1. LISTEN TO WISDOM’S INVITATION
Proverbs 8-9 & James 3:13-18
March 16, 2014
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
USA

2. MARCH MEMORY VERSE
John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.”

3. REFERENCES
• Knowing God by James I. Packer
• Seeking Wisdom-Finding Gold by Dr. David
Jeremiah
• Slaying The Giants In Your Life by Dr. David
Jeremiah

4. WISDOM LITERATURE
10th CENTURY B.C.
Egyptian Literature “Wisdom of Amenemope”
‐ Accumulation of human observations &
experiences
Hebrew Proverbs – All wisdom is seen flowing
from the true God
‐ Solomon was known throughout the world as
the wisest man
‐ Solomon’s wisdom was a gift from God

5. ANALYSIS OF A PROVERB
ACTION OBJECT OUTCOME
(If you………..then………….)
Example: The Benefits of Wisdom in Proverbs 3

6. ACTION OBJECT OUTCOME
Proverbs 3:1-2
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my
commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong
your life many years and bring you peace and
prosperity.
Action: Do not forget, keep
Object: Teaching, my commands
Outcome: Prolong life, peace & prosperity

7. ACTION OBJECT OUTCOME
Proverbs 3:3-4
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind
them around your neck, write them on the tablet of
your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good
name in the sight of God and man.
Action: Let ……..never leave you
Object: love and faithfulness (for God)
Outcome: favor, good name,

8. ACTION OBJECT OUTCOME
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not
on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways
submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Action: Trust, not lean on self, submit
Object: Lord, own understanding, ways
Outcome: straight paths

9. ACTION OBJECT OUTCOME
Proverbs 3:9-10
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first
fruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be
filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over
with new wine.
Action: Honor
Object: wealth, first fruits
Outcome: overflowing harvest

10. Contrasts in the Bible
• Good vs. Evil
• Right vs. Wrong
• Spirit vs. Flesh
• Heaven vs. World
• Light vs. Darkness
• Wisdom vs. Folly – Proverbs 9

11. PROVERBS 9
Invitations of Wisdom and Folly
• Front porch invitations to come and feast
• “Let all who are simple come in here.”
– Hebrew word for “simple” in Proverbs denotes
one without moral direction and inclined to evil
– Implies someone who is at a crossroads in life
– Must make a choice

12. Wisdom vs. Folly
• What is wisdom?
– “The right use of knowledge” – Spurgeon
– “Common sense in an uncommon degree”.
– “Wisdom is knowledge using its head.” Twain
• What is folly?
– A lack of good sense, understanding or foresight
– Stupidity
– Acts committed by a “fool”

13. WISDOM’S INVITATION
Proverbs 9:2-6
2 She (Wisdom) has prepared her meat and mixed
her wine; she has also set her table. 3 She has sent
out her servants, and she calls from the highest
point of the city, 4 “Let all who are simple come to
my house!” To those who lack judgment she says,
5 “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have
mixed. 6 Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of insight.”

14. WISDOM’S INVITATION
• Invitation is spiritual in nature
• Invitation is public, in broad daylight
– Sent out servants
• Promise is life that brings truth, noble things
and salvation

15. FOLLY’S INVITATION
Proverbs 9:13-18
13 Folly is an unruly (loud) woman; she is simple
(undisciplined) and knows nothing. 14 She sits at
the door of her house, on a seat at the highest
point of the city, 15 calling out to those who pass
by, who go straight on their way, 16 “Let all who
are simple come to my house!” To those who
have lack judgment she says,

16. FOLLY’S INVITATION
17 “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is
delicious! ” 18 But little do they know that the
dead are there, that her guests are deep in the
realm of the dead.
Proverbs 9:13-18

17. FOLLY’S INVITATION
• Invitation is sensual and sexual in nature
–“Stolen water is sweet”
• Invitation is to lure you into a life of gullibility
• This path leads to eternal death

18. OLD TESTAMENT APPLICATION OF
WISDOM
Proverbs 5:15
15 Drink water from your own cistern, running water
from your own well.
Proverbs 14:12
12 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end
it leads to death.
Proverbs 16:25
25 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end
it leads to death.

19. NEW TESTAMENT APPLICATION OF
WISDOM
• The Letter of James
– Written by the Brother of Jesus (James)
– Leader of the Jerusalem Church
– James appears regularly in early church history
(Acts)

20. DEALING WITH TRIALS OF LIFE
James 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,
whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith
produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish
its work so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything.
Look at next verse!!

21. DEALING WITH TRIALS OF LIFE
James 1:5
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who
gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be
given to you.
How do you get wisdom?
Ask God.
God will give you His wisdom to deal with the trials of life.

22. ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
• INCOMMUNICABLE –Characteristics of God
alone; man cannot share in any of these
– Independence: self-existence, self-sufficiency
– Immutability: entire freedom from change
– Infinity: freedom from all limits of time and space
– Simplicity: No elements that can conflict

23. ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
• COMMUNICABLE – Attributes of God that are shared
with man
Genesis 1:26 KJV
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness:
‒ Knowledge
‒ Mercy
‒ Love
‒ Wisdom

24. HOW CAN WE GET WISDOM?
1. Prayer –
James 1:5
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,
1. Learn to “reverence” God –
Proverbs 9:10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
1. Learn to “receive” God’s Word –
Psalms 119:98
98 Your commands are always with me and make
me wiser than my enemies.

25. EFFECT OF GOD’S WISDOM ON MAN
• God’s Wisdom Does Not:
– Provide divine insights on meanings about all
things in our life
– Answer all the WHY’S of life
• God’s wisdom Does:
– Provide direction, appropriate actions & reactions
– Example: Learning to drive a car

26. TWO KINDS OF WISDOM
1. The Wisdom of the World
– Folly in Proverbs
2. The Wisdom from Above

27. WHO IS WISE AMONG YOU?
James 3:13
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let
them show it by their good life, by deeds done in
the humility that comes from wisdom.
Good life of deeds: Our actions show wisdom
Deeds done in humility: Marked by meekness,
modesty; not prideful or arrogant
Humility that comes from wisdom:

28. “HUMILITY COMES FROM WISDOM”
Proverbs 11:2
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with
humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 15:33
33 Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD, and humility
comes before honor.
Proverbs 22:4
4 Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and
honor and life.

29. “HUMILITY COMES FROM WISDOM”
James 3:13
Matthew 23:12
12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Philippians 2:3-4
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
4 not looking to your own interests but each of you
to the interests of the others.

30. WISDOM OF THE WORLD
James 3:14-16
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition
in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the
truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from
heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For
where you have envy and selfish ambition, there
you find disorder and every evil practice.
• Characteristics of World’s Wisdom:
– Bitter envy & Selfish ambition

31. “If you harbor bitter envy…”
James 3:14
• Envy – a feeling of discontent and resentment
aroused by the desire for the possession or
qualities of another.
• Envy is a combination of covetousness and
hatred for the person who has what you want
• Envy – you are willing to seek to injure the
person you believe is standing in your way:
‒ “That should be mine! They have no right to it.”

32. Envy Quotes
• Envy is the art of counting the other fellow’s
blessings instead of your own. H. Coffin
• Envy shoots at others and wounds itself.
• As iron is eaten away by rust, so the envious
are consumed by their own passion.

33. WISDOM OF THE WORLD
“If you harbor…selfish ambition”
• Selfish Ambition
– Concern only for self.
– Willing to do anything to get ahead.
– Prideful…”If it is to be, it is up to me.”
– Sense of entitlement – “I deserve it.”
– Sees others as competition or object to use to
their advantage.

34. Boasting and Bragging
James 3:14
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish
ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or
deny the truth.
- Bragging and lying are companions of envy
and selfish ambition

35. WISDOM OF THE WORLD
James 3:15-16
15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from
heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For
where you have envy and selfish ambition, there
you find disorder and every evil practice.
- The wisdom of the world is from Satan
- Satan is the author of confusion and disorder
- Evil practice: lying, cheating, stealing, gossip

36. NOW, A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!

37. WISDOM FROM ABOVE
James 3:17-18
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is
first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate,
submissive, full of mercy and good fruit,
impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow
in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

38. CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAVENLY
WISDOM
1. PURE – Based upon God’s attribute of holiness
Psalms 19:8b
8b The commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes
- With God’s wisdom there are no ulterior
motives or secret desires
- The wisdom of God is absolutely pure

39. CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAVENLY
WISDOM
2. PEACEABLE – True peace is an outgrowth of purity
Isaiah 57:20-21
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire and mud.
21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Philippians 4:7
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

40. CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAVENLY
WISDOM
3. GENTLE – considerate, sweet reasonableness
2 Timothy 2:24
24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but
must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
James 1:19-20
19 Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and
slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not
produce the righteousness that God desires.

41. CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAVENLY
WISDOM
4. SUBMISSIVE – Willing to yield, willing to
listen to reason
Ephesians 5:21
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for
Christ.

42. CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAVENLY
WISDOM
5. FULL OF MERCY AND GOOD FRUITS – Our
wisdom is demonstrated by our behavior
James 3:13
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let
them show it by their good life, by deeds done in
the humility that comes from wisdom.
James 2:20
20 Faith without works is dead.

43. CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAVENLY
WISDOM
6. IMPARTIAL – not judgmental; sees everyone
as God’s creation
James 2:8-9
8 If you really keep the royal law found in
Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you
are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you
sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

44. CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAVENLY
WISDOM
7. SINCERE – without hypocrisy; real
Romans 12:9
9 Love must be sincere.

45. CONSEQUENCE OF HEAVENLY
WISDOM
James 3:18 NIV2011
18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest
of righteousness.
• Using heavenly wisdom brings peace and
multiplied righteousness to every situation.
- PRAY FOR GOD TO GIVE YOU WISDOM