1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,640 OK, so we are in James chapter 5. 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,360 We're going to finish it today. We're going to conclude James. 3 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,280 Now we'll start in verse 13 and it says if anyone among you is 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,200 suffering, let him pray. If anyone is cheerful, let him 5 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:20,280 sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? 6 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,680 Let him call for the elders of the church and let him let them 7 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,240 pray over him. Anoint him with oil in the name 8 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:29,520 of the Lord, and the prayers of faith will save the sick, and 9 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:34,280 the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he 10 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,520 will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one 11 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,360 another, and pray for one another that you may be healed. 12 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,800 The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 13 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:49,240 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed 14 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,480 earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the 15 00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:54,440 land for three years and six months. 16 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,080 And he prayed again in the heavens gave rain, and the earth 17 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:00,920 produced its fruit. Brethren, if anyone among you 18 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:05,960 wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, let let 19 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:09,120 him be. Let him know that he who turns a 20 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:17,200 Sinner from the air of his ways will save a soul from death and 21 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:22,920 cover a multitude of sins. And I will tell you guys that 22 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:32,000 this, these, these last 7 verses of James are like, it just kept 23 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,800 getting denser and denser and denser. 24 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:36,600 I was like, I'm going to get through 7 verses. 25 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,920 It's going to be just 7 verses. And the farther I go, I'm like, 26 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,160 OK, Lord. And then I, you can ask Faye, 27 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:46,400 I've probably redone my study like 3 times because I would get 28 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,840 it done and then go, well, that didn't, that didn't, I was 29 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,600 because I kept trying to rush through it to get to the end. 30 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:59,000 And, and I, I believe, I believe we ended up where the Lord 31 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,000 wanted me. Verse 13. 32 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,960 It is, is just a great place to start, especially this time of 33 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,440 year. Is anyone among you suffering? 34 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,680 Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? 35 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:16,360 Let him sing praises. Suffering is, is afflicted 36 00:02:17,920 --> 00:02:19,960 enduring hardness or suffering trouble. 37 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:24,040 We would just say, like James said in the very beginning of of 38 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,160 his book, we would just say trials, right, Anyone is anyone 39 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:33,880 is in trials. Let him pray and at the same 40 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,080 time be turning to the Lord, right? 41 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,040 Count it all joy when you fall into various trials. 42 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,560 If anyone is cheerful, marry or or of good cheer, let him sing 43 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,520 praises and worship. So it's pray and sing and 44 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:55,040 suffering and joy, right? When it's that, oh Karen, I just 45 00:02:55,040 --> 00:03:00,520 lost that football analogy. But it's when we when we win, we 46 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,320 praise them and when we lose, we praise them, right? 47 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:07,840 And if you go to Romans 511 through five, it says, 48 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:12,160 therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have 49 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,080 peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 50 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:19,240 Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into 51 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:24,720 the grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory 52 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,680 of God. Not only that, we rejoice in our 53 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,600 suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 54 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,640 and endurance produces character, and character 55 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:38,080 produces hope. And hope does not put put to 56 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,200 shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts 57 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,360 through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 58 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:51,880 So whenever, when my life is going good, I'm excited that I'm 59 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,760 in the Lord and when my life is going bad, I'm excited the Lord 60 00:03:55,760 --> 00:04:01,160 is here with me and that I just continue to to recognize that. 61 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,400 And that is my my funny title for the day of be a Turner. 62 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:11,640 And what if you if you read the section in James, those all 63 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,760 those verses, it says it, it has pray, pray, prayer, prayer, 64 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:19,560 pray, prayed. And then turn and all that, all 65 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,360 that praying is whether I'm in a good mood or a bad mood, whether 66 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,760 things are going good or they're going bad, that I'm turning to 67 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,440 the Lord, right? And does this look like anybody 68 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:31,600 else's plan for their life? Right. 69 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,200 I was going to say, when I turn to the Lord, it's because I 70 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,360 don't know which way I'm supposed to go because I'm not, 71 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,520 I don't know, I don't know what's going on in my life. 72 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,760 A lot of times I, I've shared with you guys more than once 73 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:48,200 this I love that I get to do this every Sunday, but this was 74 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,600 not not in my list of plans, right? 75 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:53,320 This wasn't where I thought I was going. 76 00:04:55,400 --> 00:05:02,200 And when we, when we pray and we, we are singing songs and and 77 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,960 that's something he isn't here so I can show. 78 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:08,520 So Uncle Pat, do you ever just like when you're visiting with 79 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:12,560 him, he'll just say at least be talking and there's glory, 80 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,960 right? It'll just deal this like he has 81 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,200 a way about him and he's not here so I can kind of like brag 82 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,240 on him. He says a way about him that he 83 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:24,000 has a joy of the Lord. He knows what the Lord has done 84 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:29,720 in his life and because of that, he just has that has that song 85 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:31,520 in his heart and we need that right. 86 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:38,200 That's something that in all things, a moment in life that 87 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:45,240 was that that we just get to sing his praises is so Corey Tim 88 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,880 Boom and Betsy Tim Boom were in a concentration camp. 89 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:55,120 If you don't know the story, it was a hiding place by Corey Tim 90 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:59,160 Boom and all about her and her family and hiding Jews and then 91 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:01,120 and then getting arrested and then they ended up in a 92 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,200 concentration camp and Betsy ended up dying in the 93 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:08,600 concentration camp. But she was kind of Corey's rock 94 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:10,640 in a lot of times when things weren't going right. 95 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:15,000 And Corey was always looking at the Lord and Lord, I know you 96 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:16,560 got this. I know this under control. 97 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:21,720 Well, they got to, I think it was Barracks 19 was where they 98 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:26,240 were going to be, or barracks, I don't remember barracks I used 99 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:29,040 to. Anyway, they went where they 100 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:33,560 were going to be housed and they got there and there were fleas. 101 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:37,040 Like not one or two, like it was infested with fleas. 102 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:44,120 And Corey hit her, hit her point where she's like, I'm done. 103 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:48,920 I can't, I'm just done. And and Betsy said, now Corey, 104 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,760 God says to thank him in all circumstances. 105 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,640 No, right. You can imagine the, the the two 106 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:00,680 sisters, right? And they went back and forth and 107 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:05,680 finally Corey Corey agreed and they thanked God for the fleece 108 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,200 and that that that verse is First Thessalonians 518. 109 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,160 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the 110 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:20,040 will of God in Christ Jesus. And the the end of that story is 111 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,960 because that barracks was full of fleas, the guards would not 112 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:25,960 come in there. And because the guards would not 113 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,240 come in there, they were free to share the gospel and have Bible 114 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,560 studies the entire time they were in the concentration camp. 115 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,880 So God, so Corey looked at it and, and saw God's hand in it, 116 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,200 right? So, and that is in all trials in 117 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,280 our lives, right? Can we see that that God is in 118 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,080 it, right? Can we, can we trust that in my 119 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:50,320 life that he is in charge of my life and when things are going 120 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:52,520 good that I'm praising him? And I, and I would tell you a 121 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:56,360 lot of times that's our hardest that, that is anyone cheerful, 122 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,040 let him sing praises. That's harder for us a lot of 123 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,960 times than when things suck, right? 124 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:06,400 When things suck, I have a tendency to turn to the Lord. 125 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,000 When my life is sunshine and rainbows and everything's great. 126 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,760 Well, I'm running off on my own. And we'll, we'll have a 127 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:14,840 conversation. We'll have some verses about 128 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,320 that in a little while. But it's, it's remembering to 129 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:20,840 always be turned to the Lord because you don't know what your 130 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,640 next step is. You don't, you don't know the 131 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,280 future. But we, as Matt said, we serve 132 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:29,520 an omniscient, omnipresent God that does know the end from the 133 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,919 beginning. So not taking direction from him 134 00:08:32,919 --> 00:08:36,600 on a on a moment to moment, hour to hour basis is, is silly, 135 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:38,120 right? We should be getting our 136 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:44,960 marching orders continually from him turn to him because we are I 137 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:49,040 I compare us a lot of time to to tools and and maybe soldiers. 138 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:54,280 But guys, the first thing we are to God are his children, right? 139 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,560 He is a good father and the day you gave your life to, to the 140 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:05,320 Lord, he wants to care for you like a good father, not as a not 141 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:07,800 as a drill Sergeant that's putting you, that's building you 142 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:11,320 to put you to work, but as a father who wants to build your 143 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,320 character. Like it says in Romans that that 144 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:18,280 uses trials and and tribulations to build your character so that 145 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:22,720 when you are going through storms, you can stand and rescue 146 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,920 those that need rescuing because you are prepared for the storm. 147 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:33,840 As Christians guys, for for centuries, Christians have been 148 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,280 known to be the ones running into the burning buildings. 149 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:41,480 They when, when, when the black plague was going on. 150 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,520 Do you know who was who was out ministering to those people that 151 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:48,680 were dying Christians right. And why? 152 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:53,680 Because someone needed to do it. Somebody needed to take care of 153 00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:58,640 the people. And if if my time is to die 154 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:01,440 caring for somebody, then my time is to die. 155 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:04,400 But if God doesn't want me to die, I can care for as many as 156 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,480 many people with the black plague as there is right. 157 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,960 And that's that's our job is to run into those burning buildings 158 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,920 right as led by the Lord to know that he has a plan, but that 159 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,880 takes us staying turned to him. That's that's that be a Turner 160 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:21,080 at the end. There's turning someone back to 161 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:25,760 the Lord, but the idea of prayer and the idea of just asking him 162 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:29,600 for that guidance is to be turned keeping your face focused 163 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:35,280 at him and and trusting his plan for my life. 164 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:42,640 And if you think about in the in all through the Bible, song is a 165 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:44,880 thing, right? And it and it's a thing for both 166 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:47,680 sides. Moses sings a whole song in 167 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:54,360 Exodus 15 about the Lord coming through and wiping out Pharaoh 168 00:10:54,360 --> 00:11:00,640 in the army. Right It is it is it just 169 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:04,560 declaring his glory? But if you think about the night 170 00:11:04,560 --> 00:11:08,640 before, the night before he wrote this, there was water in 171 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,400 front of him. There was a a big cloud behind 172 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:16,360 him that was keeping an entire army away from him. 173 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:23,840 But he was in a dead end. And Moses, as as as big a deal 174 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:28,000 as Moses is to us for Moses, Moses didn't know God was 175 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,560 parting the sea. He just knew he was on a dead 176 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:34,000 end and there was an army back there. 177 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:36,800 So when he's reading this song, when he's singing this song the 178 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,640 next day, this is truly a Lord. You do amazing things. 179 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:46,080 Last night I was up all night worried about how, how am I 180 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,320 going to get these, these people, I've, I've let these 181 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,360 people down here and the Lord had me. 182 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:52,000 I think the Lord had me leave him down here. 183 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,040 I mean, you can imagine how Moses was thinking. 184 00:11:55,920 --> 00:12:01,440 And then the Lord parts the sea. They walk through on dry land. 185 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:07,720 And then he, he ends the Pharaoh's army and just erupts 186 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:10,240 into song. Do you, is that how your heart 187 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:10,960 feels? Right. 188 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,760 Do you when the Lord comes through, are you, are you there? 189 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:16,880 Right? Are you, are you Lord? 190 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:21,520 Thank you. Yesterday I was praising God for 191 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,800 sunshine, which I imagine some of you are out there doing, but 192 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:28,280 I had to. So we moved our trailer over to 193 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:34,160 the fairgrounds. And in doing that, I, we don't 194 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:36,720 have a, we're not, it isn't a full hookup or anything. 195 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:40,320 So I have to drain, I have to drain my tanks into a tank. 196 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,200 And then, and yesterday was the first day I had to do that. 197 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:46,680 And it was a whole process of figuring out what was best and 198 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:51,240 that I didn't have to do it in the rain or in 30, you know, or 199 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,240 20° weather or what I mean. It was literally like, I didn't 200 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,320 know what the weather was going to be like I knew what my plan 201 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:00,360 for yesterday was. But then all day it was just a 202 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:01,760 few. I'm like, this is awesome. 203 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,920 I mean, if I'm going to do this, I mean, you know, you're dealing 204 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:08,200 with wonderful water and all that stuff while you're figuring 205 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:11,080 it out. So I, I had that to deal with, 206 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:15,400 but I didn't have to then be be getting soaked in and cold. 207 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:19,880 And that so that was a time that I, I just stood back and like, 208 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,880 thank you, Lord, right. And and that's that, that 209 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:28,560 turning right, That's that Lord, I know that you are in charge of 210 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:31,400 my life. And how important is that? 211 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:40,080 And this and this idea of praying and singing is from from 212 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,880 Genesis to Revelation. You can find you can find 213 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:48,560 everything from Moses singing. You got David obviously in the 214 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:54,440 in the Psalms. It's Solomon writes 215 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:58,160 lamentations, which is just him crying out to the Lord, right, 216 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:01,080 which is also something we can do right. 217 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:02,960 Lord, I, I don't know how to do this. 218 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,640 I know you're bigger, right? I mean, David, David has in 219 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:12,520 Psalm 41, it says, answer me when I call, Oh God of my 220 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:16,400 righteousness, you've given me relief when I was in distress. 221 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:18,840 Be gracious to me and hear my prayers. 222 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,880 And that's a guy that knows God is who God is, right? 223 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:28,600 And he he just cries out to him. If you read the Psalms, some of 224 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,520 the some of my favorite stuff about the Psalms is as David is 225 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:35,080 crying out to the Lord of, of you know, this is going horrible 226 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:36,880 and this is going horrible and this is going horrible. 227 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:41,520 And then he's like, but you are God and well, you're bigger than 228 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,680 this. And by the end of the, by the 229 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:49,080 end of the Psalm, David's like and praise be to God because I 230 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:52,440 know you're in charge, right? And that's, that's supposed to 231 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,360 be our heart. First Thessalonians 516 back to 232 00:14:55,840 --> 00:15:00,040 what Betsy was talking about, but this is that whole section. 233 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:04,680 It says rejoice always pray without ceasing ceasing give 234 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:09,120 thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in 235 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,440 Christ Jesus. And that's that's our job, right 236 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:16,120 is just to be looking at him. And I mean when you think about 237 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:19,680 and I love Matt's lead in and it's always fun when God does 238 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:24,720 that right when you think about God with us and we don't serve. 239 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:30,960 I don't serve Buddha, I don't have one of the 2000 Hindu gods, 240 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:33,160 right? We're not, I'm not, I'm not 241 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:36,720 serving all of that. That may or may not hear 242 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,000 prayers, right? And I'm mocking them. 243 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:46,720 But all of those are people coming up with a way to get to 244 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:51,600 God. Christianity is Jesus came down 245 00:15:52,680 --> 00:16:01,160 as a baby as human form learn to walk, learn to talk right and 246 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,800 grew God grew. Now that's a whole I will 247 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:10,400 explain how that works in in heaven when we all already know 248 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,040 because it'll probably still be bigger than my head can explain. 249 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:20,640 But when you, when you ponder it, rejoicing always is pretty 250 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:24,240 easy. The God, the God of the universe 251 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,480 love me enough to come down. And he's, he's in this room with 252 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,040 us right now, right? He's here with us. 253 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:38,720 James, 514 through 16 says if anyone, anyone among you is 254 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:42,160 sick, let him call the elders of the church and let them pray 255 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,160 over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 256 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:51,280 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and 257 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:56,560 the Lord will raise him up. And if he commits sin, he will 258 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,680 forgive. Therefore confess your sins to 259 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:03,040 one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. 260 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:06,920 And the prayer of the righteous person has great power. 261 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:12,119 As it is working, so is anyone sick among you. 262 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:14,920 And, and this is this is something that is throughout the 263 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,599 Bible as far as God is a healer, right? 264 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:24,520 He heals people. This is this this set of verses. 265 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:28,960 And I I don't want to get off on a tangent and demote what James 266 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:33,840 is saying because James is saying if you're sick, come be 267 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:38,240 prayed for. But we, you know, can't remember 268 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:39,360 her name. She's in a wheelchair. 269 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:42,800 She died or she hit her head in a diving accident when she was a 270 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:45,760 kid. Johnny Eric Centata. 271 00:17:46,360 --> 00:17:50,080 So she read these verses when she was after she was injured 272 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:55,760 and the, her teaching or the teaching she had on it, if she 273 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,360 had enough faith, God would heal her. 274 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:03,280 And guys, that is not, that is not what it teaches, right? 275 00:18:03,360 --> 00:18:07,760 So, and, and she went and because God didn't heal it, 276 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:09,160 right? She's been in a wheelchair her, 277 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:11,640 her entire life from that day forward. 278 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:17,160 And it does say, there's the the trick here is there are two 279 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,000 different words for sick used here. 280 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,280 And one of them is, and I'm going to mangle the Greek words, 281 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:28,320 but athenio. And the other one is Camino. 282 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:33,240 And astenio means weak, infirmed, feeble sick disease, 283 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:35,040 which is what we would call sick. 284 00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:38,880 The second one is to grow weary or be weird. 285 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:44,600 And so then if you look at it and you say in 14, it says is 286 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:49,120 anyone among you sick? And then in 15, the prayer of 287 00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:53,240 faith will save the one who is weary, right? 288 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:58,040 And the idea there isn't. I want to be clear, God heals 289 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:01,640 people and he wants us to pray for each other and he wants us. 290 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:06,040 He wants elders to pray for the congregation and their their 291 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:13,600 faith in that right. So but James here is saying that 292 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:19,760 what prayer does 90 a lot of the time is turn us back to remember 293 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:24,480 who God is right is You guys have heard the story. 294 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:27,640 I only have so many stories, so you hear a lot of them. 295 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:32,440 But my my friend whose dad, dad and mom died in a Buddhist 296 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:36,800 temple, you know, they they were buried in a Buddhist temple and 297 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:40,760 he doesn't have hope that he will see them again. 298 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:46,920 And so when, when I had another friend that was whining and 299 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,640 about everybody saying, well, at least you'll see him in heaven. 300 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,040 Tired of hearing that I, I, I miss him now. 301 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:57,320 And, and my Nelson turned around and looked at him and said, 302 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:00,920 never belittle that. Never belittle that. 303 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:06,080 See, if you're a Christian here today, never belittle the hope 304 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:11,640 you have right, because you have hope and sickness that the world 305 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:15,200 doesn't have. Right when the world is 306 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:21,640 panicked, they should be you. You can walk through sickness 307 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:25,840 because of the Lord you serve and you know you know that he 308 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:33,520 has a plan right, and that's that as as we come together and 309 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:37,320 pray for each other. That is that is part of that 310 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:40,120 prayer isn't just that we because people get healed, 311 00:20:40,120 --> 00:20:43,680 right? But it isn't it isn't that I 312 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:47,960 need everybody that is a Christian to be healthy, 313 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,680 wealthy, and wise. I need them focused on the Lord 314 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:52,960 and what he's doing in their life. 315 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:57,240 And that's his desire, right? Just like with our children, my, 316 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:04,320 my girls, I can't, I can't take care of all their needs, but 317 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:09,800 they can know that their dad is a safe place to run to, right 318 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,600 it. My when I was growing up, my mom 319 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:16,080 was a single mom and my grandparents lived in Spokane. 320 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:21,800 And I knew without a shadow of a doubt at all times that we were 321 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:27,320 safe because I had, I had uncles and I had my grandparents. 322 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:32,680 And if, if we didn't, if the power was going to get shut off, 323 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:37,400 if my mom didn't have gas, if whatever the thing was, and my 324 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:41,120 mom worked three jobs and, and did all of her part, But I knew 325 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:44,080 that we had a safety net. That was my, my family. 326 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,760 Because you understand that you have that in the Lord. 327 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:51,560 That's what we, that's, that's what we have. 328 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:58,520 When you come together and are you know, if you're if you're 329 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:02,880 sick, if you, if you need prayer and you come to the elders, part 330 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:05,640 of what the elders are praying for is just God's guidance, 331 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:08,520 right, Not just not just that you're healed. 332 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:12,080 And that is something we pray for, but but God's guidance in 333 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:17,320 your life, right that that he he gives you that that comfort and 334 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:22,800 knowledge that he's in control and that that leads us to verse 335 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:24,840 16. That is therefore confess your 336 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,800 sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be 337 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:33,320 healed and the prayer of a righteous person has great power 338 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:37,560 as it is working. And so then then this gets into 339 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:41,320 the whole thing you can listen to This is why this study kept 340 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:46,000 like I kept redoing it was there are so many like let's go left 341 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:49,520 field on this and say, OK so if you're sick, you have sin in 342 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:51,440 your life that would be backwards. 343 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,920 If you have sin in your life, it's going to manifest itself. 344 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,480 If you're a Christian, it's it's going to manifest itself in 345 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:04,720 sickness, not whether that's stress, whether I mean, if you 346 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:09,880 anxiety stress, all of that is driven. 347 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:13,520 And when you have when you have sick sick and when you have sin 348 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:15,520 in your life, it's going to manifest itself. 349 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:21,240 Sickness is not being sick doesn't mean you've sinned, but 350 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:25,960 if you're sinning and trying to hide it, you're going to have, 351 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:28,440 there's going to be manifestation in your life, 352 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:32,480 right, of just you're not going to be healthy. 353 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:40,080 And so then it is important that we're confessing those sins, 354 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:45,080 right? And and that doesn't mean when 355 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:49,880 it says confess your sins to one another, that is not hey, 356 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:54,800 everybody come up and I'll give you a microphone and you can 357 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,680 confess your sins to the congregation and then you're 358 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:02,840 good. That is not what that you need 359 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:06,200 to confess to the Lord. And then when you're confessing 360 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:11,400 to one another, that is if you, if you have, if there, if you've 361 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:16,120 been sinning against someone else, that person, you and that 362 00:24:16,120 --> 00:24:20,540 person need to have a conversation, not not a in 363 00:24:20,540 --> 00:24:22,600 depth. Hey, I hated your guts and 364 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:24,680 you're a rotten you were a rotten person and you were all 365 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:26,640 these awful things. And oh, by the way, I'm sorry, 366 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:31,640 not that kind of confession, right, right. 367 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:36,520 But, but truly, if you, if there is a problem between you and 368 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:38,960 especially another Christian, right? 369 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:40,680 I mean, we'll get into the world. 370 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:45,280 But if there's a problem between you and another Christian, you 371 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,560 know, Jesus says that if you find there's something between 372 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:50,280 you and someone else, what are you supposed to do? 373 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,480 Leave your gift and, and go to them, right? 374 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:57,160 Matthew, Matthew 18 is go to them and them alone. 375 00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:00,080 If somebody sinned against you, you know, it is not a hidden 376 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,000 thing that we are supposed to be good with each other, right? 377 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:06,840 That we are supposed to be known by our love for one another. 378 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:10,440 And I would ask, I would ask and I think this congregation and 379 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,720 I'm I think you guys do a great job, right? 380 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:24,560 But I would ask you, as a rule in the world, are churches known 381 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:30,440 is are, is the body of Christ, an American known for its love 382 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:35,640 for one another, right. And that doesn't that is not 383 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,360 something that gets fixed from here, right? 384 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:41,680 That's something that gets fixed just like everything as 385 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,240 individuals turn to the Lord and and say, Lord, what do you what 386 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,320 do you have for me? What do you want me to do? 387 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:53,200 How do you want me to respond? And he's going to guys, I as, as 388 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,600 I say, be a Turner. And if you read James, he's 389 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:01,320 talking about it from beginning to end is, you know, to be doers 390 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:07,240 and not hearers only if if you say, Lord, I want to follow you. 391 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:10,600 I want to be on that road. I want I want to turn when you 392 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:12,440 want me to turn. I want to go up when you want to 393 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:13,800 go up. I want to go down when you want 394 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:17,000 me to go down. I want to be obedient to what 395 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,120 you want me to do. He's going to ask you to do some 396 00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:24,120 hard things when you go through the Word. 397 00:26:24,120 --> 00:26:28,760 And I was just listening to a study the other day and it hit 398 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:30,120 me to come like, yeah, I never thought of that. 399 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:36,160 Nowhere in the Bible that that I could find or argue with the guy 400 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:37,920 about. I haven't done a exhaustive 401 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:41,160 study, so if you can think of something, I would listen. 402 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:46,280 But he said I can't find anywhere in the Bible that God 403 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:48,200 asked somebody to do something easy. 404 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:54,800 It's always calling you into hard, not calling you into easy, 405 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:58,880 right? So know that that that is God. 406 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,200 God wants us to grow. I mean, just like, just like our 407 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:04,240 children. And when you watch our children, 408 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:12,760 wow, this would be a so we live in America and growing up, I had 409 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,200 I told everybody. So my great grandfather called 410 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:21,040 my grandfather lazy. My grandfather called my dad 411 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:24,520 lazy, my dad called me lazy, and I call this generation, this 412 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,680 next generation lazy. And the thing that sucks is we 413 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:32,040 were all right because compared to my great grandfather, my 414 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:35,480 grandfather was lazy. Compared to my great 415 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:39,280 grandfather, I am worse than a slug. 416 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:48,240 But we have trying to give our kids a better life than we had. 417 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:53,400 You know, I always, I always say generation X who get online and 418 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:55,760 say we had it like this and we had it like this and all this 419 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:59,520 stuff that guys, we caused this. This is our fault. 420 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:03,760 The world we live in right now. The the generation that's being 421 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:07,920 raised up, that's us. We did that because instead of 422 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:12,680 making our kids do hard things, we gave them the easy way out, 423 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:16,880 right? And I mean, and I'm not, I'm not 424 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:20,560 looking to eat any of us with, I'm just saying, guys, that's 425 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:24,040 not the God we serve. He's not looking to hand us a 426 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:27,640 tablet. He isn't sitting us in front of 427 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,680 ATV screen. He's like, no, no, come on with 428 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,600 me. We got some wood to chop, right? 429 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:36,880 We got a hill to climb. And why? 430 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:39,200 Because there's going to come time where you're going to need 431 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:42,360 to chop some wood and you need to know how there's going to 432 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,320 come a time where you need to, you need to carry somebody up 433 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:47,680 this hill and you need to know how. 434 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:53,480 And that's his desire for us, why we need to be turned to him. 435 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:58,120 Which leads me to Joshua, who is, and you guys will learn this 436 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:01,960 as you hear about him over and over again. 437 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:08,840 He is truly like a favorite of just having that heart of he 438 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:10,960 screwed. Joshua does not live a perfect 439 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:16,760 life like and he screws up often, but Joshua when he 440 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:21,120 figured out his screw up, he left Turner which way you want 441 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:25,800 me to go, Lord. And this is and This is why 442 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,240 right here and this is this should be our heart. 443 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:31,920 Joshua was Moses, his second right? 444 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:38,480 He took over for Moses when Moses didn't crossover So so and 445 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:42,840 Moses and Joshua was the leader of the Lord's army for Moses, 446 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:45,400 all this stuff. Joshua was an important person. 447 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:52,840 Exodus 3311 and this is truly my favorite verse about Joshua. 448 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:58,840 Thus the Lord used used to speak to Moses face to face as a man 449 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,120 speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the 450 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:06,960 camp, so Moses left his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, 451 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:09,680 a young man would not depart from the tent. 452 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:15,320 Do you know who is it? The tent The Lord Joshua knew 453 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:17,760 that his strength didn't come from Moses. 454 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:21,880 It didn't come from from being out and being seen. 455 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,680 His strength came from the Lord who was in the tent. 456 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,800 And so Joshua just dwelled with the Lord. 457 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:36,880 Do we dwell with the Lord right. And that is, that is our guys. 458 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:40,800 I, I, I wish you could have spent the this study. 459 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:46,400 I, I, it took me way longer then and I don't know why the Lord 460 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:51,400 probably just wanted to meet with me and, and spend time with 461 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:55,600 me, but I had more time this week than I have, I have had 462 00:30:56,040 --> 00:31:02,240 right. And so suddenly now I'm redoing 463 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:07,200 studies because the Lord on it. I need you to, I need you to 464 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:10,000 hear what I'm saying. And I mean, that's what I want 465 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:14,880 to say every week, but that's the it's he just want, and this 466 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:18,920 goes for all of you guys, right? I mean, he just wants to dwell 467 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:22,640 with us. And, and how that is isn't just 468 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:27,480 isn't just sitting still in your chair at home, drinking your 469 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,320 coffee, reading your Bible. It's a great way to start a 470 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:35,200 morning. But all day long, pray without 471 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:38,960 ceasing, rejoicing, always having that time with him. 472 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:48,040 Joshua lost track of that right and found out if, and this is 473 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:50,480 where this is where it's important that that confession 474 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:53,560 of sin and saying, Lord, if there's anything in me between 475 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:58,920 me and you or as a congregation, guys, this goes for us, right as 476 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:02,560 we're we're getting ready and you guys, you guys are up for it 477 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:05,920 and you've been up for it. But we're ready to go to go into 478 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:09,360 a battle that I think the Lord has been preparing you guys for 479 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:14,880 for years. But if, if there's hidden stuff 480 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:19,160 in your life, you need to get it right because the Lord will find 481 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:22,040 it out, right? He and, and I'm not that isn't a 482 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:24,360 convicting thing. That's I'm, I'm more, I'm giving 483 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:27,480 you, I'm giving you encouragement. 484 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:31,320 If there's a chink in your armor, the enemy knows where to 485 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:39,720 shoot there, right? And Joshua forgets this and gets 486 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:44,200 to thinking that he that he did something to Jericho, right. 487 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:48,360 They the walls just fell down at Jericho and Joshua, like we do, 488 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,280 starts thinking that I'm somebody important. 489 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:58,960 Joshua 7 four through 6 says so about 3000 men went up from the 490 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:02,960 people and they fled from the men of AI and the men of AI 491 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:07,480 killed about 36 of their men and chased them before the gates as 492 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:12,880 far as Chevron and struck them as at the descent and the hearts 493 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:16,040 of the people melted and became water and Joshua tore his 494 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:19,120 clothes and fell at the earth on his face before the ark of the 495 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:22,640 Lord until evening he and the elders of Israel and they put 496 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:25,520 dust on their heads. Lord, why have you forsaken us 497 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:33,720 And then the Lord in classic in classic statements in verse 10 498 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:38,680 says the Lord said to Joshua get up what Why have you fallen on 499 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,720 your face? Israel has sent they have 500 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,440 transgressed my covenant that I commanded them. 501 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:47,280 They have taken some of the devout things they have stolen 502 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:51,280 and lied and put them among their own belongings and Israel 503 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:54,200 is a picture of of congregations. 504 00:33:54,200 --> 00:34:00,520 But as individuals right is if we have sin in the camp right. 505 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:06,680 God isn't going to bless that He and, and this, this for me is 506 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:08,920 always one of those moments in Joshua's life that I would 507 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,159 imagine at the end of his life, he regretted this moment. 508 00:34:12,159 --> 00:34:17,800 One of his most 36 men died because Joshua got ahead of the 509 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:20,320 Lord. There wasn't a redo. 510 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:24,159 Joshua didn't get ahead of the Lord. 36 men died. 511 00:34:24,159 --> 00:34:27,199 Joshua said, I'm sorry and 36 men came to life. 512 00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:33,120 No, 36 men, 36 families lost their, their husbands, their 513 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:35,960 fathers, their, their sons, right. 514 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:41,520 And none of those men were guilty of the sin. 515 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:51,120 So it's important for us as a congregation to be not focused 516 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:55,760 on sin as, as as a legalism thing, but saying, Lord, is 517 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:57,920 there anything between me and you? 518 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:10,440 Am I holding ill feelings? And, and if I am Lord, first of 519 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:12,240 all, confess that. But if you got to go make right 520 00:35:12,240 --> 00:35:14,440 with somebody, go make it right with somebody right. 521 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:17,760 And that doesn't just mean here, that means you got to make it 522 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:21,400 right with somebody at work, somebody that that is in 523 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:25,600 another, another congregation, whatever, make it right with 524 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:28,200 them. The Lord isn't the Lord. 525 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:34,160 The Lord is not up for his people, his body, his children 526 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:40,160 to be sitting down on the inside or sitting down and standing up 527 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,440 on the inside isn't into isn't into playing church, right? 528 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:47,520 We've talked about that. This is a place where we get to 529 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:52,920 come into and be in a safe, trusted environment, right? 530 00:35:54,880 --> 00:36:00,360 We the, the, the, the church body as a whole, when I asked, 531 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:02,760 you know, how many in the, in the Western world would you say 532 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:07,000 we are known for our love? And I'd say unfortunately, and 533 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:10,400 and that's because bad things get more pressed than good 534 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:12,000 things. I think there is a lot of love 535 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,920 in a lot of churches. So I am not at all jabbing 536 00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:18,080 fingers and saying we're all a bunch of rotten sinners. 537 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:19,800 We are, but for different reason. 538 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:28,240 What I would say, though, that gets the press is in in bodies, 539 00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:31,400 their strife and jealousy, pits of angers, dissensions, 540 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:36,600 divisions and envy, and that is Galatians 519 the works of the 541 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:39,280 flesh, right? And if you have any of that in 542 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:46,320 you, right, if if you and that that is God doesn't want that 543 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:49,640 for you, right. That, that hurts that that's a 544 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:55,800 bag you're carrying and that's something that has been going 545 00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:56,480 on. Don't get me. 546 00:36:56,480 --> 00:36:59,920 I mean, just to clarify, it isn't just the Western world. 547 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:05,120 Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 S chapter 5 of the 1st century 548 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:07,840 church. It's definitely not around a 549 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:10,680 long time. And they were already in the 550 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:13,920 envy department and trying to come up with how we can play 551 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:15,480 church. It didn't go well for him. 552 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:20,480 God kind of took that serious. You should read it if you don't 553 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:27,080 know what I'm talking about. But we need his grace and power, 554 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:29,840 right? And in order to get his grace 555 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:33,720 and power right, we need to be completely submitted to his 556 00:37:33,720 --> 00:37:36,520 will. And, and when you look at the, 557 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:40,000 the works of the flesh, all of those are works of my will, 558 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:43,280 right? That's all stuff that I want and 559 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:50,120 I'm doing. And we will if if we try to if 560 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:55,760 we try to come in here and play church or if we feels like I'm 561 00:37:55,760 --> 00:38:04,160 picking on you guys and I'm not. This is but would you would fall 562 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:07,760 short if you got if you've got something in your life that 563 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:11,880 you're not willing to give to the Lord, You're not you're not 564 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:15,080 taking his his grace and power at their full strength. 565 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:25,840 And this leads us to elders and and oil and do they have power? 566 00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:30,160 I always just because this can become like a magic trick and 567 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:33,480 guys, elders and oil are are not magical. 568 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:37,400 They're elders. Are we? 569 00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:42,960 We have a board of elders here and but there's just 570 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:48,840 qualifications to be an elder and Titus one versus 6 through 571 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:50,840 9. And this is the qualifications 572 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:54,240 they need to be above reproach. A husband of one wife, his 573 00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:58,480 children are believers not open to to a charge of debauchery or 574 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:00,680 insubordination. They're not arrogant, they're 575 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:02,920 not quick tempered, they're not drunkard, they're not violent, 576 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:05,280 they're not greedy, Is hospitable. 577 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:09,520 A lover of good, self controlled, upright, holy and 578 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:12,320 disciplined. Holds firm to the trustworthy 579 00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:14,680 word as taught. He may be able to give 580 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:18,480 instruction and sound doctrine and is able to rebuke those who 581 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:20,560 contradicted. And I would tell you there's 582 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:24,680 many in this room that meet that qualification, right? 583 00:39:26,120 --> 00:39:30,120 And elders are God fearing men who are willing and able to 584 00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:34,120 point to Christ as the way, the truth and the life. 585 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:38,440 Peter and John were just men, right? 586 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:45,400 They were what what made them what made them who they were was 587 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:48,680 they spent time with Jesus, right? 588 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:52,200 They were no, literally that's they're they're, they're in a 589 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:56,080 trial at one point. And they were amazing the 590 00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:02,240 council because they were, they were fishermen, but they were 591 00:40:02,240 --> 00:40:05,840 speaking wise, wise words. And the reason they were doing 592 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:08,160 this and that the council gave them credit because they had 593 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:12,600 spent time with Jesus. That's what we're supposed to be 594 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:15,640 known as. And guys, I can't pretend. 595 00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:23,280 To be wise because Jesus knows what people need to hear you 596 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:28,800 know John and James or James and Peter and John were all were 597 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:30,960 also filled with the Holy Spirit right. 598 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:35,480 That's something that that each and every one of us today we 599 00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:40,360 gave our lives to the Lord. We were filled with the Spirit. 600 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:42,200 The Spirit came in and dwells among us. 601 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:45,720 But but it's something that that can continue. 602 00:40:45,720 --> 00:40:49,000 It's when you look at Pentecost and no, I'm not saying everybody 603 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:53,120 that gets filled with the Holy Spirit is going to speak in 604 00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:58,640 tongues and and that but in Pentecost it says in John 2022, 605 00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:01,600 it says and when he had said this, he breathed on that. 606 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:06,720 Oh sorry, that's not the right Acts 20 Acts 2 two through 4 and 607 00:41:06,720 --> 00:41:10,080 suddenly there came from heaven. The sounds like a mighty rushing 608 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:14,320 wind and filled the entire house where they were sitting and 609 00:41:14,320 --> 00:41:18,880 divided, divided tongues as a fire appeared on them and rested 610 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:21,560 on each one of them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit 611 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:24,840 and began speaking in other tongues and the Spirit as the 612 00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:28,680 Spirit gave utterance. And the point there is, is that 613 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:33,920 these guys had received the Holy Spirit from Jesus and then they 614 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:35,240 were filled with the Holy Spirit. 615 00:41:35,240 --> 00:41:37,720 So this is something that we can ask the Lord for, right? 616 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:40,560 You can. This is something I asked him 617 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:43,840 for on a regular basis. Lord especially I would imagine 618 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:46,400 Luke and Jessica, before they start singing are are asking to 619 00:41:46,400 --> 00:41:47,640 be filled with the Spirit, right? 620 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:50,680 I, I want him to do the I want him to do the work. 621 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:57,400 I don't want to be doing it. Elders elders do spend spend 622 00:41:57,400 --> 00:41:59,160 time with Christ and are filled with the Spirit. 623 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:03,800 Their men, their men turn to Christ. 624 00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:08,560 They keep short accounts, which means as soon as they find out 625 00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:11,680 they are going the wrong direction, they turn right. 626 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:15,760 They're, they're, they're guys willing to be turned right. 627 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:19,520 And that's that understanding that I don't have it all figured 628 00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:21,880 out. And the moment, the moment I am, 629 00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:27,040 I am directed by the Lord that I that I turn right and and 630 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:32,560 they're just those those little turns oil, something we use as 631 00:42:32,560 --> 00:42:35,840 a, as a symbol of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 632 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:44,360 Right, guys, I'm always, I'm always just going to point us to 633 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:48,560 simple faith, right? Not magic, not not special 634 00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:50,520 words. I picture walking into my mom's 635 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:59,440 house, into my grandfather's house and saying, Oh, mother who 636 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:04,040 aren't at the kitchen right after she threw a frying pan at 637 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:05,120 me. She would say, why are you 638 00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:09,120 talking like that? No, but there aren't special. 639 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:17,680 There is not guys, God wants our heart that I mean, he wants, he 640 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:21,520 wants you and you know who you are, right? 641 00:43:21,520 --> 00:43:25,200 And outside of him, you know that you're a Sinner and the 642 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:29,560 only thing that you can do is fall at his feet, right? 643 00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:37,480 And and that is his desire for us is to be willing to just 644 00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:41,120 submit to him. And and that's a you and him 645 00:43:41,120 --> 00:43:44,720 conversation. And that's James all through 646 00:43:44,720 --> 00:43:48,520 this book, right? He's just continuing to to point 647 00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:54,160 at that, that if we come together praying and singing 648 00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:57,360 praises in the good and the bad times. 649 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:01,800 And then if we call on the elders and pray that we'll pray 650 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:07,440 for you when you're sick. If we're struggling and weary or 651 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:10,560 sick, we can be saved from our weariness. 652 00:44:12,720 --> 00:44:15,680 Philippians 4-6 and seven says be anxious for nothing. 653 00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:18,000 But in everything through prayer and supplication, make your 654 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:21,240 request be made known to God and the peace of God that surpasses 655 00:44:21,240 --> 00:44:24,520 all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through 656 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:26,600 Christ Jesus. And that's that's that 657 00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:30,160 weariness, right when you can really truly see that the God of 658 00:44:30,160 --> 00:44:36,600 the universe, and I say that the God of the universe, the guy to 659 00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:41,240 everything that's here dwelling inside you is in this room with 660 00:44:41,240 --> 00:44:45,240 us right now and wants to do above and beyond what we could 661 00:44:45,240 --> 00:44:47,960 ever ask and think. I don't have to be weary. 662 00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:53,800 I don't have to. I get I have that that ability 663 00:44:54,680 --> 00:45:06,760 to just rest in him. And when I and John first John 664 00:45:06,760 --> 00:45:10,520 19, it says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just 665 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:13,400 forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 666 00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:16,760 Now I'm not going to dwell on the confess that's we've talked 667 00:45:16,760 --> 00:45:21,760 about that, but he is faithful to cleanse us from 668 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:24,880 unrighteousness. He is faithful to if he cleanse 669 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:28,920 us from unrighteousness, what does he make us righteous, right 670 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:34,640 and not not holier than thou righteous because we get to 671 00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:36,760 spend time with him and his power. 672 00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:40,960 Elijah and verse 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. 673 00:45:40,960 --> 00:45:44,320 He prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not 674 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:49,320 rain on the land for three, three years and six months. 675 00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:52,760 And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth 676 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:59,640 produced its fruit. Guys, we are James here says we 677 00:45:59,640 --> 00:46:04,000 are men like Elijah and we are men like Elijah, men and women 678 00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:09,280 like Elijah. And Jesus says that John, John 679 00:46:09,280 --> 00:46:14,960 the Baptist was the greatest and the least in the Kingdom of 680 00:46:14,960 --> 00:46:17,440 heaven is greater than him. Why is that? 681 00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:22,680 Because even unlike Elijah, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. 682 00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:31,400 We we get, we get to have the God that walked among us with us 683 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:40,040 and God did amazing things to Elijah and he wants to do 684 00:46:40,040 --> 00:46:48,000 amazing things through us in in that. 685 00:46:48,360 --> 00:46:51,040 What amazing things do you want him to do through you? 686 00:46:51,840 --> 00:46:54,000 Right. And that isn't Lord. 687 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:56,720 I want to be a healer, Lord, I want to be a prophet. 688 00:46:58,200 --> 00:47:02,760 What the Lord wants for you is to be his son or daughter. 689 00:47:04,520 --> 00:47:10,040 And in that you will do amazing things and they'll be amazing 690 00:47:10,040 --> 00:47:16,360 things for your dad, right? And and the most amazing thing, 691 00:47:16,720 --> 00:47:20,080 James concludes it this way. The most amazing thing that that 692 00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:24,000 can be done is, brethren, if anyone among you wanders from 693 00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:27,840 the truth and someone turns him back, let him know that he who 694 00:47:27,840 --> 00:47:33,400 turns a Sinner from the air of his ways will save a soul from 695 00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:35,360 death and cover a multitude of sins. 696 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:42,520 What in a family do you have a brother or a sister that you 697 00:47:42,520 --> 00:47:48,520 know has walked away? What's What better gift can you 698 00:47:48,520 --> 00:47:55,480 give a father than to to bring a bring one that has has turned 699 00:47:55,480 --> 00:47:58,440 on, turned around, went the wrong way, left the home. 700 00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:08,210 I'm going to have Luke and Jessica come up and sing some 701 00:48:08,210 --> 00:48:10,210 songs. I'm going to around what we're 702 00:48:10,450 --> 00:48:14,210 going to sing, but the elders are going to come up and we'll 703 00:48:14,210 --> 00:48:17,650 just be up here. If you need prayer, we'll pray 704 00:48:17,650 --> 00:48:19,650 with you if you if you're if you're sick. 705 00:48:20,690 --> 00:48:24,690 This isn't anything fancy guys. Spend some time with the Lord in 706 00:48:24,690 --> 00:48:29,240 these songs and just just talk to him. 707 00:48:29,520 --> 00:48:32,760 Say, Lord, is there anything that I need prayer for? 708 00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:35,120 Is there is there anything between me and you? 709 00:48:35,760 --> 00:48:38,000 And, and maybe it's something that's just you and him need to 710 00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:40,040 have a conversation. Have that conversation. 711 00:48:42,160 --> 00:48:47,120 All right, So Lord, I just thank you for this Time Lord, and that 712 00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:52,120 you would be in our midst, Lord, walking up and down, Lord, that 713 00:48:52,120 --> 00:48:57,120 you would fill this place with your light and just your glory, 714 00:48:58,320 --> 00:48:59,480 that you would guide and direct us. 715 00:48:59,880 --> 00:49:01,640 May this in Jesus name, Amen.