Handling Conflict By Practicing Wisdom

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Handling Conflict By Practicing Wisdom</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id214.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Using, Not Abusing, the Power of Words"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id216.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Getting Right With God and Others"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>“Handling Conflict By Practicing Wisdom” James 3:13-18, Berean Bible, July 15, 2001am</B></div> <div>  </div> <div> <I>     </I>I read of a father who was in his study reading, and he heard a commotion outside the window. It was his daughter who was playing with her friends. And it got louder and it got louder and more heated and more argumentative, until he finally could restrain himself no longer. And he pushed the window open and said, “Stop it. Honey, what’s wrong?” And after the reprimand she responded quickly, “But Daddy, we were just playing church” (Flynn, Great Church Fights). That is not the way church is supposed to be!</div> <div>      Christians and churches are often in conflict. Sometime the conflict is over important things, like the mission of the church; sometimes it is over the not-so-important things, like whether to get a church van. Families argue and fight over money. Individuals may fight with one another over some perceived slight.</div> <div> <I>     </I>While we have disagreements, fighting about them is not the right way to handle them. How do followers of Christ handle conflict with each other?</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Your level of wisdom is revealed in how you handle conflicts (James 3:13-18).</B></div> <div> A. Vs. 13: Wisdom shows up in your choices. Evaluate your wisdom by the results in your life. God’s wisdom is “life skill,” not mere knowledge.</div> <div> 1. Good works . . .</div> <div> 2. With meekness. Humility, strength under control, like a bridled horse.</div> <bR> <div> B. Vss. 14-16: Earthly, so-called “wisdom.”</div> <div> 1. Characterized by bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. This includes rivalries, politics, partisanship. Don’t lie to yourself and boast that you are wise. Get real – you don’t have God’s wisdom. People who are able to win arguments are not necessarily wise. Someone who says, “I win every argument I get in, I must be really wise” is not wise at all. Dave Barry wrote, “I argue very well. Ask any of my remaining friends. I can win an argument on any topic. People know this and steer clear of me at parties. Often, as a sign of their great respect, they don't even invite me.”</div> <div> 2. Source is from earth (inferior), nature (unspiritual), demons.     Galatians 5:19- 21: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; <U>hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions</U><U> </U><U>and envy</U>; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."</div> <div> 3. Result is disorder, all kinds of vile practices.</div> <bR> <div> C. Vss. 17-18: Heavenly, true wisdom.</div> <div> 1. Source – from above, heaven, God himself. In James 1:5, we are to ask God for wisdom, because it comes from him.</div> <div> 2. Characterized by purity, peace (Rom 12:8), gentleness, reasonable (willing to yield), merciful (in action), impartial, sincere.</div> <div> 3. Results in righteousness.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Show true wisdom by promoting peace and unity.</B> This is true at home, at church, on the job, etc.</div> <div> A. Ask for wisdom (James 1:5). This is how you can adopt the characteristics of true wisdom.</div> <div> B. Serve others, rather than expecting to be served. Meekness (vs. 13), not selfishness (vs. 14).</div> <div> C. Handle issues with proper communication. Deal with the issues, don’t ignore them or run from them, but deal with them in the right way, face to face, with sincerity and honesty (vs. 17).</div> <div> D. Remember the important things that unite us. Our salvation, our mission, God’s will, his glory. Recognize what we hold in common. George MacRaild said, “The Jesus in me refuses to fight with the Jesus in you” – we are on the same team, we have the same Lord! This is not “The Weakest Link” where we work as a team until it no longer benefits us. We must stick together.</div> <div> E. Pray for people you disagree with. This will change your attitude toward them.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2001, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>