1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,320 Good morning, Calvary Chapel, good morning. 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,400 What a blessed morning it is. Amen. 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:07,680 Amen. It's always good to be in the 4 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,680 House of the Lord. When I ask you, please turn in 5 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:16,200 your Bibles to James chapter 4. We're going to be in, We're 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:19,520 going to be in. You start at verse 7. 7 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,280 But before we do that, I have just a couple things to say 8 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:27,960 before we say something. Hey, man. 9 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:30,240 Well, first of all, I just want to welcome everyone that's here 10 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,520 today as our sister always gives the most gracious welcome to 11 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:34,960 everybody. I just want to echo that. 12 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,080 Thank you all for coming. Those of you who are new here, 13 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,200 welcome to Calvary Chapel and thank you so much for choosing 14 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:42,640 the worship with us this morning. 15 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,080 And those who are already, we thank God for you guys coming to 16 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:49,320 every, every Tuesday, I mean every Wednesday and every Sunday 17 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:52,040 that you're with us. We are grateful that you have 18 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,200 chosen to worship with us. And of course, I never want to 19 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,600 neglect those who are listening behind prison walls. 20 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,840 It's so great that you choose to worship with us and we pray that 21 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:03,880 the ministry is a blessing to you. 22 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,640 I just want to mention that, you know, there's times when people 23 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:13,560 may ask, you know, on a Sunday sometimes, how do I, how do I 24 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,560 give, you know, how do I give the cowboy child? 25 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:18,720 How do I give to this ministry? How do we give to the radio 26 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,400 station? And well, we want to answer that 27 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,880 this morning. First of all, I want to thank 28 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,480 you for your support. Those of you who give, we thank 29 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,800 you for your support. We could not do any of the 30 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,520 things that we're able to do without your precious gift, 31 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,640 financial gifts and the blessings that you have given, 32 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:42,560 particularly in 2025. But if those of you who are 33 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,640 questioned, like just some new people here and they want to 34 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:49,480 know, well, how do we give now? We don't take an offering, so 35 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,160 you never see people walking through the sanctuary with any 36 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,560 kind of receptacles or anything asking for an offering. 37 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,240 We don't take an offering as a body of Christ. 38 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,120 We give an offering and the church receives your offering, 39 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,720 but we don't take an offering. So how do you give then? 40 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:11,520 Well, first of all, back in our Fourier, in the front there is a 41 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:13,800 black box. As soon as you come in the door, 42 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,360 if you walk in those doors and you look to the left, there's a 43 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:20,280 black box there that has a opening and you can give your 44 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:24,280 gift there either when you first come in or on your way out, feel 45 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,960 free to give a gift. And also in the back there, 46 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,200 there is a black receptacle looks almost just like that one 47 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,080 and it has an opening as well. And you are able to drop your 48 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:40,600 offering in there OK as well. Now there's some of you who say, 49 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,920 well, you know what, I like to give online or I like to give by 50 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,640 push pay. If you would download the 51 00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:51,000 Calvary Chapel app, you can give by push pay on that app. 52 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,320 OK with and actually that's how I give. 53 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,680 I like to give by push pay. It's really easy. 54 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:57,560 I can be anywhere. So oh, you know what? 55 00:02:57,760 --> 00:02:59,320 I didn't get a chance to give this morning. 56 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:03,200 Bam, go on my app and it's done and it's done. 57 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,640 So it's very easy. You can give online at the 58 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,280 Calvary Chapel website if you choose to do that. 59 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,160 Some of you may say, you know what, I'm more old fashioned. 60 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,840 I like to give by mail. I want to mail mine in and we 61 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:16,560 do. We get a lot of people who 62 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,080 decided to mail their offerings in, and you can do that by 63 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,840 mailing it to Calvary Chapel Post Office, Box 716, 64 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:31,320 Greensburg, PA 156 01. So all these are the various 65 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,800 places where the various ways that you can give to this 66 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,320 ministry. But we want to thank you so much 67 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,640 because God has been faithful to this house and you're giving and 68 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:45,480 you have been a blessing to this house in terms of your faithful 69 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:50,320 and very generous giving. And we want to thank you for 70 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:56,600 that. So having said that, why don't 71 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,040 we get into the word of God? What do you think? 72 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:01,800 Amen. Let's get into the Word of God. 73 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:07,160 Let's pray. Father, we do thank you, first 74 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,240 of all, that you've given us your Son, Jesus Christ. 75 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,400 We thank you for the salvation that we have through him. 76 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,120 We thank you, Father, for our redemption, our sanctification, 77 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,160 and our justification that we have through the shed blood of 78 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:24,960 Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. 79 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,640 And we thank you for this day that you have given us, that we 80 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:33,760 will be be glad and rejoice in. We thank you Father, for these 81 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:38,560 wonderful dear brothers and sisters who make up the body of 82 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:42,200 Calvary Chapel. We thank you for their heart to 83 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:46,520 serve you through this ministry. We thank you for those who have 84 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:48,960 given and those who desire to give. 85 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,160 We ask God for a blessing upon them. 86 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:57,360 And Father, we thank you for your word, which you give to us, 87 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,800 that we may know you as we seek you. 88 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,840 So we ask today, Father, as we sit under your word, we thank 89 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:08,520 you that we've been able to worship with you through Psalm, 90 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,920 we've been able to worship through prayer, and even through 91 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,880 our giving, we worship you. And now we're going to worship 92 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,880 you, Father, by sitting under your word and submitting to your 93 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,200 word. And we pray, Father, that you 94 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:24,560 would open your mouth this morning and that You would speak 95 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,280 to us. We need you to speak to us. 96 00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:30,040 It doesn't matter what I have to say. 97 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:32,640 No one's here to see me or hear me. 98 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,040 But Father, we do want to come and hear you. 99 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,640 We want to hear Your heart concerning these passages. 100 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,440 And Father, we pray that you would cause Your word to 101 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:48,960 transform us, to change us, to make us more like your Son, 102 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,120 Jesus Christ. That's our desire every time we 103 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:56,640 come together. It calls us, O God, to grow in 104 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:01,800 the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and 105 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:06,480 every day Lord, every day. So we ask these things in the 106 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:10,640 name of our Savior, in our Lord, in Jesus name we pray. 107 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:15,720 Let everybody say Amen, Amen. So let's get into the word of 108 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:16,600 God. Amen. 109 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:24,000 So we are in James chapter 4 and although I want to the, the, 110 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:28,320 the, the main focus of our text today is going to be starting at 111 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,080 verse 7. But before we do that, I do want 112 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:34,240 to go back to chapter to verse 4. 113 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:40,640 And it says this, It says the doctors and the doctor says, do 114 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,600 you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with 115 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:49,280 God, and whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world 116 00:06:49,280 --> 00:06:54,280 makes himself an enemy of God? Or do you not think that the 117 00:06:54,280 --> 00:06:58,720 Scripture says in vain? The Spirit who dwells in US 118 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,160 yearns jealously. And I'm going to stop right 119 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:08,240 there for a second. So James was speaking, as we've 120 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:12,120 mentioned before, James is speaking to a scattered people. 121 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,760 This is not just one particular church that he's speaking to. 122 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:20,320 He's speaking to believers, but they're scattered due to the 123 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:21,880 persecution. They were scattered. 124 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,680 They've left Jerusalem and they're in a lot of different 125 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:27,760 places. So being in different places, 126 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:31,280 one of the things that can happen with church, just like it 127 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:33,720 can happen with us, right? Depending on where, where it is 128 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:40,360 that we're scattered to, there's that potential of being 129 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:46,080 persecuted by the non believers in those areas or in, in, in 130 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:49,480 this case, it was not only just the non believers or the, the 131 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:53,080 Gentiles, but also the non believing Jews. 132 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:58,800 We're also persecuting them. And, and, and James was dealing 133 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:02,920 with an issue of the people trying to survive in those 134 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:06,240 areas. And a lot of times they would 135 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:10,600 compromise in order to try to get along, in order to try not 136 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:14,200 to stand out. And, you know, we, we, we know 137 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:16,800 what that's like. You know, as, you know, growing 138 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,320 up, sometimes we just don't want to stand out. 139 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:22,040 And it's almost easier or we feel that it's easier. 140 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,800 We convince ourselves that it's easier to just compromise, to 141 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:30,760 just, you know, fit in, so to speak, be like everybody else. 142 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:37,720 But then you think to yourself, well, what was I thinking? 143 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,760 After a while, you know, of different things that you do to 144 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,200 compromise. And you think, what was I 145 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:46,960 thinking? What was wrong with me? 146 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,480 How could I have made a decision to act like that? 147 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:54,760 Well, just for just for a second there, I just want you to know 148 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:59,160 what it looks like sometimes of what was I thinking, OK. 149 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:04,000 And this is a time in my life when I capitulated to what was 150 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,520 going on around me. I wanted to look like them and I 151 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:11,560 wanted to act like them. So I have this evidence that I'm 152 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:25,570 going to share with you. What was I thinking? 153 00:09:33,330 --> 00:09:35,050 I don't know what's worse, the hair or the shirt. 154 00:09:35,050 --> 00:09:41,600 What was I thinking flowery shirt and I don't even know if 155 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:43,400 you can see the medallion in there with that. 156 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:48,160 But anyway, that was in one of my what were what was I thinking 157 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,720 days. So keep that in mind because as 158 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:54,040 we go further, we're going to get back to what was I thinking, 159 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,280 OK. But throughout the Bible, 160 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:02,400 throughout the Bible, it was mentioned by God. 161 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,080 God made it very clear that he wanted the church. 162 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,040 He wanted Israel to be separate from the other nations. 163 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,440 He warned them several times. When you go into these different 164 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:17,760 places, don't do what they do. Don't act like they act. 165 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:21,280 Don't take on their sins. Don't worship their gods. 166 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:24,280 He did it throughout the entire Old Testament. 167 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,800 Moses warned them even before they went into Canaan. 168 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:32,080 Now when you go in, make sure you don't act the way they act. 169 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,280 Don't take on their customs. Don't do the things that they 170 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:39,480 do. Keep yourself separate and even 171 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:43,000 into the New Testament, you know, Jesus made it clear, you 172 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:47,520 know, you can't serve 2 masters, OK, you either going to love one 173 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:51,040 or hate the other, or you're going to be loyal to 1 and 174 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:53,360 despise the other. But you can't serve 2 masters. 175 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:56,640 You can't serve both God and Mammon. 176 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:00,920 And I love what some of the New Testament scripture say about 177 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:02,120 it. I'm just going to look at a 178 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:05,200 couple. I'm going to start with John. 179 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,840 Let's start with John and and John and, and, and in the book 180 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,600 of John, Jesus says this in his prayer. 181 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:23,350 John 17 looking at verse 14, he says this. 182 00:11:23,630 --> 00:11:27,790 He says I have given them your word and the world has hated 183 00:11:27,790 --> 00:11:32,110 them because they are not of the world. 184 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,960 And Jesus preached that constantly that you are not of 185 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:37,560 the world. The world's going to hate you. 186 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:39,840 People are not going to receive you. 187 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:41,920 They didn't receive me, so they're not going to receive 188 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:46,240 you. So you're not of the world, just 189 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:51,280 as I am not of the world. 15 says I do not pray that you 190 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,200 should be, that you should take them out of the world. 191 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,360 We need to be here in the world. We are the light and we are the 192 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,720 salt, so we need to be here in the world. 193 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,920 The Israelites were supposed to be the people of God who would 194 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:09,600 demonstrate the righteousness of God in the earth around all 195 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,480 those Pagan nations. They were to be the light. 196 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:17,400 And we as a church today, we are supposed to be the light. 197 00:12:17,680 --> 00:12:21,640 It's a very significant thing for you to be in Christ Jesus. 198 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:24,760 It's not just to wake up every morning and say I'm saved. 199 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,240 No, our lives should demonstrate the righteousness and the 200 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:35,120 goodness and the love of Jesus Christ and we will stand out. 201 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:38,280 We will be different. Some people will love that. 202 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:40,600 Some people may love it from afar. 203 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,720 Other people are going to hate that as we're going to talk 204 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,200 about that in a second. But Jesus makes it, makes it 205 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:53,400 very clear that they, he says they are not of the world, just 206 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:57,640 as I am not of the world. Now one more, I'm going to a 207 00:12:57,640 --> 00:12:59,160 couple more. I'm going to take a look at, 208 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:03,600 let's look at Romans chapter 12. It's, it's, it's a, it's a 209 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,440 common one. I'm sure you guys could probably 210 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:07,480 recite it without even going to it. 211 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:14,560 And he just simply says this. I'm going to read 1 and 2 verses 212 00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:17,000 1 and 2. I beseech you therefore, 213 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,920 brother, and by the mercies of God, that you present your 214 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:26,560 bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your 215 00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:31,080 reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this 216 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,480 world. Conform the word con. 217 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:38,440 Inform the word con means form with it means to be with. 218 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:43,360 Do not be with this world in terms of assimilating their 219 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:45,480 ideas, assimilating their culture. 220 00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:51,160 Don't be with them in form. We should not look like them. 221 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:58,840 But he says be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 222 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:03,240 Transform means to be to go beyond, to cross. 223 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,400 We should cross their culture, not be informed to their 224 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:09,480 culture, but we should cross their culture and go beyond. 225 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,960 The Bible says that we should seek those things which are 226 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,560 above and not the things that are upon the earth. 227 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,080 We should place, we should set our minds on things that are 228 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:25,520 above. We're the Kingdom of God and we 229 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:28,040 are supposed to represent the Kingdom of God. 230 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,640 And that's exactly what James is saying here. 231 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,360 So you're going into these communities and instead of being 232 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:39,840 separate, he says, as it tells us back here, back in James 233 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:43,560 chapter 4, he says instead you're being adulterous, you're 234 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:47,640 betraying God and you're, and you're, and you're worshipping 235 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,400 their their gods and you're assimilating to their to their 236 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,440 cultures and, and doing the things that they do. 237 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,920 Instead of being separate, he said, you're, you're being an 238 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,960 adulterers and adulteresses. Do you not know that friendship 239 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:05,120 with the world is enmity with God? 240 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,880 Friendship. That means having the same 241 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:12,400 values, having those things in common and living like them have 242 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:15,600 an agreement with them. When the Bible clearly tells us 243 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:17,960 what does, what agreement does light have with dark? 244 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:26,480 But instead these, these, you know, these scattered believers, 245 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:31,360 because they were trying to get along, they became adulterers. 246 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:34,440 They betrayed, they betrayed the Lord Jesus. 247 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:39,800 Now, now, now he now, if we were to portray our loved one, just 248 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:42,160 think about that for a second. We would betray our loved one 249 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:45,120 and give our affection to someone else. 250 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,600 That would be jealousy on my part. 251 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,560 If I if, if I, if my wife was and I and I never believed she 252 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:57,640 would, but if my wife was to, if I sensed that there was 253 00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:00,120 affection that was being given to somebody else, her heart was 254 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,360 being given to someone else, that would create jealousy in 255 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:05,720 me. I would be jealous. 256 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:12,720 God was jealous and he says that down here in verse in verse 5, 257 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:17,640 he says the spirit who dwells in US yearns jealously. 258 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:21,520 That means it longs for their affection. 259 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:25,520 He longs for their heart. But that heart was given to 260 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,320 another God. That heart was given to another 261 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:30,920 culture, and they started acting like other people. 262 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,520 And God is saying the spirit in you is jealous. 263 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:38,960 I want your affection because my affection is better for you. 264 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:47,400 I give life the things of the world, earthly, sensual, 265 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,120 demonic, those things bring death. 266 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,080 So he was jealous for them. But even what it says back here 267 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:57,640 and when he says, do you not know? 268 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:00,000 Their friendship with the world is enmity against God. 269 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,920 That means it's hostile against God, hostile, very hostile 270 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:11,000 against God. Whoever therefore wants to be a 271 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:15,520 friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God, makes 272 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:20,720 himself an enemy of God. Who wants to be an enemy of God? 273 00:17:23,079 --> 00:17:27,680 But when we compromise with the world, is what James is saying 274 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:30,040 to these people. When you compromise with the 275 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:33,120 world, you're making yourself an enemy of God. 276 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:36,240 Why? Because the world hates God. 277 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,400 The world hates God very quickly. 278 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,320 Can we go back to Psalm 2 very quickly? 279 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:49,080 This epitomizes exactly what James is saying, that in terms 280 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:55,920 of the world versus the church, Psalm chapter 2. 281 00:17:56,360 --> 00:18:03,480 Again, most of you can probably recite this song by heart, but 282 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:07,440 just so we have a good understanding, let's just read 283 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:11,440 it. Verse one says this Why do the 284 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:15,800 heathens rage? Or why does a nation's rage and 285 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:21,000 the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set 286 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:23,840 themselves, and the rulers take counsel together. 287 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:26,200 Look who they're taking counsel against. 288 00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:36,160 Against the Lord, against the Lord and against his anointed. 1 289 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:41,640 The Messiah, verse 3 This is the attitude of the world. 290 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:45,240 This is the attitude of the world, and it's the attitude of 291 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,280 the flesh, which is why we have to keep our flesh in check. 292 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:57,680 Let us break their bonds in pieces and castaway their cords 293 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:02,520 from us. We've got, we don't want you to 294 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:09,160 rule over us, so we're casting your bonds away from us. 295 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,000 That's why they get rid of Bibles. 296 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:16,240 They don't want us to have Bibles in public places and they 297 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,400 don't want us to have Bibles in school where and work and all 298 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:22,360 those things because they want to cast those things out. 299 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:24,960 They want to get rid of those things, though. 300 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:32,080 Listen, the world hates God and the world is saying to us, God, 301 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:36,120 you are not going to rule over me. 302 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:43,120 And as a church we need to understand that, but we need to 303 00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:48,200 stand on the word of God because He will rule over us. 304 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:54,760 He is our authority. He is our ultimate authority, 305 00:19:55,040 --> 00:20:01,600 even over the authority of man. So and we see that. 306 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:06,800 In our society, we see that in our in the culture that they're 307 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,360 refusing to let God rule over them. 308 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,720 They say, well, how? Well for one thing, when someone 309 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,440 says we're, you know, I, we're, you know, we're teaching the 310 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:21,200 children right from wrong when parents say it, or even when or 311 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:24,720 even when the school say it, we're teaching your children 312 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:29,640 right from wrong. We better make sure that we 313 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:36,640 understand what right and wrong they're talking about because 314 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,320 there's right and wrong concerning the culture. 315 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:42,280 What they say is right and wrong, and then there's a right 316 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:44,200 and wrong, which is of this word. 317 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,480 So you as a parent, you better be. 318 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:55,640 We have to be as a community here, even with our kids that we 319 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,000 see here. And I'm so glad that we see 320 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,760 young kids sitting in the sanctuary hearing the Word of 321 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:05,360 God. We as a community teach our 322 00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:11,480 children right from wrong as it relates to the Word of God. 323 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:15,560 Let me give you an example of where I saw that. 324 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:21,200 That really, really caused me to see that there's a cause for 325 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:27,320 concern. When I was working, I was at a 326 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:33,680 meeting and my then supervisor and about two or three other 327 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:35,800 people were having a conversation. 328 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:37,880 I was earshot of the conversation. 329 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:40,720 They weren't talking to me, but they were having this 330 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:47,200 conversation and I heard the manager say this the other 331 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,760 night. I was so proud of my son. 332 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,440 He came home from school and his grandfather was there. 333 00:21:56,120 --> 00:22:01,800 He came home from school and he said, mom, our teacher, who was 334 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,640 a man, brought his husband to school. 335 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:11,440 Wow. The father said, what 336 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:13,680 grandfather? The grandfather says what? 337 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:19,280 That's not right. And then the little boy said, 338 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:25,680 Pop, anybody who loves anybody is right. 339 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:32,720 And the mother beamed and she was so happy and, and, and and 340 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:36,560 so, you know, blessed by the fact that her son could stand up 341 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:40,000 and say that. And then she says to the father, 342 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:47,600 I don't want discrimination of any kind in this house. 343 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:57,280 So we know. We know what is right and wrong 344 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,520 concerning the way that she looks at things. 345 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:04,360 When she said that, I turned to her who wasn't in the 346 00:23:04,360 --> 00:23:10,280 conversation but was earshot. I said, I agree with dad, I 347 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:15,520 agree with granddad. And from that time on, there was 348 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:21,160 a target on my back. But I did, I agree with dad, 349 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:27,240 granddad, we have to make sure that our kids are getting right 350 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:33,000 and wrong from the right source because the culture has totally 351 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,480 confused what they think is right and wrong. 352 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:40,000 And, and, and, and I know I believe we talked about this a 353 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,440 little bit, but I just want to go through this just a little 354 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,360 bit. When you talked about what's 355 00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:50,560 right and wrong, how does their values where they look at things 356 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:55,200 as being right and wrong and their hatred of God and their 357 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:59,800 refusal to be under the authority of the word of God? 358 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:05,080 Well, first of all, how about a traditional family, Their idea 359 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:08,080 of tradition, a traditional family is it could be a man and 360 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:11,360 a man, a woman and a woman. I mean, totally want to tear up 361 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:15,480 the traditional family, the biblical traditional family. 362 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:19,880 We have to be able to stand and say, no, that's not right. 363 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,960 Traditional family is a man and a woman. 364 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:30,000 It cannot be to women. It cannot be to to men. 365 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:33,480 Why can't it be? Because the creator who created 366 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:36,400 family says it was a man and a woman. 367 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:45,840 That's why when we look at when we look at marriage, they think 368 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:51,040 anybody can get married. No, it is not right for two 369 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,840 women to get married. You can't produce. 370 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:55,960 It's not right for two men to get married. 371 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,280 It is between a man and a woman. But let's look at something 372 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:02,000 else. Let's look at genderism where 373 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:05,840 they think that it's OK that a, a kid 810 years old comes home 374 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,680 and say mommy, you know, a son, a boy comes home and say Mommy, 375 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:10,320 I want to be, I want to be a girl. 376 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,480 Or a 10 year old girl comes home and say, Mommy, I want to be a 377 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,840 guy. God made a mistake. 378 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:23,520 I should have been a no, sorry. What you get at birth. 379 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:25,800 That's what God intended you to be. 380 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:30,040 That's what God intended you to be. 381 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,040 I'm not calling. We should not be calling some 382 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:37,840 man Sally. If his name is Stu, it's Stu. 383 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:43,040 It ain't going to be Sally. We can't be calling some woman 384 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,000 Donald because her name is Diane. 385 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,520 But that's what the culture will force us to try to do. 386 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:56,520 And if we participate in that, then we're not setting ourselves 387 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,520 separate from the church, from the from the world. 388 00:25:59,360 --> 00:26:03,120 We look just like and sound just like the world. 389 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,880 It's amazing that somebody would say that God made a mistake. 390 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:13,640 He put the wrong person in the wrong body. 391 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:23,880 No, God did not make a mistake. So when we look at all these 392 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,600 things and we can go on and on. I mean, I mean, the culture has 393 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,320 just been, you know, the fact that, you know, they want to 394 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,920 call marriage. Well, they, they well, it's it's 395 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:33,880 legally marriage. If somebody lives together for 396 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,920 seven years, no, God still say that's fornication. 397 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:42,240 God says it's fornication. When you get married, then you 398 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:45,640 become a married couple. When you have vows before him, 399 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:48,000 then you become a married couple. 400 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:51,440 It's not just because you live together. 401 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:54,280 We don't Playhouse in the church. 402 00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:59,440 We just don't know. The world may say that world may 403 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,640 be OK with that. We can't be. 404 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:04,720 And James is saying to this church here and to this body of 405 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:09,760 believers, we have to stop committing adultery against God 406 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,960 and we have to stop becoming this friendship with the world. 407 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,200 It doesn't mean we don't associate with the world, but to 408 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:21,000 be a friend of the world means that we are going to compromise 409 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:25,240 and bend just so we can get along with the world. 410 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:28,920 And we can't do that. We can't do that. 411 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,320 So it goes on here. And like I said, he says, what 412 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:39,480 do you, you know, do you think the Scripture says in vain that 413 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:42,560 the Spirit who dwells in US yearns jealousy? 414 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:46,120 In other words, the Holy Spirit, when we, when he sees those 415 00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:50,400 idols like that in the life of the church and the life of a 416 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:55,600 Christian, the Spirit, the Holy Spirit that's in US, he yearns 417 00:27:55,600 --> 00:28:00,080 jealously. He longs jealously, but verse 6 418 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:06,400 is the good news. Verse 6 is the good news, but he 419 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:15,640 gives more grace. He gives more grace, bless the 420 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:18,560 Lord. So maybe I've gone through these 421 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:21,520 things in my life at one time, and I did. 422 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:24,880 There was a time when all those things were OK. 423 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:32,920 Then when the Holy Spirit comes and moves in, all of a sudden 424 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:38,360 now your life changes. We're transformed by the Holy 425 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:40,760 Spirit. And it doesn't mean that we no 426 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:43,160 longer sin. It doesn't mean that we no 427 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:45,800 longer slip. But what it means is that our 428 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:49,040 hearts now yearn for the things of God. 429 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:51,840 They yearn for the things of God. 430 00:28:55,160 --> 00:29:00,680 So the good thing is that when we humble ourselves and say, 431 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:13,480 God, I am wrong, I sinned, I'm in sin and I want to repent, I 432 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:18,920 want to ask for forgiveness. I want to give my heart back to 433 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:24,200 you. When he says, but he gives more 434 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:27,160 grace, that means that grace is there for us. 435 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:32,000 That grace is there for us. And that's such a great, a great 436 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,640 thing. Because I'm sure that there's 437 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:35,880 people, it may be people who are listening, maybe somebody that's 438 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:41,240 even here who may be thinking, the things I did are so bad. 439 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:43,640 There's no way God is going to forgive me. 440 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:48,360 There's no way he's going to be OK with me because the things I 441 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:59,600 did are so bad. No, God gives more grace and 442 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:03,760 even where he says here God resists the proud, the proud of 443 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:07,240 those who want to continue in that way and want to justify 444 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:10,640 being in that way and want to make it sound OK being in that 445 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:13,720 way and try to spin it. So being in that way is OK 446 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,240 because I want to do things my way. 447 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:19,800 I don't want nobody to tell me what to do. 448 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:24,040 That's the proud and God resists the proud. 449 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:27,480 And that word resists is scary because it means that God steps 450 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:33,360 in and stands against the proud. He steps in and he is saying to 451 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:36,200 the proud. I'm opposing the proud. 452 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:42,880 I don't want to be in a position or in a place to be opposed by 453 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:44,920 God. But he says what? 454 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:49,920 But he gives grace to the humble, to those who ask for 455 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:53,360 forgiveness, to those who humble themselves and come before him 456 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,920 and repent. And I've been the recipient of 457 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:01,320 that grace more times than I can count. 458 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:07,480 And I'm sure most of you have too. 459 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:10,760 And thank God He is a God of grace. 460 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:15,400 Because had he judged me according to my life, had he 461 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:19,800 judged me according to my works, had he judged me according to my 462 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:24,920 sins, I wouldn't be here. He would have destroyed me, 463 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:27,200 taking me out just like he did Ananias and Sapphira. 464 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:33,800 Just like he did with what ABBA who and his brother. 465 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:43,880 Judgment came quick and it was swift and it was harsh. 466 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,760 But if we're, if we're honest, every one of us here have done 467 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:55,000 something that would have been justifiable for God to judge us 468 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:58,480 in that way. Every one of us, but because of 469 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:03,560 Jesus Christ, because of the shed blood of our Savior Jesus 470 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:08,000 Christ, we're not judged according to our sins. 471 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:15,480 Blessings is the man whose transgressions are forgiven, 472 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:21,400 whose sins are covered. That's why we love him. 473 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:28,200 That's why we love Jesus Christ. And then verse 7, he says, 474 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:31,160 therefore, so you look at all those things that happened 475 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:35,800 prior, the fact that we had these wars and you know, in 476 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:39,280 verse one, we had these wars and these fights in the church and 477 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:42,200 recognizing that those things came from the fact that we in 478 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:44,320 our own hearts are warring against each other. 479 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,800 And the fact that we were adultery, We, we, we betrayed 480 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:50,400 God and we weren't faithful to God. 481 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:52,600 And we and, and, and the fact that this, you know, these, 482 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,880 these people were, were going after other gods and 483 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:59,760 assimilating with the culture and being friends with the world 484 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:06,600 and enemies against God in spite of all those things come to 485 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:12,200 verse 7. And he says, therefore submit to 486 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:17,720 God because his grace, he gives grace to the humble. 487 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:23,920 So therefore submit to God, resist the devil and he will 488 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:27,200 flee from you. Submit to God. 489 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:33,440 Unfortunately, sometimes because of the the desire for certain 490 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:38,080 people to want to have the pleasure and the desires of this 491 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:42,040 world, instead of submitting to God, we submit to the 492 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:48,040 temptations of the evil 1 and resist God. 493 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:52,040 When the Holy Spirit is pulling us and saying don't do that, we 494 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:53,800 resist that and submit the devil. 495 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:59,440 But God is saying submit. James is saying here, submit to 496 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:03,160 God. This is what humility looks 497 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:04,640 like. Submit to God. 498 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:07,280 And what we're going to talk about from this point on to 499 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:11,360 about the next three, 3 verses or so, it's going to be our 500 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:14,960 relationship with the Father, our relationship with God. 501 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:18,000 And the first thing we need to do is to submit to him. 502 00:34:18,639 --> 00:34:22,280 Submit to Him whenever we have those decisions to make. 503 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:25,159 Am I going to do it the way the culture says it, or am I going 504 00:34:25,159 --> 00:34:27,639 to do it the way God do it? Submit to Him. 505 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:32,000 Submit to God and resist the devil. 506 00:34:32,199 --> 00:34:35,840 In submitting to God, we do resist the devil. 507 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:41,400 Thank God if we resist, if we submit to God, we are resisting 508 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:42,880 the devil. All we have to do is just look 509 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:46,239 at the example of Jesus Christ when he was in the wilderness 510 00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:50,080 and when they were and when they came to, when the enemy came to 511 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:55,719 tempt him. Four times he tried to get Jesus 512 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:59,760 to submit to him. The devil, He wanted you to 513 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,080 submit to him. But Jesus was full of the Holy 514 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:08,080 Spirit, full of the Holy Spirit. Fasting 40 days and 40 nights. 515 00:35:08,240 --> 00:35:17,680 Body was weak, but he refused on any point to give to Satan. 516 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:21,080 He refused. Just look at that for a second. 517 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:23,080 Go back. It's always good to read those 518 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:29,520 things again. Go back to Matthew 4 and very 519 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:34,280 quickly when we look at what Jesus went through and how he 520 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:38,880 handled it, how he submitted to God and resisted the devil. 521 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,960 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be 522 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:47,400 tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted 40 days 523 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:49,760 and 40 nights afterward, he was hungry. 524 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:55,320 Now when the attempter came to him, he said, if you are the Son 525 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,800 of God, command these stones to become bread. 526 00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:03,680 But Jesus meaning he answered and said, It is written 527 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:07,320 submitting to God, man shall not live by bread alone, but by 528 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:10,360 every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 529 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:14,240 Then in verse 5, the devil then took him up into the holy city 530 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:18,200 and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If you 531 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:21,280 are the Son of God, throw yourself down for what is 532 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:23,920 written. He shall give his angels charge 533 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:29,480 over you, and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you 534 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:33,480 dash your foot against a stone. Now we know that Satan knows the 535 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:35,920 word of God as well, but it doesn't mean he always quote it 536 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,880 right? Doesn't mean he always quote it 537 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:41,800 right. He will change something in that 538 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:47,560 in that verse so that it disobeys God. 539 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:51,960 So in this one, he changed a couple things so that it 540 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:54,520 disobeyed God. But then Jesus said this to him. 541 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:57,440 It is written, you shall not tempt the Lord your God. 542 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:01,520 And again, the devil took him up on to an exceedingly high 543 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:05,200 mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their 544 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:07,960 glory. And he said to him, all these I 545 00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:11,400 will give to you if you fall down and worship me. 546 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:18,200 And that is exactly what the world wants, is for us to put 547 00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:22,640 ourselves in a position that it looks like we're worshipping the 548 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:26,720 world or worshipping Satan. It's exactly what they want, 549 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:29,360 Anything. Look, Satan doesn't mind us 550 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:30,840 coming to church. He doesn't mind us calling 551 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:33,560 ourself a Christian. He just doesn't want us to obey 552 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:38,520 God. He just doesn't want us to obey 553 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:40,280 God. He doesn't want us to live like 554 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:43,440 a Christian. He doesn't want us to walk in 555 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:46,320 the ways of Jesus Christ. Call yourself whatever you want, 556 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:48,560 Satan said himself. I mean, you know, over in James, 557 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:51,840 he said himself, demons believe and they tremble. 558 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:55,040 He don't mind you believe in, but he don't want you to obey. 559 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:59,080 He don't want you to obey. He don't care if you hear the 560 00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:00,280 word. He just don't want you to be a 561 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:05,640 doer of the Word. That's where we make the, that's 562 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:09,080 what we can have the difference. So Jesus said to him, it is 563 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:10,800 written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. 564 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:12,560 Again. The devil took him up on 565 00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:15,080 exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of 566 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,040 the world and their glory. And he said to him, All these 567 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:20,840 things I will give to you if you fall down and worship me. 568 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:25,880 And Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan, for it is written, 569 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:30,200 you shall worship the Lord your God in him, and him only shall 570 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:34,000 you serve. That is the example of someone 571 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:39,320 or how Jesus submitted himself to God, submitted himself to the 572 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:42,600 word of God at every turn, and resisted the devil. 573 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:45,760 So how do we submit? First of all, we need to draw 574 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:48,120 near to God. Look at what it says in verse 8. 575 00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:52,280 Let's draw near to God and he will draw near to you. 576 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:57,200 No one has ever tried to draw near to God, and God draw away 577 00:38:57,200 --> 00:39:00,600 from them. He's never drawn away from 578 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:04,080 anybody who draw near to him. Never. 579 00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:09,000 In fact, Jesus said all that will come to me. 580 00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:13,080 He said I won't lose any of them out of my hand. 581 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:15,880 No one can come to him except the Father send them. 582 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:20,720 And all that comes to me and all that the Father send will come 583 00:39:20,720 --> 00:39:25,960 to me, and I will lose none of them, none of them. 584 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:30,280 So you know, when, when, when we come and we draw ourselves to 585 00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:34,920 God, God never refuses us. In fact, there's nowhere that I 586 00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:39,600 can remember in the Word of God where someone repented and God 587 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:45,320 did not receive their humility. Even Ahab. 588 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:52,720 Ahab, who was one of the worst kings when he repented God did 589 00:39:52,720 --> 00:39:57,320 not do all the, the, the things that he was going to do to Ahab 590 00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:00,400 deferred it because Ahab ended up going back and doing wrong 591 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:04,400 anyway. Even Manasseh, same thing when 592 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:08,520 he repented, God hurt him. God hurt him. 593 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:13,000 He hears the repented heart. He hears it all the time to 594 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:16,840 repent at heart, you know, so he, you know, so we, we draw 595 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:19,520 near to God and he will draw near to us. 596 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:22,960 Then he says, cleanse your hands, cleanse your hands. 597 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:26,960 Cleanse your hands. That means, you know, cease from 598 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:29,600 doing sin. You know, there's activity that 599 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:33,120 we do that may be sinful. Things that we do with our hands 600 00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:35,320 is outward things that we do that are sinful. 601 00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:39,560 And James says, cease from doing those things, cease from doing 602 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:42,120 those things, you know, whatever that activity is. 603 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,240 And we and we, we, you know, we know what our own activity is. 604 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:47,760 If there's something that we're doing that's contrary to the 605 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:51,640 word of God, James is just sharing it very clearly that 606 00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:53,640 this is what this church was doing. 607 00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:56,920 And James said, well, stop doing those things, you know, put away 608 00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:01,480 your idols, you know, stop, you know, stop participating in 609 00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:05,680 sexual immorality, You know, you know, you know, stop hating your 610 00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:09,080 brothers, you know, stop talking against your brothers. 611 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:13,160 There are things that that, that, that we do outwardly that 612 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:15,800 we need to be cleansed from, that our hands need to be 613 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:18,040 cleansed from. I love what it says over in 614 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:22,920 Second Corinthians chapter 6. Second Corinthians chapter 6. 615 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:26,440 This is another one of those scriptures that makes it very 616 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:32,480 clear how we are to be separate from the world and and and the 617 00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:36,280 Bible makes it very clear. So over in in second Corinthians 618 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:38,760 chapter 6, and I'm just going to start right there, verse 14. 619 00:41:38,760 --> 00:41:42,120 It says do not be equally unequally yoked together with 620 00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:44,560 unbelievers. For what fellowship has 621 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:47,560 righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light 622 00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:50,600 with darkness? And what accord has Christ with 623 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:53,560 Belau? And what part has a believer 624 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:56,720 with an unbeliever? And what agreement has a temple 625 00:41:56,720 --> 00:41:59,840 of God with idols? For you are the temple of the 626 00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:03,720 living God, as God has said, I will dwell in them and I will 627 00:42:03,720 --> 00:42:06,040 walk among them. I will be their God and they 628 00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:10,120 shall be my people. Therefore come out from among 629 00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:16,040 them and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch what is 630 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:19,200 unclean. And I will receive you. 631 00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:23,120 I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and 632 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:27,680 daughters says the Almighty God. And then in verse 1 of chapter 633 00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:30,800 of Chapter 7 in the same book right down from it, it says 634 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:35,280 therefore having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse 635 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:40,000 ourselves from all filthiness and the flesh of the flesh and 636 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:44,760 spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 637 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:46,880 And that's what he's asking for, holiness. 638 00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:51,560 And thank God we don't have to, you know, make we don't have to 639 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:54,560 sacrifice bulls and animals in order to draw near to God 640 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:56,920 anymore. We don't have to sacrifice and 641 00:42:56,920 --> 00:43:00,440 get blood from bulls to sprinkle us for our hands to be clean. 642 00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:03,880 We don't have to go through ceremonial rituals in order to 643 00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:10,120 be clean. Jesus Christ cleanses us from 644 00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:13,320 all sin is what the word of God says. 645 00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:18,640 If we confess our sins so we don't, we have this cleansing 646 00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:23,040 that comes from Jesus Christ because he can cleanse us to the 647 00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:26,800 uttermost. I received, I received a, an 648 00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:30,040 article from a dear sister yesterday that just really 649 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:32,800 blessed me. And I, I have to just talk about 650 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:37,600 how the article talked about how, when, when, when the Bible 651 00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:42,520 says that we are to search or, or that God searches the, the, 652 00:43:42,600 --> 00:43:46,560 the mind and the heart. When God searches that it's not 653 00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:51,240 just a superficial search of the mind and heart, but is actually 654 00:43:51,240 --> 00:43:59,120 in the Hebrew it is actually stated that it's the kidneys and 655 00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:03,440 the heart, the kidney and the heart, which is actually in 656 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:07,840 places that are deeper than just the mind or just the heart. 657 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:11,720 It's deeper inside of us and, and the whole thinking is this 658 00:44:11,720 --> 00:44:16,240 without going through a whole statement about it. 659 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:22,600 It's about God seeing areas in our lives that we may not even 660 00:44:22,600 --> 00:44:28,240 realize are there. He cleanses us totally. 661 00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:31,440 When the scripture says in Hebrews that He saves us to the 662 00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:35,080 uttermost, that means that everything, when we come before 663 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:38,480 Him for cleansing, He cleanse us everything. 664 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:42,120 Everything. Even the things that we don't 665 00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:46,920 mention to Him are being cleansed when we come before Him 666 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:53,000 because He sees everything and we are cleansed in Him. 667 00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:58,120 So we can come before Him not by the the blood of goats and 668 00:44:58,120 --> 00:45:03,200 bulls, but we can come through with boldness by the broken body 669 00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:08,920 and blood of Jesus Christ. Thank you Jesus. 670 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:13,320 And then he tells us, he says, purify your hearts, you double 671 00:45:13,320 --> 00:45:18,040 minded The people in this church was was living a life that was 672 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:22,120 totally double minded. You know, they were they were 673 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:25,480 trying to act Christian, but yet they were compromising with the 674 00:45:25,480 --> 00:45:27,440 world. And he says, no, cleanse 675 00:45:27,440 --> 00:45:30,560 yourself from those things. You double minded. 676 00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:33,120 You know, you know, you're going to either be on one side or the 677 00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:35,160 other. You can't be lukewarm. 678 00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:38,120 You won't either be hot or you be cold or I'm going to spew you 679 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:40,760 out, you know, cleanse your mind. 680 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:45,520 You double minded. You can't both serve God and 681 00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:48,680 Mammon. You can't serve 2 masters. 682 00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:51,080 It's what he's saying to them and to us. 683 00:45:51,960 --> 00:45:53,680 Cleanse ourselves from those things. 684 00:45:53,680 --> 00:46:00,120 Let's give ourselves, submit ourselves holy to the Lord and 685 00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:02,440 then over here and then we're going to, we're going to stop 686 00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:05,600 after this one. Verses 9 and 10 he says lament, 687 00:46:06,120 --> 00:46:10,320 mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to 688 00:46:10,320 --> 00:46:14,800 mourning in your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight 689 00:46:14,800 --> 00:46:18,200 of the Lord, and He will lift you up. 690 00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:29,120 Unfortunately, when we're living in that ungodly life, running 691 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:32,000 after the pleasures of the world, running after our own 692 00:46:32,000 --> 00:46:34,480 desires, it's almost like we celebrate it. 693 00:46:34,480 --> 00:46:38,080 We're laughing and joking and, and, and just act like we're 694 00:46:38,080 --> 00:46:43,120 having such a grand old time when we should actually be 695 00:46:43,120 --> 00:46:47,040 mourning. We should be weeping, we should 696 00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:52,160 be lamenting. Even when we think back on those 697 00:46:52,160 --> 00:46:55,560 things, it should give you one of those mind things where you 698 00:46:55,560 --> 00:47:02,400 said, what was I thinking? I don't know about you, but I've 699 00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:06,760 had some of those moments when I'm sitting and I'm meditating 700 00:47:06,760 --> 00:47:10,800 or pondering some things that that I was, you know, that I'm 701 00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:15,000 trying to, to do with the Lord. And then these thoughts start 702 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:17,880 coming back of things that I've done years ago. 703 00:47:18,560 --> 00:47:21,320 And I think, how could I have done that? 704 00:47:21,400 --> 00:47:28,520 What were you thinking? Not just this picture, but I 705 00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:31,480 mean actual activity and things that I've done. 706 00:47:31,680 --> 00:47:34,760 And I wondered how could I have done that to a God who loves me 707 00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:38,000 so much, who died for me? And I, and I started, you know, 708 00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:40,840 and of course I thought about Clark's description last week 709 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:43,840 when he talked about the crucifixion, when that thing 710 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:49,160 drives home what he went through and, and, and, and he, he, he 711 00:47:49,160 --> 00:47:52,080 did it eloquently, You know, there, there was no question 712 00:47:52,080 --> 00:47:55,760 about it. He drew a picture for us that we 713 00:47:55,760 --> 00:47:59,160 should all be able to see of of some of the devastation. 714 00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:02,240 And I say some of the devastation because I've read 715 00:48:02,320 --> 00:48:07,000 many of them and every one of them, people will say, but this 716 00:48:07,880 --> 00:48:13,080 is not even close to what he actually went through, what he 717 00:48:13,080 --> 00:48:16,440 went through. And when I think about that and 718 00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:24,360 then think about my life and the things that I've done, how could 719 00:48:24,360 --> 00:48:29,240 I have done that to him? Lord, how could I have done that 720 00:48:29,240 --> 00:48:32,040 to you? How could I have acted that way? 721 00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:35,600 How could I have compromised that way? 722 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:43,600 And yes, I've lamented, I've wept and I've mourned. 723 00:48:46,480 --> 00:48:50,200 There's things that I say or have said and, and, and when the 724 00:48:50,200 --> 00:48:53,800 Lord brings it to my attention, I think, why, What was I 725 00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:56,560 thinking? Why would I have said that? 726 00:48:56,560 --> 00:49:02,520 And I can, you know, lament those things. 727 00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:07,080 So we should, James is saying there should be some remorse 728 00:49:07,520 --> 00:49:11,120 about our sin, not celebrating it, not laughing it up. 729 00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:16,040 You know, that laughter needs to be turned to mourning and that 730 00:49:16,040 --> 00:49:20,320 joy that we that we feel about seeking this, this ungodly 731 00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:24,800 pleasure and this ungodly joy that should be turned to gloom. 732 00:49:26,520 --> 00:49:30,040 We should feel a reproach concerning those things. 733 00:49:30,880 --> 00:49:34,560 And then he says, well, humble yourselves again. 734 00:49:34,880 --> 00:49:36,960 He tells us about humbling ourselves. 735 00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:39,800 Humble yourselves in the sight of God, in the sight of the 736 00:49:39,800 --> 00:49:43,240 Lord, and He will build and lift you up. 737 00:49:43,560 --> 00:49:47,840 Unfortunately, sometimes we want to be lifted up by the world. 738 00:49:49,360 --> 00:49:51,160 We want the things of the world to lift us up. 739 00:49:51,160 --> 00:49:53,080 We want the accomplishments of the world that we do in the 740 00:49:53,080 --> 00:49:56,160 world to lift us up. We want the things, the material 741 00:49:56,160 --> 00:49:58,720 things that we can accumulate to lift us up. 742 00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:03,800 But when we humble ourselves before God, there's nothing that 743 00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:07,040 lifts us up like God does nothing. 744 00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:10,560 You can get all those things that you go for, all the selfish 745 00:50:10,560 --> 00:50:13,040 ambition that you have. I don't care what goals you 746 00:50:13,040 --> 00:50:14,720 have. You can win championships If 747 00:50:14,720 --> 00:50:17,400 you're an athlete, you can get all the money that you can try 748 00:50:17,400 --> 00:50:19,480 to get. If you're in corporate America, 749 00:50:19,680 --> 00:50:23,120 all the things that you may try to accumulate, it will not fill 750 00:50:23,120 --> 00:50:25,680 that void. People who have accomplished 751 00:50:25,680 --> 00:50:28,640 much more than we have, people who have more money than we 752 00:50:28,640 --> 00:50:31,600 have, they still ask the question, is this all that there 753 00:50:31,600 --> 00:50:34,920 is? Is there not more than this? 754 00:50:35,320 --> 00:50:37,480 Because they don't have Jesus Christ? 755 00:50:39,240 --> 00:50:42,480 There's nothing that can fill our hearts and our lives like 756 00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:45,680 Jesus Christ. Nothing. 757 00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:50,920 So he says, humble yourselves, come before him, submit 758 00:50:51,080 --> 00:50:57,440 ourselves to him, draw near to Him, cleanse our hands, cleanse 759 00:50:57,440 --> 00:51:00,360 and, and, and, and, and purify our hearts. 760 00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:03,560 That's how we humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. 761 00:51:03,760 --> 00:51:07,960 And he will lift you up. And when he lifts you up, He 762 00:51:07,960 --> 00:51:10,760 will pull you up out of that muck and that mire. 763 00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:16,240 He'll pull you up out of that pit and he will make you new. 764 00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:24,480 Thank you, Jesus. We're going to end there, 765 00:51:25,120 --> 00:51:33,640 Father. I'm so grateful to you, Lord, 766 00:51:38,240 --> 00:51:42,560 that your grace is greater than my sin. 767 00:51:45,200 --> 00:51:53,280 So grateful to you, Father, that your patience with me and with 768 00:51:53,320 --> 00:51:58,840 all of us, Lord, has been exceedingly great. 769 00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:09,400 I thank you, Lord, for teaching us your heart, giving us your 770 00:52:09,400 --> 00:52:16,840 heart through your Scriptures. And I thank you that we even 771 00:52:16,840 --> 00:52:21,640 right now, Lord, if we find ourselves walking in a way 772 00:52:21,640 --> 00:52:28,000 that's contrary to who you are, that Father, we can humble 773 00:52:28,000 --> 00:52:33,600 ourselves and come to you and ask for forgiveness. 774 00:52:35,240 --> 00:52:44,320 Thank you, Thank you, Lord, thank you that you sent your Son 775 00:52:44,320 --> 00:52:48,040 Jesus Christ to be such an example for us here in the earth 776 00:52:48,040 --> 00:52:54,280 round not only an example of walking in righteousness, but an 777 00:52:54,280 --> 00:52:59,000 example of how we conduct ourselves even in suffering. 778 00:53:01,320 --> 00:53:06,600 Lord, thank you. And Father, sometimes it's hard 779 00:53:06,600 --> 00:53:10,440 for us just to deal with the persecution that we receive 780 00:53:10,440 --> 00:53:14,520 sometimes day-to-day this these these sanctions that we get from 781 00:53:14,520 --> 00:53:19,560 society from not obeying them or or conforming to them. 782 00:53:19,560 --> 00:53:24,000 And, and, and they have their ways, Lord, that they show us 783 00:53:24,760 --> 00:53:32,360 that they're not pleased with us either conform or be rejected. 784 00:53:33,360 --> 00:53:37,680 But Father, I thank you for the example that Jesus Christ gives 785 00:53:37,680 --> 00:53:40,320 us. Even in suffering, He continued 786 00:53:40,320 --> 00:53:43,240 to submit himself to you.