WEBVTT 00:00:08.249 --> 00:00:10.050 Father, I just want to praise you and thank you 00:00:10.050 --> 00:00:12.150 for your faithfulness and for your word, Lord. 00:00:12.250 --> 00:00:15.669 We have learned quite a bit about your word, 00:00:15.710 --> 00:00:19.070 and we are asking that you would help us to be 00:00:19.070 --> 00:00:23.449 doers. Show us how important it is to do what 00:00:23.449 --> 00:00:27.510 you command, not just to hear it. and the reality 00:00:27.510 --> 00:00:29.609 of the attitude of the heart of obedience is 00:00:29.609 --> 00:00:33.770 seen in how we actually do your word. May you 00:00:33.770 --> 00:00:36.250 be honored and glorified. May the full counsel 00:00:36.250 --> 00:00:38.789 of your word be taught today, and may we as your 00:00:38.789 --> 00:00:41.149 people rightly divide it for your glory. We do 00:00:41.149 --> 00:00:42.770 praise you and we thank you for your faithfulness. 00:00:42.810 --> 00:00:48.289 In Jesus' name, amen. James chapter 1. James, 00:00:48.350 --> 00:00:50.670 a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:00:50.789 --> 00:00:56.690 to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. Greetings. 00:00:56.690 --> 00:00:59.310 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet 00:00:59.310 --> 00:01:02.530 trials of various kinds, for you know that the 00:01:02.530 --> 00:01:04.829 testing of your faith produces steadfastness, 00:01:04.849 --> 00:01:07.989 and let steadfastness have its full effect that 00:01:07.989 --> 00:01:10.769 you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 00:01:11.129 --> 00:01:14.370 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, 00:01:14.450 --> 00:01:17.750 who gives generously to all without reproach, 00:01:17.750 --> 00:01:20.969 and it will be given him. But let him ask in 00:01:20.969 --> 00:01:24.920 faith with no doubting. For the one who doubts 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:27.420 is like the wave of the sea that is driven and 00:01:27.420 --> 00:01:31.840 tossed by the wind. For that person must not 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.260 suppose that he will receive anything from the 00:01:34.260 --> 00:01:36.599 Lord. He is a double -minded man and unstable 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:39.400 in all his ways. Let the lowly brother boast 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:43.379 in his exaltation. And let the rich in his humiliation. 00:01:43.799 --> 00:01:46.299 Because like a flower of the grass he will pass 00:01:46.299 --> 00:01:49.920 away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:55.659 and withers the grass. falls and its beauty perishes 00:01:55.659 --> 00:02:00.000 so also will the rich man fade away in the midst 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:03.980 of his pursuits blessed is the man who remains 00:02:03.980 --> 00:02:08.360 steadfast under trial for when he has stood the 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:11.590 test he will receive the crown of life which 00:02:11.590 --> 00:02:14.430 God has promised to those who love him. Let no 00:02:14.430 --> 00:02:17.069 one say when he is tempted, I'm being tempted 00:02:17.069 --> 00:02:20.669 by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil and 00:02:20.669 --> 00:02:23.729 he himself tempts no one. But each person is 00:02:23.729 --> 00:02:27.250 tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own 00:02:27.250 --> 00:02:31.129 desire. Then desire, when it is conceived, gives 00:02:31.129 --> 00:02:33.689 birth to sin and sin, when it is fully grown, 00:02:33.810 --> 00:02:37.430 gives birth, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, 00:02:37.509 --> 00:02:40.240 my brothers. My beloved brothers, every good 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:44.060 gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming 00:02:44.060 --> 00:02:46.900 down from the Father of lights, with whom there 00:02:46.900 --> 00:02:50.219 is no variation and no shadow due to change. 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:54.719 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word 00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:57.900 of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits 00:02:57.900 --> 00:03:01.900 of his creation. Know this, my beloved. My beloved 00:03:01.900 --> 00:03:04.599 brothers, let every person be quick to hear, 00:03:04.740 --> 00:03:08.020 slow to speak, slow to anger. For the anger of 00:03:08.020 --> 00:03:11.259 a man does not produce the righteousness of God. 00:03:11.740 --> 00:03:15.020 Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant 00:03:15.020 --> 00:03:18.599 wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted 00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:22.930 word which is able to save your souls. Be doers 00:03:22.930 --> 00:03:26.270 of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 00:03:26.629 --> 00:03:29.509 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not 00:03:29.509 --> 00:03:32.729 a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at 00:03:32.729 --> 00:03:36.750 his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at 00:03:36.750 --> 00:03:39.550 himself and goes away and at once forgets what 00:03:39.550 --> 00:03:43.090 he looks like. But the one who looks into the 00:03:43.090 --> 00:03:47.289 perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, 00:03:47.289 --> 00:03:51.310 being no hearer, who forgets, but a doer who 00:03:51.310 --> 00:03:55.349 acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone 00:03:55.349 --> 00:03:58.189 thinks he is religious and does not bridle his 00:03:58.189 --> 00:04:00.990 tongue, but deceives his heart, this person's 00:04:00.990 --> 00:04:03.990 religion is worthless. Religion that is pure 00:04:03.990 --> 00:04:06.789 and undefiled before God the Father is this, 00:04:06.909 --> 00:04:09.610 to visit orphans and widows in their affliction 00:04:09.610 --> 00:04:13.789 and to keep oneself unstained from the world. 00:04:14.909 --> 00:04:19.300 There's a lot of practicality here. And the most 00:04:19.300 --> 00:04:22.360 important part of the reality of this chapter 00:04:22.360 --> 00:04:26.879 is verse 27. So we're going to be addressing 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:29.139 those things. But before we get to the heart 00:04:29.139 --> 00:04:33.600 of the message, which is 19 through 27, I don't 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:35.500 want to do a disjustice by just going through, 00:04:35.620 --> 00:04:41.860 even though we could, and expound on just 19 00:04:41.860 --> 00:04:48.470 through 27. I think it'd be important. Do we 00:04:48.470 --> 00:04:56.589 got a duck? I'm hearing, I'm like. It was a good 00:04:56.589 --> 00:04:59.149 time to be funny. It was a good spot. All right. 00:04:59.529 --> 00:05:01.810 One of the most important things we need to do 00:05:01.810 --> 00:05:04.750 is we have to make sure that we are thinking 00:05:04.750 --> 00:05:07.730 through these kind of practical things in here 00:05:07.730 --> 00:05:10.550 and then really get into what James is saying. 00:05:11.370 --> 00:05:14.829 Okay. First thing I want us to notice is in verse 00:05:14.829 --> 00:05:19.269 one, the dispersion. This is during the time 00:05:19.269 --> 00:05:22.069 when the Christians in Jerusalem were scattered. 00:05:22.370 --> 00:05:25.930 James is the brother of Jesus. He is the head 00:05:25.930 --> 00:05:28.389 of the church. He's the apostle that's overseeing 00:05:28.389 --> 00:05:30.670 the church in Jerusalem. That's his responsibility. 00:05:31.329 --> 00:05:35.389 And he is sending this letter out to the brothers 00:05:35.389 --> 00:05:38.389 who were in Jerusalem. And they have been now 00:05:38.389 --> 00:05:43.310 dispersed across the area. And how would you 00:05:43.310 --> 00:05:48.569 encourage the brothers to hold? firm to the faith 00:05:48.569 --> 00:05:52.449 to not let the trial and the testing that has 00:05:52.449 --> 00:05:55.069 been placed on them to discourage them but to 00:05:55.069 --> 00:05:58.970 hold truth to the word and do it and so what 00:05:58.970 --> 00:06:02.689 he does is he starts it off quite frankly okay 00:06:02.689 --> 00:06:08.189 i want you to pay attention number one notice 00:06:08.189 --> 00:06:11.610 what it says in verse two For you know that the 00:06:11.610 --> 00:06:14.790 testing of your faith produces. Why does God 00:06:14.790 --> 00:06:19.050 allow suffering in your life? Why do we go through 00:06:19.050 --> 00:06:22.689 difficulty? We go through difficulty because 00:06:22.689 --> 00:06:26.410 he wants our faith to produce steadfastness. 00:06:26.769 --> 00:06:29.889 The steadfastness is the willing to stand under 00:06:29.889 --> 00:06:32.509 the pressure regardless of what's happening in 00:06:32.509 --> 00:06:34.769 your life. That is one of the most difficult 00:06:34.769 --> 00:06:38.810 things for American Christians to do. is when 00:06:38.810 --> 00:06:41.949 things get difficult we have a tendency to run 00:06:41.949 --> 00:06:46.870 away from God abandon the church not really stand 00:06:46.870 --> 00:06:49.930 for the faith because life's too difficult we 00:06:49.930 --> 00:06:53.949 have no idea what difficulty is when we look 00:06:53.949 --> 00:06:56.779 at the reality of faith We have a difficulty 00:06:56.779 --> 00:06:59.160 or an idea of what it means to live life, right? 00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:01.779 Like we have loved ones that get sick and die 00:07:01.779 --> 00:07:04.279 and we go through our own sufferings and pains 00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:06.759 and stuff like that. It's everyday life. Everybody 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:09.339 in the world goes through that. But this is a 00:07:09.339 --> 00:07:16.149 specific testing. Persecution. So why does God 00:07:16.149 --> 00:07:19.589 allow or why does God test us? He is testing 00:07:19.589 --> 00:07:22.449 our faith so that it produces steadfastness. 00:07:22.470 --> 00:07:25.889 And notice what it says. When steadfastness has 00:07:25.889 --> 00:07:29.889 its full effect in your life, you are perfected 00:07:29.889 --> 00:07:33.550 and complete, lacking nothing. I kind of like 00:07:33.550 --> 00:07:37.149 that. He's telling you what the answer to a victorious 00:07:37.149 --> 00:07:41.750 Christian life looks like. The second is ask 00:07:41.750 --> 00:07:45.699 in faith. with no doubting. Now, there are many 00:07:45.699 --> 00:07:50.160 brothers and sisters, I'm sure, throughout Christendom 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:52.699 that would state that we can ask God for whatever 00:07:52.699 --> 00:07:55.160 we want. As long as we don't doubt, we'll get 00:07:55.160 --> 00:07:58.720 it. But that's not what this means. It doesn't 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:01.300 mean that if I want this, I can believe God and 00:08:01.300 --> 00:08:03.779 I'll have it. And that is one of the main issues, 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:06.519 I think, that we've experienced quite a bit with 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:11.370 the prosperity gospel folks. What does it mean 00:08:11.370 --> 00:08:14.850 that we should ask in faith with no doubting? 00:08:14.910 --> 00:08:20.529 What does it say in verse 5? If any of you lacks 00:08:20.529 --> 00:08:25.089 wisdom, what is wisdom? It is the knowledge and 00:08:25.089 --> 00:08:28.970 the truth of God applied. If anyone is lacking 00:08:28.970 --> 00:08:33.990 wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously 00:08:33.990 --> 00:08:36.929 to all without reproach. If you want the wisdom 00:08:36.929 --> 00:08:40.399 of God, God will give it to you. What else is 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:43.000 the reality of this issue concerning faith? But 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:46.840 let him ask in faith. What is faith? Being sure 00:08:46.840 --> 00:08:48.259 of what you hope for and the evidence of what 00:08:48.259 --> 00:08:50.460 you don't see. What do we know? We know that 00:08:50.460 --> 00:08:54.700 the word of God is God's promises in writing. 00:08:55.500 --> 00:08:59.879 His name is on his promises. His word is truth. 00:09:00.779 --> 00:09:04.179 What do we ask in faith? Faith is not believing 00:09:04.179 --> 00:09:06.759 that I will receive something. Faith is knowing 00:09:06.759 --> 00:09:10.440 the truth of the word of God and not doubting 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:14.620 that God's word is true. Can you imagine how 00:09:14.620 --> 00:09:17.139 much more effective as believers we would be 00:09:17.139 --> 00:09:20.600 if we literally walked in the truth of the word 00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:23.659 and believed what God said is true, not what 00:09:23.659 --> 00:09:29.399 we think God will give me. God has promised that 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:32.940 if I walk by faith, live in faith, that my faith 00:09:32.940 --> 00:09:35.919 will produce steadfastness. And when it is completed 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:39.220 and as it reaches full effect, I will lack nothing. 00:09:39.740 --> 00:09:42.240 And so if I need the wisdom of God, that's the 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:45.200 application of the knowledge of God lived in 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:50.080 life, then I can ask him and I will live rightly, 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:57.659 even under pressure. Number three, look what 00:09:57.659 --> 00:10:00.279 he says here. Why does he deal with these Two 00:10:00.279 --> 00:10:03.200 particular types of people in the church. I want 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:06.620 you to notice something. In the church, there's 00:10:06.620 --> 00:10:10.500 no middle class. He just calls the lowly and 00:10:10.500 --> 00:10:13.940 the rich. Because everyone who's not rich is 00:10:13.940 --> 00:10:17.279 lowly. It's kind of interesting, I just say. 00:10:17.860 --> 00:10:19.759 And I'll be like, where's the middle class in 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:22.720 that, whether it's not one? So most countries 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:25.039 don't have middle class. Most countries just 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:28.519 have lowly, poor, and rich. We're the only, we're 00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:30.259 one of very few countries that has middle class. 00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:34.039 So just saying on a modern day term. Anyway, 00:10:34.139 --> 00:10:37.720 what is he saying here? Let the lowly brother 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:41.179 boast in his exaltation. What does God promise 00:10:41.179 --> 00:10:44.840 the poor? Blessed are the poor for they shall, 00:10:45.100 --> 00:10:53.509 what? Inherit the kingdom of God. Is there any 00:10:53.509 --> 00:11:02.429 kingdom, anything greater than that? No. We are 00:11:02.429 --> 00:11:06.250 receiving an inheritance as the children of God, 00:11:06.350 --> 00:11:10.590 of a kingdom that the world would probably do 00:11:10.590 --> 00:11:13.269 anything to get, but it can't. That's the reality. 00:11:14.450 --> 00:11:19.929 So we boast in our exaltation. We've been exalted 00:11:19.929 --> 00:11:26.809 from lowliness. To what? To kingship. We can 00:11:26.809 --> 00:11:30.149 live as kings with the king of kings and the 00:11:30.149 --> 00:11:33.370 Lord of lords. But look what he says to the rich. 00:11:33.870 --> 00:11:39.129 And the rich in his humiliation. Because why? 00:11:39.230 --> 00:11:44.230 What does the rich pursue on earth? What happens 00:11:44.230 --> 00:11:48.159 when the rich die? Do they take what they pursued 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:50.840 with them? And that's exactly what he says here. 00:11:51.100 --> 00:11:54.980 So also will the rich man fade away in the midst 00:11:54.980 --> 00:11:57.700 of his pursuits. It doesn't mean that you can't 00:11:57.700 --> 00:12:02.259 want or it can't work to be wealthy here, but 00:12:02.259 --> 00:12:05.960 that your pursuits aren't defining you. What's 00:12:05.960 --> 00:12:09.019 the opposite of reaching out for your pursuits? 00:12:09.059 --> 00:12:15.850 Live in humility. Live as a slave. Not as a person 00:12:15.850 --> 00:12:19.149 who owns slaves. That's really what he's saying 00:12:19.149 --> 00:12:25.210 here. Live in humiliation. And that's quite difficult 00:12:25.210 --> 00:12:29.389 to be a doer. As a poor man, to live in our exaltation 00:12:29.389 --> 00:12:31.750 is not to live in bragging like we've done something, 00:12:31.909 --> 00:12:37.269 but to live in such a way that we exude. Or we 00:12:37.269 --> 00:12:40.990 show, reflect the goodness of our God because 00:12:40.990 --> 00:12:44.389 now I am in the same position as everyone else 00:12:44.389 --> 00:12:46.909 when it comes to the kingdom. But to the rich, 00:12:46.950 --> 00:12:51.210 in the same way that the poor serve and slave 00:12:51.210 --> 00:12:54.429 and work for the rich, the rich should be serving 00:12:54.429 --> 00:12:58.330 and slaving to take care of the poor. We read 00:12:58.330 --> 00:13:03.029 this later on. Number four. But each person is 00:13:03.029 --> 00:13:05.529 tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own 00:13:05.529 --> 00:13:08.429 desire. So here's, I was watching, my wife and 00:13:08.429 --> 00:13:11.909 I were watching a little thing on TV where a 00:13:11.909 --> 00:13:15.629 gentleman stated that Satan is the ruler of the 00:13:15.629 --> 00:13:19.450 world and he is controlling everything. That 00:13:19.450 --> 00:13:21.490 all the bad things that happen in your life are 00:13:21.490 --> 00:13:26.610 Satan's fault. Here's a problem. James chapter 00:13:26.610 --> 00:13:32.360 1. Is it really? What's really going on here? 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:38.460 Well, it's because we're selfish. Each person 00:13:38.460 --> 00:13:42.980 is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his 00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:47.100 own desires. The reality of sin in your life 00:13:47.100 --> 00:13:49.539 is not Satan's fault. He didn't put anything 00:13:49.539 --> 00:13:52.940 in your life that wasn't already there. The sinful 00:13:52.940 --> 00:13:56.220 world knows how to tempt. It knows how to put 00:13:56.220 --> 00:14:00.940 stuff in your face. Bulletin boards. commercials. 00:14:01.259 --> 00:14:04.039 Lord knows today when you watch the Super Bowl, 00:14:04.200 --> 00:14:08.019 you're going to be watching Bunny. Please don't. 00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:15.879 That's crazy. But it's the reality. And people 00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:19.179 will go, I want to know what that's about. And 00:14:19.179 --> 00:14:21.120 what happens? They get lured and enticed by their 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:25.799 own desire of curiosity. I'm like, I'm not even 00:14:25.799 --> 00:14:29.159 going to watch it. I'll be home watching something 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:33.350 else. No Super Bowl for me. Because if that's 00:14:33.350 --> 00:14:35.190 what you're going to continue to produce and 00:14:35.190 --> 00:14:37.029 offer to the people that watch it, especially 00:14:37.029 --> 00:14:41.129 all the little kids, I'm really having a hard 00:14:41.129 --> 00:14:44.590 time with them. What does it produce in the heart 00:14:44.590 --> 00:14:48.289 and the mind of any individual? You can imagine. 00:14:49.029 --> 00:14:52.789 So each person in reality is... tempted when 00:14:52.789 --> 00:14:55.570 he is lured and enticed by his own desire and 00:14:55.570 --> 00:14:58.750 desire when it gives when it is full grown gives 00:14:58.750 --> 00:15:04.409 birth to sin and sin gives birth to death it's 00:15:04.409 --> 00:15:07.289 no one's fault but yours is what james is saying 00:15:07.289 --> 00:15:14.730 number five what's the reality of the work of 00:15:14.730 --> 00:15:17.840 god The reality of the work of God. Every good 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:20.379 gift. The fact that we're saved. That God saves 00:15:20.379 --> 00:15:23.559 us. That he gives us the perfect gift of heaven. 00:15:25.139 --> 00:15:28.600 Salvation. Done perfectly through a perfect God. 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:32.200 Given to an imperfect people by which he will 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:37.039 make perfect. He has done it by his own will. 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:40.799 See that kind of throws a monkey wrench in the 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:46.419 free will argument. I could go through. A whole 00:15:46.419 --> 00:15:50.659 mess of scripture. But the reality is, even in 00:15:50.659 --> 00:16:00.360 James chapter 1, verse 18, he tells you, your 00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:04.000 very salvation, your very being is of his own 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:07.620 will, which he brought forth by the word of truth. 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:14.700 Who's the word of truth? Jesus. And he completes 00:16:14.700 --> 00:16:19.799 the statement that we should be a kind of first 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:23.200 fruits of his creatures. The first fruits of 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:26.159 his creatures, the ones who reflect the righteousness 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:29.580 and holiness of a living God. How do we do that? 00:16:30.100 --> 00:16:33.700 How do we reflect? How do we show that we're 00:16:33.700 --> 00:16:39.600 the first fruits of his creatures? Number six. 00:16:41.450 --> 00:16:45.809 To do the word requires that the word be implanted 00:16:45.809 --> 00:16:50.009 in you. The word of God must be implanted in 00:16:50.009 --> 00:16:55.429 you. Hebrews 10, 16. This is the covenant, which 00:16:55.429 --> 00:16:59.629 that I make with them after those days, declares 00:16:59.629 --> 00:17:04.109 the Lord. I will put my laws on their hearts 00:17:04.109 --> 00:17:08.450 and write them on their minds. Who gives you 00:17:08.450 --> 00:17:12.440 the word? God. Who puts the word in you? God. 00:17:13.319 --> 00:17:16.000 So when he says that the word has been implanted 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:21.099 in you, it's because he put it there. God put 00:17:21.099 --> 00:17:24.240 his word in you. Very interesting, isn't it? 00:17:25.140 --> 00:17:30.099 So James 1, 19 through 21. Now, know this, my 00:17:30.099 --> 00:17:33.660 beloved brothers. Let every person be quick to 00:17:33.660 --> 00:17:39.259 hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Very important. 00:17:40.109 --> 00:17:41.890 You're going to find out that the quickest way 00:17:41.890 --> 00:17:43.930 to know if somebody is of God and who's not of 00:17:43.930 --> 00:17:49.029 God is their mouth. Because out of the abundance 00:17:49.029 --> 00:17:53.609 of the heart, the mouth speaks. Anger of man 00:17:53.609 --> 00:17:58.549 does not produce the righteousness of God. You 00:17:58.549 --> 00:18:01.710 can see who is of God and who's not by how he 00:18:01.710 --> 00:18:08.329 or she speaks in anger because she Or he feels 00:18:08.329 --> 00:18:10.630 like his rights or her rights have been violated. 00:18:12.970 --> 00:18:18.390 How dare you do that to me? My rights are violated. 00:18:20.069 --> 00:18:22.849 And we get angry. I deserve better than that. 00:18:24.490 --> 00:18:28.769 In some cases, that'd be true. But the reality 00:18:28.769 --> 00:18:33.769 is, because we think our rights have been violated 00:18:33.769 --> 00:18:36.930 or they have been violated, The Bible says that 00:18:36.930 --> 00:18:40.769 the anger of man does not produce the righteousness 00:18:40.769 --> 00:18:47.190 of God. Well, what does produce the righteousness 00:18:47.190 --> 00:18:51.109 of God? The Spirit of God. So in your anger, 00:18:51.190 --> 00:18:54.730 do not sin, the Scripture says. Not God's anger. 00:18:55.930 --> 00:19:01.990 God's anger is good and righteous and true. That's 00:19:01.990 --> 00:19:09.400 the reality. Ben, can you give Ronald Goetz a 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:17.099 call, please? Thank you. Therefore, put away 00:19:17.099 --> 00:19:22.359 all filthiness and rampant wickedness. Put all 00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:26.140 of that away. Why? It's the opposite. Anger produces 00:19:26.140 --> 00:19:30.420 filthiness and rampant wickedness. Put it away, 00:19:30.740 --> 00:19:35.180 he says. And look, what is the answer to putting 00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:39.539 away filthiness and rampant wickedness? And receive 00:19:39.539 --> 00:19:46.279 the meekness, the implanted word. Receive with 00:19:46.279 --> 00:19:49.000 meekness the implanted word. It's the word of 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:53.460 God that keeps us right. Which is able to save 00:19:53.460 --> 00:19:57.339 your souls. Remember the word that God put in 00:19:57.339 --> 00:20:08.240 you? So. The seven. How do we do this? To do 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:11.619 the word requires that you not only hear, but 00:20:11.619 --> 00:20:17.359 act on it. To do the word requires that you not 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:22.039 only hear, but act on it. You must hear the word 00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:26.359 and do it, not just hear it. Why? Deuteronomy 00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:29.180 8 .1. The whole commandment that I command you 00:20:29.180 --> 00:20:34.470 today, forget the V, I forgot to delete it. That 00:20:34.470 --> 00:20:40.710 you, not view, shall be careful to do. You shall 00:20:40.710 --> 00:20:45.089 be careful to do that you may live and multiply 00:20:45.089 --> 00:20:49.069 and go in and possess the land the Lord swore 00:20:49.069 --> 00:20:52.490 to give your forefathers. Do you hear that? There's 00:20:52.490 --> 00:20:54.970 all kinds of applications here. We're not going 00:20:54.970 --> 00:20:59.690 to get on the tangent. The only way that God... 00:21:00.119 --> 00:21:03.279 That the people of Israel were to receive the 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:06.200 land as if they were being obedient. If they 00:21:06.200 --> 00:21:12.279 were doing the word carefully. It's his land. 00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:16.160 Why? But he's telling you that you must be careful 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:24.720 to do. James 22 through 25. But be doers of the 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:29.980 word. Pretty simple, isn't it? Be doers. Not 00:21:29.980 --> 00:21:34.859 hearers only. Deceiving yourself. Be doers of 00:21:34.859 --> 00:21:39.200 the word. Be the one that is actively doing. 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:43.579 Not hearers only. Deceiving yourself. You hear 00:21:43.579 --> 00:21:46.559 the word. And this happens many times in churches 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:51.799 every Sunday. People come in. They don't bring 00:21:51.799 --> 00:21:56.180 their Bibles. They sit there. They hear a message. 00:21:56.259 --> 00:22:00.130 They hear a word. From the Lord. No wonder no 00:22:00.130 --> 00:22:02.630 one can discern what the word of the Lord is. 00:22:02.950 --> 00:22:04.349 Because they don't know the word. They'll be 00:22:04.349 --> 00:22:06.250 like, the preacher gave the word of the Lord 00:22:06.250 --> 00:22:13.890 today. I'm going to hear that. Okay. No. We must 00:22:13.890 --> 00:22:18.069 hear the word of God. Because if we just hear 00:22:18.069 --> 00:22:22.049 only, we deceive ourselves. How is this deception? 00:22:22.250 --> 00:22:25.599 The reality is. We deceive ourselves because 00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:30.099 we're not living out what was given to us. For 00:22:30.099 --> 00:22:33.559 if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, 00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:36.460 he is like a man who looks intently at his natural 00:22:36.460 --> 00:22:41.019 face in a mirror. Oh, can you imagine what it 00:22:41.019 --> 00:22:43.259 would be like if you woke up in the morning, 00:22:43.319 --> 00:22:45.180 looked at your face, and were like, oh, how are 00:22:45.180 --> 00:22:49.599 you? Walked away and go, I forgot what I look 00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:55.250 like. Kind of weird. But that's what it's like. 00:22:55.730 --> 00:22:59.529 For he looks at himself and goes away at once 00:22:59.529 --> 00:23:02.849 and forgets what he looks like. He doesn't even 00:23:02.849 --> 00:23:08.710 reflect anything of what he is naturally. So 00:23:08.710 --> 00:23:11.450 what's the point? That we as believers naturally 00:23:11.450 --> 00:23:15.970 should be reflecting Christ. That's what it says 00:23:15.970 --> 00:23:19.509 in verse 25. But the one who looks into the perfect 00:23:19.509 --> 00:23:24.039 law. The one who... digs into the law of God, 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:29.740 the law of liberty. The law of God is freedom 00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:34.740 for a believer. It's not the school teacher who 00:23:34.740 --> 00:23:37.960 whips us. It's a school teacher who whips us 00:23:37.960 --> 00:23:42.339 when we aren't living, when we aren't saved, 00:23:42.460 --> 00:23:45.839 when we don't know Christ. The law reveals to 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:48.319 us our sinfulness, but now that we are in Christ, 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:53.529 the law reveals to us our righteousness. Christ. 00:23:54.890 --> 00:23:58.349 And so the law of liberty. And what does the 00:23:58.349 --> 00:24:05.049 law do? If we persevere, being no hearer who 00:24:05.049 --> 00:24:08.009 forgets but a doer who acts, we'll be blessed. 00:24:08.069 --> 00:24:10.809 And that's exactly what God was saying to them. 00:24:11.230 --> 00:24:15.809 If you carefully do what I command you, I will 00:24:15.809 --> 00:24:19.150 bless you. You want blessings? You want to really 00:24:19.150 --> 00:24:21.109 truly know what it means to be blessed by God? 00:24:21.579 --> 00:24:30.400 do his word. So pure religion is to be a doer 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:33.099 of the word. You guys ever watch that little 00:24:33.099 --> 00:24:35.880 video? I did this with John and Nick this week. 00:24:36.859 --> 00:24:41.660 After we went through line by line, they were 00:24:41.660 --> 00:24:45.339 like, yeah, that's a really bad video. That is 00:24:45.339 --> 00:24:49.259 a really bad video. You ever seen that video 00:24:49.259 --> 00:24:52.299 where it says Jesus is greater than religion 00:24:52.299 --> 00:24:55.180 or Jesus hates religion video? You guys ever 00:24:55.180 --> 00:24:57.700 watch that on YouTube? I should play it for you. 00:24:58.940 --> 00:25:02.259 I really am not. I can't. It's totally heretical. 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:05.339 I can do it on Wednesday because then I can teach 00:25:05.339 --> 00:25:09.519 you why it's so bad. You can't even get past 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:13.460 the first five words. And you go, whoa. It's 00:25:13.460 --> 00:25:17.759 extremely deceptive. That being said. God doesn't 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:22.859 hate religion. That's a lie. God loves religion. 00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:29.500 God loves his religion. God hates man's religion. 00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:32.559 But Christianity is not man's religion. It's 00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:36.940 God's religion. Christianity or religion is not 00:25:36.940 --> 00:25:44.079 some man -made institution. Religion in reality, 00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:47.779 God's religion, Is what we should be living. 00:25:47.859 --> 00:25:51.660 But man has corrupted God's religion. And as 00:25:51.660 --> 00:25:56.279 a result of a corrupted religion. We come up 00:25:56.279 --> 00:26:00.900 with all kinds of other ideas. James chapter 00:26:00.900 --> 00:26:05.859 4 verse 17. So whoever knows the right thing 00:26:05.859 --> 00:26:10.579 to do. And fails to do it. For him it is sin. 00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:18.920 It is sin. God loves. His religion. And Christianity 00:26:18.920 --> 00:26:24.400 is a religion. It's a life practice. It's what 00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:29.279 we do. So if anyone thinks he is religious and 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:32.079 does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, 00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:34.279 this person's religion is worthless. Remember 00:26:34.279 --> 00:26:37.160 I told you earlier that the quickest way to know 00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:40.779 if someone is truly a believer is to listen to 00:26:40.779 --> 00:26:48.299 their language. listen to what they say now that 00:26:48.299 --> 00:26:50.339 doesn't mean that we're not going to mess up 00:26:50.339 --> 00:26:55.900 i mess up we all mess up but the reality of consistent 00:26:55.900 --> 00:26:59.460 christian living is that we are putting a bridle 00:26:59.460 --> 00:27:03.480 we are we are being careful about what we say 00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:06.880 not going and destroying everyone and everyone 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:09.619 and everything that disagrees with me because 00:27:09.619 --> 00:27:11.880 my truth is my truth and your truth is your truth 00:27:11.880 --> 00:27:14.359 and after all You don't have a right to mess 00:27:14.359 --> 00:27:18.859 with my truth. But as I said before, God could 00:27:18.859 --> 00:27:21.880 care less about your truth. And he really doesn't 00:27:21.880 --> 00:27:24.599 care about your opinion. You're like, oh, that's 00:27:24.599 --> 00:27:26.579 harsh. But that's true. Because if God was worried 00:27:26.579 --> 00:27:28.619 about everybody's opinion, he'd never get anything 00:27:28.619 --> 00:27:38.359 done. After all, I'm not going to say everybody 00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:43.569 has an opinion. All right. But notice what James 00:27:43.569 --> 00:27:50.849 says here. Religion. Life practice. Doing. That's 00:27:50.849 --> 00:27:54.170 what this word religion means. A doer of the 00:27:54.170 --> 00:27:58.769 faith. Religion that is pure and undefiled before 00:27:58.769 --> 00:28:03.210 God the Father is this. Visit the orphans and 00:28:03.210 --> 00:28:06.990 widows in their affliction. And to keep oneself 00:28:06.990 --> 00:28:12.900 unstained from the world. Now. Interesting enough, 00:28:12.940 --> 00:28:16.920 I was watching another interview this week of 00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:20.119 an Anglican bishop. Oh, thank God I remembered 00:28:20.119 --> 00:28:21.980 it in second service because the first service 00:28:21.980 --> 00:28:25.880 I totally forgot. It's the bishop. I was in Bible 00:28:25.880 --> 00:28:32.019 study. An Anglican bishop. And he is the bishop 00:28:32.019 --> 00:28:36.940 of the Anglican church in all of Jerusalem. He 00:28:36.940 --> 00:28:40.759 is the top -notch guy in the Anglican church. 00:28:42.539 --> 00:28:44.799 And what he shared concerning the Christians 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:52.400 there would absolutely horrify you. They are 00:28:52.400 --> 00:29:00.339 going hungry in Israel. And his statement is, 00:29:00.420 --> 00:29:03.660 why are the Christians so quick to give money 00:29:03.660 --> 00:29:06.700 to Israel but not give money to their own family? 00:29:07.900 --> 00:29:12.430 Who's suffering and hurting. Why hasn't... Anybody 00:29:12.430 --> 00:29:17.609 talked about this? Because the Christian will 00:29:17.609 --> 00:29:22.950 always be hated. If they hated me, they will 00:29:22.950 --> 00:29:29.450 hate you also. Why do I say that? Because here, 00:29:29.650 --> 00:29:34.329 what we see in James' statement, and the same 00:29:34.329 --> 00:29:36.390 thing was happening then that's happening now, 00:29:36.589 --> 00:29:41.230 is that the real religion that is pure and undefiled 00:29:43.029 --> 00:29:47.049 of God the Father is to visit the orphans and 00:29:47.049 --> 00:29:49.589 widows in their affliction and to keep oneself 00:29:49.589 --> 00:29:52.690 unstained from the world. It is to take care 00:29:52.690 --> 00:29:57.269 of the marginalized family. He's speaking to 00:29:57.269 --> 00:30:01.089 the brothers and sisters that have been dispersed 00:30:01.089 --> 00:30:05.650 who now don't have children, who now don't have 00:30:05.650 --> 00:30:08.789 parents and women who now don't have husbands 00:30:08.789 --> 00:30:12.240 who can take care of them. This isn't the orphans 00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:14.900 and widows in all of Jerusalem because not all 00:30:14.900 --> 00:30:18.400 of the children and all of the widows have lost 00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:22.319 their loved ones. These are the persecuted Christians 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:28.759 who have lost parents and husbands. And we know 00:30:28.759 --> 00:30:31.619 this to be true because Jesus says, they will 00:30:31.619 --> 00:30:34.460 know you are my disciples if you have love one 00:30:34.460 --> 00:30:38.079 for another. And we know this also because Jesus 00:30:38.079 --> 00:30:41.500 tells us again what the reality of good, true 00:30:41.500 --> 00:30:48.220 biblical religion looks like. Lord, when did 00:30:48.220 --> 00:30:52.599 we see you hungry and feed you and thirsty and 00:30:52.599 --> 00:30:56.539 give you drink and naked and clothe you and sick 00:30:56.539 --> 00:30:59.940 and care for you? When you did it for the least 00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:03.130 of these, you did it for me. Good, true biblical 00:31:03.130 --> 00:31:05.730 Christianity is taking care of the marginalized 00:31:05.730 --> 00:31:09.890 in God's house so that we can then go outside 00:31:09.890 --> 00:31:11.589 of the house to take care of the marginalized 00:31:11.589 --> 00:31:14.829 there. We're quick to take care of those outside 00:31:14.829 --> 00:31:17.710 of the house, but very slow to take care of those 00:31:17.710 --> 00:31:20.109 in. I can tell you, and I'm very thankful for 00:31:20.109 --> 00:31:23.450 our church, that we do work at this. We take 00:31:23.450 --> 00:31:28.130 good care of our family. And I give you all kudos 00:31:28.130 --> 00:31:32.299 for that. I am grateful for you. In that you 00:31:32.299 --> 00:31:35.779 are reflecting this truth. You are living pure 00:31:35.779 --> 00:31:40.259 religion. The hardest though, for all Christians, 00:31:40.359 --> 00:31:46.720 is holiness. To keep oneself unstained from the 00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:50.380 world. Care for those who cannot care for themselves 00:31:50.380 --> 00:31:57.380 and live rightly. That's the hardest. But that's 00:31:57.380 --> 00:31:59.720 real what true biblical pure religion looks like. 00:32:00.460 --> 00:32:02.720 So God doesn't hate religion. Jesus doesn't hate 00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:07.079 religion. He commands you to live it. And that 00:32:07.079 --> 00:32:10.259 is his expectation of you and his imperative 00:32:10.259 --> 00:32:18.220 for you. To do the word. Care for the marginalized. 00:32:19.420 --> 00:32:24.859 Live holy. Father, I want to thank you so much 00:32:24.859 --> 00:32:27.920 for your goodness. Thank you for your word. Thank 00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:30.450 you for your faithfulness. Thank you that you, 00:32:30.569 --> 00:32:33.289 Holy Spirit, live in us and that we can be guided 00:32:33.289 --> 00:32:35.369 through the truth as you illuminate us to the 00:32:35.369 --> 00:32:38.250 truth of the word by the very work and ministry 00:32:38.250 --> 00:32:41.190 you do in our lives, sanctifying us and conforming 00:32:41.190 --> 00:32:43.549 us into the image of your son, Lord Jesus. We 00:32:43.549 --> 00:32:46.029 thank you that you have given your life as a 00:32:46.029 --> 00:32:50.130 ransom for many. Bless your people and bless 00:32:50.130 --> 00:32:54.809 us as we learn to live your word. In Jesus' name, 00:32:54.990 --> 00:32:55.789 amen.