This ending section of Jame’s letter to the scatted Christian churches, is framed by the reality of Christ’s eminent return. James calls his Brothers and Sisters to live in light of Eternity. What does that mean? It means the reality of the Gospel animates & guides your entire life! Decisions and relationships, marriage, career and everything flows from the Gospel.

Six way to live in light of eternity in today’s text(For Spirit Indwelled Believers Only)

Trust Fully in God’s Timing. Give Grace To Each Other. Suffering for God = Blessing.

Don’t Make Oaths, Pray instead. Faith Healing Happens In The Body. Relational Connection Enables Eternal Correction.

James 5:7-20

7 Be patient, my brothers and sisters, as you wait for the Lord to come. Look at the farmer quietly awaiting the precious harvest. See how one has to possess their soul in patience till the land has had the early and late rains. 8 So must you be patient, resting your hearts on the ultimate certainty. The Lord’s coming is near.

• The only way to be patient is to ‘practice patience’… you lean by waiting
• This is all about trust! Trust in the Lord’s ways and that He keeps every promise
• Farmers, in that day, were dependent on rain (very limited irrigation)
• ‘Possess their soul in patience’ is the act of waiting without anxiety or worry
• There is only one ‘Ultimate Certainty’: God / Christ
• There is more to life than ‘This Life’! Jesus Christ is coming back to our world!
• That is what we are to live for. THAT is what our life should reflect
• This could be described as living in light of what you believe about Your eternity

This is the ‘Overview’ of how all members of Christ’s Body should live, it is about attitude and identity and belief.

Next, some specifics things we are to practice that flow from surrender to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; specifically Christ’s return to usher in eternity.

9 Don’t make complaints against each other in the meantime my brothers and sisters (as you wait for Christ’s return)—you may be the one at fault yourself. The judge himself is already at the door.

• During this meantime, until Christ returns, we are to practice grace in this Body
• This is directed to His ‘Brothers & Sisters’: Christ’s Body / Spirit Indwelt Elect
• We don’t know the whole story, we don’t even realize if we are right or wrong
• This is a call to grace based on humility: we know we are flawed, so we shut up
• In this context it is about projecting your suffering and blaming others
• The real ‘Judge’ is about to enter the room (Figuratively)
• YOU are not ‘The Judge’, don’t act like you are.
• Instead of complaining about others, practice patient endurance in suffering

10 For our example of the patient endurance of suffering we can take the prophets who have spoken in the Lord’s name. Remember that it is usually those who have patiently endured to whom we accord the word “blessed!” 11 You have heard of Job’s patient endurance and how God dealt with him in the end, and therefore you have seen that the Lord is merciful and full of understanding.

• This is suffering for God’s sake, because you are living for HIM (Prophets)
• God knows our motives. He know if we are doing things for Him or for ourself
• Are you suffering because you are living 4 God or because you are not?
• In the end we see from Scripture how God will bless those who endure 4 HIM

12 It is of the highest importance, my brothers and sisters that your speech should be free from oaths (whether they are “by” heaven or earth or anything else). Your yes should be a plain yes, and your no a plain no, and then you cannot go wrong in the matter. 13 If any of you is in trouble let them pray. If anyone is flourishing let them sing praises to God.

• Highest importance here is often translated: Above all else
• I believe this heading so to speak, is for everything that follows until the end
• James is laying down some cultural practices for Jesus Christ’s Church
• Again we see ‘Brothers & Sisters’… ‘Brethren’ is old school… Christ’s Body
• Say what you mean and mean what you say! The integrity of ‘Your Word’
• Oaths are like ‘cursing’ someone: Unauthorized invoking of God’s power

14 If anyone is ill they should send for the Church elders, who should pray over them, anointing them with oil in the Lord’s name. 15 Believing prayer will heal the sick person; the Lord will restore health and sin will be forgiven.

• Illness can be physical, emotional or mental
• What James prescribes is that the afflicted one must initiate the ‘Call’ 4 Elders
• Honoring of the authority structure God has put in place is crucial
• The Lord does the restoring, and He does it in HIS way, through HIS leaders

16 You should get into the habit of admitting your sins to each other, and praying for each other, so that if sickness comes to you, you may be healed. Tremendous power is made available through a good person’s earnest prayer.

• We are to make freely admitting our sin a habitual lifestyle
• This is a standard for all members of Christ’s Body: Biblical Christian Culture
• I admit I do not habitually practice confessing my sin to anyone but God
• We need to all share the conviction that we are to do this for real & then DO IT!

17 Do you remember Elijah? He was a human like us but he prayed earnestly that it should not rain. In fact, not a drop fell on the land for three and a half years. 18 Then he prayed again, the heavens gave the rain and the earth sprouted with vegetation as usual.

• Humans can be part of God’s supernatural work
• His prayer connection to God was him connecting to God’s will
• The point is that God wants to partner with us through prayer

19 My brothers and sisters, if one among you should wander away from the truth, if another should turn them back on to the right path, 20 then you may be sure that in turning someone back from their wandering course, a soul is rescued from death, and this loving action will “cover a multitude of sins”.

• Within Christ’s Body, we are to keep an eye on each other
• This world is working 24/7 to make us wander from the truth
• We need each other. So we need to get to know each other
• If we know our Brothers and Sisters well we can help them if they wander
• This says there is a ‘Right Path’ there is such a thing as ‘the Truth’
• This means that God has given us His Word to study, learn and understand
• From this comes ‘Biblical Doctrine’
• Caring about doctrine is a worth while endeavor; something that really matters
• Believing based on tried & true interpretations of Scripture: SAVES SOULS!
• Believing based on tried & true interpretations of Scripture: fosters forgiveness

Do you want to be part of this? This does not happen outside of ‘Committed Biblical Community’

Six Ways to Live In Light Of Eternity

PRACTICAL BIBLICAL LIVING

Trust in God’s Timing

Absolute surrender of everything to God’s control; when, how, where and whatever HE wills. Accepting what God walks us through with patience, joy & grace.

Grace For Each Other

Being real about how much grace we have been given and then treating others in our church body with as much grace as we can.

Suffering 4 God = Blessed

Honestly living as Biblically as possible is not easy and suffering is part of the Christian life. The Biblical definition of blessed is Eternal Life with GOD.

No Oaths, Prayer Instead

Instead of dependence on our resources and words we seek the power of Christ in our lives, together in prayer. Prayer is to be our natural response to bad and good.

Faith Healing In The Body

God provides for healing of various kinds within HIS body, it happens in a committed community of shared life. This is how God intended HIS people to live and thrive.

Relational Correction

In Christ’s Body different members prayerfully correct and guide each other from a place of knowing and being known. This is how Christ’s Body comes to salvation and experiences forgiveness.

APPLICATION EXORTATIONS:

SURRENDER EVERYTHING to God for a life of peace rather than one of anxiety!

Spend your time examining yourself rather than others, that is God’s job, not yours!

Choose the eternal blessing of living honestly for God rather than your own comfort!

Speaking humbly about what you can do and seeking God for all HE can do!

Trust God’s way of providing supernatural healing through the authority of HIS Body!

Know your brothers & sisters well enough so that you can prayerfully correct them!

We are here today to declare the absolute reality of Jesus The Christ’s Resurrection. I know my redeemer lives! Christ’s resurrection is crucial, if you do not believe it,why would you surrender your life to Christ? If you are here today with any doubts about Jesus of Nazareth’s permanent, bodily resurrection, I want to encourage you to pray for God’s Holy Spirit to enable to to fully believe.The Resurrection of Jesus Christ takes a minute to absorb, it was meant to be a process…but most importantly it takes God’s Spirit.

Jesus Died! Why?

God choose to demonstrate without a doubt His massive love for you and me. God did this as one of us! Virgin birth, sinless life then the most brutal of deaths. He payed a price only the all powerful God of the universe could pay… But then on top of all that HE demonstrated His control over ALL things! He rose from the dead to point us to the hope of OUR resurrection! This is a day to place all of our hope, all of our faith and all of our joy into.

I want to encourage you, if you have surrendered your life to Christ you have surrendered to a living savior who rose from the dead. If you are not all the way there, there is no better day than TODAY to place all of you trust and faith and hope in the living Christ.

In this text we see how Christ gives His followers what they need to believe. He will do the same for you!

John 20:1-10

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

• Peter & John were someplace by themselves
• They assume someone has robbed the grave

3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

• It’s a race to the tomb, John is faster, but when he gets there he hesitates…

6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

• Peter does not hesitate
• It looked like if someone had undressed a dead man
• If Jesus was taken up to heaven, the ‘grave-clothes’ would look different
• It says John saw and believed… but what did he believe?
• He didn’t understand what the scriptures meant by ‘rise from the dead’

Perhaps they thought Jesus was treated by God like Moses or Elijah…He was taken up to heaven…

He had told them:

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.~ Matthew 16:21

There was something missing from their understanding… they didn’t have the ‘Illumination’ of the Holy Spirit yet.

John 20:11-18

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”

• She had returned with Peter & John, after they looked, they left.
• But not Mary… we should all be like her, determined to find Jesus
• She talks to Angles, yet she think ‘people’ have taken Jesus

14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

• She doesn’t understand what is going on
• She can’t comprehend Jesus is not dead… but she know what Jesus said too
• She only wants to care for Christ, do what is humanly possible
• But God wants us to see beyond what is humanly possible to what HE can do!

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

• Jesus needs only to say Her name and it reveals Him to her (In Person God)
• But she calls Him ‘Teacher’, not God, not Lord…
• Jesus tells her He is ascending to His God and Her God
• By the time Mary gets to the group of the Disciples she calls him: ‘The Lord’

John 20:19-22

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

• The 1^st thing HE brings is Peace! This is the peace to experience HIM
• They embrace the reality of HIM; fully understanding Christ’s Resurrection
• They now recognize Him as Lord!

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

• This time the gift of peace flows from understanding to purpose
• As believers in Christ’ resurrection they were commissioned to join His mission
• And because of their faith they are given the Holy Spirit
• Not the permanent indwelling of God’s Spirit
• This was a spiritual enlightenment particular to this situation, like with Prophets

John was given the info by the HS that this book was dictated by HIM / God / Jesus

and so He knows that the Spirit Has been given to Christ’s disciples (US) so they will understand Christ’s resurrection by God’s Spirit !! (illumination)

After this a week later Jesus appears so ‘Doubting Thomas’ can see Him as well. Why did Thomas still doubt? He didn’t get the Spiritual illumination until God gave it.

The last verse gives the purpose of John’s Gospel: So we can believe in Christ’s birth, life death & resurrection

John 20:30-31

But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

• God’s Word, Scripture, is given to us for the express purpose of creating belief
• Belief in Christ’s Resurrection, as well as His virgin birth and sinless life
• For us to believe all of this we need God’s Spirit to connect the dots for us
• Ask God to put it all together for you

To fully believe in Jesus’ Resurrection takes a little time, the Word of God and His Spirit’s illumination.

SUMMARY:

Mary finds the opened tomb, she gets Peter and John and they examine the empty tomb. They can understand that Jesus is gone, but not that He has been bodily resurrected. Part of salvation is full belief in Christ’s resurrection!

Mary in her confusion cannot fully comprehend Christ’s resurrection until He personally illuminates it all for her. God wants to personally illuminate it for you!

The Disciples are brought to full belief in Christ’s resurrection through His Word and the Holy Spirit. Their belief in Christ’s resurrection commissions them to be witnesses’ to it, just as you and I are!

The Resurrected Christ given pure Shalom to HIS disciples, then and now. He shows them what the truth is and through an outpouring of HIS Spirit brings them to full belief in exactly who HE is, and in that they have eternal life!

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

Why is it crucial that we understand exactly how God’s word describes Christ’s resurrection and fully believe it?

What are specific decisions you have made that reflect your belief in the resurrected Christ?

God’s Word and God’s Spirit give Christ’s followers the gift of Shalom. If you don’t have it how can you get it? If you have it, how might you live more fully from it?

Last week’s passage was a great overview of the posture we are to have towards God as His Body. The two elements of singular devotion and true humility combine to create the standard operating mode for a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Once we have been given our standards of how we interact with God, we then are instructed on some very specific ways our lives are not to be led. A exclusive and lowly response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the opposite of the examples we have in todays passage. God is giving us these examples of relational interactions so each of us can evaluate ourselves against a Biblical standard and see how we are not to be. (Almost all Biblical teaching is done through examples of how not to do it)

Remember our biggest problem as Christ followers is how do we deny our ‘self’ and let God’s Spirit run our lives (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control) God Word is our instruction manual for how we are to believe and act as HIS children. Together with the Spirit He indwells the members of HIS body with we are being transformed int o the image of Christ!

We have three characters who are not to be tolerated in the Body of Christ. This scripture introduces us to Judgy, Braggy and Greedy. Judgy sees everyone’s faults. Braggy is running the show. Greedy is going to have it all. Basically all of them are trying to ‘Play god’ in there own way, Greedy goes all the way making himself his god.

These three examples are attitudes and actions that are narcissistic (self-centered) We will see some self-righteousness, then some self-elevation and ultimately self-worship. This Scripture clearly describes and condemns these actions and attitudes.

James Pt. 8 Ch 4 11-17 & 5:1-6

11 Never pull each other to pieces with words, my brothers and sisters. If you are judging each other and setting yourself up in the place of God’s Law you have become in fact a critic of the Law. If you start to criticize the Law instead of obeying it you are setting yourself up as judge.

• These are relational & cultural standards for how Jesus Christ’s Body is to act
• It starts with the right attitude about ‘God’s Law’ … #1 It’s HIS Law…not your’s!
• Judgy = selective, out of context use of scripture to find fault with someone else
• Each of our attitudes to God law is to be focused on our own obedience to it

12 There is only one judge, the one who gave the Law, to whom belongs absolute power of life and death. How can you then be so silly as to imagine that you are your neighbor’s judge?

• Satan wanted to ‘Play God’…
• Yahweh is Singular, Sovereign & Self Existent
• We have zero business judging how a fellow believer obeys God’s Law
• Who is your neighbor? This is the exact same word as in Matt, Mk, Lk & Paul

13 Just a moment now, you who say “We are going to such-and-such a city today or tomorrow. We shall stay there a year doing business and make a profit”! 14 How do you know what will happen even tomorrow? What, after all, is your life? It is like a puff of smoke visible for a little while and then dissolving into thin air.

• This is another example of ‘Playing God’
• We desire control of how our worth is viewed. We want to be valued
• Christ wants to provide our value, HE runs our PR campaign and we chill
• ‘Cuz we are but a breath out the mouth on a cold day; disappearing mist!
• ‘puff of smoke’ often translated, mist or vapor
• Word has a connotation of exhaled breath (like when you can see your breath)

15 Your remarks should be prefaced with, “If it is the Lord’s will, we shall be alive and will do so-and-so.” 16 As it is, you get a certain pride in yourself in planning your future with such confidence. That sort of pride is all wrong. 17 So remember, if a person knows what is right and fails to do it, their failure is real sin.

• Our speech should express our strongly held conviction about god’s control
• We are to acknowledge HIS sovereignty when every we talk about the future
• So we know we are not supposed to act like we are still in charge of our lives
• It’s not a grey area, it is clearly called sin…it come from pride (illusion of control)
• We are not able to be Sin-free; but we are able to be Sin-adverse
• The deep conviction against this sin and every other sin drives our daily action!
• Intention that yields God honoring choices (Practical Biblical Living)
• Intentions alone are not enough, we need the intentions right
• The only intentionality that is worth ANYTHING is the RIGHT intentionality
• How do we land on the right intentions? God’s Word: knowing the heart & soul

1 And now, you plutocrats, is the time for you to weep and moan because of the miseries in store for you! 2 Your richest goods are ruined, your hoard of clothes is moth-eaten, your gold and silver are tarnished.

• Plutocrat: Those who rule and exercise power solely by means of wealth.
• Pluto is the Greek god who rules the underworld.
• Plutos is ‘Wealth’ in greek
• Plutus is the Greek god of wealth and agricultural bounty
• The term literally groups Hell & Wealth…
• God will make their ‘Stuff’ go bad, ruined. It’s former value gone (Matthew 6:19)

3 Yes, their very tarnish will be the evidence of your wicked hoarding and you will shrink from them as if they were red-hot. You have made a fine pile in these last days, haven’t you?

• What the ‘Plutocrats’ have amassed will expose their greed and gluttony
• Their own ‘Stuff’ will consume them like fire
• They have made a point of putting their wealth on display (Braggy)
• They justify what they do to amass their wealth, no shame (Judgy)

4 But look, here is the pay of the reaper you hired and whom you cheated, and it is shouting against you! And the cries of the other laborers you swindled are heard by the Lord of Hosts Himself.

• Plutocrats exploit people without property to build their wealth!
• Such people go beyond Judgy & Braggy to full out oppression of others!
• Almighty God knows who is responsible for the oppression & takes it personally

5 Yes, you have had a magnificent time on this earth, and have indulged yourselves to the full. You have picked out just what you wanted like soldiers looting after battle. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent and they have been powerless to stop you.

• Self Indulgence to the max! Greed is the attitude, Gluttony is the action…ugly

• Typical translation of 5:5b: ‘You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter’
• This person nourishes evil in their heart, piling up stuff at the cost of lives.
• Fostering a heart of evil like someone who loots dead bodies after a slaughter
• This is about being so into yourself and your pleasure you wantonly oppress
• You are an exploiter of those God says He champions, those without means
• Christ’s Body cannot tolerate the exploitation of anyone made in God’s image

SUMMARY:

Self-Righteousness: Judgy

In Christ’s Body we are not to speak judgement upon each other in the Body, usurping God’s exclusive role as Judge. Our role as members of this body is to obey God’s law, not to criticize it. We know better than to imagine we are our neighbor’s judge! (Some Narcissism)

As Christ’s Body we live as though God is in charge of everything, and we are dependent on Him for every fleeting moment of this life. We believe we have no business judging anyone!

Self-Important: Braggy

In our flesh and sin we strive for importance, validation, and control, from that we ‘self promote’! (Pretty Narcissistic)

Christ’s Body recognizes God as ‘All-Everything’ so we have an attitude of humility regarding what is going to happen in the future, knowing and acting like HE wills EVERYTHING! Because of what we know, anything else is sin.

Self-Worship / Greedy

People who abuse power and hoard resources will one day have the tables turned on them, what they have amassed will consume them like fire. What they have accumulated and those they have oppressed will be the proof of their guilt. (Full Blown Narcissist)

The ‘Lord of Host’ knows everything and HE will judge those who have piled up wealth by oppressing and murdering others.

APPLICATION:

Why is it important to have a ‘Biblical Orientation’ to God’s Law?

If being judgmental is a continued problem for you, what are you doing about it?

Why do you desire to promote yourself? Is it a matter of control or trust or both?

What are some biblical practices that will keep you off the road to self-worship?

3 suggestions

#1 Raise your sensitivity to sin!

Confession your specific sins to God and people you trust.

#2 Expose yourself to God’s evaluation of you instead of your own.

Search me God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

~ Ps. 139: 23-24

#3 Serve Christ’s Body in unappreciated, and unpleasant ways!

Serve at Christ’s convenience, not your own

The Book of James is a combination of Biblical Theology and practical application. James’ view of God is formed by the Hebrew scriptures and fulfilled in The Christ. As an introduction to today’s text, I’m going to briefly recap what has proceeded it:

Our growth ‘In Christ’ happens in challenges, trials, temptations and failures that Christ calls us to endure and even embrace because of what HE will develop in our character. We do this in intimate conversation with HIM through HIS Spirit, seeking HIM in prayer and humbly receiving His generous gift of wisdom. How we conduct our prayer life is of critical importance; wholehearted loyalty to Christ is the only way it works. God requires this relationship with HIM be based on our absolute spiritual poverty.

As Christ followers we are to place HIM in growing priority and our actions are to be an expression of our trust that HE has given us eternal life. Our common condition is sin, it taints the image of God we bear. God is not to blame for our condition and only HE can change it. When God changes our condition and brings us into HIS kingdom, we can now more fully reflect HIS image, so we are to conduct our relationships as HE commands.

Our submission to God’s will in Christ also amounts to a rejection of everything God is opposed to. Such a lifestyle is normative for members of Christ’s body because we are bound to Christ by His Spirit. Scripture commands us in Christ’s Body to welcome everyone into our community equally. It is a stewardship to be taken very seriously. How we live as Christ’s Body is important. Each command is of equal importance to God because He cares about our heart condition.

Jesus Christ’s Church exists based on God’s Mercy. We make God’s grace real in our lives by expressing God-given grace to others. For those in Christ, God’s mercy takes priority over God’s Judgement.

As Christ’s Body we define faith as God does in Scripture: Belief and action working in partnership. Saving Faith, that which leads to eternal life in Christ, is exclusively like this. When a person responds to the Biblical Gospel by surrendering their life, they then begin to and continue to ACT (not just think or talk) like they have given their life over to Christ! Every example of ‘Saving Faith’ in God found in the Bible, (Hebrews 11) is described as a partnership of belief and action.

God is the one who raises up teachers of His Word, not us. Such people will be closely but gracefully scrutinized by the other members of the body. We all are guilty of saying wrong things because of our sin condition. Recognizing and controlling the effects our speech has on others is a partnership of our obedience and God’s sanctifying work by His Spirit. Members of Christ’s Body protect the health of HIS Body by growing in how God would have them use their speech. Those who have biblically converted to following Christ do not invoke His power against other people.

There is a lot to understand and act upon. What we need to do this is GOD’S WISDOM

James 3: 13-17

13 Are there some wise and understanding men among you? Then your lives will be an example of the humility that is born of true wisdom. 14 But if your heart is full of rivalry and bitter jealousy, then do not boast of your wisdom—don’t deny the truth that you must recognize in your innermost heart.

• Here is how you evaluate who is wise: not by words but by the life lived
• The opposite of the life that shows humble wisdom is one of comparison
• Comparison is what causes rivalry & jealousy
• Satisfaction in the life God has given you is the doorway to wisdom
• We have to come to grips with thew reality of our inherent selfishness
• A recognition of ‘spiritual poverty’ is where it all starts (before & after salvation)

15 You may acquire a certain superficial wisdom, but it does not come from God—it comes from this world, from your own lower nature, even from the devil. 16 For wherever you find jealousy and rivalry you also find disharmony and all other kinds of evil.

• What are things that are totally unbiblical that our society considerers wise?
• The value system of our world revolves around SELF
• The amassing of resources, called saving for ‘retirement’ (Luke 12)

Jesus responding to a question about brothers fighting over their parents estate: (Lk 12:15-21)

And then, turning to the disciples, he said to them, “Notice that, and be on your guard against covetousness in any shape or form. For a man’s real life in no way depends upon the number of his possessions.” Then he gave them a parable, “Once upon a time a rich man’s farmland produced heavy crops. So he said to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have no room to store this harvest of mine?’ Then he said, ‘I know what I’ll do. I’ll pull down my barns and build bigger ones where I can store all my grain and my goods and I can say to my soul, Soul, you have plenty of good things stored up there for years to come. Relax! Eat, drink and have a good time!’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this very night you will be asked for your soul! Then, who is going to possess all that you have prepared?’ That is what happens to the person who hoards things for himself and is not rich where God is concerned.”

• A relationship with God comes from trusting HIM, not self preservation
• Self focus is what takes us aways from God, it is what the Devil is all about
• Competition & comparison causes jealousy & rivalry
• THIS is the wisdom of the world, it is opposed to the wisdom of God

Personal Conviction: I have surrendered my life, my attention isn’t on ‘preparing for retirement’! All Christ followers are called to focus on growing our relationship with God, not our finances.

17 The wisdom that comes from God is first utterly pure, then peace-loving, gentle, approachable, full of tolerant thoughts and kindly actions, with no breath of favoritism or hint of hypocrisy. 18 And the wise are peace-makers who go on quietly sowing for a harvest of righteousness—in other people and in themselves.

• We have to differentiate between God’s wisdom and the world’s wisdom
• Study the real thing so much that you will recognize any deviation
• ‘True Peace’ is found in Christ, loving peace means a life that exalts the Gospel
• Being gentle is being considerate of others
• Being approachable comes from not thinking you are better than anyone else
• Once agin we see thoughts (beliefs) and actions working in partnership
• No favoritism because God’s wisdom tells us we are all equally HIS kids
• No hypocrisy because God’s wisdom tells us HE does it all so we are humbled
• God’s definition of wisdom: A life devoted to being used by God to bring peace
• Not needing attention we are to grow ‘God Crops’ in our lives and in others

SUMMARY:

God’s wisdom is revealed in a person’s life by what they do every day. It is not a matter of intentions and ideas, it is found in the lifestyle decisions we make and the things we do because Christ died for us!

Our shared sin condition leads us to comparison and THAT activates and justifies selfish desires. God’s wisdom is not displayed in self-focused priorities, a life that prioritizes self-preservation is not a life that has been entrusted to Jesus Christ!

God’s wisdom implanted and growing in our lives yields a tangible harvest: peace with God, considerate and humble relationships, belief and action in partnership, and zero elitism or narcissism.

God’s wisdom, not the world’s, is displayed in the lives of the members of HIS Body as we grow in Christ and help others grow in Christ, without drawing attention to ourselves.

APPLICATION:

How much do you compare your life to other people’s lives? What makes you do that? How might you do it less? If you have eternal life why does it matter?

Which has done more to shape your lifestyle: The Gospel of Jesus Christ or ‘The American Dream’? How might you change that?

What are the spiritual disciplines you practice (or can practice) to help you grow in God’s wisdom?

James letter is going to talk about how we use words. First in regards to the teaching of God’s Word. Then in regard to how our ‘tongues’, when not controlled, can poison Christ’s Body and make all of life, a ‘burning hell’. Lastly James is going to address how the redeemed body of Christ, those who ‘bless God’, can have no part in the cursing of anyone who is made in the likeness of God; that is every human.

God is speaking to HIS church in this passage, it is in agreement with and to clarify, the teaching we see throughout the Bible regarding the power of words… for good and evil…

This is an US / WE message as to the Body of Christ and in particular THIS body!

I believe we are building a healthy culture of ‘graceful scrutiny’ of what myself and all who lead in discipleship capacities teach / communicate.

There is nothing more important we do as a church: Teach Biblical Doctrine!

We are all challenged with saying the wrong thing, there is no one who can say they have their tongue under control. We are here to understand God. Part of Biblical Salvation is an understanding of God. It takes wrong thinking about God to invoke a curse because only HE can enact a curse… What we think about the Triune God of Scripture is critical.

James 3:1-12

1 Don’t aim at adding to the number of teachers, my brothers and sisters, I beg you! Remember that we who are teachers will be judged by a much higher standard.

• The process by which God raises up teachers happens in HIS due time
• It’s not about quantity of teachers, it’s about the quality of the teaching (Biblical)
• Those who undertake the teaching of God’s Word will receive more scrutiny
• Because what is taught about Scripture is our # 1 priority…
• Those who teach it will be the recipients of more criticism
• The term denotes there is more quantity of judging…they will be judged more
• James knows how teaching God’s Word makes you a target
• The same principals are used (Biblical Standards) to judge teachers as anyone
• There is more at stake, so the application of those standards is done more

2 We all make mistakes in all kinds of ways, but the one who can claim that they never say the wrong thing can consider themself perfect, for if they can control their tongue they can control every other part of their personality!

• We are all in the same boat and we all fall short, so judge teachers with Grace
• If you claim to never say anything wrong, you be able to be totally perfect
• None of us can make that claim…but that is the goal…that is Christ’s example!
• This is not saying we can’t have disagreements or even arguments

3 We control the movements of a large animal like the horse with a tiny bit placed in its mouth. 4 Ships too, for all their size and the momentum they have with a strong wind behind them, are controlled by a very small rudder according to the course chosen by the helm.

• The examples James uses from their regular life are familiar to them not us…
• We control planes with laptop computers or run our entire life from a phone
• We see that the size of something is not always indicative of it’s power

5 The human tongue is physically small, but what tremendous effects it can boast of! A whole forest can be set ablaze by a tiny spark of fire, and the tongue is as dangerous as any fire, with vast potentialities for evil. 6 It can poison the whole body, it can make the whole of life a blazing hell.

• We have much bigger body parts than our ‘Tongues’ / ‘Mouth’
• Small thing, big effect
• It is an intense picture painted here, it is dramatic for a reason…
• Poison, Contaminate, Spoil, Defile = It effects all ‘Members’ of The Body
• ‘Fire from Hell’ = Destruction because of Evil
• We can often consider some things that are said to be inconsequential
• One chance spark can cause a tremendous ripple of effect
• We must not underestimate the potential damage our speech can do

7 Beasts, birds, reptiles and all kinds of sea-creatures can be, and in fact are, tamed by humans, but no one can tame the human tongue. 8 It is an evil always liable to break out, and the poison it spreads is deadly.

• This issue needs to be addressed because it is such an ‘untamed’ force’
• Reality: This is an ‘US’ deal, it was a problem then amongst believers, like now
• Humans have dominion over animals and can ‘suppress’ / control them
• Yet humanity has not found a way to tame dangerous speech…

9 We use the tongue to bless our Father, God, and we use the same tongue to curse other humans, who are all created in God’s likeness. 10 Blessing and curses come out of the same mouth—surely, among us, this is the sort of thing that never ought to happen!

• Remember the context: this is to church bodies / surrendered communities
• We’ve been given the grace & privilege to use our speech to truly bless God
• Even those not redeemed by Christ still bear his image (distorted by sin)
• Why would we of all people use that same speech to curse HIS creation?
• With God’s authority James says: WE, Christ’s Body, does NOT Do this.

In modern usage, curse is generally considered synonymous with swear.ing / inappropriate words But that is not how the term was used throughout the Old Test ament and also in the new testament. In both the Hebrew Scriptures and in the New Testament, ‘curse’ has a different meanings than we are used to. These are specific statements, such as to invoke misfortune, to afflict, to make an oath against, and to call on God to do bad things to someone

Curse: Genesis 3:17

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

Blessing: Numbers 6:24-26

May The Lord bless you and keep you, may The Lord make His face shine on you and show you His favor. May The Lord lift up His face toward you and give you peace.

Bless and Keep = Face Face = Favor Face + Peace

11 Have you ever known a spring to give sweet and bitter water simultaneously? 12 Have you ever seen a fig-tree with a crop of olives, or seen figs growing on a vine? It is just as impossible for a spring to give fresh and saltwater at the same time.

• The answer to the question is NO, it have never been heard of
• Certain plants only yield certain crops, it’s not possible for them to do otherwise

SUMMARY:

We are not to artificially elevate people into the place of teaching God’s Word. The goal is not to have more teachers, it is to have teaching that is more biblical.

Those who do teach / preach God’s Word will be subject to more scrutiny in what they teach but grace is always prominent in that judgment. (Ch. 2 verse 13)

We all are guilty of saying wrong things, because we are all naturally sinners. Controlling what we say is a discipleship goal.

We are to grow in awareness of our speech and the effects it has on others. God wants us to be warned about the potential for evil our words can have.

WE must be careful not to underestimate the poisonous effect that OUR inconsiderate words can have on THIS Body of Christ. (V. 6 & V. 8)

The cursing of another ‘Image Bearer’ by one who has been redeemed by the ‘Image’ / Jesus Christ, is not to happen. James presents evidence that it is impossible, based on God’s natural order.

APPLICATION:

Biblical Application: Finding the right intentions, AND acting on those intentions

What is YOUR role in a healthy culture of gracefully scrutinizing the teaching of God’s Word here at Midtown?

In what situations and relationships do you need to be more careful about your speech? How are you going to do that?

If you desire God to be your instrument of punishment visiting evil on any person, you may not have fully responded to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Respond to The Gospel

REPENT: OF SIN

RECOGNIZE: CHRIST AS LORD

RELEASE: YOUR LIFE TO HIM

REORGANIZE: YOUR LIFE TO HIS WILL