Overview of James - John Robertson [8/2/26]

Good morning everyone. Good to see you

this beautiful Lord's Day morning. I I

want you to know how appreciative I am

that you have invited me to take part in

this series of lessons over the book of

James.

And I'm excited about it. I'm excited to

be here with you. I have, as DJ said, I

have been here before with you. all

kinds of familiar faces and looking

forward to it. It's been kind of a crazy

week as as most all of you know. Sheree,

your sister Sheree, she's been in the

hospital. She's been she she's had a a

rough go. It's been kind of an emotional

week. I I feel like of late like I'm an

employee of the hospital. We've we've

been the wife had emergency gallbladder

surgery a few weeks back and then my mom

went into the hospital and then Sheree

goes into the hospital. So, uh, yeah,

it's been a lot of hospital visits, but

that's the way life goes sometimes. And

really, that didn't mean for it to be,

but that's a good segue into our lesson

over the book of James. When we're

looking at the book of James, it is a

book of practicality. It's not a letter

that's written to any specific church.

Um, and as we'll see in a few moments

who it is written to, but because of its

generality, it it has a lot of

application for us today. and it will be

very helpful uh in our efforts of

serving God today.

So I did want to say before we get going

that this is the Bible class time. If

anybody wants to participate uh just

raise your hand and we will uh entertain

those questions or if you want to add to

the class something that you have to

add. It's tough as DJ knows anybody of

any of you guys who have taught a class

before you're going to do an overview of

of a book like James. I mean to to do

some kind of an exhaustive thing is just

simply next to impossible. Uh but we'll

we'll hit some some highlights and some

things I think that will be very helpful

to us all as we serve the Lord. What I

what I like to do sometimes is I'm

looking at a a Bible book. I like to

find a verse that kind of says it all as

far as the book goes. And there is no

right or wrong answer to that. If you

were to read the book of James, it's

it's highly likely that you would put a

verse up there that would that would be

different than mine. Uh but we're going

to all arrive at the same conclusions

that that the book teaches. But I I

wanted to start off with this James 2

and verse 12. He says, "So speak and so

do as men that are to be judged by a law

of liberty." So the idea is living your

proclamation of faith. If you say that

you believe that the Lord is the God is

God Almighty. He's creator of heavens

and earth. I know he created me. I

understand that at the end of times

there will be a day of judgment. There

there will be a heaven and eternal hell

to go to. I understand those things and

I'm going to live in such a way to make

sure that I'm in heaven. And and that's

really why we are all here this morning.

We want to go to heaven.

I suspect that there's not somebody in

here that that does not have at least

somewhere close to that objective.

You're here because you're interested in

the things of God. You want to hear the

things of God. And so when we look at

the book of James, this is a book of

life. We're going to ask some questions

about life itself. What is the objective

of life? What what are we doing here? Uh

you know, we're going to live through

this. This is the first day of the week.

We're going to live through this week

ahead. We're going to live through the

month ahead, Lord willing, and the years

to come. Some of you are quite a bit

younger. You got a lot of years in front

of you. Well, what's the objective?

What's the aim? What will keep me

putting one foot in front of the other

and uh striving for that most noble goal

of making it to heaven? Well, you know

as well as I do that all of the books of

the Bible are going to help us in that

cause. But we're here to look at the

book of James this morning. So, we want

to look at some very uh specific things

about that as they relate to the book of

James. What what I like to do as I'm

doing a study over a book to begin a new

study is to look at the author, look at

the date, look at the occasion of the

letter, and what that will do is give us

a little bit of of some direction as we

go into the the next couple of chapters

uh in the study. So really what what I

would like to do is kind of set the

scene for not only myself for preaching

and teaching James chapter 1 in our

James 1 · chapter mention

worship assembly in a few moments but

also set the scene for those who will

follow after me that that this is the

objective here and and again we're

looking at life and and where where we

are headed. So I I I guess in the big

scheme of things, knowing who the author

is and the date is not a really big

thing, but but we can we can look at

those things. Uh there are a lot of

James's in the Bible, aren't there? And

we'll look at a couple of here. You're

probably familiar with James, the son of

Zebedee. He was the apostle and brother

of John. And uh he was killed. It is

recorded in Acts chapter 12

Acts 12 · chapter mention

by Herod. Okay. So was he the author of

the book of James? I don't know. Maybe

what about James the son of Alphaus

sometimes known as James the less? Not a

really not a whole lot said about him is

there in the Bible. And then we kn the

brother of Jesus who is the elder and

pillar in the church in Jerusalem.

And I I suspect as I read from James

James 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1 and verse one, he says,

"James, a servant of God and of the Lord

Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes which are

of the dispersion greeting." I I I

suspect that it's highly likely that

this is the author of of this book. And

and and someone in the audience is

inevitably saying within your mind, wait

a minute, God's the author of this book.

And you are absolutely correct. James is

just an inspired writer who's writing.

He's being moved by the Holy Spirit to

write these things. So I know you know

but as I open the book of James or any

of these Bible books in our Bible that

it's God who wrote these things and

because of that you and I highly

reverence this. I I hold this book in my

hand. I I understand that this is paper

and ink here but it but it is recording

the actual words of God. James, the

brother of John, brother of Jesus,

rather uh likely probably the highest

probability that this is the one that

God used to write these these words to

us. I mean, as you read there with me at

verse one about the dispersion. Uh think

about this. James, the brother of Jesus,

the pillar and elder in the church in

Jerusalem. It is from Jerusalem that the

early church was established. It is in

Jerusalem that the the membership, if

you will, got to be over 5,000 people by

the time you get to Acts chapter 5. I

Acts 5 · chapter mention

I've often times thought about it. Could

you imagine the church in Jerusalem? Uh

thousands and thousands and thousands of

members. Uh just uh all of the things

that go into that had to be just uh

incredible.

But I I think about this as as far as

this study goes and and as far as the

date goes. I'm going to skip by that

because I think I messed up on that

date. I got I got something mixed up

there. So I'm going to stop the slide

there because I don't want you to read

that previous slide. Delete that

previous slide by the way uh DJ. But uh

uh he speaks of the dispersion here in

chapter one. And you know that in Acts

Acts 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8 after the persecution of

Stephen uh there was a dispersion of the

people of God from Jerusalem. So all of

those saints, all those people that

obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ, they

were there in Jerusalem. And the text

tells us at verse one that there was

this dispersion. A and that word

literally from the Greek means to be

scattered like seed. And it's highly

fascinating because when you go back to

Genesis chapter 11, you you have the

Genesis 11 · chapter mention

tower of the Babylon incident. And in

the tower of tower of Babylon, remember

God God's command was go be fruitful,

multiply, leave this place and and

spread out. But they didn't do it. They

were there at the tower. And and so God

changes their language. And what he did

is he forced them to disperse to scatter

uh so that his name would be spread all

over. And and the same really is the

case here. They're all in Jerusalem. And

if they're going to follow the

commandment of Jesus at the great

commission, go into all the world and

preach the gospel in Mark's account. He

that believes and is baptized shall be

saved. He that disbelieves shall be

condemned. Uh so if if this great

commission is to be fulfilled and

obeyed, they were going to have to go.

and they weren't going. So, we have this

great persecution that that moves them

out. And so, I I don't know, you know,

as far as a date goes, that that

dispersion was around the year 33 AD.

But but in my mind, I'm sure you may be

thinking the same thing. It's neither

here nor there as far as the

instructions of the book go. Whether

that was written in 33 or 36 is not

going to change a teaching, is it?

And then we think about the occasion.

You know, the idea is why did James by

inspiration write what he wrote in this

book? In other words, what's going on?

Sometimes

when we as preachers write a bulletin

article, it's because there are things

that are going on, right? Maybe someone

in the church [clears throat] is being

greatly discouraged by by some things

that are going on. And so the preacher

may write an article to encourage not

only that person but the whole

congregation. So it's because there's

something going on. Well, in this great

dispersion as they are going all out all

over the place after this persecution,

there was a need to encourage them

because [clears throat] of everything

that they were going through.

So the first thing that I would say as

far as occasion why why these words here

is the idea that it becomes apparent as

you read through here that that some

were failing to see the meaning of life.

And in James chapter 4 verse 17 I

James 4:17

believe is where we have probably the

the passage that most everybody's

familiar with with the book of James

regarding our lives being like a vapor.

Uh but before he says that he says what

is your life

and and that's a highly significant

question and and one that that all of us

would would want to ponder throughout

our lives. What what is life all about?

And I have up there Hebrews 9 27. It's

appointed all men to die and then comes

the judgment. So really we may say

that's what life is all about. It's

about getting to the judgment and being

on the right side of that.

But in between there from point A to

point Z so to say if the scale was

letters there's a lot of life to be

lived. And so what are we going to do?

What is our objective? What is our aim?

I guess from my perspective being

someone who's who's lived for a good

while now

and the experiences I've had and

probably the experiences that you have

had as well that that that people just

don't really want to talk about that.

I'm I'm not talking about of course

people in the church. I'm talking about

people on the world, people you work

with. A lot of times people just really

don't care. Uh they don't really care to

talk about it. They don't really care to

to think about what will happen, you

know, next week, next month, as as far

as as your eternal existence goes. It's

just not something that that a lot of

people want to talk about. But then

there are those who do want to talk

about it. And that's that rare person

that we want to capitalize on. We want

to make sure that we're Johnny on the

spot and seize the opportunity in in

that that occasion.

But uh it is what it is in the world

that we live in as as some say. And

sometimes that in it in and of itself

can be a bit discouraging. But as we

read through and as you're going to be

going through every chapter in this

book, you're going to see that that that

that there is obviously

this failure to see the objective of

life itself. In other words, what are

the people of God supposed to be doing

right now? And what are we supposed to

be concerned about? And sometimes again,

even Christians find themselves and and

we talk to other Christians say, "Well,

are you even concerned about the eternal

welfare of your soul? Do you really love

the Lord or or are these just things

that we're saying?" And that's what the

book of James deals quite a bit a bit

with. You know, whatever your profession

is, you need to live that. If your

profession is faith and we need to live

that we can't just say things and then

live somebody some total different kind

of a way can we that that doesn't fly

even in the work world the other thing

is is that the dispersed Christians were

being discouraged by persecutions and

the calamity calamities of life and that

that deals primarily with chapter uh one

and I you know I I want to say this

before I go through any more of these

bullet points on this slide that I I

don't want to be somebody who comes

across because as as though these things

don't apply to me. Um, and unfortunately

for from from my own experience, I I

think through the years heard a lot of

preachers talk and and it almost comes

across as though you you're immune to

these types of things. So the point is

is I'm not immune to this and neither

are any of you. So when we are all in

this study together this morning, the

objective is not to think about somebody

next to you say, "Well, you're the one

with all the problems." Now, that that

point addresses you or or this this this

addresses these people I work with.

We've we've got to begin with ourselves.

We've got to turn all those fingers to

ourselves first and then we can help

people. Get the mode out of your own eye

and then and then you can get those

little specks out of out of other

people's eyes. You can help other

people. But start with yourself. A and

again, if if I don't start with myself,

I'm just living in delusion. All I can

see is other people's problems. I can't

see my own problems. And everybody sees

that that that is a problem in and of

itself, isn't it? Well, they're being

tempted to sin by lust of the flesh,

eyes and vain glory of life. Again, uh h

has it been the case that you've been a

bit discouraged because of how things

went in this life with calamities and

persecution? Have you ever been tempted

by the lust of the flesh, eyes and

vangor of life and failed,

you know, in a most embarrassing

situation? I say raise your hand if

that's not so. I wouldn't do something

like that. But but we all have, haven't

we? These things have touched all of us.

And that's why these epistles are here

for us to help us, help us to overcome.

We we can be victorious, but it's going

to take effort. It's going to take

studying these things. Some were of the

dispersed Christians were angry and they

were saying things they shouldn't say

again. How many times have you done

that? I I have gotten weary with my own

self through throughout life. You say

something to somebody that was a little

bit off, a little bit unkind,

kind of passive aggressive. You can't

pull that back. You can't erase that.

Once that's gone out of your mouth, it's

it's done its terrible deed, has it? So,

how are we how are we going to stop

doing these things? And that's the goal,

isn't it? To better ourselves, be saints

of God. It's going to take effort. It's

going to take study. It's going to it's

going to take knowhow. And then, as we

look through the book of James, we find

that the first Christians were guilty of

showing respect of persons. And again,

same thing. All we we've been guilty of

that kind of stuff. I I I find it uh not

fascinating. I find it a bit hurtful but

at the same time it's just a part of

reality that that you'll be talking to

somebody a lot of times at church or

somebody out in the world and and you

are left in mids sentence as that person

goes off and talks you know has been had

their attention misdirected towards

somebody else who is more important than

you like ah well okay I'm sorry I'll

just crawl over here

uh but I mean that's the idea of showing

respect to persons It's it's one aspect

of it, but that kind of stuff happens.

And then the dispersed Christians were

putting their trust in things of this

world like riches and and that's a big

part of the entire uh book as well. So

um that's the occasion that those are

some of the things that were going on

and they had to be corrected. Well, what

I want to do is kind of divide both of

those things into two and and discuss

that a little bit this morning as as

time permits. Okay, let's see. I uh we

started at this clock is okay. So we

start at 9:30 going to 10. So it' be

what? 10 uh 10:15.

10:15. Okay. Well, okay. A second off.

All right. Well, we got we got some

time. Again, if you have if you have

anything to add, just raise your hand.

Um what is life all about? James chapter

James 4:13

4 verse 13 and verse 14. He says, "What

is your life?" It's a good question. And

as we said, there's just a lot of people

that are that are not interested in

that. But I I wanted to turn over to

Luke. You would in your Bibles, turn

over to the book of Luke and and notice

something kind of interesting here. This

this is a parable or a discussion that

the Lord dealt with this this very issue

about answering the question of of what

is is life? And it begins by Jesus

having this discussion and his

authoritative way about himself

lended to people coming and requesting

things from him that was really not his

objective. I'm looking at Luke 12:3. It

Luke 12:3

says, "And one of out of the multitude

said to him, teacher, bid my brother

divide the inheritance with me. But he

said unto him, man, who made me a judge

or a divider over you?" And he said unto

them, "Take heed and keep yourselves

from all covetousness,

for a man's life consists not in the

abundance of the things which he

possesses."

So, you see what Jesus is saying? That's

not what life's all about.

Uh back in the 80s, uh I I most of my uh

uh younger years were the 80s. I I got

to graduate high school and college

through the 80s. And I remember bumper

stickers where people would say the guy

who dies with most toys wins. You maybe

some of you guys remember that.

Uh well, you know,

we die, we're certainly not going to

take anything with us. But but don't you

like what Jesus says here? That's that's

not what a man's life is all about.

Uh so the idea is then what is life all

about?

And the book of James really addresses

it, but I don't want to walk on

everybody's text. So, so I wanted to

just briefly look at Luke chapter 12 and

Luke 12 · chapter mention

read a few more verses here. So, he says

that a man's life does not consist of

the abundance of the things in which he

possesses. And so, he speaks a parable

which is something that is a comparative

you you have this comparative analysis

that he's about to to give. And I what I

like to do as I'm teaching or or

preaching is to uh instill or to uh just

remind the uh my brethren, my my fellow

saints how this book is composed, how

it's put together, the methodology of

the writing. And what I have discovered

over a lot of years of preaching, a lot

of years of study, is that this book is

put together in a very unique specific

way. And the quicker I see this,

the the greater my understanding of what

is being said. And that is what we're

after. It's we're after understanding.

Uh so he's going to give them this

parable. There's going to be this

comparative analysis here. Here is the

premise.

uh life is not about gaining things.

Well, what is life about? Well, we're

going to compare these things. We do it

this comparative analysis. Spoke a

parable unto him. A certain ground of a

rich man brought forth plentiful. Verse

17 of Luke 12. And he resed within

himself, saying, "What shall I do

because I have not wherewith where to

bestow my fruits?" And he said, "This I

will do. I will pull down my barns. I

will build greater. And there I will

bestow all my grain and my goods. And I

will say to my soul, soul, you have much

goods laid up for many years. Take your

ease, eat, drink, and be married. But

God said unto him, you foolish one. This

night is your soul required of you. And

the things which you have prepared, who

shall they be? And so he laid and so he

so is he, excuse me, that lays up

treasure for himself and is not rich

towards God.

So that's a very effective and it

doesn't even need much comment. You see

it as it is. But but the thing that

really stands out to me is the idea of

preparation. So the question is that

that James poses is what is your life?

Well, a a big part of life is our

preparation for this day when the Lord

will come or we'll die. One of the two

comes first

and and then we will be judged as to how

we have lived this life.

Hopefully, I'm speaking in such a way

that you see that that takes preparation

for that day. We can't just stumble in

there and and hope for the best. Could

you imagine somebody living their lives

and and and resting all of their

eternity on well well maybe it maybe

it'll be okay.

Well well that's not what faith is.

Remember the word faith. If you were to

to look up in a in a lexican the word

faith, you'll you'll find the ideas of

trust and confidence.

So in other words, God has given his

promises

and I can be confident when I do these

things. That's that's a big theme in the

book of James. When I do these things, I

can be confident he's going to see to it

that I have received those wonderful

promises. But if you look, I I have in

my Bible marked Proverbs chapter 8. And

Proverbs 8 · chapter mention

I wanted to read through this this text

with you here again. And Jesus says,

James says, "What is your life?" It's

it's not about gaining things, even

though that's what the what most of the

world believes. We we got we got to get

this retirement. Is that a wise thing to

do? Absolutely. Uh I I I' I've got to

buy this truck that I want really bad.

Do you do you need that? Well, probably

for transportation. I I I' I've got to

to go on this vacation. Boy, you know,

I've never been to Europe. I I want to

go to Europe. Uh well, that would be

fun. Nothing wrong with it.

But what if that was what your whole

life was about?

That's what Jesus is saying. That's what

James is saying. That's not what life's

all about. Those are ancillary, if you

will. They're not necessary.

I've heard people that have never left.

We lived up in Witchto Falls for 23

years and I had heard that some people

had never left the city of Witchto

Falls. I felt sorry for them.

Uh but does that matter? No, not really.

Now if you look at Proverbs chapter 8, I

Proverbs 8 · chapter mention

want to start reading here in verse 12.

And this is just such a a beautiful

reading. He says, "I wisdom," I'm

looking at Proverbs chapter 8 and verse

Proverbs 8 · chapter mention

12. "I wisdom have made prudence my

dwelling and find out knowledge and

discretion. The fear of Jehovah is to

hate evil, pride, and arrogance and the

evil way. And a perverse mouth do I

hate. Counsel is mine. sound knowledge.

I am understanding. I have might. By me

kings reign and princes decree justice.

By me princes rule and nobles, even all

judges of the earth. I love them that

love me and those that seek me

diligently shall find me. Riches. Now

listen here we go. This remember what

Jesus is saying. What? Remember what

James is saying. Riches and honor are

with me. Who? Wisdom.

not not the things of this life, not fat

bank accounts, retirement accounts and

so forth. Those are fine. But but that's

not what this is all about. He says rich

is an honor with me. Now, now that that

takes uh me personally and you uh doing

some thinking and and planning and and

having this this visual sight that most

of the world uh will will doesn't occupy

or doesn't see. We've got to be like God

and see the end from the beginning. And

when I do that, I I I have a a better

grasp on how to handle the things that

are present. Uh this this book of James

really reminds me a lot of of how

Proverbs is put together.

But it's all about wisdom. It's all

about how we conduct ourselves on a

day-to-day basis. How what what am I

saying to my children as as they wake up

and as they as they go to bed and and

and the things in between there.

Remember in the book of Deuteronomy, he

he says, "Put these things upon your

doorpost." Uh have these things before

you always continuously. If we're always

talking to each other about the things

of God, then the things of God are going

to be something that's always on our

minds. We're always talking to our

children about the things of God. These

are going to be things that are on their

mind. And they will see just how

important these things are, not only for

now, but in the years to come. I don't

know about you, but I've oftenimes

thought about myself. I I thought about

how it is. I I I don't know how people

make it in this life without faith.

I don't know how they do it. When my

heart is broke, yeah, my wife Casey is

there and and and we have a wonderful

relationship. I love her. She's my best

friend, but there's nothing like God to

turn to in in these difficult days of

trials and calamity and so forth.

There's nothing like God. How do these

people even make it? How do you even go

to sleep at night without having this

this faith and this relationship and and

this hope in God?

I don't know how they do it, but but but

it's it's highly likely that the

conscience has been seared so

aggressively by sin that the thought

those types of thoughts never enter into

their minds. So they just keep going.

But let's get back to our text. I've

digressed. Verse 17, he says, "I love

them that I love them that love me and

and those that seek me diligently shall

find me." Verse 18 is where we read.

Rich is and honor with me, yay, durable

wealth and righteousness. My fruit is

better than gold, yay, than fine gold,

and my revenue than choice silver. Gold

and silver, by the way, have you seen

those the prices of gold and silver

these days? It's going through the roof.

Gold approached a $5,000 mark. Silver

was was what getting close to $80 an

ounce. Uh and and so, you know, wow, you

know, that's that's pretty neat. That's

that's valuable.

But again, here's here's where re real

value is. A lot of you have got tablets,

phones, uh paper Bibles that you're

holding, whatever you got. You're seeing

the word of God before you. That's where

the value is. And a lot of times if you

know, you say, "Well, you're speaking to

the choir there and and exactly, but

there may be some in the audience who

need to hear this." And and I'll just

raise my hand. I need to hear it. I need

to be reminded of these things. how

valuable, how precious this word is. I

want to reverence it. I I want to hold

these words uh and and and see them for

the for the great value they are. He

says verse 20, I walk in the way of

righteousness in the midst of the paths

of justice that I may cause those that

love me to inherit substance and that I

may fill their treasuries.

I I I get chills within me reading that

right there. You know, we're not talking

about a bank account that's filled up, a

treasury that's filled up. We're talking

about the human mind that's filled with

the word of God where there's great

hope, trust, and confidence in the

things of God that keeps me going from

day to day. It keeps a smile on my face

when things are not going well. When

someone says something ugly to me, when

when when something happens where you've

got you've been hurt in some kind of

way. There's been throughout the ages a

lot of a lot of brethren that have just

completely given up. And I I hate that,

but that's that's the way it goes a lot

of times. But in order for us to keep

ourselves from giving up, we're going to

have to keep our nose to the book. And

that's where the smile is going to come.

That's where the joy is going to come.

That that's where all the hope is. I

just want to keep to to God's word. And

I know that it'll see me through no

matter what's going on in life. The

other part of that, so the the first

part deals with these issues of of

wisdom and answering the question of

life, but then the other part is the

issue of sin itself.

And sin must be overcome. It's not

something that we can uh toy with and

expect that God will somehow overlook

this. And and I I'm seeing I'm looking

at clock. We're we're going to run out

of time on on how this goes. I've gotten

probably a little yaky this morning. But

but I I I hope that if there's nothing

else that we can get from this this

overview here is the idea that we have

as the saints of God who have obeyed the

gospel of Jesus Christ, we are in a

place and and that place is called the

church, the kingdom of God. And it it's

highly significant that we remain in

this place. And being a high a Bible

class, we can just ask the question,

what what's going to get us get us out

of that place?

where this safety is, where we're

standing upon the rock, what what what

get what has the power to get us out of

out of this place where where we're with

the Lord. We're in his presence.

What what what could cause us to to lose

that to to to get out of that to be

pushed out of it, if you will? Well,

it's sin, isn't it? Isn't that what

Isaiah said, chapter 59, verse one and

two? That's that's probably the passage

that most are familiar with. But it's

your sins that separates you. So Isaiah

Isaiah 57:15

57:15, God says, "I dwell I dwell in a

high and holy place with those of a

contrite heart." So So this book is

written, the book of James is written to

help people to get out of these

situations.

You you can't live in sin. That's not

going to be any good. And and a part of

that is is as as we see on the overhead

is the issue of of gaining knowledge. Uh

and and if we can gain knowledge, then

we gain strength and understanding to

where we will be able to put one foot in

front of the other to where we will be

like uh Psalms chapter 51. Are you

Psalms 51 · chapter mention

familiar with Psalms 51? Where David, he

he has sent this horrible sin with Ba

Sheba. He has sent Ba Sheeba's husband

Uriah the Hitittzite to the front lines

of the battle so that he could be killed

and and and so uh you you remember the

prophet comes before him and say and

says you know you have done this

terrible thing. Well well then we get

Psalms 51 which is the prayer of a

contrite heart. It's the acknowledgement

of of what he's done that's so bad that

that was that which separated him from

God. But my point is is that as we go

through here, we we we as the people of

God must see that that sin is not okay

and there's something that's got to be

done about it when it happens in our

lives. You can go to Acts chapter 8 and

Acts 8 · chapter mention

study Simon the sorcerer, how he obeyed

the gospel. Do you remember that in Acts

Acts 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8? And it wasn't long after he

obeyed the gospel that he found himself

in sin. He he wanted that power to lay

his hands on people and give them the

the gift of the Holy Spirit. And and

Peter, the Apostle Peter says, "Your

heart's not right with you. I see that

you're in the goal of bitterness and the

bond of iniquity. What do what do I do?

Pray to God that he'd forgive you."

And at 1 John 1 verse 8, 9 and 10,

1 John 1:8

that's what the Apostle John says as

well. Very fascinating chapter because

it begins with fellowship. God dwells in

the light with those who also walk in

the light. So if I don't walk in the

light, then I'm not with God. I'm in

sin. So what do I do? James uh 1 John 1

verse 89 and 10. Ask God to forgive you.

It's almost too easy. It seems like, but

it's easy for us because of what our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did on the

cross.

This this was a violent time. There's so

much I I want to say about all these

things. I'm I'm looking at this and

we're we're just going to run out of

time just the way way it goes. But maybe

it'd be okay just to even say that at

this moment because I'm looking at the

clock. We're not going to be able to go

through all these slides anyway. I had

delusions of grandeur. I think

uh but but we we think about how as I

said I I have sinned against God. So

have you all and and I have gotten on my

knees or I have laid on my bed. I have

in in the privacy of my mind asked God

to forgive me of those things. And and I

know I am confident that that he does

forgive me of those things and I purpose

I repent of those things. I do try to do

better.

But but what brought about all this?

Well, we have this very innocent one

Jesus Christ who never one time sinned.

You know the story. Most everybody knows

the story, right? But I think sometimes

I if we contemplate the violence that

was involved in Have you ever laid in

bed at night and just had these dreams

and and and there are violent things

going on and it's a fearful situation

and then if you're like me I wake up and

I tell Casey about tell the wife about

it's like well it doesn't sound so bad

now does it? But in my dream I was

horrified. But but these these violent

situations

that that happened all throughout the

Bible because of those who had faith. Um

do you suppose it was easy for the Lord

to go through all these things? Could

you imagine what if you knew right now

next week you're going to face uh some

horrendous accident? God forbid that

that anything like that would happen.

But what if you knew that you're going

to go to work and there is going to be

this horrendous accident? You know all

the details of it. You know, do you go

to work now? Well, this is what the Lord

did. He even prayed this. If it be your

will to this cup to pass from me,

nonetheless, not your will but mine. He

knew exactly what he was going into.

All I'm saying is is that when I and you

look into this Bible and we read about

what the Lord did for us and the

violence that he suffered on on our

behalf and then I think to myself, I sin

against him all and I asked God to

forgive me and I'm forgiven. He's the

one who went through all the agony.

It's not the purpose of this particular

class to to look into that, but I'm sure

DJ's done studies of that. just the

sheer agony of the things that the that

the Lord went through.

Uh there's just so much. What can we Is

there anything we want to just stop on?

Well, you know, maybe what do we got,

DJ? We got a minute left or so.

If you don't mind, let me turn over to

What's that? One minute. If you don't

mind, let let me look at this with you

real quick. Proverbs chapter one. Uh the

the the point is is that if any of these

things of life if we're going to achieve

the end of life where God wants us to be

it's going to take effort on our part

part John chapter 6 remember they asked

John 6 · chapter mention

Jesus what what are the works of Jesus

and Jesus said the works works of God

but he said the works of God are to

believe so it takes work to believe all

right so if you look at proverbs chapter

Proverbs 1 · chapter mention

1 and verse one I'll do this very

quickly he says the proverbs of Solomon

now the word proverb proverbs there

means things that are obscure enigmatic

mysterious isn't that the way that the

New Testament is described all

throughout the New Testament. The

Apostle Paul's in Ephesians chapter 3

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

said, "If when you read, you can have my

understanding of the mystery of Jesus

Christ."

Uh, that's first bill. We have one more

bill to go.

>> That's the second bill. I'm done. I'm

done. But, uh, I I sure appreciate

everybody's kind attention this morning

and, uh, so much more to say, but we

we'll we'll have a little bit more time

in the worship study. Thank you very

much.