Sermon transcripts of pastor Tom Nagy

James:“Proverbs of the New Testament”

1:1-4

OK.....this morning we’re going to begin a study in the Book of James.....one of the more controversial books of Scripture because of its emphasis on “good works”. ......as opposed to most of the other New Testament writings which tend to focus on evangelism, deeper theology and warnings against legalism.  

But James takes a different approach.......he’s not writing about how to become a Christian.......but rather how to act like one. He’s saying that merely having all the correct beliefs about God just isn’t enough........even demons believe in God. Real......life-giving faith should produce motion shouldn’t it?  I’m no scientist.....but it seems that for something to be alive there has to be motion of some kind.  We have several scientists in here this morning.......And I could be shooting myself in the foot by asking this question blindly.......let me ask the guy I usually go to in cases like this.  Curt......is there anything in the definition of life.....scientifically speaking.......that indicates motion of some kind will occur if there is life?  (GET ANSWER)  

When a person becomes a Christian, new life begins, and inevitably that life must express itself through “spiritual motion,” or good deeds.......or Scriptural action.  In James' words, “What good is it......if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?” (2:14)

Movement does not cause life........but it does inevitably follow life. It’s a sure sign that life is present. Similarly......genuine faith in Christ should always result in actions that demonstrate faith.

Christian thinkers, notably Martin Luther, have struggled to reconcile the message of James with that of Paul........who so firmly warned against any type of legalism that tends to enslave people. But Paul never belittled holy living. When he wrote to those who were leading sinful lives, such as his letter to the Corinthians, he railed against immorality as strongly as James.

Evidently, James' readers were not even flirting with legalism.......In fact, they lived at the other extreme......it appears they may have been ignoring the laws that God had clearly revealed.......which prompted James to write his simple remedy: "Do not merely listen to the word .... Do what it says." (1:22)

Unlike the apostle Paul, James was not a man of education......a man with a cultural pedigree.......he was a something of a homespun preacher who was giving warning to those people he viewed as not living rightly.  His letter covers a wide range of topics that apply the Christian faith to specific problems......and in no uncertain terms he commands his readers to live out their beliefs.

Be humble! James orders. Submit to God! Stop sinning! James is as forthright as an Old Testament prophet......he’s not subtle.......it’s kinda hard to miss his point.  His words are easy enough to understand.........you don't have to look for hidden meanings in this book. James tells us clearly how we should act in 54 direct commands. Our problem lies the same place it did back in the first century....... are we doing as he says?  What kind of motion characterizes our spiritual lives? As Luther himself said, "You are saved by faith alone, but if faith is alone, it is not faith."

So.......if there is anyone here who has not read to book of James......that’s where we’re headed.  Now......who wrote it?  Well......it’s no stretch to look at the text and conclude quite easily that it was James.......he introduces himself in a very clear manner in the first word.  And then he goes on to describe himself as “a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”.

But what else do we know about him?  (WAIT FOR ANSWERS)  OK......let’s look at this a little closer......with a few Scripture references......

 Well.......let’s start out with the fact that there are three......and possibly four men named James in the New Testament.  Which James are we dealing with as the author of this letter......do we just get to pick one?  Who are all these guys named James?  

Well........the first is James who is the brother to John.......and these guys were probably best known as the SONS OF THUNDER.  They made up two of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus......and many people just assume that this James wrote the book of James. But Herod killed this James before the book was written.......so that doesn’t work too well.  “And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.” (Acts 12:2)

A second James in the NT is called James the less. “The less” means literally, “the little”.......and this James is also known as the son of Alphaes.  We find him in Matthew 10:2-4....... “Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.” This man for a variety of reasons was probably not the author either.......mainly because of the strong evidence that supports this next guy.

The last James was the half-brother of Jesus.......and unfortunately that comes as a shock to a lot of people.......especially people like me with a Catholic background....... because we always thought that Mary had no other children. But Scripture is pretty plain about the fact that she did have other children by Joseph. Mark 6:3 says......"Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him.”  

But wait a minute......right there in the Gospels it says that Jesus’ brothers took offense at him.......in fact they thought he was crazy.  How could this same guy be the man who writes so profoundly about following Jesus?  What happened?  

Well.....the first indication we get from Scripture is found at the first Pentecost.  It is simply noted that the apostles gathered together in the upper room and then it adds......“These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (Acts 1:14).  Now whether he was there to comfort his mother.......or he had some softening towards Jesus as the Christ is not indicated.  But there is little doubt about the fact that James.....the brother of Jesus had a resurrection experience with his Savior.  

In First Corinthians chapter 15, verse 6-8......as Paul lays out some of the appearances of Jesus Christ after His resurrection he says, “After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;  then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”   

We pick it up in the book of Acts and see that James’ stature in the early church has grown tremendously.  When Peter is miraculously released from prison.....what does he tell the people he first visits? Acts 12:17 says, “But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison And he said, "Report these things to James and the brethren." Then he left and went to another place. “

Remember in Acts when the church gets together arguing the validity of bringing in Gentiles to the new church.......and many are heard on the matter, including Peter.....and it’s James who states the position of the church regarding the Gentiles where it’s recorded.........“After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Brethren, listen to me.””......(Acts 15:13)  There is every indication that James is the leader of the church at Jerusalem.  In fact Paul writes in Galatians 1:19.......”But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother.”   Paul says he specifically came to James.......the brother of Jesus to report on his mission trip.

The language of the book of James compared to the language of the address of the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 is very similar.......which lends even more credence to the widely accepted fact that the brother of Jesus is the correct “James” to credit with this letter to the Jewish Christian community.

This is important because it establishes James as the one the Lord appointed over His church in Jerusalem........and it’s James who sees the early church through the struggles and persecution and opposition and disunity and disharmony and poverty and distress that is recorded in the book of Acts.  Not only has the Holy Spirit guided his words in this book......but his own experiences give credibility to the words he says with those who served along side him.  James was an important leader in the church in Jerusalem. 

OK......one more piece of introduction before we get into the text.......who did James write to?  Who was the audience he addresses besides you and me?  (GET ANSWERS)  

Again.......we can draw the answer from the first few words he writes......which quickly give us the idea that he’s writing to a Jewish Christian audience who is not in Jerusalem..........Jewish Christians residing in Gentile communities outside of Palestine.  Christians who were scattered......the “diaspora” is the Greek word used.......among Gentile nations. The reference to the twelve tribes and the use of the Hebrew title for God in verse 5:4 ('Lord Almighty') suggests it was written to a Jewish Christian audience. 

Also......the letter appears to have been written approx. 49 A.D. prior to the Jerusalem Council held in 50 A.D. His purpose was to expose hypocritical positions and to teach right Christian behavior. It also expresses his concern for persecuted Christians who were once part of the Jerusalem church.

So there’s the basics.......the introductory stuff that should give you a clue as to where James is coming from......and to a good degree, where he’s going.  So let’s look at the text itself and see that it takes him no time at all to get into the meat of what he wants to talk about.  It starts out like this........ 

1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,  3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

We’ve dealt with verse one overall.......James introduces himself and then tells who he’s writing to.  Now I have to admit that if this were the book of Tom......and I was in James’ shoes......the greeting would have gone something like this........ “Hi everybody, this is James......the brother of Jesus.  Yah, that’s right.......I grew up with Him......lived with Him everyday......knew Him really well.  So, what I’ve got to say is probably a little more important than the stuff you’ve been hearing.  Don’t worry......I’ll stick around and autograph your Bibles for you when I’m done here.......”

But James doesn’t do that does he?  No......his only earthly claim to fame is that of being a slave.......a bondservant of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  Just exactly what our Lord called each of us to do.  He doesn’t brag about knowing Jesus better than any of the other guys......doesn’t brag about being the head of the church that was in the middle of the Christian movement at the time.......he’s simply a servant.

From here James moves right into the reason for writing.......to make sure you’re walking the walk.  He’s writing because of his concern that his readers may have the knowledge of what a Christian should know......but not the form of how it lives itself out in the every-day of our lives.  And he begins with an area that they would know well...... that of trials......sufferings......and what does he say?  “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,”.

 Now the first time his readers heard that they may have reacted in a similar manner to this........It’s kinda the same way we still react to it today......because this isn’t normal behavior is it?   This isn’t a normal thing to want to do.  Who could possibly consider it ALL JOY when you’re going through hard times?  

Tell me......who’s got translations of Scripture other than NASB?  What does it say in verse 2?  (WAIT FOR ANSWER)

(Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  (NIV).........Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. (MSG))

Consider it PURE joy......consider it ALL joy.......not part joy and part something else......PURE joy.  Now let’s face it......this seems quite unnatural for our attitude toward hardship to be PURE joy doesn’t it?  But this is a categorical biblical command.....we are commanded to have an attitude of joy in trials.

How do we do with that particular command?  How do we react when “OUR RIGHTS ARE VIOLATED”.......how do we handle it when we don’t get our way......how does it look to others when we get mad or break down over the least little ripple in our otherwise smooth lives?  (HOW DO WE RESPOND WHEN THE ELDERS MAKE A DECISION THAT WE DON’T LIKE?)  And I’m not even talking about the BIG stuff here.......these are minor trials.

Now......we’ve got to be careful to understand what James is calling for here. He’s not suggesting some kind of masochistic happiness in the hurts and losses of life. He’s not saying that we are to ENJOY being sick.......losing a loved one......getting laid off from our job.......being persecuted. This isn’t some weird kind of denial or trance that we manufacture ignoring that life often hurts. 

The fact is that some of us here today are hurting. We’re suffering. James doesn’t suggest that we manufacture some kind of other-worldly......phony sense of happiness about our troubles. So, what is he suggesting?

 What he’s suggesting......what he’s commanding here is that we realize that there’s a reason to be joyful in the midst of trials. It’s not being happy about the trouble. It’s finding joy in what the trouble produces. It’s enjoying the sweet fruit that is produced in our lives only by bitter times.

Let me ask you.......is there anybody here this morning that actually likes Krispy Kreme donuts?  A few years ago they were all the rage......may still be as far as I know. Many of us have tasted them. Some people will line up and wait for hours to purchase these sweet delights. Let me tell you about the process that leads to a Krispy Kreme donut.

First the little balls of dough are shot through with a piercing blast of air to create a hole. Then they go into what is called “the proof box”........ where they ride up and down an elevator in an atmosphere of heat and humidity.......very uncomfortable......if you’re a donut!  This causes the dough to rise. After this......they’re dropped into scorching hot oil and boiled thoroughly. After surviving this ordeal.......the donuts pass through a cascading waterfall of icing.

Does anyone here today feel like a Krispy Kreme donut? Do you feel like you’ve been blasted and pierced through with air? Do you feel like you’ve had the heat applied to where you just can’t stand it? Do you feel like you’ve been boiled in oil? Well, remember that these experiences are what produce the sweet delight that follows. 

None of us look forward to trials. None of us love hardship. But without them, we’ll never enjoy the sweet fruit of maturity. As Billy Graham so eloquently put it, “Mountaintops are for views and inspiration........but fruit is grown in the valleys.”

One thing to note here is that James doesn't say, "IF" you face trials, but "WHEN" you face them. He assumes that we will all have trials......and when we do we need to profit from them. The point is not to be happy when you face pain.......but to have an eternal outlook because of what trials can produce in our lives if we’ll just let them. James tells us to turn our hardships into times of learning......because tough times can teach us something that nothing else can.

Another thing we need to realize is that this theme of hardship and learning is not at all singular to James.......what does Paul say about this very same thing?..... In Romans 5....... 3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;  4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Wow......sounds pretty much like the same stuff...... How about Peter in 1 Peter chapter 1....... 6In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,  7so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  8and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,  9obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Trials and JOY in the Christian experience seem to go hand-in-hand.......it’s one of the things that should separate us radically from the non-believing world.  Does it?  Because I can guarantee you that if it does......people are going to notice.....because all of a sudden you have something that they want.......that they desperately need.  All of a sudden this isn’t some pie-in-the-sky religious experience that looks similar to everything else.......it’s the reality that actually makes a difference in our entire countenance.....in the way we deal with life.......in the peace that only a relationship with Jesus Christ can bring.  Suddenly what you believe is something very attractive to the world.

So.....what is produced.......why can we face trials and actually have a peace and a joy in the midst of them?  Verses 3 and 4 are pretty clear about the final outcome......     3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The progression of what trials produce is pretty clear here.......if we stand up......if we face the trials in our lives in the manner that James is commanding here.....with joy, with peace......with a confidence that God is working in our lives through them......if we do that......then endurance is produced which results in what??????  PERFECTION!  Perfection......that’s kind of a big deal.  Trials lead us to maturity......completeness..... when we deal rightly with them.

Again.....this isn’t a theme that is singular to James....... look at 2 Peter 1......

5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

Peter points out that perseverance is part of a process......that it’s one step we must go through to demonstrate that our faith is genuine.......it’s a line of progression that follows exactly what James is saying......and I don’t know about you......but I don’t want to end up this journey through life and find that I’m “blind or short-sighted”.  I don’t want this all to be for naught. I want to get to the end of my life and be able to say with Paul...... “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”  (2 Tim. 4:7)  And I know that I’m not going to be able to do that if I don’t face the trials of life with the proper perspective.

   Trials test our faith........Not a test to find if faith is there.......but a test to strengthen our faith.  In the Septuagint......this word is used to describe the process of refining silver. It’s put into the flames to burn off the impurities and strengthen the quality of the silver. God doesn’t test us to destroy us but to purify and strengthen us.

The perseverance that’s talked about here refers to the ability to bear up under a burden........it’s the staying power of the Christian life that produces maturity.  The Greek word is teleion......and it speaks of something that has reached its intended end......it is something that has all its intended parts.  It’s not automatic....it takes time......it takes trials......but when it’s done.......we are complete......lacking in nothing  That is why we consider it all joy. We consider it all joy because we know that when tough times come, the end result is going to be perseverance and maturity. Perseverance and maturity are things that please God.......they’re essential traits of the Christian life. The only way to get them is through hard times. 

John Eldredge tells the story of a Scottish discus thrower from the 19th century. He lived long before the days of professional trainers.......he developed his skills alone in the Scottish highlands. He made his own discus from the description he read in a book. What he didn’t know was that the competition discus was made of wood with an outer rim of iron. His discus was made of pure metal.......four times heavier than the ones used in competition. This committed athlete trained day after day.......laboring under the burden of the extra weight his homemade discus provided. He went out in a field and marked the current world record distance.......and kept working until he could throw that far.

Of course.......when he arrived at the competition.......he was handed the official wooden discus.......and he threw it like it was a tea saucer. He set new records for many years.......none of his competitors could touch him.  As Eldredge reflected on this story he said........“So that’s how you do it........you train under a great burden.”

Our goal is to view the trials of this life as our training ground to perfection....it’s something I know we all want.

James 1:5-8

We are again in the book of James......and the last time we dealt with it.....was actually the first time we dealt with it.  We introduced the book last time around including who it was written to.....who authored it and some of the other standard introductory stuff you do when you’re starting a study.  We concluded that the book was written by James...... which wasn’t a great mental stretch......since the first verse says that James wrote it..... and we also learned that the James that wrote this letter was the half-brother of Jesus.

Secondly......we saw that it was written to the Jews who had been dispersed across the land......Jewish Christians residing in Gentile communities outside of Palestine.  Again, no big stretch because that’s also included in the text.

James is unlike most of the other New Testament writings which tend to focus on evangelism, deeper theology and warnings against legalism.  We called the letter the “Proverbs of the New Testament”.  He’s not writing about how to become a Christian.......but rather how to act like one. It’s a practical guide to living our lives.  He’s saying that merely having all the correct beliefs about God just isn’t enough........even demons believe in God. Real......life-giving faith should produce some kind of Christ-like action in our lives.

The structure of the letter is very similar to the structure of Proverbs......not so much in literary style as in the fact that the writer goes from one subject to the next......laying down a practical assessment of the way we should treat a certain aspect of our lives in light of the fact that we know Jesus Christ.

In looking at the whole letter it’s pretty easy to determine that most of the believers that James is writing to were poor and that many were oppressed. In addition to external oppression from government and from the world.......they were experiencing internal problems........Church members were quarreling and competing with one another........they were failing to live what they professed........worldliness was threatening to destroy this dispersed Church.

James didn’t tell them how to make the world go away.........instead he called them to spiritual maturity! It’s the same call we have in the church today.......a call to maturity.  Warren Wiersbe wrote: "Too many Churches are playpens for babies instead of workshops for adults. … After a quarter century of ministry, I am convinced that spiritual maturity is the number one problem in the American Church."  It’s no different now than it was when James penned this letter.  In spite of all the blessings God has bestowed on His people Spiritual Maturity remains one of the Church’s greatest needs. 

And with that as a backdrop.......we can see that the letter James writes can easily be divided into five sections......which correspond with the five chapters......and each of them gives us a characteristic of a mature believer.

• They are patient in testing (1:1-27).

• They practice the truth (2:1-26).

• They exercise power over their tongue (3:1-18).

• They are peacemakers, not troublemakers (4:1-17).

• They respond to trouble prayerfully (5:1-20).

We then discussed the main point of the first four verses and that boils down to “consider it pure joy when you face various trials.”  What he’s suggesting......what he’s commanding here is that we realize that there’s a reason to be joyful in the midst of trials. It’s not being happy about the trouble. It’s finding joy in what the trouble produces. It’s enjoying the sweet fruit that is produced in our lives only by bitter times.  

And verses 2 & 3 tell us why we should live this way......because trials produce endurance and the final result of endurance is that we are made complete.....we lack nothing.  That’s the reason for the joy in trials.  Though it may not seem like it now.......your present difficulty may be instrumental to your future happiness.

We have a tendency to do a lot of praying when we’re going through trials that sound something like..... “Lord.....please take this from me.”  But the fact is that God is much more concerned with how we deal with the trials......what our attitude is......whether or not we’re glorifying Him in the midst of them.  And that includes trials of all kinds......sickness, death in our family, disappointment of any kind.......how do we handle it?  Do we grumble and complain......do we get angry and treat others badly?  It’s a key component to our overall walk with the Lord.

And this whole thing is a process........ Our goal is to view the trials of this life as our training ground to perfection........and all of that leads us to where we begin this morning......but before we look at the passage.......

 Let me ask you a question.  If God were to come to you one day and say, ‘I’m going to give you one wish. You can ask for anything in the whole world. You can have one wish.’ What would you ask for?  (GET RESPONSES)

A guy got a chance like that one time.......in the Old Testament......2 Chronicles 1 verses 8-12.  God came to Solomon and said, ‘You’re the king of Israel. I’m going to grant you one wish. What do you want more than anything else in life?’ Solomon thought it over and said, ‘I’m so inadequate as a leader. I don’t know what to do with these people. More than anything else I want wisdom. I want to be able to think the way You think........to see things from Your point of view.......be able to make decisions the way You would make them. I don’t want to make mistakes. I don’t want to look back on my life later and have regrets. I want wisdom.’ 

The passage says that God was pleased with that request. He granted it to him......He said, ‘Solomon, because you asked for wisdom, I’m going to give you the other things too: wealth, fame, long life.’ Solomon not only became the wisest man who ever lived........but he was also incredibly wealthy......he was famous and he lived a very long time.

So.....what would you say to God if he came to you and said, ‘What do you want in life more than anything else?’  If you could have one wish from God......what would you ask for? Would you ask for wisdom? It’s obviously something that’s very important for people to have.......God tells us we need it badly.  And that’s where we’re headed in James today........ @starting in verse 5 it says.......

5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 

 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 

 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 

 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 

Way back in 1999......State Farm Insurance rated the most dangerous intersections for accidents in the United States. The winner......or better......the loser.......was the corner of Belt Line Road and Midway Road in Addison, Texas. There were 263 reported crashes at that intersection in the Dallas suburb. That averages out to about five wrecks per week, not counting the unreported fender benders.

 Sometimes as we drive down the road of life, we come to dangerous intersections. Sometimes we refer to them as “forks in the road”......or “cross-roads” in our lives.  They are those moments where a choice we make or don’t make sets us on a course that could influence the rest of our journey. Do we stop or go?  Turn right or left?  Go ahead or turn back?  Maybe you feel like you’re at one of those intersection right now in your life.......what do you do?

The Bible speaks about a divine resource we can utilize when we come to those intersections. It’s called wisdom. There’re many times when we’ll approach one of those intersections in our lives and realize we have a serious shortage of wisdom. This is the very situation James addresses in this passage.  

He’s has just finished speaking about the various trials we encounter in life. These are the difficulties and afflictions that come our way.........we may be lonely or dying or bankrupt or exhausted.  You can travel down any pew in America this morning and the trials are there......some are huge......some may not appear as big......but they’re big to the person in the middle of them.  Often times.......these trials bring us to one of those intersections where we feel lost and don’t know which way to go. We don’t understand the cause of the trial or its purpose.  When we get to this point in our lives......what does James tell us to ask for?

Does James exhort us to ask for deliverance from the trial? Are we encouraged to seek an easy life? Does he suggest that we find the easy way out?  You’ll observe that we are not instructed to pray for the trial to be removed.......or for deliverance.......or for ease........and yet this is pretty much what we ask for in tough times isn’t it?  We’re also not directed to pray for patience........or endurance.......or for a stronger faith.

 James is telling us that we need to seek God’s perspective at times like these.  God’s concerned about making us mature in Jesus. He’s concerned about character transformation. He’s concerned about the fruit of the Spirit.  What we need in facing life’s challenges.........first and foremost.......is Divine wisdom.

The fact is that just living life creates a demand for wisdom.  But before we look at how to get wisdom......we probably ought to know what it is......what is this thing called wisdom? 

There are a lot of varied definitions of wisdom. Webster defines it as “the ability to make right use of knowledge.” Wisdom is truth acted upon......knowledge applied practically.......the ability to live life successfully in the midst of difficult circumstances. 

Every society has its own set of proverbs that represent the collective wisdom of that society. Some examples that come from our culture might be things like........

"Look before you leap."

"Easy come, easy go."

"A penny saved is a penny..........earned."

"Live one day at a time."

If you remember the movie Forrest Gump........the "gumpisms" in that movie would be classified as societal wisdom. The saying, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get".......or "Stupid is as stupid does”......those would fall into this category of collective wisdom.  But God’s wisdom is something even deeper......something you can always count on......the thing we need to get through the trials life brings to us.

One prominent theological dictionary defines wisdom as “prudent, considered, experienced, and competent action to master the various problems of life…” So, we see that there’s an aspect of knowledge in wisdom. But it goes beyond just knowledge. Wisdom involves the practical use of that knowledge to deal with life’s issues.

Here’s some other definitions of wisdom from various sources.......wisdom is the convergence of knowledge and skill which enables a person to make right choices that honor God.

Wisdom is the God-given ability to perceive the true nature of a matter and to implement the will of God in that matter. 

Wisdom is what is true and right combined with good judgment. 

The Hebrew word translated "wisdom" in the Bible is a bit more colorful than our English word. The Hebrew word translated "wisdom" is HOCHMA......Wow......you almost hork somethin’ up every time you say that word.......but the word is HOCHMA..... and it usually refers to some kind of skill or ability. It was originally used to describe the work of weavers who weave the elaborate garments of Aaron, the high priest. Since the high priest and his clothing typified the ultimate high priest, Jesus Christ, it was imperative that the weavers follow God’s exact specifications for the priests’ garments.

The weavers’ ability to follow God’s design for manufacturing the garments was labeled “wisdom.” From that point on.......the Israelites equated wisdom with a skill for living.......and wisdom has since been defined as “the skill to live life according to God’s plan.” The wise person is one who patterns his finances, his goals, his relationships, and every aspect of his life according to the specifications revealed in God’s Word.

So the Hebrew word distinguishes wisdom from knowledge.......because a person can have a mind full of facts.......and yet they might lack anything even closely resembling authentic wisdom. 

Scripture has a great deal to say about wisdom.  The Book of Proverbs talks about pursuing wisdom......acquiring wisdom.  In fact the very first chapter of Proverbs tells us that the place to begin our pursuit is with the fear of the Lord.  Proverbs 1:7 says........ "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." The Message Paraphrase adds a little color to it by saying,  “Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.”  Many Bible scholars view this verse as the motto or theme of the entire book of Proverbs. Every wise saying we find in Proverbs goes back to this foundational principle.  Proverbs 9:10 is even more direct...... “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

How important is wisdom?  Look at Proverbs 4:7-8........ “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.  Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.”  

True wisdom.......according to Scripture.......begins with God.  From a biblical perspective......if a person does not know the God who created all things......the One who has revealed truth.......and established absolute values.......then one cannot be wise. How could a person make right choices without knowing God and His truth?  So......wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord.........the reverent relationship of knowing God.

James is pretty straight-forward in his approach to finding wisdom when he says,  “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”  In the preceding verses James has pretty much told us that life creates a demand for wisdom.......we need it in various situations that are beyond our control.  There are going to be times when we just don’t know exactly what choice to make or how to think about a given situation........is this the right person to marry......should I take this job or this one.......how can I solve this problem?  We come to a dangerous intersection and we don’t know what path to take.  And James highlights a very critical first step in acquiring wisdom.......and it’s very important to understand........If you do not face up to your lack of wisdom.......you’ll never get wisdom......because you’ll never ask for it.  It’s the arrogant person who thinks they never need counsel. It is the foolish person who refuses to admit his or her need for wisdom. 

God supplies wisdom to those who ask. If you lack wisdom ask God.  Why? God is the source of wisdom. Wisdom is a divine gift. You don’t get it by living a long life or experiencing a lot of different things. You get it from God.

Rather than frantically trying to figure everything out by ourselves or getting our answers from Dr. Phil or Oprah.......we need to go directly to the source........GOD.  God will give you wisdom......and He’ll give it generously. God isn’t stingy with this gift. The word James uses here means “without reserve.”  He knows how badly you and I need it. 

He’ll give it without reproach or insult......without finding fault. God isn’t going to insult you and make you feel stupid for coming and asking Him for wisdom.  He’s not going to say.......“OK Tom.......I’ll give it to you but if you weren’t such a loser I wouldn’t have to.”  He isn’t looking around at the angels as He dispenses wisdom saying........“would you look at this idiot!!!!”  He wants you to ask......He wants you to depend upon Him.

Remember God’s attitude toward gift giving. Jesus explained it in Matt. 7:9-11..... ( 9"Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10"Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! )

He points out that a good parent never insults the child who comes asking for bread by giving him a stone. He doesn’t give him a snake if he asks for fish. So, if you.......who are evil, can give good gifts to your kids when they ask.......how much more will God give us good gifts when we ask Him?

So......is that the only caveat to obtaining wisdom......just ask God who give generously and He’s going to do it?  What does the rest of the passage say?  6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,  8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Wow.......looks to me like there are some other requirements in order to obtain God’s wisdom.  And they’re requirements that make sense.  We’re to ask in FAITH......we’re to ask without doubting.......we can’t be double-minded or unstable.    The doubting man dishonors God. When God makes a clear promise, the fact is that He will grant it........and if we come before Him doubting we dishonor Him.  

Faith is the very backbone of all of our beliefs.  Without faith.....there is no God.  Without faith......there is no salvation.  So it would stand to reason.....without faith.....there is no wisdom.  Throughout Scripture this same requirement has been set......Faith.  How many times did Jesus perform a miracle with the words, “Your faith has made you well......your faith has saved you”?  It’s not different here. Hebrews 11:6 tells us clearly......“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  The doubter cannot please God because doubt signifies a lack of faith.......and according to the Scripture........faith is a requirement to please God.

We’re not to be driven and tossed by the wind......we’re to be steadfast or we shouldn’t expect that we will receive anything.  If we’re double-minded.......if we’re unstable.....how can we expect God to honor our request?  

If there’s one thing in life that everybody wants, it’s stability. People want to know that they can go to work tomorrow and not worry about losing their job. They want to know when they get in their car.....it’s gonna start. They want to be able to go to McDonald’s and get the Double Cheeseburger for a dollar every time. People like stability. 

When something is unstable......it is easily swayed one way or another. If you’re unstable........you can be manipulated very easily. You’ll believe everything that everybody says. You’ll be gullible. 

In the medical profession there is a disorder known as Bi-Polar Disorder.  In this disorder the person experiences mood swings from extreme highs (Manic) to extreme lows (Depressive).  They cannot tell when one of these swings will take place.
While there is no known cause......a chemical imbalance in the brain is blamed for this disorder.  A prescription of mood altering drugs is given to offset the problems and allow the stricken person to function reasonably well in society.

There is this same tendency of Bi-Polar disorder within the church. In this state of double-mindedness we see two distinct opposite responses to a situation.  We pray for wisdom......but we do it without truly believing that God is going to grant it.  We may say, “I love the Lord.”......and may attest to our desire to follow Him.......but the world clearly has our attention.  So.....what do we do?  Bi-Polar Disorder is thought to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain......but there is no certainty of that.  Bi-Polar Disorder is treated with drug therapy.

But we do know the cause of Bi-Polar Disorder in the Church......and not only is it treatable.......it is curable.  The cause is not a chemical imbalance.......but instead it’s a Spiritual Imbalance.  Our spirit is out of balance with God‘s Holy Spirit.  Drugs can’t fix it.......but firmly believing that God always honors His Word......acting and responding in faith to each and every situation.......going about our decision making in the midst of trials with a surety that God is in control and He always wants what is best for us.....that’s the cure.

So.....what about us?  Are you facing problems today which have exhausted your best efforts to solve? Are you looking for answers which seem to evade you? Has your wisdom and the wisdom of those around you fallen short?  There is hope. The One who is Himself All-wise delights to give His wisdom to those who ask with a trusting heart. Have you asked God for wisdom? 

We need to ask for wisdom for our marriages. We need to ask for wisdom to parent our children. We need to ask for wisdom to help us on the job. We need to ask for wisdom to deal with difficult relationships. We need to ask for wisdom to minister to others.  Just living life demands that we have wisdom.

Does anyone lack wisdom here today? Let him ask God. 

James 1:9-11

9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 

10and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 

11For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. 

OK......we’re back in the book of James this morning......and our last two outings in this book have shown a couple of pretty important principles.  First we learned that we’re all going to face trials.......none of us gets out of this life without them.  How we handle these trials is something that is very important.......and James shows us that we can view trials with joy because of what it produces in us......and he shows it as a progression.  

Trials produce endurance and endurance produces a Christian who is perfected......complete.......lacking in nothing.  That’s a pretty good outcome.  The second thing we’ve seen so far is that we only need ask for wisdom during these trials and it will be given to us.......if we ask rightly.  We need to ask with confidence......we need to ask in faith......because a double-minded man is not going to get anything from the Lord.  Pretty important principles.

This morning we’re going to take on the issue of money......prominence.....stature. James is talking about being mature Christians, about dealing with trials and temptations. Perhaps no area in our lives affects us.......tempts us.......troubles us, more than money.  And it’s obviously a pretty important topic in Scripture.......Jesus spoke a great deal about it Himself........when you think 16 of 38 parables were concerned with money or possessions.  Why all this talk about money and possessions? Because Jesus understood so well the tremendous influence of this issue in our lives. Social research supports the biblical emphasis on the issue of money. Think about these findings from George Barna.......he’s the guy that does all those polls of Christian issues.......he found that 50% of Christians consider money to be the primary indicator of success.

Now.....before we get started in studying these verses......and learning how to apply them......I want to take a minute to point something out.......in a rather round-about way......but we’ll get to the point pretty fast.

I’m sure some of you have received the e-mail over the past few years......it’s been floating around a while now......that tries to point out how vastly different the world really is.  We are rather isolated here in the United States.......and we have a tendency to think that everybody’s like us......or at least they want to be.  But I’m going to use some of these statistics to point out how really difficult it is for us here in America to put a firm understanding on these verses that James writes.

Anyway........the writer of this e-mail starts off by saying that “If we could reduce the world’s population to a village of precisely 100 people.......with all existing human ratios remaining the same.......the demographics would look something like this:”  Simply put.......if you took the 6 billion people that are in the world today and put all of the percentages and ratios of those people into just 100 people.......those percentages would be as follows.......

So......what’s the point?  The point is that our little corner of the world......is exactly that.....OUR LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD.  And in that corner of the world we are wealthy beyond compare......we have riches and possessions and education and opportunity that genuinely very few people in the world have.  And as a consequence of that.......our tendency is to view life through that filter.......even Christians.

Case in point.........ANY VISITORS TODAY?  (if no visitors.......)  WHAT DO YOU DO?  (WHERE DO YOU WORK?)  I read a book by Robert Fulgham several years ago.......and whenever anyone would ask him “WHAT DO YOU DO?”  He’d answer, “I BREATHE!”  Because that’s what he does most of the time.

Our society puts an incredible emphasis on money.......social status......possessions and prominence.  And it isn’t just our society.......it’s the subculture of the church also.  Are we respecters of persons in the church?  Have you seen it?  I was talking to a guy who had some prominence in the church.......and he made the statement that “so-and so” was much more valuable to God and His Kingdom than “so-and-so”.  And he actually named names.  The more valuable person has a great deal of education.......a well paying position......all of the amenities of life......and the other man is just barely getting by....... has very little education and materially has quite little.  And that’s in the church......in fact, that’s in THIS CHURCH!.  

What James is going to attempt to do in this passage this morning is to get us to look at material possessions......worldly success.......prominence......through the eyes of Christ.  The standard view during James day was that spiritual standing was indicated by material standing.  The poor were ignored or punished by God and the wealthy were blessed by God and should be shown favor..........So, the wealthy were viewed as spiritually blessed and worthy of special treatment while the poor were considered spiritually poor and treated poorly. 

Let’s read the passage and see what it says........ Remember James is speaking to Christians here.......

James 1:9-11

9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 

10and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 

11For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. 

    Now, obviously the comparison here is between the poor......the brother of humble circumstances.......and the rich.  In verse 9 we see a person of low degree. This term can be translated, “Doesn’t amount to much” or “undistinguished”.  Then we see the reverse side a rich and wealthy person. The world would give a greater prominence to this person.

    What about God?  Does He distinguish?  Read Matthew 11:2-5.

The poor man should take pride in his high position.........Though he is materially poor, he has become spiritually rich in Jesus Christ..........Though he has no honor in worldly terms, he is exalted and given dignity in Christ.

The rich man should take pride in his low position.  Though materially rich, he has been humbled by the recognition that his riches cannot bring him eternal life........ the rich man has come to receive true riches in Christ.

Think about a couple of passages........consider the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 17:19-31)
• consider the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-23)

Or what about Revelation 2:8-9.......  8"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: 

 9'I know your tribulation and your poverty but you are rich,

Both the rich man and the poor man find their hope in the spiritual reality of God’s grace in Christ. Their material standing does not matter........The poor man is not kept from the treasures of heaven by his poverty.......... The rich man cannot gain the treasures of heaven by his wealth.

Philippians 4:11-12

11Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 

12I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

Wealth in and of itself is not bad…it is when we place that wealth above our service and dedication to God

1 Timothy 6:17-18

 17Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

1 Corinthians 7:22 

 22 For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave. 

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 

 17For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Mark 4:19  Parable of the sower 

8 "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 

19but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

VERSE 11

Isaiah 40:7-8 

7 The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

I know I’ve used this illustration many times before......but if you look at Scripture..... there are only 3 things which will pass from this life into eternity.......does anyone remember what they are?  Here’s one of them right in this Isaiah passage.......God, God’s Word......the souls of men.

1 Peter 1:24-25 

 24 For, "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS.  THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,
 25 BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER "  And this is the word which was preached to you.

So it is with possessions and their possessors. They are here for a very short time and then they are gone.  The point is that we cannot place eternal significance on that which is temporal.  Material wealth does not last.  We will die one day and our wealth will be gone. We cannot depend on that which we cannot take beyond the grave.

ILL: There was a man who loved money more than anything. He worked all his life and hoarded as much as he could. Just before he died, he told his wife, “When I die, put all my money in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me.” She promised him that she would.  At his funeral, just before the undertakers closed the casket, his wife put a box in the casket. The casket was closed and rolled away.  The wife’s friend said, “I know you didn’t put all that money in there with that man. You weren’t foolish enough to do that.”

The wife said, “I promised him I would put the money in the casket.”

”You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him?” her friend asked.

”Yes” she said, “I wrote him a check.”

Listen, there is coming a day when all our accumulated wealth is going to be just as good as that check. When the petals of this fragile flower called life have wilted and died, our possessions are going to be of no value to us. 

We cannot trust in material things. One man got very upset with his pastor for talking about God’s ownership of all things and the transitory nature of our possessions. The man invited the preacher over to his lavish estate. He walked him through the gardens and woods of the elaborate grounds of the estate. When the tour was complete, he said, “Now, are you going to tell me that all of this land does not belong to me?” The pastor smiled and said, “Ask me that same questions 100 years from now.”
Listen beloved. 100 years from now, perhaps 50 years from now, perhaps 10 years from now, perhaps one year from now our possessions are going to mean nothing. We will be gone or they will be gone or both. They don’t last. 

The world views true treasure in terms of bank accounts, houses, stocks, cars, boats, businesses, etc. In the world’s eyes, the accumulation of these treasures is significant. The importance of people is measured by how much of this treasure they own and control.

How seductive is this view of possessions? Just consider the financial scandals of the past year. Enron, World Com, even Martha Stewart. The desire to gain possessions and the accompanying sense of control and prestige they give led these executives and businesses into personal and financial ruin. 

This is what happens when possessions possess us.  As one man described it, it is like a fly who lands on flypaper and thinks it is his flypaper. He doesn’t realize until too late the flypaper has him. James is trying to help us adopt a view of possessions which keeps the possessions from possessing us.

QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELF......

Are your possessions possessing you?

Are you neglecting your spiritual life because you are consumed with accumulating more?
Is your family suffering so that you can maintain a certain lifestyle which you have come to associate with success?

Do discussions of money and possessions dominate your conversation with your spouse?

    We were talking about something Friday morning in Men’s Bible study that sorta relates here......and I don’t remember how we got onto it......but the questions was asked, “Why did Jesus do what He did?”  Why did He die for us?  (SALVATION)

THAT’S WHAT WE PREACH......HALF THE GOSPEL.  WHAT ABOUT LORDSHIP OF OUR LIVES?  WE DON’T WANT THAT......WE’RE AMERICANS......WE’RE FREE.......

    Is that what we’re going to end up doing here?  NOBODY NEEDS TO BE TELLING ME NOT TO GET MORE STUFF.......I LIKE JESUS JUST FINE AND ALL......AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT ETERNAL SECURITY THING.......BUT NOBODY NEEDS TO BE TELLING ME NOT TO GET MORE STUFF.......THAT’S WHAT AMERICANS ARE......WE’RE THE SUM OF OUR STUFF!!!!

    The other half of the gospel is allowing Jesus Christ to LIVE IN US.  

    When we die, it won’t matter how much we had but what we did with it that influences our reward in heaven.  Don't try to fill the emptiness of your life with things that will only fade and pass away.  Someone has well said, “The man who has no money is poor. The man who has only money is poorer still.”  

James 1:12-18

12Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 

 13Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 

 14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 

 15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 

 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 

 17Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 

 18In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

OK…..this is about our 4th installment in the book of James…….and all the way through so far we’ve been dealing with trials……the trials of life……and this morning as we get into verses 12 thru 18 of chapter one we’ll be on the same subject.  This morning we’re going to be talking about overcoming struggles……..not the struggles that we face from without…….but the struggles that we face from within.  The passage this morning is going to deal with winning the battle over temptation.  

We deal with temptation on a daily basis.  Kinda like the little 4-year old girl who was caught by her Mom standing on a stool in the kitchen eating cookies. Her Mom had told her that she was not to have any cookies until after dinner. When caught red-handed and confronted by her Mom, she said “Mom, it’s not my fault, honest! I climbed up on that stool because I just wanted to smell them…….and my tooth got caught in one!”

OK……so what is TEMPTATION?  

noun

1. 

something that seduces or has the quality to seduce 

2. 

the desire to have or do something that you know you should avoid; "he felt the temptation and his will power weakened" 

3. 

the act of influencing by exciting hope or desire;

 Is it sin?  NO
What is sin?  1 John 3:4  Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 

1 John 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 

 (We can’t stop a bird from flying over our head…..but we can keep them from nesting in our hair.) 

What kind of things tempt us?  Cheating, stealing, lying, gossip, over-eating, sex, drinking……

So……the main thrust of the passage today is going to be temptation……and it starts in verse 12 and then is expanded in the next few verses.  Verse 12 says:  “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”   

The phrase translated "perseveres under trial" in the NASB can also be translated "enduring temptation."……as in the KJV.  “Trials” in verses 12 is rooted in the same Greek word PEIRASMOS that is translated as "tempted" in verse 13.

The variance can probably most easily be seen in a couple of illustrations.  Let’s say that a man gets laid off from work. That is a trial. He begins to experience the pressure of needing income. Temptation then uses that same circumstance to lure him into stealing to provide for his family.

Or what about a person whose spouse has grown distant toward them. That’s a trial. The person begins to feel the need for some attention and affection. Temptation then uses that same circumstance to lure them into an affair with another person.  

The fact that trials and temptations often come together compels James to address the issue of temptation.

So…..the idea is here that we are to PERSEVERE……the same concept of ENDURANCE that he just talked about in verse 4…….and if we got the concept down that he laid out earlier…. it’s pretty easy to see that our attitude in these trials can be developed by whatever the end result may be.  In verse 4……ENDURANCE results in our completeness…….our perfection.  Here in verse 12…..PERSEVERANCE results in a reward also……THE CROWN OF LIFE.  

In Scripture we see that the concept of rewards and crowns are somewhat interchangeable.  Let’s look at a few passages here and try to figure out what he’s talking about.  1 Cor. 3:12-14 – Rev. 2:10 – 1 Pet. 5:4 – Rev. 3:11…..and ultimately, what do we do with these crowns?  Rev. 4:10-11.

There’s two views of what this idea of “crown of life” is dealing with here…..one is that he’s talking about eternal life.  The second is that he’s talking about a life of fullness……completeness in the here and now.  I think both concepts are included……but either way……there’s a promise from God that perseverance results in reward.  God has blessings in store for those that are faithful in keeping His commandments and that love and serve Him. The gift of blessing is what God promises to us who endure temptation.

OK……let’s go on to verses 13-15……. 13Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 

 14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 

 15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 

Now there was obviously a move afoot back in the first century to blame God for tempting you……therefore, it wasn’t your fault.  Does that still happen today?  Sure it does.  I’ve talked to people who make statements such as, “That’s just the way God made me.”  OR “That’s just the way I am.”  Well……I never doubted it is the way you are….. but is it the way God wants you to be?

Does God tempt us?  (Certainly this verse says He doesn’t.)

Alright……how about this one…….Does God test us?  (Abraham and Isaac – Job God allowed such external trails to prove Job’s commitment and faithfulness. God allowed Satan to test Job, these were “external” temptations ... coming not from within Job’s heart but coming from Satan’s schemes. – etc.)  What’s the difference?

When the Union-Pacific railroad was under construction an elaborate trestle bridge was built over a large canyon along the route connecting St. Louis and California. Before opening it to traffic the bridge was put to a test. A train was loaded with extra cars and equipment to double its normal payload, then it was driven out into the middle of the bridge and parked there for a whole day. One worker complained, "Are you trying to break this bridge?" "No," said the engineer. "I’m trying to prove that the bridge is unbreakable." 

These kinds of temptations or trials are to prove our character, not destroy it!

One undeniable fact about temptation is that it is inevitable.  It’s going to come.  You can count on it! You can depend on it! It’s going to happen. Notice what James said in the first line of verse 13 – “Let no one say when he is tempted….” – notice James didn’t say “if” he is tempted…….he said “when he is tempted.

There’s no place on earth that you can avoid temptation……you see the problem is that wherever you go……you bring you with you!  You bring your mind and your heart……and we are perfectly capable and vile enough and sinful enough to bring all of that temptation with us.  We will never be in a place on earth where there is no temptation. As long as we live within these fleshly bodies and on this earth we will face temptation.

We live in a society that doesn’t accept responsibility for anything……and certainly not for our sin.  When we’re tempted and we fail we have a plethora of excuses….don’t we?

Think about it……your kid comes home from school with a bad grade on a paper. Have you ever heard them say “It was that dumb teachers fault! He didn’t explain to us how to do it!”

Or how about somebody who gets angry and looses control…….How many times have you heard someone say, “I was minding my own business. I wasn’t going to say a word, but they just went on and on and finally I just lost it and I sure put them in their place! It was their fault. They made me lose it! Serves them right!”

In marriage counseling we hear it all the time…… “Sure I got mad……but she just kept it up until I blew up.  If she hadn’t done it I wouldn’t have gotten angry!”

This kind of reaction to responsibility for sin has been going on since the dawn of time.  We all know the account of Adam and Eve…….did they do anything like this?  (Gen 3:12-13…… The man said, "The woman YOU put here with me—SHE gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"  The woman said, "THE SERPENT deceived me, and I ate.") 

Eve was the first person in the world to coin the phrase, “The devil made me do it!”  We hear that phrase a lot…….Well…….the devil may have tempted her……..but he didn’t force her to eat of that fruit. 

So……where does the majority of temptation really come from? James answers that question in verses 14 and 15. “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” 

So……where does it come from?  (From ourselves…..from our own lusts.)  

We’re born with it.  For years scientists were puzzled about apples that had worms in them but had no breaks in the surface of the apple! How did they get inside when there did not appear to be any outward signs of entrance? What they discovered was…….. a certain worm lays its eggs right on the apple blossom in Spring…….and as the apple develops it grows right around the egg. Later when the apple nears it complete maturing process so does the insect egg…….it hatches and eats its way out from the inside! 

The seed of sin was planted in us by Adam and Eve, ever since then it has been found in the heart of each human at birth, eating its way out in our thoughts and actions as we grow!

Each one of us is perfectly capable of sinning all by our selves.  We give the devil way too much credit.  We don’t need him to sin……we’re good enough to do it all by our selves.  How do we know this?  (Certainly from this passage….but also Jeremiah 17:9)

How do we know that temptation doesn’t come from God?  (From this passage and 1 John 1:5)  

So……temptation is something that’s enticing……it draws us……it bids us to sin.  How many people here this morning have been fishing?  (Call on kid)  What do you use to catch fish? (Bait…..a bait that interests and entices the fish…..depending on what kind of fish you’re trying to catch or where you’re fishing.)

Then what happens? (Hopefully there’s a fish swimming around who sees the bait and says, “wow! That sure looks great! I’d like to have me some of that.” Now at this point the fish has to make a decision. He can stay in his hiding place, safe and secure, or he can go after the bait. If he yields to the temptation, goes after the bait, and gets caught, we all know where he ends up later, don’t we?)

Is there anything we can do about it……or are we doomed?  There’s plenty we can do about it……unfortunately we usually choose not to……or we play with temptation……just see how much we can get away with and not get burned.  I remember an old “Hee-Haw” episode……where a guy goes up to Dr. Campbell and says, “Doc, I broke my arm in two places.”  And Campbell tells him, “From now on I’d stay outa those two places.)

We need to stay out of those places that have the potential to cause us harm……but we don’t do we?  This is another area that I see Christians rationalizing their sin……blaming God for what they’ve done.  And I think we’ve all seen it to some degree.  Kinda like the woman who’s trying to loose weight…..and she’s sincere about it……..even changing the route she took to work everyday in order to avoid going past the bakery that tempted her. One morning, however, she arrived at work carrying a big gigantic coffee cake and announces that, “This is a very special coffee cake.  The Lord wanted me to have it.” 

She explained…….I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and there in the window were the most gorgeous coffee cakes they’ve ever had. I felt that it was no accident that I accidentally had gone by the bakery so I prayed, “Lord, if you want me to have one of those delicious coffee cakes, let me find a parking place directly in front of the bakery.”

“And sure enough,” she continued, “the 8th time I drove around that block, there it was!”

That’s us……..we tend to play around with temptation; hanging out near its edge…….driving around the block 8 times.  We can’t play with fire and expect not to get burned.  When we sin, we sin by our own choice…….and then we own the consequences.

In these verses, James gives us a picture of the way sin develops……matures and gives birth.  When sin is conceived within us…….it has a way of changing us that is overwhelmingly negative. We become more self-centered……less concerned about other people in the world…….and it affects our ability to understand what is important and what isn’t. 

So what kind of sins are capable of leading to this kind of damage? Any kind actually. Everybody’s different……we all have certain weaknesses for different things. But as James points out, they always start with our own lusts…..or our own DESIRE. That’s the tricky part, because not all desires are bad. 

For example…….a man has a desire to provide for his family…… a good desire……a worthy desire. But once our sinful nature gets hold of it……it can lead to a father or mother who is so wrapped up in their work and their career that they never even see their family anymore. The original desire, and for that matter the original goal has been warped or twisted to the point where it does the exact opposite of what was intended…….in “supporting” the family…….they have actually withdrawn their support. 

The desire for sexual intimacy is a good desire and a great blessing within the context of marriage....but once the sinful nature gets hold of this desire……it can twist it so that it is no longer a constructive blessing but a destructive curse…….and that desire then lives itself out in sinful and destructive ways. 

We could take any good desire that is common to man…….add that sinful nature to it and a potentially life-changing sin will be conceived within. What follows is the whole gestation period that James talks about here until that sin is finally “born”. 

The illustration James uses here is one that we can understand.  When a woman becomes pregnant…….she begins to think about her baby a lot. That’s good. She begins to make changes in her life to accommodate the life that grows inside her. That’s also good. She starts to read books on the subject and get information…….she finds herself attracted to others who are pregnant like she is. 

The same thing happens when anyone allows a sin to be implanted within them. They begin to think about it a lot. They begin to make changes in their life to accommodate the sin. They look for things that support what they are now thinking and feeling…….they will find themselves attracted to others who have the same condition as they wait for it to go full term. But unlike the birth of a baby that brings new life into the world…….the birth of sin brings death.

Let’s go on with the rest of the passage…….. (16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.)

Following up with what he’s just said……James is telling us, “Contrary to what you may think…….God doesn’t tempt us……in fact…….God gives only good and perfect gifts.  Don’t be deceived into thinking that God would be the
Mastermind of evil in your life.

James covers both angles here…..both the act of giving and the gifts that are given are perfect…..because they are from God…..which God?  The Creator God…..the God who created the sun, moon and stars……and what is one quality of His basic nature?  He is unchanging…..He’s always the same……He never deviates from who He is.  The implication is that His gifts are consistently good and perfect in keeping with His nature.

God created us…….it was He that brought us forth in His truth……and He has a plan for us…….to be His first fruit among all His creation.  When He created man on the sixth day……and looked at what He had made……what did He say?  (It is very good.)  That’s what He wants us to be.

So…..how do we go about it?  How do we defeat this thing we face called temptation?  Is there any hope for us?  (I Corinthians 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.)

God has promised that we do not need to give birth to sin……He’s provided a way out.  What we have to do is seek that door and take it.  Where do we start dealing with sin? Not at the end of the process but the beginning. We start by learning to control our desires. We learn to control the emotions that drive those desires. How? By renewing our mind with God’s Word and learning to yield to the Holy Spirit. By developing godly desires. By looking into the consequences of living an ungodly life and building up a resistance to those things that might entice us.

An illustration along these lines that really hit me was the story of a middle school principal that was getting tired of the young girls putting lipstick marks all over the bathroom mirrors.  They’d stand in front of the mirror and put on their lipstick and then kiss the mirror.  So, one day she invited all the girls into the bathroom to instruct them. She said, “All these lipstick marks are making the work of our custodian very difficult. He has to put a lot of effort into cleaning these mirrors.”  She then asked the custodian to clean the mirror. He took a long-handled brush and dipped it into the toilet and proceeded to clean the mirror with it. The lipstick marks were no longer a problem.  When tempted to sin, if we could only see the real filth we would be kissing, we wouldn’t be near as attracted to it.

We need to realize a few things in order to defeat temptation…..and the first thing is that we will never get beyond temptation in this life. (I Corinthians 10:12  Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.)  If we think we’re beyond temptation……we’re wrong.

 Second……. Don’t underestimate the power of sin.  It isn’t harmless. You can’t tame it. You can’t control it…….even if you think you can. Christians sometimes think they can handle sin. They believe they can control it…….and that’s part of the power of sin……..its power to make you think you can handle it. You don’t take it seriously. You don’t think it will be a problem. Other people are stupid…….you think you’ll be different. It’s not going to happen. 

Third……Don’t underestimate the power of God.  We need to realize God has wisdom about your temptation. (II Peter 2:9   “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,”).  We need to go to Him…..if we need wisdom about how to deal with our temptation……we only need to ask.

We want to take sin seriously and realize its power and danger…….but we do not want to be paranoid about sin. We don’t want to begin to think evil is more powerful than God. God is not only able to help us in the time of temptation…….He’s able to deliver us from the power and grip of sin.

And the fourth thing we need to do is to PURPOSE TO LIVE IN FREEDOM.  It’s interesting how this culture views the laws of God. They see them as bondage. And they see giving in to their desires as freedom…….when actually the opposite is true. (Proverbs 5:22  His own iniquities will capture the wicked, And he will be held with the cords of his sin.). 

(2 Peter 2:18-19    18For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved). That doesn’t sound like freedom to me.

(John 8:34  Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.). 

We’ll close with a story I heard that may help us understand this last concept.  Many years ago……a Persian general had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and “the big, black door.” Once, when they captured a spy……the moment for execution drew near…….and the spy was brought to the general. “What will it be,” asked the general, “the firing squad or ‘the big, black door’?” 

The spy thought for a long time. He did not know what terrors laid behind the black door. It could be torture of the worst kind. Finally he chose the firing squad. It was not long until shots ring out…….and the condemned spy fell to the ground dead. The general turned to his aide and said, “They always prefer the known to the unknown. People fear what they don’t know. Yet, we gave him a choice.” 

“What lies beyond the big door?” the aide asked. 

“Freedom,” replied the general. “I’ve known only a few brave enough to take that door.” 

God is wanting us to choose freedom and live in it……..but a lot of us lack the courage to go there. They choose the familiar even though it means death. They know that what they’re doing is destroying them…….but they’re familiar with that world. Freedom is a frightening thing, but don’t let that keep you from opening the door to it. Jesus said, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.  HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, (Luke 4:18).

JAMES 1:19a

Let’s pretend that you work for me…….just because I’ve always wanted people to work for me…….but I’m not smart enough……..so this morning…..we’re going to pretend I am smart enough……and each one of you works for me.  Now this is just pretend….. ‘cause I’m also not rich enough for any of you to work for me.  OK…..so you work for me……..in fact you’re my executive assistant in a rapidly growing company. I’m the owner and I’m interested in expanding overseas. To pull this off……I make plans to travel abroad and to stay there until the new overseas branch gets established…….and I leave you in charge of the busy stateside organization. I tell you that I will write to you regularly and give you direction and instruction.

I leave and you stay. Months pass. A flow of letters are sent from Europe and received by you at the national headquarters. I spell out all my expectations. Finally......I return.......and I drive down to the office. I am stunned......I’m horrified.......I’m irritated! Grass and weeds have grown up high all around our building. A few windows along the street are broken. I walk into the receptionist’s office and she’s doing her nails…….chewing gum and listening to her favorite disco station. I look around and notice the wastebaskets are overflowing……the carpet hasn’t been vacuumed for weeks........and nobody seems concerned that I’ve even returned.  

I ask about your whereabouts and someone in the crowded lounge area points down the hall and yells "I think he’s in there." disturbed I move down the hall and bump into you as you are finishing a chess game with our sales manager. I ask you to step into my office (which has been converted into a television room for watching soap operas).
"What in the world is going on, man?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, look at this place didn’t you get any of my letters?"

"LETTERS? Oh, yeah, sure, got every one of them. As a matter of fact we had a letter study every Friday night since you left. We even divided the personnel into small groups and discussed the things you wrote. Some of those things were really interesting. You’ll be pleased to know that many of us have committed to memory some of the sentences and paragraphs in your letters--one or two even memorized an entire letter or two. Great stuff in those letters!"

"OK, OK, you got my letters, studied them meditated on them, discussed them even memorized them. BUT WHAT DID YOU DO ABOUT THEM?"

“Do--uh, we didn’t do anything about them."

WOW!!!!  We are in the Book of James this morning……chapter one verses 19-21…..and though we call it the BOOK of James…..this is actually a letter…..written by the Holy Spirit through the leader of the 1st century church in Jerusalem……and it’s exactly that…….a LETTER.  And it is written to believers on the subject of what they’re supposed to do until the owner gets back.  It’s written to US about how we’re supposed to live on this earth until the Lord returns.  And when you put it in the context of my imaginary company……and imaginary employees……it starts to take on a different picture, doesn’t it?  I wonder……how’s the Owner going to find the place…….With weeds and broken windows……or everything in order…..running like a Swiss watch?

We’re going to deal with a small portion of chapter one today……three verses……and these verses begin a section of the letter that really zeros in on how we’re supposed to be living.  We’re about to enter into a passage that tells us a lot of the day-to-day Christian walk.  These verses are actually something of a temperature gauge to allow us to take a look at whether or not we’re serious about walking the walk.  He’s going to challenge believers with the idea of being DOERS and not just HEARERS.  And the section starts with three verses that set the tone for the entire thought.  As soon as we read them I think we could all say that a lot of messages could be formulated from this portion of Scripture……and I also think that very few of us could say, “Hey, I have no problem with that passage!”  So......someone go ahead and read verses 19-21…….

This you know, my beloved brethren but everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.  Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

Quick to listen……slow to speak……slow to become angry……that pretty well sums up all of us in this room……right?  Not even close……for the most part…..the human nature is slow to listen, quick to speak and quick to become angry…..aren’t we?  We don’t want to listen…….we want to speak……we want to be heard……we want to talk………and usually about ourselves.  

Let’s look at this passage piece by piece to see exactly what James is saying here.  First, he says that this is something we should know.  In the context of what he’s been talking about……trials……temptations……God’s blessings…..this is how we should act.  And he tells us clearly who he’s talking to……his beloved brethren……believers……people in the church.  The unfortunate thing is that James is addressing a problem in the first century that has carried on through today.  

James is giving us three keys to living a successful Christian life in these verses.......three keys to having great relationships......with each other and with God Himself.  Quick to listen.......slow to speak........slow to become angry.  And I want to take this passage on its face as far as application.  There is nothing in the text that would indicate that James is referring back to what he’s just said or forward to what he’s about to say.  The admonition seems to stand on its own.......therefore I think we can conclude that James is dealing here not only with how we’re supposed to act towards one another......but also how we’re to act toward God and “the Word that’s been implanted in us.”  

So.....let’s start out with being quick to listen in regard to our relationships with one another.  Is this something that would define us as human beings......being quick to listen?  NO......it goes against our very nature doesn’t it?  

We’ve all been in conversations with people who just can’t wait until you shut up so that they can speak.  You can tell they aren’t listening to a word you’ve said.......they just sit there contemplating what they’re going to say if you just pause a second so they can speak.  It’s annoying isn’t it?  But do any of us do that?  Probably most of us!  What does Proverbs 18:13 say regarding this type of activity?  (“He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him.”)

For real communication to take place we have to practice listening.  I couldn’t tell you the number of times we’ve sat across from a couple in counseling and the complaint is, “He never listens to me”....... “She never seems to listen to me.”  How can we minister to someone if we don’t listen......if we don’t know them......if we don’t know their needs and feelings and desires?  Look at the book of Job.......Job’s friends were lousy listeners.  They just talked.......and they had little to say of real value.  If they would have just listened both they and Job would have been better off. 

We said it earlier......this doesn’t come naturally......it’s something we need to practice.  We need to learn to listen to a person’s words and listen to their feelings being expressed through those words.  This means actually listening........focusing on what they are saying.  It means turning off the TV.......it means putting down the book.......it means stopping what you are doing and showing that person that they matter.

I have a good example of how important it is for people to be listened to.......how needy people naturally are in the area of being heard.  Everybody has a purpose in life......and in this case my purpose is to be a bad example.  One afternoon a guy was at my house.....a fellow believer and we were talking in the living room......sitting right across from each other.  It was during a period in my life where I was working a lot of hours and was incredibly tired.  Anyway......I can make all the excuses I want to.....but the fact is that I sat right there and fell asleep while the guy was talking to me.  I was astonished at how badly it hurt his feelings........he never forgave me for it.......he’s still angry to this day.  But it certainly taught me a valuable lesson about how needy people are to be listened to.

What about when it comes to God.......are we talkers or listeners?  Scripture is filled with instruction regarding our responsibility to listen.  48 times in the books of Wisdom the writer admonishes us to “Listen to the words spoken to you”......Jesus Himself on numerous occasions said “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  What does Romans 10:17 says? – “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”.   SO HEARING SEEMS TO BE PRETTY IMPORTANT!!!!

Mark 8:18  "HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember,

Acts 28:27-28  FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,  AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM."' "Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen."

When I was looking at this concept of being a listener.......especially when it comes to my relationship with God.......I came across a passage that actually concerned me......and it gave me pause to think how important it is to set aside time to listen......to purpose to BE a listener. John 10:3-5  3"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  4"When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5"A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."

What’s the concern here?  If I have not trained my ear to hear the Lord when He speaks.......how will I know it’s Him?  Does that scare you a little bit when you think about it?  When I really need to hear Him how will I know it’s Him if I don’t recognize His voice?  The reason most people can not distinguish between God’s voice and other voices is because they haven’t spent time listening to God when He speaks.  We need to be trained listeners.  

I got to thinking about it......when do we communicate with God?  (During our prayer times.)  OK......then what do our prayer times look like?  “Well God......I want this and that....... and heal this guy .......and don’t let bad things happen to me........” and I just talk and talk and talk.  Is there a time in my prayer life to listen?  Have I made it a priority to listen to God?  What does Psalm 46:10 say? "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  Do we do that?  Is it important?

We need to be quick to listen.  So.....how do we do that?  Well, ask yourself a few questions......

How often do I listen to God and others?

Can I think of any ways to improve my listening skills?

How often do I actively-intentionally listen to what God is instructing me to do?

How good am I at understanding what someone has said to me?

When we decide to develop a listening lifestyle........we’ve got to intentionally set aside the time to do it. When it comes to listening to God......it doesn’t have to be any grand scale plan we need to come up with.  We can purpose to utilize those little times of solitude that already exist in our lives.  Purpose to listen to the Lord......give Him opportunity to speak to you in........

• The morning when you take a shower.........

• The drive to work........

• Waiting for the light to change......

• Waiting in line at the grocery store or bank......

• Walks during the day.......

• maybe when you’re eating alone.......

• At night when your head first hits the pillow

• Take a coffee break or picnic lunch to work.......with the intention of being alone with the Lord.

• Stay up later or get up earlier to find a few moments of solitude.

• Schedule your day more loosely. We all have the excuse that “I’m just too busy.” It’s valid......we’re all busy.......but scheduling a time of solitude is as important as the busy time. The key is make time for listening to the Lord and to others.

James exhorts us to learn to be quick to listen because once we have learned that skill it will help us be slow to speak......which is his next key to good relationships within the Body and with God........what about being slow to speak?  We saw that Scripture has a lot to say about listening.......but it pales in comparison to what it says about speaking.  The tongue seems to be a pretty hot topic in the Bible.

James spends considerable time a little later in this letter dealing with the atrocities of the tongue.......now he’s just going to give us a taste of it in relation to listening and anger......and it’s another of those things we are not naturally drawn to doing......being slow to speak.

Again......this can be broken down into our relationships with one another and our relationship to God.  Let’s look at our relationship with each other first......being slow to speak.  Just as being a good listener is a key to our maturity.......so is being slow to speak.........learning to control our tongues and not letting our emotions run our mouths is a characteristic of spiritual maturity.  How do I know that?  Scripture says so....... Proverbs 15:28  says...... “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”

Proverbs 18:2.......... “A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind.”

Proverbs 29:20...... “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?  There is more hope for a fool than for him.” 

Taming the tongue is one of the other skills we need to actively institute into our lives.  If we fail to do this in our life we fail in one of our major responsibilities as a Christian........being an example......being a light for others.  

Think about the damage we do when we are not slow to speak.  We hurt people’s feelings and reputations......we embarrass ourselves, the Lord and other people.  As parents we damage our kids with our mouths......as teenagers we hurt one another with unkind things.  

Those who are quick to speak show a lack of spiritual maturity and it comes in a lot of very visible forms.......and when we look at some of them we’ll readily see some people we know.......it won’t be us of course......or maybe it will be.  Scripture classifies some of these character flaws.......like gossip for instance.

Someone who is quick to speak is usually quick to run others down......quick to spread rumors or fabricate information to stir up dissention.    Proverbs 16:28: A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.

Proverbs 26:20-26: Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.21As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.22The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts. 23Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.24A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.25Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.

How about the critical person.......is he slow to speak?  Do we have some of them in the church today?  We all know him.......that’s the guy who constantly complains and gives others unwanted advice.  They’re the ones who have appointed themselves everyone’s judge and jury. They take pride in pointing out your flaws......your mistakes.  They’re the ones in the crowd who can always find a cloud in the sky on a sunny day.

These are the people who have deceived themselves into thinking that God wants them to do this.  They actually believe they have the gift of criticism.  They actually think that if everyone would do what they wanted all the problems in society and life and in the church would be solved.

Jesus certainly had to deal with critical people a lot in His ministry......they criticized Him for being a glutton, a drunkard, for associating with sinners......but what did He say in Matthew 7 verses 1-2?   1"Do not judge so that you will not be judged.  2"For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

OK......here’s another one we’ve all run into.....the martyr.  Those who are quick to speak about their own misfortunes.  They’re always recounting how each day they are the victim.  Their words are laced with self-pity and the “woe is me” speeches.  They’re quick to proclaim how life is unfair to them.

This type of person is exactly what James is talking about here.  They are just the opposite of being quick to listen and slow to speak.  The flaw here is that these are people who are so wrapped up in themselves that they fail to see there’s a whole world out there that needs ministered to.  So what’s the biblical problem here?  What does Luke 9:23 tell us?  “And He was saying to them all, " If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

OK......here’s another guy that’s never slow to speak....... The pessimist......The Wet Blanket......the guy who is negative about everything.  His standard arsenal of weapons includes such provocative statements as.......“It’s no use trying!”

 “You can give it a shot, but you’ll never make it.”

 “We tried that before, and it didn’t work.”

 “It can’t be done!”

 The Pharisee’s in John 9 are a good example.......look at how they acted with the blind man’s healing.  They could find nothing good about it.

I’ve heard it said that “a pessimist is one who feels bad when he feels good for fear he‘ll feel worse when he feels better.” 

They are cynical........their talk is deflating..........they’re always finding fault.......they’re melancholy......and they can contaminate an entire room with their negative attitudes.  Where is the HOPE in their lives?  What does Hebrews 10:23 have to say?  “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”  

These are all character flaws that have no place in the church.......no place in the hearts of people who are called by the name of Jesus.  We need to be SLOW TO SPEAK .......because when we’re not.......we reveal who we really are.  Who’s got Matthew 15:11?  "It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

I don’t want to sidestep an issue that’s a pretty good illustration of the problem being addressed in this passage today.  We’ve experienced it recently right here in this Body.  When something happens that we don’t like what’s our first inclination……to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry?  Is our tendency to hear out what’s being said or what’s being done……or to get mad and talk about how awful decisions are and how bad the people are who made them?  Is our tendency to be listeners or is it to be talkers…..gossipers……those who do harm rather than who bring healing?  We need to keep in mind that James is telling Christians how to live……these are his beloved brethren……..and it’s obvious that we haven’t changed much.  We have the same basic problems today as the Christians in the first century.  

OK.......that develops our being “slow to speak” in regards to our relationships with one another.......what about in our relationship with God?  The same thing holds true.......we talked about it earlier......just look at our prayer times.  Do we take time to listen at all?  Do we even pause to catch our breath........or do we have a long list of things we’ve got to get God to do and we disregard the conversational aspect of prayer?  What about when we come together to worship?  Look at what Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 says......1”Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. 2Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.”

Wow.....kinda interesting......let us draw near to God to LISTEN.  That’s something of a different concept.

Alright.......what’s the third concept that James lays out to us in order that we reflect the kind of life that God desires us to show?  SLOW TO ANGER.  And since this is a major point that the Holy Spirit desires us to put into action......we’re going to save it for the next time.  We aren’t racing anybody here.......so it’s not going to hurt to go a little slow so that we can insure that we get what’s being said.......not just so we can know it......but much more importantly.......so that we can do it!

JAMES 1:19b-25

OK......we’re still in James chapter 1 and the last time we talked about it we learned that we were to be quick to listen and slow to speak.  And probably the thing that stuck to me the most about our last study was the concept that this is a letter.  We call it the Book of James.......but it’s a letter.  And the comparison to the head of a company writing letters back to headquarters telling them how to do things.......that probably hit me the hardest.  Because that’s exactly what we have here.  The Owner of the company has written us a letter on how we’re supposed to act......what we’re supposed to do until He returns.  I have to admit......it put things in something of a different light for me.

So.....without further ado this morning......we did end up just doing two thirds of verse 19 the last time......so let’s start out reading there at verse 19 and go through verse 25....... 

19This you know, my beloved brethren But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 

20for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 

21Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 

22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 

23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 

24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 

25But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

So......overall.....this passage is a pretty familiar one......we’ve heard it......we’ve sat through teachings upon it......we’ve even committed some of it to memory.  But what have we done with it?   How do we truly apply it?  

We found out last time just how important it is to be quick to hear......and slow to speak......what about this slow to anger part of it?  Well......the next verse tells us the primary reason for not being angry.......our anger does not achieve the righteousness of God.  That in itself is sufficient reason to not become angry.  But let’s look at this subject of anger from it’s very roots.  First of all......is being angry a sin?  (GET RESPONSES)  Why?  Why not?

God’s anger burned against unrighteousness throughout the Old Testament.  He was angry at a lot of people.  There are scores of passages that say, “The anger of the Lord was kindled against”......someone.  God can’t sin......so anger isn’t a sin in this case.

Jesus was angry.  Can anyone think of a time that Jesus became angry?   (Moneychangers in the temple.....He became a bit perturbed at Peter a couple of time....)  But Jesus never sinned.

Ephesians 4:26 says.......BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 

The Scriptural point here is that not all anger is wrong. Not all anger is sinful. Not all anger is misplaced. How do you become angry without sinning? You become angry without sinning when your anger is directed against acts that violate the gospel......that go against the grain of Christian compassion......which are an affront to God......acts which hurt God’s people. There are any number of things that call for our moral outrage and our righteous indignation.  The person who cannot feel anger at evil is a person who lacks enthusiasm for good. If you cannot hate wrong.......it’s very questionable whether you really love righteousness.

So.....it would appear from Scripture that it’s alright to be angry......we just aren’t supposed to sin when we get angry.  What is it that angers us?  What is it that makes YOU mad? (GET RESPONSES)  Tish’s definition......and I don’t know if it’s really hers or not......but often I’ve heard her say that we get angry for two reasons.  Either we didn’t get something we wanted.......or we got something we didn’t want.  And that’s probably pretty accurate.

We’re not much different than anyone else in history.  Scripture is full of illustrations of man’s anger with man.......

• Genesis 27.......Esau was angry with Jacob

• Gen. 39........Potiphar was angry with Joseph

• Miriam and Aaron were angry with Moses Numbers 12

• John 9 the Pharisees were angry with Jesus

There’s just a whole lotta anger in the Bible......people mad at other people......it’s been that way since the beginning.......and none of it achieves the righteousness of God.  Proverbs 14:17  A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of evil devices is hated.”  Wow.......A quick tempered man does stupid things!”

OK.......so Scripture tells us there is a righteous anger.......but let’s be honest for a minute.  Maybe I’m speaking for myself here.......but I have a feeling that most of our anger doesn’t fall into the category of righteous indignation. I would venture to guess that in the vast majority of cases of our anger.......it’s the result of having our own self-interest violated in some way or another. 

Most of our anger is aimed at little things like.......being cut off in traffic......like having your child spill milk on the new carpet........like your kids not feeding the dog;.....or when the cat gets hair all over your black pants.  

James is telling us that we need to control our anger.  Paul tells us to control our anger......these are commands from the Holy Spirit......and He wouldn’t be telling us to do something we are unable to do.  It is possible to be very slow to anger.......it is possible to be angry and not sin.......but it isn’t natural.  Our anger.....when expressed in a sinful manner is in opposition to God and His righteousness.

In the church today.....we really lose a lot of credibility through our display of anger.  We get angry with one another......we get angry with the elders......we get angry and we talk about it to others......believers and non-believers......and the witness of the church is greatly harmed in the community.  We all saw the headlines of the paper last year with the whole mess at Calvary Chapel in Albuquerque.  Was Christ glorified in any of that........or was the name of Jesus Christ drug through the mud because of people’s sin and anger?  I shudder to think what the witness of Community Bible Church has been in the community this past year......because people were angry.

There’s something here we ought to remember when we think about our own anger.......when we try to justify or rationalize our outbursts.  When Jesus Christ......the very God of all creation was hanging on a cross......humiliated......wrongly accused....... and brutally treated.......When Jesus was hanging on that cross......He wasn’t angry!

So......how do we deal biblically with this sin of anger......how do we get control of it so that we aren’t constantly failing where Christ wants us to succeed?  The only way to do it is to make a biblical plan to change this area of our lives.  If you know you struggle with anger being expressed in a sinful manner......you need to come up with a plan to deal with it before it becomes sin.  And it’s really pretty simple to initiate a plan to deal with sin.  

First......recognize that you’re about to sin and bring God into the equation immediately.  If you catch it fast enough you can get focused on bringing glory to God instead of dishonor.  PRAY....... “God....I don’t want to sin in this area......help me to refocus my thoughts and to bring honor to You.”  Ask God to set a guard over your tongue so that you do not sin.  Once you find yourself on this path it becomes much more difficult to cut loose in a tirade.  

If you’ve already failed and the Holy Spirit shows you immediately......then put I John 1:9 into action......confess your sin and turn from what you’re doing.  PRAY that God would refocus you.......seek forgiveness from the person you are angry with and begin to DO God’s Word.

Second.......learn from past mistakes.  Anticipate problem areas.  If every time you discuss finances with your spouse you become angry.......then realize this before the discussions even start.  Make God a part of the equation before you even sit down to discuss money.  Maybe take a minute to pray with your spouse.....acknowledging that it’s an area of weakness and that you do not want to sin.

Third.......learn to attack problems......not people.  Name calling doesn’t belong in a believers household. Calling another person “stupid” or treating another person disrespectfully shouldn’t even be a part of our lives.  We should learn to practice the presence of Christ in every situation. Be aware that God is right there......and He hears every word. He’s there in your household.......and with you at work. He hears every idle word and sees every thought. If I practice the presence of Christ.......I may choose my words differently.  We have got to get to a point in our lives where we begin to PURPOSE to do God’s Word in this area of anger.  

OK.......James goes on to tell us in verse (Somebody read verse 21)  21Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.   The basic concept here isn’t a difficult one......He says, “THEREFORE”.......OR SINCE.......Since our anger does not achieve the righteousness of God.....then we should be purposing to not only get rid of anger in our lives......but put aside all of the things in our lives that do not bring about God’s righteousness.  Put aside our filthiness......our wickedness and be humble creatures who accept what God has shown us through His Word......the Word that has been planted in our hearts.  

I don’t think he chose that word IMPLANTED accidentally.  It’s been planted there......and things that are planted are expected to grow.  That’s exactly what God’s Word should do in us.  James saw the human heart as a garden.......if left to itself, the soil would produce only weeds. He urges us to “pull out the weeds”......get rid of the filthiness and wickedness........and prepare the soil for the “implanted Word of God”.

Verses 22-25 begin a section of Scripture that talk to us about the dangers of SELF-DECEPTION.  There comes a point in our Christian walk that a believer has got to be honest with themselves.  If a Christian sins because Satan deceives him......well, that’s one thing.  But if he deceives himself.......that’s a far worse matter.......and the consequences can be eternal.  

(Somebody read verse 22)  22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 

Any other translations of that verse that shed a little more light on it?  King James?  The Message?  Amplified?

They DECIEVE themselves!  How great a deception are we talking about here?  Is it possible to think we’re saved and we’re not?  

Matthew 7:21-23     21"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

22"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 

23"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' 

The fact is that there are those who are deceiving themselves.  They think they are spiritual and they are not.  What was written to the angel of the church at Laodicea?  Revelation 3:17 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

Had they deceived themselves?  Sure.  It’s a mark of maturity when a person faces himself honestly.......knows himself and admits his shortcomings......and then does something about it.  It’s the immature person who pretends that he is rich and has need of nothing.  

It’s not enough to hear the Word.......we must do it. Many people have mistaken the idea that hearing a good sermon is what makes them grow and get God’s blessing.  It’s not the hearing.......but the doing that brings the blessing. Too many Christians mark their Bibles........but their Bibles never mark them! 

If you think you’re spiritual because you hear the Word......you listen to Christian radio and you watch Christian TV.....and you go to all the latest conferences......and buy all of John MacArthur’s tapes.......then you’re only kidding yourself.  We’ve stumbled drastically in the visible church today.  We preach God’s grace......and we’ve neglected the other part of the story.......obedience to His Word.

Gen. 4:6&7......Deuteronomy 28:1&15.......Matthew 7:24-27

How important is obedience?  It’s everything.  If we are not DOING God’s Word then we are only fooling ourselves.  I’ve talked to a lot of people who camp on the verse, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”  And they’ve even said......, “well, I may not be producing any fruit......but at least I’m saved.”  If you take the whole counsel of Scripture......including James 1:22.......it seems like there’s got to be some obedience in there somewhere.  If we don’t think so......we’re only deceiving ourselves.

The problem that I see in the church is that as soon as you start teaching DOING the Word.......you get accused of “WORKS ORIENTED FAITH”.  People hammer you because you’re not teaching the GRACE of God.  People......we’ve had way too much emphasis on something called EASY BELIEVISM.  

Throughout Scripture God calls upon His people to be obedient.......over 250 times obedience is referred to.....depending on which translation you have.    GRACE is mentioned.......127 times......and a whole bunch of those references refer to someone being graceful.  We want the LOVE of God in our lives.......but not the responsibility that comes with it?  Why?

I was talking with a few guys the other day about this.......and one of them brought up the fact that in America.......we don’t have the concept of KINGSHIP.  We don’t have a clue what it means to have a King.  We have our Constitution......we have our Rights.......we are politically correct and don’t offend people.  

Our democracy.......our sense of freedom and our rights has made us completely insensitive to the idea that we serve a KING.  How much power does a king have?  Do you have to obey him?  What happens if you don’t?

We just want to hear about “the love of Jesus”.......we don’t want to hear about the command of OBEDIENCE.  What is the whole gospel?  1 John 2:3.......John 14:15 & 21 & 23.  We cannot just HEAR His Word.......and study it and memorize it.  If we are not DOING His Word.....we’re only kidding.

And then James goes on to tell us what this guy looks like who just HEARS the Word of God and doesn’t DO it.     SOMEONE READ VRS. 23-25..... 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 

24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 

25But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Previously.......James compared the Word to seed being implanted in our hearts..... but here he compares it to a mirror. Who has a mirror in their home?  What’s the purpose for owning a mirror?.........to be able to see yourself and make yourself look as clean and neat and as good as possible. 

Think about how you look when you get up in the morning.  What if you looked in the mirror and said, “Wow......my hair’s a mess......I’ve got goop in the corner of my eyes.......got some crud coming out of my nose......and I’ve still got red chili on my chin from last night’s supper.  GOOD ENOUGH!”  And you walk off and do nothing about it.  Do we do that?  SOMEONE.......Do you look now like you looked when you got up this morning?  Did you use a mirror?  Did you change things?

That’s what the Word of God is supposed to do to us.......If we look into the Word and not only HEAR it......but become EFFECTUAL DOERS of it.......that is when we are blessed in what we do.

The ACTION part of Scripture is one we spend way too little time on......and it needs to become an essential part of our day.......our real walk with the Lord is not in HEARING.......but in DOING.  

Let today’s lesson be one that we really take to heart.  Take time this week to meditate on the concept.  If we don’t think the DOING of God’s Word is essential to our lives.......we have deceived ourselves.

James 1:26-2:9

Three weeks ago we ended up our study in the letter of James with the whole concept of being DOERS of the Word and not merely HEARERS who DECIEVE themselves.  We got through verse 25 of chapter 1......so that’s where we take off this morning......in verse 26 and the topic really hasn’t changed too much.  James is going to continue in his focus on WHAT CHRISTIANS ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE.  And we’ve said all along that this letter is not trying to convert non-believers......it’s just trying to give believers a practical guide to live by.

And in looking at this concept I came up with a couple of quotes that were really quite disturbing.......the first was found in a 2001 article from Christianity Today which says....... “The number one cause of atheism in America today is…….WHAT DO YOU THINK IT SAYS? Christians. Those who proclaim God with their mouths and deny Him with their lifestyles is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable.”  Wow......Our lifestyles.....the way we live is the number one reason people run away from the message of Jesus Christ.

The second is by a rather deep thinking theologian by the name of A. W. Tozer who put it this way: “There is an evil which, in its effect on the Christian religion, may be more destructive than communism, Romanism and liberalism combined. It is the glaring disparity between theology and practice among professing Christians. So wide is this gulf between theory and practice in the church that an inquiring stranger who chances upon both, would scarcely dream that there was any relation between the two of them. An intelligent observer of our human scene who heard the Sunday morning message and later watched the Sunday afternoon conduct of those who heard it would conclude that he had been examining two distinct and contrary religions. It appears to me that too many Christians want to enjoy the thrill of feeling right but are not willing to endure the inconvenience of being right. We have got to come to a point where we are genuinely moved to action by God’s Word.  There is unfortunately a great disparity between what Christians say they believe and the way they behave."

Being DOERS of the Word and not merely HEARERS who deceive themselves.  And that’s the same theme.....wrapped a bit differently that we’re going to start with this morning.  

But first.......let’s talk about RELIGION.  What is religion? We must have a definition......what is religion? (RESPONSES)  What are the tell-tale signs that distinguish the “real McCoy” from a cheap imitator?  How would you answer that? Fill in the blanks.......Real religion is ….? (RESPONSES)  

We might offer a lot of potential descriptions of the “real McCoy” when it comes to religion. Some might suggest real religion means going to church......or having perfect attendance. 

Maybe you can tell real religion by how big a Bible a person carries. Maybe it’s how a person dresses or how a lady wears her hair. Back when I was a kid a woman wouldn’t be caught dead in church without a dress......AND a hat on!  They were religious.  Maybe real religion drives a black car........Or maybe no car at all. Some might suggest that real religion sees visions.....hears voices from God or works miracles.

Who’s got verses 26-27 of James chapter 1?  26If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. 

 27Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

OK.......what’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word RELIGION? (RESPONSE)  It’s almost a bad word for Christians isn’t it?  “IF ANYONE THINKS HIMSELF TO BE RELIGIOUS.....”.  In our culture.....who would make that statement?  “I THINK MYSELF TO BE RELIGIOUS!”   Probably not many people.  Because...... and I may be wrong......but it seems that Christians have re-defined the word in a negative context.  We say things like....... “We don’t have religion......we have relationship.”  

Now........Webster defines “Religion” as, “a particular system of belief or worship built around God, moral ideals or a philosophy of life.”

But let’s look at the time this was written and the meaning of the word and we might get a little different flavor.  The word in the Greek is THREE-SKI-A......and Vine’s Expository Dictionary claims the word to mean...... “Religion in its external aspects.  Religious worship, especially ceremonial service.”

And what James is saying here is, “If you go to church......and carry your Bible to work.......and pray in the restaurant before you eat......  All those things that would make those people around you think you were a Christian........if you do all those things and yet you do not BRIDLE YOUR TONGUE......then you’re only kidding yourself.  You’re showing outward signs of religion.......but there’s nothing there......you are deceiving yourself.”

And this is the second time in this passage that he’s addressed the dangers of deceiving yourself.  “YOU’RE JUST PLAYING RELIGION”......is what he’s saying.  Real religion........real relationship........real Christianity is action.....it’s shown in what we do......and who we do it to.   There was a great line from a song back in the ’80’s........it was a take off on Jesus’ prayer from the cross: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do," .........except the lyric said, “Father forgive them for they do not what they know.”

That’s exactly what James is talking about here.......If you act religious and you don’t do a simple thing like control your tongue.......everything that you are doing that looks like Christianity is worthless!!!!

Then he goes on to explain in the next verse that this is what real religion looks like.  It visits orphans and widows......it keeps itself unstained by the world.......it DOES STUFF!  It doesn’t just stand around being religious.

I think it’s important to understand that neither of the “lists” in these two verses was meant to be exhaustive.  When James says that, “You think you’re religious but you don’t control your tongue”......he could just as easily have said....... “You think you’re religious but you don’t love your neighbor......or you don’t control your thoughts.......or you don’t honor your father and mother.”  “You think you’re religious but you don’t control your greed......your lust......your hatred.....your hostility......then your religion is worthless.”

It wasn’t meant to be a definitive list of what it really is to be religious......any more than verse 27 is meant to be an all encompassing list of those things that define pure religion........although it is fairly broad-sweeping by adding “keep yourself unstained by the world”.  

That verse could just as easily have said, “This is what pure religion is......if you give to the poor.......if you serve one another.......if you carry one another’s burdens.”  The idea here is that PURE RELIGION does stuff.  It’s not idle.......it doesn’t just go into neutral between church services......it’s active......it seeks out others......it puts the gospel of Jesus Christ on the road.  

Tish and I know a woman who goes to church every Sunday.......and every Wednesday.......and sends e-mails almost every day about God and love and angels and Jesus.......and says things like, “I feel so good when I’m in church and listening to the preacher.”  And yet she treats her husband horribly.......her everyday speech would make a sailor blush......and she has nothing nice to say about anybody.  Yet......she’s constantly bragging about being a Christian.  Mee-Kel Mon-Taine (Michel Montaigne), a 16th century renaissance writer once said, “I find no quality so easy to counterfeit as religious devotion.”

What James is saying is not singular to James.  Jesus had a lot to say about this kind of activity.  Look at Luke 11:39-40.   39But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40"You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

Who’s got Matthew 23:27?  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

Some of you have read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. It’s basically the story of a family who risked their lives to save their Jewish neighbors from the Nazis during the opening days of WWII. At one point in the book......Corrie and her sister question their father about why so many of their professing Christian neighbors were siding with the Nazis. “They are part of the same church we are,” observed young Corrie. Her wise father answers....... “Just because a mouse is in the cookie jar doesn’t make it a cookie.” 

And that’s what James is saying here.......“You can talk-the-talk all you want to.......real religion walks-the-walk.  Do not be deceived.” 

He then goes on to change gears a little bit in chapter 2.  Still talking about how Christians are supposed to act.......but now he’ll tackle another subject.  Who’s got verses 1-9 of chapter 2?

 1My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 

 2For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 

 3and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," 

 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 

 5Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 

 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 

 7Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? 

 8If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. 

 9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 

What’s the gist of this passage?.......What’s the message that he’s telling us?  There’s no room in Christ’s church for showing favoritism……we…..of all people in the world must not be RESPECTERS OF PERSONS!

Was that a problem back in the first century church?  Is it a problem in the church today?  Is it a problem in this local church?

It’s not like I’ve done a significant study of each and every individual that’s been a visitor to this Body over the past 26 years…….but I’ve certainly been able to make some observations……as I’m sure that each of you have been able to do.  Do some people get absorbed into the everyday life of Community Bible Church more readily than other people?  (Good example……church potlucks……do some people sit by themselves and get ignored?  Ask yourself…..have you ever said, “I don’t want to sit with that person?”  Do you go out of your way to sit with new folks…..or those much different than yourself?  Ask yourself WHY  or WHY NOT?)

Now……obviously there are a number of factors that attribute themselves to these observations that have been made.  We are more drawn personally to some people than to others…….through shared interests…..through common activities……through age similarities.  And James isn’t addressing these things when he discusses this concept of favoritism……is he?  What’s he talking about?  (Social standing……wealth vs. poverty……personal attire.)  If a rich guy in an Armani suit comes walking in the church door, how do you treat him? Especially when he’s followed by a skater kid coming in that looks like he lost a fight with a nail gun? Do you treat the two of them the same? Does the one get the handshakes and the attention while the other is left to find his own way to a seat? 

James gives us an illustration in these verses……a man with gold rings and fine clothes……and another in dirty clothes.  That’s a very vivid illustration that gets the point across…….and it is exactly that……an illustration that points us to a deeper and fuller truth. It’s obvious that we shouldn’t treat people differently just because they can’t afford top-of-the-line clothes. That’s obvious…….but what is the point of the illustration? James gives us such a simple illustration to point out WHY we treat people differently. He wants to show us our motives behind why we treat people differently. We treat people differently because of what verse 4 says. Because we like to set ourselves up as judge and jury. Think about what it means to show partiality. In order to show partiality……..first you have to determine a difference between the people in question. Then you have to make a judgment as to which person is better than the other one. Almost inevitably, you will choose the one who is most like you. Unless you don’t like yourself and then you’ll choose the one who is most different than you. 

But in all cases…….when you are judging partiality between two people……who are you setting up as the standard? Who are you measuring the other people in the room against? Yourself. Whenever we show partiality in the way we treat people……we’re doing it out of a selfish motive.

What God commands us to do is to treat others in light of God’s purposes. James’ words here are almost a quote of the first Beatitude that Jesus opened His Sermon on the Mount with in Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Poor of the world—rich in faith. Poor in spirit—heirs of the kingdom. Does that mean that we have to sell everything and go live in a cave somewhere like the monks used to do? No, that misses the point. The point is that God has a purpose in the way He treats people. Unfortunately, so does man in his natural state. 

God takes people who are completely incapable of anything good in His eyes and makes them His children. He takes people who have no claim to anything of His and adopts us as His heirs. Romans 5:8…….But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Why would God treat us that way? Why does God exalt the humble and humble the exalted? Why does He show Himself strong in our weakness? What is His purpose in it all? Ephesians 1:5-6 tells us: 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”  It is all to the praise of the glory of His grace. God treats people the way He does in order that we might exalt Him above all. Above all circumstances. Above all trials. Above all tests. 

But that’s God’s purpose……..what’s man’s purpose? God’s purpose is that He will be exalted……….our purpose is that we will be exalted. It goes back to our innate selfishness. Verse 6 says, “you have dishonored or despised the poor.” Why do we have a tendency to look down on those who have less than we do? Why do we focus on the flaws of those around us? Why do we gossip about people who are having troubles? Why do we highlight negative things about each other? Why do we cut and bite and tear at each other? Because we’re trying to exalt ourselves. An easy way to look tall is to squash everybody around you. Think about the conversations you’ve had this past week. Did you spend more words exalting God or yourself? God’s not exalted by words that back-bite. Words that oppress. Words that exalt you. Words that show partiality. If we show partiality…….verse 7 compares that to blasphemy. 

In Matthew 22, Jesus was confronted by a lawyer who was spurred on by the Pharisees. Verses 34-40 tell of the incident: 34But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38"This is the great and foremost commandment. 39"The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40"On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

 Of course the Pharisees were once again trying to trap Jesus. But in just those few sentences…….Jesus summed up the 10 commandments. The first four commandments deal with the way we are supposed to love God. The next six deal with the way we are supposed to love each other. But not only did Jesus’ two commandments perfectly sum up the 10 commandments……..they perfectly summed up the whole Old Testament. They completely summed up the law and the prophets. In other words……all that God had revealed in His Word up till that time was summed up in those two commandments. Everything that God reveals of Himself deals with how we are to treat Him and how we are to treat others. When we treat others the wrong way……it violates God’s Word…….and not just part of God’s Word……..it violates every bit of God’s Word. In some of His last words to His disciples before He was betrayed Jesus told them in John 13:34-35: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 

That’s what James calls the royal law according to the Scripture. And when we violate that law……we violate Scripture. So…….is it really that big of a deal when we show preference to people? Is it really that big of a deal when we treat people unfairly? I mean……..what’s the harm in passing on a little story? What’s the harm in only talking to people I like? What’s the harm in ignoring difficult people? Or people who are different? Or people who are weird? What’s the harm in criticizing other people? What’s the harm in putting them down? What’s the harm in making myself look good? Bragging on myself? Because those are all examples of respecting persons. Showing partiality. Setting yourself up as judge and jury as to who is worthy and who is not worthy. 

God desires His people to act like Him in regard to the way we treat others.  He LOVED US……and we’re not loveable.  Can we…..who have been given every blessing……do anything less to each other?

James 2:10-26

OK.....this morning we’re going to begin where we left off last time.....the Book of James chapter 2......and we got through verse 9 the last time we met......and the main theme of the last teaching was that of showing partiality......being respecters of persons.  There’s no doubt that God doesn’t want the people of His church involved in showing partiality.......because, as we saw......when we do that we’re actually setting ourselves up as judges and making all kinds of evaluations of people.  Showing preference to some people and not to others.......ignoring difficult people or different people......or weird people.....putting others down.....criticizing.......all of it has no place in the church.  That’s what James calls the royal law according to the Scripture. And when we violate that law……we violate Scripture. God desires His people to act like Him in regard to the way we treat others.  He LOVED US……and we’re not loveable.  Can we…..who have been given every blessing……do anything less to each other?

And we’ll begin this morning along the same theme......because that thought actually goes through verse 13.......and then James will go into another thought that usually prompts considerable discussion among believers.......the whole FAITH vs. WORKS debate.  And this morning we’re going to try to sort it out as clearly as possible and get down to the application of it in our own lives.   So let’s start by getting the context of where we ended last time......if someone will read Chapter 2 verses 8-13......

8If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. 

 9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 

 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 

 11For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 

 12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 

 13For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. 

OK.......James is talking here about the ROYAL LAW......the law of love.....the most fundamental demand of Scripture.  It is the King’s will for each of His subjects.....it fully reveals how He desires us to act towards all.  In the context.......James is talking about favoritism.......and when we show any sort of partiality we are convicted as lawbreakers.  This isn’t just a social impropriety.......it’s sin.  And then he hits us hard with verse 10.  “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”  

We can’t pick and choose between the commandments......we can’t say..... “Well, I’m doing pretty good at that one......I’ll just keep it three times and break this one over here!  That should even out.”  Of course, it doesn’t work that way.......because the law is more like a pane of glass than a pile of bricks. You can take one brick from a pile......and you still have a pile of bricks........ but if you throw a rock through a window the whole window is broken.  You don’t say, “Wow......I broke part of that window.”  No.....you broke the window.......all of it.  Same way with the law......you break one and you’re a lawbreaker.

Then James offers us an exaggerated example to prove his point. In the 10 Commandments God said, “You shall not murder” and also “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:13,14). Both are clearly forbidden. It would be absurd to argue, “I didn’t go out with my neighbor’s wife........I just shot him in the eye.  See, I’m not a bad guy!” 

If I really regard someone according to the “royal law”.......I won’t commit adultery with his wife and I won’t murder him. Nor will I judge him on the basis of his position or status in life.........his weirdness.....his money or any other thing.......because that would violate the Word of God. 

Then James wraps up this section with verses 12 and 13 by calling for a new way of thinking......a new standard by which we will be judged. He insists that we speak and act according to the standard of the royal law because we’re gonna be judged by it. God’s eye is constantly upon us. Who’s got Hebrews 4:13?  “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”   It’s kinda like what Jesus said in Matthew 7:2..... “For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.”  The old WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND THEORY!

We need to understand that we are in no way superior to the least......or the lost. We have no reason to judge anyone.......we have no reason to be prejudiced. If God has received us.......it’s not because of the wonderful things we’ve done........but because of what Christ has done for us.  If you are here this morning and you are saved........what did you do to deserve to be saved? Who were you that God called you out and drew you to Himself in salvation? What did you do for God to give you grace? 

In John 3 Jesus was talking to a man named Nicodemus. And Jesus told him a curious thing. What does John 3:3 say?  Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." He told him that no one could see the kingdom of God unless he was born again. Do you think Jesus used those words because they were easy to understand? No.......He used them because they perfectly described salvation. 

Do you remember all the preparation you had to make before your mom and dad would choose to have you? Do you remember all the cleaning up you had to do and all the good works you had to pile up before you were allowed to be born? Of course not..........Because there was nothing you could SAY, DO, or BE that would make you worthy of being born the first time. Just like there is nothing you can SAY, DO, or BE that will make you worthy of being born again. 

We need to remember this the next time we want to treat someone else poorly. Next time you’re ready to snub someone because “you don’t like them”........think about this.........while they were yet a sinner, Christ died for them.  Just like He did for you. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.  Who’s got Deuteronomy 10:17?  “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.” 

And that God who is no respecter of persons.......out of His infinite love and mercy.......gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. I am every bit as undeserving of that gift as you are.........as the most offensive person you know is. And Jesus poured out His blood for them as much as He did for you........as much as He did for me. That’s how we’re supposed to treat others........in light of God’s mercy.  That’s the basis on which Christ received you. How will you receive others? Will you allow mercy to triumph over judgment?  That’s the statement James makes in verse 13......and he says mercy will triumph over judgment.

This takes us to verse 14.......and who has James 2:14-26?   14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?  17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. 18But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." 19You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.  20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?  21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?  22You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.  24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.  25In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?  26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. 

Now James comes to the age old question that has plagued Christianity since the writings of James.......Verse 14 says...... “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?”  I think the better question might be....... “If I say I have faith but have no works......do I have faith?”  And that’s the base of the questions.....the basis of the argument that James delivers in the rest of the chapter.  “Is there faith without works?”  

OK.....OK......I have an experiment here.......let me ask you.......KIDS.....what’s your favorite meal that your mom makes?  What’s the best thing you love for her to cook?  (GET RESPONSES.....PICK ONE)  Alright.......how does she make it......what ingredients does she use?  Does she use a recipe?  OK....here’s what I want you to do.  When you get home from church today.......go find your mom’s recipe......the favorite thing you love to eat in the world......and take the recipe and READ IT!  Are you full?  Well.....read it again!  It doesn’t do much for you does it?  WHY?  Because you’re just reading the FACTS of the recipe.  Facts don’t make your mouth water do they?  But...... give that recipe to mom and have her start DOING the recipe.  Then your mouth waters.......your eyes glaze over.......and it’s GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!

That’s what James is talking about in this passage. His point is really a very simple one. It’s as simple as reading a recipe card........and it’s pretty hard to miss his point because he restates it about six times in 13 verses. His point is that if your life doesn’t show evidence of your faith by the things you do........your faith isn’t real.......and REAL is a big deal.

Think about it.......if you put the word REAL in front of anything.....it sells more.  Real coffee......iced tea with real lemon.......dishwashing detergent with real lemon......real leather......we even have real TV.......coke is the real thing.  It’s important to be real.....and that’s where James heads now.......here comes the Holy Spirit’s definition of real faith.  In this passage James talks about the difference between real and counterfeit Christians........authentic believers and fake believers. 

This is the most controversial and misunderstood passage in the book of James........possibly in all of Scripture.  There are a lot of cults out there that misunderstand it and try to use this passage to prove you have to work your way to heaven........that there is something that you can actually DO to get to heaven.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.   

First......let’s outline the controversy.  Most theologians would establish that the controversy is between Paul’s theology and James’ theology.  As John Park would say, “Theology......very dangerous!”  The argument is that Paul teaches “by grace, through faith”.......and James here is saying, “by faith and works”.  So.....who’s right?  James or Paul?  And the answer is that they’re both right. The problem is that they/re talking about different things.....and approaching it from different angles.  

Paul was fighting the problem of legalism......... the problem of: "I’ve got to keep all the Jewish laws and regulations to be a Christian." James isn’t fighting legalism but laxity.......those that say "It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you believe."  They’re fighting two different enemies. Paul focuses on the root of salvation.......what happens to me internally. James focuses on the fruit of salvation........what it looks like on the outside. Jesus said, "By their fruit you will know them." Paul is talking about, “How to know you’re a Christian.” James is talking about, “How to show you’re a Christian.” Paul is talking about how to become a believer. James talks about how to behave like a believer. There quite simply is no contradiction.  In fact.....Paul sums up both sides of the argument in a single passage......found in Ephesians 2:8-10.......  “8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” 

There are three prepositions in this passage -- "by grace", "through faith", "for good works". If you get those out of order.......you’re in trouble. If you think you’re saved by works, for faith you’re in trouble. But he’s saying we’re saved by grace through faith......and for what purpose?  For good works.  We need to remember something...... and this is basic to all of Scripture.  Why were you created?  Why does any one of us suck air?  It’s found in Isaiah 43:7.....“Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made." 

OK.......that’s Old Testament.......what about Matthew 5:16...."Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Hey......everybody’s saying the same thing.......we’re saved by grace, through faith.......to glorify God......and how do we do that?  Through good works!  Then James spends the rest of the chapter giving us some idea on how to know that our faith is real......how do we know we’ve got the real thing?

The first way we know we have the real thing is that real faith is not just something you say.......and we see that in vs. 14 “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?”  Important concept here......something you should be able to pick out in the reading of the verse.  It doesn’t say he actually has faith.........he just claims to have it. He talks about it. He knows all the right phrases. There are a lot of people who claim to be Christians but you don’t see anything in their lifestyle. Today we tend to label people as Christians if they make the slightest sound of being a believer. It’s more than just talk that is involved in real faith. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”  Whose going to enter the kingdom of heaven?  (He who DOES!)  Not everybody with a Christian bumper sticker is a believer.  Not everyone holding a John 3:16 sign between the goalposts is a believer. Not everybody who is a PROFESSOR of Christianity is a POSSESSOR of Christianity. James asks......."Can such faith save him? What value is this kind of faith?" Nothing. Worthless.  No value.  Talk is cheap. James is saying.......No difference.........No change.........No faith!

 The next three verses James tells us that real faith is not just something you feel.....it’s more than emotions. A lot of people confuse emotions and sentiment with faith. You can be emotionally moved and never act on it. You can go to church and get a quiver in your liver........get a few goose bumps.......but it may never make any difference.

Then he gives an illustration in the next couple of verses.......whose got verses 15 & 16?   15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?  

I saw a Peanuts cartoon. Charlie Brown and Linus are inside all bundled up and Snoopy’s out in the cold shivering in front of an empty dog food bowl. Charlie and Linus are having a discussion on how sad it is that Snoopy is hungry and cold. "He’s cold and hungry. We ought to do something about it." They walk outside and say to Snoopy, "Be of good cheer, Snoopy." Do you know where Charles Schultz got that idea? From this verse. What good is it if you see someone in need and you say, "I feel for ya’ brother!"   He’s saying, “It’s more than just words. It’s more than just feelings.” If, after church, you’re getting into you car and you happen to slam your fingers in your car door........and you’re standing there in agony with blood on your fingers, and I walk up and say, "I really feel for you man......that’s a real bummer......I’ll pray for you!"  What help is that?  You’ll probably smack me up side the head and say, “At least open the door for me!”  

Real faith is more than just sympathy and feeling and emotion. You give assistance. You do something about it. You act on it. Real faith takes the initiative.  It gets involved with people. A real believer will care about other believers.
1 John 3:17   “But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 

 Real faith is generous. It wants to give. How many Christians have the freedom to call you up in the middle of the night if they’re in an emergency? Not just talking the talk. Not just feeling for people.......but actually out there in the mud getting our hands dirty.  James wants us to think about this......there’s more than just talk and feelings here.  We seem to be a lot better at verbalizing our faith than practicing it. The fact is that I can’t meet everybody’s needs.......but I can meet somebody’s needs. 

In verse 17 James gets pretty blunt about it.   17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.  If I don’t feel like helping other Christians.......I don’t have a sick faith.....I have a dead faith. 

Then James goes on in verse 18 to say that faith is not some intellectual gymnastics that is to be studied.....debated.....talked over and discussed.  Real faith is not just something you think......and he shows us an intellectual objector to the fact that faith is an action.  Who’s got verse 18?  But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."  He’s imagining some intellectual guy who says, "Wow man.......like I see you’re into works.......Hey cool......I’m into faith.  Different strokes for different folks. You’ve got your thing........I’ve got mine.  Stimulate me mentally but don’t ask me to make any commitment." 

“........show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."  We should circle "show me" in our Bibles. Real faith is visible. You can see it. It’s apparent. If you claim to be a Christian.......people will be able to see it. It’s visible. The visible church in America today seems to have a lot of “Lady Clairol Christians”........nobody knows for sure.......nobody except God Himself. Faith is odorless, weightless, and invisible so anybody can claim to have it. James says, “Show me.” I’ve heard it said that "Faith is like calories. You can’t see them but you can sure see the results." You can’t see faith but you can see the results. 

If I say, "I believe my health is very important. Personal health is a high priority in my life. I believe that health is one of the most important things we ought to have." And then you ask me, "Do you eat right?" No. "Do you exercise? Do you get your proper rest? Do you take vitamins? Do you ever go for a check up?" No. It doesn’t matter what I say. What counts are my actions. Real faith is more than just something you think. Real faith always produces change. Real faith is not just something you say. It’s not just something you feel. It’s not just something you think.

You know what else real faith is not.......and James tells us plainly in verse 19.  Real faith is not just something you believe.  Who’s got 19? “You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”  There are a lot of people who have strong beliefs in God.......and the Bible.......and about Christ. They can recite creeds to you and catechisms and talk about doctrines of the Trinity.......and quote Bible verses. James says, "big deal!" Just saying I believe in God is not enough. Even the devil believes that. The Bible says in Proverbs, "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God”.  The devil’s no fool........he believes in God! He knows theology backwards and forwards. He believes. His demons believe and shudder. The Greek word is "to bristle" -- their hair stands up on end. They believe in God and they tremble. 

I believe in Hitler but I’m not a Nazi. I’m a Christian because I believe in Jesus. But it’s more than just a “head” knowledge. A lot of folks are going to miss heaven by 18 inches. They’ve got it in their head but not their heart. They say "I believe in God." James says, "Big deal. Everybody believes in God. That’s not enough.”

Real faith is not just saying "I believe". There’s so much easy believism in America today. A lot of people are just conning themselves.  OK......so if real faith is not just something you say or think or feel or believe, what is real faith?

James explains it in the rest of the chapter...... real faith is something you do.......it’s active. It’s not passive. It’s a commitment......and he shows us what it looks like with two illustrations of two very different people.  These two people couldn’t be more opposite.  Abraham and Rahab........exact extremes. Abraham is a man. Rahab is a woman. Abraham is Jewish. Rahab is a Gentile. Abraham is a patriarch. Rahab is a prostitute. Abraham is a somebody. Rahab is a nobody. Abraham is a major character in the Bible. Rahab is a minor character. He uses these illustrations to say, it doesn’t matter who you are..........as long as you’ve got the important thing. They only had one thing in common........their faith in God. Their faith in God led them to an action.  How do we know they had faith?  We can see it. They behaved in a way that their belief came out visibly. 

We don’t have time to go over the stories today......but they’re pretty familiar passages.  Abraham’s faith is found in Genesis 22 and Rahab’s in Joshua 2.  And they’re vivid accounts of what faith is......what it looks like when you put wheels on it and run it down the street.  

Our faith is not determined by what we do, it is demonstrated by what we do.  In a very real sense that’s what God says to each one of us.......Talk is cheap.........Put your money where your mouth is. "I believe in Jesus!" Prove it. Our faith is demonstrated by our actions. Actions speak louder than words. Our behavior shows what we really believe.  So many people think it doesn’t matter what you do as long as you believe. The Holy Spirit........thru James.......says that’s not true........and he sums the passage up in verse 26...... “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”  He’s not saying you work your way to heaven. He’s not saying works deliver salvation. He’s saying they demonstrate it. He’s saying that if your faith doesn’t work........what good is it?

James 3:1-12

    Again, we find ourselves in the book of James.......and by way of refresher.....the last time we met we were in chapter 2 and we did verses 10 thru 26......which pretty well finished off the chapter.  And there were two thoughts that we discussed.......the first being that breaking any part of the law makes one a lawbreaker.  Showing partiality...... being a respecter of persons.......well that makes you a lawbreaker......or a sinner.

    The second area of our Christian walk that James addressed was that of our good deeds.......our works.  And it was very clear that if we are not showing some sign of being saved.....well......we probably aren’t.  The power of Jesus Christ.......the power of the Holy Spirit living in our lives should have some visible, tangible evidence.

    There were a number of people who came up last week after the teaching and said something along the lines of, “Wow......that hurt!”  My response was, “Yah......it hurt me too!”  And I believe that’s what we’re here for.......to look at ourselves in the mirror  of Scripture and say, “Man......that doesn’t look right......I’ve got to change that in my life.”  If we go away from here every week, “........just kickin’ down the cobblestones, and feelin’ groovy.”.......then Scripture probably hasn’t impacted us very much.  What does 2 Timothy 3:16-17 say?  16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”  And that’s what the elders desire......is to make this time “profitable”......to challenge us to examine our hearts and let the Holy Spirit convict us of areas that are not pleasing to God.  And we will continue along that line this morning as James takes off showing us another area of our Christian walk that each of us should examine.......THE TONGUE.

    So......who’s got the first six verses of chapter 3?  1Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. 

 2For we all stumble in many ways.  If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 

 3Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 

 4Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 

 5So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 

 6And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. 

    And continue verses 7-12.......  7For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 

 8But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 

 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 

 10from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 

 11Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 

 12Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. 

    Well.......it’s not too difficult to figure out the main point of James discussion in this passage.......it’s exactly what Tish was talking about just a minute ago......the TOE GUN!!!!

    Who knows what happened at 29 minutes and 45 seconds past 5 AM on July 16, 1945, in the southern New Mexico desert?  (First atomic bomb detonated.)  That’s right......the dark early morning sky became as bright as the noonday sun. In that one blinding flash.......the world was ushered in to the Atomic Age. The fireball it produced shot upwards at 360 feet per second. The characteristic mushroom cloud formed at 30,000 feet........and all that remained on the ground were chunks of green radioactive glass that had been created by the incredible heat generated by the explosion. What awesome......unbelievably destructive power was shown that day. 

    Just 21 days later.......that power was brought to bear on our enemy as the Enola Gay......a B29 bomber.......dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. As he looked down at the black smudge that moments before was a thriving city......Robert Lewis, the co-pilot said, “My God, what have we done?” 

    OK.........you got the first question......how about this......who can tell us what happened on December 20, 1951 in Arco, Idaho?????  Again......something very spectacular.  The still dark sky of that small town was brightened with light as well. Not nearly as bright as the New Mexico sky was 6 years before........but it was brightened just the same. It was brightened by light bulbs powered by the first electricity produced from nuclear energy. I understand that today.......1/5 of America’s electricity comes from nuclear energy.  Electricity that powers homes......businesses......schools......hospitals and churches. 

    The uranium that’s used in the nuclear reactor that produces that electricity......it’s the same uranium that was used in the atomic bomb. The same basic science is used in the reactor and the bomb. The same atoms and electrons and reactions and physics are used in each. So what’s the difference? It’s how they’re used. When used one way.....atomic energy produces tremendous good. But when used another way........it produces the most terrible destruction imaginable. 

    Winston Churchill......a great orator.......rallied the Free World against the threat of totalitarianism by the power of his speech. During those same days......Adolph Hitler mesmerized the German nation with his oratorical skill.......and led the Axis war machine to enslave much of Europe.  Churchill and Hitler demonstrate the power of the tongue to achieve good or evil. Like atomic energy........the tongue is capable of wonderfully beneficial things. But it’s also capable of some of the most destructive things you can imagine. That’s why the tongue is a pretty accurate test of our faith. An object as powerful as the tongue can only be controlled by the most powerful Being in the universe.......the Holy Spirit of God. When left to our control....... the results can only be disastrous. 

    On more than one occasion......Jesus said that what’s in a person’s heart inevitably comes out of his mouth. Just like water flowing from a well.......the words that come out of your mouth accurately reveal the purity of the source. If the source is the Holy Spirit.......the words will be pure. If the source is a sinful heart.......the words will be impure. Understanding that.......it only makes sense that James would spend a significant amount of time on this one area.  And if we look at the entire letter that James writes as a series of “TESTS” that he places before us......tests to gauge our own spiritual walk against......something of a standard by which we can take our spiritual temperature......then we can see that this is just one more measure to go by.  

    First we had the “TRIALS TEST”........how does our walk look when we’re going through trials of various kinds?  Then.......I guess you could call it the “WORD TEST”......are we DOERS of the Word.......or merely HEARERS who delude themselves?  Then there was the “PARTIALITY TEST”.......are we “respecters of persons” or do we treat everyone with the same love and consideration as what Jesus desires us to?  Then the “FAITH TEST”.......what does our faith LOOK like?  Is our faith dead.......or is our walk with the Lord wrought with GOOD WORKS?  Which leads us today to the “TONGUE TEST”.......and it may be one of the most revealing tests yet.  Can we display genuine faith by passing the tongue test?

    Like the other tests James lists.......we can’t pass this one alone. The only way we can pass the tongue test is by our active submission to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And the only way that happens is by God’s grace......through our faith. In order for us to display genuine faith by passing the tongue test.......James shows us a number of illustrations that show what it looks like.......or maybe the opposite of what it’s supposed to look like. 

    First off.......I want you to think about what a teacher looks like......picture in your mind the perfect teacher......what does he or she look like?  I’ll start it out......and when I think teacher.......I think of Mr. Cordova.......my 10th grade algebra II teacher.  Smart.....fair......stern......authoritarian......take no guff from anyone guy.  He was hard......but he knew what he was doing and was able to pass it along......I didn’t even like the guy........but that’s who I think about when I think what a teacher looks like.  What about you.......what comes to mind when you think of teacher?  (There’s probably forty kids in this school system who think of MISS YATES when they think teacher!.......Melissa thinks “MOM”........)

    Alright.....now that you know what a teacher looks like in your mind......think about this.  Who did you learn more from........Well......let me use myself as an example......who did I learn more from......Mr. Cordova or my Dad?  Mr. Cordova or Tony Romo the county extension agent when I was a kid?  Mr. Cordova or the other kids I rodeoed with when I was in high school?  The point is......Mr. Cordova carried the title “teacher”. And in tenth grade.......... if you had asked me who my teacher was......I would’ve said, “Mr. Cordova.” But there were a whole lot more teachers in my life than just him.........and there were a whole lot more INFLUENTIAL teachers in my life than just him. Only a very few teachers actually carry the title of “teacher”. Whether you like it or not.......you’re a teacher. Somebody in life is paying attention to the way you live your life.........somebody is paying attention to the words you use........the way you act.  Somebody is learning from you what a person is supposed to look like......act like......live like.

    Who’s got the first two verses of chapter 3?  1Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. 

 2For we all stumble in many ways.  If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 

    So when we come to the first verse of chapter 3.......if we take it out of the context of the teaching he’s going to give......that of the use of our tongue......we sometimes get a wrong idea of what is being said.  We have a tendency to pull this verse out when we’re looking for someone to lead a Bible study......or work with the youth......or be a Sunday School teacher.  James is about to go off on a whole rant here about the power of the tongue........But in this verse is he really saying that we should shy away from being teachers? 

    In its context........what James is saying is that by nature.......our tongue condemns us.......all of us.......and he includes himself in this picture.  He’s showing us that the tongue is a universal problem.  Regardless of our position......regardless of our desire...... the tongue catches all of us if we are not walking in the Spirit.  The illustration of the teacher is a good one.....because, for the most part......teachers use their tongue to exercise their gift.  The tongue can be a tremendous blessing......it carries with it the power of instruction.......but be careful......all of us fall.  

    He’s not saying, “Don’t teach!”  The context is not about teachers.......the context is about the tongue.  He’s simply saying that teaching is a serious responsibility because there is such power in teaching........to mold.......to mature.  Paul gives the same type of warning when he’s writing to Timothy in his first letter.  Who’s got 1 Tim. 4:16?  “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you..”  In other words.......How and what we teach is an awesome responsibility........pay close attention........recognize the responsibility that comes with teaching.  

    And then in verse 2 he tells us the real mark of maturity......if you can control your tongue......you have control over everything......our maturity is measured by our tongues.  Didn’t he just get done telling us something of the same thing in the first chapter?  Read James 1:26  “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.”  I knew this all sounded familiar.  

    The tongue speaks what’s in the heart and the mind.  Here’s a scary passage for you.  Read Matthew 12:34-37 34"You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 

 35"The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. 

36"But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 

37"For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

    Our words get right to the heart of reflecting who we are......how spiritually mature or immature we are.  Our words are a pretty good thermometer of our spiritual well-being.......and we really need to give some thought as to where we are with this “tongue-test”.  Remember Isaiah......when he saw the Lord on high......seated on His throne......His robes filled the temple with glory.......and what was his first reaction in the presence of a holy God? He was immediately convicted about his speech. 

    Who’s got Isaiah 6:5? “Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined!  Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."”

    Isaiah felt an awesome accountability for his words. Why? Because words are an expression of the heart........just like Jesus said.  A gossipy mouth is not just a gossipy mouth.......it betrays a gossipy heart.  A murmuring mouth is not just a murmuring mouth........but it betrays a murmuring heart.  A slanderous mouth is simply the extension of a slanderous heart.

    Now James continues with a couple of illustrations in verses 3 & 4 that show just how powerful something as little as the tongue can be.  A little bit in a big horse’s mouth can control the whole horse.......can’t it?  Just as the rudder of a ship controls the direction that the huge ship travels.  The tongue is able to CONTROL.......and usually when we use it in that manner.......we use it wrongly.  A 2 lb. bit and bridle controls a 1500 lb. animal. A small piece of wood controls a large ship driven by the huge winds. Then he compares the tongue to those small things that control huge things. Is that really true of the tongue?

    Well........the average weight of the human tongue is less than 3 ounces. But what can it control? What did Adolph Hitler’s tongue control? What does Osama Bin Laden’s tongue control? Wow........that little 3 ounce piece of meat can control unbelievable things. But is that what it’s for? Did God give us the gift of speech to control others? To manipulate people? Think about it.......do we use our tongue in that manner?

    Do we play on people’s emotions?.......“If you loved me you would                 Do we use it for bribery......intimidation......even blackmail?  “If you don’t do what I want, I’m going to leave you.........or run away.........or kill myself….....” That’s manipulation. That’s using your tongue as an instrument of control. Using your tongue for manipulation reduces people to chess pieces to be controlled instead of seeing them as people to be cared for. 

    Well.......if I can’t use my tongue to manipulate people..........how can I get them to do what I want? That’s the point. Life isn’t about getting our way. God didn’t put us here to try to control each other. He put us here to allow Him to control us.......and it doesn’t matter what area of life we’re dealing with.....even in the spiritual realm.  If I try to manipulate your emotions to get you to follow God......that’s wrong. It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to do that.  So......the ultimate question in these couple of verses really comes down to......Is your tongue under God’s control? Or do you use your tongue to put people under your control? 

    That brings us to the last half of verse 5 and verse 6.......and when I think about the tongue......usually the sin that comes to mind is that of gossip.  And that naturally reminds me of the story I heard about three preachers.......from the same town but different churches......went out on a fishing trip together and as they got out into the middle of the lake they started to confess their sins to one another. 

    The first preacher started talking. “You know what my big sin is? My big sin is drinking. I go once a month into a neighboring town where nobody knows me and I get drunk. I know that it is wrong but I still do it.”

    The second preacher stated taking. “My big sin is gambling. I went to Las Vegas last year and lost a large sum of money.” 

    The third preacher started talking. “Guys I guess that I should have gone first.”The other two preachers looked puzzled and asked why. “My big sin is gossiping.”

    What exactly is gossip?  Webster defines gossip in two ways both as a noun and as a verb. As a noun......a gossip is a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts. As a verb......gossip is a rumor or report of an intimate nature.  The sad reality of the matter is this.......a gossip is a person who will talk about others with you and then talks to others about you.  

    James is going to give us a pretty clear picture of the damage that gossip can do when he compares the tongue to a fire.  And if you’ve ever been around fire......I mean BIG FIRE.......then you know the picture he’s painting.  Ask guys like Greg and Justin about fire and they have a pretty good idea of just how devastating it can be......and it always amazes me that these huge structure fires that you see on TV......these gigantic forest fires that devastate entire regions and consume hundreds of homes.......they almost always begin with just a little spark......and they smolder in the dry kindling......and then suddenly they burst into a consuming fire.  I guess the thing that amazes me about forest fires is the fact that I couldn’t start a camp fire with a gallon of gasoline and a truck-load of matches.....and yet someone just has to throw a lit cigarette from a vehicle and half the county burns down!  

    That’s how James describes the damage that the tongue can accomplish. So, how is the tongue like that? 

    “Hey, did you hear about so-and-so?”  There’s the Spark. 

    “No, what did you hear?”  Add the Kindling. 

    “Well, so-and-so said that….”  BOOM......there’s the Fire. 

    It might be a little fire......but what does verse 5 say? “Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!” I’ve seen lives destroyed by idle talk.......I’ve seen reputations destroyed by rumors........I’ve seen churches split by nothing more than gossip....... And so have you. It’s something that has to be stopped......it never glorifies God.  

    So.......how do you prevent it?  By extinguishing the spark. “Did you hear about so-and-so?” When you hear that......that’s when your spiritual antennae should go up.  Maybe a good response is, “No......and I don’t believe I want to.”  Or maybe...... “Just a minute.  Before you tell me about so-and-so.......can I quote you on it when I ask him about it?”  The big thing is that we need to purpose maturity in this area of our lives.....and it has to be purposed......because a good piece of “cheese” is awful hard to resist!  

    Verses 7 & 8 show us how hopeless our human condition is in this particular area.  We can tame every wild beast there is........Lions and tigers and bears, Oh my!......but we can’t tame the tongue.  Anyone who starts with the misconception that man is basically good hasn’t read verse 8.......”But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”   Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives......apart from absolutely purposing to do God’s will in this area......we are going to fail.  

    Our tongue is a “deadly poison” as James describes it.......and throughout Scripture the tongue is shown to be a real hazard to the human race.  How does the Psalmist describe our speech in Psalm 52:2-4?   “2Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. 3You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah.  4You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue..”  

    Words that devour........words that cut like a sharp razor. Do you ever use words like those? Do you inject the poison of criticism into your spouse? Into your kids? Into your family? Into your friends? Into your church? Well.......maybe a little bit......sometimes.  But come on.......is it really that big a deal?  I mean.......it might be something I need to work on........but is it really that bad? Listen to what the Psalmist goes on to say. In verse 5 .......... “But God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah.”  Is it a big deal? Well......God thinks so. He compares a corrupting tongue to deadly poison and He won’t put up with it. God created our tongues to speak kindly.....with words that heal, exhort and encourage.  Our tongues should spread blessing......not corruption.  

    Who can tell me how to end this sentence?  “Sticks and stones.......may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”  How long did it take you to learn that little saying may be the dumbest.......and the most untrue statement you’ve ever heard? Probably not very long. I mean when we were little we might shout that to other kids just after they had called us some name.......and then we run home crying. Because those names, "fatso," "skinny," "four-eyes," "chicken," really were painful. So we said that little ditty to cover up how deeply it hurt. Can words hurt us?  Well, Scripture defines words as being like sharp razors......as things that devour us.  Sounds like they can hurt us to me.  There probably isn’t anyone here today that can honestly say that they’ve never been hurt by something someone has said.  Kids can be especially mean with their words.......but we as adults have mastered the art of talking about others.  We call it “sharing prayer needs”....... “prayer requests” ........because we’re holy!!!!

    Think about it.......how can we bless our Lord with the same mouth that curses men?  Does fresh water and bitter water come out of the same fountain?  And that’s exactly how James finishes up this section of Scripture......asking those questions......and the obvious answer is..... “They can’t”.  Our hearts are revealed by our words.  If we say bitter things.......our hearts are bitter.  

    Who’s got Proverbs 27:19 “As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man.”  Just as James says that your works are an indicator of your faith......your words are indicators of what is burning in your heart. Your real inward attitude.......that which drives you........will always manifest itself in your words. When your words are not humble.........when they are hurtful.........when they harm a situation or a person… then James tells you that the source can be clearly seen….......it is not of the Holy Spirit.  But if your heart and attitude are holy then your speech will reflect who you really allow to control you.  

    James started our passage off by indicating that we are all teachers whether we want to be or not. What lessons are you teaching with your tongue? Are you condemning with your tongue? Are you teaching people the ways of God with your tongue or are you pointing them in another direction? Do you use your tongue to try to control people? Are you a manipulator? Trying to move people around like chess pieces? Is your tongue a consuming fire? Do you light the fires of gossip and slander? Or do you just fan the flames? Is your tongue corrupting like poison? Does your language glorify God does it lead others away from God? Does it poison those around you with criticism and cynicism and cutting words? Do praises for God and cursings for people come out of the same mouth?  Those are the questions on this tongue test......And they’re hard questions. But God’s grace is sufficient.......if we just allow Him to work in this area of our lives.   Struggle in an area doesn’t mean you’ve failed the test. It means that by God’s grace you’re allowing Him to work on you.

    Let this last verse that we read be a prayer for each one of us this week.  Who’s got Psalm 19:14?  “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.”

James 3:13-16

    OK.......here we are, back in the Book of James......and the last time we were here we dealt with Chapter 3......verses 1 thru 12.  And a quick “recap” of the book may be helpful in establishing where we are.  James may be one of the easiest books of Scripture to break down into parts.......and each of the parts that he takes us to can be summarized as “TESTS”........tests of our Christian walk.......tests to gauge our own spiritual walk against......something of a standard by which we can take our spiritual temperature......then we can see that this is just one more measure to go by.  

    First we had the “TRIALS TEST”........how does our walk look when we’re going through trials of various kinds?  Then.......I guess you could call it the “WORD TEST”......are we DOERS of the Word.......or merely HEARERS who delude themselves?  Then there was the “PARTIALITY TEST”.......are we “respecters of persons” or do we treat everyone with the same love and consideration as what Jesus desires us to?  Then the “FAITH TEST”.......what does our faith LOOK like?  Is our faith dead.......or is our walk with the Lord wrought with GOOD WORKS?  Then the last time we looked at the book we took the “TONGUE TEST”.......and it may have been one of the most revealing tests yet.......because, as we saw......what comes out of our mouth is a mirror of what is in our heart.  

    And some of the hard questions on the “TONGUE TEST” were things like.......Do you use your tongue to try to control people? Are you a manipulator? 

    Is your tongue a consuming fire? Do you light the fires of gossip and slander? Or do you just fan the flames? 

    Is your tongue corrupting like poison? 

    Does your language glorify God or does it lead others away from God? 

    Does it poison those around you with criticism and cynicism and cutting words?

    Do praises for God and cursings for people come out of the same mouth?  

    What we found in the final analysis is that not one of us could pass the “TONGUE TEST” without walking in the Spirit.

    So......with all that said.......it brings us to chapter 3......verses 13 thru 18.......Who’s got those verses?   13Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.  15This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.  16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.  17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.  18And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 

    OK.......let’s imagine something here.  Tonight......there you are in your bedroom......just laying there about to go to sleep.......and God suddenly appears there.  Wow......big deal, right?  And God says, “I will give you anything you want in the whole world.”  What would your response be......what would you request from God?

      Remember........God’s the one asking........so there are no limitations. You ask for it.........and it is yours. No restrictions. What would it be? Financial independence.......so you could be free from worry about bills? Perfect health.......so you could have a long life? A position of great honor and prominence? A new car?  (Call on a couple of people.)

    That very thing happened to somebody in Scripture.......anybody remember who?  Solomon........that’s right.  And if you think about it.......during Solomon’s life he was an author, diplomat, poet, writer of songs, a king, a theologian, a philosopher, a philanthropist, a financier, an architect, an engineer, a man of royal blood, a man with intense creative ability.......and the builder of one of the seven wonders of the world. He reached the pinnacle of incredible achievements. The high point of his life is without parallel. The question is WHY?  Why was Solomon able to do so much in his life? 

    Well.......the answer is found in 2 Chronicles chapter 1.....who’s got verses 6 thru 10?  6Solomon went up there before the LORD to the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.  7In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you."  8Solomon said to God, "You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and have made me king in his place.  9"Now, O LORD God, Your promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.  10"Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?" 

    Wow......Solomon was serious.......a thousand burnt offerings!!!!  And what was God’s response to his request?  Who’s got verses 11 & 12?   11God said to Solomon, "Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king,  12wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you." 

    It seemed like from that point on in his life almost everything Solomon touched turned to gold. He was able to accomplish amazing feats like no other man because of his unique ability to relate to people with true wisdom and knowledge.  

    Truly wise people are a scarce commodity these days. They’re hard to find in any generation. And so in verse 13 James asks the pointed question.......“Who among you is wise and understanding?”  In order to know if you are truly WISE or OTHERWISE you first have got to understand what true wisdom really is.   Is it just for the smartest of people.......just for people who have university degrees?  Well.....let’s look at it.

    We have at our disposal today more knowledge than at any time in history. More information has been produced in the last thirty years than in the previous five thousand years. Today information doubles every four years. Since the advent of the Internet we have more knowledge at our fingertips than we can possibly process. Our world has plenty of knowledge and education......but it didn’t necessarily bring along much wisdom. 

    As we begin to examine what James says about this subject we need to be careful not to confuse knowledge and wisdom........because there’s a vast difference in the two.  Knowledge alone isn’t enough.........for example......let me share some things you may not have known.

    Did you know that there are only two people in Saudi Arabia who subscribe to “Surfer” magazine?  

    Did you know that from space.........the brightest man-made place is Las Vegas, Nevada?

    Did you know that the most stolen items in a drug store are batteries, cosmetics, sunglasses and.........Preparation H? 

    Did you know that Weird Al Yankovic was valedictorian of his High School class and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture?

    There........now you have advanced your storehouse of knowledge.......but it didn’t do one thing for your wisdom did it?  Because wisdom is more than knowing a lot of useless information. Unfortunately, that distinction is still often lacking in our modern world.

    There is still a tendency to equate wisdom with intelligence......titles and degrees. Little if any attention is given to the lifestyle of the quoted "expert"........or the long-range effect of his supposed wisdom. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts. But wisdom is moral insight with understanding about practical application. Wisdom is measured not by degrees acquired........but by deeds accomplished. 

    According to verse thirteen.......our lifestyle will be the leading indicator of the level and source of our wisdom. “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.” This is a rhetorical question that’s meant to be seen as a call for you to stop and examine your life and ask yourself if your life is reflecting true wisdom.  Depending on the kind of lifestyle a person has........you can make an accurate judgment concerning the kind of wisdom they have..........whether it’s the wisdom that comes from God or whether their wisdom is merely an earthly imitation.

    James has already told us how we can get this true wisdom which is from God. In James 1:5 we read, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." The place to begin is to ask. But the real question is how does it work itself out in our lives?  How do I put it into practice?

    First.......let’s take a look at the importance of wisdom.  James has talked about it in chapter one.......he’s going into a more complete explanation here in chapter 3......just how important is it?  Well.....it seems that God puts a real value on this commodity called wisdom.  Who’s got Proverbs 2:2-5?   “2Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;  3For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding;    4If you seek her as silver    And search for her as for hidden treasures;  5Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.”

    It’s pretty clear there that God desires us to seek wisdom......and from James 1:5 we see that He desires to give it generously when we ask for it.  So......we can pretty easily check our own spiritual temperature in this area of wisdom by just taking a look at the end of verse 13.......Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.  Do our lives reflect good behavior........good deeds?  There’s a good temperature gauge.  That’s what our lives should reflect.  

    Then James gives us the first wisdom test......to see if the wisdom we possess is of the world or if it’s godly.  Verse 14 tells us, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.”  James tells us that the root of test-failing wisdom is the heart.  And Scripture talks a great deal about the heart, doesn’t it?  We’ve referred to it a couple of times already in our study of James.  And he’s not talking about the organ in our chest that pumps our blood. He’s talking about our innermost self.........Our innermost being........Who we really are........The part that’s hidden away........deep down inside of us.

    A good analogy would be the roots of a tree.  Tree roots can extend underground until they cover an area up to three times the height of the tree. They’re hidden away from where people can see them. They exist quietly beneath the surface. But every part of the tree exists because of what is carried to it by those hidden roots. If the roots are diseased, the tree will be diseased. The leaves will be diseased. The fruit will be diseased. Isn’t that the way the heart is? 

And what kind of heart is James talking about here?.......a heart filled with bitter jealousy and selfish ambition!  In and of itself........ambition isn’t a bad thing. But this kind of selfish ambition is. It’s the kind of ambition that’s only interested in being number 1. The kind that’s focused on yourself alone.   If you want to know what this kind of selfish ambition is really like.......all you have to do is watch TV commercials for a while. That’s what they all feed us. They tell us it’s all about us. Our feelings.......our desires.......our pleasures.......our happiness.......our achievement........our prosperity......our health........our fun. 

Another place you can look to see what this kind of selfish ambition and strife is on the religious channels on TV. The fact is that most of the so-called TV preachers preach solely to your “felt needs”. They do the same things that the TV commercials do. They focus on your feelings.......your happiness.......your achievement.......your prosperity......your health. And then they make God out to be some sort of a genie whose only purpose is to feed hearts that are full of selfishness.  

The example of Jesus while He was here on this earth is that of servant-hood.  He could have been holding catfish buffets and healing revivals.......He could have been King of the world.......He had every right to focus everyone’s attention on how important He is.  But He didn’t.  Instead we see He spent His time teaching crowds, healing the sick, making the blind see and touching leapers.  No self-focus.....no self ambition......no arrogance.

James says the kind of wisdom that comes from a heart like that is completely incompatible with being a Christian.  As a matter of fact.......he says that if you call yourself a Christian and have a heart like that.......you’re lying against the truth. Why? Because a bitter......contentious.....arrogant.....self-centered heart is the very root of worldly wisdom. And worldly wisdom is test-failing wisdom. 

And then James goes on to explain.....in verse 15 the very origin of wisdom that comes from a jealous, self-centered, arrogant heart.......he says, “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.”  What James is trying to do here is to show the stark contrast between wisdom that the world has and God’s wisdom.......and a way to explain what James is saying may be to take a look at how man comes to the knowledge of anything.

  Throughout history.......man has only come up with two ways to know things. One way is.........he can know about something by what he learns through his senses. If I pick up a stick.......I can know certain things about it by the way that it feels.........by the way that it looks........by the way that it smells. Maybe I can listen real close and learn something by the way it sounds......you know......talking sticks!  And if I’m real brave......or really stupid.......maybe I can learn something by the way it tastes.  By using my senses......by way of physical experience........I can know certain things. 

But there’s a limit to what my senses and physical experience can tell me.......isn’t there? I mean, I can use things like microscopes to help me see really tiny things like cells and molecules. But there’s still a limit to what my senses and experience can teach me.   

So.......does that mean that if I can’t experience it.......I can’t know about it?  No......so man has to have another way of knowing things. He has to be able to use his reason. I can’t see, smell, taste, touch or hear.......a number. I can’t experience a number. But I can use my reasoning to know that 1 + 1 = 2. Reason is how we think.....how we deduce.......how we know about things through a systematic method of thought.   But there is even a limit to our reasoning.......isn’t there? You can take every advanced mathematics and physics course in the world and still not be able to adequately explain infinity.  

So where’s all this going?  If you use only your senses to obtain wisdom......you’ll quickly reach a point where your senses will fail you. If you then try to obtain wisdom by adding your ability to reason.........you’ll quickly reach a point where even your ability to reason will fail you.  And that’s where the world is......that’s where philosophers are.....they’ve hit a wall.......a barrier.  They’ve come to their limit in reference to obtaining real wisdom.  James called that kind of wisdom “earthly and natural”. It’s wisdom that comes only from within our own little......finite......fallen minds.  We think we can do it all......we’ve got all we need within ourselves to get through life. 

Wisdom that has the attributes of being earthly and natural is demonic.....its roots are in jealousy, self-centeredness and arrogance.   

Verse 16 shows us the fruit of earthly wisdom....... “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”  Where these things exist.....there is disorder and every evil thing.

On more than one occasion.........Jesus said that we will be known by our fruit. We will be known by how we act.........by the things that we do. We can’t see those tree roots that we were talking about earlier. But we sure can see the acorns all over the ground. And I can look at those acorns or apples or whatever kind of fruit and tell how healthy the tree roots are. A tree with diseased roots is going to do one of two things. It either won’t produce any fruit at all. Or it will produce shriveled.......diseased fruit. 

The difference between trees and people is that all people produce fruit. No matter how sick.......selfish and diseased the heart is.......the person will produce fruit.  What kind of fruit?  Well.......there’s a principle in nature......and it’s very scriptural......the concept of reaping what we sow.  (Take seed pack and ask kids what will grow if I plant these seeds?)

I can’t plant a peach seed and expect to harvest watermelons.......you don’t plant cotton and expect to get grapes.......and so it goes with our deeds......our actions.  Wisdom that has the attributes of being earthly, and sensual is devilish.......it’s borne from the roots of a bitter.......contentious.......arrogant.......self-centered heart. And that kind of wisdom that comes from that kind of heart produces rotten fruit. It produces the fruit of evil works. So what kind of fruit is that?  Who’s got Galatians 5:19-21?

19 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,  20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,  21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Did you see the whole list? Or just the ones you don’t have a problem with? That’s a list of some ugly.......shriveled.......diseased fruit. James calls it every evil work. And what is the only thing it can lead to? Confusion. Disorder. Chaos. If every place you go.......there’s a pattern of confusion and disorder and chaos.......you need to check your heart.......because where envying and strife is......where there is a self-centered attitude........there’s confusion and every evil work.  If the fruit of disorder is laying on the ground.......you can rest assured there’s a tree with the roots of a bitter, contentious, arrogant, self-centered heart.  (GIVE CUE TO BOB AND JEANNIE)

Look around you. Is that the fruit that’s laying at your feet? Are you surrounded with confusion.....with disorder......maybe with some of those evil works listed in Galatians? If you are.......you’ve failed the wisdom test. So what’s the solution? Is there a way to make it right?  Sure there is.......there’s always a way to make it right......but you’re going to have to take some drastic action.  You have to kill the roots of that tree that’s making the rotten fruit.  We’re going to have to purpose something else......and that something else is found in verses 17 & 18.......and the next time we’re in James.....that’s exactly what we’ll be talking about.

But until then.......we need to take a critical assessment of our spiritual lives in this area.  We need to ask the question James asked to start this passage in verse13.  “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.” 

We’ve got to get to a point in our lives that we allow God to have His way with us......that we purpose good deeds done in the gentleness of wisdom.  Is that what you want?  It’s certainly what I want in my life.  Let’s stand and tell Him so.......sing “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.”

James 3:17-18

Here we are.....back in the book of James.......and our journey thus far has really revealed a whole lotta what the Christian life is supposed to look like as it’s walked down the street.   James has not been shy about addressing us in several areas of our lives and pretty basically saying, “Are you doin’ what you’re supposed to be doin’?”  Are you acting the way you’re supposed to act when you face trials......are you doing God’s Word.....or are you just listening to it?  Is your faith shown by good works?  Do you hold some people in high esteem and others you look down on?  James zeros in on all kinds of things and then says, “Look in the mirror of Scripture.....tell me what you see.”

And then......the last time we looked at the book we began a look at wisdom...... and we talked a lot about what wisdom is.  And I think we saw pretty clearly that wisdom is not found by taking a ten thousand mile journey and climbing a mountain peak in Tibet to talk to some shriveled up monk with a white goatee and bad teeth.  We don’t find wisdom by taking a hand full of hallucinogens and laying back in a bean-bag chair going, “Wow man.......I’m experiencing God!”  

What we saw instead was that God said all we have to do is ask Him......and He grants it freely.  But even with that free hand-out of wisdom......we also saw how rare and valuable this trait of wisdom is. We saw that when God told Solomon he could ask for anything in the world and it would be granted........Solomon responded by asking for wisdom...... Solomon and Andrew!!!!!  And then James showed us that wisdom is not knowledge.  You can have all the knowledge in the world.......all the degrees.......all the book learnin’......and never possess true wisdom.

Because wisdom isn’t shown by the number of degrees you have.......but by the lifestyle you lead.  And we saw that with the first verse that takes us into the passage.  “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.” Wisdom is shown by the way we act.......how we relate to people......what we do. To have true wisdom is to have something very valuable.  It’s a practical use of knowledge that has more to do with your works than your words. It’s something that you do.........it’s your character........not your intelligence and your education.

And we looked at verses 13 thru 16 last time and saw what the wisdom of the world looks like.......and it ain’t pretty.  It’s wrought with jealousy, selfish ambition and arrogance......and the product of the world’s wisdom is disorder and every evil thing.  This morning......we get to look at what God’s wisdom looks like.....what our lives look like when we purpose to do it right.  To get the passage in context......who’s got James 3 verses 13 thru 18?

13Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.  15This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.  16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.  17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.  18And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 

So.....verses 17 and 18......that’s where the good stuff lives......that’s what the wisdom from God looks like.  And if you recall the last time we met we saw that the heart is the root of wisdom.......and just like we can’t see the roots of trees.......we can’t see the heart.  But if the heart’s full of jealousy........selfish ambition and arrogance....... it’s going to be evident by the chaos and evil that it produces.......by the tests that it fails.  Well......if that’s true...... then the opposite is true as well.

A heart that is first pure is the root of test-passing wisdom.......of wisdom that comes from God.  So what does it mean for you to have a pure heart? A pure heart is the kind of heart that’s going to see God. Remember back to the Sermon on the Mount? In Matthew 5:8......what does our Lord say? “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Wow........People with pure hearts get to see God. Well.......I believe it......because Jesus said it..........But how does that work? 

How pure is Jesus talking about here? Is he talking Ivory soap pure? You remember the old Ivory Soap commercials that talked about it being 99 44/100% pure? That’s pretty pure.......but still........if you think about it........that allows for over a half percent of cruddy stuff. I don’t think that I’d want to drink a glass of water that contained over a half-percent raw sewage in it........would you? “Here......have a drink......it’s mostly good!”  Will God let that much impurity into His presence? 

Well, maybe he’s talking about gold bullion pure. The standard purity for gold bullion is 99.9% pure. That might be enough to get you into Fort Knox........but it’s still not pure enough to get you into God’s presence. 1/10 of 1% of impurity is enough to keep you out. What about Canadian Gold Maple Leaf pure? That’s the purest form of gold in the world. It’s minted to 99.999% purity. Surely.......if I could get my heart that pure.......God would let me into His presence........wouldn’t He? Jesus addressed that a little further on in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:48, He said, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”   There’s the standard........Not really good.......Not hard-working........Not super nice. Not even close to perfect. PERFECT. That’s the standard. Why? Because God is perfect........and if He allows Himself to be joined in relationship with imperfect beings......He will no longer be perfect. We would make Him tainted......corrupted........defiled. And that can’t happen to God........or He wouldn’t be God. But wait a minute.......that’s an impossible standard...... isn’t it? Where does that kind of perfectly pure heart come from? 

James says that it comes from above. Because of our fallen........sin-marred condition.......we’re all born with a corrupt heart. And in and of ourselves........there’s nothing that we can do to change that. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”  

That’s an interesting question at the end of that verse.......who can understand our heart?  No one can except Jesus Christ........no one can except the One who took on human flesh...........the One who took on a heart like yours and mine…….except that His was free from sin. He’s the only One who can know your desperately wicked heart. Because He had a heart of flesh just like we do.  And it’s He alone who is able to give us the pure heart that is being talked about here……a heart that’s perfect……a heart from above.  

Attempting to have wisdom without purity is like having a glass of pure clean spring water with only a small piece of rotting flesh in it........it is mostly good.......but the impurity makes it undrinkable.......not usable.

OK......so other than being PURE.......what are some other attributes of wisdom that shows itself as coming from God?  Well......the next three say that wisdom from God is “then peaceable, gentle and reasonable”......or “willing to yield to others” as one translation puts it.  And we’ll look at these three together...... because they sorta go along with each other.  James says that test-passing wisdom is empty of self. It’s peaceable........It’s gentle........It’s reasonable.....or agreeable. You see.......I can’t be peaceable if I always insist on having my own way. I can’t be gentle if I’m always defending my rights. I can’t be agreeable if I insist that everybody always agree with me.  God’s wisdom is empty of self.......the opposite of self-centered. 

If I had to pick the foremost message of our age.......it would probably be the message of self-esteem.......self-worth......self-importance.  It seems that everywhere you look.......the message is the same. The problem with people today is that they don’t have enough self-esteem. Well, let’s just look at that word for a second. Of course we know what self is. But what does it mean to esteem one’s self? Esteem means “the condition of being honored,” “an attitude of admiration”, “to regard highly”, “to think much of.” Frankly........I don’t see that as much of a problem at all. As a matter of fact........our problem is that we’re too full of ourselves.........we esteem ourselves too highly. 

What’s going to make me look good. What’s going to make me feel good. What’s going to make me better than everyone else?  Even when it comes at the expense of how I treat you. Self-esteem isn’t the problem. As a matter of fact.......self-esteem is just another kind of the earthly, sensual wisdom that comes from the devil. Esteeming yourself..........being full of yourself.........is an attribute of test-failing wisdom. 

You can only be peaceable, gentle and agreeable if you’re full of the Holy Spirit. You can’t just tell yourself to be empty of yourself. That’s like trying to empty this room of all its air. It can’t be done. You can’t empty this room of air……but you can replace the air that’s in it. You can replace it with nitrogen or hydrogen.......or other air........or you can even replace it with water. I think we can all recognize the need to empty yourself of yourself. But you simply can’t do it. It’s impossible. You can only replace it. 

Case in point......and I think I’ve used this illustration before.  Several years ago......we were sitting around the table eating supper.....it’s just about dark......when one of the kids said, “Hey, there’s somebody out there.”  They were looking out back at the building the church had met in.......and sure enough.....there’s a guy walking around the building.   I went out and realized it was one of our neighbors from down the street......and I had heard that he was going through some really hard times......a divorce and some legal problems that were pretty heavy......and here he is out back wanting to talk to somebody.  

Well......the guy starts talking about all his problems......and there’s no doubt that they were serious........but in the course of telling the story.......all I kept hearing was, “I.......ME.......MY LIFE IS AWFUL”......and on and on.  And there’s no doubt......his life was ugly as a sack full of arm-pits.......but the fact is......that’s all he was centered on......that’s all he thought about.

We talked for quite a while and finally I told him about God’s remedy to change our lives.......the “PUT-OFF & PUT-ON” concept of Scripture.  And I came up with a plan.  I said........ “You’ve got a tractor, don’t you?”  He said, “Yes.”  I told him, “Tomorrow morning......first thing when you get up.......put the blade on your tractor and go down the street and offer to level some of your neighbor’s driveways.”  We had several old couples living on Sichler road at the time.....and I figured they could use the help.  And I told him that once he finished one driveway.......he needed to just go to the next one......and the next one.  

Sure enough.......there he was the next day.......and then the next day........and on the third day he came to me with this big smile on his face and said, “Wow......this has been great.......you wouldn’t believe how happy those people were.”  

And it was then that he realized that in order to truly enjoy life......to really grasp God’s blessings......to live in God’s wisdom.......we’ve got to get out of ourselves.  We’ve got to replace that self-centered concept that we naturally have and focus on other people.  Look at a passage that Paul writes in Philippians chapter 2......verses 3 thru 8.  

3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.  5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,  6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,  7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Did you catch some of that verbage there???? SELFISHNESS.......CONCEIT.... or how about HUMILITY......REGARD OTHERS AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOURSELF.......or talking about Jesus......HE EMPTIED HIMSELF......HUMBLED HIMSELF.  And that’s exactly what James is telling us here.........Instead of esteeming yourself........esteem others.......esteem Christ. And when you do that......you’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit fills you there is fruit that is evident.  Not only are we pure and peaceable and gentle and reasonable.

There’s another aspect to that last characteristic......being reasonable.....or as a couple of translations put it......being teachable, submissive or willing to yield.  Listen to Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” ........the Good News version has an interesting slant on that verse......it says, "Stupid people always think they’re right. Wise people listen to advice."

There’s a story circulated about Abraham Lincoln that says that on one occasion........to please a certain politician......he issued a command to transfer some regiments of the Army during the Civil War. When Edwin Stanton......Lincoln’s Secretary of War received the order.......he refused to carry it out.......saying the President was a fool. When one of Lincoln’s aides told him what Stanton had said he replied, “If Stanton said I’m a fool, then I must be a fool, for he is nearly always right. I’ll see for myself.”  So.....Lincoln went and talked to Stanton......and as they talked the President quickly realized that his decision was very wrong......and he apologized.   This is the President of the United States being called a fool by one of his subordinates.  He could have approached it much differently.......but real wisdom is always teachable.

What else is real wisdom?  Well.....the rest of verse 17 says that it is...... “full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”  I believe instead of “without hypocrisy” the NIV says, “impartial and sincere”.  What is it to be “full of mercy and good fruits?”  The two appear to go hand-in-hand in this verse.  

Is mercy for those who we feel sorry for because they’ve suffered because of something that wasn’t their fault?  Do we show mercy and good deeds to the one who is a victim of a natural disaster......victim of a violent crime he didn’t bring upon himself?  What about the person who is suffering because of their own choices?  What about the person who’s in trouble and the trouble was their own fault? Somehow it’s a whole lot easier to be merciful to the one we believe to be suffering unjustly.......isn’t it?  The fact is.........mercy isn’t dependant on guilt or innocent........and it’s a good thing isn’t it?  God is merciful with us even though we’re guilty.

Many times we might think that wisdom is about doling out justice. The wise person makes sure that everyone in their sphere of influence gets what they deserve. The wisdom that comes from above gives people more than they deserve. It reminds me of the story of a mother who once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. 

The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and that justice demanded his death. 

"But I don’t ask for justice," the mother explained. "I plead for mercy."

"But your son does not deserve mercy," Napoleon replied. 

"Sir," the woman cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for."

"Well, then," the emperor said, "I will have mercy." And he spared the woman’s son. 

There isn’t a one of us in this room who really wants what we deserve......if I got what I deserve right now I’d fall over dead.  Real wisdom is shown by a life controlled by mercy.......and filled with good fruit because of that mercy.

When you look at Luke 6:36 it’s pretty easy to understand that the kind of mercy that’s being described here is not just for the man who’s a victim.........but it means to be merciful to the one who’s in trouble even if the trouble’s his own fault......because that verse says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”  That makes it pretty clear.  Was God merciful to us only when we were victims…….or did He show us mercy right in the midst of our own sin and rebellion?  God gives us what we need, not what we deserve. I thank Him that He doesn’t give me what I deserve……..but He showers me with mercy.  Same thing we’re supposed to do.  When somebody stumbles…….you don’t judge them…….but you encourage them.  God’s wisdom is a wisdom of mercy……..and ours should be too.

God’s wisdom……real wisdom is also characterized as “unwavering, without hypocrisy.”  It is characterized by impartiality and sincerity.   The words imply the idea of being undivided……not wishy-washy. It’s the idea of being consistent. It doesn’t take one position here and another over there. It’s the picture of someone who doesn’t follow the principle of our day…..which says, “When in Rome do as the Romans do.”No…….when in Rome he acts the same way as he does when he’s at home…….when he’s at church……he’s without hypocrisy.

Which brings us to verse 18……. “And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”  This is pretty clear that God’s wisdom……TEST-PASSING wisdom has fruit. The fruit of righteousness.  A few weeks ago when we were looking at the wisdom of the world we went to Galatians 5 to see the rotten fruit that comes from test-failing wisdom. This morning we’re going to go back to Galatians 5 to see what the fruit of righteousness looks like. You’ll find it in Galatians 5:22-23…… “22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” 

That’s what the fruit of righteousness looks like. And I want you to notice something that doesn’t come across real well in English. In the original, the word fruit is singular. The fruit of the Spirit is one fruit ……and it manifests itself in all those different ways. Notice also in that list in Galatians that righteousness isn’t listed. It isn’t listed because the fruit of righteousness that James talks about is all of those things……it isn’t separate…….righteousness is love and joy and peace and patience and all of the stuff that Paul tells us about in Galatians.  

It’s also the same fruit that Jesus says we’re to hunger for in His Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:6, He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”  So……a good question for each of us after we read that verse is…….am I hungering and thirsting for the fruit of righteousness this morning? If I am…….I’m going to be satisfied……if I’m not……I’m going to live my life dissatisfied……unfulfilled.  James tells us that righteous fruit is planted in fields of peace…….and that causes it to grow and bear even more righteous fruit. 

Do you see the picture? James is saying that the fruit of one truly wise person can be the seed for an entire harvest of wisdom. One person with a pure heart. One person who is empty of themselves because they are full of the Spirit. One person whose fruit of righteousness is sown in peace can change those around them. Can change their family. Can change their neighborhood. Can change Valencia County. If we truly hunger and thirst for righteousness……we can make a difference. God desires that we plant our fruit……invest it in others…….show those around us what the wisdom of God actually looks like.  They don’t see it very often.

The fact is that farmers get what they sow…….In fact that’s true with most things. I don’t study for a test …….I flunk the test ……..I reap what I sow.  I plant corn ………I expect a harvest of corn……..I plant seeds of righteousness sown in peace……that’s what I expect to reap. Our fruit will show what we planted.

So…..what’s the bottom line here…….all this talk about wisdom……early wisdom……heavenly wisdom……what does it all boil down to?  Well…..it may come down to a single verse found in Colossians 2:3 Paul talks about “Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ Jesus…….there alone.  

We can be the brightest person in the world……and without Jesus Christ we cannot possess God’s wisdom.  And it’s the fertilizing and nurturing and attention to that relationship with Christ that is going to yield a harvest of the wisdom that James talks about in this passage.

 One last passage I want to look at this morning that nails things down pretty well is found in Psalm 119:98-100 the Psalmist writes,  98 “Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,  For they are ever mine.  99 I have more insight than all my teachers,  For Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged,  Because I have observed Your precepts.”  Why was the psalmist wise?  Because he observed God’s precepts……he DID something.  

If you want to determine if someone is wise……..don’t ask for his resume or the number of degrees he holds…….or his Grade Point Average…….James says, “Look at his life. A man’s works……and not his words……..will tell you if he has true wisdom.”

James 4:1-6

Alright.......we find ourselves back in the book of James.......and we’ve made it thus far to chapter 4.  And every time we’ve met.....we’ve reviewed where we’ve been before...... what has James addressed his audience with that we can apply to our lives?  And since we’ve reviewed that much......we’re not going to this morning.....except to say that every one of these passages can be seen as a test.......a test of our spiritual maturity.  And today’s test is going to be in the area of envy......lusting.......jealousy......pretty well summed up in the sin of PRIDE.  

Now, I realize that none of us in this room have any issues whatsoever in this area........we’ve got it under control.  So........I would ask you to listen intently so that you can help your neighbor with these issues.......because let’s face it.......your neighbor certainly has issues in this realm!

I want to start this morning by reading you a few stories of real life incidents that were reported in newspapers around the country.......and let’s see if you can figure out what these stories have in common with one another........

Story #1: "The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypisalanti, Michigan at 7:50am, flashed a gun and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn’t open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings........the clerk advised the robber that onion rings weren’t available for breakfast. The man.......frustrated.......walked away and was apprehended later."

Story #2: "Karen Lee Joachimmi, 20, was arrested in Lake City, Florida for robbery of a Howard Johnson’s motel. She was armed with an electric chain saw........that wasn’t plugged in."

Story #3: Dateline.......Germany: Oil of Olay was no longer doing what she wanted it to do........so a woman decided that she would bathe in the milk of a camel......you know.......a modern-day Cleopatra. So she stole a camel from the local zoo (where else can you find a camel when you need one?) and transported it back to her house..........where she realized that the camel’s name was probably "Clyde" and not “Cindy”!

So......tell me.  What’s the main thread running through these stories that ties them all together.......what’s the common denominator?  The reason I shared these stories is because I thought it would give you a slightly humorous look at stupid things people will do when they envy something........when they lust after something.......when they want something so badly they would do anything to acquire it.  In most cases.....these criminals went after money.........they probably envied the "easy" life that people with lots of money live. The woman with the camel........she envied the smooth skin and good looks that the "aging" women in Oil of Olay commercials said they had.

What’s not funny though are some of the other articles I saw.........like this one out of Detroit......."Leo Wilson, Jr., 16, was shot to death for his Nike sneakers and satin sports jacket, police say." 

Or how about this one out of Houston, Texas........"Wheatley High School junior Adam Joseph Martin, 18, finally earned enough to buy his new $125 Nike athletic shoes last week. Saturday night, staring down the barrel of a 9mm pistol on a Houston street, he handed over his prized possessions to two robbers, who fatally shot him anyway."  The people that committed these murders were after a pair of shoes made by Nike.  Interesting just how far envy will drive people isn’t it.

Let’s go ahead and read the passage that we’re going to be discussing this morning and see how James deals with this thing called “ENVY”..........( James 4:1-10 )  

1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 

2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 

4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 

5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? 

6 But He gives a greater grace Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 

7 Submit therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 

10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

The question James asked to the church some 2,000 years ago is still being asked today at every level of society, "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?"  When World War II had ended........on September 2, 1945.......General Douglas MacArthur spoke to a waiting world from the Battleship Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay, “Today the guns are silent...the skies no longer rain death...the seas bear only commerce...men everywhere walk upright in the sunlight. The entire world is quietly at peace....”

That long war cost sixty million lives.......and an estimated $1 trillion. It came only one generation after what President Woodrow Wilson called “the war to end all wars.”Since World War II we’ve been engaged in Korea and Viet Nam........Iraq twice.......not to mention the hundreds of limited wars........political assassinations.......personal revolts.........rebellions and social revolutions.

The history of the world is a war history. But James isn’t even talking about that here.......it simply shows who we are.  James actually brings it much closer to home when he makes it clear that our personal stories are war stories as well, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?”  That’s a pretty penetrating question........Why can’t we get along? Why do we rub each other the wrong way?  Why are children killing children? Why do husbands beat up on their wives? Why do friends treat each other so badly sometimes?

Although James is specifically addressing the problems within the church......all of these other areas of our lives are the same problem......with the same root source.  The same passions that lead to world wars and domestic violence and killing kids for tennis shoes.......it’s the same thing that causes churches to split and brothers and sisters in Christ to quarrel and dismiss each other......and what does he say it is?  Envy.......Lust.......Jealousy.......Pride........all connected........and it’s living within our bodies and being uncontrolled by the Holy Spirit.

James just addressed this problem of “envy” or “jealousy” in the last chapter.......and he hit it pretty hard.......James 3:16 “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”  When all we’re thinking about is ourselves.......and what we want.........when it’s all about us.......James says there is “every evil thing”.  

Tish has a really simple explanation as to why we get angry with people......why there is dissention and fights among us.  I don’t know whether she made this up or got it from somebody else.......but it’s pretty fitting.  The reason we get mad about anything boils down to two things........either someone did something we didn’t want them to do......or they didn’t do something we wanted them to do.  And that pretty much sums it up doesn’t it?  It’s all about me......what I want.......what I like.......how you’re supposed to serve me!

In verses 1 & 2 James uses words like “pleasure”......“lust”........“envy”......and these things......though having a slightly different meaning......are all connected.  In order to understand it........we’ll call it “selfish pride” for the sake of this morning’s lesson.  

So.......what are the prevailing symptoms of this thing called selfish pride? Well......we could liken it to a disease.......it’s certainly not a disease......it’s sin, plain and simple.  But for the sake of this illustration........think of selfish pride as a horrible sickness. It’s not seasonal........as a matter of fact........it’s congenital.......it’s something you’re born with. You can’t catch it from other people........but being around other people with the same sickness can make it worse. The biggest problem with this sickness is......you don’t necessarily feel bad when you get it. Sometimes it feels really good.......at least for a while. 

But if left unchecked........lust.......envy.......jealousy........selfish pride will destroy everything you hold dear. It will destroy your marriage. It will destroy the relationship between children and parents. It will destroy your family. It will destroy your friendships and it will destroy your church. You wouldn’t be exaggerating if you thought of it as the most destructive disease known to man.  People worry about the bird flu and e-coli. Those things are the “sniffles” compared to the sin of selfish pride. 

We talked about his problem being one we’re born with........several years ago.......the Minnesota Crime Commission reported on the growth of crime and reached what to some was a startling conclusion.  Now these were not necessarily men of God that I know of......but their findings stated the following:  When you listen to this......Larrissa, Michelle, Christine.......I know it’s hard to believe they were talking about your little babies.......but here’s what they said........

“Every baby starts life as a little savage. He is completely selfish and self-centered. He wants what he wants when he wants it — his bottle, his mother’s attention, his playmate’s toy, his uncle’s watch. Deny him these once, and he seethes with rage and aggressiveness which would be murderous were he not so helpless. He is dirty, he has no morals, no knowledge, no skills. This means that all children — not just certain children — are born delinquent. If permitted to continue in the self-centered world of his infancy, given free reign to his impulsive actions to satisfy his wants, every child would grow up a criminal — a thief, a killer, or a rapist.  We must train children OUT OF DELINQUENCY!”  Wow......doesn’t sound like people are “basically good” to me!

All human conflict is ultimately traced back to the frustrated desire of wanting more than we have........and being resentful of what others have.......whether it’s position or possessions.  And not only do we want it.......in our fast-food, microwave society.......we want it now!

So what do you look for to know if you have selfish pride or not? What are the symptoms? The first symptom is lust. All too often in our society.......we think of lust as always having a sexual connotation. Well.......that’s not always the case. The biblical term includes sexual lust........but it’s not limited to that. It’s really a whole lot bigger than that. There are two different original words used for lust in this passage. The one used in verse 1 is the same word from where we get the word “hedonism”. It carries the idea of having a completely self-centered view of life. This person’s motto is “whatever feels good, do it.” Their world is completely controlled and dominated by “me”. Even the things they do for others are done because it makes them feel good. Or it makes them feel needed. Or it gives them self-worth. 

The original word for lust that’s used in verse 2 deals more with the desire. The first is a state of being. It’s who the person has become. The second is the craving he has. It’s the intense craving an alcoholic has for the next drink. It’s the famished hunger of a starving man. It’s the parched thirst of a dehydrated nomad as he walks across the desert.

The object of lust can take many forms. Sex, drugs, alcohol, power, money, position, status, achievement, competition, popularity. The object can take many forms........but the symptom is the same. It’s still lust and no matter what the object, it is still just as destructive. 

Verse 2 is filled with frustration and aggravation.  “You lust and do not have.”......... “You are envious and cannot obtain.......” Our inability to fulfill these desires leads to frustration and hostility.  If you find yourself constantly frustrated because you don’t get your way.......if you are fighting with your spouse or fighting with your co-workers because they’re always wrong.....you’ve got selfish pride.  Kids.....if you’re at odds with your parents because they’re too strict......you’re too confined.....they don’t understand you.......I can assure you......you have selfish pride.

And when we start thinking this way......we find ourselves frustrated by people and circumstances.......we lash out at those around us. We become willing to hurt and destroy......James says, “even murder”....... in an effort to meet our desires. We find that we’re all competing for the same things.........and we’ll do anything to eliminate the competition. We envy what we think others have.  We grieve as long as we don’t have it.  We continually struggle to find a way to get it.  Probably the most accurate description of the human condition that there is.

The second symptom of selfish pride is consumption. Consumption is what the person who lusts does when he receives the object of his lust. To the person who is full of sexual lust........sex is merely a conquest. It’s not an act of love or an act of passion. It’s consumption. It is only devouring prey. The person who lusts for achievement is never satisfied. As soon as one achievement is met........they are obsessed with the next goal. The hallmark of consumption is that it is never satisfied. Those who say that we repress our teenagers when we tell them to abstain from sex until they are married have got it all wrong. The more you feed consuming lust........the bigger it grows. It’s like a consuming fire. The more fuel you place on the fire, the larger and more destructive it becomes. 

James says we just want to consume what we’re asking for.  Do we really do that?  Look at your own prayer life.......give an honest assessment.  How much of it is prayer asking for God to do things.......give you things.......bless you.......take away bad stuff from you?  Instead of our prayers being focused on changing us......we’re trying to twist His arm to gratify our own desires. If God were to answer those prayers.......it would only serve to strengthen us in our independence.......not make us rely more on Him.

James says that we ask for things and we don’t get them.......Why?  Because all we’re doing is thinking of ourselves.  We want to be the ultimate consumer of everything we ask God for.  The cure for consuming lust is not feeding it..........starving it.......not giving in to the temptation. 

The third symptom of selfish pride is friendship with the world. When the obsession of your life is you.......it can’t be God. When you become obsessed with feeding your all-consuming lusts.......you can’t be obsessed with God. As a matter of fact, you can’t even really think about God. Because God will not take second place to anything in your life. He will not share your focus with anything. It’s called the first commandment. In Exodus 20:3, God said, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” If you think He’s only talking about things like Mohammed and Buddha......think again. He’s talking about you. Your self. Your selfish lusts. Your all-consuming desires. Anything in this world that you obsess over is your god. Whether it’s your desires, your home, your health, your spouse, your stuff or your kids—it doesn’t matter. God Almighty will not put up with anything in this world that He created being elevated in your heart over His Son Jesus Christ. Friendship with the world is enmity—that is utter hatred—with God. Jesus said, you cannot serve both God and mammon—that’s money. God will not share His glorious throne with anybody or anything. Period. 

Verse 5 tells us that He doesn’t want these things residing in our hearts.  He designed us to live with the Holy Spirit in control of our hearts.......and He doesn’t want it any other way.  

So.......when you start to feel sick.......what do you usually do? You take your temperature. You look at the back of your throat. You check your symptoms. What about this morning?  Do you show any of the symptoms of selfish pride? If you do.......you need to get to the source of the problem. We’ve seen what the prevailing symptoms of selfish pride are. So.......what’s the primary source? Look at verse 6....... “But He gives a greater grace Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” You can pretty quickly see that pride doesn’t come from God. As a matter of fact........He is completely and totally opposed to it. 

The word that’s used for opposed.......or as the King James Version says.......resisteth.......is actually a military term. It pictures a full army lined up and ready for battle. That’s the picture that’s painted with how God resists the proud. He lines up all of His heavenly army to stand in opposition to our pride. Why does He do that? Why is it that offensive to Him? Do you remember the reason that Satan fell in the first place? God had created him as an angel of light, but his pride attempted to elevate himself above God. 

Adam and Eve’s sin was rooted in pride. Satan told them that if they ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.......they could be like God. Out of their pride, that’s what they wanted. They wanted to be autonomous......sovereign......their own boss. They wanted to be free. They didn’t want anyone telling them what to do..........even God. That’s pride. And pride is pretty basically at the core of all sin.  Who’s got 1 John 2:16?  “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”  All the sin in the world.......all the stuff that James is talking about in this passage......can be seen in that one verse written by John.

There was no way in the Garden that Adam and Eve could truly become as God. They quickly found that out. But where does it come from? If it’s not from God.......what’s the source of pride? Well........this is one that we can’t blame on the Devil. He can tempt us to have pride.........but pride is something we come up with all on our own. Satan tempted Adam and Eve with fruit. He lied to them about what it would do for them. But the fact that they wanted to eat the fruit to become like God—that was all on their own. The source of pride is our own heart. It happens when we elevate our heart to a place that only God should occupy. And God won’t tolerate anybody in His space. He stands opposed to it with His complete arsenal......He just hasn’t pulled the trigger yet. 

This is an area of our lives that each and every one of us has to examine.  We can’t blame someone else for the way we act......it’s our own fault.  We’ve seen the prevailing symptoms of selfish pride. We’ve seen that we are the primary source of selfish pride. So........what’s the cure? One word......and it’s also found in verse 6.......GRACE. God gives grace to the humble.  What’s he talking about here?

Most Christians have a pretty good understanding of grace as it applies to salvation. They understand that God did something for them that they could never do for themselves. He erased their sin debt. He gave them a righteous standing before Himself. He made them spiritually alive so that they could enjoy intimate fellowship with the Father.  But we tend to be a little more fuzzy-minded when it comes to grace in the every day of Christian life. We tend to view grace as God covering up for our failures........or helping us to do or endure difficult things. Somehow we fail to understand that grace in the Christian life still means God doing for us that which we could never do for ourselves.........which is everything.  Jesus said, "Without me, you can do nothing." 

God desires to give us this grace on a moment by moment basis.......but He won’t do it to the proud.  The means of getting this grace that James talks about here is to get rid of our pride.  Replace it. He tells us that God gives grace to the humble.......those who admit their helplessness and don’t depend on the philosophies and convictions of the world......but who look strictly to God to meet their needs. 

So......we see the problem......it’s us.  What’s the solution?  James gives us the cure.......he tells us what we must do to destroy the selfish pride in our lives in the next several verses.  But.......since we have communion this morning......we’re going to have to look at the cure the next time we’re in the Book.

For now......we just have got to understand that it’s not about us.  Scripture is plain that we were created for God’s glory......not our own.  Ephesians 1:20-23, referring to God is says,  “20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,  21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  22And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,  23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Do you see what that says?  When God looks at the center of the universe......He doesn’t see you.  When the spotlight shines on the star of the show......no light gets on me.  Contrary to what the world’s philosophy is.......the world doesn’t revolve around any one of us.  It’s not about you.......it’s not about me.......it’s all about Him.

James 4:7-12

OK......after about a nine week intermission.....we’re back in the book of James....one of the most practical and applicable books of Scripture.  And our journey thus far has taken us through a series of “tests”......which if applied to our lives should show us what our spiritual temperature really is.......They can be seen as tests of our spiritual maturity.  And the last time we met we were in chapter 4 verses 1 thru 6......and that test was in the area of envy......lusting.......jealousy......pretty well summed up in the sin of PRIDE.  And I have to admit......for me that was a rather scathing......revealing passage when I put it up against my own life.  

And the passage started out with a question James asked to the church some 2,000 years ago......and it’s still being asked today at every level of society, "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?"  And we pretty well summed up the fact that all human conflict is ultimately traced back to the frustrated desire of wanting more than we have........and being resentful of what others have.......whether it’s position or possessions.  And not only do we want it.......in our fast-food, microwave society.......we want it now!  The entire passage really deals with our SELFISH PRIDE.....and it comes in many forms.  And that’s where we ended up last time......wallowing in our selfish pride and wondering if there’s anything that can be done about it......which is where we take up this morning.  How do we correct our course.......how do get rid of selfish pride and take on a lifestyle of humility.  What does humility even look like?......because we’re not really accustom to seeing it.

So let’s look at the passage and see where it takes us.  Who’s got  James 4:7-12?

 7Submit therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

 9Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 

 10Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. 

 11Do not speak against one another, brethren He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 

 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? 

Since the passage we’re looking into actually starts out with, “Submit THEREFORE to God”........We should look at the verse right before it so we can see what the THEREFORE is there for.......

6But He gives a greater grace Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 

And that’s where we ended last time......seeing that God opposes our selfish pride.......and He blesses a humble attitude.  But…..what do we do about it?  I’m pretty sure that we’re all familiar with the Peanuts cartoons…..and there have been several of them…..where Lucy holds the football for Charlie Brown to kick……and just as he approaches the ball to kick it…..she pulls the ball away and he falls flat on his back.  I saw one the other day where she goes to hold the ball and Charlie Brown says, “No way……you’ll pull the ball away again.”  And Lucy responds weeping and sobbing, “Oh, you’re so right. I admit that in the past I’ve played cruel tricks on you. But I’ve seen the error of my ways! I’ve seen the hurt in your eyes! Won’t you give a poor repentant girl another chance?” 

Charlie Brown said, “Okay.”…….So he backs up…….and just as he’s about to kick it…….Lucy pulled the ball away…….and Charlie Brown goes flying through the air…….flat on his back again. 

As Lucy walks away, she comments to a friend…….“Unfortunately, recognizing your faults and actually changing your ways are two different things.”

And that speaks of all of us…….We know what our problem is……we’re prideful……we’re self-centered……we’re not humble…..but at some point we’ve got to take a step towards real change.  And that’s what James is getting at here.  

And one of the first steps we need to take is found in verse 8.....… Draw near to God.  It sounds so simple......it’s something we truly desire to do isn’t it????  I mean.....who doesn’t want to be near God?  But how do we do it?

We can see a beautiful truth all through the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments…….God is passionately seeking those who are passionately seeking Him.  In Jeremiah 29:13, God promises,  13'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 

In the Book of Genesis we find the account of God creating man.  Gen 2:7 ….. “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

There’s something really special about this portion of the creation account.  God spoke all of His creation into being…….He created it from afar……but not man.  God took a deep breath in the creation story……..God breathed deeply and then He imparted life to Adam.  It was different than the rest of what He had done…….He breathed life into this object of His creation.  

Now…..I don’t know if you’ve ever had the occasion to give someone CPR or not…….you know……that whole mouth-to-mouth thing.  But I’ve had to do it on a few occasions……and you have to get pretty intimate with the one you’re giving your breath to, don’t you?  And there’s a sense of intimacy in the creation account too.  God breathes into the nostrils of the formed human.

When God created man He didn’t create him from a distance…….He created man different that anything else He created. I believe that account of creation was an illustration of how He wanted a very different……very intimate relationship with man that with any other living thing.......it’s only us who stands in the way.  How do we do that?  By our pride......by not being humble.  So it’s really pretty easy to see what He’s saying in this first part of verse 7...... “Lose the pride.....be humble......that’s how you’re going to be able to submit to God.”  If we’re prideful.....if we refuse to be humble.....we cannot submit ourselves to God.

Now……according to James…….one sure sign of pride is what he calls worldliness. Almost subconsciously we can become what James calls in verse 4, “a friend of the world.”

Now…….worldliness is not merely doing something someone says you shouldn’t do. Worldliness is adopting a philosophy of life that says that MY true fulfillment and happiness in life can be found apart from a relationship with God. It’s a spirit of self-reliance rather than reliance on God……..and this can be a very subtle thing. You can be very moral and very religious, and still be very worldly. You can use all the Christian code words and make sure you go through all the right religious motions. You can go to church……even have a consistent, daily prayer time…….and even have a ministry. But if someone were able to look past all those externals and look deep into your heart……they probably couldn’t find much difference between your core perspective toward life and that of a good, moral, unbelieving, non-Christian.

The hard truth is that Christians today seem to have almost abandoned the pursuit of Christ as our means of finding fulfillment in life……..and we have substituted the pursuit of other things for our true sense of significance in life.

But James has a solution……Draw near to God…..make Him the center of your focus……Make Him the dominant pursuit in your life.  Remember what Christ said in  Matthew 6:33  “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  He meant it……but do we live like we believe it?   @

 6But He gives a greater grace Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."

7Submit therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

 9Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 

 10Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Notice something here in how James addresses the idea of humility.  The word “humble” is the last word in verse 6 and the first word in verse 10. The technical term for this is “inclusio,” which means that everything between the two words relates to the same topic.  Therefore……verses 7-9 should be seen as a detailed description of what it means to be humble. It’s a description of what it means to submit yourself before God in order to receive His grace.

James writes in verse 7, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Too often we rip this verse out of its context……because in the context he’s referring to submission and humility. Humbling yourself has to do with resisting Satan’s desire for you to assert yourself…….to not be humble. You see…….Satan’s strategy has always been one of self-centered assertion for the meeting of your needs…….“I can do it myself.”….rather than a humble dependence on God.

All James is doing is reiterating what Jesus said in@ John 15:5…..
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

We have a responsibility to RESIST the devil.  It’s not a passive act…..it’s a purposed…..aggressive manner of dealing with the devil that says, “I’m not going there.”  And if you notice the progression here……if we are submitting ourselves to God…..the next step is to resist the devil.  When you’re living your life not in submission to God…..the devil could care less about you.  But understand……you become a threat to the devil when you are actively involved in submitting yourself to God.  That’s when you can expect your temptation to become stronger……the devil to become busier in your life.  We have one single responsibility when it comes to the devil…….RESIST! Don’t hang out with him. Don’t try to out-smart him. Don’t see how close you can get without getting burned…….don’t rationalize your activity…….Just RESIST. James says that if we’re actively submitting ourselves to God…..actively resisting the devil……that we will be successful……he will flee from us.

You notice this is a two-pronged approach…….and these twin principles come with twin promises:  Resist the devil and he will flee from you……..Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Exactly what we want to have happen in both areas.  We live in an age when people actually get diagnosed with things like: “poor impulse control” or “oppositional defiant disorder.” Now…….I’m not saying such things may not exist……..but I am saying that a lot of folks in our society tend to assume they have no responsibility to control their actions. They feel that “If I have a strong urge…I just have to go with it!  That’s the way God made me.” Our part in this whole concept of resisting the devil is learning how to “Just say ‘No!’”  We are responsible for our actions.

He then goes on in verse 8 to tell us more of what humility looks like.  We talked earlier about drawing near to God……now James tells us the “how-to” on doing that.  We’re to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. So……I guess if I just go to the bathroom and wash my hands I should be good ta go?  Obviously not……this is an illustration……and outward sign of an inward action.  Wash your hands……clean up your act……get rid of the sin in your life……lose the germs that are causing the filth.  A little bit of spiritual soap and water can get rid of the things that affect us…..the germs that make us spiritually sick……that infect us with a worldly life.  We all know areas of our lives that need cleaned up.  

 You know what the essence of our problem is……..we hate our sin……but we hate our sin just a little bit less than we love it.  We want to stop sinning.......but even more we want to keep sinning.  James is saying……“Clean it up……take action…… STOP IT!!!!”  

I don’t know if any of you have seen the Bob Newhart sketch where he’s a psychiatrist……and a woman comes in who’s living her life afraid of being buried alive in a box.  After she pours out her heart about how crippling this has been for her……the psychiatrist tells her “Stop it!”  It’s pretty funny…..but it’s so true in our lives…….and that’s what James is saying here.  Take some action…..clean up your act.  STOP IT!  You don’t just sit back and wait for God to change you while you remain in your sin…….you join Him in the fight……joining your will with His strength. 

I can memorize Scripture from Genesis to Revelation and I can have the whole world pray for me. But there comes a time when forsaking sin…….truly putting it to death…….requires a decision of the mind and an act of the will. Sooner or later I need to just stop it. And God can give me the strength to do so. 

And not only does James tell us to clean up our act on the outside……we also need to purify our hearts……because we’re double-minded.  We may be able to fool other people with the outside stuff…..we can wash our hands…..but we aren’t going to fool God.  God knows our hearts…..and our hearts have to be purified as well.

Proverbs 27:19 “As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man.”  What happens in the heart is of great importance to our heavenly father. Lust, Hate, Greed, Unforgiveness, Anger, Rebellion, the list goes on of the things God wants out of our heart.  This is another area of purposing that James says is going to accomplish what God wants in our lives.  If God has made a difference in our lives…..then our lives need to be different.

We need to come to a point in our lives that we’re purposing to deal with our sin……we need to wash our hands…..purify our hearts…..and the next verse tells us how seriously we need to take it.

Then we come to verse 9……which has to be one of the “funnest” verses of Scripture……Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.  Wow……there’s a good reason to be a Christian.  I can think of a dozen verses that this contradicts.  I thought I was supposed to be a light in the world…..I thought I was supposed to encourage other people…..I thought being a Christian was supposed to be a joyful thing.  

The grieving……mourning and wailing in verse 9 is just telling us how seriously we should take this matter of sin in our lives…..this matter of washing our hands and purifying our hearts.  It’s nothing to take lightly.  I’m afraid that most Christians today have never learned to weep over their sin. We are by nature and culture a proud people. I am convinced that’s why we see such little display of God’s presence and power in our lives. The Bible teaches that God’s presence and power does not dwell in any place except in a humble and contrite heart. Who’s got Isaiah 66:2 “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD, But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”

 The paradox of grace is that the way up is the way down! Like water, God’s grace and power always flows to the lowest place. Throughout the Scriptures we find that the prophets and apostles never found the fullness of God until they found themselves lying prostrate before God in brokenness and shame. The prophet Isaiah said, “Woe unto me for I am a man of unclean lips……” (Isaiah 6:5). The apostle Peter fell at the feet of Jesus and cried out, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8).  In fact……Jesus Himself tells us on more than one occasion that, “To find life, you must first lose it” (Matthew 10:39; 16:25).   In fact……who’s got Luke 6:25?    “Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.”

Remember David…….a man after God’s own heart.  He experienced godly sorrow for his sin with Bathsheba…….and then that whole messy thing with having her husband killed……..and it was after that when he prayed the prayer of Psalm 6:6……“I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears”. He was serious about his sin. How serious are we? Do we feel that we’ve hurt God or do we think that it’s okay to keep on sinning…….and that God doesn’t really care?  It should break our hearts when we sin against God!  But unfortunately……in our present culture of “God is love”……easy believism…..cheap grace……I don’t think we give it much thought. 

James isn’t telling us to go around sad all the time…….he isn’t telling us that if we’re happy then God’s gonna get us……James isn’t giving us anything new here at all……he’s telling us to take our time of repentance…..our time of washing our hands and purifying our hearts seriously….. because God does.

We’re supposed to be a happy people……happier than anyone else in the world…..except when we’re examining our lives and seeing what it is that God wants us to change……except when we’re dealing with our sin.  Our sin should make us sad……it should make us reflect on what we need to do to change…….and then we should get to the point of being very happy again.

We go on to verse 10……and we’re sorta where we started…….humbling ourselves.  He’s just given us a roadmap of what humility looks like…..and now he’s saying “do it”……turn from your pride……turn away from your own self-sufficiency and humble yourself……and then there’s a promise attached.  Do it……and God will lift you up……He will give you grace…….He promises to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. And the end result of the change that then takes place in your life will not be to your credit but to His glory.

The key to living the Christian life is not learning to try harder in your own proud self-sufficiency……..but it’s learning to humbly submit yourself to God…… The key is learning to develop what we might call a lifestyle of dependence upon Jesus Christ instead of ourselves.  

Then……as almost a post-script to this thought on being humble and drawing near to God……James adds verses 11 and 12.  It’s almost like he’s shifted gears here…..talking one minute about our relationship with God and the next about our relationship with each other……But I don’t think that’s the case.

He’s talking about humility…….and if we’re judging other……if we are doing God’s job in this area…..we’re not being humble. Also…..the context deals with drawing near to God.  What did John tell us in 1 John 4:20-21: If anyone says "I love God”, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

 God doesn’t want to see bickering and hurtful talk among his children. If that’s what you’re doing…….will keep you from DRAWING NEAR to God.  It kinda comes down to that simple old truism that we’ve all heard from our parents: If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all. We have no business speaking unlovingly about others.  The fact is we’re putting ourselves in God’s place when we do.  Other people’s sin…..other people’s heart problems are between them and God…..To put it bluntly…….it is none of our business. Let God handle them. The job God has given YOU is simply this: Think well of --- speak well of --- and show love to … your Christian brothers and sisters. Anything less is sin. 

James 4:13-17

Here we are......back in the book of James......and we’ll finish up chapter 4 today......and as something of a “catch-up”......the early verses of chapter 4 deal with pride..... arrogance.......self-centeredness.  And it’s almost like James has just one string on his guitar at this point.....because today’s passage is going to deal with the same thing...... just a little different bent to it.  And I think it’s interesting to note just what God thinks about our pride......our arrogance.  Proverbs 6:16-19..... “16There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.”  Wow......what’s the first thing on the list of the things that God HATES?  Haughty eyes.......arrogance......pride.......self-centeredness.  And James is going to attack this problem again......

So......let’s read the passage and see where we’re going this morning......@ James 4:13-17.  13  Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." 

 14  Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 

 15  Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." 

 16  But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 

 17  Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

This passage is one continuous thought.......but it looks like it’s in three parts...... and that’s the way we’ll deal with it.  Verses 13 & 14 go together......and speak of something that is near and dear to all of us@.......LIFE.  And life......as we know it now..... will end for each and every one of us.  No one escapes.  

It reminds me of the story of the doctor who called one of his patients into his office to deliver some very important news. "I’ve received the results of your tests and I have some bad news and some good news", said the doctor. The patient was quiet for a moment.......sensing the severity of the announcement. "Let me have the good news first, doc", said the patient. The doctor took a deep breath and said, "You only have 24 hours to live." "Oh my goodness", shouted the patient, "If that’s the good news what could the bad news possibly be?" The doctor replied, "I was supposed to tell you yesterday."

Everything has a shelf-life......a time to expire.  Some are really short......others are a bit longer.......but ultimately...it’s all the same.  For example.......Think about these little known facts......…

· A lightening bolt lasts 45 to 55 microseconds. 

· The average running shoe worn by the average runner on an average surface will last approximately 425 miles. 

· Most ballpoint pens will draw a line 5,700 feet long. 

· A group of subatomic particles known as unstable hadrons exists for only one one-hundred-sextillionth of a second (10 to the negative 23 second)—less time than it takes light to travel a single inch. 

· A 100-watt incandescent bulb will last about 750 hours......a 25-watt bulb, 2,500 hours. The number of times a light bulb is turned on and off has little to do with its life-span. 

· A one-dollar bill lasts approximately 18 months in circulation.

LIFE is a pretty “iffy” proposition.  In fact......maybe that’s why it’s spelled that way.......@because right in the center of our whole LIFE is the word IF.  We don’t know what tomorrow’s going to hold.....none of us do.

Ask anyone you meet to give you a definition of LIFE.......and no two people will give you the same answer.  Even us here this morning......and we all basically have the same general outlook and perception of life........and our answers wouldn’t look at all the same. If you had listened to the Hippie generation in the sixties......when I was young and impressionable......you would have heard a song which was sung by the title character of Zorba the Greek.......with lyrics that described life as “what you do while you’re waiting to die”. 

 Clarence Darrow.......a lawyer probably best known for his defense in the Scopes Monkey trial of 1925......a man with no use whatsoever for Scripture or religion of any kind.......defined life as “.........an unpleasant interlude of nothingness”.

While most of us would agree that both of these statements are something of a sad commentary on life.....the fact remains that we would all have to side with James here.  James doesn’t give a definition of life.......but rather......he expresses its brevity as that of a vapor that appears and then.......just as quickly, vanishes! And that’s true!  In comparison to ETERNITY life is a vapor.  And that’s a pretty easy illustration to see.  Put a tea-kettle of water on the stove and watch as it begins to boil.  The steam that comes out doesn’t fill the kitchen up......does it?  No......the steam disappears about a foot above the kettle.  

The Greek word here is the word atmos.......from which we get the word “atmosphere,” which is that invisible layer of water vapor that encircles our planet. Our lives are like a mist in the grand scheme of things........and Scripture compares our lives to a number of things......and all of them are very fleeting......The wind. Job 7:7.......A shadow. 1 Chronicles 29:5.......The width of a hand. Psalm 39:5.......A weaver’s web. Isaiah 38:12.........and here in James.......A vapor. 

@And that’s what God’s Word tells us that our lives are like.......a vapor that appears for a little time......and then vanishes.  Even those of us who live to a ripe old age are here only a short time in comparison to the time we’ll spend in eternity. According to James.......if you live to be one hundred years old......you’re life is still nothing more than a vapor when you compare it to the limitless expanse of time we’ll spend in eternity.  The fact is that life is short........ and the older I get...the shorter it seems!

Job tells us something of how he views his life in verse 7:6......what does that say?  "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And come to an end without hope.”  Now I don’t know a lot about weaver’s shuttles......but apparently.....it’s fast.  And the outcome that James is trying to get us to look at here is that our lives go by very quickly......so in our arrogance we need to understand that we can make all the plans we want to......but we may not be around to fulfill them.  

Even at Scripture’s best guess for our lives it doesn’t exactly sound like a good time.  Who’s got Psalm 90:10?  “As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away.”  

Scripture tells us throughout that our days are already numbered.......God already knows how long we’ll be on this earth.  It’s not up to us......we have no control over the length of our lives.  

So......obviously it isn’t length or quantity that gives any value to human life.......so, if not quantity.....then what?  Quality.   This gift of life......however brief, should be spent living in such a way that the very One who created us won’t look on His work as a big waste of time and effort.  We have no control over the quantity of our lives...... but a great deal of control over the quality.  And the quality is always going to be increased when we include God in all of our future plans.

So......what are you using your 3 score and ten years for......how are you spending them?  Are you HAPPY? Do you have PEACE? Are you ENJOYING your LIFE?  What are the MOST IMPORTANT things in your LIFE?  What are your PLANS for the FUTURE? Where’s GOD on your PRIORITY LIST?  Are you living an ABUNDANT LIFE. Who’s got John 10:10? “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Jesus said, “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.”  And what we absolutely need to find that fullness is to include God in all of our plans.

James starts this section off with a phrase that is found only here in Scripture.  He says,  “Now listen,” or “Come now,”......and what he’s saying is, “I’m about to tell you something really important.......Listen up......pay attention.  Those of you who are struttin’ around like you own the place.......I’ve got news for you......you don’t.

And James isn’t railing against doing business here.  There’s nothing in this passage that would indicate that they were involved in anything ungodly at all.  These guys weren’t sinning because they were occupied with business decisions to make.  Their sin wasn’t that they engaged in business.......but that they were counting on the future, without any recognition of the God who controls the future.

In fact......if you look at it, their business plan was pretty good. They had everything figured out.......or almost everything:  When: “today or tomorrow”......Where: “this or that city”........How: “spend a year”........What: “do business”........Why: “to make money”. 

But........in all their planning.......they left out the most important ­ part.......the Who. God was nowhere in their plans. They acted as if they were the ones who determined their future. They believed that their plans would all take place as they pre-determined.  Like the rich farmer in the parable that Jesus told.........It’s in Luke 12:16-21........ 16And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive.  17"And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?'  18"Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  19'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."'  20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'  21"So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

James is telling us the same thing.  Everything was there except God.  These people were boasting about their plans......and they had nothing to boast about.  The Old Testament tells us the same thing........Proverbs 27:1.......  “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”  So......James’ big warning here is trying to do things without God.......it’s prideful......it’s arrogant.......it’s self-sufficiency at its core.  And God desires His creation to be dependant upon Him.

We need to realize that we are not in total control of our lives ­ God is. No amount of money, influence, power or planning can guarantee tomorrow. Only God can grant us another sunrise or another breath.

Instead of saying, “I’m going to do this and that and make this much money here and there,” we should say, “If God wills it for my life and provides the opportunity, I will go there.”

He holds the entire universe together by His word alone. He can take our lives at any moment and He would still be a good God. He’s God and we’re not. He’s in charge........not us. 

James is challenging us here to demonstrate an attitude of submission to God, to acknowledge that all of our life is to be lived out in recognition of the fact that God is sovereign and in charge of everything. He commands the future and He runs my life.

Who has seen the movie Alice in Wonderland?  Remember when Alice came to an fork in the road.......and she starts to get scared because she can’t decide which way to go? And she looks up and sees who?  (The Cheshire Cat)  And he’s looking at her from his perch there in the tree.  And Alice asks him, “Which way should I go?”

“That depends....” replied the cat.

“On what?”  Alice asks him.

“On your destination......where are you going?” asked the cat.

And what did Alice say?  "I don’t know, . . . " 

Does anybody remember what the cat said?  "Then.......it doesn’t matter which road you take."

A lot of times we feel like Alice on this journey we call life......we don’t know which road to take.  Well think about it......what’s going to be more helpful......having somebody give us a few directions scribbled on a napkin......maybe a road sign here or there......maybe even a couple of handy phrases to speak to the natives when we come across them?  Or is it going to be handier to take the Guide with you when you go?   Maps and road signs may be a little helpful......but infinitely better is someone who’s been there before and knows the way.

And that’s where he goes with the next two verses........  15  Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." 16  But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”

 What James is doing here is showing a remedy for our arrogance......for thinking that things are going to happen just as we plan them with no thought for what God wants.  A seminary in Ontario several years ago would make announcements about upcoming events.......and every announcement would be followed by the letters “DV”.......Deo Volente.....God willing.  In other words.......these are our plans.......but they will only take place if they are the Lord’s will.

That should honestly be our focus.  Not trying to bend God’s will to suit us.....but insuring that our will suits Him.  This means far more than simply saying, "If God wills," whenever we speak about future plans......because that too can become pretty meaningless. It means planning WITH God as we make our plans. It means our plans should be evaluated by God’s standards and goals......and they should be prayed over with time spent listening for God’s advice. 

There used to be an old country saying, “If the Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise.”  And it was sort of a general saying that really put across a biblical truth......it’s got to be the Lord’s will or it won’t happen.

Paul knew that........and showed it in his letters. What did he tell the church at Ephesus in Acts 18:21...... “but taking leave of them and saying, "I will return to you again if God wills," he set sail from Ephesus.”  And again in 1 Corinthians 4:19 “But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power.”  He may not have always said it......but it was always his attitude.

One caution here is that this isn’t just a little tag-line for our prayers.  It’s not a magical saying.......a mantra that will make everything just turn out right.  This is another area where God looks at our hearts.  It’s our heart attitude that counts on this one.....not some formula of words that makes us holy.  God wants our hearts to be joined with His in our plans.  He wants us to be seeking His blessings in the things that we do.

Which brings us to our final verse in chapter 4......and it’s one that has caused me much grief over the years.    “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  When we think about SIN......what do we normally think about?  DOING WRONG THINGS.  We tend to limit our sin to the wrong things we do.  It sure widens the definition of sin when we add NOT DOING RIGHT THINGS.  

We tend to limit sins to specific acts.......doing wrong. But James tells us that sin is also not doing what is right.  How does that work?  Well......It’s a sin to lie.......it can also be a sin to know the truth and not tell it.  It’s a sin to think evil of someone......it’s also a sin to avoid that person when you know he needs your friendship. It’s a sin to do wrong things.......it can also be a sin to act without seeking God’s guidance. To fail to seek God’s will because you’re afraid his answer will be "No," is sin. To know that God’s answer is “no” and do it anyway is sin

Now you can consult 3 different commentaries on this verse and come up with 3 different accounts of what it’s referring to.  It could be a general statement that we can apply to every situation in our lives......and overall warning that if you know good that you should do and don’t do it......well, you’re sinning.

With the verse beginning with “Therefore”......it would follow that he’s just said something that refers to what he’s about to say......I told you this......therefore.....this.  The sentence structure itself does not give us a definite target of what “therefore” is referring to.  He could be saying........ “you failed to seek God’s will in your planning.....therefore it is sin.”  But more likely.....it’s a simple reminder near the end of his letter of all the things he’s told them to be involved in.  

James has spent 4 chapters telling us what we should look like......and now that you know it.....you’re responsible for it.  It is like saying, "Now that I have pointed the matter out to you, you have no excuse." Knowing what should be done obligates a person to do it.  Again....this isn’t a new concept he’s dealing with here.    Remember Jesus in Luke 12:47-48..... 47 "And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, 48but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” 

We are without excuse for those things that we know to be right.  We try to rationalize our lack of action......we tend to ignore the Holy Spirit when He prompts us to act on certain things......and every time that we do.....it is sin.

So.....I guess the only questions left are ones like.....What are you planning for? What are your goals? Whose glory are you seeking?  Have you consulted God and what He desires?

LET’S PRAY

James 5:1-6

     OK......today we’re in the book of James and we’re going to start chapter 5 this morning..........and James is going to address a problem that he’s talked about before......the wealthy.....only he’s going to deal with it a little differently in chapter 5.  Throughout this book......James has been getting us to think about our attitude relative to the things of this world. We’ve looked at worldly wisdom.......at accumulating things......at planning for tomorrow.....even when there may be no tomorrow......and now James leads us to consider the hardship that comes into our lives when our sole purpose is the pursuit of things......of money......of wealth of various kinds.  

So.......let’s look at the passage and see what he’s got to say to us.  Who’s got James 5:1-6?  1Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 

 2Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 

 3Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 

 4Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 

 5You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 

 6You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. 

And it’s difficult sometimes to relate to what James is saying here when he talks about “rich” people and “valuable” things.......because in order to judge someone as “rich” or some thing as “valuable,” you’ve got to compare them to some sort of standard. There’s no standard when it comes to value because value is relative. The value of any particular commodity is assigned to it by society.......even though people might think that the value of something is inherent......it really isn’t......it’s relative......and probably the best way to illustrate that is the story of the rich man who was near death. 

He was very grieved because he had worked so hard for his money and he wanted to be able to take it with him to heaven. So he began to pray that he might be able to take some of his wealth with him. An angel heard his plea and appeared to him. "Sorry, but you can't take your wealth with you." 

The man begged the angel to speak to God to see if He might bend the rules. The man continued to pray that his wealth could follow him. 

The angel reappeared and informed the man that God had decided to allow him to take one suitcase with him. Overjoyed.......the man gathered his largest suitcase and filled it with pure gold bars and placed it beside his bed. Soon afterward he died and showed up at the Gates of Heaven to greet St. Peter. St. Peter.......seeing the suitcase, said, "Hold on, you can't bring that in here!" The man explained to St. Peter that he had permission and asked him to verify his story with the Lord. 

Sure enough.......St. Peter checked, came back and said, "You're right. You’re allowed one carry-on bag.......but I'm supposed to check it before letting it through." So Peter opened the suitcase to inspect what the man found too precious to leave behind and exclaimed, "You brought pavement?  Why did you bring pavement?"

Value is definitely a relative thing isn’t it?  And so is the term “rich”.  What does rich mean to you?  When we think of rich......who do we think of?  Bill Gates rich?  Movie star rich?  Again......a relative assessment.  

Money does funny things to people......doesn’t it? Actually, money doesn’t do anything to people. Money is an inanimate object. It’s a thing. It can’t do anything. It can’t really change people. But what happens is.......money reveals who a person really is on the inside. It removes many of the barriers that keep people from acting like they really want to act........From showing who they truly are..........From uncovering their innermost self. 

Over the past two teachings in James, we’ve seen who we really are in our innermost self, haven’t we? Apart from Christ........we’re all full of ourselves. That’s called pride. Pride is placing our selfish nature and desires in the place where only the Lord should be. A few weeks ago, we saw what happens when we place our selfish desires above God’s desire.......and then the last time......we saw what happens when we place our personal plans above God’s plan. This morning, we’re looking at the final part of James’ sixth test of faith—the pride test. This third part of the pride test that James covers in our passage this morning deals with our money.......what our attitude is toward it......how we spend it.......how we earn it......what we do with it. So what do we do to avoid the pitfalls and problems of the rich?

Well.......James starts the passage out saying, “Come now, you rich.......”  And we may breathe a collective sigh of relief when we read that......because we say, “Wow, at least he’s not talking to me.......at least these verses aren’t aimed square at me like the last ones.”  But that’s not true. According to the world economy we in the United States hold 70% of the world’s wealth. Even our poorest poor are wealthier than most people in the world. I don’t put a lot of stock in statistics......but if you believe everything you read..... the average income of third world countries is $270 per year.  There are people sitting here that make that much money per day......right?  And probably no one in this room......of wage earning age........who doesn’t make that much per week.  By every definition we are very rich!  So......does that mean these words apply to us?  Only if we’re using our money wrongly.......if we’re making our money wrongly.......or if we have a heart attitude that is unbiblical.  We need to remember that the words here do not apply to all of those who are rich.

And maybe we should start out with a biblical perspective of wealth.  There’s nothing wrong with being wealthy.......there’s nothing wrong with possessing stuff.  Because, as we’ve said.......Riches in themselves are morally neutral......neither good nor evil. Wealth is like fire........very useful, but also terribly dangerous. 

We can see pretty clearly that some of the godliest of people in the Bible were rich..........Job, Abraham, David, Solomon, Philemon.  The eighth commandment says, “You shall not steal” (Ex. 20:15). One person, clearly, must own something before another can steal it........making it obvious that possessions are not wrong in themselves. The Book of Acts tells of worship in the early Christians’ homes......which they owned.  Some in Acts 4 gave their possessions away........but those who retained their property weren’t considered sub-par Christians. 

The Bible nowhere condemns wealth. It just insists that the rich must be responsible........and very aware of the perils that wealth can bring. The most important aspect of money management is the control of our attitude towards it. We’ve probably all heard it said that money is not “the root of all evil”.  That’s not what Paul said is it?  What is the root of all kinds of evil?  THE LOVE OF MONEY......THE PURSUIT OF MONEY.  Not wealth itself.  (1 Tim. 6:10). 

Proverbs 23:4-5.........4Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.  5When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.  For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

Matthew 6:19-20............. 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

We shouldn’t be asking, “How much can I make?” “How much can I spend?” “How important can I be?” The proper question is “How much can I bless with the wealth God has entrusted to me?”  James didn’t consider it a sin to be rich. His concern was with the abuse of riches that caused God to be forgotten. 

So....let’s see what it says......verses one thru three have James’ first example of the greed we can get involved in when he talks about hoarding treasures.  James starts off this part of the pride test the same way he started the last part of it back in verse 13. He says, “Come now.” He’s basically saying, “Listen up—this is important.” Now, here’s what’s odd. 

The first thing we need to consider is whom James is talking to. As we said the book of James is written to who?  Jewish Christians......the dispersed Jerusalem church.  So.....the letter is intended for Christians........but this passage doesn’t seem to be. It’s addressed to rich people......and I guess they could be Christians. But unlike other sections.......it’s not addressed to brothers. And there’s no call to repentance here whatsoever, is there?  He doesn’t warn them to repent or else. He doesn’t suggest there’s a way to escape what will happen. It is a sure thing.......a fact.  We see a very harsh statement of certain judgment. And so it seems to be addressed to rich unbelievers.......those who have infiltrated the church because it’s the correct thing to do......it’s what everybody else does.......it’s a club that has a lot of nice people in it.  In verse one he tells them to weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. that they will be judged - and that judgment will be in the form of misery. And so they may as well weep and wail already.

And this isn’t a foreign concept to James’ letter.  Remember back in chapter 2 he dealt with the rich who apparently aren’t believers there either.  Who’s got James 2:5-7?  5Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?  6But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?  7Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

So.......the letter is sent to believers.......but the condemnation of these verses is that of non-believers.  There’s something else we could easily miss......kinda pass over in a quick reading of these first three verses of chapter 5.  Remember who he’s writing to......those who have been dispersed......they ran for their lives because of the Roman persecution of the Jerusalem church.  Now I’m not the brightest guy that’s ever come down the pike......but it seems to me that if this letter is written to people who jest fled town......maybe lost their jobs and their homes and everything else......they may not be all that rich.  And I don’t want us to miss that......because it’s easy to disregard the passage because we say....... “I’m not that rich.”  But......what’s the classic definition of a rich person? Somebody who’s got more than me. 

I think James is making a point here.......no matter how much or how little you have......you can still harbor greedy pride. As a matter of fact, I know poor people who obsess more about money than rich people. But James is addressing anyone who falls into the category he’s about to address.  Because.....even if you don’t have a lot.......you can greedily hoard what little you have.  

James says, “2Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3Your gold and your silver have rusted;......” Why? Because even though they didn’t have much, they greedily hoarded what little they did have. Verse 3 says they heaped their treasure together for the last days. Does that mean that we shouldn’t save money? No. What it means is that we shouldn’t selfishly pile up our money. There’s a difference between saving and hoarding. What are you saving for? What are you investing for? Are you saving and investing as a way to bring honor and glory to God? Or are you saving and investing as a way to bring comfort and ease to yourself? Are your purposes self-centered or God-centered. Are you hoarding because you want to live a life of ease and comfort? Or are you saving because you want to plan for anything God puts in front of you to do? That’s the difference. 

It’s not a sin to have riches.......but it is a sin to hoard riches. In Ecclesiastes 5:13, Solomon wrote, “There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.”

Now, Curt teaches the Crown Financial Ministry course that I’m sure deals with saving money......and spending it........what direction do they take on this whole issue of saving.....investing.......hoarding?????  CURT

The second example of greedy pride that James gives us is found in verse 4....... “Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.”  (Sa-ba-oth)  Which is literally......Lord of Hosts.

Now......the day laborer in Palestine was very poor. Hired and paid by the day......he lived on the brink of starvation. Wages were so meager that it was impossible for him to save......so each day’s pay bought that day’s food. God established law to protect the laboring man from oppressive employers. He said, in Deuteronomy 24:12-15 “12"If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge.  13"When the sun goes down you shall surely return the pledge to him, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and it will be righteousness for you before the LORD your God.  14"You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns.  15"You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it; so that he will not cry against you to the LORD and it become sin in you.

Leviticus 19:13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning.” 

God is deeply concerned about justice for the poor and insignificant. He cares for the downtrodden. He cares so much that He sent His Son to dwell among insignificant people. Jesus was born of a poor virgin in a borrowed barn and was buried in a borrowed tomb. He knows all about poor.......all about injustice.

Now there aren’t a lot of us here who have laborers in the field that we withhold their paychecks from........We’ve all had people trying to defraud us out of money.......and this has gone on since the dawn of time. Whether it’s in person.......over the phone.......by mail or on the internet.......some people make it their business to try to swindle you. A report from last year stated that fraud is second only to drug trafficking in causing harm to the economy and society as a whole. 

Here’s a clue. No matter how authentic the email or letter sounds........ you didn’t win the lottery in Nigeria. Some foreign government isn’t holding the estate of some unknown royal relative of yours. You didn’t win a free vacation in the Bahamas. And nobody is notified of jury duty over the phone.......especially when they require your credit card number to see what date you’ve got to appear in court!!!!!

Fraud is serious business. It happens both to old people and to young people. It happens both to men and women. It happens both to individuals and to groups. It even happens to churches. Actually.......I might say it happens especially to churches. Hardly a week goes by without able-bodied people trying to defraud churches out of money for gas, food, power bills or whatever. Studies show that only 15% of fraud victims report their losses to authorities. But even though the vast majority aren’t reported, the FBI says that fraud costs people over $40 billion annually. Fraud is serious.........it’s destructive. And God doesn’t tolerate it. Throughout Scripture......God is very consistent in the way He looks at fraud.......we aren’t to cheat anyone out of their wages.....their property.....or anything else. 

In Leviticus 19:35-36, God reminded the children of Israel who He was when He forbid them from defrauding each other......who’s got those verses? “35'You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or capacity.  36'You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin; I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt.” 

In those days, they would balance metal weights against grain to determine how much it cost. If the seller wanted to defraud the buyer, all he would have to do would be to lighten his weights. And if that wasn’t good enough for him, he would unbalance his scales a little bit. Either way.......God spoke against it. In Deuteronomy 25:13-16, 13"You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a large and a small.  14"You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small.  15"You shall have a full and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.  16"For everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God.”

Wow.......God called that kind of fraud an abomination to Him. God forbid the people from having two different sets of weights.......a true one and a false one. Not only were they forbidden from using them.......they couldn’t even have them in their bag or in their house. God’s intolerance of fraud is reiterated three times in Proverbs, including Proverbs 11:1: “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.” The bottom line is.......God hates fraud. But why does He hate fraud so much? Because of all it entails. Fraud includes lying. It includes stealing. It includes either taking advantage of people’s good intentions or their trust. 

Have you ever defrauded anyone? Have you ever sold something that you knew was not worth what you sold it for? Have you ever presented something as better than it actually was in order to sell it? Have you ever cheated or lied or misrepresented yourself for your own personal gain? Telling somebody that you’re a senior citizen when you’re not.......just to get the discount?  Charging items at a store with no intention of paying for them.......because you’re going to file bankruptcy.  If you have.......that’s fraud. And fraud is an example of greedy pride. Hoarding treasures is greedy pride and fraud is greedy pride.  And a third example of greedy pride is self-indulgence. Look at verses 5 & 6.....

5You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.  6You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. 

Does God want us to live without pleasure? Does He want us to live without nice things? No. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t really have much to do with the things in our lives. It really has to do with our attitude toward the things in our lives. Look at the attitude He describes in verse 5. The picture James is painting here is of a beef cow. What do you do with your prize beef cow before you take her to market? You fatten her up. You limit her exercise and make her real fat and lazy. That makes for good butchered meat.......but it makes for lousy living Christians. 

What’s your reason for living? Is it to honor and glorify God? Or is it some other pitiful indulgence. What do you spend your time indulging in? Is it in service to God and others? Or is it on wantonness? How are you nourishing your heart? With the study and reading and hearing of God’s Word? With worship and singing and praising Jesus? With Christian fellowship and service? Or with feeding your pleasures and lusts and worldly desires? Are you indulging your pleasures or pleasing your Lord? 

These people addressed here.......though surrounded by need.........were extravagant and luxurious in their lifestyle. When luxury dominates life.......it sabotages character. Character added to wealth has great potential for good.......but self-indulgence supplemented by wealth equals sin.

We enjoy great luxuries........no one wants a return to primitive conditions.  What God is concerned about is what our heart attitude is.  Are we generous......or do we only think of ourselves?

 Those James addressed fed themselves on their riches while they starved to death spiritually. They were like pigs that eat themselves into the slaughterhouse. They concentrate on filling their stomachs and are oblivious to their destiny. Momentary contentment is their only concern.  Judgment could fall at any time. Instead of acting to avoid that judgment, they incur greater guilt by their selfish indulgence. They will be condemned for misusing wealth for comfort and lustful delight while failing to care for the less fortunate.

Within about ten years of James’ letter Titus......the Roman general......destroyed Jerusalem. After he sacked the city......no rich Jews were left. They were either killed or put into slavery.......and all the riches were destroyed or confiscated.  Wealth is very fleeting.

The principles that James shares are important today. James says, in order to use money properly whether it’s a little or a lot........you must take God into account. God’s not concerned with what you don’t do with the millions of dollars you don’t have.......but He is concerned with how you use the ten dollars you do have. Are you spending your money on the things that are really important to you? The answer is probably yes. But the real question we should be asking is; “Are you spending your money on the things that should be important to you?”

So.......what do we do with these verses in our own lives?  How do we use them to examine our hearts?  First.........we need to recognize we will be held accountable for what we have. You’ve been blessed with a job, money, home/house, car, etc. and we’re to use it wisely. Don’t hoard it all........don’t be foolish and don’t waste it. There will come a time when a heavenly audit will be done. 

We’re to view money as a tool......not as a god. It’s true that money helps in providing food, clothing, and shelter but in the end it’s gonna rot just like everything else. We need to allow money to meet your needs......not allow it to consume our lives. Use what you have left over to feed the poor, to help the helpless, and to do the work of the kingdom.........wherever you find it.

We need to realize a very important biblical concept.......People are made to be Loved.... and Things are made to be Used.  There’s so much confusion unhappiness and stress in today's world because 'People' are being 'Used' and 'Things' are being 'Loved'........

James 5:7-11

 7Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.  The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 

 8You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 

 9Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. 

 10As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 

 11We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. 

O.K.........(pick someone).........You’re at the grocery store. You’re running really late.......you have a very busy evening ahead of you. You find that your shopping cart has a wheel that drags........and another one that’s missing a big chunk out of it.......you know.....the kind that clunk-clunk-clunk around the store.....and everybody’s looking at you like you did it!!!! You finally finish your shopping and choose a checkout counter with only two people ahead of you.......but this is a checker in training.......and she’s about as sharp as a basketball.  She doesn’t really have a clue what she’s doing and she’s slower than church music.  She gets to you. Her cash register tape runs out. She doesn’t know how to change it. You’re delayed even further.........How do you respond?  (Answer)

O.K.........(pick someone).........It’s finally date night. You’re going to your favorite restaurant........you can’t wait.......you’ve been looking forward to it for weeks. You’ve fasted most of the day so that you can gorge tonight. You made reservations so you won’t have to wait. But when you arrive........you learn that the restaurant has no record of your reservation. The manager asks if you called that particular restaurant or perhaps another one in their chain. You’re given a menu and escorted to a crowded bench. There you sit.........hungry as a bear after a long winter........with a menu that you’ve begun to gnaw on.  What’s your response?  (Answer)

Who’s got James 5:7-11?  Go ahead and read that to get us started.............

Patience.......that’s the subject of today’s passage......particularly, patience in the face of suffering.  The last time we were in the book of James.......He’d just finished chastising the rich, non-believers who have infiltrated the ranks of the church.  They were cheating people......hoarding money.......treating people badly.......and he told those people that they had fattened themselves for the day of slaughter.  He dealt with them harshly and told them they were headed to destruction.

........and now James turns his attention back to the brethren.......and he says, “Therefore.......”.  And he’s saying that, “In light of all that you’re going through......you’re being persecuted.......the rich are taking advantage of you......there’s a lot going on that is painful and seems so unfair.......in light of all of these things......BE PATIENT!”

And this is a passage of Scripture that at times applies to every one of us.....nearly every day.  It seems that there is always something to try our patience. Having to wait is one of those things. We wait on traffic and we wait in lines. We wait to hear about a new job. We wait to complete school or to retire. We wait to grow up......or for maturity in our kids. We wait for a decision to be made. We wait for someone to change his or her mind.
Every day presents plenty of occasions for training in patience. We can resent waiting...... accept it........or even get good at it! But one thing is certain.......we can’t avoid it.
Maybe this passage will help us to draw attention to our own lives.......to our need to develop patience........ that is.......if we are not in too much of a hurry to get out of here.  Because our impatience has a way of robbing us of our testimonies. It injures our home lives and our relationships with family.......friends and co-workers.

I can relate to a story that is told about the great New England preacher Phillips Brooks...... who lived in the 19th century. He was nationally known for his sermons against slavery and for the Union during the Civil War. His sermon on the death of Abraham Lincoln moved the nation at that time. His Yale lectures on preaching are still widely read and taught today. You might know him best for a simple Christmas song he wrote. He wrote “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Even though he was very well known and had a huge physical presence.......he was a very quiet person. But even people like him who seem to have it all together can get frustrated. One day a friend saw him pacing back and forth in his study like a caged lion. His friend asked him what the trouble was. His reply was classic. This great man of God who seemed to have it all together said, “The trouble is, I am in a hurry. But God isn’t.” 

I think that we’ve all felt the same way many times. There are some of you here today that are going through some really hard times........for some of you it is physical pain. No matter what you do........you just can’t seem to rid yourself of it........And it seems so unfair.......and you’re just waiting for it to stop.  For others it may be an intolerable working situation.......or the pain of rejection.  It may be that a husband, wife, parent or child is taking advantage of you........even though you feel like you treat them very well. 

It may be that a friend has turned against you due to a misunderstanding of something you did with only the purest of motives.  Or it may simply be that ongoing pressure of not being able to pay all your bills when the ungodly around you continue to prosper.

Demonstrating patience is hard.......a lot harder for some people.......Like the guy in Los Angeles who was arrested for negligent discharge of a firearm after shooting his toilet five times with a .38 caliber handgun. He claims that he just lost it........He couldn’t take it any longer. His daughter had flushed a hairbrush earlier in the day and clogged the pipes. So he shot the offending toilet. I have no word on the toilet’s condition......but the man’s patience was long gone.

So.......how about us........how do we do with this patience that James talks about here?  The reality is that the genuineness of your faith in Christ is proven at these moments in our lives. The best tests of your Christianity always take place in the mainstream of life........out there in the world........not in the quiet of a worship service or the pleasant atmosphere of a Bible study. It’s in those grocery lines.......busy restaurants........delays, setbacks, and hindrances where genuine faith is proven.

And I want to pause here a moment from getting into the passage to try to drive a point home before we study the patience James is talking about.  This was a difficult passage for me to deal with......because I am a very impatient man.  It is not what God wants for my life.....but I realize the truth......and that is that I am impatient.  How many people here this morning are impatient?

How many people here are worriers?  

How many people here are sluggards......lazy?

How many people here today eat too much......are gluttons?

How many people here are homosexual?

How many of you are murderers?

How many of you are adulterers?   Wow......a little more serious now, aren’t we?

The point of this little exercise is that we all have something of a tendency to categorize sin......don’t we.  When it comes to things like being a little lazy......eating too much......worrying or being impatient we tend to give a little nervous laugh and timidly raise our hands......and everybody kinda joins in and says, “Yah......me too.....I’m not patient at all.......but hey......I don’t do any of those big sins!!!!”  I don’t see any categories of sin in Scripture.  Sin......any sin......is a big deal.  It’s what hung Jesus Christ on the cross......it’s what keeps me from having a more dynamic relationship with God......because when I’m involved in sin I’m not walking in the Spirit.  

Think about this a minute.......Who’s got Matthew 22:37-40?  37And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'  38"This is the great and foremost commandment. 39"The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40"On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." 

The two greatest commandments.......love God......love people.  What does that mean?  What’s God’s definition of love?  Who’s got 1 Corinthians 13:4?  4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,”  What’s the first thing that LOVE IS?  PATIENT!

If I am not patient......then I do not love in the manner that God commands......and I cannot follow the two commandments upon which the whole Law and the prophets hang.......can I?  

And if that weren’t enough to get you thinking differently about your impatience.......who’s got Galatians 5:22-23?  “22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”  Wow......patience is a fruit of the Spirit.  So if I’m not exhibiting patience in my life......I’m not walking in the Spirit am I?  Now......all of a sudden.......I’m not laughing.  Our impatience is serious business to God.  We shouldn’t ever take it lightly.  So......with that thought in mind.......

James was a man interested in helping people like you and me develop a faith that really works in the mainstream of life. He knew that one distinguishing mark of genuine faith is patience.

So James begins the text we’re studying today with the simple command, “Be patient.”James uses the word “patience” four times in the text we’re in.  The original Greek term translated “patience” is a compound word taken from two other words. One word means “long,” or “far.” The other means “anger,” or “wrath.” Putting it together we come up with the literal translation of “long-angered.” You’ve all heard the expression, “short-tempered”? That’s a description of a person easily angered.........well, the expression for patience is “long-tempered.”

Now it’s important to know that all your present suffering has a divine purpose.......and we saw that as early as chapter 1 verses 3 and 4.   (Endurance, longsuffering, perseverance.....who’s got a KJV or NKJV?)  3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 

Patience is what brings about our spiritual maturity.......we become complete...... lacking in nothing.  So......it’s good to remind ourselves often of this concept that our trials are there for a reason......they have a purpose.  They aren’t just some random act committed to us without the full knowledge and purpose of God Himself.

But the point that James is driving home here is that it’s just as important to know that your suffering is temporary!

Think about this: If you discover that you have cancer but you also know that, without a doubt, one day you will be completely healed and back to normal........even though you don’t know how long your period of suffering will be........that knowledge of your future recovery will dramatically affect your attitude during the painful process.

Similarly.........though at a much higher level.........you as a Christian are meant to find great patience and hope in the promise of the Lord’s return. You see, because of Christ’s death and resurrection, although you’re experiencing great pain in this world......we can’t lose sight of the fact that we are waiting for something else.......something beyond belief.  Who’s got Revelation 21:1-4?   1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.  2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.  3And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,  4and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." 

But I’m afraid the return of Christ is seen by many people today as nothing more than a fascinating futuristic concept........fun to discuss......debate and study......but the truth is that it has little or no real effect on our daily living or struggles. It’s usually written off as irrelevant “Pie in the Sky” theology.......or seen as a form of religious escapism. But the truth is that the return of Christ is meant by God to encourage and strengthen us and strengthen our faith.......especially during times of adversity and hardship.  Instead......I really believe a lot of Christians have no eternal perspective whatsoever.......we live in the here-and-now and that’s as far as we see.  God desires us to be encouraged by what He has in store for those who persevere.

Now the Bible gives us unusual metaphors to picture this new world that is coming. Streets of gold and gates of pearl seem to picture splendor and beauty. Whatever heaven is........it will do away with all of the discomfort of this life and usher in new, unimagined pleasures. We have shadows of it every now and then in this life. So......James is saying that no matter what you’re enduring here in this life......Jesus Christ has made some promises that will not be broken.  The trials you suffer are for a purpose and they are temporary.

And he compares our waiting with that of a farmer....... “The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.”  James uses the illustration of a farmer here as a good example of patience. But think about what a farmer does. Many times we think of patience as just sitting back with our hands peacefully folded waiting for something to happen. Does the farmer do that?

First, the farmer has to prepare the soil. He tills it and plows it and takes out the rocks. It takes a lot of work to get the soil just right, doesn’t it? Then he plants his seeds. He makes sure and selects the right type of seeds for the soil and the climate. He plants them at the right spacing and at the right depth. He makes sure everything is planted to the best of his ability. And then he’s done, right? Not hardly. Then he has to water and fertilize and keep out the weeds. Some plants he has to prune or thin. He has to keep out the deer and squirrels and rabbits and birds. He has to do the hard work of keeping things up. If he doesn’t........then all of his hard work planting has gone to waste. 

Then he’s done, right? He does all of that one time and then he’s done. No.....he has to do it continually, or the crop is lost. The farmer works his field every day. How? With patience. He’s active. He’s working. All the while, he’s patiently waiting for the harvest.......which comes at just the right time.

Similarly......we’ve got to learn to find comfort in the fact that God’s plan is always on perfect time........not only for this world but also for our lives.  So.......why is it that tires go flat when you’re in a hurry to keep an appointment? Or, why does the vacuum cleaner suddenly stop working the very day when company is coming?  A much more important question than these is, “Why are you so impatient and angry when those things happen?” We need to settle down and not let situations and events fluster us and get us all upset.

In essence, your impatience and anger at such times is ultimately anger directed against the timetable which the sovereign God has assigned to you. You see.......all the events of your life.......including flat tires and broken vacuum cleaners........are divinely scheduled according to the plan of God for your life, which, I might add, you and I are usually unaware of........and don’t normally appreciate.  The reason why impatience and anger is such a serious sin in the eyes of God is because it always leaves God out of your thinking. 

You just thought you needed to be at that appointment. God knew that you needed to be somewhere else. You just thought you needed to have your carpets vacuumed for the company. God knew that you needed a dirty carpet for some other reason........maybe your visitors needed to be encouraged by your lack of perfection.......maybe you needed to be humbled......I don’t know......but God does......and that’s where we need to be patient and live like His plan is perfect for our lives.

Then James commands us to “establish” our hearts. That word comes from a word that means “to strengthen” or “to make solid”. It literally means “to prop up to prevent collapse.” This is a charge to us as patiently waiting Christians to firmly establish our hearts in God’s Word and truth and strengthen ourselves against the sin and temptation and trials of the world. When James commands us to establish our hearts.......he’s telling us to courageously stand firm. He’s telling us to stubbornly purpose in our hearts to patiently wait on the Lord. Patiently work hard to prop up your heart to keep it from collapsing. In Psalm 40:1-3,  what does David say? “1 I waited patiently for the LORD;  And He inclined to me and heard my cry.   2He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay   And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.    3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;   Many will see and fear  And will trust in the LORD.” David waited patiently.......and was rewarded......and so will we be if we learn to do the same thing.

I think it’s interesting to see that in verse 8 James is talking about patience.....and in verse 10 he’s talking about patience......and then there’s verse 9......sorta stuck in the middle there and it doesn’t seem to relate......but it does.  He says, “9Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.”

I know that we don’t have this age old problem of judging one another in this Body.......do we?  In the midst of our patient waiting......what are we gonna do?  Judge each other.  We stand around and complain and talk bad about other people......especially those patient ones.......and he’s talked about this problem before.....half of chapter 2 dealt with showing partiality and being judges toward one another.  So he just gives us another dose of how wrong judging our brothers is......this time in the context of waiting upon the Lord.

And then he goes right back into dealing with patience by showing us a cloud of witnesses as examples of patiently enduring through to the end.  In His Word given us the faithful testimony of men and women who were godly examples of patience for us. Men like Abraham who patiently waited for the promise of God to be fulfilled.......as He outlines for us in Hebrews chapter 6.  

James reminds us here that patient suffering has always been the mark of God’s people........and he draws our attention to the Old Testament prophets. There’s hardly a prophet in the Old Testament who couldn’t be shown to be in some way or another an example of suffering and patience.  Think about Jeremiah.......sometimes called the weeping prophet.  He had the cruddiest job in the world.  His messages were so unpopular that he was beaten, put in stocks, imprisoned in a dungeon and thrown into a cistern. His life was one of almost perpetual physical and spiritual suffering. But he always persevered!

 The kind of patience James is highlighting here is patience in the face of suffering. That’s why he uses the biblical example of Job. Job, who patiently waited on God, even though he had lost everything. When verse 11 says “they have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings,” it’s talking about the conclusion that the Lord brought about. In other words.......the end of the story. Job was patient and steadfast despite his tremendous sufferings. But look at the end result. God blessed him with renewed health, new children and possessions. But the real blessing was that Job saw God with his very own eyes.......just like he knew he would. 

James concludes this text by reminding us of the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, “the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”  God doesn’t always tell us all we want to know about our circumstances. He doesn’t tell us why the plane is delayed......or why the reservation is lost.......or why there’s a traffic jam or why you’re not healed or why you lost your job or why you lost a loved one.

There are a lot of secret things in life that belong only to the Lord. During those times it’s up to us to simply believe that God is a God of compassion and mercy who orders all things for our good and His glory.

During those difficult times remember that God doesn’t expect you to understand all your circumstances. He only expects you to persevere in patience.  Insight usually does not come now but later.........at the end of your experience.......sometimes years later.

So........where’s your patience this morning? Is it like Phillips Brooks? Are you always in a hurry.........even when God isn’t? Have you learned to wait on God? Not waiting by sitting on your hands doing nothing........but waiting on God by working in the light He’s given you? Are you displaying patience like a farmer does? Do all the work you can........the best way you can........and trust God for the results. That’s patience. Many people who have gone before us have passed much harder patience tests than God is asking you to. Jesus is coming back. How will He find you when He returns? Will you be patiently trusting in Him?

James 5:12 

If there ever was a sin for which the phrase, “everybody does it” was true......it has to be the sin of lying. John MacArthur has this to say about the prevalence and popularity of lying in our society today. He said, “Our society is built on a framework of lies, leading one to wonder whether our social structure would survive if everyone were forced to speak the truth for even one day.” 

Interestingly enough.......a few years ago Jim Carey stared in a movie that considered this very idea. In the movie “Liar, Liar”, Jim Carey plays a lawyer who is particularly good at stretching the truth. After promising, and then breaking his promise, to show up at his five-year-old son’s birthday party........the son wishes that his dad would be able to only say the truth for one day. The wish comes true and Jim’s character wakes up not being able to tell even the smallest of lies. Needless to say........this turns his world upside down.......both personally and professionally. When Carey’s character finds out that it was his son’s wish that was behind his inability to lie........he tells his son.......“No one can survive in the adult world if they have to stick to the truth.” Do you think that’s true? Do you think that is a typical attitude in our world today? You bet it is!

Last season........American TV hit a new low.......which seems like a rather shocking statement......considering how low it already was. For years.......Hollywood has played on our fallen, sinful tendencies. They’ve exploited our physical lusts with sexually charged images.........They’ve fed our violent tendencies with increasingly brutal and graphic images. And they’ve even profited from our covetous greed with a constant barrage of products that we “need”. 

But now.......they’ve tapped into a sin that for the most part had not been  exploited as of yet. Now they’re glamorizing something that nearly everyone claims to hate........lying.  Now.....good liars have a chance to win a half-million dollars each week on TV. The show is called “The Moment of Truth.” And from the commercials.....it appears that contestants are asked a list of very personal.......invasive questions before they come on the show.......and they’re hooked up to a lie detector.  When they go on the show.......they’re asked those same questions again.......only this time in front of family and friends......and the entire viewing public.   It’s possible for only two kinds of people to be rewarded on that show.........People who are completely honest........or people who are complete, unconscionable liars. Who do you think are the contestants they pick to be on the show? Which kind of person do you think will generate the highest ratings? Liars.  

A few years ago.......the media was openly praising our President for how well he was able to lie. The thing that makes it so shocking is not that lying happens. Lying has always happened. It’s just that it is now becoming increasingly accepted as normal.......even praiseworthy. Within a single generation, lying has gone from something that was universally scorned.......to the White House.......and even now to a spectator sport. But just because acceptable lying has made it’s primetime debut on TV, doesn’t mean that it’s acceptable. 

As a matter of fact........lying of any kind is completely unacceptable in God’s eyes. God demands that His children be people of integrity. People who are honest and reliable. This morning we’re looking at the next-to-last test of faith that James gives us. Remember that so far throughout this letter, he’s given us 7 tests that we can take to see if our faith is real or not. He’s given us the Bible test.......the preference test.......the works test.......the tongue test........the wisdom test........the pride test and the patience test. 

This morning he gives us the integrity test. Like all the other tests we’ve looked at, this one is a pass/fail test. It’s not graded on the curve and it’s not multiple choice. But unlike the previous tests........this one is only one verse. It’s short.......sweet and to the point. And it’s ever so convicting. This morning.......I want each of us to be able to pass the integrity test. I want people to see us a people who are honest and reliable. In order to do that........we’re going to have to take a look at our own personal integrity.

So......let’s look at the verse and then take some time to personalize its application.  Go ahead and read James 5:12......... “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.” (NASB)

Notice how James starts this verse. He starts by saying, “but above all things. ” That phrase has given students of the Bible fits over the years........because it begs the question “where does this verse fit?” “But above all......”....... “Above all WHAT?” Is this verse a part of the verses that make up the patience test we talked about last time? If so, why is he saying that we need to be people of integrity over and above all the traits of being patient? It’s important to ask yourself those types of questions when you’re doing your Bible study. Because one of the most important keys to understanding passages in the Bible is understanding them in context. 

There’s a very good saying about studying Bible verses in context. It says, “a TEXT without a CONTEXT is a PRETEXT.” In other words.........you can make a verse say a whole lot of things it doesn’t say if you don’t keep it in the context it was written in.  For instance.......in our Monday night Bible study a couple of weeks ago......in Matthew 24:5 Jesus said, “I am the Christ, and will mislead many.”  That’s a direct quote from Jesus......I know, ‘cause it’s in red letters in my Bible.  And a person could say that to people to malign Jesus Christ and undermine your beliefs......if you weren’t grounded.    But in the context of the verse it says, “See to it that no one misleads you.  For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’, and will mislead many.”  

We can make Scripture say anything we want to make it say if we take things out of context......and that’s the same thing here.  When you place this verse in its proper context........you see what the “all things” he’s talking about are. He’s saying that your personal integrity is above all the things he’s talked about so far in his letter. In other words........of the seven test of faith James has given us so far........this one is “above all.”

 That brings up the next question. What does he mean by above all? Is he saying that........of all those seven tests........the Bible test, the preference test, the works test, the tongue test, the wisdom test, the pride test and the patience test........is he saying that, of all those tests.......this is the first one you take care of? Is it the most important? If you take care of this one and slip up on some of the others.......are you OK? 

No........by commanding us to “above all” be people of integrity.......James is telling us that our personal integrity is preeminent. It’s the king that rules over the other seven areas. Your integrity will rule over how you view the Bible. A person with no integrity will see the Bible as something to twist and contort into something that suits them or makes them feel better. 

Your integrity rules over whether you show preference to people or not. A person with no integrity will show favoritism and form cliques and hold themselves in judgment over others. 

Your integrity rules over how you perform good works. A person with no integrity will do good works for personal recognition or for what they can get out of it. 

Your integrity rules over how you use your tongue. A person with no integrity will use their tongue to control and manipulate and consume and condemn people. 

Your integrity rules over your wisdom. A person with no integrity seeks and possesses wisdom that is earthly, sensual and of the devil. Wisdom that only results in strife and confusion and evil works. 

Your integrity rules over your pride. A person with no integrity is selfish. They’re presumptive..........they’re greedy. 

Finally, your integrity rules over how you practice patience. A person with no integrity cannot patiently endure because they have no rock to anchor to. 

But not only should our individual integrity be preeminent over those 7 areas......it should also be all-encompassing. In other words.......it should run through and through each of those other seven areas. Passing those previous seven tests will insure that we are people of integrity. But at the same time.........we cannot pass those tests without “above all” being people of integrity. Individual integrity isn’t just the next thing to accomplish on your to-do list. If your individual integrity isn’t “above all”.......you can’t pass any of these tests we’ve been talking about for the last year. That’s how important it is. Individual integrity is that important. 

O.K........let’s look a little bit past the “above all” that he starts with......what does it say next........ “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath;.......First of all.......when James talks about “do not swear”.........what are we talking about? Someone cussing. Using profanity. Using bad language.  That’s the way we look at that word sometimes.......But that’s not how the Bible uses it. There are plenty of places where the Bible forbids that kind of language.......but this isn’t one of them. Here, the Bible talks about swearing as making an oath. But it’s even more than that really. Jesus said pretty much the same thing in His Sermon on the Mount. As a matter of fact, that’s probably what James is referring to here.

Who’s got MATTHEW 5:33-37?.......  33"Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.' 34"But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. 36"Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37"But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil.”

So, what is this kind of swearing that Jesus and James are forbidding us to do? In order to figure that out exactly what they’re talking about we have to take a look at the Jewish customs of the day. 

Although the Old Testament required that oaths be limited to only very serious occasions, people were advocating that oaths be used for almost anything. The result was frivolous, meaningless oath-taking that completely violated basic honesty.

For instance.......we find that the Mishna.......which is the Jewish commentary on God’s law........contains large sections which specify the kinds of oaths and vows you ought to keep and those you need not keep. For example.......one rabbi wrote that if you swear byJerusalem.......you are not bound by your oath or vow. But if you swear towardJerusalem......then you are bound by your oath or vow.

It was this kind of deception Jesus addressed in the Sermon on the Mount. And it’s probably Jesus’ teaching on truth that James draws from here. James’ point is that instead of oaths and vows being a mark of one’s integrity.......they had become a mark of deceit. Instead of prompting confidence.......they were prompting skepticism. And so these people, with all their oaths and vows, were quickly becoming nothing more than a society of liars. Swearing evasively became justification for lying. Lying under oath became a fine art.

By the time of the New Testament.......the Jews had developed an extremely complex system of swearing oaths. In many ways........it was similar to our legal system today. It was extremely complex and there was almost always a loophole. So because of the complexity of the system.......there were people who would find ways to get out of nearly everything. They would swear an oath to do something with the full intention of wriggling their way out of it. It was done the same way that some shady businesses use contracts today. The contract has all the good stuff in big, bold print. But all the loopholes and legal jargon is in super fine print that you need a magnifying glass to read. Developing a deceitful contract like that would be like the kind of swearing Jesus and James are talking about.   

Some people enter marriage with that type of attitude.........don’t they? Well, if it doesn’t work out.......we’ll just get a divorce. Making solemn wedding vows before the Lord with that escape clause in mind is just the kind of swearing this passage is talking about. It’s the kind that’s forbidden. With that in mind, it should make you think before you make a vow of any kind, shouldn’t it? .........Any kind of swearing you do where you acknowledge the possibility of eventually trying to get out of it.......it’s lying......plain and simple.

Although we don’t find too many religious oaths and vows in today’s vernacular, the fine art of lying continues. We lie today for all kinds of reasons!  And......lying has a cousin named exaggeration. It’s so easy to stretch statistics and to embellish stories, to add a little extra to a personal experience, so the story is better.  And it is so easy to use exaggeration in the midst of conflict with others. The classic exaggeration is when couples are fighting.

“You always come home late, Dear.” Always? 

Or, “You never express appreciation to me.” Never? 

Or, “You destroyed me when you said that.” Destroyed?

Those kinds of exaggerations merely escalate the conflict. We need to be on our guard against exaggeration too.

But what James is saying here regarding vows.....regarding swearing oaths.......the implication of this statement really has more to do with your individual integrity than it does with whatever vows or oaths or promises you make. If you make a promise with the intention of breaking that promise.......it doesn’t matter what kind of contract it’s on. Even if you intend to keep the promise.......but intentionally leave yourself a loophole.......that means your promise is worthless. No matter if you’ve sworn it with the heavens and the earth as your witness and collateral. And if your promise is worthless.........your integrity is worthless.......above all things. If you make promises with even the slightest intention of breaking them......you have no integrity. 

O.K........let’s look a little further.......what’s the next thing this verse talks about....... “but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no,”.......

I like the way the Amplified version puts it....... “but let your yes be a simple yes, and your no be a simple no,”

It’s really that simple........isn’t it? Let your yes always mean yes and your no always mean no. I hear people always talk about the good old days when a man’s word was his bond. How deals were sealed on a handshake and that was good enough. In many cases it was. But ever since Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, we’ve lived in a fallen world. And the reasons we have so much paperwork and contracts today is because people didn’t always honor their word. Sometime, somebody didn’t honor their handshake agreement. Sometime that trusting person who took somebody at their word got burned. So the next time, he required a little bit more than a handshake. He required a little bit more than a simple “yes” or “no”. That’s the way this fallen world is. It is full of deceit and lies and schemes and dishonor. 

But as Christians.......we’re to have no part of that. Sure...... you’ll still have to sign contracts. You’ll still have to write contracts. You’ll still be required to put up collateral and have credit checks and background checks and all those things that come from living in this world. But your yes is still to always mean yes. Your no is still to always mean no. Every one of us is to be a person of our word. And the only way to do that is to be intentional about it........Be purposeful about it. If you tell someone you’re going to do something........do it.......whatever it costs you.  If you say you’re going to be somewhere........be there.......no matter what the struggle might be to get there. Let your yes be yes. 

What about when you say “no”? Do you mean it? When you tell your child “no”......can they pester and pester until your “no” becomes a “yes”? When your buddies at work or the kids at school try to get you to do something you know you shouldn’t do........does your no mean no? Or do you give in to the pressure? Be intentional. Let your no be no. 

Or what about this one parents........your child is acting up and you tell them..... “if you do that again you’re going to get a spanking.”  Do they get a spanking when they do it again?  Or do you say, “I mean it......one more time.”  “Now this time I really mean it.”  All your doing is telling your kids, “Hey kid......look at me......I’m a big LIAR!!!” If you say you’re going to do something........do it. If you say you’re not going to do something........don’t do it.

Actually......just one more thing here before we move on.......if you notice the last statement that Jesus makes in the Matthew 5 passage we read regarding oaths and vows....and “yes” and “no”........who’s got Matthew 5:37......."But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil.” 

“anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”  This whole thing of lying has some pretty serious implications.  Because where does the Bible say those things come from? In John 8:44, as Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, He said, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” 

Satan is a liar and the father of lies. So why is integrity so important? Because when we do things to destroy our integrity. Things like lying and deceiving and not following through on our commitments. When we do those things, we are acting as if we are of the devil. And I’ve got news for you. If your life is marked by a continual pattern of a lack of integrity..........you need to check your spiritual temperature........ Because that is an indication you are of your father the devil. Let’s face it.......if Satan is the father of lies.......and you consistently lie like he does, then odds are, he’s your father. And if he’s your father.......you have fallen into condemnation......just as the very last portion of this verse tells us.  

It’s harsh.......but it’s true. How do I know? Because Scripture is pure truth.......and Scripture testifies about Jesus Christ......and what does it say about Him?  From His own lips He tells us that He is the Way.......the Truth........and the Life.  Satan is the father of lies......and Jesus Christ is pure truth. Here’s a sobering thought to keep in mind........who do we most resemble when we lie? Who’s influencing us when we lie? Whose language are we speaking when we lie?  

You see.......truth originates in the very character of God. Truth is at the very center of who God is. If there is no God........there would be no truth. In the absolute sense.......the concepts of God and truth are inseparable. Whenever God speaks........He speaks truth. Nothing less than full truth can ever proceed from His mouth. No shadow of error, no falsification, no deceit, no distortion, no exaggeration can ever proceed from God.........because he is a God of absolute truth.  So......if truth is the very essence of God......I think we can see that lying isn’t a minor infraction.......It’s a major violation.

So......that’s the integrity test.....again, our tongues.  But this definitely gets right down to our heart.  Lying.....being dishonest......deceitful......it runs contrary to the new nature that God has put into His children.  Pass the integrity test.....daily......and see if you don’t find that all the other tests we’ve talked about don’t become a lot easier to pass.

James 5:13-14

    OK……this morning we’re going to get into a passage of Scripture that, quite possibly, has been misused……misinterpreted……and misrepresented as badly as any other passage in the Bible.  And the last time we looked at the book of James we talked about how crucial it is to insure that we look at verses in the correct context……because we can really make the Bible say about anything we want it to if we don’t keep the verses in their proper context.

    Let’s go ahead and read James 5:13-15…….. 13Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray.  Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 

 14Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 

 15and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

    Alright…….if someone were to read this passage to you…….and you hadn’t read any part of Scripture previous to this one…….what does it say on its face?  What is the message you could present to someone who is sick?

• If you’re sick…..and you call the elders…..you’ll get better……

• If you don’t get better you don’t have enough faith……

• Maybe the elders don’t have enough faith……or maybe they aren’t righteous men…….

• Maybe your sickness is caused by sin you’re involved in……

There are entire denominations built upon the misuse of these verses.  There are people out there who are afflicted with some disease…..some health problems……some area of their lives that are in turmoil who are desperately trying to get more faith…..trying to find a righteous man to pray for them…….trying to figure out why it is that they are the ones who are afflicted……and they’re coming up dry……because someone used this passage in the wrong way and led them to desperation.

What is imperative in all of our study of Scripture is that we see any particular passage in the context that it is written.  These verses that we’re looking at this morning need to be viewed in the context of all of the book of James. And we need to see the book of James in the context of all of the New Testament. And we need to see the New Testament as the fulfillment of the Old Testament. That’s true Bible study. One verse can’t be understood in isolation from the rest of Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” How much of it? All of it……..not independent of the others……but together. Each part understood as it fits into the whole, complete, total revelation of God. So, that gives us a foundation to look at this verse…….so we don’t send some TV preacher three easy payments of $9.99 plus shipping and handling for the latest in holy frankincense anointing oil.

First off……what do we know about affliction?  What has Scripture revealed to us about sickness…..death……health……prosperity…..and all of the things that this passage could be referring to?  

Well……one thing we know about affliction is the fact that it’s going to come. How do we know? Because the Bible says it will. Who’s got 1 Peter 4:12?  “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;”……that sounds pretty much like we ought to expect troubles in our lives.  

In the Sermon on the Mount……Jesus Himself said that the sun rises on the evil and the good……..and God sends rain on both the just and the unjust alike. Bad things do happen to Christians……to people who are trying their very best to lead a righteous life. If you don’t believe me……just look around.  And if that’s not enough……think about what we’ve been studying this past year in the book of James.  That’s what this whole book has been about. It’s been about the fact that trials and testing will inevitably come. James certainly isn’t preaching a health, wealth and prosperity gospel here. As a matter of fact…….if he saw all the health, wealth and prosperity preachers in the world today……..I’m pretty sure he would have been tempted to take the whip to them like Jesus used to clear the moneychangers from the temple.

James knew that health, wealth and prosperity are not the goal of the gospel. The goal of the gospel is quite the opposite. The goal of the gospel is to be so satisfied with Christ…….that our circumstances shouldn’t really matter. The goal of the gospel is to experience joy in Christ no matter what trials we’re going through……..No matter what tribulations we’re going through……..No matter what afflictions we’re going through. That’s why he gives us this final test of our faith……..the affliction test. This morning we’re going to look at how to pass the affliction test when it comes. Notice I said WHEN it comes……..not IF. Whatever the nature of our personal affliction…..we want to be able to faithfully pass the test………And I don’t want us to just barely squeak by. Barely squeaking by might be fine for 9th grade Algebra……..but it’s not fine for the life of a Christian. We need to pass the affliction test with flying colors…….with absolute dependence upon Him…….in fact……we need to pass it with joy…..as James talked about in the very first chapter.

Now…..in order to do this…..it’s pretty obvious from this passage that we have some responsibility here…….and our first individual responsibility is to pray. Now I realize that our prayer lives take on all kinds of different forms, don’t they? Sometimes they’re very formal……..Sometimes they’re casual…….Sometimes they’re short…….. Sometimes they’re long. Probably a lot of times they’re filled with things we want God to do for us…….or for other people. But the sad thing is……most of the time, our prayers are about us…….especially when we’re dealing with some sort of affliction.

Our passage says that when we experience affliction……we’re supposed to pray. James tells us this in the form of a couple of commands. He says, “If any one of you is experiencing affliction…….you must pray.” And then he adds to it……..“If any one of you is cheerful…….you must praise God.” How does that fit? We’re talking here about passing the test of affliction and then James throws in this part about being merry or cheerful……..how do those two commands fit in the same sentence?

Well……there are conflicting thoughts on this passage.  And I’m going to throw out both of those lines of thought……and you and the Holy Spirit can make up your mind how to deal with it.  Both lines of teaching lead to the same basic conclusion….so I’ll let you figure it out for yourselves. 

The first idea is this……if you understand what he means by the word that’s translated cheerful or merry…….then you can figure out what he’s saying here……because it’s the exact same word that’s used in Acts 27:22, 25 & 36……..And by the way…..the word that’s translated here is yoo-thoo-may-oh (euthumeo)….and it’s only found here in James……and in Acts 27……..

22"Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.(NASB)

22And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. (KJV)

 25"Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.  (NASB)

25Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. (KJV)

36All of them were encouraged and they themselves also took food. (NASB)

36Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. (KJV)

Do you remember what was happening in Acts 27? Paul was a prisoner on board ship on his way to Rome. But it wasn’t just a typical boat ride. They were in the midst of a terrible storm. Probably very close to a hurricane-type storm. Everyone on board thought they were going to die, except Paul. And Paul the prisoner told the crew to “be of good cheer” because they weren’t going to die. They were going to have to endure a shipwreck and everything they owned would be lost. But be of good cheer……..in spite of the storm and the shipwreck and the affliction you’re going to have to endure. James says……..are you “of good cheer” as you’re enduring your affliction? Praise God for it. There are people who have the spiritual maturity to pass through trials and affliction with a smile on their face…….with a calm assurance that God is in control and there isn’t anything to worry about. That ability……that reaction is how each of is supposed to face afflictions…..trials……and it’s a wonderful gift of a gracious God. 

So how should you pray when you are experiencing affliction? Pray like Jesus did. We’re all very familiar with Jesus’ prayer in the Garden before He was betrayed and led off to be crucified. We’re all familiar with the fact that Jesus prayed for the cup of suffering to pass from Him. But…….in spite of His desire for that…….He prayed that the Father’s will be done. But do you know what else Jesus prayed? Before He entered the garden where Judas betrayed Him……..Jesus prayed. It’s recorded in John 17. We won’t read it…..but I’d encourage you to take a look at it this week.

In that prayer…….Jesus gives us an example of how to pray when we’re afflicted. He begins His prayer by focusing on the glory of God in verses 1-5. Despite the affliction He was enduring……and knew that He was going to have to endure,…….that wasn’t where Jesus’ first focus was. His first focus was on God and His glory. In His time of agony…….Jesus lifted up praise to the Father. Then, in verses 6-19…….Jesus prays about how His suffering will glorify God in the lives of those closest to Him. He’s concerned about the disciples and how they’ll respond to His suffering. Once again, Jesus’ focus isn’t on Himself. When you look at this part of His prayer, it is even only secondarily on the disciples. His primary focus is that His suffering will glorify God in their lives. It’s not that their lives would be easy or prosperous. It’s that God would be magnified in their lives. 

But He didn’t stop with the disciples. In verses 20-24, Jesus prays that His suffering will glorify God in the life of all believers…….the church……even us. He prayed that through His suffering, the church would glorify God in their unity. That was His focus. That God might be glorified in the unity of the church because of His affliction. Finally, in verses 25-26, Jesus prays that His suffering will glorify God in all the world. Now, I want you to notice something about that prayer of Jesus. 

Other than one line of “take this cup of suffering from Me……but not My will, but Thine be done.” Other than one simple request……..His focus was never on His affliction. It was always on bringing honor and glory to the Father THROUGH His affliction. Wow……if we could learn to pray like that when we experience affliction…….how very different things would be.  “God, I am in pain…….and I’d sure like you to take this pain away……But if not……hey……I want to glorify you to the people around me…..to the world if I could.”

And that’s basically the first line of thought on verse 5:13…..Pray when you’re afflicted……praise God when you’re able to go through that affliction with cheerfulness and courage.  And I think that’s a pretty accurate take on the verse.

The second line of thought on this verse basically ends up in the same place…..you just take a different route to get there.  And that avenue runs through the fact that life has triumphs and tragedies……highs and lows……good times and bad times.  And when we’re going through troubled times we need to focus on prayer.  We need to pray for wisdom and strength and courage and all of those things that will allow us to glorify God through our suffering.

The call of the second part of verse 13…..when James tells those who are cheerful to sing praises…….comes from the idea that not everyone goes through troubles at the same time. God balances our lives with days of suffering and days of singing. Praying and singing were important elements of worship in the early church.  When we’re happy……we need to be singing praises to God........because good times can lead to spiritual indifference.  We lose focus when all is well……we don’t seem to need God as much.  So……when you’re troubled…..pray.  When you’re happy…..praise.  I don’t think this is as accurate of application as the first…..but it basically takes us to the same place.  We need to be communicating with God on a constant basis…..through the good and the bad.

There’s a second responsibility that we have as believers in this passage……and it comes in verse 14……. “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;”……Our second responsibility in this passage is to call for the elders to pray for us……we’re told to get other godly people to enjoin us in our prayers……to stand by us and encourage us in our sickness.  

Now…..the word that’s translated “sick” here is used 32 times in the New Testament…….18 times it’s attributed to physical sickness……14 times it’s used to describe emotional or spiritual weakness. At its core……it means deep, intense, personal affliction……..whether physical or spiritual or emotional. When you experience that kind of affliction in your life……..first pray. Then call out to others to pray over you. But not just any others…….for this kind of deep, intense, personal affliction James tells us to call specifically to the elders.  Why?  What if I’m a Southern Baptist and all I have are deacons?  Do I have to go to CBC to have somebody pray for me?

Now I could catch some flak on my interpretation of this verse……but look at it this way.  The book of James was one of the first writings, chronologically, of the New Testament……estimated to be written around 45 AD.  Paul lays out the qualifications for elders and establishes the New Testament concept of the office of elder in his writings dated around 63 AD.  The Old Testament……and the period that Christ was one earth had a concept of “elder” also.  So we find ourselves……at the time of this writing…..in something of a transition period……not to say that James hadn’t established elders in the Jerusalem church……because he could have……it simply isn’t recorded for us.  So….with that said…..when James tells us to call for the elders to pray……I believe he is telling us to call for men within the church who are specifically recognized and known for their godly character. These men may not necessarily hold a specific office within the church……but they are the type of men who live lives in accordance with the qualifications established by Scripture. 

The other reason that makes me come to this conclusion is a little further on in James……verses we’ll get to the next time we’re in the book.  What does James 5:17-18say?  17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 

 18Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

What’s the key to that passage?  ELIJAH WAS A MAN…..JUST LIKE US!!!  And he prayed and incredible things happened.  He wasn’t an elder in the New Testament church……he was just like us!

 The point of the verse is this. When you experience deep, intense, personal affliction, where are you supposed to go? To a counselor? To a psychologist? To a telephone hotline? Who does James say you’re to call on? An elder in the church. A good, godly, spiritually mature man in the church. If you’re a woman and you wish to meet with someone who may understand your problems better….find a good, godly, spiritually mature lady in the church. It is your responsibility to call on them. What is their responsibility? They are to come along side you in prayer. That’s what “pray over him” literally means. It means that they’ll unite their heart with yours in prayer and spiritual support. 

Now understand……these men are not called to the task of invoking the spiritual gift of healing……but to the task of healing prayer. What’s the difference?  The spiritual gift of healing was one of the “sign gifts” given to authenticate the ministry and the power of the Holy Spirit in the first century.  I don’t believe it ended there……because God can do anything He wants to……and I firmly believe that it’s still used today for the very same purpose it was back then.  But I don’t at all believe that it’s used in the context of some of the charlatans out there who draw large crowds and perform healing as though it were some carnival side-show.  The elders are called in this passage to the task of “healing prayer”.  Think about it…….some doctors are now prescribing prayer for their patients. Isn’t it ironic that the medical world sometimes seems to believe in the healing power of prayer more than the church? Of the 250 family practitioners recently surveyed…..99 percent believed that a patient’s spiritual beliefs contribute to healing. Eleven medical schools…….including Harvard and Johns Hopkins, offer courses in Prayer and Healing.  James tells us to call on the elders to do that very thing……because he knew the power of prayer…….the healing ministry of prayer.

Let me explain with an illustration……. Tony Compolo tells a story about being in a church in Oregon where he was asked to pray for a man who had cancer. Compolo prayed boldly for the man’s healing. That next week he got a telephone call from the man’s wife. She said, "You prayed for my husband. He had cancer." Compolo thought when he heard her use the past tense verb that his cancer had been cured! But before he could think much about it she said, "He died." Compolo says he felt terrible.

But she continued, "Don’t feel bad. When he came into that church that Sunday he was filled with anger. He knew he was going to be dead in a short period of time, and he hated God. He was 58 years old, and he wanted to see his children and grandchildren grow up. He was angry that this all-powerful God didn’t take away his sickness and heal him. He would lie in bed and curse God. The more his anger grew towards God, the more miserable he was to everybody around him. It was an awful thing to be in his presence.”

But the lady told Compolo, “After you prayed for him, a peace had come over him and a joy had come into him. Tony, the last three days have been the best days of our lives. We’ve sung. We’ve laughed. We’ve read Scripture. We prayed. Oh, they’ve been wonderful days. And I called to thank you for laying your hands on him and praying for healing.” And then she said something incredibly profound. She said, "He wasn’t cured, but he was healed."

OK…….so we call for the elders to pray for us……but that’s not the end of it…..it says that “they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;” Wow……anoint him with oil……what’s that all about?  Are we still supposed to do that?  Yes…..we are……because Scripture tells us to.  Now, hold on a minute before you send off for your “buy-one-get-one-free case of anointing oil”…….There’s a cultural concept of anointing with oil that can be seen throughout Scripture……both Old and New Testament alike.  Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37) 

There’s also cases where oil is used as a symbol of the Spirit of God…..like in 1 Samuel 16:1-13…….when it was used in anointing kings. Both of these instances could possibly be in view here……..both a cultural and spiritual picture that James may be referring to.  But I also see a third concept that may come into play here........Think about the manner that Jesus Christ dealt with people…….and it purely deals with the comfort and encouragement that comes from the human touch.  Look at Luke 5:12-13 gives us an account of a man who may show us another application of this anointing with oil that we haven’t looked at so far.  Go ahead and read that.......“And it came about that while He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”  And He stretched out His hand, and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.”  And immediately the leprosy left him.”

Wow, I could preach ten sermons on these few verses….they are so rich with the absolute mercy and grace of God.  But I want to point out one particular concept here.   Leprosy was a horrendous disease.  Not only were the physical aspects of the disease horrifying…..but the social aspects were equally devastating.  Total banishment from society.  No human contact whatsoever.  Family, friends, acquaintances drew back in fear at the sight of you.  I don’t know about you….. but human contact is something so necessary for my life.  If I couldn’t kiss Tish......hold my grandchildren….hug my kids…..I’d be devastated.  

To fully understand the reality of what Jesus did….put yourself in this man’s shoes.  He probably had had no human contact......other than other lepers......for years.  Now all of a sudden......here’s a Man who’s not afraid......a Man who touched me......who comforted me.......consoled me with His physical presence......and said, “It’s alright......I’m here with you.”  For this man......that one act was of such profound value.  There’s not enough money to purchase it……probably not even enough imagination to dream it.......but, “He touched me......He really touched me.”  Now I realize there’s no oil in this verse that’s used for the leper’s healing.......but there is the touch that is so important.  And possibly this is in mind here in James.  

Go.....call the elders.......and they’ll not only pray with you.......but they’ll be there physically........to support you......uphold you.......they’ll be there to DO SOMETHING!

I was hoping to get through verse 15 this morning……but instead of getting into another verse tat holds a great deal for us to look at…..I think we’ll stop it here and deal next time starting with verse 15……because it’s important that we get a full understanding of this whole passage so that we don’t misuse it in our own lives or in someone else’s.  

The affliction test is a difficult test. I believe that’s why James includes it last. It’s difficult because affliction is the fire that tests us. It’s the fire that will either burn us up or temper us and make us stronger. For the true Christian……affliction purifies……It strengthens……..It perfects. James is drawing together his entire letter to God’s people with this whole passage here.  Remember how he started out?......James 1:2-4...... “2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,  3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” 

The kind of faith that passes the affliction test is the kind that faces affliction with prayer…….with praise……with a call to others to enjoin them…..and next time we’re in the book of James……we’ll conclude this concept with exactly what passing the test accomplishes.

LET’S PRAY.............

James 5:15-20

Many years ago when I went through “boot camp” in San Diego, California there was a central theme that went through all of the training........and several years later.....when I went through the police academy.......much to my surprise......the same theme reappeared.  Let me give you a couple of scenarios........

We’re all standing at inspection in boot camp.......the guy next to me doesn’t have his shoes shined quite to the drill sergeant’s liking......and no matter how good my shoes might have looked......the whole company.....including me has to run laps around the field........all because just one of us failed the inspection.

In the police academy........we used to have to run 5 to 7 miles......and if anyone lagged back.......didn’t keep up with the rest.......then the whole class would have to run another couple miles.  It just didn’t seem fair......it wasn’t right......this wasn’t justice.  Why do I have to bear the burden of one of these other guys who isn’t keeping up?

Well.......obviously, what was being taught was teamwork.....they were teaching us that when one of us stumbles or struggles.......it affected us all. And the only way to overcome that is for those who aren’t struggling to come to the aid of those who are. Togetherness......teamwork......camaraderie.......unity.......whatever you want to call it. That was the lesson. We were no longer a group of individuals. We were a unit......a corporate body. 

Wow......seems like we in the church could learn something from this......But there’s a difference. In the military or in the police academy......or on a football team.......all of those are just made-up teams. They’re corporate bodies only in the sense of temporarily uniting for a temporary cause. But the church is radically different than that kind of unity. Because the church IS a corporate body........ordained by Christ to be a permanent fixture.....nothing temporary about it.  1 Corinthians 12:12-13 says, “12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” 

So we......as this local Body called Community Bible Church of Los Lunas are members of Christ’s body. We’re not just some type of made-up team. We’re a corporate body because we are Christ’s body and He is our head. So.......doesn’t it stand to reason that we have a corporate responsibility to those among us who are going through affliction? Not just one or two among us......but all of us......unified......corporate. Just like the recruit class that has to run because one of their teammates isn’t keeping up.......we have a corporate responsibility. 

In our passage this morning........we’re in the middle of James’ final test of faith........the affliction test. Last time we looked at this book we saw our individual responsibility when it comes to going through affliction. We saw what each of us as individuals have to do to pass the affliction tests that come our way. But that’s not where it ends.........because God didn’t save us in isolation. Salvation isn’t solitary confinement. He saved us into a corporate body.......the body of His Son.........this body called the church. And as a saved part of this corporate body of Christ........we have a responsibility toward those among us who are going through affliction. We have a responsibility to help each other to pass the affliction test. The affliction test isn’t just an individual test. It’s a corporate test also. One person can’t pass unless the whole body passes. And the body can’t pass unless each of us passes. 

So we’re going to begin in verse 15.....and in order to get the context of verse 15......we’ll read from verse 13 and then get started.......who’s got James 5:13-20?  

 13Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray.  Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 

 14Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 

 15and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 

 18Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. 

 19My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 

 20let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 

James asks the rhetorical question, “Is anyone among you suffering?” Then in verse 14 he asks the parallel question, “Is anyone among you sick?” In those verses......he’s clearly speaking to the individual person’s responsibility when they’re experiencing affliction. Whether physical, emotional, spiritual.......it doesn’t really matter. The individual response is the same. If you’re experiencing severe personal affliction, your responsibility is to first pray. But that’s not all. You’re also supposed to call on a spiritually mature.......godly Christian in the church to come along side you. They’ll pray with you and encourage you and support you.......and anoint you.  Praying and calling is your individual responsibility. And we start in verse 15 this morning which is really the culmination of the two verses we discussed last time.  Verse 15 transitions from the individual responsibility to the corporate responsibility. 

And the last time we only got through 2 verses......13 and 14.......verses that we saw had been misquoted and misapplied by so many people that entire denominations have been formed over the misuse of this passage.  

OK.......so......if we’re suffering we should pray......if we’re cheerful through our suffering we should sing......if we’re sick we should call for the elders and they’ll pray over us and anoint us with oil.....and here’s where we start this morning.......then the prayers are going to make us better and the Lord is going to cure us!  Now.....this is a promise......right?  So......if I don’t get better then either my prayer stunk.......or my faith was lousy.....or the elders used some bad oil.......right?  I mean is says......carte blanch.......that I’ll be cured doesn’t it?  And this is where the misuse of this passage has lead people.  And they become desperate trying to get more faith.......or find a more righteous person to pray for them.......and they get sucked into thinking that WE are in control of our own healing...... and then they despair because it just isn’t working.  So......what is the answer then?  What is this verse really saying?

One key to understanding this passage is what we talked about last time we looked at James.  The elders do not invoke the spiritual gift of healing in this passage......they instead are called to the task of healing prayer. And there is a huge difference in the two.    The spiritual gift of healing was one of the “sign gifts” given to authenticate the ministry and the power of the Holy Spirit in the first century.  I don’t believe it ended there……because God can do anything He wants to……and I firmly believe that it’s still used today for the very same purpose it was back then.  But I don’t at all believe that it’s used in the context of some of the charlatans out there who draw large crowds and perform healing as though it were some carnival side-show.  The elders are called in this passage to the task of “healing prayer”.......because James knew the power of prayer…….the healing ministry of prayer.  And we ended that discussion with the story that Tony Campolo told about the widow who had called him to tell him that her husband.......who Tony had prayed over just weeks before had passed away........but she had made a profound statement that undergirds the focus of this passage.  She said....... "He wasn’t cured, but he was healed."

    So.......James isn’t talking about a blanket promise here that if you do this and this and that.......and hold your mouth like this and chant this mantra that God is obliged to heal you.  There is no mistake as to the reality of spiritual healing that CAN take place during these times.  But the passage seems to indicate more than spiritual healing.  On its face it seems to be talking about physical healing as well.  So.....what’s the deal?

    Well......it’s an undeniable fact that not everyone we pray for........and not everyone we anoint are healed. There are various ways of dealing with this reality and none of them satisfy me completely. There’s a mystery here that I cannot fully explain. I do think it helps to compare this passage with other statements about prayer in the New Testament where similar sweeping promises are made. Those statements are meant to encourage us about the boundless possibilities of prayer. They encourage us to believe that no situation is hopeless with God. Just because the doctors have lost hope doesn’t mean that God has given up or is helpless to intervene. 

The Bible makes it clear that although God can.......and sometimes does miraculously heal physical illness........He doesn’t always.......or even normally do this. There are a lot of examples of this in Scripture.  Who’s got 2 Corinthians 12:7-9?  7Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself! 8Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 

Paul was denied healing by God for his “thorn in the flesh”........even though he asked for it three times........not because he lacked sufficient faith.......but because God had a good purpose for Paul through this affliction. 

Look at Acts 19:11-12....... 11God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,  12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.

It’s obvious from Scripture that Paul had an extraordinary gift of healing........he performed extraordinary miracles.......but evidently he couldn’t heal Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:26-27) or Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20).

There is the possible interpretation that James is referring only to disciplinary sicknesses when he talks about this healing.......as Paul talked about in 1 Corinthians 11:30. In this case........he’s promising that if the sick one confesses and repents from the sin that brought about the discipline.........the sickness will be taken away since it has served its purpose.  The problem with that interpretation is that James addresses that option separately in the last part of the verse.......so that probably isn’t the application.

The other possible interpretation is that the prayer offered “in the name of the Lord,” also called the prayer “of faith” is the prayer for healing that is according to God's sovereign will. In other words.........if it is according to God's sovereign will to heal the person........such prayers will be answered.

As I survey this text in light of the whole Bible, the following two statements seems absolutely true.........It is not always God’s will to heal physically.......or no sick believer would ever die. And secondly.........It is often God’s will to heal ­........that’s why this passage is in the Bible.  Sometimes we focus on one statement to the exclusion of the other.........but both are true, aren’t they? 

There is another alternative to the focus of this passage that makes a great deal of sense to me......and it’s found in verses 17 and 18......that we’ll get to in just a few minutes........and when we do we’ll tie it back to this portion of the passage.  So let’s go on to the last part of verse 15 which says, “and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.”

This is a lot easier to get a handle on......you don’t have to read a lot into this portion of the verse to get a clear picture.  Interesting that James says “if” he’s sinned.  Obviously......James isn’t saying that there are some of us who don’t sin...... “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.......and James knew this theological concept......because the same Holy Spirit that was talking to Paul is talking to James here.  In the Greek the “if” here refers to the fact that the sickness this person is going through could actually be caused by his sin.  Let’s face it.....there’s a lot of illness that is the absolute direct result of sin that we’re involved in.  How much does worry and stress contribute to the physical illnesses in our society?  Lots!  How much does a sinful lifestyle of drunkenness......excess......gluttony and immorality contribute to the physical woes of the people in America?  A bunch! 

Obviously.......not all sickness is caused by a particular sin.......but some illnesses stem directly from our sinful actions and attitudes. Until those things are confronted and confessed........it’s pointless to pray for healing.

Remember King David.........after committing some pretty bad sins........started to feel the effects in his body. Listen to how he describes the link between his walk with God and his physical health in Psalm 32:3-5: “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ ­ and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Well.......if that’s the problem that you’re facing.......and you confess the sin......and turn from it.......and repent.......then your sin will be forgiven......and hey......you might even be healed!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Verse 16 says........ “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

Wow.......here’s something we do a lot of, huh?  This isn’t about clergy and laity......it isn’t about going to a priest and confessing our sins......this is about sharing our spiritual struggles with other Christians.....asking them to pray for you and you praying for them.  It’s about us sharing honestly about our spiritual lives.......including our current failures and struggles, and asking others to pray about these important struggles in our lives.  That’s a little different from what normally characterizes the Christian community.  What do we normally look like?  Sunday mornings are all the same......we’ve got some of the “FINEST” people in the world right here in this building......don’t we?  

“How are you Vaughn?”  

“I’m FINE.  How about you?”  

“Oh.....me too......FINE......FINE.”

“How about you Steve?”  

“GOOD......it’s all GOOD!”.  

We’re all FINE.......we’re all GOOD!!!!  We throw up this superficial veneer that tells others that there’s nothing wrong in our lives......no problems......no being convicted of sin.......nothing but blue skies and sunshine.  Or.....when we actually do talk about sin......what do we talk about?  Sin from thirty years ago........ “Thank God that I was saved from that wretched past.”  Or maybe we have an “unspoken request”......that’s another good Christian term that basically says, “I’ve got a serious problem.......but it’s none of your business!”  

Keith Miller addressed this phenomenon in his book, The Taste of New Wine...... “Our churches are filled with people who outwardly look contented and at peace but inwardly are crying out for someone to love them... just as they are—confused, frustrated, often frightened, guilty, and often unable to communicate even within their own family. But the other people in the church look so happy and contented that one seldom has the courage to admit his own deep needs before such a self-sufficient group as the average church meeting appears to be.”

And this is what James is addressing here.  We think we’re in this alone......we’re self sufficient.......and James is saying, “NO......this is a community of believers who shares with one another in prayer and encouragement......we have a corporate responsibility to insure that nobody’s lagging behind.”

Think about it in your own life.......who’s praying for you......not just in general, but specifically praying about your spiritual growth and failures?  Are you involved enough in people’s lives that you’re sharing your current sins and failures? What are their specific spiritual needs? James is telling us that profound healing and growth occur when ordinary Christians relate to God corporately in this way!  This is also what tempers our own prayer life.......so it doesn’t become quite so self-absorbed. 

So how do we do that?  Do we stand up here on Sunday morning and spill our guts as to all the wrong we’ve done......all the sin we’re involved in?  Sometimes.....I almost think that would be refreshing.  But this probably isn’t the forum to do what James is talking about.  That’s one of the reasons the elders have tried to encourage each and every one of you to be involved in a small group Bible study or prayer group.  There’s a quality of fellowship when we do this that is unmatched.  It becomes an intimate group that is truly concerned about one another’s spiritual well-being.

That’s why we’re told to confess our faults one to another. Not as some sort of sordid gossip session. It’s not about publicly listing our personal sins and airing them out in front of everybody. It’s about being accountable to each other. And it’s about holding each other accountable.

Now......here’s a place where I’m probably going to disagree with most of your “holy notes” and commentaries.......starting with the second part of verse 16.  It says, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”  That must be talking about confessing our sins to one another and having righteous people pray for us......it’s all in verse 16......right?  Let’s remember that man is the one that assigned chapters and verse numbers to Scripture.......and because that statement is part of verse 16 doesn’t necessarily mean that it refers to the first portion of the verse.  If you allow it to be a prologue of the next two verses it actually makes a lot more sense. 

“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”  ......I mean.....look at Elijah.  Here’s a “righteous” man......and look what he accomplished.  Scripture is very clear that “there is none righteous......no not one.”  “Righteous” here means he was rightly aligned with God.........he was committed to God's will and wanted to see it advanced more than anything else.........including his own concern for safety and comfort. He had “a nature like ours”........he was an ordinary person with weaknesses, sins and short-comings like each of us.  But he was committed to doing things God’s way.

We’ve talked about it many times......prayer isn’t a means of getting God to do our will.  He’s not some Genie in a bottle that we try to get Him to do what we want. In fact.......James told us earlier in verse 4:3 that any kind of prayer like that isn’t going to be answered by God.   Instead.......prayer should always be looked at as a way we align ourselves with God.......a way we conform to what He wants.  If you’re in a boat and throw an anchor onto the shore and begin pulling........is it you pulling the shore to yourself.......or are you being brought closer to the shore? It’s the same when you pray...... you’re not pulling God toward you…......you’re coming closer to Him......and that’s why James uses Elijah as an example of how a righteous man prays.  James says, “......and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”

The example of Elijah comes from I Kings chapters 17 and 18.  Who remembers the story that’s related in those two chapters?  Can anybody give us a Reader’s Digest version of what Elijah was dealing with there?

• King Ahab “did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him.” (I Kings 16:30)

• God sent Elijah to tell Ahab that it wasn’t going to rain for three and a half years.

• Horrible famine on the land.

• Elijah challenges the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah to a duel with a sacrifice.

• Elijah wins.

Wow.......Elijah was like Superman!  But why did all of this happen?  Why were Elijah’s prayers so powerful?  The whole of the answer is found in 1 Kings 18:36......“At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.”

What’s the key?  Why were Elijah’s prayers so powerful?  “I did what You told me to do.  I prayed according to Your will.  I only wanted Your glory and I did exactly as You said!”

And that brings us back to the earlier discussion of the first part of verse 15...... and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up,”......and it’s the simplest and most complete explanation of the verse.  When we pray in God’s will.......God’s will is always done.......just as in Elijah’s case.  

What we all need to understand is that it isn’t that you “ought to pray” not even that you “have to pray”.  We need to understand that we “get to pray”.......and our prayers should always pull us closer to God.

The whole point of Elijah’s prayer was to demonstrate the power of God.........and that same power and purpose are absolutely available to every Christian.  That’s what James wants us to see.......that’s what he wants us to experience.  That’s what gets us to pass the “affliction test”.

O.K.......let’s quickly finish up with the last two verses of this book.......James 5:19-20.......  19 “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” 

James continues here to encourage us to be our brother’s keeper.......to be concerned about the Body of Christ.......as he talks about an individual straying from the truth........wandering......backsliding.  And it’s interesting the word choice here......he says “strays” or “Wanders”.......not a headlong rush into evil......more of a “MOSEY”.  And that’s usually the way it happens with us.  It’s a quiet, slow, subtle straying from God’s truth.

And one of the things we see here is that it is possible for us to know absolute truth.  We live in a world that mocks God’s Word.......a world of relativism that says there is no absolute truth.  That’s not the way James addresses it.......he tells us it’s possible to know truth......and possible to stray from it........and possible to be brought back to it.

There again are a number of ways this passage can be taken.  The interpretation that is most consistent with all of Scripture would seem to be that James is in fact talking to believers here......he addresses them as “brothers”.  And he’s talking about spiritual death here.......because there is no other death that the “soul” can suffer.......but think about the rest of the book.......the warnings that James makes......if you have faith but no works your faith isn’t faith at all........is he talking to believers there?  Not if they don’t have works.  

James is addressing a group of people who meet together in God’s name and have much in common.  A group of people who call themselves Christians and encourage one another and worship together and do all the things that we do here at CBC.  Let me ask you........do you think there has ever been anyone who came consistently to CBC who was not really a believer?  Is it possible that there is someone here right now.....this morning who has been among us for months.....even years.......who’s not a believer?   Sure it’s possible.  Was it possible in James’ time?  Certainly.

If I were absent from this Body for a period of time......and I wrote you a letter and was concerned that there were some here who really weren’t saved......who were acting in a manner that would indicate they were not really a believer.  If I really had that “eternal perspective” that Jim talked about last week and I really didn’t want to see anyone go to hell......especially any of you......could I write a paragraph similar to this one if I were writing to you?  Could I say......instead of “brothers”.......could I say, “Greg, Vaughn, Larry, John, Steve.......if you see somebody there at CBC straying from the truth......engaged in sin......get involved.......come along side them.......mentor them....turn them from their ways.......be a part of God saving their souls from hell.”  

This is a verse used by some to prove the doctrinal belief that we can lose our salvation.  If we make this verse merely an occasion to argue whether Christians can lose their salvation.......we’ll miss the real impact James wants to make on his readers. He is again.......with passion and forcefulness.......warning his readers that genuine faith includes not only repentance for sin but a life of obedience to Christ as Lord. What James is saying in 5:20 is simply consistent with his view throughout the letter. His point is not that true believers may lose their salvation by sinning.......but that sin full-grown ultimately destroys the sinner......just as he laid out in the very first chapter........and that genuine faith compels us to flee from sin and to help each other do the same. James's conviction is that sin represents a life-threatening danger.......not just a harmless blemish on our otherwise good character. Sin is not to be tolerated because it destroys us. The reference he makes to covering a multitude of sins refers to gaining forgiveness.......which goes hand-in-hand with the saving from death that he mentions.

To the very end........James insists on the lordship of Christ as an essential part of the gospel.  There’s no signature......no farewell greeting......no formal closure of any kind.......just the bold words of an inspired writer who gives us the realities of life in his conclusion........There is truth to be followed. There is death to be avoided. There is ministry to give to each other. James has called us to serve both God and sinners.