James Week 8

Sermon Transcript:

It's just such a pleasure to be before you this this morning, as we continue in our series on James James chapter four. And we started it last week, we're gonna end and go through the rest of the chapter this week. Well, let's just start out at MIT that right from the get go, that we do not like to be told what to do, we don't like to be told we can do that, right. And this starts at a very, very young age. When were we little, you know, we do not like to be told, don't touch that. And that we know that when we're told don't do that, that it doesn't bring life to our souls. It doesn't bring us joy, or, or happiness. It's simply the removal of things by an authority figure that we hope and pray loves us and cares for us. It's the removal of things that that we've been told or that we know, will harm us, or hurt us, or destroy us starts from a very young age, I don't know, if you're a child of the 80s. Or you remember the slogan from the 80s. About Drugs, you remember that it was just saying no to drugs. It was just hey, you do not want to do that. When you're little in your household. Maybe you had a sibling and you were told, don't hit your brother or sister don't do that. Don't back talk to your parents told that by one or both of your parents or authority figures in your life. If you were in church, you were maybe told no sex before marriage, go through it the right we'll go through the way God has you do that. So we hear a lot of don't do that in the Bible. In fact, it's a it's a reason that people often give why they don't want to be a part of the Christian faith because they say, man, it's a lot of do's and don'ts in the Bible. A James has aspects of this theme throughout the book, we've already been exposed to some of them, like, don't just listen to God's word. What are we supposed to do? We're supposed to be doers. So we can't just be merely listeners. That's the negative. He's saying. We want to be doers of the word that we're supposed to control our tongue, that we're supposed to watch what we say that we can't say, whatever we think all the time. We can't say whatever we want to all the time and not expect repercussions. We're told don't fight and quarrel, right? Remember that. From that. That passenger says what is the source of fights and quarrels among you? What's the implication? Don't do that? Stop fighting stop curling. Now, it's not all that's there in the Bible, but it is there. And it's hard for us to hear that. The why? Because it's so hard for us to change, myself included. It's just so hard to change. It's hard to do what we know we ought to do. It's hard to do when we what we know we should do we know what's right. Very early on, we start to figure out okay, I'm supposed to do this. I'm not supposed to do that. But change old habits die hard. Whatever age or whatever season we find ourselves in, what is the answer? Well, in James and really the whole of Scripture is the answer is faith. The easier said than done, I get that. But one of the things we need to realize and come to grips with when we think about Christianity, the Christian faith is how we come to Christ. And how we grow in Christ is all an act of faith. Right? It's trusting in God, that He is who He says He is. It's trusting in God that He will do what he says he's going to do. And in this process, we become little Christ Christians. It's where the term comes from that, that we understand that as we grow in Christ, that we become more like Him and that this faith that we claim, not only the beginning of our walk, but that we claim throughout our lives in Christendom. What it does is it produces humility. It produces humility, faith produces humility, it just does. And how do we deal with whatever we're facing? We all want humility, it when we fully understand biblically what that means we understand that humility is not just a personality trait. Sometimes we think that about humility, okay. They're kind of a humble person because they're quiet. And what we're realized is no, humility is the call for all of us, because it's a characteristic of Christians. But it's very hard because you know, the opposite of humility is pride. And pride is the source of almost all of our problems. Some say the source of all of our sin. But here's the deal. We all know where our arrogance and stupidity has gotten us, right. It's made a mess for us. And we may say, Pastor, I'm still in this mess. I'm continuing on in this and if the answer is humility, so So Okay, give me that download that for me. Where's where's the pill? Where's the class? I got to sign up for you know, count me in I want I want that humility. But here's the deal. It doesn't work that way. How are we to gain what is going to most bring us Life? Well, how are we going to gain that? The way we gain that is when we grow in faith, humility will come. When we grow in faith, humility will follow humility is beautiful. It is recognized by both Christians and non Christians alike as something that is appealing that that we're drawn towards, and that we know will bring us the peace and the life we so much want. Because we know we know when we're families, or organizations or events, where arrogance, and fighting and backbiting leads today, it's ugly. It's ugly in our own lives, when we find ourselves in seasons are in long ruts of that. And it's ugly in other people's lives. What does it mean to be a people of faith? What it means is, quite simply is that we're a people, Christians are people who say no to some things, because we believe something is better in the time to come. That's how we make any decision. It's the promise that what is around the corner is better than what I have here. All of the things that we do, I would argue every step we take, we do that because it promises to get us somewhere. If I take one foot in front of the other, why am I doing that? Because it promises to get me from point A to point B. And from a believing perspective, what we're saying is the promise that is around the corner is greater than this immediate temptation that's real that we all feel right. So go back to those examples. Again, from the beginning, when we hear say no to drugs, even as a little kid, we may not fully understand that. But then we begin to understand that why because we have friends or relatives or people that we know are strung out on drugs, and they end up in the ditch or in the gutter. So we're like, okay, I can say no, to the immediate temptation, because I've played out that what's around the corner is worse off than what I have. Now. Same thing with, when we understand don't hit your brother and sister, we begin to understand, yeah, I don't want to be that way. Because I know that if I start arguing and continue to argue and fight with my siblings, all throughout my household experience, that you'll grow up. And you'll still be fighting and hating your brother and sister because that's how it works. Or don't back, talk to your parents, that we begin to understand that when we push back against the authority, that that God's given to us that that when we get under greater authority, we'll struggle there as well. Or no sex before marriage, we were able to say no to that now, because we believe in the promise of the unity and the oneness that'll come and happen. If we say no to that, but here's the deal. All this takes great faith. And it doesn't come easy. And it's not necessarily easier with age, because every stage of life presents its own difficulties and challenges. It does become easier as we walk in faith. I do. I do want to say that that as we are faithful in small things will find that when the bigger things come, it is easier for us to step out in faith. But it doesn't happen naturally, we need Christ. That's the point when you think about the idea of faith, that the faith that we have the faith that we start with. The faith that saves is the faith that sustains and we're meant to walk in that walk in what God has for us. That's really the point of Hebrews. And giving all those examples of men and women of faith is to say, consider the outcome of their life, consider their faith. And then they have very real tangible examples of what some of the Hebrew in the book of Hebrews, some of those early believers were going through. And what were they thinking in their mind when they were able to endure ever suffer endure under suffering is because they knew they had a better and abiding possession. Right, that takes faith because what they can see is, this is painful, this is embarrassing, this is hurting or whatever it is. And it takes faith to believe that something better is around the corner. But it doesn't happen naturally. And indeed, it cannot happen naturally. That's why we need Christ because Christianity is a supernatural religion, if all these things that I'm talking about if humility is able to be gained by just self will. It's not humility at all. It's just another form of arrogance. But if it's able to be gained as we walk in Christ, and then when you see the call that we have of a life of faith, and you believe, man, I don't think I can do this. Like you're exactly right. You and I can't do this. And that's when Christ comes in. And he provides the strength that we need to endure, and to go and take these steps of faith. Well, let's see it right here in James chapter four, beginning in verse 11. And this is why I spent so much time talking about the don'ts because how does this verse start here this morning? Don't don't speak evil against each other. Don't speak against one another at all. Do your brothers and sisters he knows how the Bible is just always have these endearing terms at So you use the word dear here. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone who gave the Law is the judge, He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? Again, I said, this could be the idea of speaking evil or speaking against? How do I know when I'm speaking against someone else? Now, again, these can sometimes be true statements. Other translations may say slander against slander doesn't have to not be true. It's just with the intent of harming and hurting another individual. So we do this all the time. Think about this, when you just make casual comments in your friend circle or at your work environment, and you say, Look at what he or she's wearing, can you believe it? But then on what he's wearing, like you believe with those shoes, okay? What do you might say, like, Man knows that he's just lazy, but he's just lazy. I got to work with him. When I got in this house with him. Why do I have to have the job site with him? Or what we say is we say, I'm not like her, at least I don't. XYZ, right? What are we doing or saying that we're speaking against that individual, that person, that friend, that co worker, that person? Why do we do that? Because what we're doing is we're lowering the opinion of someone. So what we're doing is we're saying, Okay, I want to lower your opinion of this person. Because why? Because I want to make myself look better. That's what we're doing. Right? That's when we start speaking derogatory about someone else, even if it's true, or trying to do is we're trying to, in the people's mind, whoever we're talking to the individuals or the group of people are trying to say them, hear me hear them, hear me hear, right? How can we do that? We'll use phrases like this, this is how you know you're doing it. Now stop me if I'm wrong, right? Now, stop me if I'm wrong, and then proceed to say whatever about so and so. Or, I don't mean to be critical. Boom, you got to be what? You got to be critical of someone. And then you say, perhaps I shouldn't say this. And those of us are wanting to follow that up with perhaps you shouldn't, okay, like, why don't you just stop right there.

But we don't they go on, we go on, perhaps I shouldn't say this. Or I really like so and so but right, you're gonna qualify that I really like so and so. But I'm about to ramrod them with this statement. Why don't we do this? First point this morning, you and I naturally like to be the judge. We just do. It's so it's so discouraging at one level, but we just we you and I naturally like to be the judge. And many times in James, I've gone back and looked at the words of Jesus on specifically the Sermon on the Mountain, I'm going to do it again with this idea of judgment. You may have heard this before, in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew, chapter seven, beginning in verse one, do not judge others. And you will not be judged or judge not lest you be judged as what it used to be saying, the old King James, for you will be treated as you treat others, the standard you use and judging is the standard by which you should you will be judged. That's what's so scary when we do these kind of things. And why worry about a speck in your friends eye? When you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye. When you can't see past the log in your own eye hypocrite, first get rid of the log in your own eye, then you'll see well enough to deal with the speck in your friends on last verse here. Verse six, don't waste what is holding on people who are unknowingly don't throw your pearls to pigs, they will trample the pearls and then turn and attack you. Here's what the Bible is going after. For you and me. It's going after our self serving malicious judgment. This is very important. A lot of the sermon on the mount has to do with how we utilize interpersonal skills, whether it's at the workplace or at the job, or whatever. The Bible target self serving malicious judgment. He said, Well, wait a second, what about those people who I really do need to share this, like it's legitimate, it's causing, you know, concern that, you know, because Jose is lazy, he's not putting nails in the nail guns and the frames not going up properly in the house or because they're not doing their part at work, the whole project is going to fall through. Okay. All right. Different because why? Because now you're talking about a whole organization or institution. And so you have to ask yourself, alright, are you going to be part of the solution? Not for personal gain, but for the greater good, greater good of the organization, the family, the school, the people, group, whatever. If you want to be part of the solution, and you're sharing it with the appropriate party or parties that can help you be part of the solution, then that can be a great thing. That can be a good thing. But here's the here's the way to think about it. If you're going to share something That's negative about another person, even if it's true, ask yourself, am I trying to be part of the solution? If I'm not part of the solution that guess what I am? The problem. Maybe you've heard that before. If you're not part of the solution, then you and I are part of the problem. The Bible targets self serving malicious judgment, but encourages wise, righteous discernment. And we all want that for ourselves. We all want that in our companies, we all want that in our families. And we all want that in our churches. That of course, if you're after they're good, and you're after they're building up, so that they can get back on track in their job or in their church or in their family. And you come at it not to serve self, but to serve a higher good, a higher power, a greater cause than that's good. James is confronting dangers, okay, with confronting, we have to deal with things at times. But again, it's for the building up, not to condemn and to tear down but here's the deal, you and I need to know who we're dealing with. So in other words, you'll find out real quick who you're dealing with, and how they respond to the loving encouragement we try to do, again, most often not individually, not for self serving game, but but we often surround ourselves with, with wise counselors, or wise people or wise, others in the organization, whether it's a family, school, church, or company. And what we do is when we need to understand who we're dealing with. And so if they are people that it talks about here at the end, that last little passage says, don't throw pearls before swine, you'll know it, because what they'll do is they'll Buck up, not only will they resist anything you're trying to tell them, but what does it say in the scriptures, it says they will attack you, pigs will not listen, they will trample your wisdom, and then turn back and attack you. That is different from those being kind of slow, okay? All of us, at times need to be told things multiple times in order for it to sink in. Okay? Does that make sense? There's a difference there, we all need to maybe be told things multiple times, for it to sink in. But when you're in a position where when you hear God's word, when you hear direction, when you hear confrontation that you know is for your good. And then instead of even wanting to just sort of contemplate that you're ready to attack the very person who's trying to be for your good, then you know, well, you've got a real real problem here. And then you as the person who's delivering, you need to understand, hey, let's you don't you don't have to keep that person in your sphere. You don't have to keep that person in your company. You don't have to keep that person in your church because they're causing more harm than good. But you and I, we like to naturally be judge because it becomes perilously close to playing God. Right. It's like we like that role. In our base level. We like that role of being judged jury and executioner. I remember when I was a kid, there was an old, there was a movie in a comic book called Judge Dredd. And that's what he did. And that's how the future was going to be according to this comic, but but there's that whole idea of judge, jury and executioner. But think about this in terms of the TV shows that are on him by all those like, not just Judge Judy, but but the Steve Harvey ones and all the rest. It's just that whole idea of it's playing to our base instinct of Oh, yeah, she's getting what's coming. Oh, yeah, I'll take it from her. Give it to him. Yeah, they were wrong. They were bad, right? In some reality TV show. It's all about that, whether it's just to be able to sit and judge a lot of times political shows are this way, right? Think about this, whatever political party you're on, or whatever news network you watch. Those people are always very confident of what the motives, the intentions of the people on the other side, right, very confident, and that know how bad they are and how bad they're thinking. Why do we like to do that? Why? Because we all like to play God. But we are reminded in the Scriptures over and over again, that only God can pass judgment on a person's actions and motives without fault. Hypocrisy or spite. That's not given to us. That's why saying, in when Jesus brings up this whole idea of judgment, be careful. Because the way that you want to deal with people why you want to know in your wisdom, their motives and desires, okay, that's going to come back on. That's not That's not karma. That's you, you and I reap what we sow. Okay. Let's look at verse 12. Again, though, because here's how it ends in this in this little section, is that whole idea of God alone who gave the Law is the judge. He alone has the power to save or destroy. So what right do we have to judge our neighbors? Last thing you might find when you find yourself in a judgy situation, whether you're the one doing or you're the one that's being imposed? As you begin to think, Who do you think you are? Like, like, when did we all vote make you king or queen? Who made you God? Right? That's what we often begin to think. Well, that's not all the passengers not only do we struggle with our judgy complex and our whole idea that we naturally like to be the judge, let's see what else does scripture say in James? It says this look here, you say, today or tomorrow, we are going to a certain town, and we'll stay there a year, we will do business there and then make a profit. How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog. It's here for a little while, and then it's gone. What you ought to say is, if the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that otherwise, you're boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. Now, I want to tell you even as your pastor sometimes oh my god Kiko different words, this is a myth evil.

Don't just say like, it's not a good idea, right? It's so clear, he wants us to make sure we understand it's black and white here. So it's the first thing is that we all like to be judgey. The second thing I would say is you and I naturally like to be in charge. You and I naturally like to be in charge. The Some of y'all in this room say no, no, that's not me. That's my and that's my mama. And Daddy. So grandpa, I've been around them. That's that person at work? Okay. We often think that, okay, that's a personality type. No, no, it's not true. Think about how pride works. those of y'all that don't want to be in charge, what you'll do is you'll throw bombs at those who are right. So in this room, our faults, our defaults are we either rise up too quickly, we want to take control of things or different situations. And we can be a mixture of all kinds of things in this room, I get that. Or we want to criticize those who are stepping up to be in charge. Here's what it's like to be in charge. There's a chart here, I want to show you about really taking those verses we just read and showing you how this plays out in modern context or setting. Think about those opening verses today or tomorrow. What do we like to do like to set our own schedule? Number two, you see this, we will go to this town, you saw that in the scriptures, we like to select their own path, we will stay there a year, we think men were in charge I here's my limits on this town will be in this area for this long, we will engage in business, I chose my career. I know what I'm doing, we arrange our activities, we will make a profit, we will predict my outcome. He said, What's wrong with all this pasture? I've heard these kinds of things before sounds like good, good, conventional wisdom. Well, it's all natural. It's all cause and effect. And guess what? God's not in any of it. And that's the problem. That when we just sort of operate out of mode of operations, what we think and what we've been taught as sort of cause and effect and conventional wisdom. We miss we miss James says we miss a lot of things. Because we have to ask ourselves, God, what do you want from me? If God truly is sovereign with God, trillions can control he truly created all things you and me? Shouldn't we care what he thinks? And he goes on to say, You have no idea what the future will bring? Why? Because your life is what it's like a fog. It's like here for a moment and other places, crochet or our life is like a vapor. gone just like that. So you and I have no earthly idea. Again, I'm not against plans. Neither are the scriptures, but it's all about your heart and your submissiveness to him, and what He has for you and your willingness to let God redirect your steps and path because guess what, that's faith. That's faith. What do you think it means when Abraham has to take his child up to be sacrificed when he's used to sacrificing animals, but God's willing to do it? And so he goes, he and I have no right to ignore any part of God's will in our lives. But I want to encourage you because I know that's heavy. I know that strong and you think, I don't know, Pastor, I've done a lot of things up and a lot of places. I think I've messed up a lot. I want to encourage you with a story from the New Testament. Simon Peter, is the mouthpiece a lot of times of the disciples and he's not uniquely more sinful than the rest of the disciples. He just always ends up saying what they're all thinking. So here's it goes, Jesus. At the end, he is, as you know, teaches us how to get back to God. He has 12 disciples with him for about three years. One betrays him in the end, and then he ends up going to a crawl size of criminal death, three days laters rising again, and then he he comes around and he is seen by hundreds of witnesses. And so his disciples the 11 that are left. One of them decide Simon Peter that it says I'm going fishing this story is recorded in the last chapter of the book of John John 20. One. So the other side says, yeah, hey, welcome to sounds good. Because this is what they were they were fishermen before Jesus came along. So they went in the boat, and they caught nothing all night. At dawn, Jesus standing at the beach, but his disciples couldn't see who he was. And it could have been because he camouflage himself. He sometimes that can be he was just a distance away, could be they didn't recognize the resurrected Lord, it doesn't matter. He calls out he says, hey, guys thought any fish? And they said, No. He says, Why don't you try throwing your net out on the other side, and then you'll get some. So they did. And there are so many fish they couldn't hold back in the boat. And so Peter immediately recognizes his Lord, and say, puts on his jacket, he jumps in the water, and he goes to shore. And when he gets to shore, Jesus in His just loving hospitality has got breakfast, cooking for him. bread and meat, fish and bread, right over the charcoal fire. He says, Hey, bring me some of these fish, and there's tons on there's 153, large fish. And then he says, Come and eat some breakfast. This is our Lord talking to Peter and the other disciples. And then after they finish breakfast. Jesus looks up at Peter. He says, Hey, do you love Me more than these? And he says, I listen, you know, I love you. He says, Jesus Feed my sheep. Jesus asked him a second time. Do you love me? And Peter says, you know, I love you, he says, didn't take care of my sheep. Then third time, Jesus asked him, Peter, do you love me and then at this point, Peters hurt, that he asked him a third time says, Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you. And he said, Then feed my sheep. Then it goes on to tell him something that's very key to our understanding of control. And Peter's understanding of control. He says, I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you like, you dressed yourself, you went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and others will dress you and take you where you do not want to go. Jesus said this, to let him know, but what kind of death, he would glorify God, then Jesus told him, Follow me the same thing he had told all the other disciples when he first called them, they're coming back around to the same thing. many of y'all in the room, you and I were discouraged at times, because like, I've been at this a while pastor, like, I've known about Jesus for a while, I've been following Jesus for a while. But I got some same old struggles, I got some things in my life, that I don't want to change. I've got some areas in my life that I haven't given over to the Lord, I know that. I know that I'm not letting them in different aspects. I see what you're saying here. It's hit me. It's hit me right between the eyes. And I'm telling you, I'm not there yet. Take courage. Peter had to be told, again, the same call that he was told three years later, and he was with the Lord in the flesh, saw the resurrection with his own eyes. And you would think at that moment, he'd be like, gosh, Ah, geez, boom, hit like a ton of bricks. You're right. I'm wrong. I'm gonna get about doing exactly what you say. That's what he does. Peter in his humaneness like us, he literally looks past Jesus. And there must be the other disciples behind him. He literally goes, what about that disciple over there? Can you imagine this heavy metal three times? In this is what Jesus says. I don't know how Jesus didn't shake his head all the time. But here's what he says. He says, if I want him to remain alive until I return, what's that to you? As for you, follow me has the word that James has for us over and over and over again, we want to always look around and we think, what about this? I don't know about that. That seems hard. That seems risky. That seems like stepping into the unknown. I don't know about that. Listen, that is what they did is that's just good old fashioned faith. What do we think it means when we say that we walk by faith, not by what? Sight? It's the whole idea that if we can see it all laid out, that's not faith at all. Therefore, that doesn't bring about humility in our lives that we know we so desperately need to be able to walk faithfully in this life. And the next. Last point here last part of the verse, it says this right here, verse 17. Remember, it is a sin to know what you ought to do, and then not to do it. I don't know what God's deal with us in 100 different ways around this room and a myriad of issues.

And one of things we talk about around here is that we're accountable to the degree that we're understanding right now, right now. I mean, it's not about what you've done in the past. It's not about how bad you've messed up. It's not how far you've gone. So this has gone a long way down a bad path. We've gone a long way a bit towards may He had a big mess out of certain aspects of our life. But now we are understanding some things in the call of Christ is always to say, if you know what you ought to do, do that, just just do that take the next step of faith. And then trust me not only for that, but trust me for all the next steps in the future. And don't worry about who's the left and the right of you because they're at a different position and their own faith journey, and they're not held accountable to what they do or do not know yet, but you're held accountable. I'm held accountable to what I know and understand what the Scriptures today. And if I don't do that, what does it say? I can't get around these words, what does it say if I don't do what I know I'm supposed to do? It's what? It's sin, sin. It's wrong. It's against God. But the last point here, you and I don't have to stay stuck. Because you hear a message like this. And we just we have, we have all these things that we play over in our head, about why we can't do and get over whatever it is in our life that we're clinging to so strongly that we don't feel like we can let go up. Whatever it is, I don't know what it is, I don't know if it's a relationship issue. Or if it's a financial issue, I don't know if it's a job issue. But what we're learning over and over again, is God's in charge. So the quicker we just we just admit that and submit to that and come above and under him, the better off we'll be, what alternative do we have? I think about this all the time with when when they ask Peter and the rest of the cybils you want to go somewhere else, you want to try something else? And what do they always come back with? Where are we gonna go? What do we get? Because we know what kind of mess we've made of our lives apart from Christ. He says, Where are we going to go, Lord, because you have the words of life. It's true, guys, it's just true for all of us. If we struggle believing that right now. And so you and I, we don't have to stay stuck. He'll give us the grace, and He'll show us enough to get to the next step. He won't lay it all out for us. Because that's not faith. We already talked about that. But he'll give us enough. And God, he has enough grace for that. He just has enough grace for your situation, whatever it is, you're gonna do is enough grace for my situations, whatever we're going through. But rest assured that if we continue to kind of want this to come about naturally, will continue to only get natural results. And that's not good enough. That's not good enough for our lives. That's not good enough for a church. Why? Because we believe in a supernatural God. Because we're not going to have supernatural results in our lives individually. Families, work jobs, school, or church, if we don't get about making decisions that are faith filled. That I don't know how you can work it out. Like I'm gonna I don't know how you can work it out. But But I trust you. I have faith in you. You and I don't have to remain stuck. He's with us. Let's pray. Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank you how you don't leave us. I pray for those right now in this room, they're just struggling with control. Just they they know what it is that they've got their hands around that they're gripping so tight. Help us to realize that you got us that when we're young, we can do it, everyone. But there comes a day because you love us and you're going to show us what kind of life that glorifies you that you're going to lead us to follow we're asking lead us, lead us individually lead us corporately. Lead the families in this room to love you more to know you more. To pray the more to be surrounded by the things of you more Help us Father we pray not only this day, but all the days of our lives, versus in Christ's name. Amen. Amen.