1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,720
If you would open your Bibles to
the book of James, we'll 

2
00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:09,080
continue our study of James that
we started a few weeks back and 

3
00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:10,920
we haven't made it far. 
This morning we're going to be 

4
00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,880
in verses 9 to 12 and we've kind
of been going at a pace of about

5
00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:16,760
four verses each week, give or 
take. 

6
00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:21,400
This morning we'll be in the 
next 4 verses of 9 to 12. 

7
00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:26,360
The title of the sermon is this 
All Flesh is Grass. 

8
00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,720
So let's read the text, open us 
our word of prayer, and then 

9
00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:35,000
we'll jump to the sermon. 
James one beginning in verse 9. 

10
00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:44,360
Let the lowly brother boast in 
his exaltation and the rich in 

11
00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,920
his humiliation, because like a 
flower of the grass, he will 

12
00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:51,880
pass away. 
For the sun rises with its 

13
00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,000
scorching heat and Withers the 
grass. 

14
00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,920
It's flower falls, and it's 
beauty perishes. 

15
00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:03,120
So also will the rich man fade 
away in the midst of his 

16
00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,240
pursuits. 
Blessed is the man who remains 

17
00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:13,120
steadfast under trial, For when 
he has stood the test, he will 

18
00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:18,880
receive the crown of life which 
God has promised to those who 

19
00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,880
love him. 
He will pray with me. 

20
00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:34,320
Father, this morning as we look 
at a text about our our 

21
00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:39,880
mortality, we look at a text 
about the contrast between the 

22
00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,320
lowly brother and the rich. 
And we look at a text that is 

23
00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:51,720
about trials and how blessed it 
is to be steadfast through them 

24
00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,440
and the reward that awaits us on
the other side of our mortality,

25
00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:02,920
the crown of life. 
What I pray for all that are in 

26
00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:09,720
this room and those that still 
come into it, that we all one 

27
00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:16,040
day would wear this crown. 
I pray Lord, that that everybody

28
00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:25,320
here would one day wear this 
crown, and that now today we 

29
00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:31,720
would boast in that day. 
I pray this in Jesus name, Amen,

30
00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,520
The land of a rich man produced 
plentifully. 

31
00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:45,160
And he thought to himself, what 
shall I do? 

32
00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:54,160
I have nowhere to store my tops.
And he said, we'll do this. 

33
00:02:55,720 --> 00:03:00,240
I will tear down my barns and I 
will build larger ones, and 

34
00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,520
there I will store all my grain 
goods. 

35
00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:13,840
And I will say to my soul, soul,
you have ample goods laid up for

36
00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:25,320
many years. 
Relax, eat, drink, be merry. 

37
00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:39,560
But God said to him, fool, this 
night your soul is required of 

38
00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:44,720
you, and the things that you 
have prepared, whose will they 

39
00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:51,240
be? 
So is the one who lays up 

40
00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:59,360
treasure for himself and is not 
rich toward God. 

41
00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,480
You see, this rich man forgot 
one ubiquitous truth. 

42
00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:16,880
All flesh is grass. 
He believed he had riches for 

43
00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:25,480
many years to come, forgot that 
he was grass. 

44
00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:28,680
That's what the sermon is about 
this morning. 

45
00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,000
I'm going to start off with the 
next vision of the text. 

46
00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,640
Look at this verse by verse, and
then I'll give application. 

47
00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,240
I think I have 7 exhortations 
for us this morning. 

48
00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,440
Let's start looking at it so we 
can understand what James is 

49
00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,640
teaching us this morning. 
Let's start in verse 9 where he 

50
00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,800
writes to us. 
Let the lowly brother boast in 

51
00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:51,040
his exaltation. 
So far in our sermon series we 

52
00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,800
have talked. 
James has talked about joy and 

53
00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,880
trials. 
He's talked wisdom and faith and

54
00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,360
this morning he's going to 
transition to riches and 

55
00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,040
mortality. 
James starts with this 

56
00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:08,560
statement. 
The lowly brother boast in his 

57
00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:12,160
exaltation. 
Let's first ask who was the 

58
00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,000
lowly brother? 
We didn't know who we're talking

59
00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,320
about here. 
I want you to notice that James 

60
00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,000
is calling this person a 
brother. 

61
00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:20,840
So he's talking about a 
Christian. 

62
00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:23,080
This is a fellow Christian in 
the faith. 

63
00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:28,720
And he says to them, Let the 
lowly brother, What is lowly 

64
00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,120
mean in that sentence? 
The Greek word for lowly has 

65
00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:36,320
three different definitions. 
Here they are #1 pertaining to 

66
00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:41,000
being of low social status or 
relative inability to cope, 

67
00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:46,520
lowly, undistinguished, of no 
account here's #2 pertaining to 

68
00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:52,160
being servile in manner, pliant,
subservient, abject, and here's 

69
00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,440
#3 pertaining to being 
unpretentious or humble. 

70
00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,240
Now which of the three does 
James intend here? 

71
00:05:59,840 --> 00:06:04,320
We will see in verse 10 that 
lowly is being contrasted with 

72
00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,560
rich. 
You see that contrast or being 

73
00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:11,480
contrasted which tells us that 
this is someone who is not just 

74
00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:16,720
necessarily poor. 
They have a low socioeconomic 

75
00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:21,160
status in the eyes of the world,
not in God's eyes, but in the 

76
00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,920
eyes of the world. 
They have a low socioeconomic 

77
00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,880
status. 
Remember, James is writing to 

78
00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,240
Jewish Christians who have been 
dispersed. 

79
00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,280
He's writing to the dispersion, 
and many of them have been 

80
00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:34,240
dispersed because of 
persecution. 

81
00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,160
They're living outside of the 
promise and because they've been

82
00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:39,120
driven from it because of 
persecution. 

83
00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:42,000
And what happens when you get 
driven from your home? 

84
00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,440
Often you have hard Financial 
Times. 

85
00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,280
You might even have social 
ostracism because you're not 

86
00:06:48,280 --> 00:06:51,240
with your people. 
You're living in foreign land 

87
00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,320
among the Gentiles. 
And so James is exhorting them. 

88
00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:58,760
He's letting, he's telling them,
let this lowly brother boast. 

89
00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:03,200
What does that word boast me? 
Just take pride in something to 

90
00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,800
glory in something to pride 
oneself or to brag. 

91
00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,920
Now why would James tell to 
boast? 

92
00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:17,520
Isn't boasting sin? 
Why would he tell them to boast?

93
00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,920
The Greek word for boast 2 
points are in order. 

94
00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:22,880
The Greek word for boast can 
also be translated. 

95
00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,320
Rejoice or glory can also be 
translated that way. 

96
00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:27,960
A lot of times you see the word 
rejoice or glory. 

97
00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,040
It's the same Greek word for 
boast. 

98
00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:32,440
It can mean to rejoice in 
something, to glory in 

99
00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,960
something, and B. 
The Bible teaches us that not 

100
00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:40,440
all boasting is sin. 
There is a righteous kind of 

101
00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,320
boasting. 
I'll give you some examples. 

102
00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:46,840
First Corinthians 131 Let the 
one who boast, boast in the 

103
00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:49,040
Lord. 
This comes from Jeremiah 2nd 

104
00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,640
Corinthians 12/9. 
Therefore I will boast all the 

105
00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:59,480
more gladly of my weaknesses, or
Galatians 614 But far be it for 

106
00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:04,840
me to boast except in the cross 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

107
00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:10,640
So here another example. 
James is exhorting this lowly 

108
00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:17,040
brother to boast in what? 
To boast in his exaltation. 

109
00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,800
Now what does that mean? 
That word exaltation? 

110
00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,920
It literally means high place or
height. 

111
00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,880
Literally like a literal high 
place or height. 

112
00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:29,200
So it's being used as a metaphor
here. 

113
00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:31,960
It means a position of high 
status. 

114
00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:34,480
Now is James's being paradoxical
here? 

115
00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,400
If he's lowly, how is he both 
seen any in his high status? 

116
00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,799
Isn't he lowly? 
What is James saying here? 

117
00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:48,840
Or remember what Jesus said? 
So The Who last will be 1st and 

118
00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:53,840
the 1st will be last, for 
everyone who exalts himself will

119
00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:58,360
be humbled, and whoever humbles 
himself will be exalted. 

120
00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:04,560
James is writing to these 
dispersed Christians and he's 

121
00:09:04,560 --> 00:09:09,320
telling them, Listen dear 
brothers and sisters, you may be

122
00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:14,600
lowly now, but it will not 
always be this way. 

123
00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:22,400
One day you will be exalted. 
Boast in that. 

124
00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:29,640
Look at verse 10A and the rich 
in his humiliation. 

125
00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,840
So the lonely brother is 
boasting in his exaltation, but 

126
00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:39,560
James exhorts the rich to boast 
in his humiliation. 

127
00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,280
Now we need to 1st ask who are 
the rich, right? 

128
00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,200
Anytime we talk about the rich, 
anytime you ever talk about rich

129
00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:47,560
people, it's always tricky 
right? 

130
00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,880
Because riches are relative 
aren't they? 

131
00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:55,080
See the reality is compared to 
America, we might be middle 

132
00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:58,840
class or maybe upper middle 
class, but compared to most of 

133
00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:03,360
the world, most of us if not all
of us are rich. 

134
00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,400
James says let the rich boast in
what? 

135
00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:12,520
Boast in his humiliation? 
What is that? 

136
00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,120
Interesting enough, this word 
humiliation is the exact same 

137
00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:20,880
Greek word as lowly in verse 9. 
It's just a noun instead of an 

138
00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,720
adjective. 
This word means an experience of

139
00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:29,240
a reversal and fortunes 
humiliation as an experience. 

140
00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:35,920
Now why would the rich boast in 
his humiliation? 

141
00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,480
Why would they do that? 
There are two options here, and 

142
00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,840
it depends on whether we think 
that James is talking about a 

143
00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,040
rich brother or a rich lost 
person. 

144
00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,760
It's not clear if James is 
talking about a rich brother, 

145
00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:55,320
Douglas Moo writes. 
James is saying the rich are to 

146
00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:59,760
boast and his identification 
with Christ and his people a 

147
00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:03,040
matter of humiliation in the 
eyes of the world. 

148
00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,480
Oh, James is saying that if this
is a rich brother, this rich 

149
00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,280
brother should not boast in his 
riches or his high socioeconomic

150
00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:14,160
status. 
He should boast in Christ that 

151
00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:18,240
but in the eyes of the world 
that is a humiliation that is 

152
00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:20,320
not seen as a good thing in the 
eyes of the world. 

153
00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:27,240
If James is referring to a rich 
lost person, then James is being

154
00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:34,160
ironic, IE all this rich person 
can truly boast in is his future

155
00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:38,480
humiliation in the judgement. 
And James is being ironical 

156
00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:40,240
here. 
It's not clear. 

157
00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,360
I'll come back to that. 
Look at 10 B Because like a 

158
00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:49,920
flower of the grass, he will 
pass away. 

159
00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,600
James here gives a simile that I
believe is intended for both the

160
00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:58,040
lowly brother and the rich. 
Like a flower of the grass. 

161
00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:00,240
Literally a wildflower of a 
Meadow. 

162
00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,840
That's literally a wildflowers. 
Is is how it translates. 

163
00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:08,080
Like a wildflower, he will pass 
away. 

164
00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,720
Now, what does that mean? 
Like a wildflower, he will pass 

165
00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:12,040
away. 
You ever been to see the 

166
00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:15,320
wildflowers at Mount Rainier? 
If you live here and you've 

167
00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:17,520
never done that, let me highly 
encourage you. 

168
00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:19,440
It is gorgeous. 
It is beautiful. 

169
00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:21,560
Take some time. 
I don't know what season is 

170
00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,880
June, July, something like that.
I don't remember what it is. 

171
00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:27,520
But if you've never been to see 
the wildflowers, go see them. 

172
00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:32,040
We like to think of ourselves as
mountains. 

173
00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:36,320
Mount Rainier has been there for
thousands of years. 

174
00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:40,640
But the reality is, is that we 
are not like mountains. 

175
00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:45,360
We are like the wildflowers on 
the mountains. 

176
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:52,600
Our lifespan is very short and 
in the grand scheme of things, 

177
00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:58,560
very insignificant. 
Look at verse 11. 

178
00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,400
For the sun rises with its 
scorching heat and Withers the 

179
00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,480
grass. 
Its flower falls, its beauty 

180
00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,120
parishes. 
So also will the rich man fade 

181
00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,520
away in the midst of his 
pursuits. 

182
00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,480
James continues with 
descriptions of his simile. 

183
00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:18,160
The sun rises with its scorching
heat and Withers the grass. 

184
00:13:18,560 --> 00:13:21,000
If you've ever taken a flower, 
take any flower. 

185
00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,600
Put it in direct sunlight on a 
90° day. 

186
00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:26,720
It doesn't take very long for it
to die. 

187
00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,600
It'll die very quickly. 
It's flower falls. 

188
00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:37,040
It's beauty perishes, right? 
God has made some very beautiful

189
00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:41,960
flowers. 
Roses, orchids, cherry blossoms,

190
00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:45,960
Lotus, Tulip, hibiscus, dahlia, 
peonies. 

191
00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:57,320
They all lose their beauty. 
They all die, James says. 

192
00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:03,240
So will the rich man fade away 
and die? 

193
00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:09,240
James gives the picture that the
rich man dies right in the midst

194
00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,120
of his pursuits. 
Pursuits of what? 

195
00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:14,240
Pursuits? 
Of more money. 

196
00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:21,520
I saw that Elon Musk is now 
worth $415 billion. 

197
00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:24,640
Predictions are that maybe one 
day he'll be the first 

198
00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:31,240
trillionaire, and yet all of 
those billions cannot prevent 

199
00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:36,320
his death. 
It is coming and he can't stop 

200
00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:40,120
it. 
Look at verse 12A. 

201
00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:47,200
Blessed is the man who remains 
steadfast under trial. 

202
00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:52,480
Now, what is the connection 
between verses 9:00 to 11:00 and

203
00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,400
12:00, right? 
He talked about riches and 

204
00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:57,600
mortality, and then he switches 
to blesses. 

205
00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,160
Man who remains steadfast on the
trial. 

206
00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:02,640
What is the connection there? 
I think the connection is this. 

207
00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:08,920
Money is often a means to keep 
us from trials, isn't it? 

208
00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,320
See, people want money for all 
kinds of different reasons. 

209
00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,440
Some people want money because 
they want to flaunt their 

210
00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,680
wealth. 
Some people want money to to 

211
00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:24,800
provide stability and security. 
Some want money to keep them 

212
00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:30,440
from going through trials. 
But James is saying here that if

213
00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:37,000
we want to be truly blessed, the
path is not through riches but 

214
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:42,960
through steadfastness. 
Blessed is the man who remains 

215
00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:47,600
steadfast under trial. 
Now, what is the word there for 

216
00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,200
steadfastness? 
Hoopo meno. 

217
00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:54,960
It's the verb form of hoopoe 
Monet. 

218
00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:00,240
James has already told us in 
verse 2 that we are going to 

219
00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:04,160
fall into trials. 
He says you're going to fall 

220
00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,720
into trials. 
And when you do, we have an 

221
00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:13,240
option. 
We all have an option to veer or

222
00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:21,560
to persevere, and James says 
that we will be blessed when we 

223
00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:26,200
persevere. 
Why look at the B? 

224
00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:33,160
For when he has stood the test, 
he will receive the crown of 

225
00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:35,680
life. 
Notice the condition of that 

226
00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:39,200
statement When when that's the 
condition. 

227
00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:43,840
Meaning only after this 
condition has been met, when he 

228
00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:47,160
has stood, the test has stood. 
The test is one word in the 

229
00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:49,560
Greek. 
It means to pertaining to being 

230
00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:54,880
genuine on the basis of testing,
approved, tried and true. 

231
00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:59,840
If you remember a few weeks ago 
I pointed out that all trials 

232
00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:02,480
are test, right? 
And when God gives you a trial, 

233
00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:04,440
he's testing you, He's testing 
me. 

234
00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:07,800
All trials are test. 
And we could argue that the 

235
00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:12,200
entire Christian life is 1 giant
test, right? 

236
00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:18,280
This whole life is just one 
giant test, and at the end of 

237
00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:20,560
it, there will only be two 
outcomes. 

238
00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:28,160
Pass or fail. 
There's no grading on a curve, 

239
00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:36,560
but he gets an A or AB. 
It is pass or fail. 

240
00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:44,320
And James says that the one who 
perseveres through trials will 

241
00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:51,080
pass the test, and his reward 
for passing the test will be the

242
00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:54,200
crown of life. 
Now what is that? 

243
00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:56,640
That is a metaphor for eternal 
life. 

244
00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:05,960
Look at verse 12 C, which God 
has promised to those who love 

245
00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,320
him. 
So not only is there a condition

246
00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,000
here, the condition is when 
there's also a promise. 

247
00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:16,200
The one who passes the test will
receive, will receive. 

248
00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,760
That's a future indicative 
future means that will be given 

249
00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:22,360
at a future date. 
You know, we, we would love to 

250
00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:24,200
be able to wear this crown right
now, right? 

251
00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,160
We want that kind of assurance 
where I put this crown on, I 

252
00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:28,880
walked around and everybody 
knows I'm saved. 

253
00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:31,000
I know that I'm saved. 
I know I got it. 

254
00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,480
I have the crown in hand. 
We don't get it until a future 

255
00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:36,400
date. 
Nobody gets the crown of life. 

256
00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:43,680
Now you get it at a future date,
but it is certain indicative. 

257
00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:47,240
It is the mood of reality. 
It's an indicative you will 

258
00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,800
receive the crown of life. 
God has promised it. 

259
00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:56,200
He says right here, which God 
has promised to whom? 

260
00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:03,960
To those who love him. 
Now why did James ward it that 

261
00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:08,000
way? 
Why doesn't he say to those who 

262
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:13,360
believe in him? 
Why didn't he say to those who 

263
00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:18,240
trust in him? 
Why does he say to those who 

264
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:23,920
love him? 
I think it's the same reason as 

265
00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:27,720
the argument that James will 
later make in chapter 2. 

266
00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:32,440
James will write that faith 
without works is what what 

267
00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:38,200
church family dead? 
And I think in the same vein, 

268
00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:49,280
faith without love is dead. 
God will only grant the crown of

269
00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:58,040
life to those who love Him. 
Now stop their exposition. 

270
00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:06,080
Application of the text. 
I have 7 exhortations. 7 #1 The 

271
00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:10,480
way to be somebody is to know 
somebody. 

272
00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,880
The way to make a name is to 
know a name. 

273
00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:20,800
Most of the world is trying to 
be somebody. 

274
00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:26,040
Much of the world is trying to 
make a name for themselves, 

275
00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,440
aren't they? 
People accomplish this through 

276
00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:34,760
various means. 
Politics, business, social 

277
00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:40,960
media, sports, music, religion, 
education. 

278
00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:47,640
Most of the world is trying to 
be somebody, trying to make a 

279
00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:54,080
name for themselves. 
But then we come to Jesus and 

280
00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:59,280
it's no longer about being 
somebody, but knowing somebody. 

281
00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:07,400
It's no longer about making a 
name for yourself, but knowing 

282
00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:13,040
the name, James writes. 
Let the lowly brother boast in 

283
00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:17,240
his exaltation. 
What is he getting at? 

284
00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:23,200
I think he's getting at this. 
If we feel inadequate in any 

285
00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:28,560
way, maybe we're not as 
successful as our peers. 

286
00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:35,720
Some of you struggle with this. 
You look at your peers, you see 

287
00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:37,080
that they're more successful 
than you. 

288
00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:42,280
You graduated the same class, 
you had about higher GPA than 

289
00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:44,800
them. 
You know you're smarter than 

290
00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:48,640
them and yet they are more 
successful than you are. 

291
00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:52,160
Why? 
Because they're working right 

292
00:21:52,160 --> 00:22:02,300
now and not a church. 
Maybe we don't have as much 

293
00:22:02,300 --> 00:22:07,300
money as our colleagues. 
Maybe we don't have as many 

294
00:22:07,300 --> 00:22:09,780
followers or likes or 
subscribers. 

295
00:22:11,140 --> 00:22:14,300
Maybe we're not as talented as 
the next artist or athlete. 

296
00:22:14,860 --> 00:22:18,540
Maybe we don't have a prominent 
role in our church or our 

297
00:22:18,540 --> 00:22:23,720
community. 
Maybe our parents are not as 

298
00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:28,440
proud of us as they are our 
brother or our sister. 

299
00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:37,120
Maybe we simply feel invisible 
or unwanted or unneeded. 

300
00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:48,240
James says The way to fix this 
is not to fix it. 

301
00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:58,160
The way to fix this is not to 
fix it. 

302
00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:08,440
It is to boast in the fact that 
we know Jesus Christ. 

303
00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:17,200
Rejoice in the reality that one 
day you will wine and dine with 

304
00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:22,160
the King. 
Is that enough for you? 

305
00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:38,400
Is that enough for you too? 
Riches are relative, but we 

306
00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:43,560
should all acknowledge that most
of us, if not all of us, are 

307
00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:47,800
rich. 
Riches are relative, but we 

308
00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:51,080
should acknowledge that most of 
us, if not all of us, are rich. 

309
00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:54,680
Whenever I read the category 
rich in the Bible, when I go 

310
00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:56,960
through my Bible and I read this
category, Jesus talks about the 

311
00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,040
rich, James talks about the 
rich, Paul talks about the rich.

312
00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,560
Whenever I read that category of
rich, I often distance myself 

313
00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:06,960
from that term, right? 
The rich is for millionaires and

314
00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:12,000
billionaires, not me, right? 
I might read this and be like 

315
00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:14,040
the rich boasts. 
Oh that's not me. 

316
00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:21,520
I looked up how much can a 
family of 6 make because we have

317
00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:23,520
6. 
How much can a family of 6 make 

318
00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:27,120
in Seattle and still be 
considered middle class? 

319
00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:34,520
You know how much $240,000? 
That's crazy. 

320
00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:42,840
You can make $240,000 family 
OF6240 and still be considered 

321
00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:49,680
middle class. 
I was watching a YouTube 

322
00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:52,880
documentary the other day about 
porters, people in DePaul who 

323
00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,520
carry supplies for those hiking 
on Mount Everest. 

324
00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:02,160
They hike up this rugged terrain
literally where it's like 1 slip

325
00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:04,800
and you're dead. 
And on their back they're 

326
00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:08,840
carrying this huge heavy loads. 
I mean, the load is like 3 times

327
00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,160
as wide as them and it like 
extends in the back and they're 

328
00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,560
walking like, and I'm like 
literally they take one wrong 

329
00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:15,520
step. 
They're dead. 

330
00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:17,480
They're hiking in the rugged 
terrain. 

331
00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:21,720
They, they, they, they sleep in 
these rugged makeshift hotels. 

332
00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:25,360
They work six days a week, often
12 hour days. 

333
00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:28,640
Do you know all of this? 
Do you know for how much money? 

334
00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:40,200
Between 15 and $30 a day. 
Many of them work for $15 a day.

335
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:51,760
BT how much net worth do you 
need to have for each each socio

336
00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,040
economic class? 
This is net worth right? 

337
00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:57,840
So not not liquid assets 
necessarily net worth. 

338
00:25:57,920 --> 00:25:59,480
How much do you need? 
Here's what it gave. 

339
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:05,360
Poor is between euro and 10,000,
lower middle class between 

340
00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:10,760
10,000 and 100,000, middle class
between 100,000 and 500,000, 

341
00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:16,840
upper 500,000 to 2 million. 
Affluent or wealthy 2 million to

342
00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:20,880
10 million, high net worth 10 
million to 30 million. 

343
00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:23,840
And then it goes on. 
And I was like, look, if if you 

344
00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:27,360
got more than that in our 
church, where's your tie been? 

345
00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:36,200
Now, I don't know where that 
puts you. 

346
00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:40,840
I don't know where that puts 
you, but the median net worth in

347
00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:46,480
America, the median net worth in
America, the 192,000, that's the

348
00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:49,640
median net worth in America. 
Do you know what the median net 

349
00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:57,080
worth is for the world? 
8500 with half of the world 

350
00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:02,600
having less than that. 
More than half the world is 

351
00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:08,520
worth less than $8500. 
Now, why do I give all these 

352
00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:12,880
statistics? 
This is why riches are relative.

353
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,800
They're relative. 
But we should acknowledge that 

354
00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:21,560
most of us, if not all of us, 
are rich. 

355
00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:30,440
We want to be careful that we 
don't distance ourselves from 

356
00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:37,120
the category of rich in the 
Bible simply because we don't 

357
00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:41,640
have millions compared to the 
world. 

358
00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,840
We are rich. 
We are. 

359
00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:58,440
Which leads to #3 My fellow rich
brothers and sisters, boast in 

360
00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:04,480
your humiliation. 
My fellow rich brothers and 

361
00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:12,600
sisters, myself included, boast 
in your humiliation. 

362
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,960
I mentioned earlier that if 
James is contrasting the lowly 

363
00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:21,640
and the rich as being saved and 
not saved, then James is being 

364
00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,120
ironical. 
He's saying that the rich can 

365
00:28:24,120 --> 00:28:26,840
boast and their future 
humiliation, IE their 

366
00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:29,960
condemnation. 
In other words, they can boast 

367
00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:33,320
in the fact that they gained the
world only to forfeit their 

368
00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,800
soul. 
But I'm not sure that James is 

369
00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:38,240
necessarily saying the rich is 
lost here. 

370
00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:41,840
I'm not convinced that he is. 
I think he may very well be 

371
00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:45,840
saying this. 
My fellow rich brothers and 

372
00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,800
sisters, boast in your 
humiliation. 

373
00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:53,880
Now how do we do that? 
How do we do that? 

374
00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:56,160
Let's contrast this with the 
world. 

375
00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:02,120
When the world gets wealth, they
typically boast in one of two 

376
00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:08,240
ways. 
Typically, they display it or B 

377
00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:12,520
delay it. 
They either A display it or B 

378
00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:16,760
delay it, A they display it. 
They display it in their homes, 

379
00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:22,480
their cars, their clothes, their
furniture, their jewelry, their 

380
00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:28,320
bodies, their travel, their art 
or B. 

381
00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:32,920
They delay it. 
One thing I learned years ago, 

382
00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:37,200
especially in Asian culture, is 
that just because a person looks

383
00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:48,450
poor doesn't mean they are. 
Many delay their wealth. 

384
00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:57,120
They save, save, save, save, 
save, and then they retire and 

385
00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:02,080
join endless cruises and buffets
or playing golf. 

386
00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,600
Or they give it to their kids 
and their kids display it. 

387
00:30:12,220 --> 00:30:18,700
James is saying that as 
Christians we stood boast in our

388
00:30:18,700 --> 00:30:22,620
humiliation. 
Now what does that look like? 

389
00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:27,520
Do you remember what the woman 
did who anointed Jesus's feet? 

390
00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:34,240
She broke a bottle of very 
expensive nard, poured it on his

391
00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:35,840
feet. 
Do you remember what the 

392
00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:39,320
disciples said? 
When the disciples saw it, they 

393
00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:44,000
were indignant, saying why this 
waste? 

394
00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:52,200
They humiliated her in front of 
everybody, and she was gladly 

395
00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:56,880
humiliated. 
Remember what Zacchaeus did. 

396
00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:01,040
Behold, Lord, that half of my 
goods I give to the poor, and if

397
00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:03,960
I have defrauded anyone of 
anything, I restore it fourfold.

398
00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:06,640
How many of his friends called 
him a fool after this? 

399
00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:09,920
You wonder if his wife called 
him a fool. 

400
00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:13,480
You wonder if his kids, that was
their inheritance, called him a 

401
00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:18,280
fool. 
The Apostle Paul was certainly 

402
00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:19,920
wealthy before he became a 
Christian. 

403
00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:25,560
Most Pharisees were, and he went
from being a Pharisee to a 

404
00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:28,960
prisoner, A prisoner who was 
often humiliated. 

405
00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:35,080
And we all remember Moses, Moses
who refused to be called the son

406
00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:38,000
of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing 
rather to be mistreated with the

407
00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,400
people of God than to enjoy the 
fleeing pleasures of sin. 

408
00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:46,920
He considered the reproach, or 
we might say humiliation of 

409
00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:52,080
Christ, greater wealth than all 
the treasures of Egypt. 

410
00:31:55,800 --> 00:32:01,760
My fellow rich brothers and 
sisters, boast in your humility,

411
00:32:07,190 --> 00:32:13,270
for time is relative, but we 
should all acknowledge all flesh

412
00:32:13,270 --> 00:32:17,080
is grass. 
Not only are riches relative, so

413
00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,200
is time. 
Time is relative, but we're all 

414
00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:20,840
acknowledge that all flesh is 
grass. 

415
00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,400
In this passage, James is 
clearly pulling from Isaiah 40 

416
00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:27,840
where Isaiah writes all flesh is
grass and all its beauty. 

417
00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,000
Like the flower of the field, 
the grass Withers. 

418
00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:32,360
The flower fades when the breath
of the Lord blows on it. 

419
00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:38,280
Surely the people are grass. 
You see, the problem with time 

420
00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:42,960
is that it's relative, right? 
If I asked you the question is 1

421
00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,560
hour long. 
Depends. 

422
00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:53,400
It's to load a web page. 
Yeah, that's a long time. 

423
00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:57,520
It's a long for a sermon. 
I don't know. 

424
00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:04,640
Relative to what is 1 hour long?
Relative to what? 

425
00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:08,520
In what context? 
See, one of the things we 

426
00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:11,480
realized that people's 
perception of time varies. 

427
00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:14,800
People's perception of time 
varies. 

428
00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:19,440
Someone will say to me, I'll ask
you how long they've been 

429
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:20,760
dating. 
Oh, they've been dating a very 

430
00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:22,840
long time. 
How long? 

431
00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:30,400
At least six or seven weeks. 
I sometimes will ask my boys, 

432
00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:33,680
how long ago was that? 
It was a long time ago. 

433
00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:36,600
Like long. 
Turned out it was last week. 

434
00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:45,360
Time is relative. 
It can feel like we have a lot 

435
00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:49,720
of time, right? 
Sometimes life just feels like 

436
00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:52,520
it's dragging on, feels like we 
have all the time in the world. 

437
00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:55,760
It's just right. 
Sometimes life feels fast, 

438
00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:59,880
sometimes it feels slow. 
And yet James that the reality 

439
00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:03,480
is that he will later write what
is your life for you are a mist 

440
00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:08,120
that appears for a little time 
and then vanishes. 

441
00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:13,840
This is why Moses writes, teach 
us to number our days that we 

442
00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:20,239
may gain a heart of wisdom. 
You see, what James is getting 

443
00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:23,800
at is that we can spend so much 
time working for something, 

444
00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:32,400
striving for something, chasing 
something, spend so much time 

445
00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:36,440
trying to get something and then
it's gone. 

446
00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:38,040
Why? 
Because we are gone. 

447
00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:49,239
We're gone, Solomon writes. 
Then I consider all that my 

448
00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:51,920
hands had done in the toilet I 
had expended and doing it, and 

449
00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:55,239
behold, all was vanity. 
It was a striving after the 

450
00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:57,360
wind. 
Now why does he say that? 

451
00:34:57,480 --> 00:34:59,200
Why does he say everything is 
vanity? 

452
00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:02,000
It's striving after the wind. 
Well, here's here's one example.

453
00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:05,720
It would be like if there was an
abandoned warehouse that was 

454
00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:09,120
scheduled to be demolished. 
We could just use that, that one

455
00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:13,400
right there, right that that 
grocery store that you, that 

456
00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,600
imagine if you took your life 
savings, that thing is going to 

457
00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:19,640
be demolished. 
They're going to build an 

458
00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:21,000
apartment complex there or 
something there. 

459
00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:23,920
That's what I even said. 
It's it's scheduled to be 

460
00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:24,960
demolished. 
I don't know when. 

461
00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:32,080
Imagine if you took your life 
savings and you renovated it. 

462
00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:38,840
You started painting it and 
putting up pillars and and and 

463
00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:41,560
fixing the glass in and doing. 
You took your whole life 

464
00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:45,120
savings, poured it when it's 
going to be demolished, but it 

465
00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:48,840
will be. 
How vain would that be to pour 

466
00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:53,240
your life savings into 
renovating a warehouse that's 

467
00:35:53,240 --> 00:36:00,160
going to be demolished? 
Yet how many lost people and 

468
00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:05,560
Christians alike pour their 
efforts, all their efforts, all 

469
00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:10,680
their striving, all their money 
into a life that will be 

470
00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:18,240
demolished? 
How many of us pour everything 

471
00:36:18,240 --> 00:36:24,160
we have into our life or the 
life of our children and it's 

472
00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:33,400
going to be demolished? 
Time is relative, but we should 

473
00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:44,920
all acknowledge that all flesh 
is grass. 5 Blessing is not the 

474
00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:48,680
absence of trials, but the 
steadfastness through them. 

475
00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:54,840
Blessing is not the absence of 
trials, but the steadfastness 

476
00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:59,280
through them. 
Word blessed can also be 

477
00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:01,160
translated happy. 
That's how some translate it, 

478
00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:02,280
and then that Bible translates 
it. 

479
00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:04,160
Happy is the one who remains 
steadfast. 

480
00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:06,480
You can translate it that way. 
Typically when we think about 

481
00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:09,680
whether we are happy or not, a 
large determining factor on 

482
00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:11,600
whether we're happy or not is 
whether we're going through 

483
00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:12,560
trials. 
Isn't that right? 

484
00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:16,440
I mean, when we're going through
a trial, we typically feel 

485
00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:20,920
discouraged, we feel anxious, we
feel fearful, we feel bitter, we

486
00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:24,640
feel resentful, we feel envious.
And it's only when we don't have

487
00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:29,640
any big trials in our life that 
we feel happy, you know? 

488
00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:31,760
And that kind of what somebody 
asked me, you know, Hey, man, 

489
00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:33,560
how you doing? 
My first thought is, well, then 

490
00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:38,960
how many trials I'm good. 
Or if my knee is hurting and 

491
00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:42,880
man, how are you doing? 
Can't play today. 

492
00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:46,640
My knees hurting. 
How we think, right? 

493
00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:49,120
We immediately go to whether I'm
going through a trial or not. 

494
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:54,680
And yet James doesn't say 
blessed is the man who was 

495
00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:59,160
removed from trials but remains 
through them. 

496
00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:06,200
Now, what James is getting at 
here is not a subjective emotion

497
00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:09,080
of when we can, whether we can 
consider it joy or not. 

498
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:13,640
He's not saying that. 
Well, blessed if you can have 

499
00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:17,320
the subjective emotion of, of, 
of considering a joy with this 

500
00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:19,800
trial. 
James is saying there is an 

501
00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:25,720
objective blessing when someone 
has a trial and they persevere 

502
00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:29,360
through it. 
There's an objective blessing in

503
00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:33,440
this. 
You know, that phrase, blessing 

504
00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:37,200
in disguise. 
I've always hated that phrase. 

505
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:44,600
Someone goes through a breakup 
and your girlfriend, girl goes 

506
00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:46,240
through a breakup and her 
girlfriend meets up with her and

507
00:38:46,240 --> 00:38:49,200
she's like, you know, I think 
this is a blessing in disguise. 

508
00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:54,040
Somebody loses their job, you 
meet up with them, you're like, 

509
00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:57,120
you know, I think this is a 
blessing in disguise. 

510
00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:02,400
James is saying there's no 
disguise. 

511
00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:08,320
You don't have to look for a 
silver lining in your trials. 

512
00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:10,720
That's kind of what that phrase 
is. 

513
00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:12,680
Let's try to find a silver 
lining in this. 

514
00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:14,840
You don't have to look for a 
silver lining. 

515
00:39:15,720 --> 00:39:19,640
The blessing lies in the fact 
that God has kept us standing. 

516
00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:25,720
The trial did not destroy us 
because God persevered us. 

517
00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:32,400
That's the blessing. 
If you went through a trial and 

518
00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:35,760
you're still a Christian, you 
are blessed. 

519
00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:44,800
If you still cling to God, you 
are blessed because you haven't 

520
00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:58,000
fallen. 6 The world can offer 
crown, royal crown jewels and 

521
00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:03,440
crowning achievements, but there
is only one who can give a crown

522
00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:08,160
of life. 
The world can offer a crown, 

523
00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:12,880
royal, crown jewels and crowning
achievements, but there's only 

524
00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:14,400
one who can give a crown of 
life. 

525
00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:17,280
Are not something unique to 
Christians. 

526
00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:20,080
The world goes through trials. 
Not just Christians go through 

527
00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:20,840
them. 
The world does. 

528
00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:25,040
The way that the world typically
copes with trials is usually one

529
00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:32,400
of three ways. 
Fun finances or fulfillment, or 

530
00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:37,040
another way to think of it is 
Crown Royal Crown jewels and 

531
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:42,480
crowning achievements. 
The world can offer us Crown 

532
00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:52,520
Royal fun, pleasure, enjoyment. 
There is no trial that can't be 

533
00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:59,800
fixed by crown denial. 
What can wash away my trials? 

534
00:40:59,960 --> 00:41:02,560
Nothing but a bottle of crown 
denial. 

535
00:41:09,070 --> 00:41:15,190
The world can crown jewels, 
finances and fortune. 

536
00:41:16,230 --> 00:41:18,430
With enough money, you can buy 
your way out of trials. 

537
00:41:19,950 --> 00:41:22,470
As Ariana Grande said. 
Whoever said money can't solve 

538
00:41:22,470 --> 00:41:24,880
your problems must not have 
enough money to solve them. 

539
00:41:33,140 --> 00:41:35,260
And the world can offer us 
crowning achievements, 

540
00:41:35,900 --> 00:41:39,700
fulfillment through 
accomplishments and success. 

541
00:41:39,980 --> 00:41:42,380
When the going gets tough, the 
tough gets going. 

542
00:41:43,740 --> 00:41:47,380
The way to solve trials is just 
more blood, sweat, and tears. 

543
00:41:50,220 --> 00:41:52,580
As Beyoncé says, I'm going to 
work harder. 

544
00:41:52,780 --> 00:42:02,240
I'm going to work stronger. 
The world can offer Crown Royal 

545
00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:04,800
and crown jewels and crowning 
achievements. 

546
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:11,640
There's only one who can give 
you a crown of life, James 

547
00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:14,080
writes. 
When we have stood the test, 

548
00:42:14,080 --> 00:42:20,920
because God has kept us 
standing, we will receive the 

549
00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:27,360
crown of life. 
Jesus said to the church in 

550
00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:31,200
Smyrna, do not fear what you are
about to suffer. 

551
00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:35,800
Behold, the devil is about to 
throw some of you into prison, 

552
00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:40,680
that you may be tested, and for 
10 days you will have 

553
00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:46,920
tribulation. 
Be faithful unto death and I 

554
00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:54,960
will give you the crown of life.
You know what he's saying there.

555
00:42:57,880 --> 00:43:01,400
If you start to doubt and while 
in prison, they give you the 

556
00:43:01,400 --> 00:43:03,960
option to say you know what? 
I'm not. 

557
00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:05,520
I was just kidding. 
I'm not really a Christian. 

558
00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:06,560
Can I get out? 
Yeah, sure. 

559
00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:13,000
Come on. 
You'll get out of prison only to

560
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:23,930
enter an eternal prison. 
Be faithful unto death and I 

561
00:43:24,050 --> 00:43:31,560
will give you the crown of life.
7th last point, To be a 

562
00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:36,360
Christian means to not only 
believe in Jesus and follow 

563
00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:47,880
Jesus, but also to love Jesus. 
There are millions of Christians

564
00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:57,600
who believe in Jesus, who follow
Jesus but do not love Jesus. 

565
00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:06,920
There are some in this room. 
One of the most important 

566
00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:10,240
questions that we must ask 
ourselves and others is this. 

567
00:44:10,240 --> 00:44:13,120
What does it mean to be a 
Christian? 

568
00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:18,360
We can answer that question with
these kinds of answers. 

569
00:44:18,520 --> 00:44:21,520
It means to know Jesus. 
It means to believe in Jesus. 

570
00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:24,520
It means to trust in Jesus. 
It means to follow Jesus. 

571
00:44:24,640 --> 00:44:27,480
It means to fear Jesus. 
It means to confess Jesus. 

572
00:44:27,640 --> 00:44:30,880
And those are all true. 
The problem is, you can do all 

573
00:44:30,880 --> 00:44:41,730
of those and not actually be a 
Christian because the Bible says

574
00:44:41,730 --> 00:44:45,690
that knowing and believing and 
trusting and following and 

575
00:44:45,690 --> 00:44:51,970
fearing and confessing must must
manifest themselves in loving 

576
00:44:55,560 --> 00:44:59,120
and a spiritual affection for 
Jesus. 

577
00:45:08,410 --> 00:45:13,650
If you say what you know, you 
know what love looks like. 

578
00:45:15,650 --> 00:45:17,690
Don't tell me you don't know 
what love looks like. 

579
00:45:23,470 --> 00:45:25,310
James is not the only one who 
makes this point. 

580
00:45:26,760 --> 00:45:29,720
Deuteronomy 79 The faithful God 
who keeps covenant and steadfast

581
00:45:29,720 --> 00:45:34,160
love with those who love him. 
Nehemiah 15 The great and 

582
00:45:34,160 --> 00:45:37,240
awesome God who keeps covenant 
instead, that's love with those 

583
00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:41,200
who love him. 
Psalm 14520 The Lord perseveres 

584
00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:45,800
all who love him. 
Daniel 94 who keeps covenant and

585
00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:49,560
steadfast love with those who 
love him. 

586
00:45:49,560 --> 00:45:52,480
Romans 828 for those who love 
God. 

587
00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:55,680
All things work together. 
First Corinthians 29 What God 

588
00:45:55,680 --> 00:46:01,320
has prepared for those who love 
him, church, family, the crown 

589
00:46:01,480 --> 00:46:07,360
of life gets placed not on a 
head that knows him, it gets 

590
00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:10,440
placed on a heart that loves 
him. 

591
00:46:17,320 --> 00:46:22,600
So I want to ask you the same 
question that Jesus asked the 

592
00:46:22,600 --> 00:46:32,760
Apostle Peter. 
Do you love him? 

593
00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:37,680
Let's pray.