1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,360 And this morning we're going to be in verses 11:50 and then 19 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,560 to 20. We will look at verses 13 to 18 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:11,200 next week. This should be, Lord willing, 4 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:12,760 our second to last sermon on James. 5 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:15,320 Next week, hopefully will be our last sermon. 6 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,360 If I can get through the whole text, it's, it's a pretty packed 7 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,320 text next week on prayer. So I may end up doing 2 sermons 8 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:23,800 on it. We'll see how it how it goes, 9 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,120 but this morning we're going to look at verses 10 to 12 and 19 10 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:28,600 to 20. So let's read our text. 11 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:30,960 I'll open some word of prayer and then we'll jump into the 12 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,040 sermon this morning. James chapter 5, beginning in 13 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:40,200 verse 10. As an example of suffering and 14 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,760 patience. Brothers, take the prophets who 15 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,760 spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those 16 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:52,440 blessed who remain steadfast. You have heard of the 17 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:56,800 steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the 18 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:01,840 Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 19 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,760 But above all, my brothers, do not swear either by heaven or by 20 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:14,480 earth or by any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no 21 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:19,440 be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. 22 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,680 Then down to verse 19 and 20, my brothers, if anyone among you 23 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:29,280 wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him 24 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,960 know that whoever brings back a Sinner from his wandering will 25 00:01:32,960 --> 00:01:38,480 save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 26 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:46,280 He will pray with me. Father, as we look at a text 27 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,720 this morning that deals with the several different themes dealing 28 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:55,680 with patience and suffering and our word and our the things that 29 00:01:55,680 --> 00:02:02,800 we speak as well as our need to go after the fellow brother 30 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,520 sister who is wandering from the truth and to bring them back. 31 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,639 But I pray that you would give us grace to to understand the 32 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:13,120 text this morning, to apply it to our lives, that it would bear 33 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,160 fruit and that you would be pleased by this fruit in our 34 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:21,080 life. Lord, I pray God that you would 35 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:25,400 help us to to to do the hard things, Lord, that that often 36 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,200 you call upon your children to do. 37 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:34,040 We recognize, Lord, that you so often have not made this life 38 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:37,560 easy. Help us to see Lord, your 39 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,200 purpose in it. Help us to see that your purpose 40 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,760 is not just suffering for suffering's sake. 41 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:44,880 It's not just waiting for waiting's sake. 42 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,520 It always has a purpose. You always have a purpose. 43 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:57,400 I pray this in Jesus name, Amen. This morning we we've been going 44 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,880 through the book of James. Last week we had a joint service 45 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:05,440 with our sister church next door, CSBC, and this morning we 46 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:07,280 returned to our study in the book of James. 47 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,400 We've been going through it for several months now and we're 48 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,520 getting close to finishing. We should be finished by next 49 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:16,160 week or possibly the week after. And we're going to be looking at 50 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,320 kind of a hodgepodge of text this morning that James often 51 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,360 will go from one section to another with their seeming to be 52 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:24,520 no connection in between sometimes. 53 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:29,440 But I what I wanted to do is to look at verses 13 to 18 next 54 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:31,480 week because it deals with the topic of prayer. 55 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:34,240 It's a pretty powerful passage, one of the most powerful 56 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,200 passages in the New Testament on prayer. 57 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,840 And so I wanted to conclude on that passage. 58 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:42,520 And so it may be two sermons or maybe one, but this morning 59 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,120 we're going to look at verses 11:50 and then 19 to 20. 60 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,560 Normally I segregate the exposition of the text and the 61 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,920 application of the text, but this morning I'm going to be 62 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,680 weaving them together. And so they'll be woven together 63 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:59,440 as I go through this text. So let's start with me giving 64 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:01,800 you context. If you were not here the past 65 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,080 few weeks, let me give the context because that's important 66 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:06,880 for us understanding what's going on here. 67 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:09,640 In the context of the book of James. 68 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:14,800 There are these rich land owners probably who are lost, who are 69 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,920 oppressing the poor, perhaps who are Christians. 70 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:22,000 So you have perhaps rich lost land owners who are oppressing 71 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,360 the poor, who are probably, perhaps Christians. 72 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,600 The rich are not paying the laborers their wages. 73 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:33,440 And in light of this, James exhorts the church, Be patient, 74 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,960 brothers, until the coming of the Lord. 75 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:42,160 And this morning James is going to continue this exhortation. 76 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:47,160 He's going to continue his his exhorting of the church to be 77 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,240 patient and light of this trial that they're going through. 78 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:55,320 So let's start with looking at verse 10, where James writes as 79 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:57,440 an example of suffering and patience. 80 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:02,760 Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 81 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:08,440 Now, I want you to imagine that you are a Christian laborer in 82 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,960 the 1st century. All right, got to put yourself 83 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,520 in those shoes. You're a Christian laborer in 84 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:18,640 the 1st century, a landowner, A wealthy landowner comes to you 85 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:23,080 and says, I will pay you. I will hire you to go work in my 86 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,520 fields today. You think, Great, so you go. 87 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:33,160 When you work all day in the hot sun, 12 hours of manual labor 88 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:38,840 and sweltering heat at the end of the day, after a long day, 89 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,840 sweat dripping down your brow, you go to your employer, 90 00:05:42,840 --> 00:05:47,880 expected to be paid. But he tells you, I'm sorry I 91 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,160 can't pay you today. When you know good and well that 92 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,560 he can. You know very well that he can't 93 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:57,040 pay you now. I want you to think of the 94 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:02,920 feelings of anger and injustice and perhaps even revenge that 95 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:07,960 would well up in you. And as you're feeling this anger 96 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,440 and this injustice and this maybe even getting back at him 97 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,280 or her. What would this be him, probably 98 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:19,240 him. Along comes this man named James 99 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:27,720 and James tells you, brothers, be patient until the coming of 100 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:31,160 the Lord. Establish your hearts, for the 101 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:39,000 coming of the Lord is at hand. Now, I don't know about you, but 102 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:46,320 I would be thinking how? How do you expect me to do that? 103 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:52,520 What does that even look like? What does it look like to be 104 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:57,000 patient when I'm not getting paid? 105 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:01,960 To which James responds. I'll give you an example. 106 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,720 I'll give you an example, an example of suffering and 107 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,120 patience. And here's the example. 108 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:14,600 He says, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 109 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:21,720 Look at all the prophets in this book who spoke in the name of 110 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:23,880 the Lord. James wants these brothers to 111 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:28,040 know that they are not the first of God's people who were called 112 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:33,960 on to suffer and to be patient in their suffering. 113 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,960 There is a long line of God's prophets who were called on to 114 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,840 suffer for the Lord and to be patient in their suffering. 115 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:48,160 We all know of Isaiah. He preached for decades to the 116 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,960 people of Israel only to be rejected by them. 117 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,760 And at the end of his life, what was his reward for his faithful 118 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,720 preaching? Tradition holds that he was sawn 119 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,480 into. Or what about Jeremiah? 120 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,160 Jeremiah was commanded to preach repentance to the nation of 121 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:10,000 Israel for 40 years, and yet God told him, even though this is 122 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,960 your job, this is your calling, they're not going to repent. 123 00:08:18,220 --> 00:08:22,260 He was beaten, he was imprisoned, he was thrown into a 124 00:08:22,260 --> 00:08:25,620 cistern, he was accused of treason, and he was repeatedly 125 00:08:25,620 --> 00:08:30,600 lied about. Or take Ezekiel, he was told to 126 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,679 lie on one side for 390 days, lie on the other side for 40 127 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:37,640 days. He had to cook his food over 128 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,640 animal dung and then God took his wife. 129 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:48,280 God one day said I'm taking your wife for no fault of his own and 130 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:52,560 then told him you may not mourn over it all because of the 131 00:08:52,560 --> 00:08:56,760 people sin. Daniel was carried off into 132 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:01,120 exile for no sin of his own. Later, while in exile, he was 133 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:04,280 thrown into a lion's den. Or what about Hosea? 134 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,360 Hosea was told to marry an unfaithful woman. 135 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:13,680 Hosea would learn what it feels like to love someone who doesn't 136 00:09:13,680 --> 00:09:18,480 love you back. Or what about Habakkuk? 137 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:20,080 Habakkuk had to wrestle with God. 138 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,080 He wrestled with the seeming and justice of God. 139 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,160 He looked down. He saw the Pagan nations. 140 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:29,120 They were all prospering while God's people were suffering. 141 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:37,760 How is that just? Which of God's prophets were not 142 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:43,720 called on to suffer and we're not called on to be patient in 143 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:47,920 their suffering? You see, I think sometimes when 144 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:54,280 God calls on us to suffer, calls on you and me to suffer, calls 145 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:59,440 on us to be patient in our suffering, we can ask questions 146 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:12,920 like why me, why me, Why now? This is like the worst possible 147 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:15,240 time for this God. Why now? 148 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:20,240 Why is this happening or how long? 149 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:23,840 How long is this going to go on? Lord? 150 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:30,520 When will this end? Nobody likes to wait, nobody 151 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:35,560 likes to suffer, but God has always been pleased to call on 152 00:10:35,560 --> 00:10:39,360 His people to suffer and to be patient in their suffering. 153 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:45,360 If you are struggling to persevere and you're suffering, 154 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,720 If you are struggling to persevere and you're waiting, 155 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:56,760 let me encourage you to read about the prophets and to be 156 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:01,360 built up by their faith. Look at verse 11. 157 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:08,080 A Behold. We consider those blessed who 158 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:12,120 remain steadfast. Behold. 159 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:15,600 This is now the fourth time in this chapter James has invited 160 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:18,960 the church to see. That's what behold means. 161 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:23,800 It's an invitation to see. He says, behold, see, we 162 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:28,000 consider those blessed who remain steadfast. 163 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:31,480 You know, typically when we hear the word blessed, isn't it 164 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:33,760 usually used in the context of good things? 165 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:35,960 People say the word blessed, right? 166 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:38,560 You know, like I've been very healthy this year and how, how 167 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:40,280 you doing? I've been, hey, I've been very 168 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:41,760 healthy. I'm, I'm blessed. 169 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:46,600 My family is home for Christmas. I'm very blessed. 170 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:51,520 Our house has paid off. We are very blessed. 171 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:56,080 Yes, I got the promotion I was hoping for. 172 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,080 I feel very blessed. We have three wonderful 173 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:03,440 children. We are truly blessed. 174 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,520 We went on this wonderful vacation. 175 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:13,600 It it was such a blessing. I guess what I got into the 176 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:15,720 college that I was hoping to get into. 177 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:21,400 What a blessing. And listen not to take away 178 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:24,560 anything from all of those. All of those are blessings from 179 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:26,680 the Lord, not take anything away. 180 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:31,920 But James wants the church to see that blessing is not simply 181 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:38,920 when you receive your wages and you go buy your food and you go 182 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:42,560 home and cook it and eat it and you go to bed full. 183 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:46,400 James wants the church to see that it's also a blessing when 184 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:51,800 you go to bed hungry and can remain steadfast through it. 185 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:59,360 What a blessing it is if you can remain steadfast through that. 186 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:03,960 James said back in chapter 1, verse 12. 187 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:08,960 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial. 188 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:12,760 Now why is this a blessing? Think about it right? 189 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:19,280 If you ask me, Matt, would you rather be blessed with a 190 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:25,920 steadfast food or B steadfastness and your hunger? 191 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,560 I'll take the food. I'll take steadfast food. 192 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:35,800 Right? So why is this a blessing? 193 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,800 Well, think of it like this. Let me give a very kind of 194 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:44,800 elementary illustration. Why in video games do they have 195 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:50,480 difficulty modes? Video games they have easy, 196 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:53,920 normal and hard. Why do they have difficulty 197 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:57,440 modes? Why doesn't everybody just play 198 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:00,560 it on the easy level? Why? 199 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:04,560 Why is there a hard mode Or think about in sports, right? 200 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,680 In sports, why is there an A league and AB league or a gold 201 00:14:07,680 --> 00:14:08,960 league and a silver league? Why? 202 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,080 Why is that? Why don't we just play it on the 203 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:13,720 easy mode all the time? Why don't we just all play in 204 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:15,760 the B league all the time, or the Silver league all the time? 205 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:16,480 Why? Why? 206 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:22,640 Why is that? Because there's more glory when 207 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:28,960 it's difficult. There's more glory when it's 208 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:34,040 difficult. If God just made our life easy, 209 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:39,640 how would that glorify Him? You ever think about that? 210 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:42,880 Like you ever wanted to look at God and say God, could you just 211 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:47,480 turn it on easy mode? Like my life right now, I know 212 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,320 you've got it on hard mode. Could you just turn it on easy 213 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:55,600 mode for like maybe 2026? I got a lot of things coming up 214 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,120 this year, a lot of projects, a lot of things going on. 215 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:00,320 Can I just have an easy mode this year? 216 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:06,560 You see, difficulty leads to God's glory. 217 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,640 But I asked the question, how does that lead to my blessing? 218 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:14,360 How does that lead to my blessing? 219 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:18,160 Well, here's how. To be a Christian means to love 220 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:21,240 the glory of God more than anything else in your life. 221 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:24,400 That's what it means to be a Christian. 222 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:29,600 To be a Christian means that you love the glory of God more than 223 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:36,080 anything else in your life. And so if remaining steadfast 224 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:42,240 through my suffering, through my waiting, brings God glory, then 225 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:44,400 we are blessed. Why? 226 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,120 Because I have received what I want most. 227 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:53,560 If I am a Christian that I want God's glory most, and if this is 228 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:57,280 what will bring him glory most, then I have received what I want 229 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:04,480 most, which means I am blessed. See, blessing is not just 230 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:11,240 health, but remaining steadfast in sickness because God is 231 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:15,720 glorified. Blessing is not just marriage, 232 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:22,720 but remaining steadfast in singleness because God is 233 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:27,920 glorified. Blessing is not just children, 234 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:35,040 but remaining steadfast in barrenness because God is 235 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:39,640 glorified. Blessing is not just employment, 236 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:47,840 but also remaining steadfast and unemployment because God is 237 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:52,320 glorified. Look at 11 B. 238 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:59,640 You have heard of the steadfastness of Job and you 239 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:02,960 have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is 240 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:08,000 compassionate and merciful, James says. 241 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,000 You have heard of the step back of Job now. 242 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,200 He says you have heard of it. I don't want to assume that all 243 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,200 of you have heard of it. He assumed that all of them had 244 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,640 heard of it. They had read their Torah. 245 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,359 They had read their old, well, not not the Torah, but they had 246 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:25,760 read their Old Testament. James says they had read it. 247 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:29,160 But I don't want to assume that you all know the story. 248 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:32,600 So let me give you the, the, the Cliff Notes version. 249 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:36,240 In the Old Testament, there was a man named Job. 250 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:40,320 Job was a righteous man. Job was a blameless man. 251 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:44,560 One day Satan with the sons of God come to present themselves 252 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,600 before God. And they say, and God says to 253 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:49,440 them, God initiates the conversation. 254 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:52,800 He says, have you considered my servant Job? 255 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:57,120 Have you noticed him? There is no one like him. 256 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,040 He is righteous. He is blameless. 257 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:04,920 He turns away from evil. There is no one like him. 258 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,960 And then Satan says to God, yeah, but isn't that because 259 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:14,160 you've made his life very good? Is that because you've blessed 260 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:18,600 him tremendously? Isn't that why he worships you? 261 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:26,200 Because you pay him? Stretch out your hand, take away 262 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:31,480 everything he has. He'll curse you to your face. 263 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:38,600 God says, very well, he's in your hand, you may take away 264 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:40,640 everything he has, just don't touch him. 265 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,000 So Satan does. He goes out, he takes away 266 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:47,840 everything, takes away all his possessions, all his animals, 267 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:53,200 all his servants, even his ten children. 268 00:18:54,520 --> 00:19:03,560 Takes it all away. And what Job did next, nobody 269 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:07,880 could have predicted. If you read the story for the 270 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:12,400 first time, nobody could have predicted what Job did next 271 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:18,240 apart from the cross of Christ. To me, this is the most glorious 272 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:25,360 passage in the Bible. Then Job arose, tore his robe, 273 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:34,400 shaved his head, fell on the ground and worshipped. 274 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:41,360 And he said, naked, I came from my mother's womb, and naked 275 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:47,560 shall I return? The Lord gave, The Lord has 276 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:54,680 taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. 277 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:04,000 Now if that wasn't enough, Satan comes back to God and says skin 278 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,040 for skin. All that a man has he will give 279 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,520 for his life. But stretch out your hand and he 280 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,880 will surely curse you to his face. 281 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:15,960 Touch his bones and he will curse you to his face. 282 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:20,600 And God says, very well, he's in your hand, you may touch him, 283 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:25,000 only spare his life. So Satan struck Job with sores 284 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:31,680 from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head, after which 285 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:36,120 even his own wife encouraged him to curse God and die. 286 00:20:36,360 --> 00:20:40,280 She said, just get this over with, curse God and die. 287 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:44,320 And Job once again responds in a way that we could not have 288 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:48,880 expected. He says to her, Shall we receive 289 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:56,720 good from God and shall we not receive evil and all this Job 290 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:03,880 did not sin with his lips. And yet if we thought this was 291 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:07,440 enough suffering, they're like that's that's enough. 292 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:13,520 God has one more trial for him. His friends. 293 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,080 His friends come and sit with him in silence for seven days. 294 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:23,200 And their silence was the most consolation Job would receive 295 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:27,160 from them, because the moment they open their mouth, he 296 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,280 received nothing but condemnation. 297 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:34,960 They accuse him of sinning. They tell him that his suffering 298 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:42,480 is a result of his sin. And yet, if we thought that was 299 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:49,200 enough suffering, there is yet one more trial that God gives 300 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,880 Job. His silence. 301 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:59,200 His silence. You see, what Job wanted most 302 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:03,240 was for his friends to be silent and for God to speak. 303 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:05,600 And yet he was given the exact opposite. 304 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,560 He received his friend's slander and God's silence. 305 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,000 Most scholars agree that this suffering went on for months, 306 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:21,720 perhaps as long as a year. Job is my favorite book of the 307 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:25,360 Bible. There are many reasons why, but 308 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:29,520 one of them is this why I love the book of Job. 309 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,600 One of the reasons is this. It gives me hope. 310 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:40,040 It reminds me that remaining steadfast is possible. 311 00:22:45,360 --> 00:22:50,800 Job was a Sinner just like you and me, and it's possible to 312 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:57,040 remain steadfast no matter what God gives you, no matter what He 313 00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:02,120 gives me, it is possible by His grace to remain steadfast. 314 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:06,240 There is nothing that God can give you that you are not able 315 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:13,240 to remain steadfast through. By His grace it is possible. 316 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:20,320 Look at verse 11. See, you have seen the purpose 317 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,520 of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 318 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:27,120 He said you have heard of the steadfastness of Job. 319 00:23:27,360 --> 00:23:30,240 You have seen the purpose of the Lord. 320 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:33,640 Now what this last phrase, the purpose of what does that mean? 321 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,320 It literally reads in the Greek the end of the Lord. 322 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:40,280 You have you have seen the the end of the Lord. 323 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,160 What does that mean? There are two possibilities, 324 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:47,240 perhaps both apply. Number one, if we translate as 325 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:52,160 end you have you have seen the the end of the Lord, it probably 326 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:55,080 means it's referring to the end that the Lord brought about in 327 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,160 Job situation. If you read the end of the book 328 00:23:58,160 --> 00:23:59,840 of Job. Sorry for spoilers if you have 329 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:01,440 never read the book of Job before, but I'm going to spoil 330 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,000 it for you. At the end of the book of Job, 331 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:07,320 the Lord restored the fortunes of Job. 332 00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:11,160 Not only did he restore them, he gave them twice as much as he 333 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,640 had before. He had 14,000 sheep, 6000 334 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:17,720 camels, 1000 yoke of oxen, and 1000 female donkeys. 335 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:22,520 He was also given seven more sons and three more daughters. 336 00:24:23,360 --> 00:24:27,560 And so perhaps James is saying, look, you have seen how it ended 337 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,280 for Job. That's one way you could apply 338 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:31,200 it. Here's the second one. 339 00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:35,200 If we translate as purpose, if we translate this as purpose, it 340 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:39,760 refers to God's purpose and refining Job through these 341 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:43,120 trials. I mean, one of the questions 342 00:24:43,120 --> 00:24:47,200 that Christians have asked for years is why did God do this to 343 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:49,920 Job? You ever wondered that? 344 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,560 Like if Job was blameless, if he was righteous, why did God do 345 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:56,720 this? Why did he allow Satan to run 346 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,200 this test case? Why did God do it? 347 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:05,160 I think the key to understanding that answer, the answer to that 348 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:09,080 question lies in the last statement that Job makes in the 349 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:13,240 book. I think that why did God do this 350 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:17,120 is answered in the very last statement that Job says in the 351 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:18,880 entire book of Job, and here it is. 352 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:25,280 Here's what he says. I had heard of you by the 353 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:32,280 hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you. 354 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:41,760 Therefore, I despise myself, and I repent and dust and ashes. 355 00:25:45,360 --> 00:25:47,520 What does that mean? It means that even though Job 356 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:51,560 was a blameless and righteous man, there were still parts of 357 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:57,720 him that needed refining. Now, regardless of whether we 358 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:02,880 translate and interpret as end or purpose, both are expressions 359 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:04,960 of the Lord's mercy and compassion. 360 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:09,640 As James says, see how the Lord is compassionate and merciful? 361 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:13,280 How so? If we translate as and the Lord 362 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:17,400 was compassionate and merciful to restore everything to Job, 363 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:20,680 God even vindicated him before his friends. 364 00:26:21,120 --> 00:26:26,880 If we translate as purpose, anytime the Lord refines us, it 365 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:32,800 is a mercy of God. Every time God is refining you, 366 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,480 it is His compassion, it is His mercy. 367 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,480 And so James wants these Christians to know that what Job 368 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:46,280 experienced will be experienced by all of them either in this 369 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:51,000 life or the next. Whatever wages they have been 370 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:55,960 defrauded, they will be rewarded 10 times over, either in this 371 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:59,680 life or the next. And whatever earthly blessings 372 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:04,080 that they missed out on, they will receive far greater eternal 373 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:08,520 blessings. Look at verse 12A. 374 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:14,360 But above all, my brothers, do not swear either by heaven or by 375 00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:21,000 earth or by any other oath. Now this is a hard shift, like 376 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:23,800 scholars debate as to whether verse 12 connects with the 377 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:28,240 previous section or whether it's just an independent saying that 378 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:31,320 James inserted here. I, I, I, I struggled to find a 379 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:33,120 connection here. I don't see how they're 380 00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:34,600 connected. Maybe it is an independent 381 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:39,640 saying that James inserted here. This was the best answer I found 382 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:42,360 from a commentator. Baker suggests that James put 383 00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:46,160 this verse where he does because the poor Christians might be 384 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:51,080 tempted to use oaths to fend off creditors or to obtain credit 385 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:54,760 for food and other necessities, even knowing that prompt payment 386 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:56,480 would be possible only with a miracle. 387 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:59,200 So Baker suggesting that perhaps, you know, if they 388 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,720 didn't have money and they would go borrow money to be able to 389 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,720 buy food and they would use an oath, in other words, to get 390 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:10,080 this loan, if you will. I don't that's speculation. 391 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:11,160 I don't know if that's true or not. 392 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:15,840 Verse 12 is very similar to the words of Jesus in the Sermon on 393 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:18,320 the Mount. If you remember Jesus said But I 394 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:22,720 say to you, do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it 395 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,520 is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, 396 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:28,520 or by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great King. 397 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:32,360 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one 398 00:28:32,360 --> 00:28:36,040 hair white or black. Let what you say be simply yes 399 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,920 or no. Anything more than this comes 400 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:43,880 from evil or the evil. 1 Matthew 534 to 37. 401 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:49,840 Now let's first discuss what James is not prohibiting here. 402 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:53,640 Let's discuss what he's not prohibiting here. 3 items he is 403 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:57,600 not prohibiting a he is not prohibiting vows. 404 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:03,720 Make sure that we don't conflate oaths and our swearing and vows. 405 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,160 We don't have time to get into a theology of vows, but vows are 406 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:11,120 not the same thing as swearing. Vows are good expressions of our 407 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:13,800 faith, but they should be used with great caution. 408 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:20,080 B He's not forbidding all or prohibiting all oaths. 409 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:23,520 We know this because there are plenty of examples in the Old 410 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:27,200 Testament and the New Testament where God's people took an oath. 411 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:30,400 So he's not, or something similar to that. 412 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:34,160 And C when you see the word swear, just in case anybody 413 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,120 would misunderstand this, he's not prohibiting cussing here. 414 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:42,920 Now, certainly Paul prohibits cussing in Ephesians 4, but 415 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:45,640 that's not what James is referring to here. 416 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,200 All right, so the Bible prohibits cussing, but that's 417 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:52,080 not what swearing means here. That's not what he's referring 418 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:56,240 to here. So what is James prohibiting? 419 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:01,560 Douglas Moo writes this. He is prohibiting the invoking 420 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:06,800 of God's name to guarantee the reliability of what a person 421 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:11,160 says. Invoking God's name to guarantee 422 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:13,240 the reliability of what a person says. 423 00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:17,080 In other words, a person may take an oath to reinforce the 424 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:21,280 truth of something he has said, to bind himself to it, or to get 425 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:23,560 to try to guarantee a future course of action. 426 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:25,840 What are some examples of this today? 427 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:30,520 Things like I swear to God, you heard somebody say that. 428 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:32,680 Did you do that? No, I didn't. 429 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:38,640 I swear to God. I swear on my mother's grave, I 430 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:44,800 swear on my life, I swear on the Bible, I swear on my kids. 431 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:48,680 And these are not the only forms of this. 432 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,560 Now James says we are not to do that. 433 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:57,080 We are not to swear in that way. Now why? 434 00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:58,440 Why? Look at verse 12. 435 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:02,000 B. Let your yes be yes and your no 436 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,720 be no. So that you may not fall under 437 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:10,280 condemnation, James writes, Let your yes be yes, let your no be 438 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:12,000 no. Now what does that mean? 439 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:17,320 Essentially, he's saying that your yes should be sufficient 440 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:20,800 and your no should be sufficient. 441 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:26,880 In other words, our plain words should be sufficient, right? 442 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:30,360 Did you pay the correct amount? Yes. 443 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:39,760 Did you lie about this? No, both James and Jesus teach 444 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:45,320 us that as Christians who speak the truth, we have no need to 445 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:48,200 reinforce the truth with swearing. 446 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,120 No Christian has a need to reinforce the truth with 447 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:54,320 swearing. Leon Morris writes this. 448 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:58,240 The conclusion of the matter is that it is never necessary for 449 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:02,440 God's people to swear an oath before they utter the truth. 450 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:07,280 Their word should always be so reliable that nothing more than 451 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:11,880 a statement is needed from them. God is in all of life, and every 452 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:16,320 statement is made before Him. And then James adds this last 453 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:21,680 statement here he says, so that you may not fall under 454 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,000 condemnation. Now what does that mean? 455 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:25,640 What? Why would this be so? 456 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:28,400 Well, condemnation here is literally judgment. 457 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:30,040 So you may not fall under judgment. 458 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:34,520 I think what James is saying is that when we swear by God's 459 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:39,920 name, or when we swear by God's creation, we are bringing God 460 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:43,080 into that oath. That's the idea, is that when we 461 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:46,600 swear, we're bringing God into this oath, but God is not 462 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:52,960 obligated to abide by our oath. And so if we break our oath, we 463 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:56,200 are bringing God's name into this lie. 464 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:02,640 For example, let's say that I owed you money and you came to 465 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:05,240 me and you said, when are you going to pay me? 466 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:06,600 And I'll say tomorrow. I was like, are you going to pay 467 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:09,160 me tomorrow? And I said, May God kill me if I 468 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:15,160 don't pay you tomorrow. But suppose I don't pay you 469 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:18,680 tomorrow and God doesn't kill me. 470 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:23,360 I have made God out to be a liar. 471 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:29,480 Not only am IA liar, I've made God out to be a liar. 472 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:33,200 God is not a liar. Now Peter did this when he 473 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:34,720 denied Christ. Remember when Peter denied 474 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:41,000 Christ Matthew 2672 again he denied it with an oath. 475 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:46,920 I do not know the man. Peter took an oath. 476 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:50,000 He sweared that he didn't know Christ. 477 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:59,560 He took an when he did. And James is saying, don't incur 478 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:02,560 this type of judgment upon yourself. 479 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:09,440 Just say yes or no and let that be sufficient. 480 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:19,120 Let the truth be sufficient. Verses 13 to 18, as I mentioned 481 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:20,639 earlier, we're going to skip over those. 482 00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:22,800 I'll look at them next week. They deal with the topic of 483 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,760 prayer. But we're going to look at the 484 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:32,280 last two verses of James. And these two verses also do not 485 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,480 seem to go with the preceding section either. 486 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:38,760 There does not seem to be any connection between verses 13 to 487 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:42,600 18 and verses 19 and 20. I think perhaps they mainly 488 00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:44,560 serve as a conclusion to the entire letter. 489 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:46,600 I think that's what these last two verses are. 490 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:47,960 They're a conclusion to the letter. 491 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:53,960 Let's look at them. Verse 19 My brothers, if anyone 492 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:58,480 among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 493 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:03,920 this is the 19th and final time that James calls them brothers. 494 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:08,720 From the beginning of this letter to the end of it, James 495 00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:13,280 wants them to know they are brothers and sisters. 496 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:18,240 Now 2 questions are raised by this verse #1 what does it mean 497 00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:21,440 to wander from the truth? And #2 what does it mean to 498 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:25,040 bring them back? Let's look at those #1 what does 499 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:27,080 it mean to wander from the truth? 500 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:31,320 Let's first be clear that this is a professing Christian. 501 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,840 That's important. This is a professing Christian. 502 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:39,400 We know that because James says, if anyone among you, meaning 503 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:43,080 anyone among you in the church. So this is not a professing lost 504 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:45,080 person. This is someone who has 505 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:49,040 professed to know the truth, who has professed to believe the 506 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:51,200 truth, but now they have wandered from it. 507 00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:55,280 To wander from the truth means at one time you did believe it. 508 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:59,360 You did profess it. That this word for wander means 509 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:03,240 to lead astray, to cause the wander to mislead, to deceive. 510 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,360 And notice what they are wandering from. 511 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:10,960 They're wandering from the truth. 512 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:15,520 Truth here doesn't mean secondary or tertiary matters of 513 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:18,720 the gospel, but primary matters of the gospel, which would 514 00:36:18,720 --> 00:36:21,440 include whether a person is living in step with the gospel. 515 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:26,320 Now one last point on this phrase. 516 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:31,280 Wandering from the truth can often be an intentional choice 517 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:34,040 on a person. Sometimes people intentionally 518 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:37,320 choose to just wander from the truth, but the majority of the 519 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:41,560 time that this word wander is used in the New Testament, it is 520 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:47,560 used in the context of being LED astray or being deceived the 521 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:49,800 majority of the time. Here's some examples. 522 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:53,360 And in these examples, they all use the same Greek word. 523 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:55,160 They all use the same Greek word. 524 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:59,640 Matthew 24. Four, see that no one leads you 525 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:03,320 astray. Matthew 2411 And many false 526 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:06,960 prophets will arise and lead many astray. 527 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:11,400 First Corinthians 69 Do not be deceived. 528 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:16,760 First Corinthians 1533 Do not be deceived. 529 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:21,560 Galatians 6-7 Do not be deceived. 530 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:25,000 First John 226 I write these things to you about those who 531 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:29,840 are trying to deceive you. First John 37 Little children, 532 00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:35,920 let no one deceive you. Now why do I point all these 533 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:39,920 verses out? I point them out because most 534 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:45,680 people who wander from the truth, they get help. 535 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:55,360 Usually they get help. They are often LED astray. 536 00:37:56,320 --> 00:38:02,080 They are often deceived. They read something. 537 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:08,600 One day they get online and they read something and they're LED 538 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:11,680 astray, or they meet up with somebody. 539 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:14,400 They meet up with another Christian who tells them that 540 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:18,440 that's not true. You can believe that you can 541 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:24,040 make that choice. They often get help. 542 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:28,480 Satan will use them to veer them off, of course. 543 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:34,440 And James says just as they get help and they're wandering, we 544 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:37,440 also need to provide help and bringing them back. 545 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:41,000 They got help in their wandering. 546 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:44,320 We need to provide help in bringing them back #2 what does 547 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:48,040 it mean to bring him back? The word literally means to turn 548 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:52,520 around and go back. Same word used in Luke 117 where 549 00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:55,680 he says that Jesus will go. I mean, John the Baptist will go 550 00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:58,120 before him. And the power, the Spirit and 551 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:03,320 the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the 552 00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:07,640 children. Or Luke 2232 when Jesus told 553 00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:12,120 Simon Peter, he says you are going to fail, but I have prayed 554 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:16,800 for you, you're going to fall, but I pray for you that your 555 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:23,480 faith may not fail. And when you have here it is 556 00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:29,640 turned again. Or Acts 319 Repent therefore, 557 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:33,440 and turn back, and one last one. Second Corinthians 316 But 558 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:37,880 whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 559 00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:42,560 And so just as someone often turns away from the truth, 560 00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:46,320 they're following the truth, and they turn away from the truth. 561 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:52,080 Our job is to turn them back to the truth. 562 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:59,280 This is what the older brother and the parable of the prodigal 563 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:06,120 son didn't do. He watched as his brother 564 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:12,720 wandered from the truth, and he didn't go after him. 565 00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:22,840 But the Good Shepherd leaves the 99 on the hills, and he goes in 566 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:25,880 search of that one who went astray. 567 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:30,040 Now how does the Good Shepherd do this? 568 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:34,920 How does the Good Shepherd go after the one who has went 569 00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:43,720 astray? You and me, you and me. 570 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:53,800 When we see a brother or sister wandering from the truth, we 571 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:59,200 don't sit idly by. We don't respect their desires, 572 00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:07,480 we don't wish them the best. We don't pray for them, period. 573 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:17,080 We go after them. We go after them and attempt to 574 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:23,440 bring them back. And look at why James says to do 575 00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:24,640 so. Look at what he says. 576 00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:29,320 Look at verse 20. Let him know that whoever brings 577 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:33,320 back a Sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death 578 00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:36,600 and will cover a multitude of sins. 579 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:40,640 Now I want you to notice what James calls this wandering from 580 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:44,440 the truth. What is it when you wander from 581 00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:47,200 the truth? It's sin. 582 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:59,400 Whoever brings back a Sinner from his wandering, he doesn't 583 00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:05,320 call it deconstruction. He doesn't call it spiritual 584 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:09,320 exploration. He doesn't call it doubt. 585 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:13,760 He doesn't call it a a spiritual crisis. 586 00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:19,840 He doesn't call it D churching. He doesn't call it a faith 587 00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:23,160 journey. He doesn't call it a 588 00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:29,280 reassessment of values. He calls it sin. 589 00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:36,960 He calls it sin. Whoever brings back a Sinner 590 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:41,040 from his wandering will accomplish 2 things. 591 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:45,800 Number one will save his soul from death. 592 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:50,280 This is so important. This is so, so important. 593 00:42:50,280 --> 00:42:52,880 Why? Because nobody wanders into 594 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:57,160 heaven. People wander into hell. 595 00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:01,240 Nobody wanders into heaven, into heaven. 596 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:07,560 I cannot tell you how many parents I have spoken to through 597 00:43:07,560 --> 00:43:11,800 the years who had a professing Christian son or daughter, or 598 00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:17,560 sometimes it is a pastor or a disciple are, and somebody that 599 00:43:17,560 --> 00:43:20,440 they, you know, their son or their daughter or their disciple 600 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:22,600 or somebody in their church wander from the truth. 601 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:24,360 And they said something along the lines up. 602 00:43:24,840 --> 00:43:27,400 Yeah, you know, they're kind of exploring their faith right now. 603 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,000 They're, they're figuring things out. 604 00:43:34,920 --> 00:43:39,720 They, they are on a journey. And listen, I get that. 605 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:41,440 I, I, I get that. I, I get that. 606 00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:43,440 No parent wants to be like, yeah, my son's a Sinner. 607 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:50,480 I, I, I get that. I, I, I don't want to suggest 608 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:52,600 that that's the perspective you should take, but but here's 609 00:43:52,600 --> 00:43:54,920 what's important is that it's so important. 610 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:59,720 We understand that if they keep wandering, they will wander 611 00:43:59,720 --> 00:44:06,280 right into hell. If they keep wandering, they 612 00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:12,200 will wander right into hell. They won't just find their way 613 00:44:12,200 --> 00:44:16,280 into heaven. They won't figure it out. 614 00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:30,880 Our job is to go after them, and we're not going after them to 615 00:44:30,880 --> 00:44:33,720 get them back in church. That's not the goal. 616 00:44:33,720 --> 00:44:36,600 Hey, what can I do to get you back in church? 617 00:44:37,720 --> 00:44:41,000 We're not going after them to get them to start leading a life 618 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:45,360 of morality. We're not going after them in 619 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:48,440 the hope that we would turn a homosexual back into a 620 00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:53,520 heterosexual. We're not going after them to 621 00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:56,600 try to turn a liberal into a conservative. 622 00:44:59,480 --> 00:45:05,360 We're going after them to save their soul from death, eternal 623 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:07,880 death. That's why we're going after 624 00:45:07,880 --> 00:45:13,920 them. I'm not going to let you just 625 00:45:13,920 --> 00:45:23,510 walk into hell. That's the first reason. 626 00:45:24,470 --> 00:45:28,950 The second reason, we will cover a multitude of sins, Peter 627 00:45:28,950 --> 00:45:31,910 writes in First Peter 48. Above all, keep loving one 628 00:45:31,910 --> 00:45:37,510 another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 629 00:45:38,950 --> 00:45:41,430 And when someone is wandering from from the truth, the most 630 00:45:41,430 --> 00:45:49,560 loving thing we can do is to not respect their path, but to go 631 00:45:49,560 --> 00:45:53,160 after them in an attempt to bring them back. 632 00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:58,320 So often we want to say, I want to be respectful of their 633 00:45:58,320 --> 00:46:00,760 choices. You know, I don't want to step 634 00:46:00,760 --> 00:46:04,280 on their toes or I don't want to, you know, make them feel 635 00:46:04,280 --> 00:46:11,200 like condemned or, or you know, it's not loving. 636 00:46:13,520 --> 00:46:17,840 The most loving thing we can do is, is, is, is strive with 637 00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:23,280 humility and grace and patience and love to bring them back. 638 00:46:27,120 --> 00:46:29,560 It doesn't matter how far they have wandered from the truth. 639 00:46:31,160 --> 00:46:33,840 I don't care how many sins they have committed and they're 640 00:46:33,840 --> 00:46:38,480 wandering. If God gives us grace to bring 641 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:43,800 them back. James says all of it will be 642 00:46:43,800 --> 00:46:48,040 covered, All of it will be forgiven. 643 00:46:52,120 --> 00:46:59,480 Let's go after the one who wandered and bring them back. 644 00:47:01,360 --> 00:47:01,800 Let's pray.