1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:04,560 Today we're going to be in James chapter 1. 2 00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:07,520 We're actually going to finish chapter 1 today we're going to 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:17,680 start reading in 2nd Corinthians 517 as a just kind of a start 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,640 out place. And we're then we're going to 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:25,400 recap the entire first chapter because I needed to get I needed 6 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,360 to finish strong with it. Therefore, if anyone is in 7 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,520 Christ starting in sorry, starting in verse 17 of chapter 8 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,600 5. Therefore, if anyone is in 9 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,440 Christ, he is a new creation. Old has passed away. 10 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:42,360 Behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,480 through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry 12 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:50,560 of reconciliation. That is in Christ God was 13 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,400 reconciled. I'm sorry, was reconciling the 14 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,160 world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them 15 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:03,240 and entrusting us the to the message of reconciliation. 16 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:08,480 Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal 17 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,200 through us. We implore you on behalf of 18 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:17,960 Christ, be reconciled to God for for our sake he made to be sin 19 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:25,360 him or sorry for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no 20 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:30,120 sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God 21 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:32,320 and Lord. I do I just lift up everybody 22 00:01:32,320 --> 00:01:34,360 here. I lift up this time and I thank 23 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:42,280 you that we get to come together and just be refreshed and 24 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:49,280 encouraged by not only worship and hearing from you, Lord, but 25 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,320 being able to talk to one another and just pray with each 26 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,720 other and just a time of fellowship. 27 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,200 And but I thank you for this body. 28 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,240 I thank you for the heart that you've given them for one 29 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,440 another and the heart that you're giving us for the whole 30 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,240 community, Lord, that we would be able to go out and and love 31 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,520 on all those, all those that need love. 32 00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:11,760 And I pray this all in Jesus name, Amen. 33 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,280 So we are going to be recapping James, but I promise it will go. 34 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:22,600 The recap will be I'd like to say quick, but I think you guys 35 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:27,600 have learned I'm not real quick. So the, the mess, the the title 36 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,520 of the message today that is I got to come up with a corny dot 37 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:35,160 corny title and a good message is my goal is be a doctor, not a 38 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,800 lawyer and one of our elders is a lawyer. 39 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:43,040 So it's kind of the fun of poking at him and and on that 40 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:44,680 he's actually going to be teaching next week. 41 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:51,480 I'll be here, but I think I have to work Friday and Saturday next 42 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,040 week in the tri-cities and then we're moving our trailer. 43 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:59,200 So just time wise, I, I don't have time to, to do a good, good 44 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,440 prep. So Mark's going to Mark's going 45 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:06,440 to take off in James Chapter 2. But a recap of James Chapter 1. 46 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,200 You know, like my, it was here a minute ago. 47 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:14,480 Where'd it go? Kelly, does that remind you of a 48 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,240 doctor and a lawyer right there? Like, like beating somebody over 49 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,200 the head with the law? Do we are we ever guilty of 50 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,760 that? And, and The thing is with James 51 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:31,000 that over the, over the, the decades and the centuries, there 52 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,080 have been guys that really pictured James as the lawyer 53 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:36,200 that was beating people with the law. 54 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:41,840 Get to work, right? And James isn't that James does 55 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:46,080 give a lot of action steps. He does he does give us a list 56 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,600 that we can get distracted by and think it's it's go to work, 57 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,480 follow this list, do these things. 58 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,480 But but James isn't saying that in any he's going to conclude 59 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:03,360 chapter one with that statement. But he has he has in in chapter 60 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:07,480 1, he is outlined distinctive characteristic character traits 61 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,360 that we'll have as Christians, right, But only if we're in 62 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,800 Christ, right? It's not anything Nick's going 63 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,760 to do. So 2 through 4 he says count it 64 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:20,480 all. Joy, my brothers, when you meet 65 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,480 trials of various kinds for you know that the testing of your 66 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:27,400 face produces steadfastness and let steadfastness have its full 67 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,920 effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing, 68 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,840 so considered an opportunity for great joy when trials come. 69 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:42,520 So James is pointing them at Jesus in all moments we can, we 70 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:47,320 can rest in him and, and in that resting as we go through trials, 71 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:51,960 practice makes perfect, right? If if life is sunshine and 72 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:56,120 rainbows and then hard times come, we stumble. 73 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,800 But if we have those hard times and we build into them, they 74 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:04,680 they are, they build us, right? We talked about the tools that 75 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:10,600 God uses and how he makes us and it it creates A steadfast joy 76 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,680 inside of us that grows as we keep our eyes on Jesus. 77 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,360 We will grow in strength and our ability to stand in joy. 78 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:23,800 Peace will grow and peace will grow as as you recognize what 79 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,320 Jesus does in your life. As you recognize. 80 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:28,960 I tell people when I look back on my life and I see Jesus all 81 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:32,720 over it and I see God's hand doing things and working things 82 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:34,680 for good. When I look, when I look in 83 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:39,080 front of me, even if I don't see him, even if I am like, how can 84 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,160 he do anything with this train wreck behind me? 85 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:45,840 And I see all that he did with the train wreck when I look in 86 00:05:45,840 --> 00:05:48,080 front of me, I can trust he's there. 87 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:52,400 But that that takes us that building right of counting it 88 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:53,960 all joy when we fall into trials. 89 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:56,960 And then you go on to verse 5 through 8. 90 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:00,680 It says, if any lack any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God who 91 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,400 gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given 92 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,400 him. But let him ask in faith with no 93 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,080 doubting. For the one who doubts is like a 94 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,880 wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 95 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:17,320 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything 96 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:19,680 from the Lord. He is a double minded man, 97 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:24,040 unstable in all his ways. So we're to ask God for wisdom 98 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:29,080 and he'll give it. But be sure that we are asking 99 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:35,640 in faith that he he can give it right that that I don't think 100 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,640 that when I ask God for wisdom, I'm asking So what do you think 101 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,440 I should do Lord, because I know I got some options over here and 102 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:43,560 I was wondering, you know, what's your take? 103 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:47,520 And I'll decide which one I'm going to do that is that double 104 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:51,560 minded man is do I trust that the Lord has a plan for me? 105 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,440 And when I ask him for direction, do I think that I 106 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:01,000 have a choice when he gives it? Do I do I have a choice that 107 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:06,680 that whole picture of Peter on the roof praying and God lowers 108 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:11,720 down a whole whole blanket of unclean animals and says kill 109 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,000 and eat and Peter thinks he has a choice. 110 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:18,680 Not so Lord and you know he does this three times and and the 111 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:21,000 Lord just says don't call unclean. 112 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,160 What I said is clean, right? Do what I said. 113 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:29,360 And that isn't something that a guy up here says do what I say. 114 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:34,240 That's something that God speaks to my heart and says, do what I 115 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,560 said when, when I got when I got the marching orders from the 116 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:43,280 Lord to come here, I wasn't asking for and we've talked 117 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,960 about that I wasn't asking for. So Lord, can you give me some 118 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,720 options? You know, what's the what, what 119 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,680 are my options in this? I was asking him for direction. 120 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:56,960 Do I go left or do I go right? And if he said go left and I'm 121 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:58,680 like, well, I really want to go right. 122 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:00,320 How do you think that would have worked out? 123 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:06,040 And that's that being willing to do what he says. 124 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:12,080 And part of that is understanding and knowing that 125 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:15,960 he is completely able to do more than we asked or think. 126 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:20,880 Me and Mark were talking before service and, and Jesus has a 127 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:24,160 plan, but for some reason he doesn't doesn't share the whole 128 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,160 plan with us. And we joked and said that's 129 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,280 because we'd mess it up right If he told me. 130 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,679 I mean, good example of so Nick, you're going to build a water 131 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:36,039 line across Africa. OK, so the first step was to get 132 00:08:36,039 --> 00:08:39,919 a, to get a passport. So I started going through the 133 00:08:39,919 --> 00:08:42,840 steps. But if he had told me the whole 134 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:44,880 story so well, you're going to end up pastoring a church in 135 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:47,480 Sandpoint. Well, I'd have skipped past 136 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:51,080 Africa and move to Sandpoint, right? 137 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:55,440 Because that's God tells you what you need to know, gives you 138 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:57,960 the wisdom for the moment. He doesn't have to give you the 139 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,600 whole story. He gives you what you need to 140 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:05,880 move to the next step. He may give you a big picture. 141 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:10,360 You know, I build a water line across Africa and people ask me, 142 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:11,840 well, how's that work? I have no idea. 143 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:17,000 And but I do know there are steps and I just continue to 144 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:22,800 walk through the doors. And I know that as a as a 145 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:26,280 believer, that my job is to share Jesus with people, with 146 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:31,640 the gifts that he gives us, and to just follow him, but to be 147 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:33,600 willing to trust him in all things, right? 148 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:37,320 And that is what are we supposed to do to do this stuff? 149 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,800 We're supposed to be in him following what he says. 150 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:44,280 It's about following Jesus, right? 151 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:48,480 Our shepherd. So verses 9 to 11 says, let the 152 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,840 lowly brother boast in his exaltation and the rich in his 153 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:55,000 humiliation, because like a flower of the grass, he will 154 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,760 pass away. For the sun rises with its 155 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,920 scorching heat and Withers the grass, its flowers fall, and its 156 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,960 beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade 157 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,400 away in the midst of his pursuits. 158 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,400 So believers who are poor have something to boast about in 159 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,960 Christ, right? Because, because when I have 160 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:18,800 nothing, I have everything in Christ. 161 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:22,760 You know, I go back to when I was going through my divorce and 162 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:29,560 I had nothing, you know, I was, I was empty, but I had all I 163 00:10:29,560 --> 00:10:33,920 need in him, right? And and there's a process, but 164 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:35,600 that goes for everything across the board. 165 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:40,160 When you recognize that he is enough, then nothing you add to 166 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:42,320 him adds anything to that, right? 167 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,560 Your joy is not in any of the riches, any of that stuff. 168 00:10:45,560 --> 00:10:50,880 So but those who are rich boast that God has humbled them in 169 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,640 Christ, that I don't have to worry about my stuff. 170 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,240 I don't have to. You know, when, if you find 171 00:10:56,440 --> 00:11:00,840 when, when you have many things, there can be a lot of worry in 172 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,280 that because you have many things to hold on to. 173 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:07,960 And when you, when you're in Christ and you're trusting him, 174 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,480 there's a there's a humbleness that look, I didn't what does 175 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:13,480 Job say? I came into the world naked and 176 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:16,520 I leave naked. And there's a humbleness in that 177 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:18,800 of, of knowing Lord, it's all yours. 178 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:24,600 And there's a peace that comes with that humbleness is, Lord, 179 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,320 I'm going to do what you asked me to do. 180 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:32,120 And and if that if that means I'm wealthy, then I'm wealthy. 181 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:34,000 And if that means I'm poor, I'm poor. 182 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,240 I'm going to ask and I'm going to do what you asked me to do 183 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:38,160 when I'm going to move forward the way you want me to move 184 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,240 forward. And when we rest in that, 185 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:46,920 because his goal in his story that is as many as can be saved 186 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:51,480 will be saved. And whatever position any of us 187 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:55,640 need to be in that are believers need to be in, in order for the 188 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,520 most to be saved, that's the position he's going to put us 189 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:02,760 in. And, and it's trusting that then 190 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:07,720 12 through 15, blessed is the man who remains steadfast under 191 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,760 trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown 192 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,440 of life which God has promised to those who love him. 193 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:16,720 Let no one say when he is tempted. 194 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:19,920 I am tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and 195 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:23,320 he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when 196 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:25,720 he is lured and enticed by his own desires. 197 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:30,440 Then desire, when it is conceived, gives birth to sin, 198 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,600 and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. 199 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:42,160 So when we patiently endure testing and temptation, we grow. 200 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:50,040 But when we when we say, when we blame others for our testing, 201 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,800 right? The thing is, is that like with 202 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:58,080 Job, so did God allow it? Yes. 203 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:00,520 Did Satan attack him? Yes. 204 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,840 For what purpose? Right there is God had a plan in 205 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:08,920 the whole thing. And it doesn't mean Job's life 206 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:11,600 was easy. He did lose his children and he 207 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,680 got more at the end than he had at the beginning. 208 00:13:14,680 --> 00:13:18,480 But they're children, so it wasn't like it didn't hurt Joe 209 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:24,960 to go through that, right? But God's story, that was what 210 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,400 was best to move God's story forward. 211 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:30,960 Do we trust him in that or do we blame him? 212 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:34,240 And that's the difference, right, Is, you know, Adam and 213 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:41,000 Eve, the woman whom you gave me or the serpent to see if we we 214 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:45,760 take ownership and when we take ownership, then we say, Lord, I 215 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:50,080 can't, I need you to. That's it's kind of that is that 216 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:53,280 ownership. It's like, Lord, I own that I am 217 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:58,440 sinful and the only way for me to walk through this life is if 218 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:02,240 you come in and do it for me. And that's the deal he makes. 219 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,640 Because when we don't do that desire gives birth to sin and 220 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:08,880 sin when it is full grown, creates death, right? 221 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:15,880 And it is, it is a scary place. I, I tell people when you, you 222 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:18,720 know, nobody once saved, always saved all the different 223 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:21,080 doctrines. Bottom line, when you're in sin, 224 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:26,520 when you're in willful sin, I'm not going to tell you whether 225 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:30,120 you're going to burn in a hell for eternity at that moment, but 226 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,320 you're at risk and you're at risk at walking away. 227 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:39,680 Was talking to a guy last last week and he, he honestly truly 228 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,040 believes he got saved in college. 229 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:43,720 He says I was, I was going for it. 230 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,480 I was on fire for the Lord and he now loves the Lord, but he 231 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,000 said there was 20 years in there that I didn't do anything for 232 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:55,480 him. So in that span of time, and 233 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:57,400 this is you guys got to hear the whole story. 234 00:14:57,400 --> 00:14:59,880 In that span of time, he was a believer. 235 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:04,000 How do I know that? Because he's now a believer, but 236 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,080 he had no in that span of time because God knew the inequity of 237 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,360 what if he died then, but he didn't die then he's here now, 238 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:13,120 right? Does that make sense? 239 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:16,880 You don't have any. He has no confidence in, in this 240 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:21,760 saving grace of God while he's out drinking, sleeping around, 241 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,560 being being a heathen, right? He has no confidence in, in that 242 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,480 because he's not in Christ. He's not he's not walking with 243 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:36,480 him now. This was real because 20 years 244 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:40,520 later he's walking with the Lord loves him with all his heart. 245 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:44,680 That makes sense. I mean, that's so, but he has no 246 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:47,520 confidence in that middle time. So that's where that once saved, 247 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:52,320 always saved. It's like guys, that is it's not 248 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:59,760 what the Bible teaches. The Jesus is a gentleman and 249 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:03,960 he's not going to hog tie you and force you right. 250 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,920 You have choices to make and and being in him is something we get 251 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,080 to make that choice. It's not he isn't going to kick 252 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:15,000 us out, but we can walk away. Sorry, that was a rabbit trail. 253 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:29,160 So what does, what does it look like to be protected and stand 254 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:35,200 steadfast in faith in Christ, in the we, we now live in Sandpoint 255 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:37,720 most of the time. So I'm going to use, we'll use a 256 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,680 ski lodge as an example. If I'm in Schweitzer ski Lodge 257 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:45,640 and drinking a cup of coffee sitting next to the fire and 258 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:51,680 there is 100 year Blizzard outside, am I stressed out? 259 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,080 Am I cold? Am I worried? 260 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:58,760 Probably not any of those things because I'm sitting in a ski 261 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:03,000 lodge waiting for the snow to stop so I can go ski right? 262 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:08,920 And in Christ, that's what the storms of this world can do to 263 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,079 us. Absolutely nothing, right? 264 00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:14,160 Just like a, a Blizzard has no effect in a ski lodge. 265 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:19,760 The the storms of this life have no effect in, in someone in 266 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,960 Christ. And that's because we trust him 267 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:28,680 and, and we rely on his ability to do the work he wants done, 268 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:35,120 not in his ability to keep me cozy in a ski lodge, but in or, 269 00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:40,680 but to to use this life that he's giving me for his work. 270 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:46,560 Right. But ours is 100% of the time to 271 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:52,680 stay in him. Verses 16 through 20. 272 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:56,720 Do not be deceived, my brother, my my beloved brothers, every 273 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:00,200 good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from 274 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,720 the Father of Light, with whom there is no variation or shadow 275 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:08,080 due to change of His own will, He brought us forth by the word 276 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,200 of truth that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His 277 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:13,680 creation. Knowing this, my beloved 278 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:16,840 brothers, let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, 279 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:21,280 and slow to get angry, for the anger of man does not produce 280 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:25,760 the righteousness of God. So, Mestab, don't be misled. 281 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,880 Be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to get angry. 282 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:42,520 Jesus has sorry, that's slow to get angry. 283 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:44,560 Now it's OK to have righteous anger. 284 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,200 Jesus gets angry, right? There's a point where he flips 285 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,520 tables. There's a point where he scolds 286 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:55,200 the Pharisees. But Jesus, Jesus's anger is used 287 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:59,200 for correction. You know, it says in the by, I 288 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:00,440 can't remember where it's at in Psalms. 289 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:06,960 It says be angry and do not sin. And think of think of 290 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,120 disciplining our children. Or if you're, if you're 291 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:11,360 children, think of being disciplined. 292 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:13,920 There are two different ways to spank your children. 293 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:20,720 One is to beat them out of anger and one is to spank them for 294 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:28,320 correction, right? And the the correction is what 295 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:32,360 is done as a loving cure. And that's that that's the 296 00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:37,360 doctor idea here is doctors, do doctors share truth with their 297 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:39,240 patients? Absolutely. 298 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:42,600 Do they share heart hard truths with their patients? 299 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:45,840 Absolutely. But why do they share it? 300 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,920 Because what are doctor, what are doctors known for? 301 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,720 Are they known because they share hard truth by doctor 302 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:57,920 shares hard truth? Or are they known because people 303 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:01,960 are cured in their presence and not not I mean they have 304 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:05,320 knowledge and wisdom and and tools and techniques and and 305 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:11,600 drugs and medications. But doctors are known to be 306 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:17,760 those that cure right And. Once again, picking on Mark just 307 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:22,280 because well, it's fun to pick on lawyers, but lawyers lawyers 308 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:26,880 can be that right. Lawyers can can be advocates for 309 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:30,480 those in need. But lawyers, the reason they get 310 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:36,520 a bad rap is lawyers are really good at what the law and we 311 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:39,400 don't want to be lawyers. We don't want to be good at the 312 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,520 law. We want to be good at the cure 313 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:48,760 right now, that doesn't mean as a doctor that you don't know 314 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,800 what the law of the body is, right? 315 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:59,360 That I mean, doctors know a lot, you know, and they know how to 316 00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:03,000 apply that and how to cure, right? 317 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:07,160 It's we have, you have. And just like anything, there 318 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,080 are different doctors that to do different things, right? 319 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:15,680 But as believers, we need to we need to be willing to share the 320 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:20,000 truth Jesus has given us with the heart to cure those that are 321 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:25,200 lost and dying. And how do how do we do this? 322 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:30,120 And we we to James 2125, he starts like I said, this. 323 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:32,680 This sounds like he's telling us to do all these things, and 324 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:34,640 therefore put away all filthiness and rampant 325 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:37,720 wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word 326 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:41,560 which is able to save your soul. But be doers of the word and not 327 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:43,080 hearers, only deceiving yourself. 328 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:46,320 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like 329 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:50,320 a man who looks intently at at his natural face in a mirror, 330 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:55,400 for he looks at himself and goes away, and at once forgets what 331 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,560 he was like. But the one who looks into the 332 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:04,240 perfect law, the law of liberty and preserves or sorry and 333 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:08,840 perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he 334 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:13,720 will be blessed in his doing. So James is telling us here to 335 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:16,920 get rid of the filth and the evil in our lives, to humbly 336 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,840 accept the word of God, that the word of God that he plants in 337 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:23,960 our hearts to not just be listeners of the word, but to be 338 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,400 doers. And if we're and if we're not 339 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,520 doing, then we're, then we're just fooling ourselves. 340 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:35,520 And then to look at the law and because it'll set us free. 341 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:46,000 But when we do that, we because guys, if you guys are anything 342 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,640 like me, I'm just looking at me when I got saved, I'm just 343 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:52,680 looking for a checklist and, and James is really good at getting 344 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,120 this one. I, I've actually got in my 345 00:22:55,120 --> 00:23:00,240 notes, I got 26 go do this out of chapter 1. 346 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:05,280 And I think in James, as we go through the next 4 chapters, 347 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:11,240 there's probably another 100. Go do this, go do this, you will 348 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:15,560 do this. Have you figured out you're not 349 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,760 capable of doing any of it? Try to be nice to people. 350 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:22,160 They will start and try to be nice to people out of your 351 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,600 heart. That won't last a long time, 352 00:23:25,360 --> 00:23:29,760 right? The only way we do any of it is 353 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:34,800 if he's doing it through us. So we'll get into verse 26. 354 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:38,200 And this all comes down to this, this line here, and James 355 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,680 touches it on some stuff. But if anyone among you thinks 356 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:46,960 he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives 357 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,520 his own heart, this one's religion is useless. 358 00:23:49,920 --> 00:24:04,880 And so like in Uganda, I have a had a meeting and it was the 359 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,000 conversation and I've told you guys, this is how do I know if 360 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,800 God's saying it? Because it's usually something I 361 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:12,520 don't want to say because it's uncomfortable, it's 362 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,120 confrontational, but I'm not, it's like, Lord, do I have to 363 00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:17,880 say that? I don't want to say that I it's 364 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:19,320 going to make it's going to be uncomfortable. 365 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,120 Then there are the other conversations that are Lord, I'm 366 00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:25,320 going to go tell that guy what he's, he needs to. 367 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,640 So, so which one of those do you think is from the Lord? 368 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,880 The one I'm begging him not to have to do or the one that I 369 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:35,200 really want to go do. So it I mean, a lot of times 370 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:39,960 it's that simple to know what I'm supposed to keep quiet about 371 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:44,360 when I'm all welled up inside and I really want to just tell 372 00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:47,960 that guy off. I probably need to be quiet when 373 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:50,840 I'm all welled up inside because this is going to be a really 374 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:55,640 hard conversation. I probably need to speak right? 375 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:58,480 I need to, but I need to be talking to the Lord about that. 376 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:05,240 And because remember Matthew 1511 and I've talked about this 377 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:09,080 not, it's not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but 378 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,840 what comes out of his mouth that this defiles a man. 379 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:17,960 And, and I would tell you that in, in our current world, not 380 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,240 only the things that come out of our mouth, but the thing that 381 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:25,440 come out of our social media feeds and that goes across the 382 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:28,680 board. We need to control ourselves and 383 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:33,200 when you're when you're scrolling social media, do you 384 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:34,320 share things because they're funny? 385 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,080 Do you share things because they are? 386 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:40,680 That's kind of a good dig that that really got that point 387 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:42,080 across right? Do you share that stuff? 388 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:48,720 Good example of let's see way back so we aren't offending 389 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:52,320 anybody. Does everybody remember when 390 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:56,520 Obama was in office when he first, when he was first, I 391 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,000 think he was, I think he had just got elected or he was still 392 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:04,320 running and the, the story was out there that he was, he got 393 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,720 sworn in as a senator on a Quran. 394 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:10,280 So he's a Muslim. He got sworn in on Quran secret. 395 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:15,840 And, and this was, this was being shared on social media by 396 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:20,160 many people. So my, my high school group came 397 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:23,120 over and we were doing a thing and they were that. 398 00:26:23,120 --> 00:26:25,760 Well, you know, he's a, he's a Muslim and all this stuff. 399 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:27,560 And I'm like, all right, so where do you get that? 400 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:29,760 I'm like, well, it's on this Facebook in the snow. 401 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,120 All right. So we went, we got online with 402 00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:37,960 them there, got online, looked up the day on I think it was on 403 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:42,000 on AP, but we looked up the day. They don't. 404 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:45,760 Obama got inaugurate or got whatever sworn in as a senator 405 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,120 and he was a nobody senator at that time. 406 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:53,840 So he got sworn in. Well, there's just a, there's 407 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:57,360 just a recorder there that's just recording things right now. 408 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:03,720 Obama did get sworn in his own personal Bible and the senator 409 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:05,680 right after him got sworn in on a Quran. 410 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:09,560 And that's just that was just somebody writing it down. 411 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:13,000 So that's what happened, right? But I've got I've got Bible 412 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,240 believing Christian sharing that he's sworn in on a Quran. 413 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:18,120 Why? Because they saw it and it sat 414 00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:21,280 and it fit their narrative. And what is that? 415 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:25,240 That that's a lie, right? And you just posted it, which 416 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:26,600 then makes you accountable for it. 417 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:32,000 And that that just if you're going to post stuff, recognize 418 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,080 that you need to check the sources is what that that whole 419 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:39,600 thing is. But be, you know, I mean, 420 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:44,120 especially as, as I've done it for four years because of the 421 00:27:44,120 --> 00:27:48,880 role I'm in, but even more so, like I don't post things on 422 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:53,720 social media that are because I'm judged by that right? 423 00:27:55,360 --> 00:27:59,240 And not not in a good or a bad way, but it's people would if I 424 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:03,280 posted something, there's a there's a bent to that that I 425 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,080 look, the Bible's plenty offensive enough, right? 426 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,320 I can offend the world with the word of God. 427 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:12,200 It is not a problem. I I don't need to come up with 428 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:17,880 zingers that will do it right. It's so you'll find if when 429 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:20,680 we're friends on Facebook or Instagram or wherever that 430 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:27,000 you'll if I'm posting something, it's it's Bible based and I can 431 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:30,840 Anna or I have vetted it completely because if I haven't, 432 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,840 then I'm risking lying because I liked what the guy said and I 433 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,320 don't want to be that. Sorry. 434 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:45,960 Another rabbit trail. 26 or so verses 2 through 26 leads me to 435 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:50,240 a simple question that if you guys are honest with yourself, 436 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:52,440 you should be asking yourself the same question. 437 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:56,880 How do I control my flesh? Because James is giving us a 438 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:02,240 list and if if the plan is is for me to follow this, I gave my 439 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,960 life to the Lord and now I have to do these things. 440 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:11,200 How do I do these things? Galatians 522 through 23 it 441 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,120 says, but the fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy, peace, 442 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:16,520 long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 443 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:21,080 gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law. 444 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:25,280 So besides all the other ones who gives us self-control? 445 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:27,640 It's a fruit of the spirit, right? 446 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:32,800 I don't have it in me. I I love all of the fruits of 447 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:38,200 the spirit because you can't you can't produce love, right? 448 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:40,800 I can't just. But well, I can. 449 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:42,720 I can love people OK Try to produce joy. 450 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:47,400 Try to be joyful and pretend to be joyful. 451 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:53,320 Try to pretend to have peace. These are things that come from 452 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:55,520 the Spirit and knowing who he is. 453 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:02,320 So I shared this the other day and kind of dug into a little 454 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:06,240 bit more. A lot of times as Christians we 455 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:08,600 are really good to get the cart for the horse. 456 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:12,560 I, I'm a Christian, therefore I act like this. 457 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,360 I go to a church, therefore I act like this. 458 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:19,200 Now imagine if I am in a marriage, I am in the 459 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:23,440 institution of marriage. You know, we're in the religion 460 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,080 of Christianity. I am in the institution of 461 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:30,240 marriage and as such, I am to act a certain way, right? 462 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:33,680 So if I went at it like this and I said I'm going to act a 463 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:36,040 certain way. And I fun thing is, is that I 464 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:41,080 know how I'm supposed to act because a pastor told me and I 465 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:44,200 made vows for it, right? That I promise to love you, 466 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:48,800 Faye, as Christ loved the church, his his precious bride. 467 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:50,760 Therefore I will be patient and kind. 468 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,400 I will be humble and courteous to Faye. 469 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:56,600 I will not keep a record of her wrongs. 470 00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:00,960 I will put Faye's needs before my own, but rejoice whenever 471 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:04,120 truth prevails. So I'm just going to do that. 472 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,560 How about everybody here? Everybody here, just just do 473 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:09,840 that, right? Just that's, that's how your 474 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:11,840 that's how your marriage works. I'm in the institution of 475 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:12,760 marriage. That's what I do. 476 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:18,920 Or I'm in a relationship with my wife who I love dearly. 477 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:23,960 And the closer we grow to Christ, the closer closer we 478 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:26,320 grow together and the closer we grow to Christ. 479 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:29,960 The closer I go to Christ, the better Christ, the better I am 480 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:35,720 at at meeting those vows. But the moment I get my eyes on 481 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:39,400 the vows and say I'm going to act like this, I'm going to fail 482 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:45,200 miserably. And so our our job as believers 483 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:52,800 is to focus on the Lord, right? And as a byproduct, he is going 484 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:58,520 to do verses 22 through 26 in me right through him, through the 485 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,840 work he's done in my life. He does things with this body 486 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:07,200 submitted to him, because in my flesh, right, there is no good 487 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:10,240 thing. And Paul says that in Romans 718 488 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:15,280 For I know that in me that in my flesh nothing good dwells for to 489 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:19,320 will is present within me. But how to perform what is good 490 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:22,600 I do not find. So if you think you've arrived 491 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:26,800 and I'm a I'm a believer and now I can just do what God tells me 492 00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:28,560 to do and I don't have to worry about it. 493 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:32,840 You're you're missing the whole point of it is he's going to 494 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:35,840 come in and do this work right. As we go through James and you 495 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:40,400 guys, I'd love to say he gets easier to follow as we go on, 496 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:43,960 but he just gets more and more. He just tightens up the noose on 497 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:46,280 the fact that either you're doing it in Christ or you're not 498 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:54,670 able to perform this. So when I give my life to 499 00:32:54,670 --> 00:32:57,990 Christ, he come, the Holy Spirit comes inside me and starts 500 00:32:57,990 --> 00:33:01,030 cleaning house, right? He starts cleaning my heart and 501 00:33:01,030 --> 00:33:07,350 my mind and gives me a desire to to do what he wants me to do, 502 00:33:07,550 --> 00:33:11,800 but he gives me that from the inside out, not from the outside 503 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:13,400 in. It isn't it isn't. 504 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,120 Now I have Jesus now I'm going to set him down. 505 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:20,840 I'm going to go to work. How did how did Peter walk on 506 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:22,840 water by keeping his eyes on the Lord. 507 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:27,040 As soon as he looked away from the Lord, what happened right he 508 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:33,680 he began to sink and cried out for help. 27 And that's what the 509 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:37,920 reason we reviewed the whole thing is 4 verse 27 and so that 510 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:42,120 we don't get confused because this is the whole point of his 511 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:45,120 because this is technically James's introduction to his 512 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:49,920 letter was the 1st 26 verses and then verse 27. 513 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:53,680 It says pure and undefiled religion before God and the 514 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:58,000 Father is this to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and 515 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:01,160 to keep your keep oneself unspotted from the world. 516 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:04,840 So we're supposed to care for orphans, widow orphans and 517 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:10,440 widows, which in that time that just means caring for, caring 518 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,120 for those in need. And that's who was in need then, 519 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:14,520 right? We're orphans and widows, but 520 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:17,239 now we are supposed to be caring for those around us that are in 521 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:21,400 need and refuse to let the world corrupt us. 522 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:26,360 All right, So these are not new things that James just came up 523 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:27,480 with. Micah says it. 524 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:32,440 He says he has shown you, oh man, what is good and what does 525 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:35,639 the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy and 526 00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:40,000 walk humbly with your God. So we're supposed to do justly 527 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:43,880 and we're supposed to walk humbly and with those two 528 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:46,400 things. That's that's the doctor and the 529 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:50,280 lawyer. But or sorry, we're supposed to 530 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,360 do justly and love mercy, but walking humbly with God is 531 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:58,920 understanding that Lord, I can't you have to I don't have what it 532 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:00,840 takes to do what you're asking me to do. 533 00:35:01,720 --> 00:35:05,680 It requires you doing it through me and and Jesus, you got to 534 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:08,680 understand Jesus could have done any of this. 535 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:11,880 I tell people tell people very often to understand the God we 536 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:15,280 serve is so much bigger than we give him credit for. 537 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:20,600 He is completely able to have done it all just by going. 538 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:25,400 I tell people it's like so Nick, that Jesus would look down and 539 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:27,600 go, Nick, you're going to hell, Jansen, you're going to heaven. 540 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:33,360 But but he goes, no, I saw it. It's done because he's already 541 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:35,760 got it. It's already been done, right? 542 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,280 This is finished. He knows the end from the 543 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:39,560 beginning. Do we believe in him? 544 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:45,080 Do we believe that bigness of our God that that he knows he 545 00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:48,320 just the the blessing that he lets us live it out? 546 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:54,360 So when we look at this, it's joy comes from him, 547 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:58,080 steadfastness comes from him, wisdom comes from him, faith 548 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:00,160 comes from him, humility comes from him. 549 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:03,920 The word comes from him, the power to do it comes from him. 550 00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:09,920 How to be not corrupted by the world can only be done in Him. 551 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:14,120 Imagine an ambassador in the Cold War. 552 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:16,800 And that's the first, first set of verses we read in Second 553 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:20,360 Corinthians about being that ambassador first. 554 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:24,080 They loved their country. It was their home. 555 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,080 Heaven is our home. We are ambassadors. 556 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:32,200 Do I love being in Christ? Do I love, do I love being in 557 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:35,320 Him as our home, as, as my comfortable place? 558 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,400 Or do I want to do I want to go out and see what the world has 559 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:41,520 to offer and think about it, thinking in Bath, think about an 560 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:47,760 ambassador in the Cold War and a Russian in America and wanting, 561 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:51,680 you know, how did they stay focused on their mission? 562 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:54,680 You know, because I would tell you, a Russian comes to America, 563 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:56,680 he's going to get corrupted instantly because he's got all 564 00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:00,080 this stuff. But somehow they had ambassadors 565 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:04,800 that stayed for their country and that's because they loved 566 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:09,800 their country. They, they stay at submission to 567 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:13,080 their leaders. Do we submit to Jesus and his 568 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:17,560 plan in our life? Do we understand the mission? 569 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:21,040 You know, and that was The thing is that the, that, that whether 570 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:26,400 you were on the, in, in the Russian ambassador or the United 571 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:30,200 States ambassador who understood the mission and the mission was 572 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:33,600 to avoid World War three, that was going to wipe out the world. 573 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:36,840 And they didn't get distracted, right? 574 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:40,960 They, they, they stayed focused. Do we stay focused on our 575 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:43,200 mission? And our mission is to share 576 00:37:43,240 --> 00:37:47,800 Jesus with as many people as can be saved. 577 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:51,320 That's our mission. And we do that with all kinds in 578 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:55,240 all kinds of ways, right? We do that like doctors. 579 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:58,480 We do that with with sharing their need right. 580 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,680 A doctor needs to tell it before I'm going to let a doctor cut me 581 00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:03,320 open. A doctor is not going to walk 582 00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:07,200 into the office. I need to I need to operate what 583 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:10,840 what on Well, I just need to cut you open right. 584 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:16,080 You can't just you can't just start with you need Jesus. 585 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:18,640 They may not know they're sick right. 586 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:27,280 So sharing truth with them is is important, but sharing it in 587 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,040 that love that a doctor would have that at the end of the day, 588 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:33,960 he wants to cure me, right? He wants to he wants to help. 589 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:40,560 And John 317, which is one of the verses God gave me when we 590 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,920 got here is for God did not send his son into the world to 591 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:47,560 condemn the world, but that the world through him might be 592 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:56,040 saved. And guys, we're his body and he 593 00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:58,520 could do it, as I said, any way he wants to. 594 00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:02,240 And how he's chose to do it is through his body of believers on 595 00:39:02,240 --> 00:39:05,480 this planet. And, and there are many bodies 596 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:10,600 around the around the world, but one big body, one big church. 597 00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:15,200 And, and we're supposed to be in the communities always. 598 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:19,240 Me and Faye walked around here and see the saddest thing about 599 00:39:19,240 --> 00:39:23,760 Sandpoint to me, I mean the truly saddest thing and, and is 600 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:28,040 that we and I, I'm, I'm a, I'm a transplant, right? 601 00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:34,200 Not my home, not where I came from, but we as North Idaho 602 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:40,320 people have given up on a beautiful piece of property 603 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:45,920 because they, they took it over while they're just, well, they 604 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:48,960 don't get it right. They don't, they don't get to 605 00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:53,760 take it over. This is our town and with love 606 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:58,360 and with care we get to go into our town and love on people and 607 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:04,640 show them their need for what he can do in their lives and and 608 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:12,240 that is that love and care for the community, right That is in 609 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:16,800 in showing them Second Corinthians 517 through 21 and 610 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:19,640 that is therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 611 00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:22,200 Old has passed away. Behold, all things have become 612 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:28,120 new. Guys, that is huge. 613 00:40:30,280 --> 00:40:33,920 They broken. People need to know that there 614 00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:38,560 is a God that does that, that he isn't looking for what I can 615 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,760 give him. He's looking to come in and fix 616 00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:48,840 everything in me. We are made new in Him, verse 617 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:50,840 18. All this is from God, who 618 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:55,080 through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry 619 00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:59,400 of reconciliation. So He has already done the work 620 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:05,440 we're supposed to be out doing, that ministry of sharing the 621 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:12,120 work that He's done that is in Christ. 622 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:15,320 God has reconciled the world to himself, not counting their 623 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:20,440 trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of 624 00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:23,720 reconciliation, right? That's our jobs. 625 00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:31,680 When James talks about religion that that is pure and undefiled 626 00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:35,680 before God the Father. He's divisive orphan widows in 627 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:40,520 their affliction and keep oneself 1 self unstained from 628 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:43,720 the world that is to go out and care for people. 629 00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:48,080 Orphans and widows were the were the downtrodden in Jerusalem 630 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:50,360 right. A widow had no no means of 631 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:52,920 taking care of herself and an orphan had no means of taking 632 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:58,040 care of themselves. We have Mark shares some pretty 633 00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:01,240 heartbreaking stories about people that are not able to take 634 00:42:01,240 --> 00:42:07,000 care of themselves but the lost and dying of this world, whether 635 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:11,680 they they are millionaires or on the street are unable to take 636 00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:15,760 care of themselves outside of Christ and what he's done on the 637 00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:18,920 cross in verse 20. It says, therefore, we are 638 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:23,000 ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. 639 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:28,760 We implore you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God. 640 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,240 We are to reflect him into the darkness. 641 00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:40,920 Oh, this is one of those fun ones about why was Israel, 642 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:49,280 Israel, and this is Acts 13 four 347 says I have set you as a 643 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:52,400 light to the Gentiles. I have sent you, Sorry, I've set 644 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:56,360 you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be for salvation 645 00:42:56,360 --> 00:43:00,040 to the ends of the earth. And that is out of Isaiah 49. 646 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:03,840 And it says, indeed, he says, is it too small a thing that you 647 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:08,080 should be my servants to raise up the tribe of Jacob and to 648 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:11,200 restore the preserved ones of Israel? 649 00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:15,640 I will also give you a light to the Gentiles that you should be 650 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:17,600 my salvation to the end of the earth. 651 00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:22,920 That's us, the body of Christ. We are supposed to be out in the 652 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:28,320 community that we live in, not, not violently taking it from the 653 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:32,400 community, but lovingly sharing the cure. 654 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:39,560 And and if you're here today outside of Christ and you have 655 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:43,880 no idea what I'm talking about and you've been trying with all 656 00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:49,600 yourself, all yourself to be better and you're failing, come 657 00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:53,720 to the Lord, right? It's he, he has a plan. 658 00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:57,800 He loves us. If you have questions, if you 659 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:03,000 have a need, come and see me. Come and see one of the elders. 660 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:07,480 Grab, grab one of us here and we'll, we'll pray with you. 661 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:10,320 We'll talk with you. And Lord, I just lift up this 662 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:13,960 time I lift up everybody here. Thank you, thank you, thank you 663 00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:19,880 for what you've done and thank you for all you've given us to 664 00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:24,040 give the world. Lord, that you would and give us 665 00:44:24,640 --> 00:44:28,840 the words to speak the cure, the words to share the cure, or that 666 00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:32,960 we were able to have those conversations that you'd put 667 00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:34,600 appointments in front of every one of us. 668 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:38,800 Thank you for this time and I pray all this in Jesus name, 669 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:44,880 Amen. I thought I would give you a 670 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:46,000 quick. Quick, quick, quick quick a 671 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:49,320 quick. Testimony we do kind of have to 672 00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:52,840 move out after this. Our grandma, my husband's 673 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:55,640 grandma is just not doing well so she'll be with Jesus soon. 674 00:44:55,640 --> 00:44:59,360 So that is one thing that's great, but we want to get home 675 00:44:59,360 --> 00:45:02,840 and be with the family. But so yeah, 12 years ago I had 676 00:45:02,840 --> 00:45:07,240 an accident at our church camp. I was hooked up wrong to a rope 677 00:45:07,240 --> 00:45:11,240 swing and I fell 50 feet and I burst my T12 vertebrae and a 678 00:45:11,240 --> 00:45:14,320 bunch of other stuff. But it was in front of, you 679 00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:19,200 know, 30 plus kids. And so the one of the volunteers 680 00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:23,720 at the camp was a volunteer EMT and he ran up to me and just 681 00:45:23,720 --> 00:45:26,840 started assessing the situation. And he knew right away my eyes 682 00:45:26,840 --> 00:45:29,040 were well back. I wasn't breathing and he just 683 00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:30,720 started praying. God, we need a miracle. 684 00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:34,200 And instantly I came to and started breathing. 685 00:45:34,240 --> 00:45:37,560 And then from there they assessed that it was really, 686 00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:40,840 really, really bad. And I ended up in Harborview in 687 00:45:40,840 --> 00:45:44,480 Seattle. But just throughout all of that, 688 00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:47,720 there was just so many miracles that God had continued to 689 00:45:47,720 --> 00:45:50,840 perform. And my injury wasn't necessarily 690 00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:52,680 as bad as the doctor had thought at 1st. 691 00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:55,200 And he was shocked because he saw the X-ray. 692 00:45:55,320 --> 00:45:58,440 And my dad was like, you don't know our God. 693 00:45:58,600 --> 00:46:03,640 That's how good and big our God is, that he can in a moment 694 00:46:03,640 --> 00:46:06,120 change something. And so I was in and out of the 695 00:46:06,120 --> 00:46:10,120 hospital for a few months. My mom started a Facebook page 696 00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:15,840 to just update family at home. And my boyfriend at the time was 697 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:18,160 there. And my mom recorded a song of a 698 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:19,880 singing and she put it on Facebook. 699 00:46:19,880 --> 00:46:23,760 And back then, 12 years ago, it kind of blew up. 700 00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:29,920 And people from all over the world saw my story and heard us 701 00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:34,200 singing. And so, yeah, it kind of led us 702 00:46:34,200 --> 00:46:38,080 to be able to share my testimony, God's testimony, 703 00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:41,120 through us. And we've been married for nine 704 00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:43,280 years. We have two beautiful little 705 00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:48,440 kids and it's just been amazing to see that through a tragedy 706 00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:53,280 what God can do and how He can move and work things for His 707 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:55,640 good. And I have a very obvious 708 00:46:55,640 --> 00:46:58,120 physical situation that happened. 709 00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:03,200 But we all go through things and we all have our trials and our 710 00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:08,240 testimonies and things that the Lord allows in our life. 711 00:47:08,240 --> 00:47:14,880 But what an amazing, amazing experience it is to be a vessel 712 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:19,760 for him and through him to be able to share of the goodness of 713 00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:25,400 him and that we can still say God is good, you know, and it's 714 00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:32,240 been a challenging 12 years and, you know, it just only can get 715 00:47:32,240 --> 00:47:36,560 harder. But I have just seen God's hand 716 00:47:36,720 --> 00:47:41,560 through so many situations and I'm just, I'm so blessed to be 717 00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:44,960 here, to be able to share, to be able to sing, to do what I love 718 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:52,520 with my husband, and just to be able to say that that God is 719 00:47:52,520 --> 00:47:54,480 good. So I just want to encourage you 720 00:47:54,480 --> 00:47:57,000 that whatever you are going through, do not give up. 721 00:47:57,000 --> 00:48:00,120 Look to Jesus. Put your whole trust and faith 722 00:48:00,120 --> 00:48:04,120 in Him because He is so good, and you will come out on the 723 00:48:04,120 --> 00:48:06,160 other side. Like Nick had said, if we would 724 00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:09,480 have looked back, if I would have known that I would be here 725 00:48:09,840 --> 00:48:14,160 right now at 30 years old and in this situation, I would not have 726 00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:16,960 believed it at all. But I wouldn't change it. 727 00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:20,800 I wouldn't go back and I wouldn't change it because it's 728 00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:22,400 been an amazing ride with the Lord. 729 00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:26,880 And so with that, please stand and we'll just close in a song. 730 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:42,680 Above all powers, above all keys, above all nature, in all 731 00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:52,280 created things, above all wisdom, in all the ways of man. 732 00:48:56,240 --> 00:49:00,320 You were here before the world began. 733 00:49:03,160 --> 00:49:14,080 Above all kingdoms, above all Thrones, above all wonders the 734 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:23,840 world is ever known. Above all, well in treasures of 735 00:49:24,120 --> 00:49:29,760 the earth. Earth, and there's no way to 736 00:49:29,760 --> 00:49:38,280 measure what you're worth and crucify. 737 00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:47,440 Leave behind the stone you leave to die. 738 00:49:48,000 --> 00:49:56,280 Reject it at alone, and light the Rose trampled on the ground. 739 00:49:58,680 --> 00:50:20,400 You took the far and thought of me above all in how great is our 740 00:50:21,840 --> 00:50:29,000 God sing with me how great is our God? 741 00:50:30,240 --> 00:50:40,080 In all we'll see how great, how great is our God. 742 00:50:47,060 --> 00:50:53,220 And you're the name above all names. 743 00:50:54,960 --> 00:51:07,880 You are worthy of our praise. And my heart will see how late 744 00:51:10,160 --> 00:51:22,400 is our God, and how great is our God. 745 00:51:24,840 --> 00:51:38,520 Sing with me How Ray is our God. Oh, we'll see how great, How 746 00:51:38,600 --> 00:51:49,200 great is our God? God. 747 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:52,680 We just thank you so much. We just thank you and praise you 748 00:51:52,680 --> 00:51:56,040 God, that you are great and that everyone would see that, that 749 00:51:56,040 --> 00:51:58,360 they would see something different in US and want to know 750 00:51:58,680 --> 00:52:01,520 how we can have that hope in this world. 751 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:04,440 And not through everything that happens and all the tragedies 752 00:52:04,440 --> 00:52:06,760 and everything, God. But we know that only you can 753 00:52:06,760 --> 00:52:09,520 bring that for us. And so I just pray God, that as 754 00:52:09,520 --> 00:52:12,880 we leave here today, that we would just be encouraged to just 755 00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:14,640 want to live a life devoted to you. 756 00:52:14,640 --> 00:52:17,280 And we thank you and praise you in your name, Amen. 757 00:52:18,240 --> 00:52:18,840 Have a blessed day.