Once you turn to James chapter three and again we're going to if James has been stinging the last few weeks guess what? It's only five chapters right? We're in chapter three so we'll get done around August and we move on to the next one praise the Lord. But as we've studied through James again we look at chapter one and again the Bible tells us we're to be doers of the word not hearers only. And the Bible, James dealt with partiality, last week he dealt with the tongue, and this week he deals really with the sin of the mind. And in James chapter 3 beginning down in verse number 13, The Bible said, who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? And again, remember, he's talking to the church. He's talking to Christians. And he said, let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife, notice in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. I'd probably circle that whole verse. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy. good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. And so he's really dealing with the sin of the heart or the mind and you know it's interesting because when you think about it Everything starts with the mind. You look at all the inventions, right? You think about electricity. It starts with the mind. Someone has an idea and tries to figure out a solution to a problem. And that's why, honestly, we have a lot of what we have today, businesses and relationships. But not everything that comes out of the mind is good. I mean, let's be honest, everything begins in the mind. And Satan, I'd say this, probably the biggest problem most Christians have is the space between your ears. Right? I mean, how many of us, just to be honest, because, and Brother Russell, I've done this, and someone who is usually nice and, you know, hey, how you doing? Shake your hand. And all of a sudden, one day, they're not nice to you. And first thing your mind says is, what's wrong with him? Right? When it may just be they're having a bad day or maybe they didn't even hear you, but the mind plays tricks on us. Right? I mean, if you, one thing that happens, if you're sleep deprived, I promise you the mind will play tricks on you. And so, uh, again, we know the Bible tells us that we are to have our thoughts. under control, right? A lot of times we think, well, I can't help what I think, but the Bible says we're to have even our thoughts under control, right? Under submission. And so what comes out of the mouth usually starts in the mind. And so desires of the heart begin in your mind. We say, well, the desires of my heart, where do they come from? They come from the mind. And so we look at our actions and see the sinfulness. I mean, if someone, we talk about these that are incarcerated. They're incarcerated not from what they think, but from what they do. But we have to understand there's a deeper, deeper thing that takes place and their actions started somewhere and it started in the mind. And so we'll say, well, you know, they're getting, but here's what I want to ask you. If you were incarcerated for what goes through your mind, where would we be tonight? So we look at our actions. We see that, but you can't see what's in the mind. May I say this? The Lord knows what's going on in the mind. And so if our motivation or what drives us starts in the mind, right? We, our actions are, are done because of some kind of motivation, good actions or have good motivation and wrong actions, bad motivation. And so what is a sin starts out in our mind. And again, all we can see is the action. So James is saying, listen, if we, and we say this brother Johnny, we'll say, well, the outward man should reflect the change that takes place with the inward man. Right. And we'll say, well, uh, man, man, well, people say, well, man looks on the outside. God looks on the inside. You're exactly right. And that ought to scare us, shouldn't it? I mean, the fact is you can't see what goes on inside of me, but God can. And so what I'm doing and what a Christian should do and what you do is we want the world to know that we serve God. And so the only way they can figure that out is how we act or our love for Christ should be manifested in action. And that's what he's dealing with. And so he says in verse 13, Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Now we understand this. There's a premium placed on knowledge. And you can get it anywhere. I mean, good knowledge, bad knowledge, it's available to everyone. Wisdom is understanding how to apply that knowledge so that it glorifies God. That's true wisdom, right? So what he's dealing with, he's saying in verse 13, who is a wise man and dude with knowledge? Here's what he says. It's a question, he said, let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness and wisdom, or meekness of wisdom. So there's two things in this scripture I want to share with you. One is wisdom in its course, and in verse 13, James is dealing with the wise behavior. In other words, what he's saying is we don't have to boast in verse 13. How often do people tell you all that they can do and all that they know and boast and brag about themselves? And what he's saying in verse 13 is that let him show out of a good conversation. So what we're looking at, that word conversation means lifestyle and everyday behavior. It's not how we speak, it's how we act. The Bible is telling us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that who we say we are should be manifested in the way we act every day. It's not enough to act that way on Sunday morning. Let's be honest, a lot of Christians have an issue acting that way when they're at church. So if we can't even act that way at the house of God, who knows how we're acting outside the house of God. But here the wise man who has wise behavior is saying this God saying listen you don't have to boast about your good works you just need to do it every day. Your everyday life if you and I will look at our lives as anything that we do whatsoever we do it should glorify God. We put an emphasis, Brother Jimmy, on what we do at the house of God. We'll say, well, we're serving God. We're involved in ministry. We sing in the choir. We play an instrument. We teach. We preach. We run a bus route, whatever it is. And that's wonderful. We should do that. But all this is training ground for what we should be out there. And so Jesus exemplifies all of these. So that phrase, endued with knowledge means skill and understanding. Do you realize as long as you're drawing breath, you should be learning? How many of you don't raise your hand? I'll raise mine. Be honest. When you graduate a high school or college, you're like done with that, right? Man, I don't have to read another book, don't have to do another outline, don't have to listen to another lecture. But the fact is we should always be learning and whether it be music or teaching Sunday school, you that are in the bus ministry, you ought to be looking at reason. Well, I don't need it. I'll just do it the way I think is best. Well, guess what? You'll mess up. So everything we do, we should be trying to get more knowledge because listen, the media guys back there, I know nothing about it. If something happens to Paul Heaton and Lee Corbett and Jeff Hart, we in trouble. If something happens to our media guys, we in trouble. So I don't know anything about that stuff. I'd hit buttons and you'll hear squealing and screeching, I promise you. But everything changes. You look at the technology that changes with that. Everything changes. And so we have to learn, right? Now, I know God doesn't change and the Bible doesn't change, but I'm saying when it comes to ministry, we have to constantly be sharpening our skills. Well, you ought to learn, as he was saying, even about leading somebody to the Lord. People say, I know how to do that. Yeah, but every situation's different. So why would you, and you need to learn more of the Bible and more of the principles of the word of God because there will be situations that take place today that people will ask you they didn't ask you 10 years ago. So that's why we're to study, show ourselves approved. We should constantly be studying the word of God, but we should constantly be getting knowledge in other areas as well. And so Jesus exemplified all of these things and the people in the church who profess to be wise should show it. I'm thankful that he mentioned the hospitality. I had some guests here Sunday and I thanked them for coming. He said, man, everybody was so kind to us. That's the way it should be, right? It shouldn't be a front. When people come to church, they ought to be welcomed. Now, they may not ever come back, but while they're here, they ought to be an honored guest. And that's why, again, we have to constantly, Brother Jimmy, we have to constantly remind people, listen, when we do fellowship time, don't run to somebody you talk to every week. Find somebody new and show them some hospitality, right? Show them kindness. Show them the love of God because it may be the only time. in the children's ministry, show them the love of God. Who cares about the games? Who cares about the snack? The main emphasis, even with our bus kids, has got to be that they see the love of God. And by the way, if we're fighting and bickering and not showing the love of Christ at the house of God, we're missing the opportunity to show them Christ. So he deals with the wise behavior, but then in verse 14 he deals with wicked behavior. The Bible said, but if ye have bitter envying and strife. Notice what it said, in your hearts. Glory not and lie not against. Well, that's interesting to me because if he's saying glory not, then it must mean that somebody thought it was okay. Right? I mean, you know, when they put the warning stickers on something, Most of the time they do that because somebody did something that would warrant putting a warning sticker. I mean, who would have ever thought we'd have to tell people not to eat laundry pods? But, you know, that's obviously a big thing. Don't eat laundry pods. It's not good. It does not clean your insides, right? That's for laundry. But we have to constantly warn people because they did something that was dangerous. So I feel like James is dealing with an issue because really when you look at the first two chapters going into chapter three, kind of the tone of the letter, It was not really an encouraging letter. James is writing to deal with some issues going on in that church among those people. And so here he's saying in verse 14, if ye have bitter envy and strife in your hearts, glory not. Well, I'm just thinking, and I'm sure you are. Why would you even have to say that? Because let's be honest, we still live in this flesh. And if we're not careful in this flesh, we will allow sensual carnal things to control us. And the world says envy and strife is okay. And so if the world thinks it's okay, then it must be okay. And I'm, I'm just human and I can't help it. And I know God may not be that way. And he, that may not be the ideal, but what, here's what we do. We try to find the acceptable line, right? What's acceptable. Well, society, I'll give you an example. When we look at things, right, and here's what I want you to think about. If the law says it's okay, but the Bible says it's not okay, which do you follow? You always follow the higher authority. Right? So what people say, well, you know, give me an example, right? Well, the law says that I can get away with this, but what's the Bible say? Right? No, obviously, brother Matt, our mind goes to certain areas of life, but look at it across the board, right? If it's okay, if it's lawful to Not pay your taxes, right? Or to find loopholes, but it's biblical that you do. Which one do you do? Just a few months ago, right? Just a few months ago. It's like, okay, well, the law says that I have to do, you know, I have to, I have to do this. But my conscience tells me not to, which do you do? See what I'm saying? You have to go with the higher authority. So the world says it's okay that if someone does this to you, that it's okay for you to do it to them. Our flesh says that brother Foy, right? The Bible says do unto others as you would have them do unto you. So we cannot embrace worldly philosophy and make it scriptural and be okay with it, right? All right, prime example, right? Let's say you're at work and you get 15 minutes for your break, but everybody takes 20 minutes, but they don't say anything to you, right? But what the rule is, is 15 minutes. Is it okay to take 20? No, because you're cheating the company. Well, that's kind of nitpicky, preacher. But see what I'm saying is you have to guard your testimony and your character even outside the house of God. So while I know so and so and he's a Christian and he does it, well, who's James talking to? He's not talking to a lost world, he's talking to people in the church who profess to know Christ. See, so we have to always go to the higher authority. So James is dealing with this envy and let's be honest, we see that in the house of God. I've been doing this a little while and I've seen people well you know I've been here longer than brother Shane and he's teaching Sunday school and I feel like I should be teaching Sunday school or I should be doing this or I should be whatever happened to just serving God where you're at. So James gives us four things that snuff out wisdom. One is a bitter spirit. Jealousy makes a person bitter. When you're jealous, it makes you bitter, right? And so bitter envying toward one wiser or more gifted and more successful, it leads people to say mean-spirited things. For instance, listen, I remember a pastor telling me years ago, he said, as I started pastoring, he said, now listen, and I was naive, I just thought, man, everybody, you know all the preachers around your area you're the new guy in town they're going to take you out to lunch and hey brother we're glad to have you my phone never rang and I believe brother Jarrett might have been brother Fry told me he said well sons let me tell you something he said when your church is smaller than theirs you're insignificant when your church is the same size they're a little afraid when your church gets to be bigger you're a compromiser Right? And I'm just naive enough to think, man, I thought we was all doing this for the same reason. Right? But it's that way in every area of life. You see it even among your children. If one thinks like one gets something, the other doesn't, well, that's not fair. Why do they get this and I don't? You see that in the workplace. Why'd brother Johnny get a raise and I didn't? Well, maybe he shows up, right? So what happens is we're not grateful or thankful. We feel like we're owed things. We feel entitled and we feel like we're cheated, which leads to envying, right? I mean, I'll be honest with you. I listen to Miss Susan play and I'm like, we'll say things like, I wish I could play like that, but you won't put the time in that she put to learn to do that. So if we're not careful, we'll look at things and we'll say, well, why do they get to do that? Or, you know, even preachers, Brother Bushy will say, well, why does God allow them to preach all over the country and I don't get to preach all over the country? Or why are they getting to preach at this conference and I'm not getting? Well, it's not your business. See, if you'll just stay where you're at and do what God's called you to do, maybe he'll open doors. But even if he doesn't, who cares? And so this flesh gets bitter and jealous because you think you're being treated unfairly. It's entitlement. And then there's a belligerent spirit, strife, which means self-seeking ambition. Why are you doing what you're doing? James said, why are you doing what you're doing? Well, if you're doing it for your glory and to get a pat on the back, you're doing it for the wrong reason. If you're doing it for recognition, you're doing it for the wrong reason. If we're doing it to glorify God, then we don't really care who gets the recognition as long as He does. So, when we have a belligerent spirit, self is on the throne. Then there's a boastful spirit. Then there's a blind spirit. Wisdom never parts company with truth. See, all these thinking heads, everybody thinks they're wise. But you cannot separate truth from wisdom. And we find truth in the Word of God. Amen? I don't care how smart and intelligent someone is, when you deny God and you deny the Bible, then what you're doing is showing you're not wise. And so in verse 13, 14, he deals with wisdom and its course. And then verse 15, 17, he deals with wisdom and its source. Where's it come from? So in verse 15, he said this wisdom descendeth not from above talking about, uh, verse 14. Right. But his earthly sensual devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure. So the first part, verse 15-16, he talks about the source of human wisdom. And that's where we are today. This humanistic mindset that elevates man and his thinking to say, listen, we don't need God. We can determine what we want to and what's right. NPR, many of you have probably heard National Public Radio, which is being funded by you. And all the slant, right? And so they interviewed the CEO. I saw she said this, well, we all have our own truth. And again, what we're saying is there's no authority. I'm the authority. I get to determine what truth is in my life. Well, the problem with that is there is a single truth and that truth is God. Whether you accept it or not, that's a different subject. But when you separate wisdom from truth, you don't have true wisdom. You have sensual wisdom and the source of that is human wisdom. The human mind is amazing. But the problem with it is it's limited. Right? And the Bible tells us our ways are not his ways and our thoughts are not his thoughts. He's much higher than we are. So wherever we are, brother Sean, we have to understand that God is much more intelligent and wiser than we are. And so therefore he's the higher authority, which I must submit to the higher authority. And the source of human wisdom is secular source. In other words, it's phony wisdom. And that's where we live today. All human psychology, philosophy, and human religion is secular. Anything that when you look and see, and here's the problem. So we mix up philosophy with principle. Well, I have this biblical philosophy. No, you either have a biblical principle or you have a human philosophy of the Bible. You can't have biblical philosophy. You say, well, you know, I have a human psychology. Well, the psychology, who created the mind? God did. And so what we've allowed, listen to what I'm saying, we've allowed the world to hijack all the things about us and we'll listen to them more than we will God doctor says something well he's a doctor he's got all this education right education see God put something inside of you called the Holy Spirit of God and you have to realize that God has given you some wisdom and he ain't always right you wanna you wanna just Bamboozle the doctor when he goes in there, and you know now used to when you went the doctor They knew you from the time you're born, and you know how you been and now it's like well I got to get to the next one to pay the bills, right So like what's your what's your symptoms? Oh here take that that doesn't work come back. We'll give you something else, right? Well Problem is All that. Then you say, well, Doc, it fixed that, but now I got something else. Oh, well, here's something for that. Well, here, it fixed that, but got something else. Well, here's something for that. Before you know it, you're carrying around a briefcase full of stuff with you that the wise doctor told you to take. Now, I'm not saying there, don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-doctor. Somebody looking at me like, are you saying we shouldn't go to the doctor? I don't care if you go to the doctor or which doctor, what you do. But I'm saying you ought to ask some questions. And if you really want to bamboozle them when they start in all that mess, you say, well, explain to me why I need it. I don't have time to explain it to you. I got to get on to the next one because we got to see 47 patients or we can't pay our dues. Right? I'm just saying you ought to have enough wisdom to know that God created this body to heal itself. And we do need doctors. But I think sometimes we think they are the creators. And we do that in every area of life. Well, this professional said this, this professional said this, this professional said this. Well, what makes them a professional? Well, they went to college for it. Oh, I got you. The same ones that we're having all the issues with now. See what I'm saying? The source of human wisdom is secular. The source of godly wisdom is God. And so the philosophy and the psychology, even religion brother Jimmy, I mean let's be honest. Why in the world do we have 49,000 religions? Well because we don't, for that matter why do we have 47,000 different denominations? Why do we have to have 98,000 different Baptists? Because we don't care what the Bible says. We want to figure out what fits in our life and put the Bible in there somehow. Right? So all human psychology, philosophy, and religion are secular. So there has been an attempt in every field to bypass God and wisdom. We don't need God. We'll do it ourselves. Right? Creation. Well, we can explain that away. The experts say, so there's also the sensual source. Notice the Bible said, but it is earthly sensual devilish. So the sensual source of wisdom is a corrupt desire from the natural man. Well, I feel like I have an appetite for. My emotions say, my intellect says, so we find ways to rationalize our lawless indulgences. Right? And now I mentioned it Sunday, what we do is everything's a sickness. We got hooked on drugs, well it's a sickness. What you're saying is it's not my fault, I couldn't help it. Right? Got hooked on alcohol. He knows this, you can't go into prison and say listen it's not your fault. You can't get saved until you take accountability of being a sinner. For all have sinned to come to the shore of the glory of God. So we have to come to the realization, a heavenly wisdom is that there is a perfect God there's an imperfect man and when you separate imperfect man from perfect God then you have all this human wisdom and it's all devilish, it's secular and so therefore it leads to satanic sources, sources that are anti-God and even among churches when it is anti-God when you're not preaching the whole counsel of God when we're not preaching sin and salvation when we're not preaching heaven and hell Then it's a man made religion that is just hey I go to church and I go to be encouraged. We don't need pep talks we need Bible preaching. See, because if we don't have Bible preaching, what it leads to is an anemic, shallow Christianity that is anything that does not meet our physical need. And this sinful man that needs to be encouraged all the time, we go, well, I don't want to go there. I want to go somewhere where I leave and feel good. Well, I'll say this. Well, when you're living in sin, you shouldn't feel good about it. That's called conviction. So I'm thankful the Holy Spirit through His Word. Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word of God. God uses His Word to convict us or convince us of our sin. That's how you got saved. And if you're out in sin and you get right with God, that's how you get right with God. Well, I felt like I was away from God. Well, that's not a natural feeling for the natural man. That is a God feeling that God gives you because of His Word. And so all of this is the result in unrest and ungodliness. Is that not where we are today? Everywhere you turn, there's chaos. Well, 1 Corinthians 14, God's not the author of what? Confusion. Where there's confusion, it's not God. The house of God, when you're in church, there's confusion. It's not God doing that. Here's what we do. Sometimes we blame it on God. God's not the author of confusion. So there's the source of human wisdom. Then there's the source of heavenly wisdom, verse 17, 18. The Bible said, but the wisdom that is from above is first, what pure then peaceable. Now, do you notice the contrast? So the worldly wisdom is divisive, right? Verse 14, if you have bitter envy and strife in your heart, glory not, lie not against the truth. The wisdom sent from above is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying strife is, there is confusion in every evil work. That's what your Bible says. But, so there's a contrast. Here's the one, verse 17 says, but here's the other. The wisdom that is from above is first pure. then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy, good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. That's where we ought to be living. Right? I mean, if we're saved, some folks say they're saved. So here's what he's saying. Ready? Hang on. He's saying what you say you got on the inside should flow to the outside and here's what it looks like. Now you can argue with me all you want to but you can't argue with that book. The first verse 14-15 are those that do not have the witness of the Spirit. Right? Can we agree? So we get to verse 17 he's saying if you're saved If you're born again, if you are who you say you are, this is what it looks like. Here's what I want you to do. Don't look at your wife or your husband or your neighbor. I want you to take just a minute and I want you to look in you. And then I want you to think if these actions line up with what you say you have. Because here's what he said. The basic character of God's wisdom is pure, right? Not confusion, pure, truth. So it will never suggest or condone any unclean thing. This, where we live at today, it's like, well, you know, now this is how God created us, and He's a merciful God, and He's a God of grace, and so therefore, He's okay with us living like the world. We're free. Chains are gone, hallelujah. The problem is, The chains that are gone should cause you to live for Christ. The sins that are gone are the bondage of sin, not the bondage of separation. And see, we live in a world where everybody talks about the chains are gone, the bondage, but what they're saying, brother, is the bondage of sanctification is gone. Then I don't have to live for God. Cause he's renewed the inner man. Well, James saying, if he's renewed the inner man, it should show on the outer man. That's why brother four, we got all this confusion today. Cause we don't want, we, the inner man has not been regenerated. And so therefore we're people that try to live in a way that a regenerated man would live without being regenerated on the inside. Can't do it. So it becomes bondage to them. It's where it is. James talked to the church, he said some of y'all in here you're trying to live the Christian life but you're not really born again you're not filled with the spirit of God and so therefore what's coming out of you is verse 14-15 bitter, envying, strife but if you are who you say you are the wisdom from above is pure right? well then he says peaceable what's that mean? ready for this? Loves peace. Look it up. That's what it means. Peace loving. Is that you? Most Baptists I know are not peace loving. They'd rather fight. You don't believe it? All you got to do is type F-A-C-E-B-O-O-K and you'll see Baptist preachers arguing on social media. You'll see Christians arguing on social media. That don't look like peace-loving to me. Remember this? Was it the church at Corinth? Paul said, listen, if a brother is going to take you to court, He said, you ought to just take the hit or bring it in the church. He said, you don't need, the outside world don't even know what's going on. That's what he said. I've seen people sue the church. You tell me where that, well, the law says, oh, which one? You mean the one that King James Bible, that's not what the law says. You with me? So what he's saying is, for the cause of Christ, you ought to be a peacemaker, and you ought to be willing to take the hit if you have to. Well, that ain't right. I'm not going to let anybody walk over me. I know. Because you're the first kind. We shouting now? You're the first kind. You say, I don't know anywhere where the Bible says that I have to be a doormat. You want to be used of God, you're going to be used by people. That's right. That's what he said, right? Well, I just don't agree with that because what you're saying is that your wisdom is sensual. It doesn't agree with your flesh. Are you peace-loving? Go ahead and get an altar call, I guess. What we need, right? Are you peace-loving? You love peace. Well, no, no. Are you gentle? That word means to forbear. Remember what forbear means? To put up with each other. God's people ought to put up with each other. I just don't like them. Somebody probably don't like you. mercy an outward manifestation of pity good fruit means good deeds without partiality completely unbiased that's God's wisdom now here's what I want to ask you what would happen if God's people in God's church acted with God's wisdom. So James is saying, listen, you say this is what you've got, it ought to show. Yeah, but what if? See, there's a problem. But Johnny, we like all that right there when it's everybody else but me. When it comes to me, I got my own set of rules that James doesn't know anything about. Right? James is writing everybody else, not me. I got my own book that I've written. It's called The Gospel According to Me. The Epistle to the Church of Me. And I'm gonna cherry pick verses I like, put it right in that book of the Bible. To where everybody else is wrong, and I'm the one that's right. Right? James is saying if you are who you say you are and you got what you say you got it should show. And if it doesn't show then you have to examine the inner man and see if you've got what you say you got. I told you before we started James this would not be a Lovey-dovey, let's walk out of here shouting the victory. That's what we need. God's people ought to be working people and should show their faith by their works. And that's not just handing out tracks. That's how we treat people in our everyday life. I was talking to a young man this week. And he works for a man who says he's a Christian. And he told me, he said, he's cheated me out of money. He said he cusses like a sailor and he drinks. And here's what he said. He said, if that's a Christian, I don't want to be one. Brother Bart, I asked him, I said, well, I said, let me ask you this. I said, have you seen me doing any of those things? He said, no. I said, well, I'm a Christian, but they're always going to go to the lowest common denominator. They're going to, why? Because it gives them ammunition to say, if that's what it is, I don't need it. That's why James is saying that the outward man. should show what the inward man professes to be. And that's what he's telling us. That's what God's telling us. We need to be who we say we are out there. Let's pray. Let's get around the altar and pray