Study of James Pt. 1 - Men's Bible Study by Rick Burgess - Nov. 28, 2018

if you are joining us for the very first time we have just completed the book of Romans and if you'd like to go back and catch all of the different studies that we did on that incredible book you can go back to the podcast channel that Rick and Bubba just searched that on the podcast channel or you can go to birches ministries comm and click on media and all not just Romans but over the last two years with the Bible studies that are there so this to tell you kind of where we're rolling we've gone through the book of Acts and now we've gone through the book of Romans and now this transitions beautifully into the book of James let's open with the word of Prayer Lord as we unpack your word I pray today that it pierced our hearts that it refine us that it grow us that sanctifies or maybe Lord for someone who's hearing this Bible study David that doesn't really know their situation with you they haven't solidified you know where they stand being in need of being reconciled like all of us back to you a holy God and that Redemption found only in Jesus that maybe today Lord to be the day that you prompt their heart to draw them to you we pray this all in the name of Jesus amen make a note coming up when we come back the next man church for shades Mountain Baptist Church which is kind of the core of the men who meet here in the studio but certainly there's people representing other churches and or if you're listening anywhere and you can be in Birmingham on January the 27th James McDonald will come from Chicago and he will definitely challenge us the day that I was in dear to James McDonald who was very much like James that we will jump into today is when I actually heard James McDonald praying to God at a men's conference one time when he was talking to a group of men that God would take away the feeling that he was being too hard of them because he knew he needed to be and as soon as I heard a guy prayed that he would be even more challenging than he was being I thought to myself that's my guy so so I got to do a men's conference with him back in the spring and and and was able to secure him to come speak to all of us on the 27th and so no matter where you go to church or whatever you're welcome to join us it's 6:00 p.m. on that day there's no charge for that or anything at all so now it's time for us to go into the next Bible study which is the book of James the book of James it's it's definitely but had it had its controversies throughout biblical history as a matter of fact when you think about we're about to open the Word of God about a book that was so challenging that Martin Luther even a fault for it not to be included in the final books of the Bible and fought in about teaching it and said it just it didn't it didn't preach the gospel there was too much required it was too hard-hitting many people opposed Martin Luther on that and we're all very thankful for Martin Luther and where he is in church history however on this particular point I humbly think that Martin Luther was wrong because if if you say that this book does not point you to the gospel in my opinion it clearly does because it points to our desperate need for the power of the gospel but it's had its controversies and there's all sorts of theories out on James who writes this letter who he really is and and there and I will present all these theories to you to me there's one that has a little more standing than the others because of what you would have to ignore in the Bible but I want you to know that there are some people that do not think that James who's the author of this letter that he truly was the earthly brother of Jesus Christ some people do not believe that some people believe that that Mary remained a virgin throughout her entire life and did not have any other children that's one of the theories and other theory is that he was one that James was an older brother of Jesus but not through Mary that Joseph had been married before and his wife had passed or whatever and they had remarried that's one of the theories another theory is that Jesus clearly is the older brother of not just James but other siblings including James and they actually go to the Word of God for that which is where I would normally go because we do see this if anybody believes and I'm certainly not going to disagree with anyone to offend you because this is not this is a nonessential and we just studied about non-essentials in Romans 14 but I would humbly talk about the fact that Matthew writes in chapter 1 verse 24 and 25 that Joseph took Mary home as his wife but he had no union with her until and I think we need underline that until she gave birth to a son who of course was Jesus well if if Matthews documenting that they consummated the marriage after Jesus was born then than they did so that that seems pretty straightforward to me but but then of course we also see that in luke 2:7 it refers to Jesus as Mary's firstborn well if Jesus is the only child she has what why would Luke tell us that was her firstborn that doesn't seem to jive with that either and the Greek word meaning only child was available to Luke and he didn't use it he used firstborn he didn't use only child and he had the other word available to him to me that speaks to it and another one in mark interviewing Peter mark discovers that some of those at Nazareth that went against Jesus and did not believe that he was Messiah referred to one of the reasons is the fact that he was a carpenter and that he was the son of a carpenter but they also said that he actually was a carpenter himself and that usually indicates that the oldest sibling in a Jewish family if when the father passed away and we don't know what happened to Joseph we do know he passed away that he would then take over his father's vocation so we do know that and then of course there comes the controversy back to those who say well James can't be the earthly brother of Jesus because on the cross Jesus takes Mary and hands him over to the care of John why didn't he hand him over to his his brothers which that's a good point except for the fact that you got to make all this work together and one of the things they say and this is the reason why we find from James as Paul references and others we do know that James who writes this epistle did not believe that Jesus was Messiah until Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection so one of the reasons why Jesus would not hand his mother off to his siblings as they didn't believe he was a messiah and John did so that would not be a move he would make at that time because they had not believed yet so that that in my opinion suffices to explain that and another theory is that in this one I don't think has any but I'll mention it because it's there that the word brethren that Jesus refers to with the disciples is just he's including James in that the only problem with that is that James himself and we'll see this when he start doesn't refer to himself as an apostle he was not part of the original 12 and he would tell us that if he was so that means the James that was part of the original 12 can't be this James because he doesn't give his own self that accolade to begin with now Paul does go on to say in his opinion that he believes James who writes this epistle and was the earthly brother of Jesus by most accounts he believes he should be considered an apostle because Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection but you'll find when we start here James does not give himself that title so that that that's important now where did this and then there was another wild theory that James and and Jude you know Jude does say that he's James's brother and also the earthly brother of Jesus but in when he writes that James does not explain himself that way but that these were actually cousins of Jesus but that one I didn't spend much time on there because it will down roads that we'd have to really get imaginative for that so I'm gonna start this saying you can come to your own conclusion about who James is as far as his relationship to the earthly relationship to Jesus but what is not up for debate is the role he played in the church once he became a believer and once he did recognize Jesus as Messiah and we know that he was a big player in the church as remember we studied the book of Acts you know and when they were having the disagreement in the jerusalem council about the jews and the gentiles trying to become one church who did they go get to come settle it james and and when james showed up he said all right here's what we're gonna do who's we're not going to do and remember what it said and we studied it and nobody opposed it so he was a bear thor tative figure and he is now what we would say today pastor or the spiritual leader of one of the toughest churches because he's in jerusalem and they're being persecuted they're poor you know we had to raise money you know we talked about that we wrapped up the book of Romans to get them money he's in he's facing persecution every day as the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem so so this is a guy who's on the front lines and is extremely well respected we we think that it was it was written there's a lot of theories on this some people say he wrote it from Alexandria others say he actually wrote it from Rome other say Antioch all these have been mentioned as different theories a different time period some people think that that it was it was around ad 62 near the death of James when he was about to be martyred others say no that they think he might have even written it before he ever went to the Jerusalem Council those are two different theories again non-essentials but interesting so what what is the book of James all about when I look at all the people that we that we will continue to study and have studied I certainly would love to have any of them come and address us don't get me wrong but when you talk about style and somebody said hey Rick you can grab one guy of the Bible to come address the men at man Church next time style-wise I'll go with James because James is the kind of guy that I like to hear from James James is not gonna give us a page of a greeting hey I'm James good to talk to you now let me tell you we need to do he jumps right into it and it's a very and we're gonna go through there's not a lot there's not a lot of chapters you know why cuz James doesn't chase Rapids I mean James comes at us and says here's the deal and and a lot of people have a hard time with the book of James but I one of the things maybe one of the reasons that this you know as we look at the scripture the Holy Spirit starts showing us I've never really had the problem that people have with the book of James because really if you look at James right now of course you know the writer of Hebrews just finished up he's not exactly hitting us with softballs and then first Peter is going to tell us some of the same things that James said then for first Peter we go to 2nd Peter he's gonna get it that then first John chapter 2 and 3 we're gonna say the same thing you know I remember whatever team you you pull for I remember listening to coach dive when he coached it over and when he first you know took over him saying trying to get this program turned around they jump through a lot of tough things and he referred to the last three ball games when they used to be Florida Georgia and Alabama he referred to that as Amen Corner he said look you me have the greatest season you won't tube until you until you get the Amen Corner well I'm gonna tell you these these books right here it's Amen Corner getting toward the end the Bible James Peter and in the end these letters from John where he starts getting you know he's already told us who he is back in the Gospel of John these other letters from John they're saying the same thing that James has say this is it this they're all concerned with one simple truth it is not enough to be a Christian if the fact that you say you're a Christian and it does not impact your conduct it is not impact the way you live then it's fake the faith that should be genuine true active living and fruitful that's a real faith in any faith that is not genuine true active living and fruitful all of these books not just James he just gets it started says just what we've been saying here for about three years if Jesus Christ has come into your life and he hasn't changed you and he hasn't changed me it doesn't say much about Jesus it's not this not this not about legalism this is not about earning salvation all of this is saying not that that you're gonna be so good that God decides he loves you what he's saying is Jesus is so powerful he doesn't make you a little bit righteous he makes you completely righteous and Jesus will come and justify your spirit and when he does it ought to radically change who you are and and that that's really what this book is all about and and he wastes no time with that but I would go ahead and tell you if you if you were taking notes you go and take your Bible today when we're done and read the first John chapter two and three and you're gonna find some of the same things we think about first John chapter two anyone who says they're with him but they don't obey him as the liar the truth is not in them anyone who says they're with him and doesn't obey him as a liar because the truth is not in them meaning Jesus is John 14:15 if you love me you obey me all these men are saying it is impossible for Jesus Christ not to change you unless you just believe in him and we're getting that into chapter 2 the the demonic faith so let's start out first of all we get the greeting which is great for James there can be no vital Christianity apart from a living faith James is concerned with the fact that Christian faith is more than just a mere profession of the faith Christianity is not a a faith merely but through the power of faith it's actually a life now think about that I love that line Christianity is not a faith merely meaning hey what are you well I'm a Christian that's my faith well no it's not just a faith being a Christian and a follower of Jesus cry is much more than that it's it's actually not just a power of something that I have faith that look at all this faith I have it also says alongside our real faith you'll also see a real life you'll see that life has been changed now through legalism not through a code of conduct that through the power and the righteousness of Jesus Christ a faith proved it's alive write this down a faith proves it's alive by what it does a faith is alive about what it does and it's also dead about what it doesn't do now think about that so he jumps right in and he talks about one of these topics that that is not very popular trials and suffering Jesus assert James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ by the way if you believe what I believe has the most evidence you know not the final word I'm not gonna be any letter I'm gonna be disappointed in heaven if I get there and James says oh by the way I was at Jesus's earthly brother you didn't have that right oh my gosh heavens ruined now you know it's not going to be it's not going to be one of those moments but but what we're saying here is that if James is the earthly brother of Jesus which I think there's a lot of evidence that he is I love now that he never mentions that he just calls him a servant calls himself a servant of God in the Lord Jesus Christ and this is to the 12 tribes that are dispersed all over the world now the tribes are not they're not together anymore they're scattered and so he's now riding two Jewish Christians everywhere they may be members of any of the 12 tribes so he starts out and he says now think about this count it all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds now listen let's just I mean it doesn't take long till you realize that you're getting inside a book that it's gonna tell you not just that you should endure a trial think about that he's not just saying hey brothers just do what you got to do to get through it or even God is gonna deliver you from it he didn't say anything about that he says count it all joy my brothers talking to all of us that are members of the church that would be Jews and Gentiles when you meet trials of various kinds now most people consider it joy when they escaped a trial now think of a whole hang on to that now see most of us have these joyous celebrations we escaped a trial and we spend our whole lives trying to get God to help us avoid a trial as opposed to asking God to immerse us in a trial so we could truly experience the joy of total dependence on him and the fact that when we find ourselves immersed in the trial sometimes that means we are on the correct track with with our relationship with Christ because the world then finds it to be offensive not us but fine fine they found him to be offensive and within which they were experiencing in this church no doubt about that and he says and then I love this so we counted all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds James is telling us not to count it joy to escape a trial but to count it joy in the myths of a trial and I like this when when you meet trials not if you meet them write that down when James is not even putting up a possibility that you'd never face a trial Jesus John 16:33 I say this those who have peace in this world you will face tribulation not you might or what you will face it but you always take card have joy in your heart because I've overcome the world this is James he's just he just he's just driving that point on again then he goes on I love this too I like these three words for you know look at three for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness that you know meaning not we wonder what's going to happen these people have been persecuted so much for their faith in Jesus Christ he says hey you've already known what this is like because what we know is the more we suffer and the more we go through trials the more steadfast the more committed as a follower of Jesus Christ the more a movable from our faith we become all these trials do is just make us stronger and more committed than ever and then he goes on to say and then if that's produced the steadfastness he said and then you let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing James is saying trials always lead to the one who is willing to consider it joy in the midst of it to a purging and a purifying of the faith I mean it never fails that that's going to happen I remember one of the things my wife said that God revealed to her in the book she wrote about bearing a two and a half year old son she said you got two choices you can you can you can look at this and you can be angry and you can run from God you can reject God or you can lean into God and run to him and be completely purified and transformed by the whole experience because he's there where's God in the midst of trials right in the middle of it and teaching and teeth nobody teaches like the Lord and purify and teaching which is why James says to consider a joy why joy number one you saw that the disciples in the book of Acts said we must be on the right track we now have been so committed to Christ there they're coming after us just like they did him we know we didn't run from him anymore we're gonna we're gonna suffer with him now and that's how we consider that we're on the right track but it's more than that that's that's fine that's good but it's more than that when you can get to the point that you start becoming joyful about the trial and the suffering that you're in is when you start realizing I can't wait to see what God's back to teach me because I know that it always does so I'm excited about the point that right now I'm in such a trial and I'm suffering so much that I'm more dependent on God and when I'm more dependent on him I'm always purified I'm always get stronger by him I'm going to get closer to Jesus through this so I counted Joey that's exactly what he said and I know that I'm going to be more steadfast and I know that being steadfast has full effect and it will make me perfect and complete and I won't be lacking anything because I realize that when Jesus is all I have Jesus is all I ever needed and you don't find that out frankly any other way than going through hell I wish you wasn't that way but in my own life it that's the way it's always been and that's what James has said and he's saying it straight forward so in for when he says steadfast is a finished product I love this you know when you go to Romans 5 3 through 5 put that right there right that I remember when we talked about that when when Paul takes you through the steps about what your perseverance and this produces history and he says that's fine Paul did that that was beautiful but all James is doing is skipping all the steps and said it's a finished product see this this I want him to come to man church he's saving time he just looks at us and say guys steadfastness it'll change you and it's a finished product you'll be complete you'll be done because you've suffered you've gone through trials it's made you stronger he just jumps through the steps and says I'd say what suffering and trials get you the other quickest and it will be complete so James 1:5 through 8 now let's look at this if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given to him but let him ask in faith with no doubting for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind for that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord he's double minded he's a double-minded man unstable in all his ways so let's kind of unpack that a little bit so first of all James says for us to ask for wisdom James says God responds to the request for wisdom however we must be a person of faith this is a condition that must be met he said people that are not people of faith they don't have a strong faith you can talk all day long you haven't met the first requirement to make this happen now this is not a name it and claim it verse at all matter of fact we just talked about trials and suffering the name and claiming of people would say if you had enough faith that won't happen so James is already James and Jesus all right kicked that out does most of the Bible but what he is saying is what you really need to ask God for is wisdom meaning if you can get wisdom from God that's gonna serve you better than anything else you could ask him for but he's not gonna give wisdom to anybody he can't trust with it you say well man there's conditions again Rick what is all these requirements out of this book of James how did it get in the Bible well it's not the only place that this is happening but but James is just more straightforward about it and he's saying that you're gonna have to be the kind of person that if you come to ask God for wisdom that he's gonna give it to you and let me ask you this because I had to examine my prayer life do you ask God for wisdom I have I have started doing that but I'll be honest with you a lot of my life I was so busy with mother list I never got to that and what I realized this why am I asking to be given responsibility for things he hadn't given me wisdom to be able to handle you know I say this all the time I want to I want your wisdom to reign supreme because my wisdom is flawed and it's not very impressive so I'll let your wish hey father I've got a decision I need to make about business I got a decision I had to make about my family I got a decision I need to make about where I'm gonna live but whatever and we're gonna sell this house or not is that the right thing to do you know what you say let me have your wisdom cuz I my wisdoms all flawed I'm trying to get this worldly wisdom sitting on the piece of paper in the pros and cons and all that how about this God how about this let me have that piece of my spirit if I'm moving in the direction and then when I move in that direction if I made miserable I know that's not the right thing what's your wisdom now a lot of that wisdom can be found by what throughout the Bible God really doesn't reply that much I've noticed two prayers he's already covered Lord helped me to know whether I should cheat on my wife or the secretary you know he's like hey we've covered that there's no need for me to give you a ruling on that I've already come down on that ruling and I said no you know what I mean that that's say that's lacking wisdom what we're talking about is these decisions that are not so clear that we really need the guidance of the Holy Spirit to say this is my will for your life or this is not he said the man who prays without faith has a radical defect in his character ooh yeah a man who goes out and pray and willy-nilly and it's not a man of faith that man has a major defect of his character our woman if you're listening to that so you got to get the faith part right that you're so insane and you're so you don't have we're gonna get to waste talk about what we don't have you don't have what's next double minded attitude now I love this double minded part let me tell you what he means by double minded I was looking for different things that I was reading on it and you know I know that we all kind of know what it means kind of a surface but let's let's dig in a little bit to be double-minded means that you really are a walking talking civil war there's a war going on in your being and when this is what is part of your mind or soul as we know the soul of you know the soul is the awareness of who I am that's my thinking that's all this my spirit transforms my soul with sin that transforms my thinking was then transforms my behavior but anyway he's saying if you're double minded part of your mind and so is God word but unfortunately part of your mind and soul is still slimming to the world you have made your mind up yet the battles still going on you you have some things about you that are godly but you still got a lot of things about you that are worldly and yet made your mind up here so he said anybody that comes in here double minded that's not a faith that person hasn't decided that they're 100% sold out that it's God's way or no way that God's right and anything in conflict with God is wrong and the desire is to be completely aligned perfectly under God's will and if that takes something away from me from the world that I pick god but what happens is we get a start trying to play this double minded game but he says you just like the waves flowing and you're saying well hell how can I still live in the world but still when I die go to heaven and still want to go to heaven I'd like to be a big deal well I Got News for You we can't be a big deal but by giving ourselves into the world and giving ourselves to God all at the same time it doesn't happen and you know we say again and that kind of person God can't trust he can't trust that personal responsibility he can't trust that person with his wisdom because that person hasn't made their mind up yet on whether they're sold out that they're going to be focused Godward or heavenward and they're not gonna be focused at all toward the world you know we're told to love the people of the world but we're told to hate the things of the world that those things should not draw us more than God does and Solomon lays it out for us guys he's going before us you may be the biggest partner in the room but you didn't do near what Solomon did Solomon said I thought I'd try the world just to see if that was right and I did everything everything the world could offer I got it a hundredfold women money prestige even intelligence because that's what he asked for wisdom and then he rejected God's wisdom we went with his own he said there's nothing you'll ever do that I haven't done and I discovered it's like chasing after mist you can't it's gone and in that little moment of pleasure he might have had vaporizes so what do you want they got heaven again did it vaporizes again he said I've come to the end of my life and I've said this is the whole role of man fear God and do what he says so that's not double minded so what do you do put your name in there I fear God and do what he says I Got News for y'all that actually frees me up it makes my life a lot less complicated as far as what to do now it may be complicated how people respond to what I do but it certainly doesn't make me sitting there indecisive illogical I wonder what I should I wonder what what should I place priority on and he says until you do that then you will be double-minded and that civil war continues with you one part of your mind toward God the other part of your mind toward the world and he says I love this line look at eight a man who has double minded and I mean mankind this is male or female it's unstable in other ways you can't trust them you ever had that how many of you how many of you businesses or you have to do something or you partner with people you have to give people responsibility to some have you never had that feeling we think about so-and-so yeah unstable can't be trusted I can't be sold on what they might do you can't give them that responsibility they kind of all over the road I don't really prefer to be around people that all over the road I'll help people they're all over the road but I'm not gonna partner me about this all over the road you can't have it and so he says such is the same in the kingdom of God James 1:9 let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation and the rich in his humiliation because like a flower of the grass he will pass away for the Sun rises with a scorching heat and withers the grass its flower falls and its beauty perishes so also will be the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits it's really similar to what we just talked about about what Solomon tried to teach us here's James teaching us this again now there's different theories only is he talking about poor meaning that this is a person who is poor as far as the way the church sees them or where they are in their faith are they just poor by the world standards it seems to Lynn that we're talking about poor by the world standard then others say well rich and 10 means that that denotes a non-believer that this is a person that that's lost and they're they're all in the world not necessarily what James is talking about within the church what you have you have different situations and and and I will tell you this you remember our study on the spirit of the disciplines whether you're rich or poor doesn't denote how holy you are there's some very very wicked evil poor people and there's some very wicked evil rich people and there's some very devout rich people in the Bible and in the world I live in and there's some very devout poor people but what he's saying is whatever your lot wherever God has placed you have the right mindset for the poor here's what he say if you got Jesus you got it doesn't matter what situation you find yourself how the world sees you you remember your exaltation that is found in Jesus you know what it is what we said here what 20 times everybody's equal with the foot of the cross and there's nobody gonna strut into heaven meaning in the kingdom of God this stuff about where God's placed you in the world about how much you got or you don't have that's nothing to do with your value in the eyes of Jesus but then he turns it in 10 and says but tell the rich people let me tell you this I'm telling you the same thing you can be the most wealthiest person on earth but to god you're a peon you're nothing the only thing that's good about you is whether you're devoted to Jesus or not and the only thing your riches are good for is to advance the kingdom or for you to handle them with the responsibility the way God told you to handle them and what he's saying is you can have everything the world has to offer but if you don't have Jesus then you got nothing and that's the way we see it the poor never forget they have everything and the rich never forget you got nothing without Jesus and he said you got to keep that mindset and when you have that mindset then you understand that when you look at your brother whether he be rich or poor you both are equal in the eyes of God in need of redemption and none of this stuff is going with you to the other side so keep the proper mindset James 12 let's go to 12 it says I'm sorry yep there we go 12 it says blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial for when he has stood the test who received the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial don't miss the same theme again it doesn't say blessed is the man who remains steadfast when God delivers him from the trial blessed is the man who says thank you God because I escaped the trial what he's saying is blessed is the man who never compromises Christ any way shape or form no matter how bad the suffering no matter how bad the trial and trials can only be considered what he talked about when we first started pure joy when those trials are effectively endured that's big trials can only be considered pure joy when those trials effectively are endured by the follower of Jesus you can't count it pure joy if you were tested which we'll get to here in a minute by trial are some kind of conflict and you didn't pass if you compromise God and you turn on God and you reject God and you begin to complain about God and you don't glorify him then you certainly can't count that pure joy and he says stead the one who remains steadfast will be blessed and will receive the crown of life the crown of life now the crown of life has been talked about a lot some some have said well crown of life means eternal life and that's not I mean certainly that's part of it but really I mean there's there's no indication that that any of these things dictate on whether you if you're if you have confessed with your mouth and repented of your sin the Jesus Christ is Lord you've been delivered from sin and and you are with Jesus so it can't be eternal life because we don't have to endure a trial or suffering to inherit eternal life we don't I mean some people suffer more than other people they just do and even under the authority of Christ everybody has different roads you put so it can't be that he is talking about that in heaven there are going to be degrees of rewards not everybody's gonna be treated the same as far as the rewards for the things that they did for the kingdom not to earn their salvation but as a result of salvation and you see Paul writing to Timothy at the end of his life and he's telling Timothy I have fought the fight and I have run the race and I will receive the crown of righteousness from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ now when we talk about crowns we always think of ourselves as seeing these you know gigantic try really most the time in these analogies they're talking about these wreaths that everybody would get for winning races and the Olympics and all that and and really what he's saying is when you're somebody that God allowed to be put through a trial to tribulation and you you were martyred or you you should remain steadfast the whole time that how about this that's telling telling God what that you love him because anybody who loves me obeys him he said those who love Christ will be steadfast and they will endure suffering and trials and when they endure it that shows that they love Jesus and those that love Jesus he gives them a crown of life that I mean that there's treasures in heaven and he says there's a special treasure in heaven for those that have had to endure trials and suffer and they were main steadfast and he said blessed are those people now going to 13 let no one say when he is tempted I'm being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself temps no.1 and then he goes on because there's more to it but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire we've talked about it in here a lot then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death testing is meant for good temptation is bent on evil now be clear James categorically you can never wonder about this again forbids anyone to claim that temptation comes from God that's over don't ever say that that this is a straightforward and clear in the Word of God as you can possibly see God does not tempt anyone he tests and and testing yet that Bay is meant for good sanctification purification perfection steadfastness temptation is always bent toward evil and our perverse human nature is ever prone to always blame someone else for our own sin this has been going on since Genesis 3 12 and Genesis 3:12 what do we find we've talked about that in here before but in it right now I think it's good to be talked about again in this moment the minute we go from Adam thinking that Eve is the greatest gift and he's praising God for giving him this gift bone of my bone flesh of my flesh but when sin enters the garden God comes up and says to Adam what's going on here and he immediately blames Eve she did I have nothing to do with this so that has been our prefers human nature since the fall and it continues to be that and so what what James are saying do not be deceived if you wonder why you find yourself in sin you don't blame anybody but yourself don't even say the devil made me do it all all the devil can do is to present opportunities but most everything we find ourselves in because I've said it before and I'll say it again we got to stop some of these these fables about Satan Satan is not omnipresent he's not omniscient he's not on nipa tent he is not everywhere he doesn't know everything and he's got a third of the Angels there's more of us than there are of them and unless I hope I could get to the point there Satan would say we got to do some of our burgers my gosh he's up and he's moving again but sadly I don't think I've reached that so most of the trouble I find myself in has nothing to do with the devil because he knew where around me what has to do with is my fallen flesh and my evil desires that have not yet been destroyed by the sanctification of the Holy Spirit there's still some things in this world and in my sin nature that I still love more than Jesus because I found that everything that I've gotten to the point that I love Jesus more than whatever was that desire was removed and if it wasn't removed I was always giving power that I would never commit the sin we can't say once again that Jesus is so weak that we just see and we can't stop this is kind of infiltrated the modern church and I wish it would stop you won't hear the book of James studied a lot because it flies in the face of this this hyper grace abuse that I somehow that Jesus just comes along and and we've encountered the king of kings and the Lord of lords we've encountered the power of the Resurrection the Bible tells us the we're justified the power that raised Jesus from the dead the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead comes into our spirit and we turn an assay and we just keep on sinning well that didn't say much about the Holy Spirit does it and when we listen guys when you sense because you want to when I sense because I want to who would devil gotta be today really so the devil found his way to Birmingham Alabama for those here in the room and said I'll tell you what I got to go after Rick today I don't know what we're gonna do if we don't stop me the devil with all the things going on all the wars out that worse that he's sitting there trying to keep all these things happen the devil has stopped what he's doing and he's gonna find Rick Burgess from Oxford Alabama and he's gonna go destroy him today I think he's got better things to do frankly know when I keep failing it's because you know my biggest my biggest adversary is Rick I'm my own problem and they gotta they do with it was the lack of some or anything God's do it what God is saying is anybody who loves me will obey me and that's what James is saying he said don't ever say that God has anything to do this because he said each person is tempted when he's lured and enticed by his own desire I see this a lot I'll actually been guilty of this and you know what and it's not happening more I'm this is gonna change you know what you can't say I'm not gonna do that anymore and say lord give me the power not to okay I'm not gonna do that anymore I have found that when I fall into sense because I don't flee from it III mess around with it let me see if I watch this thing it ain't no big deal for me to watch this I can sit here and watch this and two naked people get on the screen rode around each other I don't bother me but you know what Holy Spirit says they should how can how can our presence be so powerful in you Rick that on bother you well you can you turn us off that easy the power of the Resurrection I just turn that off you know we and you know in doclock we say all the time what happens is what we will have much more success in our obedience and stop falling into sea and mainly on the day you decide you're not even going to tamper with it anymore man every time I get around someone so I find myself in trouble we'll stop being around them man every time this guy gets read my oh that's how I'm custom yeah because because they got a filthy mouth and if you want to witness to him fine but how did you ever let that person be part of your inner circle you know why you kind of like it you still like the course jokes that's why you still here know when you get to where they make you sick you want us to them anymore but until they do you still will I'm sold out to him a lot but you you know I had I had a guy literally say to me the other day so you honestly don't lust after women that are not your wife I said well I haven't lately I'm still capable of it he said you got to be kidding me you mean tell me there you can right now in this earth for we get to heaven you can really get to the point where you don't lustfully look at another woman I said no I can't but the Holy Spirit the power of the Resurrection can't no I just got to where I love Jesus so much that I actually love love Jesus enough that I won't compromise my wife I tried loving my wife enough and I didn't work because I kept finding flaws and other fallen people don't you love that we make our standard other people you do great with that cuz I Got News for You the greatest people on earth do things that annoy you or whatever and then when that happened then that justifies you treating them poorly well they don't need to be treated well but see my but see Jesus told me that I don't lust for another woman sure he didn't say that she would she hopes I don't but she's not the standard you know I told Jesus that I wouldn't do that to the wife that he gave me because he said not to now you get to the point you look at it that way then you stop playing around with it I'm gonna go down to the beach and I'm just gonna see what happens I'm gonna get the remote and I'm just gonna flip through the cable channels just see what happens well I'll tell you what's gonna happen I'll tell you exactly what's gonna happen when we are sold out to Jesus what James is saying is you already know what you're going to do before you ever get in the situation you don't just say we'll see I mean what would you say raised you have you got a daughter what would you say if your daughter says well I think what I'm gonna do is I like this guy he's pretty handsome and I'm gonna go in his car we're gonna drive off drive off to a remote place we're gonna listen to some slow music I'm gonna wear the shortest skirt I can find and the lowest cut blouse I can find and I'm gonna try not to have sex with it I'm just gonna see what happens what would you do yeah but you won't lock yourself in the room but you won't lock yourself in the room you'd lock her in the room but then lock yourself in the room don't allow yourself to do that you don't tell your kids to do one thing you do another you have that same commitment that you're not gonna sing it what did Joe say I've made a covenant with my eyes that means with God that I'll never look lustfully at a young mate meaning I've already decided I don't there's nothing one around me right now but I know one day there will be so I'm gonna make that decision right now I'm not gonna see what happens once I get there and then then he says of course eventually what does sin do it brings forth death and you say well Rick no wait a minute you know that's more than eternal death certainly sin it brings eternal death but if we've been redeemed by Jesus Christ you know James is not talking to lost people right here right it's important to understand that in this letter this is to the church those who are claimed to have Jesus and he's saying I gotta tell you there's some certain things things on our look and you know what he's saying here if you don't think sin brings death beyond eternal death try it every time I found myself in sin it brings death to relationships to character to integrity effectiveness your faith oh it always brings death even if it's not gonna bring the eternal death sin matters every single time revival has been stopped sin always stops it in your own life or in the life of the church we talked about that a good bit helping all right let's go to 16 I'll try to yeah I got a roll now do not be deceived my brothers every good gift and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of lights whom there is no variation or shadow due to change he's telling us right here he said understand when you're dealing with God he's the author of every good gift he's also the author of a believers regeneration it's meaning hey look everything that's good is gonna come from God God is gonna regenerate you he said he would he will man we talked about that in Romans chapter 9 you know the big controversial chapter saying hey I'm on you will be regenerated in God you get concentrated on the gifts that are coming down from him because they're always gonna be perfect and you'll never find a flaw in God and he don't ever change focus on him he's not gonna let you down and he's gonna give you the right things stop going to the world and wonder why they keep giving you the wrong things go to God focus on him everything that comes from he was gonna be right and he says that that's again talking about being double-minded as well so look at also James 1:19 let's move on to 19 Alissa 2:18 first of his own will he brought forth by the word of the truth that we should be kind of firstfruits of his creatures now what he's talking about right there before we get to 19 what he's talking about right here he said of God's own will he gave us the word of truth the Bible the Word of God that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures what he's saying is of all the things God's given us this that's good one of the things he's given us they won't felis is his word because it also regenerates us why because jesus said that he was what the word so he said if you want to be regenerated and you won't always know what's going on with God a lot of us right here in the Word of God he gave us this and it's a it's a perfect gift that he gave us take this word apply it to yourself it is it will give you all these good gifts it also is the key to your regeneration because Jesus Christ is the word and the word delivered you from the punishment of sin so as he said it he said it's all here and then he goes on to say this since he's talked about bringing the word up and boy this is a big one in nineteen in and I love when he says know this my beloved brothers say look this that's that's a good teacher he's been hard on us he's been hard on us and he knows he's about to get hard again and he says now let me remind you that I love you nothing I'm saying I'm not saying any other reason and he'll what I like to I'm not saying you I'm saying us don't miss that he's a powerful man of the church but he understands he's just a sinner saved by Jesus and he's saying my beloved brothers listen I'm gonna give you some more exhortation but I want you to know this is applying to both of us well this is applying to all of us my dear brothers I love that he doesn't have like he's superior to us before he lays down some tough stuff in 14 I mean in two and in 119 I was like the Proverbs know this my beloved brothers let every person be quick to hear slow to speak and slow to anger proverbs 4 14 29 a patient man has a great understanding but a quick tempered man displays folly this is what James has told about my brothers look be quick to hear something ivory God has my wife said to me other day she's you know I'm starting believing Jesus even more wise she said because you're starting to be a good listener you've never been a good listener what's happened lately you're you're being quiet and listening I said Jesus that's all I can tell you he said he said let every person be quick to hear slow to speak I still got some work to do there and slow to anger I've seen now I will say in my family a lot of people my family have a reputation for being hot-headed rightfully so but I'll tell you this I'm worse than any of them because I'm not I'm not hot-headed but when I go relationships are destroyed counselors have to be called in I'm not quick to anger I'm slow to anger but when I go I go bad and so what he's saying is anger you've got to always keep it under control whether it be you know be slow to anger but he says for the anger of a man does not produce the righteousness of God whoo write this down to proverbs 10:19 proverbs 13 3 15 1 17 27 28 yes it is in the Bible a lot back to Solomon Ecclesiastes 7:9 be not I love this be not holiday in the spirit to be angry no no be not rushing in your spirit to be angry I'm sorry for anger resisteth in I mean arrest a--the in the bosom of fools he said and this is the bottom line I wrote this down you ready for this when he says in 20 I wrote this down all that's great in the Bible some of its King James some of us not to listen anger does not produce the life God desires bottom line man bottom line if you can't control your anger guy can't use you he's saying anybody that can't get a handle on anger will always fail and that it's no more straightforward than that 21 therefore put away all filthiness and rapid wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your soul you know what this is saying heat the end of the bottom line on this is you ready guys everybody ready about listening get rid of sin remove sin from your life remove sin from your life and it says if you remove sin humility meekness and what is he with it when he says the meek will inherit the earth on the Sermon on the mountain meekness is strength under control that's not weakness humility and meekness isn't weakness it's actually strong because it's someone who's under control I control my anger I control my strengths I don't run over people I don't abuse people I'm ready just make a stand if I have to but I'm not out of control I'm under control and he says if you remove sin from your life first of all be humble enough catch me now be humble enough to realize how sinful you really are stop justifying things in your life out of your arrogance and your pride I will tell you this and it's one thing that I look for and it's something I've had to deal with in my own life is any person who's out representing us that says they're a big voice of the church and they're not humble I always questioned a man who's not humble you hate trust him okay keep your eye on him and and I and it because sooner or later that pride is going to lead to his fault and that Holy Spirit is gonna lead to his destruction and and and it never fails in that so that's one thing you know i-i've prided myself for a long time of being confident but not cocky but that's a tough line and so what I've understood is I've stopped calling cockiness and arrogance confidence because that sounds better well Rick's not arrogant he's just confident well sometimes that may be true but you know what sometimes I confessed use my brother's I'm just being arrogant and and and what and what James has say you've got to get that under control and he says that if you want to find out how to be humble getting the word guys I've said this before I don't want to hear about say anymore they don't they don't like to read I don't like to read either I say this all time my wife loves to read God makes me read but you know what just like everything else that's supernatural I've suddenly become a big reader of the Word of God you know why it just happened I don't like to read I don't like to read anymore than Abraham my wife I got a book the other day that I'm preparing for us down the road she goes please don't skimp scam that book and look at me and say you think you understand what the guy's talking about I don't I don't like to get real deep into reading I just don't like the experience but this thing this word of God is alive and it keeps transforming me and it keeps changing everything about me and it's the answer to every problem I got and you know what I have found that most people especially men and merce themselves and things they care about and they always want to be the best at everything why don't we want to be the best at this everything else is gonna be gone so you were good you were good at business so what if it didn't advance the kingdom you were a great athlete so what if nobody was pointing to Jesus and and so what he's saying is you've got to remove all sin from your life don't cling to any of it because you know what he says you won't fully grasp the gift of this word as long as sin is still alive of your life so he says if you want to receive meekness the implanted word meaning at the here in the middle of all this wine you know that God I actually came to Christ in the book of James you know why because they kept telling me to submit to Authority behind myself in to quit justifying sin and I was a cultural Christian that was a big sinner and finally James look at me says those two don't go together and I got it it saved my whole life and so what he's saying is if you want to be humble get in the word because the word to make you humble and then when you're humble you'll find yourself actually having your soul saved by that humility look at 22 don't be don't be saying one thing do another be doers of the word not hearers only deceiving yourself for anyone as a hero of the word and not a doer he's like a man who looks intently at his natural face in the mirror before he looks in himself and goes away and once forgets what don't like he says none of us really know we look like if we go look at the mirror and we're the only one judging it he says if you're a hear of the word you go hey amen but you're never a doer of the word you don't get it you're just hearing stuff you're not retaining any of it he says you ever looked at yourself in the mirror then walked away to try to mean what you look like he said if you're here of the word I've done this before man that was a fresh word didn't write it down how soon before you forgot it I think yeah they said something that's reason why you got to study the Bible on your own and then when you study it don't just say I know a lot about the Bible actually do it but you know why I say and what we said in here for three years what we actually do is what we really believe not what we say not what we hear I can say things all the time that's not even hard it's doing things that's hard and he says if you're gonna talk about how wonderful the Bible is and you're gonna hear it but you're never gonna apply it you're never gonna put it into practice then that is that he's questioning that that's someone who truly has a faith and then he goes on to 25 but the one who looks into the perfect law the Bible the law of Liberty Jesus and persevere but no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts he will be blessed in his doing you hate to bring that up again you remember the time talking to the guy about evangelizing your own hometown remember that oh we need to be reaching office people in our own city you're absolutely right so is that what you did what was your plan tell me what you did no all he wanted to do was was pivot away from a mission trip and I don't know whether God calls him to mr. trevor nothing of my business but he was making the point that the Bible clearly says that Jerusalem Judea Samaria in the ends of the earth are all equal he's right he knew that he had heard that but what was he doing nothing nothing so what you know what God says well that means you don't really believe it if you don't really do it and so he's saying we can't be these kind of people I love that I love that when he talks about the humility of the word of God grinds us out it says the word of God isn't naive to the human state of things it must be implanted Jesus is the word we must have a wholehearted acceptance of the word it must result in active obedience to the word such obeying of the word constitutes the essence of a living faith it constitutes the essence of a living faith let me let me say that to you again because that's a little end on today wholehearted acceptance of the word of God must result must result in active obedience to the word such obeying of the word is what actually constitutes the essence of a living faith 26 says if anyone thinks he's religious and does not bridle his own tongue but deceives his heart this person's religion is worthless religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this to visit orphans and widows and their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world not to try to do better he said are you going out and are you being the hands and feet of Jesus and with the way you're actually living will show us whether your faith is pure or not are you doing the things that Jesus said his people do do you look after orphans do you check on the widows so he's not just talking about the sins of commission he's saying be careful those sins of omission and he said those that claim to be Jesus will do what he says to do and to get to the point where your unstained by the world unstained you're not affected by it I told you this wouldn't be a very challenging book which is why I love it now the reason why I love it is not because I feel like that I'm able to teach this because I'm doing all this so perfectly know what I love is that as I'm teaching this I'm reminded again of the work that it still need to be done in my own life and I hope that's how you'll be willing to see it with me as well because how about this we have not arrived we need this book again to say to each and every one of us I've got work to do and I need to be in in pursuit of Jesus Christ my devotion to Jesus needs work because I don't see every one of these fruits flowing out of me yet and you know what that people always tell us that hain't got anything to do with the lack of power of God it's got a lot to do see this is the thing I understand there is action involved there's action if you want to be closer to Jesus then move if he's drawing you to him then go if he's opened up his word to you go go no I love what he says go go and plant it into your life and plant it into your life don't just have it sitting over over a table that looks good for people to see when they walk through your house don't be like I used to be that I had more Bibles than I knew Bible verses now I'm not saying that memorization of Bible verses equals a great Christian I'm just telling you knowing what the Bible says sure does help you in times and you got to make decisions are we willing to continue this journey it's just gonna get harder which makes it wonderful ain't nothing easy about following Jesus let's pray thank you Lord for today thank you for this convicting word thank you for James thank you for Lord the once he encountered you and realized that you had you were who you said you were he came into your authority he became your servant he was sanctified all the ways to his death and lord I thank you for the fact that his word has in the things that you said to him have been captured and laid out here and now all these languages including our own or we can clearly understand so we can never say to you well we just didn't know well today we know these things and the things we must ask ourselves is what we gonna do about it we pray these things order in the name of Jesus amen thanks guys see you next week you

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Published: Wed Nov 28 2018