Wisdom

Last Monday, we studied about "Wisdom," focusing on the types of wisdom.  We saw that there is the worldly wisdom and the heavenly wisdom, and that must seek the heavenly wisdom that comes from God.

Below are the notes from our discussion.

April 16, 2012

Wisdom

Opening Question: What is something you did without knowing everything about it or without having all the information, only to find out that you did something wrong?  How did you correct it later on?

Wisdom, knowledge, understanding are all important things in our lives.  We cannot function well and cannot do much without a proper understanding of the basics of life.  Without knowledge it is difficult to live a good Christian life.  And without wisdom we can make mistakes that may have a tremendous impact on our physical and spiritual lives.

As you may have guessed, today we are going to talk about wisdom, from the Biblical point of view.  But before we go to the Bible, what is the definition of wisdom?  How do we understand that?

Wisdom means to have the experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.  It also means the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of such experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

In sum, it is not just having the information, the knowledge, but also to use that knowledge in the right way.

What does the Bible say about wisdom?

In James 3:13-18, we read: 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. 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.

 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.

In verse 13, we read the good advice of showing your wisdom and understanding in your life, with humility, a humble spirit, not arrogant and boasting. 

James continues to explain that there are two kinds of wisdom: the worldly wisdom or “wisdom”—verses 14-16—and the godly wisdom or the wisdom that comes from heaven—verses 17-18.

What is worldly wisdom?

James defines it as “bitter envy and selfish ambition,” “earthly,” “unspiritual,” “demonic.”  It brings with it “disorder” and “every evil practice.”

Where does the worldly wisdom come from?  How can it affect us?  What happens when we follow worldly wisdom?

Worldly wisdom is evil, but also inaccurate.  There are many examples over the history that something which was considered for a very long time as true and wise turned out to be wrong and foolish (e.x. Pasteur)

James contrasts the worldly wisdom to godly wisdom.  In verses 17-18, he says that godly wisdom or the wisdom that comes from heaven is “pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

Where does the godly wisdom come from?  How can it affect us?  What happens when we follow godly wisdom?

Godly wisdom is found, of course, in the Bible.  By following the commandments of God rather than those of men, we can gain the true godly wisdom.

Romans 12:10 says:  10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

This verse and many more in the Bible indicate that godly wisdom, the type of wisdom we should all have, is not an abstract, philosophical concept, but something we should all show in our lives.  We cannot pretend to be wise, but not show it in our lives.  In the same way that we cannot advocate to people to save money, while we are living lavishly in our own lives.

In 1 Corinthians 1:17-19, we read: 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.  18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
 the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

The Bible is not written by men, so worldly wisdom cannot be reconciled to what God expects from us, Christians.  Worldly wisdom cannot explain or accept many things in the word of God.  But we know that is the truth, giving to us by the wisdom of God.

Our last verse comes from Proverbs 9:10, which sums up how we can begin to gain this godly wisdom.  This verse says: 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Fear, meaning reverence and respect for God is the beginning of wisdom.  If we understand what God wants from us, we can gain His wisdom and show it clearly in our lives.

Conclusions

There is both worldly wisdom and godly wisdom, and we can chose which one we are going to follow.  God wants us to seek and find His wisdom, which will lead us to act in the way that is acceptable to God.  In our next lesson, we are going to explore some of the ways in which we can find this godly wisdom.

 

Worshiping God - Part VI

On April 2, we concluded our series on "Worshiping God" with a quick discussion of the elements that constitute our worship service in the congregation on Sunday, the first day of the Week.  We talked about prayer, singing, a sermon or a Bible class, the giving or the contribution, and the Lord's Supper.  We also focused on our attitude and our behavior as we worship God through these acts of service commanded by Him.

Enjoy the notes from our discussion.

April 2, 2012

Worshiping God – Part VI

Opening Question: Have you ever begun something, a project, a book, a movie, but you never finished it?  Why?  How did you feel when you left it incomplete?

We may have left a movie or book unfinished because we found it to be boring, disappointing or simply not what we were expecting it to be.  Perhaps we were thankful we saved our self a few hours of our time and the feeling of distress at the end.

Today, we are going to complete our series of worshiping God.  We have focused mostly on worshiping God in a formal setting, when we meet with our brothers and sisters on Sunday.  However, it is important to remember that we worship God every single day or our lives, with our actions and with our bodies, hearts and minds.

Many of us have been in a worship service on a Sunday morning and we know what goes on.  However, it is important to discuss these acts of worship in brief and to talk about the reasons why we do them.

1.         Prayer

James 5:13-16 has a good lesson about prayer:  13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

During the worship service, prayers are offered for the people in need, for the sick, thanksgiving from the people realizing God’s help in their lives, prayers for wisdom and guidance in the lives of the congregation.

We have discussed in previous lessons in detail the need for us to pray to God continually.  The prayer is the way we communicate, we talk to our God, the way we express our needs, problems, thanksgivings to Him, the way we keep in touch with Him.

2.         Singing

The Bible encourages us to sing and to make music from our heart to God.  In Ephesians 5:19, we read: speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. 

In Colossians 3:16, we read: Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Our singing comes from our heart and goes up to God.  We are asked to use only our voices and no instrumental music in our worship singing to God.  We sing to please God, not each other or some people in the congregation.  Still, singing to God encourages us, as we remember through the words of the songs what God has done for us and how much our salvation should be important to us.

3.         A Sermon or a Bible Class

Another element of the worship service is the teaching of the Bible, either in a sermon setting or as a Bible class.  We know that Jesus spent a lot of time during this ministry on earth teaching people about God and his plan of salvation.  Since in the early days of the church, the Christians gathered together to study the word of God and to learn from it.

In Acts 2:42, we read: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

It is important to teach or lead the study or the sermon focusing on the Bible.  Examples from other books or stories can be used to illustrate a point, but the main focus of the lesson, the sermon or the class should be from the Bible.  The lessons should be crafted in such a way that the people in the congregation, both members and visitors can understand them and can be encouraged by them.

4.         The Giving

This may also be called the collection or the contribution.  According to 1 Corinthians 16:1-4: 1 Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

The money that is given allows for the church to do its work, pays for the rent or the mortgage of the building, for the preacher, for any mission work the church sponsors, for Bibles and other materials used in classes, etc.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 explains this process further: 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

We give because we want to give back to God a portion of what He has blessed us with.  We do not give because we are forced to or because we are feeling bad if we do not do that.

5.         The Lord’s Supper

This is an act of worship instituted by Jesus himself.  In Mathew 26:26-29, Jesus said: 26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

The early church partook of the Lords Supper every Sunday.  In Acts 20:7, we read: On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

Christians take the Lord supper to remember Jesus and His sacrifice.

Conclusions

In our formal worship, we pray, sing, study the Bible and/or listen to a sermon, give our contribution to the work of the church and partake of the Lord’s Supper.  We do these acts of worship for God and to God, but we also enjoy encouragement and other benefits from worshiping God in the way he requires from us, in spirit and in truth.

 

Worshiping God - Part V

On March 26, we studied the fifth lesson in our series about "Worshiping God."  We talked about the importance of attending the worship service regularly and not only when we have nothing better to do or whenever we believe it is necessary.  We also discussed the notion of coming back to God if one has gone astray.  The arms of God and always wide open, and He always welcomes everyone who comes back to Him.

Enjoy the notes from our discussion.

March 26, 2012

Worshiping God – Part V

Opening Question: Have you ever watched a movie or a TV show when you have missed a previous part or an episode?  Did you find it difficult to watch?  Did you wonder about some things?

It may be difficult to follow the storyline of a show if you have missed an episode or more episodes.  Some things may not make sense or you find yourself wondering about this or that characters.

Today, we are going to talk about the importance of attending the worship service regularly and coming back to God.

1.         The Importance of Attending Worship Service Regularly

What happens if we do not attend regularly the worship services?

If we miss one of our classes, we may find it difficult to understand the next lessons.  If we are trying to run a marathon and we are exercising and we miss a day or a few days, we might find it difficult to get back into the habit of training.

The same can and does happen when it comes to worshiping God.  God expects us to meet Him regularly, which means, every week, every first day of the week, which is every Sunday.  It may difficult for us to get into the habit of doing this every single week, but this is something that God expects from us.

We are used to regularity in our lives.  Our teachers expect us to be in class on certain days and certain hours.  So do our bosses.  Our family members also expect some regularity.  Our parents expect us to phone (or send them letters or e-mail) them within certain intervals.

What happens if we stop going to church?

To understand this, let us talk about what happens when we go to church.  We meet God, we worship Him, we sing to Him, learn about Him, fellowship and become friends with our brothers and sisters, encourage them and receive encouragement from them, enjoy spiritual food, which is the Word of God, the Bible.  If we stop going to church and not attend regularly, all these things are not going to happen.

In the Bible, we are warned not to stop worshiping God with the other Christians.  In Hebrews 10:25-27, we read: 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

These are some strong word, and except when we are sick on circumstanced beyond our control, we should make every effort to be at church each and every Sunday.  God is asking us to do that and it is not much.  We are required to give Him specifically four hours of our entire week.  We should definitely give Him more, but these four hours are specifically put in place for us to be with our brothers and sisters and to worship God at a specified location.

It may start slowly that you stop going to church.  Perhaps you missed only once or twice a year and then you find out that you enjoyed sleeping in that Sunday that you missed or enjoyed that money you made by working that time or the amount of schoolwork you did when not going to church.  Once you start missing many times, you may find it difficult to go back and reverse the tide.  Thus, it is important not to miss any time and to constantly be reminded of all the benefits that come by attending the worship service.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:20: For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  This means that we should look forward to worshiping God on Sunday, because we are meeting with Jesus.  If we remember all the great things He has done for us, it is no wonder that we will feel only eagerness to be with Jesus and with God every single Sunday.

2.         Coming Back to God

It may happen that we wander from God, because we did not know what were the right things to do or even when we do, because we are sinners and imperfect.  Sometimes we know the right things to do, but we do not do them.  Still, God loves us and we can always come back to Him. 

John 3:16 tells us that: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  God gave Jesus, His son, to save the world and everyone in the world is important to him.  In 2 Peter 3:9 we read that: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

With many things in life there is a point of no return.  We grow old, so we cannot play a child game any longer without attracting curious glances from people walking by.  We cannot attend university at all times, because there is a time and a place when our brains absorb knowledge easily and readily.  However, we can come back to God at any time.  Of course, it is much better never to leave God, but if we do, we have the assurance that we can always come back to Him.

The parable of the lost son illustrates this thought very well.  In Luke 15:11-24, Jesus tells this story.  The verse we are going to read today is verse 20: So he got up and went to his father.   “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  Of course, the Father in this story is God, who is always willing to welcome back His sons and His daughters.

In the same way that falling out of worshiping God and leaving His way starts small and take some time before it becomes a big problem, coming back to God is also a process that takes some time.  However, like anything else, in order to be completed it has to start and anytime is the right time to start coming back to God.

In James 5:19-20, we read that: 19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.  It is our responsibility to help our brothers and sisters, to do everything we can to encourage them to come back, to study with them, to explain the importance of their souls and how much God loves them and what they are missing by not attending church and not worshiping God.

Conclusions

It is extremely important to worship God regularly and to always be present in the worship Service as long as we are able to do that.  If we have begun to go astray, go away from our walk with God, we can always make the right decision and come back to God.  He is always willing to except us with arms wide open.