WEBVTT 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.280 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:11.599 We exist to awaken this generation to new life in Christ. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:13.039 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.399 To find out more, go to awakeningchurch.com. 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:20.239 I want to invite you to grab a Bible if you got one. 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:22.239 In your living room, we've got them here. 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:27.359 If you've got them in your dorm room or your apartment, wherever you're at, and open to James chapter one. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:33.600 I want to remind you that as we started this live stream, you know, God is with you. 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:37.039 And I know this week, like it's been crazy. 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:38.880 There's been a lot of chaos. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:46.640 And sometimes I know when I come to church, when I physically come to church, like I'm I'm reminded that God is with me just because I'm at church. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:55.280 And it's gonna take another step of maybe imagination and effort for us to realize we actually don't need to step foot anywhere. 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:56.560 God is with us. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:00:59.200 And sometimes church just makes it more obvious. 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:02.719 And so we need that moment right now to remind yourself, man, God is with you. 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:11.680 And as you open your Bible, as you open the Word, as you listen here this morning, I just want to remind you to turn your attention to the fact that God is very near to you. 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:21.120 And that to me might be just the thing we need during this season is a reminder that God's with us, that God's present no matter where we are. 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:26.640 As Ryan talked, we're in the middle of a series that actually is really sovereign, we believe. 00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:31.120 We believe maybe God led us to this series and we wrestled with do we do this? 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:33.760 Do we take a different route entirely? 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:40.079 And just looking over this passage, I believe God has something for us in the book of James. 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:41.359 And so that's where we are today. 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:44.560 If you've got a Bible, you can turn there to James chapter 1. 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:48.959 And we're in the middle of this series called A Holy Contradiction. 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:54.319 And James is a book in your New Testament, and so it's gonna be kind of deep into your New Testament. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:56.400 If you go to the Peters, you're gonna be a little too far. 00:01:56.560 --> 00:02:01.519 Go past Hebrews, and you'll find James sitting in the middle of Hebrews and 1st and 2 Peter. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:08.800 And you know, this is an interesting subject we come to today because as Ryan mentioned, the subject is wisdom. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:14.479 And we have really been processing information this whole week, right? 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:23.039 All of us, even, man, as a staff, we've been like emailing articles and updates, and like, did you see what Southwest Airlines did? 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:26.080 And did you see what I mean, companies, other churches? 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:28.400 It's like we're inundated with information. 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:40.080 But one thing I've loved that we've done this week that's been actually a discipline and something really hard to do, but I think a worthwhile discipline, is take in that information and then go, what's the wise thing to do? 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:42.000 Where's wisdom in the midst of this? 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:52.000 And that's where we want to lead you guys, church, is wherever you're at, I I think we don't we don't always think that a ton of information is gonna do us good. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:54.719 A ton of information sometimes fills us with anxiety. 00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:56.080 Maybe that's where you're at today. 00:02:56.159 --> 00:03:04.560 Like you've you've just been receiving the Twitter updates, the Google alerts, the push notifications from CNN or wherever you're getting your news from the New York Times, whatever. 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:05.759 It's coming at you. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:12.719 And instead of it leading you to wise decision making, it's led you to maybe be fearful and filled with anxiety. 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.840 And what we hope today is to not inundate you with more information. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:18.560 We hope to actually give you a way of wisdom. 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:21.520 I think that's kind of the central question we have to think about today. 00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:27.520 Is like, is a life of wisdom possible today in the midst of information overload? 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:31.360 In the midst of tons of content coming our way? 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:33.759 Is a life of wisdom possible? 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:39.039 And that's where I think James uh is really, really helpful for us today. 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:40.960 James chapter 1, verse 5. 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:42.159 This is what the scriptures say. 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:50.240 It says, is if any of you lacks wisdom, and in right there, let's just pause and realize we lack wisdom. 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:59.680 We actually have tons of maybe anxiety, and I think one funny thing about this passage is it if we think we don't lack wisdom, we actually lack wisdom. 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:00.560 It's kind of like humility. 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:06.159 It's one of those funny things where it's like, if we say, I'm good on humility, actually we're then filled with pride at that very moment. 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:07.599 And with wisdom, it's the same thing. 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:13.280 It's like, man, if if I think I don't lack wisdom, actually that's the beginning of foolishness. 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:18.560 And so if you're thinking, I I lack wisdom and I'm filled with fear, join join me, because I'm with you. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:21.839 I I have tons of anxiety through this week. 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:28.399 I've had chaotic information coming through my brain, and I've looked at this and go, if any of you lack wisdom, oh, I'm listening in. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:30.720 I'm I'm tuning into this passage. 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:34.720 It says, let him ask God if you ask lack wisdom. 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:36.319 This is verse 5. 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:41.839 Who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:44.639 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting. 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:48.959 For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:52.879 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:56.720 He's double-minded, unstable in all his ways. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:58.800 This verse is kind of a one-two punch. 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:01.439 It's like the first thing is like this encouraging word. 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:03.199 If you lack wisdom, ask God. 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:10.879 And then the second half is like, oh, and don't doubt because you'll be unstable, double-minded, really, really strong words. 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:14.639 I want to give you three thoughts that will lead us to wisdom today. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:20.240 I want to talk about the founder of wisdom, the enemy of wisdom, and the key to wisdom. 00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:23.439 The founder, the enemy, the key. 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:25.360 First, the founder of wisdom. 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:27.040 I love that this passage starts out. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:29.920 It says, if you lack wisdom, like we said, we're all raising our hands. 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:31.600 It says, ask God. 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:32.879 Ask God. 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:37.920 So I love when Bible verses, it's like, let's just stop there and we can just obey that for today. 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:42.879 Like that in and of itself, we could sign off here and all of us could maybe grow, right? 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:45.120 All of us could kind of take a step forward in our faith. 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:48.399 If we just ended the broadcast by going, we lack wisdom, let's ask God. 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:50.240 There's enough for us just there. 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:52.879 Now keep tuning in because we have more to talk about. 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:55.279 But man, that should give us enough to chew on. 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:58.160 Is that God is the founder of wisdom. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:05.199 When we look at who's the author, who's the perfecter, who's the one, who's the all-wise one, we have that to our advantage. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:06.560 We can ask God. 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:08.879 We are free to ask him for wisdom. 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:11.519 Wherever you're at today, you can ask God for wisdom. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:16.800 I think this is especially prevalent in our time because I think most of us are asking Google. 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:18.879 Most of us are asking Twitter. 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:21.279 Most of us are asking our push notifications. 00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:23.920 We're looking at our phone and we're going, give me wisdom. 00:06:24.079 --> 00:06:25.759 How do I handle this virus? 00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:27.279 How do I handle my family? 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:29.120 My kids, I just got a push notification. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:30.879 My kids' school is canceled for a couple weeks. 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:31.600 What do I do? 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:32.319 Google that. 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:35.680 What do you do for with your kids for three weeks while they're stuck at home? 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:41.279 Like these are the things we want to search, these are the things we want to, we want to seek wisdom from an algorithm. 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:43.839 Or we want to seek wisdom from ourselves. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:46.319 We kind of go into our own spiral of a panic, right? 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:49.839 We're like, okay, think through plan A, B, C, D, E. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:55.839 And by the time we're at E or F, then we go, maybe I should pray, or maybe I should consult a wise friend. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:00.480 But by the time we're down that road, we've lost who the founder of wisdom is. 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:07.040 And James says, if today you lack it, right now what you can do is actually say, God, it's very simple prayer. 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:09.839 God, grant me wisdom. 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:10.879 It's that simple. 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:12.399 God, grant me wisdom. 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:13.519 Give me the wisdom I need. 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:15.439 Look at what Proverbs 9:10 says. 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:18.560 It says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:21.040 That's a famous passage you may have heard before. 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:22.639 And you might think, what does that mean? 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:25.120 Well, it means a reverence beneath the Lord. 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:33.519 It's an ability to put yourself under the Lord and say, I respect you, and I actually want your ways more than my ways. 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:43.839 And same way that like uh you look at somebody who's really wise or somebody more experienced in your profession, you have a kind of fear around them, a reverence before them that you would seek their wisdom. 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:51.279 And Proverbs says, right when you do that, when you submit yourself under God, you look at that and you go, that's the beginning of wisdom. 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:53.279 Like you're just starting wisdom right there. 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:56.959 Proverbs 2, 6 says, the Lord gives wisdom. 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:01.040 From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. 00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:03.120 From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. 00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:05.360 He is the author, he's the founder of wisdom. 00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:17.360 That's why James tells you to ask him, instead of asking Google, instead of going to your phone, simply take that step before you get yourself informed and take the wisdom from God and then approach the information. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:22.399 I remember somebody telling me a long time ago, Chris, seek the face of God before you seek the face of man. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:24.560 Just get that order first. 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:28.639 Say, God, I need wisdom, and then look at the news. 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:32.159 God, I need wisdom, and then check the email. 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:39.759 Because when we check the email and we get in the spiral of our Twitter feeds and the algorithms, we we get lost and we get filled with anxiety. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:45.840 I think when we come to that with a heart of wisdom, we'll be found to be blessed. 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:49.440 James was writing to a predominantly Jewish audience. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:51.759 We talked about this last week in our sermon series. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:55.519 He was writing to the dispersion, which was mainly Jewish Christians. 00:08:55.600 --> 00:09:00.320 Although he was writing to all Christians, he was a pastor in Jerusalem, tons of Jewish people. 00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:04.080 And the Jewish people were saturated with the Old Testament, right? 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:06.399 And as Christians, we should be as well. 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:15.440 And so they not only thought about Proverbs with these verses I shared with Proverbs, but I can almost guarantee that when a Jewish reader would have read this, if you lack wisdom, let him ask God. 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:17.200 He actually would have thought of Solomon. 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:21.200 Because Solomon was the person in the Old Testament who asked God for wisdom. 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:24.639 Actually, he was granted the beginning of his reign as king. 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:32.320 He's the son of David, David, the most famous Old Testament figure, probably, one of the most famous Old Testament figures, a king. 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:33.600 His son is Solomon. 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:35.039 He's about to start his reign as king. 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:36.720 God says, Ask me for anything. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:38.639 And Solomon chooses wisdom. 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:40.639 He says, I need wisdom. 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:48.080 He says in 1 Kings 3 9, at the beginning of his reign, it says, Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people. 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:53.840 That I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this, your great people. 00:09:54.159 --> 00:10:01.039 You know, on our own little level here at Awakening, I found us practicing this, even though we're not in government, we're in leadership. 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:06.799 And we were praying verses like this, going, God, who can lead this church? 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:11.360 We need your wisdom for how to navigate these chaotic times. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:13.120 What are you over? 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:14.080 Your family? 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:16.399 Maybe you have influence at your work? 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:23.600 Do you pray like Solomon and say, man, of all the things you could ask for from God, or could you ask for wisdom? 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:27.840 Solomon is widely considered the wisest man who ever lived. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:34.960 He published works of wisdom like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes that are classics in and of themselves, let alone holy scripture. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:37.360 They're classics of wisdom literature. 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:44.320 And he started the biggest moment of his life, stepping into the biggest season of leadership, and he said, I need wisdom. 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:47.840 And so again, the simple question is, do you need wisdom? 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:50.480 And have you ever asked God for wisdom? 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:55.279 Because I think for some of us we could quickly skirt over this and go, Yeah, I've asked God for wisdom. 00:10:55.360 --> 00:11:01.440 But I actually don't want to assume that some of you out there have never even turned to God and made this specific request. 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:08.799 Maybe you've asked for a relationship, maybe you asked for a career, maybe you've asked for provision, all great things to ask God. 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:10.879 Ask God for all the things that you need. 00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:18.879 But I wonder if in our asking of God, we've actually missed this and we just haven't actually stopped and said, God, grant me wisdom. 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:24.559 We need God in the chaos of information, in the chaos of trouble, we need God's wisdom. 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:31.840 But, you know, right then, again, James says, he uh in verse, in the next verse in verse 6, he says, but let him ask in faith. 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:36.480 And he actually approaches this and says, I want you to ask God, but beware. 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:37.919 There's an enemy of wisdom. 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:38.960 That's the second thing. 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:41.679 Founder of wisdom, and then the enemy of wisdom. 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:44.159 There's actually kind of a barrier to entry. 00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:48.080 James says, let him ask in faith with no doubting. 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:49.759 He has these strong words. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:51.919 I told you this is kind of a one-two punch of a passage. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:56.559 He said, calls the person who would doubt double-minded, unstable in all his ways. 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:00.240 Gives the metaphor of somebody being tossed to and fro like waves. 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:03.519 You know, I'm convinced a lot of us want to be wise. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:06.159 And if I were to ask you straight up, like, do you want wisdom? 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:07.120 You would say yes. 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:10.720 But James says, beware of lying to yourself. 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:17.679 Beware of asking for something that you are closing yourself off to at the same time. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:26.399 Doubt, when we think about it, you think about that word, I think modern Americans and modern Western people, we often think it's like intellectual doubt. 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:31.279 It's the intellectual uncertainty that is God real or is God not real? 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:33.200 And that's one level of doubt for sure. 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:37.279 But when the Bible talks about this, the word is more about an inner conflict. 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:43.840 I would define it as the inner conflict of loyalty resulting in a lack of trust in God. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:46.480 It's an inner conflict of our loyalties. 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:58.879 In fact, the word itself in the Greek is Diacrino, and the the Greek scholar Douglas Mu, he says he would actually decide uh kind of use the translation to dispute within oneself. 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:01.039 Have you ever disputed within yourself? 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:03.200 You almost feel like you have two minds. 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:04.639 This is what he's talking about. 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:06.879 This is what he's talking about, this doubt. 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:12.320 And maybe that's where you're at today is like you want to believe God is good. 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:20.799 You want to believe God will be with us through this chaos of this virus, but there's this other side of you that's like, I don't know if he'll be there. 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:23.919 And I want to say, if that's that's you, that's okay. 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:41.440 And while these are strong words, I think that there's a moment for us to reflect on learning from this passage and going, how can we move from this double-mindedness, this dispute from within oneself, and move from what James would call doubt to faith. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:43.360 You know, the Bible, it's really beautiful. 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:47.840 Uh, in Jude 1.22, it says, have mercy on those who doubt. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:49.679 Have mercy on those who doubt. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:57.600 And so I think if if you're doubting, the Bible's saying, yes, it's double-mindedness, it's unstable, but the Bible's also saying there's mercy for you. 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:03.600 You know, and even when Jesus was um giving his great commission, it actually reports that some were worshiping and some were doubting. 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:10.879 And he gave his great commission, go and make disciples to the people worshiping and raising their hands and the people going, I don't know, I have this inner conflict. 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:14.480 And Jesus says to both of those people, go and make disciples. 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:25.360 That's not an intellectual uncertainty, that's a divided loyalty, and Jesus has grace for that, and the church has grace for that, and we have to have grace for that because we've all been there. 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:31.440 I myself this week have wrestled, even studying this passage, with an inner conflict of loyalty. 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:34.720 Like this is where we live as human beings. 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:36.639 And have you ever been there? 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:38.559 Have you ever been double-minded with God? 00:14:38.720 --> 00:14:41.039 Have you ever been unstable? 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:53.679 Well, I love that James kind of shows us that there's a route out of that, there's a route towards faith, but I want to give a couple of things I know I've wrestled with in my life when it comes to double-mindedness with God. 00:14:53.840 --> 00:15:00.240 Like kind of signs where I've seen that conflict of loyalty that'll kind of help you maybe navigate some of this. 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:04.399 The first is that I tend to do one-sided prayers. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:08.559 And I think maybe some of you have experienced this before. 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:11.519 You pray and then you don't listen. 00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:15.679 You just speak to God and you don't receive from God. 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:18.799 Maybe that's been you this week, right? 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:30.000 I'm driving, you're realizing your school, your kids' school's canceled, your classes are canceled to college, and you're throwing up prayers left and right, but you're not taking the time to pause and to receive and to listen. 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:35.200 And I just wonder, you know, could there be the two-sided prayers that we move towards? 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:38.720 The one-sided prayer, we tend to not want to know the answer, right? 00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:43.519 We're just like, God, I need this, I need that, but I'm gonna shut myself off. 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:45.759 Uh, I'm not gonna sit in silence. 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:49.279 Remember, silence is a discipline uh in Christianity. 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:56.320 It's actually this beautiful like way that we just pause, we we try to just fill our minds with God's word and allow him to speak to us. 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:06.799 And so, how this week, maybe even as we worship in the close of this passage, um, in the close of this broadcast, like maybe you just need to pause and say, Lord, I just want to listen to you. 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:08.799 Because I don't want to have a one-sided prayer. 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:12.159 Another way I see this is like a God as a consultant. 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:13.679 I treat God as a consultant. 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:16.240 That that makes me think I'm double-minded or that I'm doubting. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:19.360 What I mean by that is he's a consultant, he's not a Lord. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:21.600 So he sits on my board, right? 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:23.519 Maybe he has two votes or something like that. 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:28.559 I give him like a little bit more, but also on my board is my my my career aspirations, right? 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:29.440 My fear. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:31.120 I have fear is a good board member. 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:33.759 You know, he governs and helps me make decisions, right? 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:49.440 And we have this board, and Jesus is one of those, and his word is one of those, but he's a consultant, he's a board member of many votes, as opposed to what he claims to be for us, which is Lord, Master, King, that his way is the way we follow. 00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:56.320 And to be single-minded in our obedience is to listen to the word of God and to practice it and to do it and to receive it. 00:16:56.559 --> 00:17:00.639 And I know I tend to do this when I already know the answer. 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:01.440 Do you know what I mean? 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:17.920 I already I'm praying to God and I already know what he wants to say to me, but I I isolate him as a board member so that I can have the other voices speak, and then I can kind of weigh it and be like, uh, it's looking like fear and my, you know, family life and all these other things. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:22.960 They they want to govern a different way than Jesus, so I'm gonna take their votes instead of Jesus' vote. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:29.279 Not realizing this, that Jesus wants your good for all of those areas, right? 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:39.759 It's not like he's in opposition to these areas, it's actually that in following his loving kindness and his word will lead us into a life abundant, he calls it, right? 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:42.079 A life that is truly, truly abundant. 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:46.400 I think the last way I see doubt surface is through hesitant obedience. 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:48.960 It's second guessing what God clearly commands. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:56.079 And I've spoken a little bit about this before and written about it, but it's just putting a question mark where God has placed a period. 00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:58.880 And I think that's when I feel doubt. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:03.519 Again, this is doubt that scripture's talking about that's not intellectual uncertainty. 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:06.240 It's doubt that's talking about a lack of trust. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:21.599 And I think when I think about that kind of doubt, that unstableness, that double-mindedness, it's when I hear God say something and there's a period at the end of it, and I just draw that question mark just right above it, right? 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:23.680 Where have you done that, right? 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:26.400 God says, forgive one another, period. 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:30.480 All I have to do is just go, forgive him? 00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:31.920 Really, him? 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:33.440 And just put the question mark, right? 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:34.400 God says, pray. 00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:35.920 God says, ask me for wisdom. 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:38.480 We say, ask God for wisdom? 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:46.720 The one I can't see, the one I can't always hear, the one that is hard to know sometimes, because like it's way easier for me to just type it into my phone. 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:55.839 To just, well, that hesitancy, I think, is is a common trick our mind does, but I I legitimately believe God's enemy does that to us so much. 00:18:56.079 --> 00:18:58.400 He just wants us to speak like, did God really say that? 00:18:58.480 --> 00:18:59.680 He did this in Genesis 3. 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:03.039 If you've read the the fall, he just did God really mean that? 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:04.799 Does God really say that? 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:15.359 And that can, I think, especially this week, that's a moment a lot of us have maybe had is we're not doubting God's existence, maybe. 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:18.400 Maybe some of you are, but we're really doubting God's goodness. 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:32.799 And it's hard to fill be filled with faith in a time like right now because we see everything happening and we're like, yeah, God's real, but where is he right now? 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:38.559 Or God's real, but how is he being active in life and faith right now? 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:40.240 How is he helping this virus? 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:42.960 How is he helping our leadership of the world? 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:44.640 Like, that's what we're struggling. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.000 That's the double-mindedness. 00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:54.559 And when we give one-sided prayers, when we see God as a consultant, these hesitant obedience moments, we're actually moving further and further into doubt. 00:19:54.960 --> 00:20:01.279 And this is actually where the right the readers of James would still be thinking about Solomon, strangely. 00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:10.720 Is like, I told you, Solomon was this king, he asked for wisdom, God granted him wisdom, and he had moments of incredible wealth and prosperity. 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:15.759 And a couple chapters into his wealth and prosperity, it says that people were coming from all over. 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:25.440 He's visited by a foreign queen from Sheba who praises him, people are bringing him gifts, and all of a sudden he starts to realize things are going pretty well for me right now. 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:30.960 Um, and it's at that moment he turns it, the scriptures say it turns his heart away from the Lord. 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:33.680 It says this in 1 Kings 11 4. 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:42.079 When Solomon was old, uh uh when what for when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:21:00.240 When I read about doubt and I read about Solomon in parallel to that, and I see Solomon turn his heart away, as a pastor, I'm concerned for how we might turn our hearts away from the Lord right now and not turn our hearts towards the Lord. 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:14.079 The beauty of this passage is while it may be harsh, to go back to the start of this verse is to see the hope that there is actually a route, not away like Solomon turning his heart away from the Lord. 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:17.359 There's a route to turn our hearts back to the Lord. 00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:19.119 And that's the key to wisdom. 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:25.759 That's the final point here is the key to wisdom is the fear of the Lord, like Proverbs 9 says. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:30.240 The fear of the Lord is the key to wisdom, faith is the key to wisdom. 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:37.279 What Solomon did was not uh have this moment of wisdom and then he just became foolish. 00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:43.279 He had this moment of wisdom and he turned his heart away from the Lord and then he became foolish. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:59.039 And my pastoral kind of heart for us this morning is that we would not see this season and this incredibly chaotic time as a season to turn away our hearts from the Lord, but to see it as a season to turn our hearts towards the Lord. 00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:15.599 Look at what James says in in back at that first verse, James chapter 1, verse 5, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, and look at this who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:48.720 Wherever you are, in whatever season you are, if you are doubting, if you have intellectual uncertainty, if your heart is divided against God, or if you're holding on to hope and you're holding on to faith, wherever we're at, our move today as Christians is to turn our hearts back to God in faith and realize the battle for our souls today is not about God's existence so much as it is about God's trustworthiness, his goodness. 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:56.160 And what will separate Christians right now, I believe, is not people who say God exists, but who say God is good. 00:22:56.720 --> 00:22:59.039 God is good and he's trustworthy. 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:02.000 And things may not go better from here on out. 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:02.799 We don't know. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:05.359 Things may be more chaotic from here on out. 00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:06.640 We we actually don't know. 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:08.480 We're uncertain about those things. 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:19.119 But we are certain that God will be with us, God will give us wisdom, God will provide for us, and God will be present in the midst of our pain. 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:21.440 That's what we hang our hat on. 00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:23.599 That's what's absolutely certain right now. 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:28.160 And to me, that's actually the key to wisdom is that faith. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:35.359 When James says, but let him ask in faith, see, we think faith means really, really believing something. 00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:39.279 And doubt means really, really not believing in that thing. 00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:42.559 That's not how the Bible categorizes faith and doubt. 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:49.039 Faith is not really super duper believing something, and doubt being really super duper not believing in something. 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:52.559 Faith is actually the opposite of the doubt I talked about earlier. 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:58.079 Faith is the wholehearted trust and loyalty to God and his commands. 00:23:58.240 --> 00:24:01.839 It's taking the double-mindedness and going to God with it. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:03.119 So here's what I mean. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:04.799 Here's an act of faith today. 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:09.359 An act of faith today is telling God that you're doubting. 00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:19.519 An act of faith today, the key to wisdom, is to go to God with your double-mindedness, to go to God with your two-heartedness, to go to God with a divided soul and tell him. 00:24:20.079 --> 00:24:23.519 Say, God, I'm having trouble trusting you. 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:33.200 Strangely, see, we wouldn't think that to be faith, but that is biblical faith, is going to God with the condition of our life. 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:42.960 And if the condition of your life is anxiety, doubt, double-mindedness, don't ignore James's command. 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:44.160 Ask God. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:47.440 God graciously gives. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:49.759 Faith is rewarded. 00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:52.240 This is the passage in Hebrews that I love. 00:24:52.319 --> 00:24:56.799 It says that he, God, rewards those who earnestly seek him. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:04.480 I just think that that's a word for us right now is that whatever the condition of our heart is, is to go back to God. 00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:18.079 Because again, the story of Solomon unfortunately ends with a man who turns his heart away in doubt, spirals down into continual mistrust of God and his ways. 00:25:18.799 --> 00:25:24.960 And what is on my heart above anything else is for us to be people of faith. 00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:27.359 And again, hear me carefully. 00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:33.519 I don't mean super duper believing something and being the Christians who are like, everything's gonna be great. 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:35.279 That's actually not wisdom. 00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:40.480 Wisdom sits and goes, you know, things can get really bad in this world. 00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:45.279 And we can quote Jesus who said, like, in this life you will have trouble. 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:49.519 He says, but take heart, because I have overcome the world. 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:53.920 Christians do not live completely ignorant of terrible things. 00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:56.960 Christians do not discard terrible things. 00:25:57.119 --> 00:26:01.680 Christians say, in this world you have trouble, and Jesus has overcome the world. 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:04.799 And we live with both of those things in our hands. 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:07.440 We live with faith and doubt. 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:12.799 And we don't just have this idea that we have to be perfect and present ourselves perfect to God. 00:26:13.039 --> 00:26:23.519 A moment of faith, a move of faith for you right now, a turning of your heart towards Jesus would be God, I'm wrestling, I'm struggling, I'm divided, I need your wisdom. 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:26.319 I need your wisdom and I need faith right now. 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:28.079 God can be trusted. 00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:30.480 God is trustworthy with your heart. 00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:41.359 That might be the most revolutionary thing that Christians can do during this time of the virus is to simply be people who say, God can be trusted. 00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:44.640 Here's where I want to end. 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:51.279 Because when I say that, I still believe there's a lot of us that go, Well, how can I be sure about that? 00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:53.599 How can I be sure that God can be trusted? 00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:54.799 I want to say that. 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:59.759 I can make that move to tell God I'm not trusting him, but how can I trust God with my doubt? 00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:03.440 How can we be sure that God will give us wisdom? 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:08.319 There's this strange but comforting answer in the New Testament that I love. 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:10.000 One of my favorite passages. 00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:13.200 It's in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:20.160 And Paul is writing to this church in Corinth that is a messy church. 00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:27.759 Certainly doubters in this church, certainly divided hearts in this church, just like awakening. 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:31.119 You know, there's there's divided hearts among us right now. 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:35.599 And Paul uses the word wisdom in connection to the gospel. 00:27:35.839 --> 00:27:38.000 He says this in 1 Corinthians 1. 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:41.519 Where is the w one who is wise? 00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:43.200 Where is the scribe? 00:27:43.440 --> 00:27:45.519 Where's the debater of this age? 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:49.440 Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 00:27:49.759 --> 00:27:58.799 For since in the wisdom of God the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 00:27:59.119 --> 00:28:08.000 Jewish the Jews demand signs, Greeks seek wisdom, but we, Christians, preach Christ crucified. 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:19.039 A stumbling block to Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:25.599 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, the weakness of God is stronger than men. 00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:34.720 This passage reminds me that God does not give us wisdom as a principle, but wisdom as a person. 00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:50.880 The reason you and I can sit on sure ground today and know that you and I have wisdom from God is not because we will ask him and he'll fire out wisdom principles to us and we'll hear them and then enact them. 00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:52.160 He has done that in his word. 00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:54.079 We should live wisely in that. 00:28:54.319 --> 00:29:02.799 But actually, the security is not in the dictates of God being thrown down from heaven and us receiving tweetable phrases from God and being wise people. 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:03.359 No. 00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:08.640 The reason we are sure that God has given us wisdom is because God has given us Jesus. 00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:12.880 And Jesus in 1 Corinthians is called the wisdom of God. 00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:13.920 Isn't that cool? 00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:16.000 It's wisdom personified. 00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:22.160 Therefore, the reason you and I have wisdom is not because we filled our minds with Proverbs. 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:26.480 We are wise people because we filled our hearts with the presence of Christ. 00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:37.200 Jesus Christ, in relationship with us, through the power of his cross, through the work of his son Jesus, makes God knowable, makes God approachable. 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:46.640 Meaning when we are in chaos like we are right now, we have the presence of Christ in us to help us know what it is we gotta do. 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:49.599 We want information from God sometimes. 00:29:49.759 --> 00:29:52.319 We just want him, God, tell me what to do. 00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:55.279 And what God has done instead is far better. 00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:57.039 And it's better for you, it's better for me. 00:29:57.279 --> 00:30:02.799 God has not given us information to enact, he's given us a person to know. 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:08.240 And he's given us Jesus Christ, and he dwells in you if you confess his name. 00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:16.960 And this is where some of you might not be Christians today, and you may have never heard of Christianity, or this is your first time experiencing Christianity. 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:19.759 I want you to know that this is what Christianity is. 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:35.440 Christianity is not wise sayings, Christianity is not religious doctrine, Christianity is the reality of Jesus Christ alive in the hearts of all people, that who confess his name, receive him as Lord, and now live with this new guiding person in their life. 00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:48.720 Not a guiding principle, but a guiding person who sits above us, enthroned on high, who gives us everything we need for life and godliness and faith, leads us to righteousness and leads us to human flourishing. 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:56.799 And if you do not know Jesus, it's my invitation to you that during this time to make this simple prayer your reality. 00:30:57.119 --> 00:30:59.519 God, give me Jesus. 00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:06.559 Because when we say, God, give me Jesus, we confess that we need a Lord and a master. 00:31:06.720 --> 00:31:14.400 We rid ourselves of our pride and our sin, and we say, God, I can't live life on my own, and I need you. 00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:24.319 And by asking God, give me Jesus, strangely, mysteriously, powerfully, God will give you wisdom because he's given you Jesus. 00:31:24.559 --> 00:31:26.240 And so let me pray for us right now. 00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:32.559 I want you to just pause to reflect on this, to consider what God might have for you. 00:31:32.880 --> 00:31:42.000 Wherever you are, just maybe close your eyes and receive from Jesus the wisdom and power of God. 00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:52.400 Heavenly Father, we come to you and we ask for Jesus in our midst. 00:31:53.359 --> 00:31:59.920 We thank you for providing the cross for us, for providing Jesus for us. 00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:14.720 And Father, I pray if there's anyone listening and tuning in who does not know you, that right now, God, you would work in their hearts, and that they, God, would confess they need you, Jesus. 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:27.359 And Father, through this strange new world of digital church, that your spirit would enliven their heart, transform them by the power of your Holy Spirit, God. 00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:30.079 Work and will in their life. 00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:42.720 God, I pray for those of us that are a divided mind, a divided heart, that in the chaos of information overload, we are doing one-sided prayers, we're hesitantly obedient, obeying you, we're struggling. 00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:44.799 God, give us wisdom. 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:46.960 Give us Jesus. 00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:52.240 Give us the wisdom from you, God, that comes through the person of Jesus Christ. 00:32:52.400 --> 00:33:03.599 And may we be aware that you are with us now, guiding us, protecting us, helping us as we navigate very difficult, difficult times. 00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:06.000 We trust you now. 00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:13.440 Even in the midst of our doubts, we move our heart towards you with the step of saying, God, help. 00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:14.799 God, we need you. 00:33:14.960 --> 00:33:16.240 In Jesus' name. 00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:17.200 Amen.