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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
March 15, 2020
Godly Wisdom in a Time of Medical Threat
James 3:13-16
Introduction
I appreciate that Pastor Zieger was able to come out of retirement for a day to preach in my stead last week. His heart is set on the gospel of Jesus Christ, so John 1 was a good passage for him to preach from. I trust you were blessed as he explained the identity, origin, majesty and purpose of Jesus Christ from that passage. Our Savior, the second person of the triune Godhead, creator of all things, set aside the glories of heaven to become a man and pay the price of our sin to redeem us and offer forgiveness and eternal life to all who will turn from their sin and self-righteousness to believe in Him. Or as John 1:12-13 promises, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” That is the reason we gather together to worship Him and learn more about Him and how He wants us to live.
I had a great time at the Shepherd’s Conference last week. I am very glad that Ed Mendoza and Sam Ramac were also able to come and I was able to meet their friend, Jimmy. You can talk to them why this conference is such an encouragement to all men who desire to serve the Lord and not just the pastors, missionaries and Bible educators that attend. My son, Jonathan, was also able to attend at the graciousness of Phil Johnson of Grace to You who extend that same graciousness to me. We were greatly blessed, and we trust we were a blessing to the many men we were able to talk with during our three days there.
As both a father and a pastor, I could not be more proud of Jonathan and how the Lord has been using him this past couple of years through his media postings. He constantly had people recognizing him and wanting to talk with him, and though The Master’s Seminary is my alma mater and Grace Community Church is where I was a member and served for about 5 years, Jonathan was the one introducing me people, so now it is official: I am known as Jonathan’s dad in those circles, and more locally, I am either David’s dad or Jimmy’s dad depending on the circle of friends. The only things that give me greater pride and joy than that is that I am Diane’s husband, and most important of all, I am the slave of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I did not expect to arrive back in New York to find that panic has replaced sanity, but that is perhaps the blessing of being out of the news loop for a week. As the week progressed, the panic has only gotten worse. And as a very pragmatic request related to that panic, if you have any extra rolls of toilet paper you can spare, perhaps we can collect some in the back of the church for those that have run out since you cannot buy it anymore locally because all the stores are out of stock. I have already put a box in the foyer with a few rolls in it for those who may be desperate. But please only take one roll if you need it so there is some for others that might need it. We don’t need to fall into sin by hoarding. I haven’t the slightest idea how TP is related to prevention of getting the current edition of Corona virus, but such is what happens when people are in a panic and lose discernment.
This morning I will be talking about discernment, which is a function of wisdom, and its application to the current medical and governmental crises. We would do well to make sure we understand the basis for the current crises so that we are making wise decisions instead of foolish ones.
Discernment, Knowledge & Wisdom
In my last sermon I pointed out that discernment and the corresponding Hebrew and Greek words refer to the ability to distinguish between things as being separate or distinct from one other. (See: Developing Discernment) After the events of the past week, all of us certainly see the need for discernment. We all understand that we must distinguish between panic and foolhardy bravado. The current Corona virus is not pneumonic plague but neither is it benign. You must weigh the risk factors, as you would with any serious infectious disease that is circulating in society, and then make decisions about what to do. Such decisions require both knowledge and wisdom. You must have knowledge about the actual facts instead of media or political hype, and wisdom to apply that knowledge appropriately to make the best decisions.
In terms of this particular virus, officially it Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2, and it causes coronavirus disease 2019 also known as COVID-19. Human coronaviruses cause the common cold, but this one is more virulent, and according to the Mayo Clinic can cause a fever, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing starting within 2 to 12 days with an average of 5 days. The illness “is generally mild, especially for children and young adults. Older people and people with certain underlying health conditions like heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, for example, seem to be at greater risk of serious illness.”
The seasonal flu has been much more deadly so far this year, with estimates as of March 11 that more than 34 million have had the flu this season with 350,000 – 620,000 hospitalized for it, and 20-50,000 dying from it. Part of the reason for that is people often do not take the proper precautions to avoid getting the flu. Covid-19 has not caused as many deaths, but has the potential of being serious with death rates ranging from twice as high to less than the flu depending on the area.
The same precautions for avoiding and containing the flu apply to SARS-CoV-2. Wash your hands (regular soap works fine), use hand sanitizer, cover your cough, wash your hands, avoid those who have a cough or fever, isolate yourself if you develop any of the symptoms as you should whenever you are sick, wash your hands. Gloves can be helpful if used correctly, but most people treat them like the disease is absorbed through the hands. It is not. Hands, gloved or not, transfer the virus to the mouth, nose and eyes. A mask can be helpful in covering a cough and therefore limiting virus spread, but often is not used correctly to prevent being infected. Be thoughtful of others to not spread any sickness. The quarantines, which seem to be a big cause of the panics, are just part of trying to contain the spread, and can be reasonable if applied judiciously. Did I mention, wash your hands?
Those are the facts. That is knowledge. But what do you do with such knowledge? That requires wisdom which is the ability to relate the facts of knowledge to one another and then make reasonable decisions. The problem is that there are two kinds of wisdom. Turn to James 3:13-18.
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Wisdom of the World – James 3:14-16
James 3:14-16 describes the wisdom of the world and it is not pretty. The source of it is the reason for its characteristics. Its source is earthly, natural and demonic. It is characterized by jealousy and selfishness ambition which leads to disorder and every evil thing.
Earthly, ejpivgeioV / epigeios, refers that which pertains to human, earthly activity, and in this passage is put in direct contrast to the wisdom that comes from above. This is human wisdom from below. It is wisdom that people produce, and while such wisdom can show great intelligence to produce many marvelous things such as the incredibly technological world in which we live, it is still limited because man is finite and therefore limited. And worse, man is corrupted by sin so that he does not think as he should.
Earthly wisdom can calculate out all sorts of math problems, figure out the laws of physics, investigate the workings of the human body to come up with all sorts of procedures to battle disease and injury, figure out chemical structures and interactions to produce everything from cleaning solutions to bonding agents and from biocides which kill things to medicines which heal things. Yet man is still limited in all these things. There are still math problems that remain puzzles and physics dilemmas that have become more philosophy than science. My clothes are ruined because I can’t find something to get out the stain. I glue it together, but the glue deteriorates and it breaks apart. Insects and diseases develop resistance to killing agents so new ones have to be developed. Medicines help, but the side effect could be worse – have you listened to or looked at the warnings when medicines are advertised? How wonderful, that acne medicine could make your skin look better, or it could cause skin rash, burning, blistering, crusting, itching, make you dizzy, upset your stomach, give you blood clots, high blood pressure or result in severe birth defects.
Natural, yucikovV / psuchikos, is worse because it refers to natural human nature, which Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 2:14 to describe man in his unregenerate state who does not accept the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness to him. This refers to man’s sinful nature. Such natural wisdom corrupted by sin calculates intricate math problems yet denies that mathematical probability makes the spontaneous generation of life demanded by evolution impossible. Man figures out the laws of physics, then denies they apply to the origin of the universe and instead creates fantasy physics of their imaginations. Man investigates the workings of the human body and is now able to determines the genetic makeup of a baby in the womb, but then uses that information to determine if the child should live or not according to the desires of the parents. Man creates all sorts of chemical compounds that could be useful, but then uses them for evil purposes such as abortion or euthanasia. Natural wisdom can be thoroughly evil.
Demonic is self explanatory in that it refers to wisdom that has a supernatural source in fallen angels – demons. Certainly this includes the occult, false religions and cults, but what most people fail to realize is that demonic wisdom can give the appearance of being good since Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). A good example of this is the socialism being promoted so heavily as the solution for the problems of our nation and the world. It sounds so good on the surface that everyone will be equal and cared for, except it is a lie. The suffering and poverty increase as freedom of conscience and action is squashed and the political elite and those connected to them flourish. The proposals by both Bernie and Biden are dangerous to the well being of the nation and especially so to Christians who will be persecuted for our moral beliefs and practices.
Wisdom that has its origin in what is earthly, natural or demonic will be recognized by what it produces. James mentions jealousy and selfish ambition twice in this passage. He links them with arrogance and lying the first time and with disorder and every evil thing the second time. I don’t think it is hard to see the connection between all of these.
Jealousy (zh:loV / zēlos) in this context is zeal for personal advancement or a strong resentment of others who have something desired, envy. This is joined with selfish ambition (ejriqeiva / eritheia) which is a rivalry of trying to make oneself look bigger or working for selfish interests. It has a sense of baseness in thinking only about immediate gain.
Arrogance (katakaucavomai / katakauxaumai) is boasting about something by downgrading others. It is a comparative superiority of finding something by which you can claim you are better than someone else. Lying is expressing falsehoods, and remember a lie does not have to be blatant or a complete falsehood, for a half truth is still a full lie.
Disorder here (ajkatastasiva / akatastasia) refers to unrest, revolt, insurrection and political turmoil. “Every evil thing” here (pa:n fau:lon pra:gmaa / pan phaulon pragma) refers to all the things that happen that are evil, vile, morally base.
Putting all of these together you have a picture of people who in following wisdom that is human, sensual or demonic become proud and selfish, take liberties with truth resulting in contention and turmoil. Consider how so much of the reactions we have seen to the corona virus reflects these characteristics.
We can begin with why has their been such a strong government and media reaction? Aside from the conspiracy and political ideas that have been knocked around, perhaps with some justification, and the media pressure to be the most sensational to create the greatest audience and so be lose with the truth, there is the underlying reality that people who do not have self control have to be controlled by an outside force. Certainly there is the problem of people spreading a disease unknowingly, especially since some diseases are contagious before there may be symptoms, and I have not yet seen anything definitive about whether that is true or not with this particular virus. However, how often have you been out in public whether work, school, shopping or even at church, and someone comes in who is obviously sick. They are coughing, sneezing, runny nose, watery red eyes and perhaps even flushed from a fever. Yes, I understand the rational for not wanting to lose a day of work, miss a class, needing something at the store or even just wanting to be with friends at church, because I have done it and I dare say most of you have done it too. In reality, isn’t that kind of reasoning a human and natural wisdom being expressed in selfishness?
Most employers provide for sick time? Why then try to save that for an extra vacation day or getting extra pay at the end of the year? Selfishness. Missing a class can put you a little behind, so why not develop a friend in class early in the semester so that you can share notes with each other or record the class if either is sick? Why remain isolated in class? You need something from the store? First, is it really a necessity or just something you want? Second, do you not have any friends that can run the errand for you so that you do not infect the general population? Do you refrain from asking such a favor because you do not want to inconvenience them or because you would not want to feel obligated or perhaps be inconvenienced yourself if they needed the favor? Is that not actually selfish too? And if you truly do not like to bother people because you rather be on the giving end, why not let others have the joy of helping you out? And it is wonderful to have friends you like to share things with, but perhaps they would be better off if you kept your disease to yourself. Why not call, text, email, social media, or any of many other ways to communicate with your friends without putting them at risk.
My point in this is simple. While the government actions in quarantines, suspensions of schools, canceling public events and limiting public gatherings and such may be extreme and caused by their own fears based on wisdom from below, I am not sure what else they can do if people will not be considerate of others and restrict themselves when they are sick.
The fear of being quarantined has caused a run on all sorts of things beyond what would be needed to keep the virus from spreading such as soaps, disinfectants, hand cleaners and such. Fear of not being able to leave your home for 14 days has caused people to hoard much more than they would need which leaves others that do have need at the present without resources. Reports of people getting angry, arguing, fighting and stealing over limited supplies are all signs of earthly wisdom. Political dysfunction is another sign of it as government officials blame each other for the spread of the virus or try to show how much more concerned and protective they are than others as they issue more and greater draconian decrees. Those things and stuffing pork into emergency bills only make us more cynical of government – ($1 Billion proposed for abortion in the virus relief bill).
Again, what are the facts? SARS-CoV-2 is a serious concern, but it is not pneumonic plague. The reactions people have to it reveal their source of wisdom. This kind of fear and panic is from below, not above. What then are the characteristics of wisdom from above and how does that kind of wisdom direct us to think, feel and behave?
Wisdom from Above – James 3:13, 17-18
According to Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10, both knowledge and wisdom begin with the fear of the Lord. Discernment, which is based in knowledge and wisdom, begins with understanding that God created everything, including you, and He will hold you accountable for what you do in life. According to Proverbs 14:27, that warning brings blessing, “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.” Proverbs 16:6 adds, “By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.” Proverbs 8:13 explains that “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil,” and then continues on to explain that wisdom “hates pride, arrogance, the evil way and the perverted mouth.”
Biblical discernment is being able to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, what comes from God and what does not. It is this discernment that marks what James refers to as “the wisdom from above.”
Notice the contrasting characteristics in James 3:13, 17-18 of the wisdom from above to the wisdom from below. The question at the beginning of verse 13 points to the fact that being wise and having understanding is going to be demonstrated in how a person lives. In other words, since wisdom is the practical application of knowledge, then wisdom will be revealed in the actions taken by that person. James marks the first characteristics of this wisdom as good behavior or conduct demonstrated in good deeds and expressed in the gentleness of wisdom. What does he mean by that?
There are many different references in the New Testament that connect behavior with internal character. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus explained to His followers that they were the light to the world so they were to let their “light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” A few chapters later, Matthew 7:15-27, Jesus explained that true and false prophet would be known by the fruit that they bore. Good trees bear good fruit while bad trees bear bad fruit. The righteous hear Jesus’ words and follow Him. The unrighteous may hear Jesus’ words, but they do not follow them even when claiming to do ministry in His name. Paul points out in Ephesians 2:8-10 not only the means of salvation but one of its purposes: 8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” James 2:14-26 states that good works are the evidence of true faith for “faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself” (vs. 17). It is in this same vein that James points out in 3:13 that wisdom and good conduct in deeds are tied together and exhibited in gentleness. That is quite a contrast to the behavior stimulated by the wisdom from below in verses 14-16.
James gives further description of the characteristics of the wisdom from above in order of importance in verses 17-18. These are as follows.
Pure, aJgnovV / hagnos, refers to that which is without moral defect or blemish and hence pure. It is related to the term for holiness and had been used to signify ceremonial purity, chaste, and then ethically and internally blameless. It is a contrast to the self-seeking of human, earthly and demonic wisdom.
Peaceable, eijphnikovV / eipēnikos, refers to freedom from anxiety and inner turmoil. It is a person who is peaceful or ready for peace. It is a direct contrast to the disorder and turmoil of the wisdom from below.
Gentle, ejpieilhvV / epieilēs, refers to being gracious and forbearing. Titus 3:2 describes this as someone who does not speak evil of others, is not quarrelsome, but patiently holds back instead.
Reasonable, eujpavredroV / euparedros, has a root meaning of being constantly attendant, and here refers to being “open to reason, willing to listen.” Godly wisdom is not a pushover, but because it is pure, peaceable and gentle, it will listen to reason to be persuaded.
Full of Mercy, mesth; ejlevouV / mestē eleous, abundant in showing kindness and compassion to those in need.
Full of Good Fruits, mesth;. . . karpw:n aJgaqw:n . / mestē . . . karpōn hagathōn, abundant in the natural results of positive moral qualities, deeds of righteousness.
Unwavering, ajdiavkritoV / adiakritos, is also translated as impartial and without prejudice, but in this passage probably has more of the sense of being without doubts since godly wisdom is pure and true and it is joined with the next word.
Without Hypocrisy, ajnupovkritoV / anupokritos, means to be “genuine and sincere, and hence lacking in pretense or show.”
James 3:18 concludes this description of the wisdom from above, “and the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” Godly wisdom may start small, like a seed, but it will grow to bear the products of righteousness. That seed is sown in peace to others by those who make peace. Those with godly wisdom are people of peace who desire others to have their sense of well being and security because of their trust in the Lord.
Putting all of this together, godly wisdom changes the internal nature of the person which then is expressed in the manner of life. Because the godly trust God for salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they also trust Him for His goodness in life. They are changed internally to be people who are pure, peaceful, gentle, reasonable, merciful, steadfast, and genuine. This is expressed in good deeds, the fruit of righteousness to others.
Godly wisdom examines the same facts about the current threat of corona virus, or any other disease, and responds differently than those who follow the earthly, natural and demonic wisdom from below. We are not fearful for the Lord’s perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18), knowing that our lives are in His hands, and that even if we get sick and die, we will be with our Savior. At the same time we have no bravado for we recognize the real dangers to ourselves and others and strive to take the appropriate precautions. While seeking to avoid getting sick ourselves, we have a greater concern for not spreading disease if we are sick. We have wisdom to see through the media hype and politics of government over-reaction so that we remain reasonable and calm while those around us become controlled by fear and panic. Godly wisdom gives godly discernment.
Godly wisdom also directs us to be more concerned about others than ourselves even as commanded in Philippians 2:3-4, so we reach out in mercy to others to help. We remain committed to demonstrating the fruit of righteousness in our lives. We are not caught up in panic buying or become selfish in hoarding. We do the opposite. We calmly purchase what we need and share what we have with others in need even as we are told in Ephesians 4:28 is a purpose of working. We will not abandoned those who get sick either. We will use appropriate precautions, but we will be there to minister and take care of those in need. That has always been the response of the godly in a crises. While others flee, we enter in.
What does this mean in practical terms? 1) We trust God, so we remain calm and reasonable even as those around us panic. 2) Godly wisdom gives us discernment, so we take proper cautions to avoid becoming infected ourselves, and even greater precautions to make sure we do not infect others if we get sick. 3) We obey God’s commands to love others, so we will share what we have with those in need, and help those who do get sick even at risk to ourselves.
We are a church family, and family helps one another. Our Women’s Servant Council, our Deaconesses, are contacting the elderly to make sure they are okay and find out if they need anything. If you are in need, please contact one of our Women’s Servant Council members, a Deacon or me, and we will see what we can do. Some of you who are at risk should not go out in public, so we can help with that. If you do get sick, we can also help and bring what is needed to your doorstep.
We are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s make sure that each of us exercises the godly wisdom that is from above and not the earthy, natural demonic wisdom that is from below. Let’s make sure we demonstrate what it means to love one another as Christ has loved us and use this opportunity to show the difference Jesus Christ has made in our lives.
Sermon Notes – March 15, 2020
Godly Wisdom in a Medical Threat – James 3:13-16
Introduction
Jesus, Son of God, Creator of all things, became a man to _________sinners & grant eternal life to believers
Discernment, Knowledge & Wisdom
Discernment is the ability to distinguish between things as being separate or __________ from one other
We must ________between panic & bravado – This virus is not pneumonic plague, but it is not benign either
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (_____________), causes coronavirus disease 2019
__________ causes a fever, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing in 2-12 days, avg. 5.1 days
Generally mild in the young & healthy, but can be serious or __________ in the unhealthy and elderly
COVID-19 has not been as bad as the flu, but it has the potential of being ____________
Precautions: _________, sanitizers, spacial separation, isolation, proper use of gloves or mask – wash hands
Knowledge requires wisdom to apply, but James 3:13-18 recognizes _________ kinds of wisdom
Wisdom of the World
– James 3:14-16
The source of worldly wisdom is the reason for its __________________ and actions
Earthly, ejpivgeioV / epigeios, refers that which pertains to ___________, earthly activity
Earthly wisdom can figure out all sorts of things, but because man’s knowledge is ______, so is his wisdom
Natural, yucikovV / psuchikos, refers to man’s human ___________ which is corrupted by sin
Natural wisdom has a bent to be blind to unwanted truth, pursue selfish goals, and can be thoroughly ______
Demonic wisdom arises from fallen angels, demons. It includes the __________, false religions & cults
Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), so this include evil disguised as _____- socialism
Wisdom from below will be recognized by what it __________
Jealousy, zh:loV / zēlos, in this context, zeal for personal advancement & resentment of others, _________
Selfish ambition, ejriqeiva / eritheia, _____, trying to make oneself look bigger; working for selfish interests
Arrogance, katakaucavomai / katakauxaumai, is ___________about something by downgrading others
Disorder, ajkatastasiva / akatastasia, here refers to unrest, revolt, insurrection and ___________________
“Every evil thing” here to all the things that happen that are evil, vile, ___________________
Governmental polices often follow a political bent, and media seeks to sensationalize & are _____with truth
There is an underlying reality that a society that is not self controlled must be ______________ controlled
People can spread a disease unknowingly, but _______people too often go out in public and spread disease
Personal interests (wisdom from below) lead us to be ______instead of thinking about the interests of others
Even if government actions are extreme, it is based on people not being _____________ of others
The fear of quarantine has resulted in _________buying and hoarding & worse – sinful wisdom from below
Wisdom from below is seen in political _____________ in draconian decrees and blaming each other
SARS-CoV-2 is a serious concern, but it is not pneumonic plague. __________reveal the source of wisdom
Wisdom from Above
– James 3:13, 17-18
Both knowledge and wisdom begin with the _________of the Lord – Proverbs 1:7; 9:10
The fear of the Lord brings _____________of life and avoidance of evil – Proverbs 14:27; 16:6; 8:13
Biblical discernment ______________between good & evil, right & wrong, what is from God & what is not
James 3:13 – Godly wisdom and understanding will be demonstrated in how a person __________
Internal character is demonstrated in _______behavior – Matt. 5:14-16; 7:15-27; Eph. 2:8-10; James 2:14-26
Pure, aJgnovV / hagnos, refers to that which is ___________moral defect or blemish and hence pure.
Peaceable, eijphnikovV / eir nikos, refers to freedom from anxiety and inner turmoil
Gentle, ejpieilhvV / epieilēs, refers to being __________ and forbearing
Reasonable, eujpavredroV / euparedros, here refers to being “open to reason, willing to listen.”
Full of Mercy, mesth; ejlevouV / mestē eleous, abundant in showing kindness and __________to those in need
Full of Good Fruits, abundant in the natural results of positive moral qualities, __________of righteousness
Unwavering, ajdiavkritoV / adiakritos, impartial, without prejudice – here, the sense of being without doubt
Without Hypocrisy, means to be “___________and sincere, and hence lacking in the pretense or show.”
James 3:18 – Godly wisdom starts small, like a seed, but it _________to bear the products of righteousness
Godly wisdom changes the ___________nature of the person which then is expressed in the manner of life
We are not fearful for we __________________without bravado and we also take the proper precautions
Godly wisdom allows us to remain ________ and reasonable while others over-react and panic
We are to be more concerned about others than ourselves – so we are _______& compassionate to reach out
1) We trust God, so we remain calm and _____________ even as those around us panic
2) With discernment, we take ____________ not to be infected and even more not to infect others
3) We obey God’s command to _________ others so we share what we have and help those who are sick
We are a church ______: Contact a Woman’s Servant Council member or Deacon or Pastor if you need help
As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, exercise godly wisdom to love one another and ____________ Him!
KIDS KORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – 1) Count how many times “wisdom” is mentioned. 2) Talk with your parents about the difference between the wisdom from above and the wisdom from below – James 3:13-16
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. What is discernment? What are the actual medical facts about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19? What are the proper ways to protect yourself from getting COVID-19? What are the proper ways to keep from spreading COVID-19 if you get it? There are three sources for wisdom form below: earthly, natural & demonic. Explain each of them and their dangers. Explain each of the characteristics of wisdom from below: Jealousy, selfish ambition, arrogance, disorder, and every evil thing. Who have responses by government, media and the general public demonstrated wisdom from below? What is the cause for panic buying at stores and why is that sinful? What is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom and what blessings does that bring? What is Biblical discernment? What is the relationship between eternal character and external actions? Describe each of the characteristics of the wisdom from above: pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, full of good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. How should someone with godly wisdom respond to SARS-CoV-2 or any contagious disease in A) Prevention of getting it? B) Prevention of spreading it? C) Caring for those who do get it? What enables Christians to remain calm and reasonable instead of panic like the rest of society? What can you personally do to help those that get sick? What should you do if you get sick?
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