Sermon
Introduction to the Book of James
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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I've been longing to get into the book
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of james with you. We're going verse by
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verse... Our fellowship has gone verse by verse
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through several books since we started. We have
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topical message at times, but we often have
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verse by diverse studies through books and
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that's my favorite thing to do. Although I
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love to talk about topical things as they
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come up. And and as we're going through
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the book of James, it doesn't mean we
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won't have topical teachings here and there where
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we get away from the book of James
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for a week or 2 here and there.
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We'll still talk about
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current events. We'll talk about what's going on.
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In popular culture that threatens the church, government,
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we'll talk about end times. We'll have messages
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when things go down that our everybody's questioning
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and what's going on, how does this fit
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in the bible. You know me. We get
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all that stuff. We'll continue to do that.
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But I'm so excited about getting in the
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book of James with you because James will
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revolutionize your life
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I started memorizing the book of James a
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while back. I'd always memorized surf certain portions
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of James, but I started James 1 1
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and started I started working my way through
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memorizing the book. And it's amazing what you
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get out of it because I've literally been
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through chapter 1 several hundred times just going
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through chapter 1 in preparation
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for getting together with you. And it's such
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an amazing book because
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James is
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basically
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articulating
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the sermon of the mount
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that Jesus gave. When you look at it,
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it's a blow mind because he has the
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mind of Christ.
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And I wanna challenge you to look at
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James in the way that you don't typically...
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You... I think we'll incentivize you if you
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understand this. I really got to understand this
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through
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seeking to memorize the book, and I've got
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it quite a ways to go to memorize
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the entire book, but I've been working on
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it, and my hope in prayers have by
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the time we're done going through this. I'll
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have every verse of James memorized.
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But what blew me away is how much
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he... A lot of times people thinks, oh,
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he relies a lot on proverbs. No he
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doesn't.
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There's t mentioned
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throughout the book of James a bit, references
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to the old testament for sure, but it's
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basically the new testament book of proverbs and
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he's leaning heavily on the sermon of the
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mountain.
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Because when he received the sermon on the
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mount, this James that wrote this book. It
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transformed his life
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and it's called Paul calls the mind of
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Christ.
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And he takes a sermon the mount throughout
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the book of James and applies it to
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the situation of a church that's scattered in
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the early century in the early first century
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of church history.
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And we're supposed to live by the sermon
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mount. Remember Jesus when he gave the sermon
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mount. Talked about, at the end of the
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sermon he talked about the 1 who puts
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these words into practice would be like a
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man who builds his house on a what
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on a rock. Then when the storms come,
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his his house will stand.
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In contrast the man who builds his house
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on the sand,
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Not a God's word
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and the house is incredibly destroyed when the
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floods come.
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By the way, remember to certain out. Talks
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about that. Well, James, what does he say
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James chapter 1.
James 1 chapter mention
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Right?
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You know, be doers the word not mary
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merely hears who d yourselves. Amen?
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That's right. 1 of those connections to the
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sermon on the mount. He tells us to
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be doing, the we're not here is only
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who deceive ourselves. So James out being a
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genuine believer. Truly build your house on the
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rock. And it blows me away when I
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look at James, I'm so blown away by
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James. Because by way of introduction, I'll notice
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a lot of people
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I've got some 30 or so commentaries that
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I'm using right now,
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as I as I study the book of
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James, seen different
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insights, different understanding he's challenging my view on
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certain things and and so forth, confirming my
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view and other things,
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expanding
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my horizons and enhancing my perspective. I think
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it's great to check out commentaries,
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but many of them say that James... Many
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of these commentaries and their introductions,
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will say that James is kind of a
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bunch of new testament proverbs just thrown together.
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There's no rhyme or reason.
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Having
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embarked on memorizing the book. I already thought
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that was not untrue, but it's so ridiculous.
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You'll see as we go through the book
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of James.
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How connected it is. It's a bunch of
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precious
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you know, res
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pearls strung together beautifully
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as a whole pearl.
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But if you don't really study the book
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of James Fact, when I read that I'm
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thinking you shouldn't to be writing in the
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commentary here, James, I'm sorry. Some of these
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comment, like, because if you don't even see
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how this under... This links together, I'm sad.
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I'm shocked.
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So we're gonna see how it connects together,
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but what blows me away
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is we're call that Christians be transformed by
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the renewing of our mines.
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By the word of God amen.
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And to have the mind of Christ and
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look at reality through the lenses of god's
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eyes, Amen, spiritually,
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the natural man doesn't receive the things the
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spirit. But they are spiritually app praise. And
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when you have the mind of Christ, you
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can spiritually app praise things. You can walk
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to no path that Jesus talked about in
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the sermon in the mount. And when you
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look at James, you see he is a
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man that's been revolutionized by the teaching of
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the Lord Jesus Christ. By the sermon in
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the mount. And he exceeds he's addressing
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chapter 1 verse 1 is James a bond
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servant of Jesus Christ. Right?
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And and not have just God. A demons
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of God and of Jesus Christ to the...
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Who's addressed to you to those who are
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scattered or dispersed the 12 tribes of Israel.
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He's addressing believers who have been scattered because
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of persecution.
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And we're gonna... These first 2 messages are
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gonna be devour verse 1.
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Okay? By way of introduction. And you're going
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understand that James,
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a bonds of God and it lord you
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this Christ the 12 tribe of who. 12
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tri israel, of course, who are what.
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Dispersed abroad greetings.
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They've been dispersed because the church has undergone
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persecution in the early chapters in the book
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of acts, not long after acts chapter 2
Acts 2 chapter mention
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and 3 and the church has grown by
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the thousands. It's been scattered throughout the Roman
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empire, where the apostles are hanging out still
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in Jerusalem as God uses as Jerusalem as
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a headquarters for a while.
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And now these new believers
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are trying to get their bearing spiritually.
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They're tempted. Some of them have anger
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because how their being mistreated by wicked people.
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That's why James says be angry. Right? But
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don't sin. That's what Paul says. But James
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is a very interesting thing. He says, the
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anger man is not wet.
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Produce the righteousness of God. Amen.
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So you're saying don't don't sin. If you're
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upset, don't... Like Paul was say, don't don't
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send in it. And that's why you're seeing
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a lot James...
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In the very next versus is considered all
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join my brother when you encounter various what.
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Trials. He knows they're going through trials.
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So you have to get the understand of
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and I don't wanna give you. I could
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give you an introduction by way. Oh, let's
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talk about James theology. Let's talk about his
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es methodology. Let's talk about this. That the
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other. And I thought I don't wanna bog
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us down.
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Get into everything James teaches by way of
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introduction, and and then get it into it.
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I wanna say a little bit by way
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of introduction,
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a little bit for me is,
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a, lot deeper than you're getting almost any
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commentary okay with first couple versus, you'll see
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that first verse, especially, but I don't want
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to get down. I don't wanna go forward
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and talk about the entirety of the book.
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You know, this and this and this is
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out and this... No. I wanna take it
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first by verse but I wanted to devour
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what we're looking at
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in James chapter 1, and I want you
James 1 chapter mention
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to have the mind of Christ.
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I want you to see how the sermon
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of the mount is being applied
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by James to believers that are being persecuted.
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Into their in their specific situations because guess
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what's gonna happen in the church?
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And guess what has happened in the church
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in places like China. K?
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The Middle East, it's already being scattered.
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There are pastors that are arrested and put
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to death, believers that are put to death.
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Our country, United States America, Australia, New Zealand.
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These countries are anomalies in church history.
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Most believers in most places have
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have gone through incredible
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persecution.
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Armenia was called the first Christian country, but
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it was decimated and destroyed practically by
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millions of millions of them killed, profess Christians
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by Muslims.
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K? We have not had that kind of
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persecution here, but we can see the woke
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writing on the wall. Can't we?
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Where a lot of this is headed. We
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see that Jesus says all those who live
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godly or Paul said, all those who have
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godly in christ. Jesus will suffer persecution amen.
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So we know
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ab even in a Christian country where we're
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not being fully persecuted yet.
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They're still persecution against Christianity.
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So this book is such a gem because
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it has so many so much encouragement as
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how to live as a christian in a
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fallen wicked world.
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Now,
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It's not a hodgepodge
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of prop proverbs that are just slapped together.
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So some say, well, it's written by James
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disciples, and they kinda put his teachings together
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and threw them together. No. It's not like
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that either.
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So James
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also was attacked by Martin Luther,
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the father of the reformation
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Martin Luther said, quote, James Mango scriptures, and
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thereby opposes Paul.
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Now what's a trip is some say, well,
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James doesn't talk a lot about Jesus. In
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fact, you barely see a reference to Jesus.
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It they does say in in James to
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not hold your faith in the... Our glorious,
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lord Jesus. He all. And then the time
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he mentions he call him our glorious Lord
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Jesus. He mentions him in verse 1 as
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well.
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But understand this, I know of no
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teaching in the new testament outside of Jesus
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own teachings. I know of no new testament
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letter epi that more
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communicates, Jesus is teaching than this book right
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here.
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Because I mentioned the sermon on the mount
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Amen,
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Jesus most radical, most amazing
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most powerful message.
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It's perm.
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James has so caught up in Jesus and
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is teaching.
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But he's trying to get practical wisdom to
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a church
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that is in disarray
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that They're not getting paid when they mow
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people's fields James chapter 5, and they're being
James 5 chapter mention
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thrown in, they're being taken to court by
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rich people. They're going through all kinds of
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persecution.
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Because they're they're in different regions, they're different
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provinces. They're scattered abroad. So it doesn't get
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too specific into 1 specific region. So it
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basically
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addresses all of them.
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But when Martin Luther says James Mango of
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scriptures and thereby opposes Paul.
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He actually said, he... His view is he
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feels like Jimmy. Speaking of James. Jimmy should
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be thrown in the fire. You know? That's
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what Martin Luther was saying about James.
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And that's because
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during the reformation when he was disputing with
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the Roman Catholics and emphasizing that, hey, Paul
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states that were saved by Grace you faith,
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the Roman Catholics during the reformation would say,
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well, faith of that works as dead. And
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they would use changes writing as it was
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an opposition to what Paul Taught in some
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way. Right?
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And Luther actually
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lost that part of the debate in the
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sense that he back pedal on James. Later
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on, he except... He accepts James as part
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of the cannon because Christians have for for
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thousands... If we're almost 2000 years, guys. He
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accepts it, but he says it should be
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put in the back of the cannon, relegated
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to the back of the cannon.
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But he loses the debate, not on whether
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we're saved by Grace or by merit, Roman
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catholicism teaches that were saved by our merits,
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what we do, burning ourselves out of purgatory
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things of that nature, and it's it's here.
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Luther right. We're saved by Grace to faith.
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That not of ourselves paul says a gift
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of God, not it works us any much
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of boast. Amen.
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But James is not opposing Paul.
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James is opposing those who abuse grace, which
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the apostle paul opposes as well.
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How many times did Paul say, like, at
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first Corinthians 6 9 through 11. Second,
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Galatians is chapter 5 versus 19 through 21
Isaiah 5 chapter mention
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with chapter 6 versus 7 through 9. Or
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go or ephesians? Chapter 5 versus
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7 through 8.
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Really 538. How many times this Paul warned
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don't be to deceived those who live wicked
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lives? Not inherit the kingdom of God, amen.
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How many of his times as Paul say,
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warren about those who profess to know him,
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Titus 116, but by their works deny him.
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Paul states to the Galatians church who he's
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emphasized were saved by grace. He goes on
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to say faith works through love.
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And Paul... So Paul And james both oppose
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those
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who twist grace into a license
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and teach an empty form of faith.
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They're not opposed to 1 another. In fact,
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I'm happy to say most of modern scholarship
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that's evangelical now. Much of it. I should
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say,
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understands that James was written very early. Okay?
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And was not... And Paul's writings and Paul's
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teaching of justification by faith,
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was not on... Not even on his radar.
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Okay? And by the way, Jesus taught, were
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justified by faith. For Jesus have forgot To
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love the world that they gave him and
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let got said that whoever wet.
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Believes in shall not purest but have ever
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last life. That's the message of the gospel.
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He amen of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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That was Peter's message. To believe in the
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Lord Jesus the early chapters of acts be
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before while Paul is having Christians killed.
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So there's no opposition between James and Paul.
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In fact, James is written very early. It's
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probably the the book of James it's probably
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the earliest book many scholars believe this that
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was written in the new testament.
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Before Matthew Mark Luke and John, even before
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first Corinthians
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and other books.
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Many dated it to the early mid forties,
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mid forties
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Ad,
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which is really remarkable.
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And because it's so primitive in,
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the way it
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is dealing with who. Who it dealing with?
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Who it addressed to? James, the bon of
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God and Lord jesus is christ to the
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what? 12 tribes who are scattered or dispersed
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abroad It's dealing with the early Christians were
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all Jewish for the most part. Do you
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remember that. Right?
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All the early Christians were Jews before the
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gentile towels, of the door that was opened
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the gentile towels, it acts 10 and 11
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and so forth began to that door started
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the swing open.
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And most believe that James, many, I should
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say many
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very good eventually sellers believe that James was
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written well before.
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Acts chapter 15 when there was a dispute
Acts 15 chapter mention
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as to how gentile towels were to be
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saved. In fact, the big dispute is on
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the torah.
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In in
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acts chapter 15, with James brother Jesus, Peter
Acts 15 chapter mention
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John Paul there, whether Gentile towels have to
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be.
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A big dispute to be saved.
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And
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James, the brother Lord writes a letter, crafts
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it from the apostle say no, Gentile tells
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do not have to keep the law of
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Moses to be saved.
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Well,
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James doesn't even deal with that issue in
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the book of James. If that was a
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big issue, and acts 15 had already happened.
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You think James would mention, especially since he
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mentions the law a few different times, but
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it's not even on his radar.
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So
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no. Don't throw Jimmy in the fire, guys.
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Study Jimmy. Hey, man. Study James.
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Be thankful that God has given us this
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book. It's the favorite book of many people
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for reason because many people's lives have been
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transformed, and I'm so excited about this book
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for you and me.
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Because I believe as we study this book
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together, if your prayer, your heart cry is
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being Lord God.
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Help me to become more like Christ.
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Lord help me to know your word better.
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Help me to walk this straight and narrow
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better. Help me to glorify your name better.
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Help me to understand what it means to
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not be under the love Moses, but to
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be under the love of Christ and obey
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it.
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We've got the right book man.
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Help me practically know how to apply your
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truth to my life. We're in the right
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book.
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Help me be a radical believer. James is
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radical.
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1 thing everybody agrees about regarding James is
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he is a radical
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Christian.
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Now,
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the question
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arises.
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Okay.
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Which James is this?
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Which James is writing here.
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And that's 1 of the questions that people
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have. There's about 4 James in the bible
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at in the new testament.
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James name is really Jacob, You know, you
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know, a Ko in a, the old testament,
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the hebrew.
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But king James, when the king James bible
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was being made.
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James sounds a lot like Jacob. So let's
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call it James after me.
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Wrong. Not good. Okay. So you could call
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them Jacob if you want, you know, so
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much for king James Goalie.
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Hey, amen.
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Anyways, it's interesting
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because when we look at who wrote the
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book of James.
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There's some things that you really have to
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think about.
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You really have to consider.
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And when you penetrate this, it's a blow
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mind man.
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When we really,
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think about it. The most prominent James is
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there's 2 of them. It has to be
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a prominent, James. How do... Why do I
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say this?
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It has to be 1 of the prominent
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James. Why?
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Because he doesn't say, he doesn't identify which
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James he is.
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He just says James. Right?
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Right?
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A bond servant of of God of the
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Lord Jesus Christ the 12 tribes who are
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just... Burst to broad greetings.
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So he just says James.
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So we should... In other words, his audience
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first should know who he is.
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Right? So if if you're Alexander the great
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or you're Napoleon. Right? And you're writing a
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letter.
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Right?
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If if you are writing a letter of
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a bunch of people and people are already
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know who you are polling, You don't have
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to say anything beyond Napoleon. Right?
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If for Alexander the. You don't have to
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even say the Great. Alexander and sent out
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to all the people. K?
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This James takes for granted that people, I
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believe will know who he is. When he
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writes his letter.
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So this only leaves 2 James as I
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believe as
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strong possibilities
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That would be James the apostle.
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1 of the sons of Thunder, which is
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in Jesus Inner circle,
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James, his brother, John, the sons of Z,
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who Jesus nickname the sons of under.
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John wrote 5 books,
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Gospel John, first segment third, john the book
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revelation. Peter wrote first and second, Peter under
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Did James, the apostle not write what book
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even? What he's the inner circle who Jesus
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charging for leadership?
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Or did he did he write this? James?
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And then there's another James
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who's prominent.
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That is the brother of the Lord Jesus
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Christ.
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Right?
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And he's the 1 who crafted the letter
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in acts chapter 15, although there's different scholars
Acts 15 chapter mention
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through the history that don't believe. James in
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chapter 15 is even the brother of jesus
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because it's not identified there as a brother
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of Jesus.
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Something he was James, you know, the son
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of A, 1 of the set... 1 of
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the 12 apostles. Fact, a number of people
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who trip I trips me out. When I
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look back at the reformer and stuff thought
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that.
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Although I personally believe that James, the brother
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of Jesus is the is the apostle, or
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I'm not the apostle. The James in
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acts chapter 15.
Acts 15 chapter mention
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And
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some will say, well, you know, it's it's
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A, you know?
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How many you remember James the son of
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Alt. It it's not very common. A lot
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of people, Christians be like, who what you
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talking about? He was 1 of the 12
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apostles too.
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There were 2 James
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that were apostles.
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If we're gonna use the word James.
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Okay?
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And I think it's interesting
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to to think about because,
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well,
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the Jam Macarthur study bible. And I don't
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agree with this comment.
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States of the 4 men named James in
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the new testament,
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only 2 are candidates.
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For the authors ship of the epi. Argue
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with that much. He's right there Only 2
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are probably really good candidates
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for the authors ship of the epi. Then
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he says no 1 seriously considered James. No
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1 seriously considered
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James, the less, the son of Alt.
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And he's saying that because
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James, the son of Alt
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is not prominent at all. He's just mentioned
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among the 12. You don't see him really
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engage really leading
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as you see James the apostle,
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John
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Peter
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and so forth.
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But he's wrong when he says in the
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study bible, no 1 has seriously considered James
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the less, the son of Alt.
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Because John Calvin and he's a Calvin. John
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Calvin believe it was john James was a
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son of Alt at apostle. Thomas Man, who
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has probably the most popular commentary from from
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years back, on the book of James,
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I've had that for many, many years since
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I was young Christian. He believes that. Matthew
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Henry, Have you read Matthew Henry's commentary. He
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believes it's Apostle, of James, the son of
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Alt.
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Matthew Pool, another popular Commentary that's online also
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believes it refers to James the son of
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a. So
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I think,
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I'm getting my pages. If I seem a
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little rattle that first because I got some
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disarray going up here, but I, you understand
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where... But I'm making sense to you.
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Okay. So I'm... But do I believe was
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James and Son of? No.
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I don't believe there's... I haven't seen any
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good evidence for that. You know? Like, why?
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Hawaii.
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So, you know, that's 1
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consideration though. Now,
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Most
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believe it's James, the brother of Jesus.
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Some,
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Out of the 30 or so plus commentaries
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that I have on James, I've only found
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2
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that believe it's James the apostle.
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Every other 1 believes this James, the brother
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of Jesus?
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Now do we put our finger in the
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air and say, oh, who what what do
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most caller say? We've never done that here.
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Okay? So we're not gonna do that. When
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gonna say, okay, What's the evidence?
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And I think it's interesting because I wanna...
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I'd like to have a good idea of
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who's writing to me, you know?
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And and and I I hate to say
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this to you. My
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Ey lean a certain way, but I'm not
-
definite on this.
-
K. 1 of my favorite reform scholars, and
-
we're not reformed here, but I like,
-
some reform scholars when they're not writing on.
-
Reformed theology.
-
When they're writing on this sufficiency description and
-
so forth, they could be great. And in
-
certain other topics. But it's interesting.
-
1 of my favorite reform scholars is Douglas
-
moo.
-
And Douglas Mu,
-
he just discard,
-
James the apostle with like 1 sentence. Well,
-
it's probably too early for him to written
-
it.
-
Just... And he says probably. And he has
-
2 different commentaries on James. And the other
-
1 he says it's likely
-
In otherwise, it's probably. Really probably based on
-
what?
-
Well, first of all, let's clear this up,
-
how many of your thinking, Joe, you're saying
-
he had to be a very prominent James.
-
Because people would just know him as James.
-
But you're saying there's 2 prominent James.
-
That kind of destroys your view, your theory,
-
it doesn't make sense. No. It makes perfect
-
sense when we you understand this. 1 James
-
is more prominent at 1 time in church
-
history.
-
The other James is more prominent at the
-
other time in church history.
-
Are you with me? Which James was prominent
-
in the early chapters of the book of
-
acts?
-
Who say loud?
-
The apostle James. Right? In fact, the brother,
-
the Lord Jesus and his family members,
-
They weren't even be believers. His brothers and
-
sisters until Jesus rose from the dead. Amen.
-
So he was not gonna all be, you
-
know, born again
-
right after these rise to the dead, and
-
then the popular James that are already listens
-
to because he now needs to find out
-
what it teaches it was really meant by
-
and what his teaching really was and and
-
so forth. So in the first chapters, you
-
don't see James, the brother, Lord accept the
-
fact that he was there at the day
-
of Pent, and you see later that Paul
-
says that Jesus appeared to him after he
-
risen from the dead.
-
Yeah, I love James brother, Lord. He's awesome.
-
Could you imagine? Jesus being your older brother?
-
And now your... If this is him, and
-
that's gonna be the way I roll throughout
-
most of this series
-
is I believe it could be either or.
-
I don't believe he be could be dogma
-
on this.
-
In fact, Lug at Douglas mood admits, even
-
though he believes as James as the brother
-
of the Lord.
-
Douglas Moo says on page 10 if his
-
letter of James commentary.
-
The case for authors ship to this point
-
is
-
influential.
-
Meaning, you really can't know who the author
-
is. It's it's influential.
-
He says proof is, proof. Actual proof is
-
in the nature of the case unavailable.
-
Meaning if we don't have proof
-
that's clear and decisive
-
which James it is.
-
Although he offers up some of the influential
-
evidence that suggest It may be the brother
-
of Jesus.
-
Now,
-
it's interesting.
-
Understand this
-
when the early church formed
-
and the book of Ax filled the holy
-
spirit.
-
In acts chapter 2, 3000 get saved and
Acts 2 chapter mention
-
acts chapter 4, 4000 mortgage saved. There's all
Acts 4 chapter mention
-
kinds of believers. Right?
-
And right soon after that, they're scattered all
-
over the Roman empire.
-
It's very easy you see James, the apostle
-
writing to them. And if and if James
-
the apostle wrote to them at that time,
-
or even 10 years later or whatever it
-
was.
-
He would be the James that was known.
-
At this point.
-
He wouldn't have to put James in apostle
-
Jesus.
-
So I'm say, why did he just say
-
James the apostle, Jesus if he's the apostle?
-
You could say, well, why didn't... The other
-
James say James, the have brother of Jesus...
-
It's an argument from silence,
-
kinda null fight each other don't they?
-
So if James was written by James the
-
apostle,
-
it would have been in the earlier chapters
-
the book of acts sometime after the church
-
had been scattered, which we find out church
-
was scattered in verse 1. That's who has
-
been addressed.
-
However,
-
James, the apostle,
-
becomes the first marty among the apostles.
-
In church history had that privilege.
-
He was the first marty, acts chapter 12.
Acts 12 chapter mention
-
It's just at that time
-
in chapter 11 and so forth and 12,
-
and following, we see the other James coming
-
to Prominence.
-
And then we see in acts 15,
-
not Peter wasn't the first pope. There was
-
James,
-
this... The brother of Jesus.
-
What we do see, which is quite remarkable.
-
As we see James, as I mentioned, he's
-
the 1 that craft that letter,
-
which is really interesting. He writes a letter
-
too
-
not the Jews though, by He writes a
-
letter to gentile titles,
-
believers that they don't have to be.
-
And, of course, it's not his letter alone
-
Peter and John or there and so forth.
-
But he says, basically, he concludes.
-
And he was a leader of the church
-
there in Jerusalem. So now, let's say some
-
time goes by after the apostle James dies.
-
Right?
-
Now who's the prominent James. Who?
-
James the brother, Jesus, Amen. So say a
-
few years goes by. Right? You're maybe in
-
the late forties now, Right? Mid to late
-
forties in the church is scattered,
-
Then guess what.
-
Then you get a letter from James. You're
-
probably thinking it's from who. Unless you speak
-
is a really old letter
-
is from James brother of Jesus. Amen.
-
So we do understand that it's gotta be
-
1 of the prominent James because he's a
-
qualify which James he is, number 1.
-
Number 2, it doesn't contradict the idea that's
-
it's from 1 of the prominent James because
-
Both James were prominent at what,
-
different times in church history. Amen.
-
Now I know I'm getting a little bit
-
technical.
-
But I wanna get a little more technical
-
because to me, the best evidence
-
that's used by those that say, this is
-
a good inference that I think it's the
-
best evidence is, I don't believe dating is
-
not the best evidence because we don't know
-
when it was written. It could've have been
-
written in the mid thirties. Some have it
-
being written in 33, 34 ad.
-
Some have it in the later thirties, you
-
know? Because the church had been dispersed. And
-
they would eat counsel. And I know as
-
a pastor. If you guys all got dispersed,
-
and I didn't have email and I didn't
-
have texting and that didn't exist, And our
-
fellowship got disperse all over the place. I
-
went sit around and wait 10 years to
-
write to you.
-
Okay? So I I think it was probably
-
written personally in the mid to late thirties
-
or early forties.
-
Or mid forties before James was marty, James
-
marty in 44 ad d guys.
-
That gives James the apostle plenty of time
-
to write this letter.
-
And there's no staunch evidence. This is when
-
it was written. We don't know.
-
So you're just looking at a letter written
-
by a James. That's to those who are
-
scattered abroad. What I do believe is this.
-
I believe there's good evidence that that shows
-
us very very possible that James the brother
-
of Jesus wrote it.
-
But I also believe there's good evidence
-
that suggests it could have been the apostle,
-
James.
-
But what's ironic is when I read commentaries,
-
they'll just miss him with Oh, it probably
-
as Moose says, and I love move, but,
-
oh, it's probably too early for him. Probably,
-
how do you know? You don't have any
-
give me any evidence when it was written.
-
You don't know when it was written.
-
People beep some have it written as 69
-
Ad, which is really late. Know,
-
So we don't know when it was exactly
-
written.
-
In fact,
-
moo believes, and I agree that James was
-
written before acts chapter 15. And he states
Acts 15 chapter mention
-
it was probably written. He says, and I'm
-
not kidding. We'll see this next time in
-
the mid forties.
-
Well the mid forties be anywhere from 43
-
44, 45 46 47.
-
And then he says probably 44 80. I'm
-
like, probably 44 ad. That's right when James
-
dies. The apostle. The prominent James at that
-
time.
-
How come it could have been written 43
-
80 or maybe it was 44 just before
-
he
-
before he died and was murdered by King
-
Ag grip.
-
Her Grip, or maybe it was written in
-
40. We don't know.
-
So I love these kinds of things to
-
look at them. Of course,
-
I'm a
-
student of scripture and I love to see
-
various arguments. And I'm not a contra. And
-
I don't wanna be contrary. I usually agree
-
with assessments that are made by evan scholars
-
regarding authors, conservative scholars. On this 1, I'm
-
on the fence.
-
You know? I'm on the fence in this
-
1.
-
But this is a good point that is
-
made those who are in favor of Jesus
-
being the brother,
-
are John or this James being the brother
-
of Jesus. And this point is this,
-
is,
-
although many make it wrong. Okay? They'll point
-
out and say, well, James 1 1, if
-
you look at the James 1 James a
-
demons of God and the Lord Jesus Christ,
-
to the 12 tribes are scattered abroad at
-
greetings. That word greetings right there.
-
There's various words that could be used for
-
greetings usually related to Cairo or
-
a cara, the Greek word for,
-
you know, grace and so forth. But it's
-
interesting, let's look at the next slide in
-
James 1 1,
-
You'll see, look at this and james 1
-
1 James a servant of God out of
-
the Lord Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes
-
who are scattered among the nation's greetings.
-
Okay? And there's a greek word. Okay. And
-
it's chi.
-
Ky related to Ky.
-
And guess what? People will point out that
-
James 1 1
-
different commentaries I have will say, the only
-
other place you see that, a number of
-
them make this point.
-
The ones that get in more depth. They'll
-
say the only other place you see that
-
is in James letter in acts chapter 15,
Acts 15 chapter mention
-
James brother Jesus.
-
Let's look at the next verse.
-
With them, they sent the following letter,
-
this is acts chapter.
-
15 verse 23. With them, they sent the
-
following letter, the apostles and elders. So it's
-
really from all the apostles and elders, but
-
James the 1 who were at writes at
-
your brothers to the wet.
-
Gentile towels and antioch, Syria, and Ce,
-
greetings. Guess what the Greek Word is I
-
have it up there for you. Ky,
-
same word.
-
That's not a common word used for greetings.
-
In fact, many of these commentaries will point
-
out it's only used in these 2 letters.
-
But guess what I did.
-
I had to do word search. So I
-
look for Ky.
-
And every time it's easy It's usually sound...
-
I found Was usually translated I rejoice and
-
so forth. But guess what I found out.
-
There's another letter,
-
you know, that it uses the word greetings
-
as well. It uses the same 1, but
-
it's not eaten... It's not either James or
-
this James.
-
That's acts chapter 23.
Acts 23 chapter mention
-
And we don't have that up. I'm sorry.
-
I have it in my notes and it
-
just when it was... When I gave the
-
scriptures to be put up there, it got
-
missed. And I know how I got mixed
-
this whoever was putting them down, looked saw
-
acts. Oh, I already got x. But t
-
forgot... Got this axe. This is... And you
-
could go there if you want acts chapter
Acts 23 chapter mention
-
23 versus 25 and 26.
-
And it's... And this is a letter from
-
a pagan ruler
-
regarding Paul and the Jews saying that he's
-
up, you know, through overthrow the lot of
-
Moses and so forth. And he wrote a
-
letter with the following content
-
Cla, that's and I'm quoting the text. Text
-
says in verse 25, and he wrote a
-
letter with the following content,
-
Cla.
-
To the most excellent governor Felix
-
greetings.
-
Guess what the greek word is there. Ky.
-
Okay? So it's not uncommon term and it's
-
so actually kinda overthrow the idea while so
-
uncommon. No it's not so uncommon. It was
-
used. It's actually used by someone other than
-
James.
-
So it could've have been used by both
-
James.
-
But the idea that it's used by this
-
James, which he's writing the letter, so he
-
probably picked by the holy spirit,
-
what word to use and then James 11I
-
believe is at least suggested that it very
-
well. It's it's influential. It could've have been
-
the brother Lord.
-
That I I still believe though there's... The
-
the better point to be made... I mean,
-
more accurately it would say it's only used
-
3 times, but tour by James here and
-
then this James. So it's possible at the
-
same James. But as
-
Douglas mood admits,
-
it's not proof. It's just.
-
It's suggestive evidence.
-
And scholars who point out a couple other
-
features in the Greek that are similar to
-
James, which I think are interesting, but not
-
as strong as this. This 1 is actually
-
pretty strong. III
-
concede. I agree. And it's because of these
-
things that I'm not sure It's not this
-
James.
-
You know? I I usually could put my
-
foot down, but this isn't a matter of
-
doctrine. But since we're starting James, I was
-
gonna bug me if I don't give you
-
the arguments throughout the book of James, and
-
and just say, well, it could be this
-
James or without, James. Right?
-
But, however,
-
having said all that guys.
-
I could give you the evidence for the
-
other James, which is, I think is incredibly
-
strong by the way. Okay?
-
And I breaks my heart when I go
-
through these commentaries. I'm not seen anybody make
-
it. And even,
-
a comment from the 18 hundreds kinda makes
-
some good points. And 1 comment I have,
-
he doesn't make enough points, but he makes
-
a couple good points. Seen But,
-
and you can search online. Evidence for the
-
Apostle James. You have... You'll scarce find arguments.
-
It's it's actually kinda sad. When you put
-
them together, it's a blow mind actually, which
-
it's it's still influential. It's not proof positive.
-
It's written by James Apostle, but it'll it'll
-
make your head the whoa.
-
Know... I on the property that says when
-
1 presents his case, it seems true. But
-
then when you see the other side of
-
the case,
-
and that seems true. Right? So So the
-
good thing is this isn't an about salvation
-
issue. Amen. It's not whether... It's not an
-
issue to to argue about. Not even an
-
issue. I'd I wanna say the debate on
-
because it's just not that consequential.
-
What I do. So... But I thought if
-
I spend the rest of the time
-
on the arguments for the other James,
-
We will have only gotten through the arguments
-
of which James wrote it in this
-
service, which is cool
-
and some of things I mentioned about James.
-
But I don't wanna do that.
-
So... But some of your you're thinking, I'd
-
like to hear the evidence for the other
-
James. Right? I've seen heads go like this.
-
Well, I wanna share that with you, but
-
I'll do that next week.
-
Because I wanna challenge you
-
and and get into a little bit of
-
what James says in the first verse, and
-
we'll get the more when he says next
-
week in the first first,
-
because I don't want you to leave here
-
just thinking about which James wrote it. So
-
I'll get the evidence for... I was talking
-
Lisa over with Lisa over lunch.
-
About this. So she was, how you gonna
-
resolve the issue? Ago... I wanna talk about
-
James,
-
who wrote at the entire message.
-
She was, well, you should maybe do the
-
second 1 on Wednesday. To show the other
-
James I go, nah. I thought about that
-
too, but
-
he he he he deserves a Sunday too.
-
So he'll gets someone next Sunday.
-
Okay? Because what I wanted to do is
-
get into
-
What he says, James 1 1, James a
-
bond servant of God, of the lord Jesus
-
Christ. Amen. I wanna get into what we
-
do know about this James.
-
Is that he's a bond servant of God
-
and of the lord Jesus Christ Amen.
-
And what that means
-
and how if you don't identify as a
-
bond to Jesus Christ, the rest of the
-
book is not gonna impact you. You have
-
to make sure you are a servant of
-
Jesus Christ. And then again, think if
-
if this is
-
the brother of the Lord Jesus.
-
And Jesus his older brother who he'd rejected,
-
and then he saw him resurrected.
-
That's pretty powerful.
-
He identifies him as his Lord. The big
-
brother finally won. Little brothers don't like to
-
let big brothers win. They fight against them.
-
I mean, I remember my brother, Tom, and
-
I I was always... As always been bigger,
-
You know, he's a tough. Fighter, man. After
-
I got saved, and I a brawl, he
-
became a brawl, but he... I always had
-
the size and the age and just the
-
age. If I was half a size, I
-
think the age would be intimidating. Right? You
-
bigger brothers who were a little smaller than
-
your
-
younger brothers, by size.
-
And I remember Tom. Little brothers, they admire
-
the big brothers, but they also wanna beat
-
them They challenge them. You just watch justice
-
and Eli.
-
Okay? It's kind of a... It's it's a
-
trip watching them, and I, we all encourage
-
them to love each other, which they do
-
deep down. You know? But they're also very
-
competitive, and they got a dad who's a
-
wrestling coach. So you can imagine,
-
there's some
-
rough times we see sometimes in our living
-
room, backyard, their house, even more probably.
-
But I remember Tom,
-
I got boxing gloves, and I was, like,
-
probably 13 12:13 14. I don't know. And
-
I wanted to box him I go let's
-
I go, their gloves that won't hurt. And,
-
of course, box his ears off. He's say
-
doesn't want a box anymore. So then I
-
I said, hey, I'll just do it 1
-
hand. And I'm the older brother still, and
-
I'm still boxing his ears off with just
-
a jab or whatever I was doing. And
-
then he quit again. I was like, I
-
got these new gloves and he doesn't want
-
a box, So then I said, hey, Tom.
-
Please. Let's box again. You can box. I
-
will have no gloves. I'll put my hands
-
behind my back. I just wanna a box.
-
Because I love them play around, you know
-
So that it starts throwing... I'm just going
-
like this, you know? Having a good time
-
as the older brother. It's poor a little
-
brother Tom, you know? And then
-
I start laughing so hard because he couldn't
-
hit me at first. And you know when
-
you laugh and you're laughing really hard to
-
get really weak.
-
Like, you're laughing and you lose all your
-
strength. I start laughing A I can't move
-
now. And then he starts p me. He
-
knocks me into the closet on a bunch
-
of clothes. You know
-
And I thought, wow,
-
I would have John or James,
-
you know, and The younger brother of Jesus,
-
if this is the James wrote it.
-
Felt about Jesus being the older brother.
-
But then now, if this is that James,
-
referring to him as the Lord.
-
The Lord Jesus Christ. That's a big deal.
-
And look at the humility, whether it was
-
apostle James or James brother Lord. Look at
-
the humility, a bond servant, James a bond
-
servant of God in the Lord Jesus Christ.
-
That's incredible humility you guys.
-
In fact, James could have identified himself if
-
was the apostle, James the apostle.
-
The brother of John, who wrote the book
-
revelation, the Gospel of John first second the
-
third, John. Well, it was earlier than those
-
books. So he probably wouldn't said that, but
-
he said he's could've said the son of
-
Thunder which Jesus named him. You know. Right?
-
Or if it was James, the brother of
-
Jesus, he could've have said, James, the brother
-
of Jesus, the brother of the creator of
-
the universe. You know.
-
But he's so humble, you know?
-
And that's a big part of Christianity energy
-
said you cannot be a Christian
-
unless you're converted and become like a child.
-
Amen.
-
And James
-
identifies himself here as a bond servant of
-
god and of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
-
I love the humility
-
that he has here.
-
Now,
-
the word,
-
branch of it there in the Greek is
-
1 word Du las.
-
Du las.
-
And Du los, we are servants. We're creating
-
the universe.
-
And we should consider a privilege to be
-
a servant of the most high God. Amen.
-
Because everyone is Bob Dylan used to sing
-
is gonna serve somebody
-
you're gonna serve the devil. You're gonna serve
-
the lord. You're gonna serve somebody.
-
Okay? The doo loss is use 127
-
times this greek word. In the new testament.
-
And
-
it's translated slave,
-
a servant,
-
bond servant,
-
hundred and 27 times, in the new testament.
-
And you what do you you think about
-
a do loss?
-
You know how many rights
-
how many rights a du loss had? Guess
-
how many rights he had
-
0, none, not a z.
-
No rights.
-
In fact, to do us,
-
his
-
existence was for serving his master.
-
And here we see James calls Jesus,
-
What?
-
Lord?
-
His Lord. K?
-
Now, keep in mind, I've shared this with
-
you before, and I think it's so important.
-
Because the new testament, when you became a
-
Christian new testament, when him when you came
-
to belief and faith in christ. It wasn't
-
just a man Pam mental ascent. It meant
-
you were trusting Jesus Christ says your Lord,
-
you were declared him as your Lord and
-
savior, and that was a big deal because
-
who was Lord in the Roman empire, according
-
to the Romans, Caesar, and and they would
-
have no lord. That was a chance sometimes
-
bad even by the Jews. We have no
-
lord, but Caesar.
-
So it was considered s judicious,
-
treason,
-
to call Jesus, your lord, especially for a
-
jew,
-
a jew in a row with empire.
-
Okay. This is very, very important that we
-
get this because
-
the early Christians when you see them identify
-
Jesus as their master as the lord.
-
And as we're studying first, Timothy, we've only
-
got a few weeks left in first, Timothy
-
chapter 6, Paul's talking about how
-
Timothy, you've made this great confession.
-
And he gave the example of Jesus who
-
made a confession before po pilot. And jesus
-
made the confession that he is king he
-
is Lord before po pi. Goes you're doing
-
the same. And then he says to... And
-
he's talking about the Lord God he says
-
to Jesus and he says that to the
-
only sovereign. The only sovereign
-
that was considered treason.
-
These new testament writers were considered treason in
-
Roman Empire, and many times they were burned
-
many different emperors depending on where the empire
-
emperor worship was the greatest Roman empire and
-
what time in history. Chris wife often put
-
the death because they refused to call Caesar
-
of the Lord. They call Jesus of Lord.
-
And that's very more important to understand.
-
Because when you look at this
-
whole reality that Jesus is Lord,
-
you see
-
that
-
1 day, that's gonna happen to believers. It's
-
happened to believers all over the world at
-
times.
-
But when the mark of the beast comes
-
out, and you don't take his name or
-
the number of his name on your right
-
handed or forehead because you're saying he's not
-
my Lord.
-
It's gonna cost millions of Christians their heads.
-
And you have to ask a question right
-
now.
-
Because that may not even happen in your
-
lifetime, but guess what could happen in your
-
lifetime to depending and where you're hearing right
-
now, what country you're in?
-
If you call Jesus Lord of All in
-
islamic an islamic nation that's really strong in
-
Islam, that's considered s judicious as well. We
-
have to right now make sure Jesus our
-
Lord. And right now, your life isn't on
-
the line
-
because you can't lose your head in the
-
United States typically for Declaring jesus Lord. But
-
guess what is on the line. Your very
-
soul is on the line.
-
Because if you do not, have jesus as
-
your Lord, You're lost.
-
Jesus said you cannot serve 2 masters.
-
You'll hate the 1 or love the other.
-
You can't serve both God and money, you
-
can't serve God and Satan. You have to
-
make sure that Jesus is first in your
-
life. And I'd love it because
-
James is a straight shooter.
-
James does not sugar coat things.
-
And what's incredible to me about James is
-
There's a hundred and 8 versus in the
-
book of James.
-
59
-
imperatives.
-
Imperative is the mood of command. There's 59
-
commands in the book of James. This little
-
book
-
59
-
commands in the book of James.
-
Now, it's interesting to me
-
that when you consider
-
this reality.
-
Paul says in first Corinthians 11 1 be
-
I tit of me just as I also
-
am of Christ.
-
But it was considered... We follow Paul because
-
he follows Jesus as the Lord. He identifies
-
himself as a servant. But you know what?
-
Being a servant
-
was a good thing if you were servant
-
for a good master.
-
And it was an elevated position if your
-
master was elevated that you were associated with
-
him. If you were 1 a Caesar servants
-
in his palace,
-
you had... You could have even great... There
-
was... There was great privilege in that. When
-
I just did a message on slavery a
-
few weeks ago on a Wednesday night. And
-
I pointed out 1 of the richest people
-
in the Empire was a a servant
-
of Caesars.
-
Well, guess what? We're not service of seizures,
-
man. We're servants of Jesus.
-
Okay? We're not servants of Joe Biden.
-
Amen?
-
Okay.
-
He's
-
well,
-
I love who called servants, numbers chapter 27
Numbers 27 chapter mention
-
or chapter 12 or 7. God says my
-
servant Moses.
-
Hebrews 03:13 5 says Moses was... Or 3
-
5 says, Moses was a faithful servant
-
as A servant in got all of God's
-
house. In first Samuel 3 9, Samuel says
-
speak lord for your servant hears. Caleb, Joshua
-
King David, Solomon, Elijah, Hannah, Mary, Jonah, Isaiah.
-
Paul, James Peter Jude, John.
-
All identified as servants.
-
You know the greatest servant of All,
-
Jesus.
-
He's called the suffering servant in the old
-
testament.
-
In Isaiah 52 and 53 in other passages.
-
He's God,
-
but he's the most awesome of the servants
-
because God became a servant.
-
In fact, look at philippians
Philippians 3 chapter mention
-
chapter 3 or chapter 2 verse 3.
-
Philippians is chapter 2 verse 3.
-
We read this. Paul rex. Don't be selfish.
-
K?
-
Don't try to impress others.
-
Be humble.
-
Thinking of others as better than yourselves.
-
Don't look out for only your own interest
-
That's hard to do.
-
Our humans were filled with flesh. We gotta
-
deny flash. Don't look out for not only
-
your own interests, but take an interest in
-
what.
-
Others too.
-
You must have the same attitude that Christ
-
Jesus had. So if your your flesh sq
-
when you hear the word servant.
-
I don't wanna be a servant. I wanna
-
live like a king. I want everything. I
-
wanna be all about me myself and I.
-
But you know what? Don't let that happen,
-
man. The best example the 1 who
-
denied,
-
all his privileges
-
help others when they were in need is
-
our Lord Jesus Christ. It says goes on
-
to say, though he was God, though he
-
was god, then Iv existed in the very
-
as the nate in the nature of God.
-
King James the form of God. Though he
-
was God, he did not think of equality
-
with God as something to cling to.
-
Could've just stayed up there and having being
-
worship by all the angels, but he didn't
-
cling to that. Instead, he gave up his
-
divine privileges. He didn't stop being god. He
-
just gave up the divine privilege as he
-
had as he's being worship in heaven. And
-
he took the humble position as a what.
-
Slave. The Greek word is do loss, the
-
same
-
word that shoes that James identifies himself as
-
because he's a slave of God who became
-
a slave himself.
-
And he was born as a human being.
-
When he appeared in human form, he humbled
-
himself in obedience to God and died a
-
what,
-
criminals death on a cross. Therefore god elevated
-
him to the place of highest honor and
-
gave him a name above all other names
-
that the name of Jesus, every knee should
-
bow in heaven and on earth and under
-
the earth. And every tongue to clear that
-
Jesus Christ is what.
-
Lord, to glory to the glory of God,
-
the father. I love that because
-
He became god became a man, and I
-
tell you often, that's like you becoming a
-
cockroach
-
to save the cockroaches.
-
You say no. That's a bigger step down
-
to become a cockroach On I'm a human
-
being. No. It's a lesser step down. I
-
always say that. Because a cockroaches is another
-
creature. We're just creatures.
-
Amen This is the un creator of all
-
things.
-
Becoming part of his creation
-
as the God man.
-
Think about that, man. That just blows me
-
away. What an awesome God. And you know
-
what? He for so his privileges,
-
not cease and be God. Still God. But
-
how himself became a man and died a
-
horrible death of the cross. They just become
-
a du loss, a servant,
-
but he suffered a death on the cross
-
pain for our sins guys.
-
So we could elevate us.
-
So we could become what.
-
Children of God. We're not just servants. He
-
says, I call you in John 15. I
-
call you friends. Amen.
-
And then in John 01:12 as men has
-
received him he gave the right to become
-
the children of God. And now we can
-
call our father Ab father. And come to
-
him in the name of the Lord Jesus
-
Christ. What I blessed, wonderful, privilege that is.
-
So, man, what an awesome thing like Moses,
-
you're a servant of the lord. Right? Like,
-
Elijah, you're a servant of the lord. Like
-
the apostles your servants, the lord. It's a
-
privilege to be the servant of the Lord.
-
And this is what blows me away
-
about this text
-
that I thinks quite quite fascinating
-
is literally in the Greek.
-
You read the literal Greek in James 1
-
1, it can be translated,
-
g James, a bonds of God, the Lord
-
Jesus Christ.
-
As though Jesus is being called God there.
-
Grammatically, it can go either way. Most translators
-
translate is always speaking to the son and
-
the father there. I'm okay with that I
-
can see it going either way. But guess
-
what? Is still incapable that Jesus being referred
-
to as God and James 1 1 why?
-
Because James is a bond of God and
-
of the
-
Lord. Jesus Christ. Amen.
-
What's Lord of the Greek do you remember?
-
It's the common word used for Lord in
-
the new testament. Curry.
-
KURI0S.
-
Curiosity is a name that's given throughout the
-
old testament. When the old testament is talking
-
about God, Y.
-
El. Guess how the sep, the Lx x,
-
the translation that the lord Jesus Christ used
-
over and over again. Guess how they often
-
or it's typically translated Y, which is God.
-
Carry.
-
So if you're reading Jesus day about Y
-
the old testament in the Greek, which is
-
a common language among the those that were
-
living in Israel on those days, Roman empire.
-
You'd be reading Curiosity, Curiosity, Curiosity, Cr that's
-
what I'm saying is a big deal for
-
Jesus to be called. What? Carr.
-
You're calling him lord. You're call him God.
-
Amen?
-
In fact, look at Philippians chapter 2 versus
Philippians 2 chapter mention
-
10 and 11 on this slide. And look
-
what it says here.
-
At the name of Jesus every knee should
-
bow, in heaven and on earth and under
-
earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ
-
Lord to the glory of God the father.
-
Amen.
-
Is gonna bow. You know that's taken from
-
Isaiah, chapter 45.
Isaiah 45 chapter mention
-
And you know who who's referring to in
-
Isaiah 45.
-
When is gonna bow and every time gonna
-
confess.
-
Let's go to the next passage. Look at
-
it.
-
Turn to me and be saved all the
-
ends of the earth for I am what.
-
I am God and there is no other.
-
Whoever saying what they're saying here is saying
-
he's the only god there's no weather.
-
I have sworn by myself. The word has
-
gone forth from my mouth and righteousness
-
and I will not turn back that to
-
me, every knee bow and every time we'll
-
swear allegiance.
-
Wow,
-
They will say of me only the Lord
-
Y way. By the way,
-
our righteousness and strength
-
curiosity in the except too.
-
And here we see well Flipping has already
-
says, even though he was in the very
-
form of God, he became a man. I
-
says his god. But then it says every
-
knee about every time it fence. If apostle
-
Paul knows very well that Isaiah, that that
-
this the reference to Y, and every is
-
gonna bow to him. And he applies to
-
Jesus. Make no mistake. Jesus is God. And
-
when a Drove when it comes to your
-
door, go ahead and share philippians chapter 2
Philippians 2 chapter mention
-
with him, and I isaiah chapter 45. Amen.
Isaiah 45 chapter mention
-
Because they deny that Jesus god, I think
-
some of the most powerful evidence is of
-
Jesus being God is the quotations of the
-
old testament about Y that applied to Jesus
-
in the new testament. Like in the old
-
testament
-
year my witness say Lord to My servant
-
who Have chosen before me, There's no god
-
formed me neither shall be after me. No.
-
It's only 1 God form. So how can
-
Jesus have been in the form of god?
-
If there was another God.
-
And Isaiah,
-
I am the first last,
-
beside, there's no god, Isaiah 44 6.
-
Revelation chapter 19 or chapter 01:18
Revelation 19 chapter mention
-
through 20 there, Jesus says, I... Am he
-
that was dead, but I'm my alive for
-
more, I have the keys that the hell
-
of death Am says, I am the first
-
and the last. Hey, amen??
-
He is God. Make no mistake about it.
-
Why do I emphasize that point? Because when
-
we're talking about me servants, We're talking my
-
servants of God the created of the universe.
-
Amen. We're not talking about serving Joe Biden
-
Donald Trump. Amen. We're not serving the Lord
-
Jesus Christ. He is our god. Amen.
-
We serve God the father. We serve God
-
the son, and we serve the father of
-
the son by the power of God, the
-
holy spirit amen.
-
And let us get excited. Man, these all
-
these people in the truck Goes. Yeah
-
We should be fireworks more excited about Jesus.
-
Trump took a bullet in the year. You
-
know, 1 on 3 levels are saying that
-
that didn't happen. It's all fake. Michael they
-
sound like 1 and 3 conservative sometimes another
-
issue issues I'm sorry. You know, just... I'm
-
like, well, the world, you know?
-
He took a bullet
-
in the ear.
-
That's pretty cool. He stood up. Fight fight
-
fight. My god took thorn, took nails took
-
just totally obliterated.
-
Rose on the third day conquered to grave
-
and he is our god. Amen. And people
-
are getting excited about that. How much works
-
excited should we get about the Lord Jesus
-
Christ. Amen.
-
What awesome God we have.
-
I'm glad I'm splitting my message 2. I'm
-
looking at that clock I'm like, no way.
-
It's gone already.
-
But I wanna encourage you right now.
-
You cannot.
-
Receive the messages this letter, and the 59
-
commands about how to walk with the Lord
-
and be the Christian he's calling to be
-
a servant of the most high God.
-
Unless you
-
have become a servant of the most high
-
God.
-
And I'm not talking Playing church
-
I'm talking about being serious before the Lord.
-
Amen.
-
I'm talking about
-
recognizing that when you're servant, That means if
-
he says go to this land to be
-
a missionary,
-
are you willing to do that
-
for the rest of your life. If he
-
says, for sake all your possessions and go
-
live poor among the poor at being evangelist
-
over here or share the gospel there? Are
-
you willing to do that? If your answers
-
are no,
-
You're not serving Jesus as your Lord.
-
And Jesus says why do you call me
-
Lord Lord and not obey the things I
-
say. Amen.
-
If he says, hey, I don't want you
-
to get drunk, which he says in his
-
word Don't be drunk with wine, but phil
-
the spirit. And he refused to obey him
-
Is he really your Lord? Are you really
-
a servant?
-
If he says not to be involved in
-
pharma illicit drugs, but you're still doing meth
-
and or heroin or, you know,
-
Fentanyl all or, you know, smoking pot getting
-
the stoned in La la land and not
-
sober because if I what command you be
-
sober, that's not sober. Are you really following
-
as your Lord? You're really a servant?
-
If you're married and you're not laying your
-
life down for your wife,
-
but you're living for yourself
-
and your flesh.
-
And you're not seeking to be patient with
-
her and love her or vice versa,
-
not loving your husband. Are you really being
-
a servant if you're rejecting what Jesus said?
-
Hey, amen?
-
If you're parent and you're not be the
-
best example that you could beat to your
-
children trying to bring them up in the
-
nurture and admission the Lord? Are you really
-
a servant of Jesus?
-
He said you can't serve 2 masters. You
-
can't serve your flesh.
-
You can't serve the devil.
-
You have to serve Jesus.
-
So I encourage you right now, make sure
-
you know the Lord Jesus Christ. And by
-
the way, you can have a heart to
-
do these things. But if you're sitting here,
-
you're not born again,
-
you're gonna be just falling flat on your
-
face
-
because you cannot
-
obey his moral law, the law of Christ
-
unless you're empowered by the holy spirit. And
-
you can't be empowered by the holy spirit.
-
If you're just trying to follow rules because
-
you wanna be a good, but you're not
-
truly born again.
-
Jesus said you must be born again to
-
enter the king of God, amen. That means
-
you must recognize that your sinner that's under
-
condemnation.
-
And that Jesus bore, the penalty of your
-
sin, your condemnation on the cross and died
-
in your place.
-
And when he died in the cross, he
-
took the weight the wrath that you deserved
-
upon himself so that you would be able
-
to be pardoned.
-
And Jesus says whoever calls God's word says
-
Paul says Romans chapter. 10. Whoever calls upon
-
the name of Lord, Shelby be saved amen.
-
So make sure as we get in the
-
book of James. Don't, yeah I wanna give
-
me James, but I'm not really sold out
-
I'm really following Jesus.
-
Being born again. Well, you're not gonna have
-
the power to obey what he said? And
-
you're still gonna be obedient to the flesh
-
the world. The devil and subjected to hell
-
and sin and final judgment.
-
He sets us free pi love and death.
-
By
-
his precious blood that was shed in the
-
cross. Jesus said that the sunset you free,
-
you shall be free indeed, a, amen? Amen.
-
And you shall know the truth and the
-
truth shall set you free. The irony is
-
that when we're servants to the Lord were
-
set free from all these wicked things, man.
-
But we say, no, I don't wanna be
-
a servant, you're a servant of sin.
-
Of death
-
of the flesh of the world of Satan
-
of hell. Jesus sets it's free from all
-
that, Amen. So make sure you choose Jesus
-
as your lord and savior. So you can
-
be obedient to what's called the law of
-
Christ or James calls the royal law. Or
-
the law of liberty. It's not the mosaic
-
glass lot of liberty. It's worth set free
-
by his truth, which sets us free to
-
walk in obedience and it righteousness on the
-
straight narrow path at least the life. Amen.
-
Make sure you make that decision to turn
-
Jesus as if you have not, and embrace
-
him as your lord to savior now, and
-
you'll pass from death, to eternal life. Amen.
-
Are you guys excited about James?
-
Praise guy. Let us all stand. Give him
-
glory Amen, we love you Lord. We praise
-
you for your word. We praise you for
-
your great goodness. We praise you for your
-
great love. We love you Lord Jesus. Hallelujah.