James Week 3 • James 1:19-27

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All right, tons of good stuff going on.

So one of those good things that's going on is we're here together this morning.

The Lord has us up, alive.

It is cool out there.

Joel's right.

It's tempting.

It's tempting not to be in here when it feels like that out there.

I get it.

But the Lord has us here.

I'm grateful to be here with you as a church family.

I'm grateful to continue in James.

The past couple weeks, we've looked at how we will face trials.

That's a certainty.

If you're a believing person, just mark it.

Put it on the calendar.

Every day, there's going to be a trial, and there's going to be perennial temptation.

They're always going to deal with that.

So my question, my gut reaction to that is, am I ready for that?

Now, I don't mean some sweet Sunday school answer.

I mean, am I actually ready for that?

Am I ready to face tests consistently?

Severe trials that cost the life of friends, that cost relationships, that bring uncertainty?

Am I ready to face constant temptation?

Every ploy by the enemy that wants to wreck me sideways this way and that.

Am I ready for that?

Well, I hope we're ready for that.

And I think the book of James is written to make us ready.

But I'd be careful about my response and your response to that question as to why you're ready.

What makes you confident that you're ready?

The most common answer I hear, because again, he's writing to believing people, Christians,

is why?

Man, I'm in church every Sunday listening to the Bible.

I'm studying the Bible every day for myself.

Every day, man.

I'm listening to podcasts on the way, on the way back from work.

I'm reading books that are steeped in theology.

And they're helping give me strength and a spine to approach these things.

And James actually would give a different answer than that.

If you really want to be ready for tests and temptations.

He actually says in verse 22, and that's going to be kind of the key feature of 19 through 27,

which is where we're going to be in chapter 1 today.

But be doers of the word.

And not hearers only deceiving yourselves.

He basically says if your response to why you're ready for trials and temptations is that you study the Bible with deep devotion,

that's an incomplete response.

That's not adequate.

He actually says, you're kidding yourself.

If you want to dress that up, make it more formal, you're self-deceived.

You think that showing up at church and hearing preaching alone,

that studying the Bible on your own alone,

that being devoted to theological propriety alone makes you ready.

And he's saying, you're not ready.

Because more generally, his plea with us is actually follow Jesus.

And some of the most disobedient moments in our lives, if we're honest,

have been sitting in this room doing what we're doing right now.

The most disobedient moments are then.

Because we hear the word only, and we have no intention of acting on it.

None.

We think it's right.

We would tell our coworkers it's right.

We would believe it's true as opposed to untruth.

We're not going to do anything about it.

I'm not going to align my life with it.

Especially if it's inconvenient or I don't happen to like what it says.

Anytime I'm challenged or confronted,

it isn't neatly fit, I've got enough stress going on in my life.

Why would I want to align myself with that word?

Unless, unless, I believe that's its purpose.

I believe that the purpose of God's word to me

is to portray who he is.

So I can be who I'm supposed to be by faith in him.

So James is going to help us understand.

Man, how do we become hearers and doers of the word of God?

And I want to make something really clear

because I know we have to hop in and out of the service sometimes.

People have to go get their kids.

So I want to say it at the front end

and say it several times throughout.

And here's what I want to say.

Anybody who very wrongly says to you what this passage teaches is,

we just need to be about doing.

Not all that learning.

Not all that here in the Bible.

You spend too much time with your nose in the Bible.

That is absolutely not what he's saying.

You can't get that out of this passage

if you squeezed it in there and tried to pull it out.

That's just not going to work.

He actually is saying quite the opposite.

You don't need less time in the word.

You need more obedience as a result.

That's what I need.

And that's what you need.

That's what anyone who follows Jesus needs.

So how would we do that?

How would we actually become people

that do intensely hear the word?

We want to hear it.

We're starved for it.

We need it because we want to actually do something about it.

Look at verses 19 through 21 with me.

Know this, my beloved brothers.

Let every person be quick to hear,

slow to speak, slow to anger.

For the anger of man does not produce

the righteousness of God.

Therefore, put away all filthiness

and rampant wickedness

and receive with meekness the implanted word

which is able to save your souls.

My question here really is,

how can we be this type of person

that hears and acts

in genuineness and sincerity

a man with hot devotion?

And the way he starts to frame this

is pretty simple.

You've got to plead with God

to make your gut reaction different.

I don't know all of you.

I know many of you,

but I don't know all of you.

But this is going to get eerie real quick

because James is reading our mail,

all of us, mine too.

And he's basically saying,

you think about how you're challenged

and confronted with something.

Just think for a minute.

Not how you want to dress it up

when you're in small group

and act like it's different.

I mean how you actually respond.

Okay?

If you're being honest with yourself,

it's something probably how I respond.

You challenge and confront me

with something that's true.

And I immediately have an emotive response.

And if I don't like it,

I'm upset.

I could even get angry.

And my next step after that

is to defend, deflect,

say something, tweet something,

text something, email something.

Which, by the way,

when he's talking about speech

in the digital age,

yes, your social media isn't off limits

from where God's going to grab a hold of

and throw it in the trash

if that's where it needs to go.

So, my response usually

when you confront me

and I don't like it

is in a fleshly way,

I get upset.

And then I say something to you

that communicates,

I'm upset.

I don't like this.

And then if I'm having

a really great day

and things are magical

and I'm feeling really good

about everything,

I might get around

to listening to you.

Maybe.

Maybe.

But that's a long shot

when I'm frustrated

and self-protective

and don't want to give in

to what's true

and what's right.

And isn't it eerie

that if you're anything like me,

the exact opposite order

is what James says

we need to do.

You actually need

to be quick to listen.

That needs to be anxious

in you, urgent.

I got to hear the truth.

I want it.

I want to get in this

and anybody who's associated

and aligns themselves

with this

and speaks that truth to me,

I got to have that.

And I want to listen,

not just hear the words

but actually internalize.

I want to hear that.

And you know the next thing

I want to do?

I want to shut my mouth

which is hard for some of us.

I confess that right now.

It's hard.

I just need to be quiet

and actually be humble

and teachable

and listen to the truth.

And then,

I have to be very slow

to get angry

as I internalize the truth.

I can't get upset about it.

I've got to know

this is for my good

and mercy.

Now, he's making

a general statement here

but I think he also wants us

to specifically apply it

to being hearers of the word

and doers

because here's what

your anger will do.

It will never produce virtue

and righteousness

in your life.

I am not saying

that angry lacks virtue

all the time.

Sometimes angry

may be right.

I am just telling you

that biblically

because we want to bring up

Jesus' cleansing

of the temple,

for example.

Do I think

that was an expression

of his anger?

It may have been

but it was also

determined action

by one who never sinned.

He visited this setting

the night before

and came back

to visit the wrath

on it.

He didn't flippantly

fly off the handle

because he was ticked off

because he got sideways

with them.

So,

I mean,

if your anger

is that devoted,

if your anger

is that process,

if it's that directed

that you seek virtue

as an outcome,

then it's righteous anger.

But everything else

is sin.

And particularly,

he's addressing

sinful anger

which is the vast majority

of what we express.

And he's saying,

that's never going to produce

what you think

it's going to produce.

It's never going to bring

the good that you think

it's going to bring.

It actually makes

everything malfunction

instead of everything

function and hit

on all cylinders

so you can hear

and act

in a way that brings

glory to God

and brings joy

to your own soul.

So how do we get there,

James?

I don't want to keep

functioning like that.

I don't want to do that.

It's a way to get there.

How do we become

like this?

That's the next part

of what he says.

You've got to put away

all filthiness.

I'll never forget,

I worked with a guy

and his primary job

was plumbing

and we had

a late afternoon meeting.

He'd been working

in the trenches

on sewer lines all day

and he thought

it'd be real funny

to show up to the meeting

without showering.

Some of you

have flashbacks right now.

You're like,

I've done that

or I've been around people

that do that.

And they're like,

he didn't swing by the house

intentionally

because he thought

it'd be real cute

to show up.

He walked into the area

where we were meeting

and gave me a big hug.

Hey, you talk about

someone to induce vomiting.

I mean, I was like,

Van, I'm going to puke on you

if you don't get out

of my face right now.

I'm like, man,

change that stuff.

That's the image

that James has.

Put away,

take off clothing

was the most common way

this was used.

Don't wear that stuff.

You don't dress

like someone,

figuratively speaking,

meaning you don't act,

you don't portray yourself,

you don't have a heart

that's prone toward evil

and degradation

and filth.

You just don't want

poorness and evil

for people,

you don't want it

for yourself

and that's evident in you.

So you've got to put that away.

Well, that's doing, right?

But where's the hearing dimension?

And here's the key statement.

Instead of acting like that,

instead of outwardly

portraying

what could be evil

resident in our heart,

instead of doing that,

why don't you receive

this implanted word

that can save

your souls.

Now that phrase

is super interesting,

implanted word.

You're like,

no, that's nerdy.

I don't,

it's not interested in me at all.

It's like two words.

Why is that interesting?

Because now we're forced

to do what we ought to do

every single time

we come to the Bible.

Let's ask the question,

what does that have to do

with the entire Bible?

So let's talk about

the entire Bible

just for a minute.

I didn't say cover

the entire Bible.

I said talk about it,

because that's necessary

to understand this.

If we think about

hearing what God says

and acting on it,

we can go all the way back

to the outset of Scripture.

When God speaks,

that activity creates

all reality for us.

He speaks it into existence.

He speaks man and woman

into existence

once he has his place fashioned

and he puts them there

and he speaks

covenant faithfulness to them.

You will dwell with me.

You will reign over this garden

with me.

You will tend it

and care for it

and everything.

You have dominion.

And what I'm telling you is

don't eat the fruit of this tree

because in the day you do it,

you will surely die.

That was his word to them.

Did they hear it?

Absolutely.

Did they do it?

Painfully, no.

They did not.

And on behalf of all of us

that would follow

and be born generation

after generation,

we deal with the horrible

consequences of that.

You want to know

why your kids

are frustrated with you?

You want to know

why you're frustrated

with your kids?

You want to know

why you and your spouse

can't completely

and perfectly get along?

Unless any other point

of pain you have

in your life

it all comes

from that moment.

That sin entered

the world

through a deceptive word.

He surely didn't tell you that.

He didn't tell you

not to eat it out

or you're going to die.

That's absurd.

Everything else

with power

and truth

he had said

exactly came to pass.

Why in the world

would they doubt

that this would be true too?

But they did.

And so they ate of it

and their eyes were opened

and they realized

that they had sinned.

They realized

that they had broke

the covenant

that they had fractured

the relationship

that they had with God

and God

in his mercy

immediately

visits them

and gives them

a covenant promise.

You have been

utterly unfaithful to me.

Utterly unfaithful.

And I will be faithful

in an unthinkable way

to you.

There's someone

going to come eventually.

Generation after generation

you're going to anticipate

he's going to come

he's going to come

he's going to come

and you're going to wonder

is he even going to show up

but he's going to come.

And when he shows up

he's not going to do

what this first Adam did.

He's going to be

a better second Adam.

And when he comes

this deceiver

that did this to you

he's going to think

he's won

because he's going

to attack him.

But at the end of the day

he's going to crush his head.

This deceiver's got

no chance in the end.

Even though he thinks

that he wins battles here

and wins battles there.

And so the remainder

of the Old Testament

is covenant after covenant.

Abraham,

Moses,

David

to highlight a few.

And through all of those

God raises up

his covenant people

and continues to say

I'm your God

and you're my people.

I'm faithful to you.

Even though

and he uses the term

like you're playing

the whore a lot.

You're not being faithful

to me.

I don't change who I am.

I'm God.

I'm committed to you.

So I will rescue you

and punish you

and restore you

but you will always

be mine.

And so prophets

rise up

and they speak

the truth

of the word.

Priests uphold that

and they make sacrifices

so people know

this sin stuff

is nasty and heinous.

Like something's got to die

if this is going

to get forgiven.

And kings reign

and rule

and most of them

are really horrible people.

They're not examples

you want to point to

of leadership.

I guarantee you that.

Even David

a man after his own heart

has done one of the worst

things committed

in the Old Testament.

So what do they all need?

They still need

the one that was promised

in Genesis 3.

All the leaders

all the kings

all the prophets

all the priests

all the people

that can't get it right

and aren't devoted fully

they still need

the one who was promised.

And John the Baptist

says behold

the Lamb of God

who takes away

the sin of the world.

And there he is

Jesus.

And Jesus comes

and he lives

a sinless life

in one of the worst

pressure cookers

that the face

of the world

has ever seen

and ultimately

the worst

at the point of the cross.

And he bears in his body

the wrath

that I completely deserve

for everything

I have ever done

or will do

and he grants me

freedom and rescue

if I will hope in him

because three days later

he's resurrected

from the dead.

Forty days later

he's ascended

to the right hand

of the Father

and sure to return

so that all of those

who were saved

right rescued

they believe

and hope in him

they're going to ultimately

be in a new creation.

the new heaven

and the new earth.

And the reason

they will be there

is because of what he says

in the upper room

when he institutes

the Lord's Supper.

This is the new covenant

in my blood.

What do you mean

by that Jesus?

It's not a new idea

even though it has

new in the word.

Jeremiah 31

actually says

that God's going to

make a new covenant

when this Savior comes.

And the strict dynamics

of the covenant

are really beautiful

and compelling.

Here's what that covenant

looks like.

You know how you

trusted in the law

you believed the law

you did the word

of God right?

I mean that's what

the law was to them.

There's going to come a day

I'm going to take that law

with the rules

and regulations

and virtue

that will guard your soul

and make life

beautiful for you

and I'm going to

write them on your heart.

I'm going to actually

put them in you

so that when you ask

should I file my taxes

and be truthful

should I honor my wife

or look at porn

should I be

forthright

with my friend

or should I conceal

because I actually

want to look better

when we're hanging out

that my truth

would actually guide you

because the Holy Spirit

will take up residence

and he will constantly

remind you of that truth

internally

so it can make

its way

external.

You can always hear it

so that you can do it.

The reason the implanted

word is important is

it's got to be related

to that promise

of the new covenant

in Jeremiah 31

and that's all related

to the entirety

of the Bible.

That is revolutionary

compared to what

most people think.

I go study the Bible

I read the Bible

I listen to podcasts

I read theology books

but at the end

of the day

man I just got to

figure this stuff

out for myself.

No.

For an unbelieving

person

for someone outside

of Christ

you haven't put

your faith in Jesus

it feels that way

to you

because it is

that way to you.

It's all outside

of you

and praise be

to God

that you're here

praise be to God

that you want

to hear the word

you want to be

around it

but it's not

the same thing

as knowing Jesus

being changed

by who he is

because he's the one

who was promised

in the garden

that would be sent

to rescue us

and being assured

of your hope

in him

that will last

for all eternity

that's what life

abundantly means

when Jesus

makes that comment

so how do we

become hearers

and doers

we actually

receive with meekness

the implanted word

we actually

hunger for the word

of God

and we respond

to the spirit's work

that prompts us

to actually obey it

and when we're tempted

to not obey it

I would argue

in a new covenant

community

you notice there's

more than one person

that's a part of that

they should reach out

to our brothers

and sisters

and say

I don't want to obey this

I'll just tell you

straight up

like I don't want

to obey this

and they love us

and they challenge us

and confront us

and what do we do

we fight that urge

and we trust the spirit

of God's work

to say

I'm going to be quick

to listen

I don't want to listen

to you

but I'm going to be

quick to listen

right

I'm going to be

slow to speak

I don't need to

defend myself

or deflect

or shift

I'm going to be

slow to get angry

in this moment

I need this

confrontation

it's good for my soul

because I actually

do want to hear

the word of God

and do it

not just pretend to

and deceive myself

so receiving

the word of God

being open to it

responding to the

spirit's work

that's the first element

the other question

that I really ask

is

okay James

but I'm thick headed

like I'm from Lexington

like most of y'all

and we can be a little stubborn

right

just culturally speaking

like I get that

I am that

alright

I get it

so like

can you show me a picture

because implanted word

that still sounds pretty heady

and we just

good grief

we just covered the whole bible

like good night

my head's spinning a little bit

like can you just

I'm a simpleton here James

like show me

portray what you're talking about

because I need an example

but be doers of the word

and not hearers only

deceiving yourselves

for if anyone is a hearer of the word

and not a doer

he's like a man

who looks intently

at his natural face

in a mirror

for he looks at himself

and goes away

and

at once he forgets

what he was like

this is the first of two

very different people

so he's gonna do exactly

what I've asked him to

show me an example

he's gonna show me a non-example

this forgetful hearer

and a really good example

of what it looks like

to actually do this

receive the word

and act on it

well this first guy

is a little bit like

one of my grandparents

loved to say

you know

I can only get so gussied up

right

some of you still say that

because it's like a hanger on

from a bygone era

I kind of like the gussied up

right

kind of want to

let's bring that back

maybe we'll bring that back

after this morning sermon

I can only get so gussied up

but at the end of the day

I'm working what I'm working with

right

it's like putting perfume

on a hog

that was their phrase

I mean I

you know I do so much

with what I got

right

and I'm doing the best

that I can do

here

some of you looking at me

going that's what you

must have done this morning

because that's what you did

when you looked in the mirror

right

which we all did this morning

presumably

every single one of us

and again James

is reading that mail on us

not a one of us

looked in our reflection

there in the mirror

it told the truth

unless you got fun house mirrors

in your house

and if you do

that's weird

okay let's have another

conversation about that

that's a totally different matter

all right

but I'm assuming you have

a standard mirror in your house

when you looked at it

nobody would walk away

from that

and not fix their hair

or try to

nobody would walk away

and see

man I got

my eyes are puffy

I gotta deal with something here

nobody would walk away

from that

and see

oh my goodness

I look pale

or I got too much sun

or whatever

I gotta do something

you ladies

got all kinds of chemicals

and like there's vats

and stuff in there

I don't even know

what all that

I need some of that

I'm just not

I don't have a chemist degree

to work with this

I can't do that

but anyway

you do all that

and it's like

this is incredible

no one looks at

what is undeniably

telling you the truth

about the situation

who really wants

to be different

and then walks away

and goes

I have no idea

what that showed me

and I don't plan

to do anything about it

no person

who's earnest

about wanting

to fix

what's wrong

what's out of alignment

looks at that

and does that

but how many times

are we

right now

literally with the Bible

open

looking at it

and we have

zero intention

to obey it

none

every time

we do that

it's like

we looked in the mirror

turned around

like I have no idea

what it showed me

and I'm not going

to look back

because I don't care

or maybe I'll look back

next week

but I'm still not going

to do anything about it

and I'll go week

after week

after week

and I'll look at it

and look at it

and look at it

but I don't do anything

about it

I'm not going

to act on it

how different

is that person

from the one

who looks

into the perfect law

the law of liberty

and perseveres

being no hearer

who forgets

but a doer

who acts

he will be blessed

in his doing

stark contrast

in this joyful doer

keep in mind

it's the same word

in the metaphor

they're not looking

at a different mirror

they don't have

a fun house mirror

it's the same mirror

it's the same truth

it's the same reflection

of reality

the difference

is the response

that's the difference

that's why I do think

emphatically

what I said

at the outset

it's true

you can't tell

in here

the difference

between someone

who is going

to act on this

even now

is being stirred

by God's spirit

to act on this

and someone

who's not

because we all

sitting here

either swiping

our bible

or turning the pages

whichever mode

you use

we're all looking

at the screen

right

and whatever it says

we all seem

to be somewhat

dialed in

as much as we can be

bleary eyes

caffeine on board

right

but we're trying

we're all trying

in this room

the difference

will be made

in the balance

of this week

in the balance

of our life

what are we doing

what do we intend

to do

and James

plea with us

with me

and with you

is

look at that mirror

like your life

depends on it

I mean

consistently

aggressively

look at it

don't turn away

from it

look at it

with expectation

because you need

to actually

trust the Lord

to fix

what looks

misaligned

in that mirror

because that mirror

is telling you

the truth

and you and I

can be self-deceived

enough to go

well it's not

totally the truth

well it's not

that bad

I know that God

says that that form

of sin

is really vile

and it's going to

shipwreck my whole life

it's going to ruin

my experience

even if I am a believer

it's going to destroy

my relationships

but at the end

it's not that bad

I mean relationships

are hard

that's turning away

from the mirror

and forgetting

what you look like

what you saw

there

the interesting phrase

he uses

is this law

right

appearing to the law

and we're kind of

back to what I said

about implanted word

now

the law

certainly for James

would have included

the Torah

alright

so the idea was

the rules

regulations

in the first five

books of the Bible

that certainly

he would have had

that in mind

but that can't be

all he has in mind

he has something

actually much greater

in mind

here's why I say that

earlier in chapter one

he's already called it

the word of truth

he's used the word

twice in this text already

he's clearly making

the law synonymous

with the word

I guess the word is

it's everything

that God has given

his covenant people

in the Old Testament

in James writing

at this point

and everything

that Jesus

has done

to interpret it

expand it

and fulfill it

that's what

he's talking about

so if we go back

to our quick

like fly over the Bible

from a few moments ago

Jesus is the one

that was promised

to do what

be a burden

to you

he was supposed

to come and do what

give me eight easy rules

to follow tomorrow

so I can be a good person

on my own

he came to rescue you

from death and hell

which you were

certainly headed toward

and if you were

outside of Christ

you are still headed there

that's what he came to do

so that's why the law

is a law of liberty

a law in this sense

is meant to provide

absolute freedom

because it's the word

of the one

who's faithful to you

to sustain your life

and save it

for all eternity

that's what he intends

because he loves you

and cares for you

his word is not a burden

it's the guidance

for life

if you and I think

that applying it

is a burden

or an inconvenience

or just a downright

pain in the rear end

that's on you

or me

it's not on God

that's your problem

it's my problem

it is never his

because he doesn't

have a problem

you are not an inconvenience

to him

to the tune

of the blood

of his own son

he shed his blood

to secure your life

and mine

if you hope in Jesus

how dare we

point the finger

at him

and say

do you really

care about me

do you really

love me

do you really

want what's good

for me

when I'm reading

these verses

without hesitation

every time

the answer is yes

even though

it's hard

sometimes

and it is

even though

it's difficult

to internalize

and take

he wants us

to stare

into this law

and recognize

the liberty

that's there

and again

I think this

is going back

to Jeremiah 31

but there's a third

question I think

we need to cover

how would we know

if we're doing this

like I think

he's told us

how to do it

receive

with meekness

like be humble

actually be

expectant

I want to hear

the word

and I want to act

on it

so I'm motivated

to do it

but at the end

of the day

like how do I

take the test

like how do I know

because I like to know

before I confront

massive trials

in life

I like to know

before I face

today's temptation

like how would we know

if we were doing this

and so I think

he gives us

a handful of tests

he says

if anyone thinks

he is religious

and does not

bridle his tongue

but deceives his heart

this person's religion

is worthless

religion that is pure

and undefiled

before God

the father is this

to visit orphans

and widows

in their affliction

and to keep oneself

unstained

from the world

he tries to help us

understand what it would

look like to be faithful

what would it actually

look like for us

to be hearers

of the word

and expectancy

and doers actively

what would that look like

and I want to be

really clear

the tests he's going

to give us

they're three

they're not exhaustive

or comprehensive

some people talk

about this passage

and they go

that's the totality

of the Christian life

is to do these three things

that's not what

James is saying

but let this

get in our business

a little bit

he's simply saying

without these three things

you definitely don't

have the Christian faith

well it doesn't mean

you don't believe in Jesus

it just means

you're not being faithful

to what it would look like

to be a disciple

if you're not doing

some measure

or brand of these things

they're irreducible

in that way

like this has got to be there

and they're broader

than what he says

but I'll try to comment

on that for you

a little bit

I think the first question

to ask

if we're going to

apply that there

do we speak

like renewed people

and let me cut

something off

at the past

this is not

do you cuss

less than everybody

else around you

okay

that's like the most

diminutive way

we could read this

alright

should you be a person

that just like

wallows in profanity

I just think

that sounds

ignorant and undignified

and I'd probably

say that to you

if I wasn't

a believing person

it just sounds

immature

now you're going

to push back

some of you

and go

that's not bad

it's just words

okay

if I had your

four year old

stand up right now

and drop a bomb

right here

would it just be a word

why are we uneasy

with that all of a sudden

it's just a word

you teach them

all kinds of words

right

because they learn

that in your house

is that bad

this isn't about

cussing

again that's the easiest

way to read this

but I think

that's probably

in view

why

because of the

deeper issue here

do your words

reflect that your

hope is in Christ

and you want

dignity for yourself

and virtue for yourself

and everyone around you

who contacts you

is that what you want

okay well then

the way we speak

to and about people

it absolutely

matters

absolutely

how you speak

about people

when they're not

in the room

are they safe

with you

when they're not

with you

are you looking

to kind of

edge out somebody

kind of chip away

at their reputation

because that's fun

and it endears you

to this other person

that you want

to be cool with

I'm talking to

every age group

but you and I

both know

whether you're in it

now or you're in it

at some point

middle school

and high school

like that's a

constant temptation

I can make myself

a little bit better

like we all

jeer each other

anyway

and guys give each

other a hard time

I get that

alright

that's not what

I'm talking about

but are they safe

around you

do you speak

in such a way

that's honest

and has integrity

if God

speaks truth

and that's

his character

his people

are intended

to reflect truth

Jesus actually

says

from

out of the

heart

there's overflow

to your mouth

mouth you 12

so whatever's

in the well

is what comes

up when you

pull the bucket

up

so here's

the severe

question

like what

do you really

like on the

inside

well how

you talk

tells us

what you're

really like

on the

inside

Jesus is

very clear

about that

so what

what do you

say

what do you

withhold

what do you

make sure

you say

well in a

caring way

what do you

say directly

because it

aligns with

truth

the second

question is

do we care

for helpless

people

again

portraying the

character of

God

he is emphatic

in Psalm 68

he's a father

to the fatherless

that's meant

to be again

a more general

statement of

yes caring

for orphans

but it really

is to undercut

any notion

that you

and I

as believing

people should

not care

for people

who are

helpless

to care

for themselves

this is why

I care for

the pre-born

in the womb

and care for

those who

have been

born

and those

who are

suffering from

dementia

and are about

to die

that caring

for the whole

span of life

for those

who can't

care for

themselves

is never

a question

of if

but how

for believing

people

never a question

of if

but how

so how are we

caring for

widows

and orphans

those who are

mentally and

physically challenged

how are we

caring for those

who are

without income

how are we

caring for those

who can't seem

to socially

connect with

how are we

doing for

them

and thirdly

do we

live like

reconciled

people

but how do

we stay

unstained from

the world

what does he

even mean

by that

it's pretty

clear what he

means

what he

means is not

that you are

in the world

and ignore

the world

Jesus pretty

emphatically says

you're in the

world but you're

not of the

world

you're not to

turn your back

on your neighbor

who hates

Jesus

very much

the opposite

you're not to

be unfeeling

to tribal

peoples at the

other side of

the planet

who have no

access to the

gospel

because they're

not American

there's no

quarter for that

kind of nonsense

that's not gonna

work

the only people

who discredit

devalue

don't care about

and think you can

treat human beings

however you want

are people who

don't know

Jesus

because Jesus

has brought in

the most vile

people ever

at the expense

of his own

blood

and guess who

those people

were

I'm in the

front of the

line

what he means

here is you

cannot allow

worldly notions

of truth

reality

advancement

work

fill in the

blank

to guide what

you do

toward other

people

because it

will disallow

your hearing

and doing

of the word

Rwanda

is one of

the most

special places

in the world

to me

not because

I've spent

tons of time

there

but I spent

several weeks

there

in April

several years

ago

and April

was a dark

month

in Rwanda

April 94

what I remember

about that is

Kurt Cobain

committed suicide

and that's all

I remember

from that time

and that was

a horrible

story

and a horrible

circumstance

it was much

more difficult

the Rwandan

genocide

beginning in

early April

and running

a hundred

days

an estimated

half a million

Rwandans

were killed

by their own

neighbors

and government

officials

why

because they

had systematically

communicated

among the

primary

ethnicity

these people

are cockroaches

these people

need to be

exterminated

these people

will overtake

us

these people

will malign

us

and they

cultivated that

through what

they said

and communicated

and broadcasted

and they

made sure

to systematically

set up a

time

and they

carried out

the mass

slaughter

of their own

neighbors

to the tune

of at times

banging on the

gate next door

when they

came to the

door

they had

a machete

in hand

and they

met the

end of

their life

because they

answered the

gate

your own

neighbor

that you

lived next

to for

20 years

and never

forget going

to those

memorial sites

and culturally

that contrast

couldn't be

more stark

see we

memorialized

through stone

and marble

with names

etched

right

you go to

those sites

like one

I visited

where they

ran all the

kids from

the school

house into

this one

building

they threw

grenades in

Molotov

cocktails

blew up

what they

could

when they

would run

back out

they would

fire at

the machine

guns

they'd run

them back

in

they'd repeat

the process

until they

were all

dead

they literally

just formed

scaffolding

and put rows

of skulls

femur bones

in there

that's the

memorial

so you walk

in and there's

still ash

and broken

bone on the

floor

and you got

skulls in

front of you

little skulls

children

incredibly horrifying

not the most

haunting thing

I heard

while I was

there

this is it

sat across

at lunch

from a

pastor

and he said

you gotta

understand man

we've heard

the bible

our whole

life

we believe

it

and we

can still

justify

that

genocide

we can

still tell

you why

it was

the right

thing

to do

that's

one of

the most

evil

things

I've

ever

heard

you talk

about

a chill

down

your

spine

that scared

me

to death

so you

you've

seen this

you've

read it

you've

heard it

good grief

you teach

it

man