MYRTLE GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH
WILMINGTON, NC
CONNECTION 2017
JOHN 17:21
I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one--as you are in me,
Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will
believe you sent me.
02april17
April’s Fool
Yesterday was . . .?
Right! April Fool’s Day!
It’s fun to enjoy a day of making up things you hope others will believe long
enough for you to shout, “APRIL FOOLS!” and it’s fun to prank on the
gullible.
Where did it all begin?
Historians tell us it started all the way back in the 1500’s but, . . .
On April 1, in 1700, English pranksters begin popularizing the annual
tradition of April Fools’ Day by playing practical jokes on each other.* (note
attached below)
That’s a lot of years of pranking!
Your Bibles are open to James 3:13.
The opposite of “fool” is “‘wise”.
While most of us enjoy a good prank from time to time, living in a state of
being fooled all the time is NOT something we appreciate.
You and I are confronted daily with a great prankster known as Satan.
His pranks are deadly.
But we are so gullible.
We fall for his tricks, we get pranked, but the results are far from funny.
And we end up looking like and feeling like a fool!
Do you like being played?
Do you like being seen as a fool?
James had a fool-proof strategy for the early church members that is still
relevant today!
The first step in his strategy was to stay connected.
James writes, 17 But the wisdom that comes from above . . .
As James continues to write in his little letter to the early church and to us,
he so desperately wants the people who read his little, inspired note to stay
connected to truth that comes from Heaven, GOD’S TRUTH.
Truth has a way of blowing a prank up doesn’t it?
James loved his faith in Jesus. He loved connecting his friends to truth.
Truth kept them connected to their confidence in God and, it kept them
connected to the household of faith, the church.
Our theme, Connect 2017, has its roots in James’ desire to connect the
church to truth.
Hear James again as he writes . . .
James 3:13-18 (CEV)
13 Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living right and by
being humble and wise in everything you do.
14 But if your heart is full of bitter jealousy and selfishness, don't brag or
lie to cover up the truth.
15 That kind of wisdom doesn't come from above. It is earthly and selfish
and comes from the devil himself.
16 Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all
sorts of cruel things.
17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly,
gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere.
18 When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.
If I don’t want to be April’s Fool, I guess I better listen to James.
If the first part of James’ strategy is so stay connected to TRUTH and to
FAITH and to GOD’S FAMILY, what is the second part of his “fool-proof”
strategy?
The second step in his strategy is for me to . . .
SEE MYSELF AS A MANAGER of GOD’S STUFF
James writes in 3:13 (CEV)
13 Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living right and by
being humble and wise in everything you do.
When I was sixteen, I went to work at the A&P grocery store. That’s when I
was first introduced to the concept of “manager”.
My manager’s name was Benny Price and he was paid to run not part of
the store but ALL of the store. He was “well informed” on groceries.
HE HAD KNOWLEDGE OF EVERYTHING IN THE STORE AND HE
SHOWED ME HOW TO PUT THAT KNOWLEDGE TO WORK TO SELL
GROCERIES AND AID CUSTOMERS.
You name it, stocking, cashiers, produce, baggers… Benny had to oversee
it all and make sure it was all very efficient.
He was paid to “manage well”.
If he did not manage well, his boss, a district manager would hold Benny
responsible.
It would have been foolish to open and run a grocery store and not hire a
manager.
And it is foolish to create a human and not ask the soul that inhabits the
body to not manage God’s creation well!
Why can God demand of us that we manage ourselves well?
God’s Word tells us that we are “bought with a price . . .”
. . . 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is
in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you
were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.
So like the A&P owned the store and had a manager, so also does God
own us because of Christ’s death on the cross.
And we are called to “manage” well God’s temple!
13 Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living right and by
being humble and wise in everything you do. [Manage your lives well!]
It’s “April Fools Day” every day for those Christians who let the devil play
the big prank of fooling them into letting him or a godless world system
manage their lives!
My boss at the A&P had to look at his resources first. He had a building to
keep up, shelves to stock, employees to keep busy, trucks to unload . . .
With those resources he was to retail food to the public so he had to
“regulate” and “administrate” well.
You and I have been given bodies and minds. We have been given
resources like education and material elements like cars and homes.
Good management results in good productivity. Poor management results
in fool’s pay.
So many stories come to my mind regarding poor management but let me
just quickly tell you one.
I used to be an administrator of a private Christian school. Part of my job
was to oversee rental properties that were used to house teachers.
In one of those rental units lived our high school math teacher. She
graduated magna cum laude, I think.
She called one day to tell me her clothes dryer was not drying. I went over
and cleaned out the lint trap. I think the lint was at least 3 inches thick!
When I pulled it out, she said, “What is that?”
The point is, resources like dryers have to be managed well or they won’t
work well.
And your resources won’t work well either if you don’t manage them well!
James said, 13 Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living
right and by being humble and wise in everything you do.
Don’t let Satan prank you into letting the world manage that which belongs
to God!
Let me review . . .
Your strategy to keep from becoming a fool is to first CONNECT - connect
to truth, faith, and the church and
Second to see yourself as a manager over that which God owns.
What is the third strategy then?
Let me read a few verses from Eugene Petersen’s THE MESSAGE . . . this
part is all about that which is NOT wise.
If it’s not wisdom then it is foolish.
James 3:14-16 (MSG)
14 Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't
wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom.
15 It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish
conniving.
16 Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of
others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.
The third part of James’ strategy to keep us from becoming April’s Fool, is .
..
PUT A FACE ON “STUPID!”
Most of us don’t let our kids call each other “stupid” but here “stupid” is a
chosen practice rather than a character assassination.
How do you put a face on “STUPID?”
Many years ago, a parade was held in a town and one of the featured
attractions was the Clydesdales from Anheuser-Busch. The crowd cheered
and then went silent as that majestic horse drawn carriage rolled by.
Just behind those magnificent horses pulling that grand carriage was a float
sponsored by MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. On the MADD float
was a smashed car, bloody victims, and a weeping mom.
Suddenly a “face” or a result was put on the irresponsible act of overindulging and driving under the influence.
So great was the influence of the MADD float that Anheuser-Busch pulled
its carriage and horses out before the parade route was finished.
That’s what I mean by putting a face on stupid.
Throughout the book of Proverbs, the “fool”-- the one pranked into believing
he is his own master and that he can say NO to even God--the “fool” does
not consider the consequences of his actions. He does not put a “face” on
stupid.
If you and I can put a future face on “bragging”, on boasting about how
great we are, on putting a spin on the truth so that the truth suits us, and on
taking advantage of people, we will gasp at the ugliness we see!
16 “Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of
others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others'
throats.” James writes.
What a picture!
Remember in verse 13, James speaks about humility being tied to
wisdom? The opposite of humility is a prideful heart and a proud
presentation. Such arrogance Proverbs says, is the arrogance of a fool.
So this is the picture or face of pain and loss in verse 16!
What God wants us to see is that the result of worldly wisdom is ALWAYS
failure!
The world will say, “Go for what pleases you regardless!” The world will
say, “You only go around once! Live life YOUR WAY!” The world says,
“Money is King! Get it to be happy!” The world says, “fall in love, fall out of
love -- just be happy!” And the world says, “Do unto others BEFORE they
have a chance to do unto you!”
That’s the world’s wisdom!
And the world never puts a face on STUPID!
When I was a young man, I discovered dating. I got my license and I dated
as often as I could.
I thought all the girls I dated were pretty!
But they didn’t all always act “pretty”.
Sometimes my mom would hear me talking about a girl and she would
know those girl’s bad characteristics, and she would just shake her head.
She was trying to help me put a face on my irresponsible choices, on my
“stupid”!
She would say something like, “What’s that going to look like in five years?
Ten years? Thirty years?”
“But she’s pretty!” I would respond.
And mama would say, “Pretty is skin deep but ugly runs all the way to the
bone!”
You know what she was trying to help me do?
Exactly! Put a face on an irresponsible choice!
SEE THE FUTURE PAIN OF A FOOLISH DECISION!
Satan has a ton of pranks to play on us. He uses deceptive and ultimately
destructive tactics.
He may use the lure of money, or looks, or the promise of a happy future,
or temporary pleasure, or a lure that offers an escape from reality.
Don’t be his APRIL FOOL!
Before I give you another strategy, how many of you remember the Luke
15 story of the Prodigal Son.
A son rebels, hits his dad up for his part of dad’s savings, and hits the road
to party.
He did not see pigs in his future nor could he put a face on stupid.
We all know what happened when the money ran out.
No friends, no food, no fun, no family, no funds!
Why am I referencing this story?
I love the ending! And so should you!
HE CAME HOME!
THE PRODIGAL RETURNED!
The one thing he COULD DO after his losses was to PUT A FACE ON
GRACE!
In his mind, he saw his daddy!
And if you’re living in the consequence of some poor decision you made
five, ten, fifteen, or more years ago, if you’re facing some consequences of
bad choices you made last year or last week, don’t forget to PUT A FACE
ON GRACE!
See how much God wants you to come home so you can get a fresh start!
Review strategy again . . .
. . . connect with God’s Truth, faith, and God’s family;
. . . see yourself as a manager of God’s resources;
. . . put a future face to bad choices.
One more strategy to keep us from becoming a permanent victim of fool’s
punishment . . .
James says,
17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly,
gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere.
18 When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.
I love lists! I make them every day!
My wife makes me lists when I go to the store!
I know if I follow her lists I won’t have to pay alimony!
I appreciate lists!
The final piece of strategy for today is …
Shoot at God’s targets and enjoy the rewards!
My mother used to say to me, “A man who won’t shoot at something will
always hit nothing!”
She wanted me to have goals, spiritual goals but she knew I would have to
go to target practice every day!
Those items on James’ “wise” list, are our targets.
So let’s set them up so we can AIM at them and learn to hit them perfectly.
All of these targets fit nicely inside of a larger target called “The person and
reputation of Jesus Christ”.
His life and actions and thinking are always the primary target.
He hit all of these targets while He walked on earth. He personified them
all! James saw Jesus hitting each one and Jesus showed James how to
aim.
After seeing what Satan wants you to aim at, it is a relief to turn to the
targets of true spiritual wisdom.
The first on the list is . . . Meekness (vs. 13).A word picture describes this
target. A bulldozer is a very powerful machine. That power is useless
unless it is under the control of another and is used for work.
That’s a picture of meekness - power under the right control!
Meekness is the right use of power, and wisdom is the right use of
knowledge. God’s knowledge found in the Word of God is powerful!
On the list is also . . . Purity (vs. 17a). "First pure" indicates the importance
of holiness.
It means that you don’t want to be defiled by sin and influences.
When I was in college, I had some buddies who would play sports, go to
work in dirty environments, and then come back to the dorm and lay down.
They would be filthy! I couldn’t do it! Nasty was not something I enjoyed
being.
When we come into the place of rest in Christ, do we want to be clean or
dirty?
A wise man will take a spiritual shower as often as he needs it to get the
filth of sin off of his heart!
Here’s one: Peace (v. 17b).Man's wisdom leads to competition, rivalry, and
war (James 4:1-2); but God's wisdom leads to peace.
I must confess that living in peace and making peace did not always appeal
to me. My pride lied to me and told me to act the fool by making every
situation into a contest. And my “win-at-any-cost” attitude destroyed any
chance of peace with my friends and family.
I learned how foolish that was.
God says, (Isaiah 32:17)
"And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of
righteousness quietness and assurance forever.”
That is wisdom from above.
Next on the list is my wise friend . . .
Gentleness (v. 17c).Matthew Arnold liked to call this "sweet
reasonableness." It carries the meaning of moderation without compromise,
gentleness without weakness. The gentle person does not deliberately
cause fights, but neither does he compromise the truth in order to keep
peace. Carl Sandburg described Abraham Lincoln as a man of "velvet
steel." That is a good description of gentleness.
A fool is unreasonable! A wise man does not give up truth to be gentle but
does not try to use truth to bully others.
Next on the list is . . .
Compliance (v. 17d)
Man's wisdom makes a person hard and stubborn but
God's wisdom makes the believer agreeable and easy to live with and work
with. He can disagree without being disagreeable. He is "swift to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19).
Jesus told a story once about a foolish guy who would not forgive when he
had himself been forgiven much. The fool lacks the next virtue on the list.
Mercy (v. 17e).
To be "full" of something means to be "controlled by." The person who
follows God's wisdom is controlled by mercy. "Be ye therefore merciful, as
your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36).
If you like apples and oranges and grapes, the next virtue will make good
sense to you. It’s called . . .
Good fruits (v. 17f).People who are faithful are fruitful. God's wisdom does
not make a life empty; it makes it full. The Spirit produces fruit to the glory
of God (see John 15:1-16).
If you don’t want bad or spoiled fruit to eat, you will also know that bad
spiritual fruit is neither appealing or useful!
Next on the list is a developed trait every wise person wants and every fool
avoids.
Decisiveness (v. 17g).
The word suggests singleness of mind and is the opposite of "wavering"
(James 1:6). When you lean on the world's wisdom, you are pressured
from one side and then another to change your mind or take a new
viewpoint. When you have God's wisdom, you need not waver; you can be
decisive and not be afraid. Wisdom from above brings strength from
above.
Last on the list of the person who chooses to be wise is that virtue that
proves authenticity.
Sincerity (vs. 17b)
The Greek word translated hypocrite in our New Testament means "one
who wears a mask, an actor." When man's wisdom is at work, there may
be insincerity and pretense. When God's wisdom is at work, there is
openness and honesty, "speaking the truth in love." (Eph. 4:15)
I love that list!
Let me wrap up our time together now.
Will you stand with me?
The Bible often uses the word “root” to describe a hidden issue that feeds
outward attitudes and actions. For example, deep within a person who
loves God is God’s forgiveness and mercy. That person will have a
forgiving and merciful attitude as he deals with others.
Within the heart of anyone who has been duped by the pressures of this
world to be “wise” according to the world’s ideas, is a “root” that leads to a
“plant” that is hard to eradicate.
Let me illustrate by telling you an old story.
A wealthy man requested an old scholar to wean his son away from his bad
habits. The scholar took the youth for a stroll through a garden. Stopping
suddenly he asked the boy to pull out a tiny plant growing there.
The youth held the plant between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it
out. The old man then asked him to pull out a slightly bigger plant. The
youth pulled hard and the plant came out, roots and all. “Now pull out that
one,” said the old man pointing to a bush. The boy had to use all his
strength to pull it out.
“Now take this one out,” said the old man, indicating a guava tree. The
youth grasped the trunk and tried to pull it out. But it would not budge. “It’s
impossible,” said the boy, panting with the effort.
“So it is with bad habits,” said the sage. “When they are young it is easy to
pull them out but when they take hold they cannot be uprooted.”
The session with the old man changed the boy’s life.
The Moral? Don’t wait for foolish habits to grow in you, drop them while you
have control over them else they will get control you.
Shall we be April’s Fool or God’s Wise servant?
The world’s wisdom says, “Get and conquer.”
God’s wisdom says, “Give and surrender.”
Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what
he cannot lose!
A wise man will give his life for the cause of Christ!
Footnote on April Fool's Day
*Although the day, also called All Fools’ Day, has been celebrated for
several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery.
Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582 when
France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as
called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the
news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved
to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March
through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes. These included
having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “poisson
d’avril” (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a
gullible person.