coming weeks. First is that uh, uh-oh.

Okay, sorry. For those of you who are newer, please note that there is a membership that's taking place, a membership class, that is, and it's an eight-week course covering the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith and also our church's ministry philosophy. So sign up for that, as it's gonna take place 9.30 a.m., and then for everybody, there is a members' meeting that's coming up that's gonna be also on January 26th, and it'll be at 2 p.m., so please mark your calendar and don't miss that.

And then there will be a college fundraiser lunch, so you can, you know, prepare to just not go off campus, but stay and then have the lunch. For the adult, it's $10 per person, and then for kids, it's just $5, okay? And then there is a family ministry workshop.

It's an important one as the start of the year, talking about visions and purpose, et cetera, so please note that on your calendar and participate. Another announcement is, if you have children in our Sprouts ministry, so that's our education department, the elementary department, there will be a parent meeting on February 9th at 2 p.m.

here in the main sanctuary, and there will be child care provided, so hopefully you'll be able to come. It is an important time to hear about the various programs that are happening, get to meet the teachers, pray with them, et cetera, so please make sure to participate in that.

And then, again, as a push, our Bible study sign-up, there are still a lot of you who probably forgot to sign up, et cetera, but as you know, we're trying to get some 850 people in different small groups, and we have to recruit, and we also have to place people in groups, so please make sure to sign up for that as early as possible so that we can get the Bible study underway.

The final thing is that this coming Friday is our All-Church Praise and Prayer at 7.30 p.m., so as we are, you know, pushing and trying to have all of us pray more regularly, pray fervently, and in the spirit, let's come together and really participate in that corporate time. As you guys know, the Korea team, they went out, and then they just got back yesterday, some of them super late into the evening, so after our worship set, our brother Kevin Lee will come and give us just an update and some testimony of how that went, but also our India team just the other day took off to do ministry out there.

We are regularly praying for the pastors. If you are on our membership Facebook group, we get updates on the-- sometimes the threats, the suffering and the persecution that the Koreans experience, but also how God is providing for them, so we'll continue to pray for that. We'll pray for our team that even though it's a short time, the Lord will provide opportunities to minister, to do the care, to show the love of Christ, but also to share the hope that we have in the Lord, okay?

So there should be a photo of the India team, just so you guys can see. There we go. Okay, so a lot of-- a lot of the great thing about the India team is that a lot of the members are repeat members who've been going out year to year and so we're super grateful for them.

They're going to be running everything from VBS for the children, eye care center, general medical care center, et cetera, and then they'll be going from village to village following and trying to support whatever the pastor is doing, so please keep them in prayer. What we'll do now is we'll go through the offering.

If you did bring a physical check, please know that you can drop it off right there by the entrance. Otherwise, you can go ahead and give your offering on the online. Let's pray together. Our God, we are so indebted to you and thankful that, Lord, you are the God who takes initiative.

Father, you have planned, you have ordained, and then executed our mission, and, Lord God, we are so grateful because you came down to us, God, that you could have easily left us in our own demise, but, Lord, you spared us, and in the same way, I pray that as our missions team goes out taking the initiative to visit the villages, I pray, Father God, that everything our team is doing will manifest the love of Christ.

I ask, God, that people there will see the care, the kind of hopefulness, the joy that is in our members, and I ask, Father God, that our team members will be bold, will be clear and courageous as to explain why we have such a hope in the Lord, to explain how we've received the newness of life and the resurrected power of our Savior, and I pray, Father God, that you will grant to them and ultimately, God, to your glory, we pray, God, that you will save those souls.

Father, we do thank you, God, for the ministry you are doing and we pray for this offering that you will use everything we have, our finances, our time, our gifts, our energy, Lord, to do the work of your ministry. We thank you, it's in Christ's name. Amen. Let us all rise and spend a few moments to greet the neighbors around us.

O 4000 tongues to sing My great Redeemer's praise The glories of my God and King The triumphs of His grace Good morning, Church family. My name is Kevin Lee and this is my testimony of the South Korea missions trip. This year, Marines returned to Korea. This is the second trip and about two-thirds of the team were returning members.

This was an advantage as we were now accustomed to the life in Korea and had experience working an English camp. Our morning devotionals were focused on Ephesians 4 through 6. God used those passages to open our spiritual eyes. He revealed to us that our fight is not against flesh and blood and our time is limited on this earth.

So my response to that was how much more careful and purposeful our lives ought to look. We ran an English camp for four days to reach the local students both native and international. One of them was Tonguk Lee, a fourth year at Seoul National University studying biochem engineering. He was quiet and while his delayed responses suggested that he wasn't good at English, he turned out to be pretty proficient.

He stood out amongst the rest because of his ability to articulate the gospel. When asked what it meant to be a Christian, he not only referred to the lordship of Christ but mentioned the holy living of the Christian as a means to separate them from the world. When asked specifically about the gospel, he referenced the bridge illustration, which many of us are familiar with, and was able to go in depth with it.

He was able to articulate his faith as something more than an answered prayer or a spiritual experience. That was something we heard a lot on this trip, and that was so refreshing that he was able to do that. I was reminded that God had not given up on the younger generation.

Another student was named Seojun Lee, who's the same age as me. He was seeking and had already been engaged in Bible study prior to our arrival. "What happens if you don't find the answers you're looking for?" I asked him, to which he answers that at that point he'd rather die.

For a moment, I was speechless. I was looking at a man who had lost all hope in this world and a man seemingly so close to death. He goes on to say that, he goes on to say this, which translates to, "It is difficult to understand the Bible." And at face value, what I think he meant, or he means to say that he struggles to grasp Biblical truth, but what's more, and I think this is what he really meant, was he struggles to accept Biblical truth.

Even as a seeker, he showed a lack of repentance through his life and speech. I believe Seo Joon epitomizes the spiritual state of young Korean adults today, but it's clear that the younger generation is not closed off to Christianity. If you take one look at the streets around Yonsei University, cults are everywhere.

Shincheonji, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and they're all evangelizing to the students with the false truth, of course. They're there because it works. These students are not closed off. Not only that, but they also seem to be out there for long shifts and are calculated in their attacks and deceptive in their tactics.

I return home today with the thought that the church must not give up on this next generation who are hungry for truth and seeking to fill the void created by this world. I encourage you today to consider going on short term missions if you have not done so. The purpose to share the gospel makes the work so simple.

The complete devotion of time and thought makes the conscience clear. So what a wonderful work for the Christian to be engaged in. This is my closing thought. I have hope that God will intervene with this nation. I pray that just as quickly the younger generation was lost in Korea that it would be reclaimed by God and his people would worship him as the one and true God.

I'll leave you with this verse, Ephesians 5, 19. Paul says, "Pray on my behalf that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth and to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel." Thank you. Okay. Thank you, Kevin. Please take your Bible and go over to James Chapter 3.

Oh boy. Actually, excuse me. I got sick yet again. I am weak sauce like that. I got sick during Christmas. I was sick through New Year's and then sick again. So the Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for you." I said, "Okay." Let's take a look at James 3.

And it says, "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior the deeds and the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above but is earthly, natural, and demonic.

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But if you have gentle, reasonable, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering without hypocrisy and the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." Let's take a moment to pray.

Father, we take time to, again, thank you for you as the true father, true God. And then you instruct us that we will be wise. So we thank you and ask God that you will instruct both our minds but do such a work where our lives will be changed by the words you give us.

It's in Christ's name. Amen. So there are a lot of things I worry about. And last week we learned from the book of James about suffering. And the idea is we worry because suffering for sure will come. But the question is, are you ready for it in wisdom? Is your mind and your heart prepared by wisdom not to be surprised, in angst, frustrated, and just embittered, but rather prepared to have composure, to have faith, to see the purpose of God.

And in that way, Scripture has repeatedly told us that we have to, in wisdom, make sure that our hearts are anticipating and ready for all of that. And then I start thinking about a lot of other things. Nowadays I actually think about the fact that for my boys, I think about my sons a lot right now, I'm so scared of giving them a phone because there's so many voices.

And Scripture has told us in 1 John 4 that we have to test every spirit. "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God." And then he says, "Because many false prophets have gone out into the world." And I see it. You have what's called radio theology, good feels, et cetera, and so many of these things, it just kind of peaks your sympathy.

It peaks all these stories, and et cetera, et cetera. And then nowadays there's so many different voices from the world that talk about everything, from your identity, thoughts of God, what you should be seeking in life, and there's a part of me that's just like, "I don't want my sons to hear any of that." And then when I think about parenting, et cetera, I just realize I need more wisdom, and so my prayer request, if you were to ask me, "Hey Pastor Mark, I know ministry can be tough, what's your prayer request?" When I was younger, I think I would just pray for more time.

I would pray for a better processor speed in my head so that I can do more stuff, or be so disciplined like a machine and get everything done, and just be effective. But now, if you ask me, it's always wisdom. I want wisdom. Because God wants me to exercise priority.

He wants me to see that there is a time for everything and to observe and see what do my children need, what does the church need, and in my own value system, how am I making decisions? And so my prayer for the whole church, you guys know that we have a very simple church ministry philosophy.

The strength of our church will not come because the pulpit is just powerful or Pastor Peter is the greatest leader and his persona is going to guide this church to success. No. Our ministry philosophy is if every Christian is strong with Christ and growing, then we have a strong church, right?

But more specific today, my prayer is that every single one of you will not simply grow in your aptitude for life, just simply grow in emotional stability, how to manage finances, how to read your kids, but rather in godly wisdom, in heavenly wisdom that we are exercising a consistent decision-making process as a church, every single one of us.

A decision-making process that's truly spiritual and honoring to God. Amen? I pray that our culture as a church will be one of growing in heavenly wisdom. As this passage in James tells us, there is a massive difference between the wisdom of the world, the wisdom of the flesh, and the wisdom even of the dark forces, demons, versus that which comes from God.

Okay? In thinking about this prayer for a culture of heavenly wisdom, I pray that every single one of us has a spiritual sight to see the preciousness of heavenly wisdom. Okay? I pray that our church as a whole values the wisdom of God above and beyond what we do now.

Now, at our church, we already value the Scriptures and the Spirit of God and in prayer deeply. But take a look at what these passages say. In Proverbs chapter 3, verses 13 through 18, it says, "How blessed is the man "who finds wisdom "and the man who gains understanding.

"For her profit is better "than the profit of silver "and her gain is better than fine gold. "She is more precious than jewels "and nothing you desire compares with her. "Long life is in her right hand "and in her left hand are riches and honor. "Her ways are pleasant ways "and all her paths are peace.

"She is a tree of life "to those who take hold of her "and happy are all "who hold her fast." So you take this passage and it's informing us what our attitude should be. This passage is interesting because it compares for us your attitude towards money and then compare it your attitude towards wisdom.

If your bank account went dry and you were in a pit of anxiety how are we gonna pay the bills? You would be in fervent prayer, "God, give us your provision, "we trust you." Do you pray about wisdom in that same way? With that same kind of urgency? With that same kind of need?

"God, I need your wisdom." You know what's really interesting is in Job, oh sorry, in Ecclesiastes, King Solomon. King Solomon was one who asked God for wisdom wisdom to lead, wisdom to make sure that his kingdom is a success and he was wealthy. And then he uses wisdom to make judgment calls for people.

Do you remember people would come to him and he would make decisions for them? He had all sorts of wisdom. But within this, in practicing earthly wisdom versus spiritual wisdom, this is what he says, "For wisdom is protection "just as money is protection. "But the advantage of knowledge "is having money "and just that kind of skill, "skills to pay the bills kind of thing." And he realizes God's wisdom protects in an entirely different way this.

You thought that having success, you thought that having a title, you thought that having money and people around you was gonna protect you? Uh-uh. Vanity. And so Job 28:12, he says, "Where can wisdom be found? "Where is the place of understanding? "Man does not know its value, "nor is it found "in the land of the living." So we'll take a look at this and then what I want to say to us is I want to ask you a question.

If you today-- This is kind of like group counseling session, okay? If you today are in some kind of major conflict, if you today are in some kind of major decision-making process, if you today are worried about what am I gonna do in the next step and then there's a major change that's supposed to happen, et cetera, I want to ask you this question.

Is your first thought, "I gotta talk to some people. "I gotta talk to the people who know "because they experience stuff." Or is your first thought, "I need to pray that God gives me His wisdom, "that in the midst "of this conflict and the emotions "and the many things I need to consider "and the to-dos, "I don't lose spiritual sight "because if I lose spiritual sight, "then I'm gonna make my decision in the flesh.

"I'm gonna make my decision according to the world "and I'm gonna make my decision "based on what I, with my pen and paper, "can map out "and I'm gonna be so limited." Let's pray and ask God and that's why James 1:5, he says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, "let him ask God, "not go "and talk to 15 friends, "not go and see "what so-and-so, the expert, "has to say about this." And he says, "God gives "to all generously "and without reproach "and it will be given to him." Let's make sure, brothers and sisters, that we make a pattern of praying for wisdom, amen?

With the same urgency as if you had no money. With the same urgency as if you had no health. Let's ask for the wisdom of God. This should be the culture of our church. Next, let's pray against the voices of men and demons. Let's pray that we would have such a wisdom to be able to deny and discern this is, kinda makes sense, but totally earthly.

This is spiritual, right? We have to be able to tell the difference. In James chapter 3, verse 15, the passage tells us that there is this compare and contrast and he's talking about how wisdom is seen and then there is bitterness and jealousy and this wisdom, which we'll talk about all the different specific words, but in whole sum, he says, "I want you to be able to tell "that this is earthly, natural, and demonic." Question to you.

When people give you earthly practical advice, but you know it's kind of compromise, do you see it as demonic? Do you see it as dark? Do you see it as something that's actually evil? Or do you see it as just simply, "Oh, it's just less practical." What this passage is trying to teach us is there's always a spiritual battle going on and the weight of my decision, again, whether it's conflict, whether it's decision, just even about education for my children.

I've been thinking a lot about that. My oldest son is going into high school. We talked to somebody and they were like, "You know, "as an academic advisor, you kind of need "to think about their career right now "because if they know exactly what they're going to do, "their high school "career will be purposeful "and then they'll get into a good college "and you can map it out, not waste money, not waste time, "et cetera," and I was like, "That makes all kinds of sense." But even within that is it possible that there is a level of spirituality versus flesh?

Yes, there is. There is a kind of wisdom that is here and now confined to this space and that which is materialistic and human and it has nothing to do with the Spirit of God. Can you tell what that voice is? Let me give you a tip. If there is a voice that tells you, "Oh, you need," and that doesn't end with Jesus Christ, the Spirit, the Word of God, and His Church, you know it's demonic.

Okay? If for the young ones in here, it's like, "No, no, you have to have "that degree." I don't have to have anything. I believe in the sufficiency of Christ. I am complete. Amen? So when it comes to college for my kids, I got to be honest with you, there's a part of me that says, "Yeah, yeah, I want them to go to a four-year university, "da-da-da-da-da," that's fine.

It's okay. If it provides for your kids, bless the Lord. And if it provides, you should thank Him. Do they have to have it? No. They don't have to have anything. And as I was thinking through this, I was like, "Yeah." As a matter of fact, like half of my college career was just chaos, utter chaos.

You know what I want from my boys? I want, number one, Pastor Nate to never move from the college ministry, the staff to be in there, and just wait like five more years, okay? And then my son to experience the joys of being in an amazing college ministry like the one at our church.

That's a unique experience that many people crave and long for but don't have. To have their college life, their college career be so purposeful that they would grow in the graces of God, ministered to by the Spirit, expected to deal with God. I want that. You know, again, thinking about my kids and all this stuff is like, I realize like, oh yeah, as a parent, I worry about everything.

Oh, my kids have to have friends. Do you have to have friends? No. The Lord is sufficient for us. Are friends a blessing? Is brotherhood good? Yes. I mean, in like a, maybe a really earthly way, have you guys seen the commercials for Mercedes Benz? From the car maker?

It's so crazy that within their commercial it says, around here, you have to love what you drive. No, we don't, Satan. That's so demonic, right? You don't. You don't have to love what you drive. I don't have to fit in with everybody else. I don't have to have friends who are always by my side.

I believe in the sufficiency of Christ. But nowadays, people are constantly bombarded with this weird, like, voice from men. No, no, no, no. You have to. You have to be presentable. You have to wear makeup. You have to do this. You have to do that. You have to have education.

You have to succeed. And we just tell the world, no. When I have my life complete in Christ, there's nothing else I have to have. And so I pray that we would have this kind of discernment. You know, in 1 John chapter 4, verse 4 through 6, it says, "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.

They are from the world, therefore they speak as from the world." So because their world is so small, that's why they talk like that. Of course. Of course they feel like they have to have good looks They have to be presentable. They have to be successful. This is all they have.

This is all they have. Point three. Pray that we will demonstrate heavenly wisdom. That we as a church, let's take a moment to pray, I mean, think about this idea. Is it possible that Berean community church becomes nothing but a heady church? We like studying. We like correct doctrine.

We like talking about stuff. We like having small group and discussing. Are any of that stuff bad? No, it's good. Is correct doctrine important? Not only is it important, it's essential. God says, "I want you to accurately handle the Word of God." Yes? But if you're not zealous for good deeds, if you're not zealous to express the love of Christ, if you see people around you who need the Word of Comfort, some ministry, some love from the Lord, and you just sit back, Jesus says that attitude of, "Well, Godspeed," is so wrong.

It's not enough. And so God wants us to actually demonstrate and move. It's not prideful to want to be even more and more disciplined in how you serve other people. It's not prideful to say, "I want to be filled with good works." That's not legalism. It's a student or a son who really wants to obey.

Yes? And what he says here is, who... Sorry, I'm looking at James 3, verse 13. James 3, 13. "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom." Let's take a moment and meditate on this. He says, "The person who is actually wise should show it in the way that he's living his life." You know, it's been a minute since I've given dating advice.

Ladies, are you ready? I'm going to give you some good dating advice. Your job as a girl in a dating relationship is to judge this man, is to evaluate his character and see, is this a good man? Yes? What this passage tells us is if a person claims to be wise and ready for a relationship, as a husband in the future, then let him show it.

Right? Let him show it. And what's really interesting, and he says, "Let him show by his good behavior his deeds." So, that's a weird way to say it, and in the Greek, it does read kind of funny because it just sounds like he's saying the same thing in four different ways.

So, actually, what he's saying is different parts of the behavior you can observe. First, the idea of good behavior is actually often translated "lifestyle." Remember in verse 13 when it says good behavior, this is your living mode. This is your pattern, is my point. So, excuse me. So, sometimes, I'm not trying to tease you or anything, but ladies, because you get flattered so easily, maybe you're like coughing and this guy gives you a cough drop.

And you're like, "Oh, he's so nice. So considerate. I didn't even ask him for it." My question is, did he give anybody else a cough drop? I'm coughing. How come he doesn't give me a cough drop? He may be interested in you and trying hard, but is that the pattern of his life, that he's actually trying to serve the needs of everybody around him?

You see what I'm saying? But what's more, he says, actually, that he has to show his wisdom in the deeds, right? So, his deeds are his works. That word is often translated as performance, okay? So, what you see then is both the pattern and consistency of his life, but in the exact case, or a specific case, how did he make his decision?

Was he acting wise or was he acting all impulsive and brash? Was he just on the spur of the moment doing stuff? You can see a wisdom of the man both in the specific and in the general, is my point, yes? And then he adds to this idea that this individual's wisdom should come with a level of gentleness.

He should show it in the gentleness of his wisdom. You know, there was a time when I was counseling this young girl and she was asking me, she did the right thing, just asking me, "Hey, Pastor Mark, what do you think about this guy?" And I said, "What do you see?" And he's like, "Yeah, I feel like he's really convicted, but I felt like this guy wasn't convicted in the right way." Why?

He was learning much, and as soon as he learned something, he would come out constantly talking, just talking so much. "Did you know that the Bible says..." You know? And I'm kind of like, that reminds me of a proverb. There is a man who is more interested in revealing what he knows, yes?

And allowing what he knows to affect his heart. To move him to greater humility and greater learning. Maybe you may be attracted to a guy who is able to articulate theology. You do realize scripture says, "Knowledge puffs up." You don't want a man with a big head, okay? It's got to be appropriate sized.

It can't be too big. So that's my free dating advice to you ladies. Now what's really interesting about this term, and the idea of the gentleness of wisdom, is that it's not just simply like, "Oh, he's so soft." Right? Because, yes, the negative, in this compare and contrast, the negative could be that somebody learned something and they're just so, like, bombastic.

They belittle people. It's like, "You know what? You guys are stupid. This is why you don't know this theology, da-da-da-da-da." Right? And it's so bad. But "proutess," the term for gentleness, is often translated "meekness." And meekness is not to be confused with soft weakness. Okay? You guys probably have heard this idea before that meekness has this idea of all of that truth and all of that strength and all of that power that you could exhibit but in full self-control.

Yes? It is kind of like imagine the powerful horse that has been bridled. It has been broken. Still powerful, but it's calm. Majestic in some sense because it's not just wild, going about bucking everywhere, but rather, it's tame. And in this way, Jesus is often talked about as meek.

Right? Jesus is the one who was meek when he was reviled. Did he revile in return? When he was threatened with persecution? When people spoke ill of him? Did he all of a sudden just be like, "You know what? I've got plenty of angels away with you," and just destroyed everybody?

No. Jesus was so purposefully controlled. And there was a time for everything. Was Jesus weak? No. Jesus wasn't afraid of anybody. High official, 20,000 people, a million people in Jerusalem. Jesus was not afraid of anyone. When it was the right time over the right thing in the right way, he showed anger.

But he was always in control. In this way. My prayer is that our church be filled with Solomons. King Solomon had wisdom. But he applied his wisdom, as you know, to succeed here. And then later in his life, he realized none of this matters. But walking humbly with your God and loving mercy and righteousness matters.

He was a man who experienced it all. Wealth, women, name it, he had it. Intellect, he learned so much. He wrote over 3,000 different Proverbs. He wrote 150 different songs. This guy was outputting like crazy. And he said, "None of that matters." I pray that our church culture isn't that you guys try your best to succeed in life and then you realize at the end of it, it's like, "You know what?

"I should have walked with the Lord." But rather, there's a wisdom that already it's like, "Now, what we want to do "is talk about the actual characteristics, "the characteristics of the wisdom of God, "the characteristics of the wisdom "that is from above." And he says, compare and contrast, that first, there is a fleshly wisdom.

So point four is pray that we will grow in the purity of character. Pray that we will grow in the purity of character. But what we have to do is take a moment to do a good check on our heart and do self-evaluation. Take a moment now to exercise the wisdom to know thyself.

Let's make sin powerless and shame the devil by exposing the stuff that's in our hearts, the desires, the sins. Again, I don't know if some of you guys are in a kind of crisis situation. My guess is a good number of you guys are in suffering too, hardship. And my question is, in the midst of that, how have you been reacting?

Maybe you're in conflict. Maybe you're fighting with your wife or you're fighting with your husband. And in the midst of that, how have you been reacting? Maybe you've been let go of your job and you're just like, "Oh my goodness, after so many years, "how could they do this to me?" How are you reacting?

Are you reacting in the wisdom of your flesh or are you reacting from the wisdom above? And what he says is you can tell. You can tell because the wisdom of the flesh has with it these characteristics. You can walk through them. He says in James 3, verse 14, James 3, verse 14, "But if you have bitter jealousy "and selfish ambition in your heart, "do not be arrogant "and so lie against the truth." If there is any kind of bitterness in your heart, and I ask again, in your response, is there a voice of man?

Is there a voice of the flesh that says, "Oh, those people. "I hope they recognize what they did." Is there any kind of sensitivity where you're already kind of embittered if you're in conflict, a spousal kind of fight and argument going on and there's a party that's just like, "Oh my goodness, he doesn't even care." Is there a kind of bitterness that says, "She doesn't ever listen to me.

"She never respects me." Those are some tell signs that there is a kind of wisdom at work to defend yourself and seeing others as the threat. There is a kind of fleshly wisdom that is all about self-preservation. "That person's gonna hurt me." Wisdom says, "Guard myself." What's more, it says, "Bitter jealousy." Is there any kind of heart of envy?

Is there any kind of heart of fervent wrath? The term is interesting because it means "hot zeal." The Greek word zelu is where we get the word zeal from. If you've ever felt truly jealous, and sometimes it does happen to husband and wife, you know? You're supposed to be the focal point of the person's affection, but sometimes you see them give it to somebody else and you're just like, "What?" and you feel the hot jealousy inside.

Is there any kind of complaint that's that deep for you? There's maybe a voice of the flesh that's kind of like, "What about me?" You know? "It's enough thinking about you. "What about me?" There's this jealous heart in you. Are you able to hear the actual articulated voices of the flesh within your mind?

Where there is selfish ambition. This term is interesting because the term has been translated in other contexts as a mercenary. The idea of selfishness is somebody who is so self-interested they're not a part of a team. They're not part of a kingdom. They are lone rangers, hired hands, suited for them.

Right? And then it talks about arrogance, who's boastful, and it talks about lies. So let's take a moment to ask these questions. You have various experiences in life. Hardship, suffering, conflict, etc. How have you been responding? Because your mind is so quick to calculate, "How do I get out of this?

"How do I fix it?" Has the wisdom of your flesh started to calculate, "How do I make sure this person pays? "How do I make sure that this person "knows what they did to me?" Has your mind been calculating, "How do I fix this person?" Is that what's been going on?

And you know, all of this typically comes as a combo. You know, there are times when I experience certain things and I'm just frustrated and complaining and someone will ask me, "You know exactly what my answer to that is, right?" It's like, "No, no, no. "I'm good. I'm fine, right?

"I should be more precise. "I should be more honest. "Maybe it's not 100% bitterness "but like 40%? "You know, 30% bitter. "You know, like, I don't know." But if I'm honest with myself, typically isn't my heart a mixed bag of some of these things? Scripture says, "True wisdom from above "is so sanctifying "that it will take "these sentiments "where people are a threat to me "and it's their problem "and they're out to hurt me and stuff." And God says, "He who desires not this wisdom "to achieve the goal of your survival "but so much more." And so if we look at the good qualities, we're going to do another round of looking at the specific terms and their definitions.

He says in James 3:17-18, he says first and foremost in 17, "The wisdom from above is first pure." And we should take a moment to think about that. Why is it talking about this idea of purity and that's the first thing? And it says, "And then peaceable. "Gentle, reasonable, "full of mercy, good fruits, "unwavering without hypocrisy." Right?

So what it typically does for us is as we think about what is fleshly, what is earthly, demonic versus what is heavenly, God regularly does this motivation check. God regularly does this check in our hearts of like, "What do you really want?" And I'm using right now the analogy of a husband and wife a lot in counseling because sometimes in the thick of that conflict is actually when we get to come together and they're like, "You know, "obviously we're here because we couldn't settle "our differences.

We've been fighting. "We've been yelling at each other and screaming." And I would say, "Hey, you know what? "Save space. Tell me what's been going on." And then they start saying, "Hey, because he's "done this to me and he really hurt me." And then he says, "Gosh, he's always nagging "and disrespecting me." And then it goes da-da-da-da-da and it just starts going back and forth.

And essentially they are accusing each other of both heart intent, of malice. Accusing each other of hurting me this and hurting me that and then typically ends with, "I can't trust him." Right? "I can't trust him. "I can't trust her." And sometimes I, not to be facetious or just joking around, I sit down and I ask.

I was like, "Do you want me "to spank him for you? "You want me to just give it to him "real good right in the gut?" And they're like, "What? No." And I'm like, "You think he doesn't know how much he hurt you. "So you want me to hurt him?

"You know? "But what do you want? "You're complaining so much "like you just want her to stop being a woman. "No longer ever sensitive. "Not gentle. "She's supposed to be a dude "who doesn't struggle with emotions. "What do you want out of this?" You see, in the flesh when we're focused on our hurts and our pains and our future and our safety, it's constantly, "Can you fix him for me?

"Can you make sure?" That's what they're saying to me when they're saying like, "I don't trust him ever." It's like, "He's going to hurt you again. "But you want some kind of assurance "and confidence that he'll never, "ever hurt you ever again? "I can't give you that promise "and neither can he.

Yes?" And in this way, the question for us is, "Are your motives pure? "Are your motives "like without you "even realizing it "moved by the kind of "self-survival, self-protective "heart of the world "because this is all you got? "Or "is your heart rising "to the goal of God? "That yes, "even for the woman, Scripture tells us "that by your chaste behavior, "by your good, gentle character, "you can win over even those husbands "who are rebellious.

"That we as Christians, we are showing "forth our good behavior, our good attitude "that we're peaceable, we're gentle, "we're reasonable. Why? "Because it's not my goal "to just simply repay my pains "with your pain "but because I want you "to come closer to my God. "I want you to come to the purity "of our Lord." So he describes that the wisdom of God has a motive that's peaceable, that you want to promote harmony, you want to promote reconciliation, you want to promote goodwill.

Is that in the motive of your heart? That you're gentle. You know, what's interesting is there was the other term, protest, which is gentle like meekness, but here it's a different word talking about what's fair and suitable and yielding, okay? Your goal isn't, "You know what? "This is who I am.

Just deal with it." "I'm all about tough love. That's how "I was raised." And then so in your relationships you're just a tough cookie, right? No, no, no. You have such a wisdom about you where the need of the person, you truly are all things to all men. Why?

Because your goal wasn't to win. Your goal was to win them. Does that make sense? And your motives get tested all the time by the wisdom of God, that you're actually reasonable and open. Your goal wasn't for people to see how much you know. Your goal was to make sure there was harmony, like-mindedness within the church.

I pray that our church culture is not a kind of church culture where we're such sticklers for doctrine, where it's just like a "Take it or leave it. This is what it says." But rather there's a goal of harmony. You know, Scripture says that we are to grow in our knowledge, wisdom, and understanding so that we are united in thought.

We have one mind. Yes? That takes so much discussion, talking, interaction. Are you reasonable? That you're full of mercy? That the sins of other people within the church are not causing you frustrations like, "Why are you like this?" "Grow up!" You know? Please let that not be the culture of our church.

Let your heart be full of mercy. You know, in the book of Titus, it says, "You know you are just like them." You know you are worse than them. You walked in sin. And so your heart must be full of mercy, overflowing with compassion. This is the wisdom of God.

And the wisdom of God, therefore, point five, it produces the spiritual fruit of peace. It produces what God wants in His home, in His household, the church. Pray that we are a church that produces fruit, a lot of fruit. A lot of fruit. In contrast, we're doing a compare and contrast analogy ongoing in this passage.

He says in James 3.16 that if there is any jealousy, if there is selfish ambition, there is disorder of every evil thing. There's chaos. Absolute chaos. You know, one thing that I want to highlight to you is in Proverbs, in the book of Wisdom, chapter 18, verses 1 through 2, it says, "He who separates himself "seeks his own desire.

"He quarrels against all sound wisdom. "A fool does not delight in understanding, "but only in revealing "his own mind." You know? If we allow fleshliness, if we allow, like, natural human wisdom to win the day, we will be so divided, right? We're going to have camps here and camps there, and then we're going to have people who are like, "You know what?

Forget it. "No one's going to listen to me. "And then you, "if you are currently "in the thick of conflict, "you are currently trying to make a hard decision, "and you've decided to isolate yourself, "maybe you were hurt, "and then you decided, like, to go away, "so to speak, please don't.

"Please don't." That little thought in your mind that says, "People aren't going to understand me. "They don't know what I'm going through. "And it's better "if I go off and do my own thing." It's natural wisdom. It's not the wisdom of God. But we get tempted like that, don't we?

Especially if we've been hurt. We get tempted to do that. To go off on our own and not listen to good counsel. But I want to share with you that the Lord desires to produce peace in our midst, and I want our church to have that kind of culture.

I do not want us to have that kind of culture where we're surrounded by people who are constantly on guard against each other, but rather we're producing harmony. We're producing like-mindedness. We're producing a kind of building each other up in love. That's the culture we want. He says here in James 3.18, James 3.18, "And the seed whose fruit is righteousness "is sown in peace by those "who make peace." You will find that recently there has been all kinds of expectations placed on the church.

"Oh, your church needs to be more multicultural. "Your church needs to be more gospel-centered. "Your church needs to be more this and that. "Your church needs to be more welcoming "to the nonbelievers. "Your church needs to be more of this." And all of these movements, what's really interesting is if you just look at the fruit, it didn't produce more holiness or division.

As a matter of fact, it just produced more division. And he says this is how you can tell what is of God's wisdom and what is of earthly wisdom because the wisdom of God produces both purity of heart and harmony amongst the saints. Take a moment now to turn your Bibles to Titus 2, and I'm going to read us a long passage, okay?

A long passage. And as you turn there, I want to say there are so many thoughts that are natural to man. There are so many thoughts that is in our human reason. If some of you are here and you say it's a lot easier just to come to service and leave.

If some of you are older and your thought is kind of like, you know, in terms of serving at church, it's for the young ones. If some of you here, and I could just go on, okay? All of those things, it's kind of like, yeah, I get it, you know?

But the Word of God says we want to aspire to that which is not natural, which is not reasonable, but rather in the wisdom of God. So this passage teaches us how church culture should be. This passage tells us what kind of character trait the church as a whole in terms of our personhood should have.

So take a look. One, it says, "But as for you, seek the things that are fitting for sound doctrine." Accuracy to church doctrine, to the biblical doctrine, is 1,000% important. Don't ever think, ah, you know, everything in moderation. No. Everything in precision. I want to obey God precisely and fervently.

And then he says, "Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, and perseverance." I pray that that's the character that every single person is growing in, ear to ear. "Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be dishonored." And he talks about the ladies and how God wants you to have reverent behavior.

You, too, be self-controlled. Is your temptation, sometimes if you are hurt or if you feel like things aren't working, to just seize everything by taking control? To react with both words of harshness or bitterness? But rather, it says, exercise the wisdom of God. "Likewise, urge the young men to be sensible." Notice how this term "sensible" comes up now for every single person.

You do realize the expectation of God for every single one of us is to grow in this wisdom of your own self-control, in all things showing yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity and doctrine dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

And then he says, "Urge bond servants." He talks about even those who are slaves. "To be subject to their own masters in everything, and to be well-pleasing and not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in every respect.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope of the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave himself up for us, redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds." It is my concern that perhaps we will lack wisdom, even though we're learning every week.

You can learn to do inductive Bible study. You can learn to memorize Scripture. All of that is profoundly good. But that doesn't turn into a kind of decision-making, a kind of pattern in your life where you're actually ambitious to show forth the character of Christ. When was the last time you could honestly say, "I've been zealous to love people.

I've been zealous to pray. I've been zealous to show forth the wisdom that God's been giving me." If the knowing and the growing is all in just simply intellectual knowledge, then we have fallen very short from the heavenly wisdom God gives. Amen? Let's take a moment to pray. Heavenly Father, God, thank you for showing us how easy it is to allow our flesh to rule the day.

And God, we feel it. We feel it all the time when we're tested or tempted. Lord, help us to have this growing wisdom to be Spirit-controlled, to be controlled by your Word. I also pray, God, that you would lead us in such a way where we, as your children, to the Heavenly Father, we're just growing in your character and the wisdom.

God, I really pray that if, Lord, we get exposed by your Word for the ungodliness within us, give to us humility to deny those things, to want to grow so eagerly. And then I pray truly for our church. Help us, Father God, to be a church that truly is zealous for the work of the Lord, that we have as an ambition in our heart to reflect the character of Christ.

We thank you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let us all rise for the closing praise. ♪ Let's sing, "Who, O Lord?" ♪ Who, O Lord, ♪ ♪ could save themselves, ♪ ♪ their own soul could heal? ♪ ♪ Our shame was deeper ♪ ♪ than the sea; ♪ ♪ Your grace is deeper still.

♪ ♪ Who, O Lord? ♪ ♪ Who, O Lord, ♪ ♪ could save themselves, ♪ ♪ their own soul could heal? ♪ ♪ Our shame was deeper ♪ ♪ than the sea; ♪ ♪ Your grace is deeper still. ♪ ♪ You alone can rescue, ♪ ♪ You alone can save.

♪ ♪ You alone can lift us ♪ ♪ from the grave. ♪ ♪ You came down to find us, ♪ ♪ let us out of doubt. ♪ ♪ To You alone belongs ♪ ♪ the loudest praise. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ You, O Lord, ♪ ♪ have made a way, ♪ ♪ a great divide to heal.

♪ ♪ For when our hearts ♪ ♪ were far away, ♪ ♪ Your love went further still. ♪ ♪ Yes, Your love ♪ ♪ goes further still. ♪ ♪ You alone can rescue, ♪ ♪ You alone can save. ♪ ♪ You alone can lift us ♪ ♪ from the grave.

♪ ♪ You came down to find us, ♪ ♪ let us out of doubt. ♪ ♪ To You alone belongs ♪ ♪ the loudest praise. ♪ ♪ To You alone belongs ♪ ♪ the loudest praise. ♪ ♪ To You alone belongs ♪ ♪ the loudest praise. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Lift up our eyes.

♪ ♪ Lift up our eyes. ♪ ♪ Lift up our eyes. ♪ ♪ You're the giver of life. ♪ ♪ Lift up our eyes. ♪ ♪ Lift up our eyes. ♪ ♪ You're the giver of life. ♪ ♪ Lift up our eyes. ♪ ♪ Lift up our eyes. ♪ ♪ You're the giver of life.

♪ ♪ Lift up our eyes. ♪ ♪ Lift up our eyes. ♪ ♪ You're the giver of life. ♪ ♪ You alone can rescue, ♪ ♪ You alone can save. ♪ ♪ You alone can lift us ♪ ♪ from the grave. ♪ ♪ You came down to find us, ♪ ♪ let us out of doubt.

♪ ♪ You alone belongs ♪ ♪ the loudest praise. ♪ ♪ You alone belongs ♪ ♪ the loudest praise. ♪ ♪ You alone belongs ♪ ♪ the loudest praise. ♪ ♪ ♪ - Let's pray together. Father God, once more we do ask that in our day-to-day decision-making, in our day-to-day reactions to circumstances, whatever they may be, we know, God, that you're guiding and leading us.

Help us, Father God, to, as good students of your Word, seek to understand and then to apply. We are grateful that you make the heavenly wisdom from above available to us. God, that when we ask you, we trust, Lord, and have faith you will give to us generously. What's more, God, we know that you will sustain us and keep us, and then ultimately we know you will produce the fruit that you desire to see.

It is our prayer, God, that for our church as a whole we would be strong together as individuals walking with you, but also in the way that the life of the church is moving, we pray it will truly emulate the character of our Lord Jesus. We pray it to keep you from stumbling, to make you stand in the presence of his glory blameless with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever.

Amen. ♪ God sent his Son ♪ ♪ They called him Jesus ♪ ♪ He came to earth ♪ ♪ He lived in heaven ♪ ♪ He lived and died ♪ ♪ To buy my poor head ♪ ♪ An empty grave is there too ♪ ♪ My Savior lives ♪ ♪ Because he lives ♪ ♪ I can face tomorrow ♪ ♪ Because he lives ♪ ♪ All fear is gone ♪ ♪ Because I know ♪ ♪ He holds the future ♪ ♪ And life is worth the living ♪ ♪ Just because he lives ♪ ♪ He lifted up ♪ ♪ Tell everyone how great the love ♪