Let Us Pray

James 5:13-20, “Let Us Pray”
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How’s your prayer life? Prayer tends to be one of those things that everyone knows they ought to do often, but rarely get around to doing it. We see the examples of the early church in prayer – we read of Paul’s exhortation to “pray without ceasing” & we think, “Great! That’s exactly what I want to do…later.” After all, we’ve got work to do now; we can pray when we’ve got the spare time. Wrong! Prayer IS the work we’ve been called to & as James closes out his epistle, we find it’s one of the most consistent primary things that we as a Church are supposed to do.

The letter to this point has been a wonderful (if convicting) book of faith in action – what our Christian faith looks like practically. We’ve been exhorted to change our attitude concerning trials – to be doers of the word & not hearers only – to beware of prejudice & favoritism – to put our faith into action – to tame our tongues – to avoid friendship with the world & wars among each other – to not judge, boast, nor oppress – and to be patient & prepared for the Lord’s soon return. There’s been much exhortation of to do & what not to do & James finishes off with one final exhortation to pray. In fact, the end of the letter comes so abruptly, it’s almost as if James is saying, “No – I’m not going to send any other greetings or niceties to you. You need to pray, so get to praying already!”

We’re to pray at all times in all circumstances (as we’ll see) – and whether our need is for physical healing or spiritual restoration, we’re to take our requests before the Lord & be fervent in our prayers. Consistent fervent prayers lead to miraculous answers – whether we recognize them as such or not.

James 5:13-20 (NKJV)
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.

A. Seems obvious…if you’re suffering, then we ought to pray. But it’s precisely because it’s so obvious that we need to be reminded of it. Too often, we overlook prayer. We’ll pick up books for counsel, search the internet, pick up the phone to call friends – all of which can be good & helpful – but none of which ought to be our first resource. Through Christ Jesus we’ve been given bold access to the throne of God – we’ve been adopted as the children of our Heavenly Father who is the Omnipotent Almighty God. When facing suffering, why would we go to battle with a squirt gun when we’ve been given access to Someone infinitely more powerful? Pray!

B. Two striking things about this statement:
__a. Suffering is assumed to exist within the Church. James isn’t surprised by the suffering, nor does he chastise the Christian for experiencing it; he simply tells us how to deal with the suffering. Some so-called ‘preachers’ today give the idea that if we were truly spiritual, we’d never suffer – or we’d overcome it in an instant with the right word or action. To put it mildly, that’s simply false. Christians DO suffer – we’re even told that there is a fellowship of Christ’s sufferings as we’re conformed to His image (Phil 3:10). If our Lord suffered, we ought to expect to go through the same.
__b. There’s no promise given as a result of prayer; we’re just told to pray. IOW, just because we pray doesn’t mean we stop suffering… Indeed, sometimes God has a purpose to our trials & sufferings – goes back to how James began the epistle in Ch 1. [BIBLE: James 1:2-4] What’s the practical method by which we can count it all joy in the midst of trials? Prayer! When it hurts, we go to God & put ourselves at His feet asking for the grace of Christ Jesus. …

C. Question, if the suffering doesn’t necessarily stop, what’s the purpose of prayer? Prayer DOES indeed have an effect (as we’ll see later today) – but sometimes what’s most needed through prayer (by the hand of God) is NOT immediate relief, but rather strength & power to endure.
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…Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.

A. Not only is prayer necessary to the Church, so is praise! Praise is actually an essential part of prayer as we take our joys & thankfulness to the Lord. Most of us have fallen into the trap of making our prayer time a spiritual “laundry list” when (as much as we would argue otherwise) the focus is on us & not on God. “Lord, give ME ___, I need ____, Do ____ for ME…” We may have started & ended the prayer muttering God’s name, but the content was all about us! One of the wonderful things about praise is that it helps us keep the right priority in prayer…our focus shifts directly to God & gives Him the praise through Jesus Christ.
__a. Just as we need to be reminded to pray in our suffering, we also need a reminder to praise in our cheerfulness. Do we remember to give God the praise in our good times?

B. Singing the psalms is a wonderful response to God as we express our cheerful gratitude. Why singing? Because sometimes words fall short. Our ideas might be expressed, but our heart is constrained…songs let loose our emotions in joyful praise. The Greek doesn’t specifically reference the psalms – any song of worship could be included in this. Remember that Psalms was basically the worship hymnal of the Hebrews & the early church. … The Psalms (among all songs) are especially good for their theological truth & depth – but whatever song you sing, sing it to express your grateful heart to the Lord.
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14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

A. As with suffering, sickness is also assumed to exist within the Church…it’s simply part of living in a fallen world. The Lord Jesus may have healed all who came in contact with Him, but there were many who remained sick after He ascended to God (Paul mentions several in his letters & he himself was afflicted – despite his gifts of healing.) There will be a time when sickness will be completely done away with – but that’s a heavenly expectation; not an earthly one.

B. So what to do when we get sick? 1st, pray! Get the elders involved & pray for healing & intercession. We need to get past the idea that Christianity is a go-it-alone faith – the Scripture repeatedly calls us the “Body of Christ” & one of the obvious aspects of a body is that every member is dependent upon the other. Instead of suffering through sickness & weakness alone, we ought to call upon each other (in this case the elders) for prayer & seek God together. Not because there’s any “magic number” of elders, or that God won’t listen if we pray alone – but simply because that’s what the word of God tells us to do.

C. 2nd, anoint with oil. Throughout the Scriptures, we see the use of oil as a picture of the Holy Spirit – whether it was for the consecration of the priests (the oil ran down Aaron’s beard – Ps 133:2), or the anointing of the king (David – 1 Sam 16:33), or in the parable of the 10 virgins (Matt 25) – James’ thought is right in line with this. Many scholars tend to think this had more to do with medicinal value than anything else, as rubbing someone with oil was a common way to treat illness at the time & bring refreshment (per Mark 6:13). The modern equivalent might be to pray & then take someone to the doctor.
__a. Going to the doctor is NOT a sign of a lack of faith! … God routinely uses doctors today in ways that would have been considered supernatural miracles in Biblical times. This isn’t something we ought to take for granted; rather we ought to thank God that He has mercifully revealed this knowledge to our generation! Every good & perfect gift comes from our Heavenly Father & modern medical science is no exception…
__b. Is there any reason to think that the anointing mentioned here has more intended than just only medicine? Yes. It’s done “in the name of the Lord” – and there’s an expected result. See vs. 15…
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15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

A. Note that the anointing with oil is inextricably linked to prayer…i.e., it’s not the oil that does the work, it’s God. Whether it’s used as medicine, or as an act of faith as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, when a person is anointed with oil & healed, the healing is always due to the work of the Lord. Thus we seek HIM in all things through prayer. People are not healed according to how loudly & often Isaiah 53:5 is quoted (“by His stripes we are healed”); that would be a work of man – the prayer of faith seeks God Himself & God is the One Who gives the healing.
__a. ALL healing ultimately comes from the Lord…be it miraculous or ‘natural.’ Even at the most basic of all levels, our bodies have been designed to heal themselves from cuts, viruses, bacteria & more…and our designer is none other than the Lord God.

B. Two promises given: “WILL save the sick” “WILL raise him up” — are these promises or general principles? When God wills it to happen, it’s definitely a promise! What happens when that doesn’t happen? Note the word used here: “save” – contextually, it could definitely refer to physical healing, but the NT has a much broader use for the word overall. Could be physical, could be eternal salvation, could be any sort of deliverance. It’d be a mistake to limit it to only a physical cure for illness. Perhaps because of prayers of the church, the suffering person is granted the strength to endure his/her trial. Perhaps the best healing is our ultimate healing as we look forward to our resurrection in Christ Jesus. So do we pray for physical healing? Absolutely! God is the Master Physician. But in the end, we pray in faith, and leave the results to God.

C. Notice the other “healing” that takes place: spiritual healing. Just as we go to the Lord in prayer for sickness of the body, we also go to the Lord in prayer for sickness of the spirit – and through Jesus Christ, we have forgiveness of sins. The word “sick” could technically be translated “weak” which can be true of us both physically & spiritually, and the only One who can bring healing here is the Lord.
__a. Keep in mind this is by far our more important need – no matter how physically ill we might be. [BIBLE: Mark 2:5-12] There are likely some here today who have sought God for physical healing, but have never gone to Jesus for forgiveness of sin. You’re missing what’s most important! Humble yourself before Jesus today & ask Him to forgive your sins & be your Lord – God wants to address that 1st before anything else in your life.
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16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

A. What’s to be combined with prayer when seeking healing? Confession. We tend to think of “confession” as something that only Catholics do in a small booth separated by a small window from a priest. Not the case…confession is a healthy practice for all Christians to maintain. And since Scripture makes it clear we are a holy priesthood of believers in Christ (1 Pet 2:5), we can follow the example of James and confess our trespasses to “one another.” We don’t need an ordination or license to hear a confession; we just need a heart that is submitted to the Lord Jesus!
__a. Is there any particular person we could confess to? Sure – the one we sinned against! To air ‘dirty laundry’ in front of a crowd of people can cause more harm than good. A good measure of confession is to ensure it matches the extent of the sin. If the sin was committed in the midst of a group, the person should go to the group & confess – if it was committed against an individual, the confession should go to the individual.

B. What exactly IS confession? Simply agreeing with God that sin is indeed sin. It’s not some rite or certain memorized statement that is recited without thought; it’s simply telling God (and contextually here, others) that we’ve sinned. Like the prodigal son confessing to his father, “I’ve sinned against heaven & in your sight & am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21) – it’s simple & to the point. Confession is NOT making excuses for yourself or blaming others; it’s admitting you’ve done wrong & accepting the blame. [2-3-4 principle]
__a. Can a lack of confession hold back healing? Apparently so. Both vs. 15 and 16 seem to come to this conclusion. The Bible shows us many examples of Jesus healing the sick in His earthly ministry. Sometimes the sickness was linked with sin; other times it specifically was not.
____i. Sickness with sin: Man by pool of Bethesda – Jesus caused him to walk, yet warned him to “sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (John 5:14)
____ii. Sickness without sin: Blind man – the disciples were questioning Jesus regarding whose sin (his own or his parents) had caused him to go blind. Jesus responded it was neither his parents nor him, but this was allowed “that the works of God should be revealed in him.” (John 9:3)
__b. Bottom line? Don’t withhold confession. Whether your sickness is or is not linked to sin in your life is only known by God – but if you DO have unconfessed sin (ongoing sin that isn’t dealt with before the Lord), then by all means confess it & be done with it! 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. []

C. Again, just as with anointing with oil, confession is linked to prayer. Prayer is at the heart of a healthy church! … People often ask if prayer actually does anything. After all, we’re supposed to be seeking the will of God. If His will ‘will’ be done, then what’s the purpose of us voicing our requests to God? …Let’s look at the bigger picture: there’s a HUGE difference between God’s predestination (God’s election of us as Christians) & fatalistic determination (mechanistic workings of the universe). Those are big words & hotly debated topics []. Suffice to say that in whatever way God’s sovereign predestination factors into our own salvation (and much is a mystery), it does not follow that we are set into motion like robots & no matter what we do, it’ll always be the will of God. Why else does God continually call out for us to repent? There are some things we do that are absolutely outside of the will of God; that’s why it’s called a “trespass” or “sin.” He may have allowed it to take place, but that does not mean it was His perfect will for you to do it & God certainly did not cause us to sin…our sin is rightfully our own fault of doing things apart from His will. ‘So what – how does that apply to prayer?’ So that means neither we nor God are robots fatalistically playing out what has already been scripted for us to do. Prayer can & does actually have an effect – if for no other reason, simply because God says it does. It “avails much!”
__a. [Abraham & God & Sodom – Gen 18] [Moses interceding for Israel re: golden calf & God relenting – Ex 32:14]
__b. Keep in mind that God invites us to pray… At the most basic level, we pray because our Lord & King invites us to do so! Prayer is not a “have to”; it’s a “get to!”

D. Note the qualifications on prayer. Prayer that avails is:
__a. “Effective, fervent”: One word in the Greek – but the two words here give the sense. ἐνεργέω (‘energy’) = “activity” – that which is productive in its work. (Guzik) “Much of our prayer is not effective simply because it is not fervent. It is offered with a lukewarm attitude that virtually asks God to care about something that we care little about. Effective prayer must be fervent, not because we must emotionally persuade a reluctant God, but because we must gain God’s heart by being fervent for the things He is fervent for.”
__b. Comes from a righteous man/woman of God: Contextually, this seems to refer to one who had already confessed his/her sins & dealt with them before God. Thus they can pray with a clean conscience. More broadly, it’s speaking about Christians. What would be the point in taking a prayer request to an unbeliever? It’d be a waste of words – the one prayer they can make to God would be for their own salvation!
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- Example of effective, fervent, righteous prayer:
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

A. Context: 1 Kings 17-18. God sent a drought to discipline King Ahab – after 3 years Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal, God shows His power & a mini-revival breaks out. Afterwards, God sends the rain at Elijah’s prayer.

B. The point? Elijah was one of the mightiest prophets in all history – he even stood at the Mount of Transfiguration with Moses & Jesus. But in the end, he was just a man like us. He was just a sinner in need of the grace of Jesus, just like the rest of us – Elijah simply submitted himself to God & saw God use him mightily. Question: Is James saying we can control the weather patterns? … No. God is certainly not incapable of doing the same thing today through a believer as He did through Elijah (God’s arm is not shortened!); but James’ point isn’t a prescription for us to go out & do the same thing with the weather (there was a very specific context & culture involved with Elijah) – it’s to go out & do the same thing with prayer. We’re to be earnest with our prayers…
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19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

A. Not really a new topic – just a continuation of what James has already linked with prayer. This time, instead of confession on the part of the sinner, James looks at the role of those who seek to restore the one in sin… … Very similar to what Paul addresses in Galatians 6…
__a. Scholars differ in their interpretations here – some see a clear reference to believers who have backslidden & wandered from God; others see a clear reference to a false convert who needs the gospel for his soul to be saved. Good arguments can be made for either point! Perhaps it’s best to see this as a “both/and” scenario. Only “brethren” can “wander from the truth” & only an unregenerate “sinner” still needs his “soul” to be saved from death. Both exhibit the same symptoms: they are people who once were in good standing with the church but fell away into sin. Both require the same solution: repentance towards Jesus Christ. The born-again brother is reconciled & restored; the false-convert is saved. Let God work out the end result; we simply need to plead with people to be reconciled to Him.
__b. With all this in mind, we also need to remember James’ instructions from Ch 4:11-12…we’re not to wrongfully or spitefully judge one another. There are some issues that are crystal clear (someone committing outright fornication); there are other issues that are not. We need to stay to the clear cut truth of the Scriptures & not additionally impose our own personal preferences upon someone else. Ultimately that brother or sister answers to God & not to us.

B. What does it mean that someone could be saved from death? For the backslidden Christian, it means simply that – the results of their sin could kill them. This isn’t a reference to someone potentially losing their salvation; it’s a reference to the physical consequence that often follows a lifestyle of sin. How are the “multitude of sins” covered? In the same way. When a person stops sinning, they forego the sins they would have otherwise committed… For the false convert, it’s much broader – their soul truly is saved from eternal death!

C. When sin is confronted, the goal is ALWAYS restoration!

Conclusion:
So Church, let us PRAY! Fervent prayer leads to miraculous results. Whether it’s physical or emotional healing, reconciliation with one another, or repentance & restoration to God Himself – all of those things are miracles because none of those things happen outside of the supernatural workings of God. … So if all of these good gifts come from our Heavenly Father (Jas 1:17), and if we have not because we ask not (Jas 4:2), may we be quick to ask! May we be a praying church – quick to hit our knees in praise of the Lord & intercession for others.

When do we pray?
A. In times of suffering
B. In times of celebration
C. In times of sickness
D. In times of sin

It’s during those times of sin that we need to be especially fervent. If we’re the ones sinning, may we be quick to confess… … If we see a brother or sister sinning, may we love them enough to seek a gentle restoration…

Patient Preparedness for Parousia

James 5:7-12, “Patient Preparedness for Parousia”
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If I were to ask how many people wanted prayers to learn to be more patient, odds are not many people would raise their hands. “Don’t pray for patience! God will put you in a situation when you need it!” In truth, we DO need to pray for patience. Despite the cliché, patience is indeed a virtue, and patience is needed in our Christian walk. Usually the real reason we don’t want to pray for patience is that we simply don’t want to be patient at all! We live in a culture today where microwaves take too long – where 75 mph speed limits are too slow – when high-speed internet seems anything like high-speed. As the old prayer request goes, “God, give me patience, and give it to me NOW!”

The Bible specifically tells us that we need to be patient. Patience is a part of the selfless agape love of Christ – patience is a part of the fruit of the Spirit – patience is needed for all sorts of things within our Christian walk. And as James points out, patience is also necessary as we wait for the Lord Jesus to come back.

Sometimes, we tend to forget that Jesus is actually returning for us…but He is! One day in the blink of an eye, we’ll be caught up in the clouds with Him – and we’ll later be with Him as He returns to judge the earth. It could happen at any moment – and we want to be ready! How do we stay ready for the Lord’s coming (His parousia)? By being patient. Patient Christians are prepared to see Christ. As James starts to bring his letter to a close, that’s exactly what he hones in on. We’ve seen much of what the church is supposed to avoid (strife, pride, judging, boasting, oppression); now James turns his attention to what we’re supposed to engage in…and part of that is being prepared for the Lord’s soon return.

James 5:7-12 (NKJV)
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.

A. The overall theme of the section is patience, but this patience is placed within a context. What’s the context? “the coming of the Lord.” The Lord Jesus IS coming for His bride (the church) & He IS coming to judge the world in righteousness. Our patience is based upon a marvelous promise: our King is coming!

B. Define being “patient”: This isn’t “patience” as in, “I’ve been waiting 40 minutes to see the doctor & my patience is running out!” This is “patience” as in “longsuffering” – laboriously holding up under pressure & steadfastly waiting on the Lord to see you through.
__a. Keep our immediate context in mind here. Chapter 5 started out with some pointed warnings to the rich not to oppress the poor within the church. The cries of the oppressed had reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth (hosts) – God knew exactly what was going on. Now the church merely had to be patient in waiting for God to act. … Every unrighteous & unjust deed will be judged one day & people will have to face God Almighty for it – and all vengeance belongs to Him. The judgment is His job; we simply wait upon Him to act.

C. James gives 3 examples of patience (or similar qualities) – the 1st is the farmer. Farmers in Israel historically were very dependent on the early & latter rains…the early rains coming in the fall (useful for plowing) and the latter rains in the spring (necessary prior to the harvest). No rains, no harvest. Not enough rain, no harvest. The historical farmer was completely dependent on the Lord’s provision through the weather to provide his food & income. And when those rains came, he had to act fast. Wait too long to plow, and the ground is hard again. Wait too long to harvest & the crop spoils. He had to be patient & be prepared.

D. The application? We’ve got to be patient until Jesus comes again. Just like the farmer had to be expectantly prepared for the latter rains to come & water his crops, so we need to be watchful & ready for the Lord Jesus to take us home. He promised He would come again to receive us to Himself (John 14:3) – and we want to be both patient & prepared. Like the parable of the virgins, we want to be found waiting for the call of the groom with oil in our lamps ready to go (Matt 25:1-13)…when Jesus calls us home, we don’t want to say, “I wish I would have just done ____!” Be patient & be prepared.
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8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

A. Repeats the thought: be patient! The Lord Jesus IS coming; we are to expectantly wait for Him. How are we to be patient? By strengthening/establishing our hearts & standing firm on the promises of God. It can be tough to be patient because we get so easily distracted. Our culture gives us so many choices in which we can take our eyes off Jesus & our media is filled with so many voices that mock the things of God. How do we get past it all? By sinking deep roots into the gospel & promises of God – standing firm upon His word. Psalm 1 speaks of the godly man whose delight is in the law of the Lord – he is like a tree planted by rivers of water. The more time we spend in the word of God taking in the promises of God, the more our hearts will be established in God.

B. Repeats the context as well: “the coming of the Lord is at hand.” Lest there be any doubt, James declared that the “parousia” of Jesus is at hand. It’s difficult to overstate the emphasis on Christ’s soon coming in the Bible. Even within bare minutes of Jesus ascending to heaven, angels were already reassuring the disciples that He would be coming again in a like manner. Even with all of the passionate debate in end-times theology, the one thing that all orthodox believers agree on is that Jesus is coming again. There’s much debate on the timing & the details (which we’ll see in other books), but there’s no doubt on the fact of His soon coming.

C. How can we be so sure? After all, the early church was convinced that the Lord Jesus was coming soon, and we’ve been waiting 2000 years for His return. Every generation that has come thought that theirs was the generation in which Jesus would come back. Keep in mind, this isn’t a bad thing; this is a good thing! We ought to live every day with the realization that this could very well be the day that we see our Lord face-to-face…that’s part of James’ point! We want to live in such a way in which we’re ready to see our Lord & King. Every generation has lived with the expectation of the imminent return of Christ – it’s good because Jesus told us to be ready for Him… Matthew 24:42-44 (42) Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. (43) But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. (44) Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
__a. Do we have any reason think our generation is close – as if we’re in the last of the last days? Yes! Prophecy is abundant with indications that the time is near! If there was any time in history to be confident of the Lord’s soon coming, the time is now. For the 1st time in almost 2000 years, there is a nation in the promised land called “Israel”, who’s formation is virtually straight out of the pages of Ezekiel 37. The apostasy written of by Paul where people depart from the faith & give heed to doctrines of demons seems to have already begun (1 Tim 4). The signs the Lord Jesus gave in Matt 24 are coming true every day – Christians are hated by all nations, false prophets are rising up to deceive, lawlessness abounds, and more (Matt 24:9-12). Truly if any generation thought the return of Christ is imminent, ours should!

D. Are you ready? We WILL see Jesus…His coming is at hand! At the very least, every day that passes is one more day that each one of us are closer to seeing the Lord Jesus face-to-face. Whether the rapture takes place this afternoon, or you get hit by a bus tomorrow, we are all only a heartbeat away from seeing the Lord. Are you ready? Are you prepared to see your Lord & Savior? Are you even able to honestly call Him your Savior? Church buildings are filled every Sunday with people who know the facts about Jesus Christ, but who don’t actually know Jesus Christ. Keep in mind that Jesus is not dead; He’s alive right now – every single person here can know Him personally, just as we know any other living person. Whenever a preacher pleads with you to repent from your sins & trust Christ/receive Christ as Savior, that’s exactly what we’re saying…not to just mutter a prayer & put your trust in any ‘magic words’ you’ve said – but to go before the Living God in prayer & give your life to Jesus Christ, asking Him to forgive your sins & forever be YOUR Lord.
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9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

A. One way to know if you’re not ready? If we’re grumbling against each other. Groaning – sighing…carrying on inner grudges against one another. Who would want to be found having that attitude at the Lord’s return? His specific prayer for the church was that we would be one (John 17:21). Grumbling & groaning against one another isn’t very unified – knowing that our Lord is coming soon ought to motivate us to truly forgive one another & be reconciled to one another. [School kids behave much differently when the principal is standing outside of the room…] Likewise, our Judge is at the door! He can come in at anytime; we want to be on our ‘best behavior’ & be ready for Him.
__a. Specifically in the context of those who had been oppressed: What good is their complaint if they are grumbling against one another? They themselves are guilty of the same sin for which they had appealed to the Lord!
__b. Even beyond class warfare & oppression in the church – Christians have no business grumbling against one another. Granted, we’re human – there’s no doubt we’re going to offend one another at some point in time. (If you haven’t, just wait!) But when those offenses happen, we ought to believe the best about one another & be quick to forgive.

B. Question: do Christians really need to be concerned about being judged? After all, our salvation is assured in the work of Christ Jesus… YES! Christians WILL be judged – not for salvation, but for reward. This is what Paul was referring to when discussing the Bema Seat. [place of civic judgment] 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (9) Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. (10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. [] (works of gold or straw revealed on the Day – 1 Cor 3:12-14) Christian, this is exactly what we need to be ready for! Everything we’ve done in the Body of Christ will be revealed that day – which ought to be a pretty sobering thought. The good news here is two-fold: (1) Jesus already died for your sins – your salvation is assured in Him & in His work alone. (2) The Bible tells us that Jesus will wipe every tear from our eye – we’ll surely regret our sins (who wouldn’t?), but our Lord will be right there to comfort us.
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10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure.

A. 2nd example of patience: the prophets. Some are showcased in Hebrews 11…they experienced incredible miracles, but they endured much suffering. Tortured, imprisoned, false trials, stoned to death, sawn in two, and more – they were those “of whom the world was not worthy” (Heb 11:38).

B. What exactly are they examples of? “suffering AND patience” – for true patience to be exhibited, we’ve got to have trials in which patience is required. The prophets showed this through their suffering. Jeremiah was repeatedly imprisoned & suffered pain in the stocks. Hosea endured the humiliation of having a prostitute as a wife (as a picture of God’s relationship with unfaithful Israel) – yet he still patiently endured by the power of God.
__a. NT Christians are not exempt from this. Sometimes people get the idea that truly godly people never suffer…that’s completely the opposite of what the Bible tells us. Paul specifically wrote that godly people WILL suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12) & the Lord Jesus warned us that in this world, we will have tribulation (John 16:33). Praise God that Jesus has overcome the world – but we still have to patiently endure in the meantime.

C. Note: those who “endure” their suffering are blessed. Seems kind of shocking to our ears. We think people are blessed if they avoid suffering – which makes sense; we wouldn’t wish suffering on anyone… But once we DO suffer, we need to hold up during it – and when we endure, God considers us blessed. Why? Because when our faith is tested we build up perseverance (Jas 1:3) & in the process God develops our character to be more like Christ, which leads to confident hope (Rom 5:3). The trial or suffering itself is not joyous, but we can definitely rejoice over the work of God that He is doing within us – and in all circumstances we can rejoice in the saving work of the Lord Jesus for us. As we endure, we remember that we’re going to see Jesus, and that should cause us to hope & rejoice.
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…You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

A. 3rd example of patience: Job. Technically, Job isn’t so much an example of patience, but of perseverance. James uses a completely different word here than what he used for “patience” in vss. 7 & 10. “Perseverance” comes from the same root word as “endurance” – instead of speaking of “long-suffering patience,” this word carries the idea of “holding out/standing fast”. The word choice actually makes a lot of sense. Job frequently complained during his sufferings & was a bit impatient toward God at the end – but he DID endure his sufferings. Job may have cursed the day of his birth, but not once did he lose his faith in God (which is exactly the opposite of what Satan thought would happen). On the contrary, despite the immense sufferings Job endured, he could still proclaim “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him,” (Job 13:15) & “I know my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). This was a man who remained standing under MUCH pressure!

B. One of the best aspects about Job’s life? His sufferings didn’t last forever. God had a different end intended for him than what the Devil had planned out – and Job experienced the blessing of the Lord. The beginning of the book shows his lands & possessions taken away, his health stricken – and even his beloved children killed. But after Job had endured & God answered him, God blessed his latter days more than Job’s beginning – he had twice as much livestock & possessions, and God even blessed him with more children. For the believer in Christ Jesus, there will always be a time when suffering ends – all suffering for us is truly temporary. Even if we suffer unto death, our suffering doesn’t continue IN death; we’re forever in the presence of our Lord & Savior. (The same promise cannot be said for the person who refuses Christ; their suffering only begins upon their death!)
__a. This isn’t to say that when we endure patiently in suffering that God will bless us with long life & riches. Just look at Jan Hus & William Tyndale & other reformers who were burned at the stake or otherwise killed… But God DOES provide for us during those times of endurance & we experience His compassion & mercy. That’s what Job experienced in the end, and that’s what we can experience in the midst of our trials.

C. Keep in mind that the Lord isn’t just sometimes “compassionate & merciful”…He’s ALWAYS “compassionate & merciful.” It’s part of His very nature! Exodus 34:6-7 (6) And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, (7) keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” [] That’s part of who He is! Born-again believers in Jesus can always go to God & appeal to Him for mercy & compassion & the Lord delights in giving it (because of the finished work of Christ).
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12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.

A. How vs. 12 fits into the overall context isn’t exactly clear…it’s obviously supposed to do so (“above all…”), but it doesn’t seem to fit with the idea of being patient. I suggest vs. 12 doesn’t so much have to do with patience as it does with the idea that the Lord’s coming is at hand. In general, oaths are meaningless. To swear upon your mother’s grave (or whatever) is completely meaningless, because what power do you have over whatever it is you’re swearing by? Swearing absurd oaths (including the “death oaths” of some brotherhood organizations) assumes you have more power than what you do. Only God has the power to actually change anything – when we swear absurd oaths we’re presuming upon God…and that’s not something we’d want to be found doing at the return of Jesus Christ.

B. If Jas 4:12 sounds familiar, it’s because it should – this is virtually a direct quote from the Lord Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:33-37 (33) “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ (34) But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; (35) nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. (36) Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. (37) But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. []
__a. Say what you mean & mean what you say! Everyone is going to misspeak from time to time, and at times circumstances are going to change that might make commitments difficult to keep. But overall, our word should be trustworthy. We shouldn’t need to go through long, elaborate setups to help people know we’re “really” telling the truth – we should just tell the truth from the beginning. If we make a commitment, we ought to keep it.

C. Are ALL oaths bad? Not necessarily – God gave OT laws to His people to guide them in making oaths (Num 30); there were times vows or oaths were necessary. Even in our own culture, we are called upon to take oaths (courtroom, military, political office, etc.) What Jesus & James are both referring to are lengthy, absurd oaths, or oaths that mean you’re telling the truth one minute, but can’t trust your word the next (like crossing your fingers). Oaths that are more of an act of pride than solemnly committing to telling the truth. Bottom line? Make a point of avoiding oaths. We ought to keep our commitments simple & our word ought to be our bond in itself.

Conclusion:
Jesus is coming…are you ready? Prepared Christians are patient Christians. Whether you’re currently enduring a trial right now, or you’re simply just ready to go see Jesus, we need to be patient & steadfast as we wait for our Lord to come. For those who are oppressing the weak, Jesus will bring justice. For believers who are grumbling & swearing, Jesus will bring accountability. Every person in all history will be judged in some way by God – it’s appointed to man once to die & then the judgment (Heb 9:27).

For those who are believers in Christ Jesus, the price for our sins has already been paid (praise the Lord!) – we are completely made new & pleasing in the sight of God. Yet even we will face a judgment…one in which we stand before our Lord & give account. There we’ll be in the presence of His purifying righteousness, and though we have a reverent fear of God, we can be assured He’ll sustain us through that time. But be assured, we will see Him – and we want to be prepared for that time!

Those who reject Christ will also see Him – but unlike the rest of us, unbelievers will see Christ Jesus without hope. If that’s you, the judgment you will face is the Great White Throne Judgment in which everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life will be cast into Hell. That may sound dramatic, but it’s the truth…and that’s not what God desires for you! God’s will is that all men repent from their sin & turn to Jesus Christ for salvation – He is not willing that any should perish! But many will…simply because they reject the mercy & love of God – and their own sin & rebellion leaves them condemned. If that’s you, I guarantee you’re not ready to see Jesus Christ! But you CAN be…humble yourself before Him today & trust Him as your Lord & Savior by faith.

Too Late?

1 Samuel 30-31, “Too Late?”
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Question: Is it ever too late to repent? Sometimes people get the idea that it might be – as if we’ve rebelled against God for so long, that it would be hypocritical to repent at some point and start following Jesus. Other people think that what they’ve done is just too awful – their sin too terrible, they could never ask forgiveness. Others just get lazy…they’re apathetic to the whole matter & think it’s just not worth the effort.

The answer? The only time it’s too late to repent is when you stop breathing. Over & over God calls out to us to turn away from our sins & follow Christ alone. We may still have consequences to face, but it’s never too late to turn back to God.

Saul & David have both been given many opportunities to repent. For years now, they’ve walked in their flesh (not in the Spirit). Saul had consistently (and illegally) pursued David, and ignored the direct commands of the Lord God – to the point where God even stopped answering him through the priests & the prophets. David had just given up any hope of reconciliation with Saul & had settled among the Philistine enemy…even as a bodyguard to their king! God had gone to immense lengths to show them their need for repentance. For Saul, it was a visit from the grave by Samuel; for David, it was the Philistine lords firing him & sending him away from a battle with Israel. At this point, what happens? One repents; the other doesn’t…and we face a tragic end to a tragic king.

1 Samuel 30 (NKJV)
1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.

A. Remember Ziklag was the border town in Israel given to David by Achish of the Philistines as a reward for serving him. This had been home to David & his army.

B. Sneak attack by the Amalekites…they had been some of the people that David carried out raids upon while he was serving the Philistines, so they had much reason to seek way. Knowing David would have been at the battle with Israel, they took advantage of David’s travels, and ravaged the city – burning the buildings, but keeping the people alive as slaves.
__a. Keep in mind that the Amalekites should not have even had been around! This is a result of Saul’s disobedience, and the very reason God ripped the kingdom away from him & his family (1 Sam 15). Our sin can have lasting consequences. Granted, David made his own mistakes (he shouldn’t have left the city unguarded; he shouldn’t have been fighting for the Philistines), but the sins of Saul had a ripple effect, and ended up allowing all of Ziklag to be enslaved.

C. How did this defeat even take place? David wasn’t protecting his city; he was too busy preening himself before the Philistine lords & whining that he wasn’t able to go to battle against Israel. Just like Saul, David found out there are always consequences to walking in the flesh.
__a. God doesn’t call us to walk in the flesh; He calls us to walk by the Spirit. We walk in faith & not by sight!
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6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

A. In danger from mutiny… Of course the interesting thing is that David would have deserved it. The 1st duty of government is to protect its citizens & David failed.

B. David’s response in this awful defeat & tragedy? He recommitted himself to the Lord! Instead of retreating further & further into his flesh (which would have been easy to do in his distress/depression), David turns to the Lord for strength & encouragement.
__a. Sometimes God allows us to get to the place where we realize that we have no where else to go, except to God. Everything else has failed, our flesh is weak, our friends are no help…and neither are we! But God has always been there, and God has always been in control, and God has always been able to help – we were just too caught up in ourselves to realize it. Psalm 73:25-26 (25) Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. (26) My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. [] We need to get to the place that we realize God is not the last resort; He’s our only resort…and sometimes everything else needs to fall away for that to happen. Like the disciples, we need to realize that we’ve got nowhere else to God – Jesus alone has the words of eternal life (John 6:68)…HE is where we find our strength.
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7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

A. Why the ephod? It would have contained the Urim & Thummim most likely… Whatever the case, this was David’s way of communicating with the Lord & asking God what he should do. Unlike with Saul, God does respond to David…

B. Note this is the 1st recorded inquiry of David to the Lord since his arrival among the Philistines…and he’s been there for years by this point! I pray we don’t go days between times of seeking the Lord, much less years – but yet some do. That’s usually not due to forgetfulness…it’s usually due to sin. It’s easier for a Christian to persist in sin when they don’t have to talk to God about it in prayer & feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit. At this point, David is done avoiding the Lord; now he desires to be led by Him…
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9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.

A. File this away for later. 400 go to fight; 200 stay to rest & guard the supplies…
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11 Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. 12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights.

A. Along the way to the battle, they find this Egyptian in the middle of nowhere. It would have been easy to ignore him (they had important things to do!), but instead David & the army stops to show mercy & compassion to him…

B. [Parable of the Good Samaritan – Luke 10] Each man had good reasons (on the surface) to pass the guy by; only one put those reasons aside long enough to show the compassion of God. The priest & the Levite in the parable thought they were keeping the law, but only the Samaritan performed the heart of the law by loving his neighbor.
__a. May we never be too busy to show the mercy & compassion of God!
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13 Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick. 14 We made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15 And David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?” So he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.”

A. Some would say “What good luck!” – but this isn’t luck, this is God’s sovereign provision! God is the one Who placed the Egyptian in their way. David’s act of mercy is exactly what God uses to give him important information for the battle.

B. Interestingly enough, why is it the Egyptian was left in the field? Because his Amalekite master didn’t show compassion to him. But God brought David to him, who did… … Sovereign from both directions: God provided for David through the Egyptian, and God provided for the Egyptian through David. As a result of his encounter with David, the Egyptian was placed under the protection & blessing of the God of Israel…and who knows what happened after that? (Maybe he came to faith?)

C. When we demonstrate the mercy of God to others, we’ll not only minister to them, but we’ll likely be ministered TO as well. [mission field] True of any ministry!
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16 And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.

A. Picture the scene: the Amalekites are having a giant debauched celebration of their sack of Ziklag. The Egyptian they abandoned brings David & his 400 men straight to the camp & David unleashed a brutal sneak attack on them while their guard is down. Most of their warriors are probably drunk by this stage, and David’s army has an easy victory over them…
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18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. 19 And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. 20 Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

A. Completely successful. All the captives were freed & all the booty was recovered. And to top things off, David acquired the booty of the Amalekites.
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21 Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.” 23 But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. 24 For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” 25 So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

A. The 400 men thought they’d split the spoil 400 ways, but when David gets involved, they split it 600 ways. The 200 men who were too tired to go to battle still performed a valuable service, and David ensures they were able to take part in the victory. This was apparently unheard of at the time, but it became a regular practice for the army.

B. The principle? Every single part is important! 400 men rode off in the sunset to glory while 200 stayed back to stand guard & rest. The 400 soldiers had an important victory, but the service the 200 did was absolutely necessary. It’s no different in the church. There are certain members of the body that get a lot of “spotlight” (pastors, worship team, teachers, etc.). There are others that get little to none. Which position is more important? Neither – they BOTH are! Everything God gives us to do within the Body is valuable & necessary…or else God wouldn’t have given it out for us to do! 1 Corinthians 12:20-22 (20) But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. (21) And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” (22) No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. []
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26 Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD”— 27 to those who were in Bethel, those who were in Ramoth of the South, those who were in Jattir, 28 those who were in Aroer, those who were in Siphmoth, those who were in Eshtemoa, 29 those who were in Rachal, those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, those who were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 those who were in Hormah, those who were in Chorashan, those who were in Athach, 31 those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to rove.

A. This isn’t just an endnote to the whole affair; this details a pretty shrewd political move on the part of David. Remember he’s been fighting alongside the Philistines for the past several years & a fugitive from King Saul. David hasn’t exactly had the opportunity to keep up with his networking… By sending off some of the spoil to different cities around Israel, David is reminding the people of his generosity & endearing himself to them…something that’s going to be very necessary when the time comes for him to assume the throne.
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1 Samuel 31 (NKJV)
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. 3 The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers.

A. Remember the context here. When we last left Saul, he was on the eve of this massive battle against the Philistines, and he had gotten scared. He hadn’t gotten an answer from God in the usual means, so he went to a witch in En Dor, who conducted a séance to bring up Samuel the prophet. God sovereignly allowed it to be done (which scared the socks off the witch!), and Samuel gave a prophecy concerning Saul’s fate. 1 Samuel 28:19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.” [] Of course, this is exactly what happened & what is fulfilled in verse 1. Saul’s sons were killed in the heat of the battle & Saul is next.
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4 Then Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me.” But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. [Didn’t raise a hand against the Lord’s anointed] Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. 5 And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him. 6 So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day.

A. Tragic events for Israel! Much of the army was wiped out, and the royal family had been killed. Things couldn’t have gone worse for the people that day.

B. Why did Saul fall on his sword? This was a fairly common practice for ancient kings (though rare in Biblical history)…it was better to fall on your own sword than to endure disgrace & possible torture in capture. Yet suicide is still suicide. In one final act of rebellion against God, Saul took his own life.

C. Saul lived in disobedience & died because of his disobedience… We reap what we sow – Galatians 6:7-8 (7) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (8) For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. [] Saul sowed corruption in his life & received it in his death…but it didn’t have to be that way! There was never any doubt that David was going to be king (in fulfillment of Messianic prophecy), but Saul had the opportunity to be a godly king in advance of the one to come after him. He could have served in the role of John the Baptist & prepared the way for the Messianic line – but instead he sowed rebellion after rebellion. He rebelled against God’s plan for him – so much so that he took his own life in battle.
__a. What are you sowing in your spiritual life? Are you sowing to your flesh – or are you sowing to the Spirit? It’s never too late to turn it around…there may be consequences to face, but we can always start anew in sowing the things of God! The longer we wait, the harder it will be.
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7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

A. Total defeat for Israel. Not only was Saul killed, but the Philistines were able to enlarge their territory through Israel’s abandonment of the towns…
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8 So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the people. 10 Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

A. Adding insult to injury. They decapitated Saul’s body & hung the armor of the king of Israel (the anointed one of God) in their pagan temple. Ultimately they were showing that their god was more powerful than the One True God. Back in Ch 4, the Philistine idol Dagon bowed before the ark of God; now the Philistines are boasting that God Almighty was defeated by Dagon.

B. All this took place because of Saul’s sin! God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of sin in the people of God…
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11 Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and traveled all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

A. Recovery of the bodies… Accomplished by Jabesh Gilead – an interesting choice considering Saul’s career. One of his 1st acts as king was to rescue Jabesh Gilead from the Ammonite army (1 Sam 11) & the ensuing battle was Saul’s 1st major victory & was what rallied the people behind him as king. Now Jabesh Gilead returns the honor after Saul’s death & risked their lives to bring back the bodies of Saul & his sons, and gave them a proper burial.

Conclusion:
Bummer of a way to end the book. It’s an ignominious end to an ignominious king. What had started off so well ended in complete tragedy & sin. Saul began his reign as a prophet who was reluctant to take on so grand a responsibility; he ended as a man who ignored the word of God and though he showed remorse for his actions, never truly repented from his sins to throw himself upon the mercy of God. As a result, he seems to have experienced the sin that leads to death (1 Jn 5:16), and suffered the consequences of removing himself from the blessing of God.

The best thing about the end of 1 Samuel is that it precedes the beginning of 2 Samuel. David may have fallen into his flesh towards the end of Saul’s reign, but he is recommitted to the Lord…it wasn’t too late for him to serve – and that’s exactly what God is going to let him do. God’s true choice for a king is finally going to reign over Israel, and although David won’t be perfect, he still will prove himself to be a man after God’s own heart.

In a sense, we’re not in too different of a place from Israel at the time. We have a chosen King, anointed by God, but unlike David – One who is completely victorious over sin! Yet we’re awaiting His full & future reign. He has been given all authority in heaven & earth now, yet we await the future millennial kingdom from which He’ll sit enthroned on earth. So what do we do in the meantime? It’d be easy to look around at the heartbreak in our world & get depressed (as surely Israel experienced when cleaning up the mess after Saul) – but we’ve got better days coming! We can look forward in hope. Things aren’t perfect now, but we can be assured that one day they will be!

Our King is coming…may we be ready for His glorious reign!

What the Church is NOT

James 4:11 – 5:6, “What the Church is NOT”
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Have you ever noticed that it’s sometimes helpful to define what something is by describing what it’s not? Example: what’s outer space? A big void of nothing. How do you know when a politician is telling the truth? When their lips don’t move. What’s one way of telling the Church is acting like the Church? When it’s not acting like the world.

There are some sections in our Bibles we just can’t wait to read over & over. We’re left encouraged, uplifted, and we just feel good (“peace that passes understanding” – Phil 4:6-7, “My grace is sufficient” – 2 Cor 12:9, “I’m going to prepare a place for you” – John 14:3). There are other sections that are a bit tougher, when we are exhorted & even rebuked a bit – but those passages are just as necessary! James has been full of the latter so far – and it culminates in this section between Ch 4-5.

We’re going to read a bit of rebuke today, but it’s good medicine. There are many traps the Church can fall into in which we start acting like the world from which Christ Jesus saved us out of: we can get judgmental – we can start boasting in arrogance – we can even oppress the helpless…and none of these things ought to be so. So James takes his readers (and us) to task a bit here – not out of scorn, but out of loving concern. The Church ought to be a lot of things (some of which we’ll look at in the end of Ch 5), but what it ought NOT to be like is the world.

James 4:11-17 (NKJV)
- Don’t judge…
11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

A. Define “speak[ing] evil” – some translate this as “slander”…it could be, but many scholars think it’s more than slander or gossip, but rather just speaking harshly or unlovingly about another believer. Keep in mind that believers are family – we’re brothers & sisters in Christ together. To speak evil of one another would be like going to Thanksgiving dinner & berating your parents about how awful you think your siblings are, whether or not they deserve the description. Your brother or sister in Christ is the son/daughter of God the Father. In the end, “speaking evil” against someone (especially another believer in Jesus Christ) is to pass judgment on them, and that’s not something that’s left for us to do.

B. One of the most quoted passages in Scripture today is “Judge not, lest you be judged”…but it’s often misquoted entirely out of context in order for someone to justify their own sin. You may lovingly confront them about something important, and they turn around & piously declare, “Judge not, brother!” [BIBLE: Matt 7:1-5]:
__a. If we judge, we’ll be judged by the same standard. That ought to be pretty sobering in itself…a great incentive to show much grace!
__b. It’s tough to pass judgment on someone else when we’re guilty of a similar (or worse) offense. We’ve got enough things to take care of in our own life before we start addressing someone else.
__c. But none of what is going on in our own life changes the speck into something else. A speck (sin) is still a speck. And once our issues are taken care of, then we are to help our brother.
__d. Notice that even in proper godly judgment, it’s not a reference to something vindictive. Jesus couches the whole analogy in the context of helping one another. Someone standing on the sidelines piously wagging their finger at someone else doesn’t help. We’re to get in the trenches with one another – bear one another’s burdens & so fulfill the law of Christ (Gal 6:2).

C. So is it wrong to ever judge? It’s not quite so black & white; it’s definitely wrong to judge unjustly. It’s wrong to judge hypocritically. But keep in mind there ARE some things we ought to judge – Paul specifically chastised the Corinthians for not doing so. They didn’t rightly judge sin among their members (1 Cor 5:2); they couldn’t judge among themselves in legal offenses (1 Cor 6:5). These were things that the local church ought to have addressed, but they didn’t. The key is to not judge wrongly, but to judge rightly.
__a. To judge rightly, we judge according to the Scripture…it thoroughly equips us for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17).
__b. To judge rightly, we give priority to grace & mercy…we have been shown much mercy [], and mercy triumphs over judgment (Jas 2:13). (Ritchie) “You don’t need grace to live in the land of judgment.”

D. What’s the problem with unjust judging? When we’re wrongly judging a brother or sister in Christ, we’re not loving them…and the royal law commands us to love them! Most likely this is another reference to the 2nd part of the Great Commandment. 1st, we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength…2nd, we’re to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:29-31). It’s this 2nd part that Paul calls a fulfillment of the law (Rom 13:10). Speaking evil of our brethren is certainly not loving towards them. Passing unjust judgment on them isn’t either. Once we’re born again, our responsibility towards God is to obey His word (through the power of the Holy Spirit) – to do it; it’s not to pass judgment on it.
__a. Earlier in the letter, James exhorted the Church to be doers of the word (Jas 1:22). Part of doing the word is to love one another in the body of Christ! Sometimes we tend to limit “doing” to only physical/social things. I.e. people “do the word” when they’re feeding the homeless, taking care of orphans & widows, etc. But it’s not limited to just that; a doer of the word loves his/her neighbor & thus doesn’t pass unrighteous judgment on them in his heart. Doing the word has as much to do with our attitudes as it does our actions.
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12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

A. There is one Lawgiver, and it isn’t you (or me). God is the Judge; we’re not. When we wrongly judge the people of God, we’re placing ourselves into the position of God…and that places us squarely in violation of the 1st Commandment – you shall have no other gods before me (Exo 20:3). …

B. Because God is the One who gave the law & thus the One to judge the law, people will answer to Him; not us. We need to be careful about judging someone of whom God has the responsibility of caring for. Paul addressed this in Romans…wrote of believers that might have different convictions regarding dietary issues & holy days. Romans 14:3-4 (3) Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. (4) Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. [] Ultimately, other believers don’t answer to us; they answer to God.

C. BTW – note that God is “able to save and to destroy.” Every single human in all history will stand before God Almighty on that question: will we be saved, or will we be destroyed? … God wants you to be saved!
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- Don’t boast…
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

A. Sound familiar? Very similar to what Jesus taught in the parable of the rich fool [BIBLE: Luke 12:16-21] All sorts of planning – all kinds of self-satisfaction – no thought to eternity or God. Business-wise, his plans were very good; eternity-wise, he had no clue as to what was coming in the morning. He was completely consumed with building up his treasure on earth & where he should have been building up treasure was in heaven!

B. Is James saying that planning (business plans or otherwise) is wrong? No – he’s making a point about God’s sovereignty & man’s arrogance. Planning is a good thing, as long as we have the right priorities in place. The plans of the diligent lead to plenty (Prov 21:5); we just want to remember that God is God (we’re not) & we are subject to Him.

C. Whatever our plans are, we need to hold them lightly. Why? Because life is a vapor. Could be translated “mist” or “smoke” – something that is present & then quickly disappears [Liv & the smoke]. Life is the same way: here one day & gone the next. Any plans we make need to be kept with that in mind.
__a. It’s exactly because life is a vapor that we need to answer the question of eternity NOW. Every day 150,000 people die. Statistically speaking, at least some of the people you drive past on the highway this afternoon probably won’t be around to drive on it next week. Life is a vapor; are you ready to see the Lord Jesus face-to-face?
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15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

A. Planning isn’t bad; priority is the key… All plans are subject to the will of God… Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. [] Just as God is the Judge; God is also the King. As His servants, our lives are in His hand. Any changes He makes in our plans are glorious (even if we don’t recognize it at the time) – they are simply more opportunities to watch God work & be led by the Spirit!

B. Understand that James isn’t proposing a new legalism here – as if when we didn’t say “If the Lord wills,” we just committed another sin we needed to confess. Instead, we’re exhorted to have a completely different mindset – one in which God is the highest priority, and He has the right to change our plans at His will. But it is a good habit! So, Lord willing, we’ll be around long enough to develop the new habit. 
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16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

A. To assume that we can plan our lives without God is the height of arrogance. As if we could do anything without God?! We can’t get out of bed in the morning without God giving us breath – much less carry on business plans or whatnot…we are absolutely dependent upon Him. (Christians should especially understand this…)
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17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

A. Wherefore the therefore? Seems to come out of nowhere… Actually, it’s a great summary of the previous chapters & a bridge to the next one. James has given many exhortations to the church – if there was any doubt, they now knew what was good to do; now they needed to do it. Moving forward, there were things that the Church ought to have known better, but they still ignored it. This isn’t viewed as ‘oversight’; this was viewed as flat-out sin.

B. We typically think of sins as things we do – sins of commission. Here, the Bible makes it plain that there are also sins of omission – that which we DON’T do. [Awful story of gang-rape at homecoming dance – at least 10 people stood by & watched.] Some things just ought to be done…and we bear guilt when we do not.

C. When’s the best time to do good? Right now! When the Lord brings it to mind, we ought to do it at the soonest opportunity. [(Spurgeon) “Do you say, "I am going to repent"? Your duty is to repent now. "I am going to believe," do you say? The command of Christ is, "Believe now." "After I have believed," says one, "I shall wait a long time before I make any profession." Another says, "I am a believer, and I shall be baptized some day." But as baptism is according to the will of the Lord, you have no more right to postpone it than you have to postpone being honest or sober. All the commands of God to the characters to whom they are given come as a present demand. Obey them now.”] As has been said, the only moment that is guaranteed to us is the present. Our life is indeed a vapor, so it’s not a matter of whether or not you will pray tomorrow, or share the gospel next week, or some day some time getting around to showing compassion to the homeless, or forgiving your family member…do it in the moment that you CAN. When we do not do it, and we know we should, it is sin.
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James 5:1-6 (NKJV)
- Don’t oppress…
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!

A. Get ready…James is going to get pretty blunt here. Laying out woes on the caliber of the OT prophets. James has already had a lot to say about the rich – Ch 1:10, the poor were to glory in their exaltation & the rich in their humiliation – Ch 2:1-7, James decried partiality in the church, showing that it was even illogical…the rich were the ones to drag people into courts; not the poor. It’s evident that the majority of the Church were poor, and obviously there were some cultural prejudices to overcome as wealthy people got saved & expected the poor to kowtow to them. James doesn’t waste words as he shows this kind of attitude to be antithetical to the gospel where we are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28).

B. Is it bad to be rich? No. God used & blessed many wealthy people throughout the Scriptures… [Abraham, Joseph, Job, Solomon, Joseph of Arimathea, perhaps Barnabas] But to be rich and to be heartless is not a good combination. It’s not good for anyone to be without compassion, but the rich have the power to oppress others… James makes it clear that this kind of evil is going to be judged.
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2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.

A. Our lives are but vapors; so are our riches. They don’t last. … You can’t take it with you… No one pulls up to the cemetery with an armored car & a dump truck.

B. Not only are riches temporary, but riches that are gotten by unjust means are tainted – corrupt – corroded. Lists off two categories of wealth: garments & gold. People used fine linen & clothing at the time not only as a status symbol, but in trading. The point? Whatever the rich sees as valuable will be seen as corrupt & useless in the Day of Judgment…not only will they not be able to bribe God, the riches themselves will be used as evidence against them in court.

C. These are the last days! This isn’t a time to exploit people for financial gain; we’re going to see the Judge…
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4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

A. The specific problem is defined here. Those in the church who were rich apparently exploited workers & didn’t pay them what they were owed for their labor. Most day-laborers were very poor & if they weren’t paid at the end of the day (per the parable of vineyard workers, Matt 20), they didn’t eat. The people James is referring to apparently kept back the wages of their reapers, and defrauded them out of what they had agreed to work for.

B. Who will take up their cause? The “Lord of Sabaoth” (not Sabbath, though God is the Lord of the Sabbath) – the Lord of the armies of the heavenly hosts – the Lord Almighty. “Sabaoth” is the exact Greek word used…it’s a transliteration of a Hebrew term (tsaba’ah) = hosts/armies (possibly stars). God is the Lord of all Creation, and the Commander of all the heavenly angelic armies…not the One anyone wants to be messing around with! To oppress the poor is to invoke the wrath of Almighty God.

C. God defends the defenseless. Throughout Scripture, we see this affirmed over & over again. God administers justice for the widow & orphan & loves the strangers (Deut 10:18). Those who are weakest in society have an advocate in God, and God frequently both exhorted Israel to care for them (Isa 1:17) & rebuked Israel when they failed to do so (Isa 1:23). If God expected His people in the OT to show compassion on the poor & defenseless, how much more ought the Church in the NT? In our own nation, the helpless become a pawn in political theater on both sides. Helping the helpless (whether the single parent or the unborn child) isn’t an issue of politics; it’s addressing an issue that is dear to the heart of our Heavenly Father.
__a. BTW, as born-again Christians, we are all beneficiaries of God’s compassion towards the helpless…because spiritually speaking, that’s exactly what we are! Without Christ Jesus, we are dead in our sins & transgressions, permanently tainted by the blood of sin, awaiting death both on earth & in eternity. No good works we do can make us right in the eyes of God, no amount of money can bribe Him – our sins (both little & great) left us utterly condemned in His sight. But God in His great mercy showed compassion on we who were helpless! He sent Jesus when we least deserved it, and provided the help for us we didn’t even know we needed. Praise God for His compassion, mercy & grace!
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5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.

A. Picture of the lazy man who doesn’t realize the judgment that is coming. Like a cow fattened for the slaughter, so is the unjust wealthy who fattens themselves off the abuses of other people – they are unwittingly preparing themselves for judgment.

B. There’s a bit of debate here of whether or not James is writing to the church on this point. The things he lists out here are awful acts – completely unjust – things that ought to be abhorrent to believers, and some feel that James couldn’t possibly be writing about born-again Christians, but rather those who are just “playing church.” (And there a huge number of people who qualify in that category today!) Certainly possible, but it’d be very unusual in this letter where James affirms over & over again he’s writing to believing Christians. Others assume these things were awful, but they were still things that existed in the early church nonetheless. And it ought not to be so!
__a. Are we guilty of the same? Have our hearts grown hard to those around us? Do we take advantage of the weak, and enrich ourselves off their labor? I praise God I know of none that do…but God knows. And if it’s you (whether here or listening to the audio), then you know. Stop it! Repent! You WILL face the Lord Jesus for judgment…

Conclusion:
The bottom line in all this? Don’t be like the world. The world is judgmental against the things of God, is arrogant about the authority of God, and is unjust against the people of God (and in general). … The Church is to be different!

A. We’re not to judge another man’s servant; we’re to love one another in the Body as Jesus loves us… That doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to sin, but it does mean responding to one another in compassion, love, and grace.
B. We’re not to boast against God; we’re to be submitted to Him. He’s our Lord & Savior – and if He sees fit to change our plans, then so be it! Praise God for how He watches over us & cares for us!
C. We’re not to oppress the poor & helpless; we’re to show mercy & compassion to them. That’s what God does with them – and that’s what He did with us.

Notice the difference there: when the Church isn’t acting like the world, we’re acting like Christ….and that’s exactly what God intends for us! The more we act like Christ Jesus, the more the world we witness to will see Christ Jesus – and prayerfully the more people will be saved to the glory of God.

It’s easy to make a call out to the Church in general – but change starts with us as individuals. How would you characterize your walk with Christ lately? Have you been looking more like the world – or more like Jesus? It’s easy to fall into old habits & traps & start doing things we ought not to be doing…but it doesn’t need to stay that way. Once we realize what we ought to do, we confess our sin, receive God’s forgiveness by faith, we’re renewed in the Spirit, and we press on by His power keeping our eyes on Christ.

Hitting Bottom

1 Samuel 28-29, “Hitting Bottom”
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Ever have one of those days when things get worse & worse? Both Saul & David are going to experience that tonight. On one hand, these two men couldn’t be any more different: one was anointed to be king; the other had the kingdom ripped from him. One was on the run; the other on the throne. One had a future; the other did not. Yet at this point in their lives, they’re acting remarkably similar to one another. Both are in a state of spiritual apathy, where they’ve backslidden in their walk with the Lord, and living in their flesh rather than in faith. As a result, things are going to get worse & worse. Through it all, God shows His grace – but Saul & David (like us) are going to learn some lessons the hard way…by hitting bottom.

1 Samuel 28 (NKJV)
1 Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.” 2 So David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.”

A. Reminder of context: David had been living among the Philistines, pretending to fight Israel for them. In reality, he’d been fighting enemies of Israel…

B. At this point, Achish is ready to make David one of his chief bodyguards – not a good position for the future king of Israel to have! …

C. Keep in mind why David is there: Saul had been trying to kill him, and David was running for his life. He had trusted the Lord through most of his time as a refugee (and showed fruit of this in marvelous ways!), but eventually fell back into his flesh because of fear. … Falling back into our flesh is not a temptation we’ll ever be free from, until we see Jesus… But it can (and needs to be) dealt with! Otherwise, we’ll end up like David, doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons…
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3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land.

A. Samuel actually died when David was still roaming in Israel as a refugee – back in Ch 25… Several years have elapsed by this point. The point here is that Samuel is gone. The one person that Saul would have been assured to get the word of the Lord from is no longer available.

B. Keep the mediums & spiritists in mind – this is going to be a key part of the chapter. Interesting that Saul had actually put them “out of the land.” When this happened, we don’t know – perhaps at the prompting of Samuel, at the point that Saul actually listened to him. In any case, they were mostly gone.

C. BTW, this was in accordance with the Law. Mediums & spiritists = witchcraft, and God labels it as an abomination… Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (10) There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, (11) or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. (12) For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. [] God had called Israel to be different, because Israel was going to be a light unto the Gentiles & Israel is where the Messiah would come from… God’s people had no business practicing witchcraft because it is directly opposed to the work of God! (Likewise Christians have no business playing around with it either…)
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4 Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.

A. Philistines are preparing for war – this looks to be a huge battle. Israel (for prior to Saul’s reign) had been under Philistine control & they had been battling against Saul for years trying to control the land (not unlike Israel & Palestine today!). This was to be a decisive battle, and Saul is understandably apprehensive about it…

B. Yet when Saul asks of God, God is silent. He went to the priests, he searched his dreams, he asked the remaining prophets in the land, but God never answers him by any of those methods. God was silent with Saul & had good reason to be! Saul had sinned repeatedly against the Lord, the people, David, and even his own family. Saul had much to deal with in regards to sin…

C. Has God ever been silent with you in your prayers? Not always, but many times it’s due not so much to God, but to sin in our own lives. If we persist in sin, we ought to expect it to be difficult to pray – it’s no different in our relationships with our spouses… [] The NT provides a straightforward example in our marriages: husbands are to dwell with their wives with understanding, so their prayers may not be hindered (2 Pet 3:7)… Our prayer life is affected by our actions & heart.
__a. So what do you do if God is silent? Sometimes we just wait upon the Lord for His timing, but when it truly seems as if you are isolated from God, then examine your heart in light of the word of God. Feelings can be subjective, but the word of God is always true & it is a light unto our paths! Psalm 139:23-24 (23) Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; (24) And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. [] Ask the Lord to search you & if there is sin there, confess it, repent, and make restoration if need be. Do what it takes to deal with the problem.
__b. What NOT to do? Act like Saul! See vs. 7…
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7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.”

A. Note that Saul never repents. He had inquired of the Lord, but never once does the Scripture say he brought a sacrifice, mourned over his sin, cried out to the Lord in prayer, etc. He demanded an answer from God, and when he didn’t get it in the usual ways, he only sunk further & further into sin. In this case, he was willing even to go as far as paganism…

B. Beware of a hardened heart towards the Lord! Keep in mind that this kind of hardening & resistance to sin never happens overnight. It starts with little steps of disobedience, apathy towards the things of God, and progresses into larger & more blatant acts of sin. Saul didn’t start out his career as king by planning to go to a witch before he died (he began as a prophet!)… But little steps along the way took him down a path of more & more sin, and eventually he ended up at a place he never would have imagined.
__a. The time to stop backsliding in our walk with the Lord isn’t tomorrow; it’s always today! The moment you realize what’s going on in your relationship with Christ Jesus is the moment you ought to humble yourself before Him, confess your sin & repent. We want our hearts to be continually tender before the Lord; not hardened to His word.
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8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.” 9 Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?” 10 And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”

A. The witch knows this was a death sentence…she’s trying to avoid a “sting” operation.

B. How bad off is Saul in his sin? To the point of invoking the Lord in an oath prior to engaging in witchcraft. Words are cheap; Saul’s faith at this point is virtually non-existent.
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11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”

A. Interesting reaction from the woman. She was told the Samuel was the person to bring up, but when she sees Samuel she cries out in terror & sees Saul for whom he is. Why would she be so surprised? Probably because it had never happened before! She had conned a lot of people out of money & pretended to talk to the dead – maybe she had even been deceived by demons herself. But when she saw Samuel, she knew this was real!

B. The occult is not something to play around with. There are very real demons out there who want to deceive and torment people, which is exactly what happens in false religion. [Paul warning against participating in idolatry] 1 Corinthians 10:19-20 (19) What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? (20) Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. [] So-called ‘psychics’ & others who play in the spirit realm have zero idea of what it is they are actually contacting (if contacting anything at all). What we can definitely be assured of is that they do not contact ghosts, spirits, or even other gods…if any spiritual activity takes place, it is demonic in origin.
__a. The good news is that the Lord Jesus is infinitely stronger than any demon! He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world… (1 John 4:4)
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13 And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.” 14 So he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.

A. By this point, even Saul knew this was real. Whether he physically saw Samuel or not is debated – but he certainly recognized the presence of Samuel & bowed.

B. All of this begs the question: why didn’t God answer Saul through the priests & prophets (the proper methods), yet still allow Samuel to come up through pagan witchcraft? Is God blessing witchcraft? Certainly not! The witch was not the one who had any power over Samuel to bring him up from the dead; God was the one Who allowed this specific instance to take place. But why it actually happened, we can’t say for sure…Scripture is silent here. All we know is that it did happen.
__a. I suggest this was this a wake-up call to Saul. Perhaps at this point, God is still giving Saul to repent from his sin, and God knew that Saul wouldn’t understand the depth of his sin if he had received a word from the tabernacle priests (he could have assumed God’s blessing on his life). But to be chastised by the prophet Samuel from beyond the grave would be a crystal-clear show of how far Saul had fallen, with God’s full displeasure known. If so, it’s certainly unusual, but this event would be a demonstration of the grace of God, who loves us so much to discipline us when necessary.
__b. Sometimes God lets us hit rock-bottom in order that we would look up. Many people here only received the forgiveness of Jesus because they were at the bottom & had no where else to go. Like the prodigal son, they had a moment of lucidity as they found themselves eating the leftover pig-pods, and fell to their knees in confession & repentance. God loves us enough to let us get to that place, because we need to be in that place of humility.
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15 Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.” 16 Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy?

A. Saul lays out the problem for Samuel, and Samuel doesn’t waste words. Basically tells Saul, “Of course God hasn’t said anything because He departed from you & is your enemy.” … We do not EVER want God to be our enemy! Without the saving grace of Jesus Christ, mankind is at enmity with God as we war against Him in rebellion – but this is much worse. Instead of Saul fighting against God, God is now fighting against Saul! Who could withstand?
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17 And the LORD has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day.

A. Reiterates Saul’s sins against the Lord. Saul had rebelled against the direct command of God by not wiping out all the Amalekites, and had even gone on to perform illegal sacrifices with animals that should have been destroyed. (1 Sam 15) God had ripped the kingdom away from Saul at that point, and now Saul was going to experience the consequence of that moment.
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19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

A. Bad news! Israel is going to lose the battle, and Saul & his sons are going to die…

B. Question: is Samuel saying that Saul will still be saved? “you…will be with me” as in Saul would be in the bosom of Abraham with Samuel (i.e. a place of Paradise awaiting the day of Jesus’ resurrection)? Or simply that Saul will be in the place of the dead (Sheol)? Again, Scripture is somewhat silent on this point. Perhaps Saul was just experiencing the sin that leads to death (1 John 5:16), but Saul had never really shown any fruits of repentance either. We’ll find out one day…
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20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night. 21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me. 22 Now therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.” 23 But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed.

A. Saul had a lot of grief, but no repentance. He fasted, feared, & fretted, but to no avail. How utterly sad! Never once does he break in humility before God, nor confess his sins & seek the face of the Lord. He’s sorry, but not sorry enough to repent. Whether or not the consequences would have changed is irrelevant…he was about to be judged by God Himself, and yet he never asks for mercy from the One who is rich in it. No wonder the Scripture tells us, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jas 4:6). A little sin leads to a lot of sin, which leads to hardened hearts…

B. Woman is begging him to eat. She doesn’t want the king of Israel to die under her roof as a result of her witchcraft…her own life might have been in danger.
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24 Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. 25 So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.

A. Had a hasty meal (no time for leavening) & then Saul left. The next time we’ll see Saul will be the day of his death.
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1 Samuel 29 (NKJV)
1 Then the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel. 2 And the lords of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish.

A. Big battle array & parade… David is right in the midst of it & the entire camp of the Philistines sees him with Achish. Can you imagine the picture of the warrior of Israel – the anointed one of God – the conqueror of Goliath being paraded in front of the Philistine army? All sorts of things wrong with this picture!
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3 Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years? And to this day I have found no fault in him since he defected to me.”

A. Achish defends David – doesn’t realize how David has deceived him all this time…
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4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; so the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these men? 5 Is this not David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?”

A. Philistines are rightly afraid that David will turn on them in battle. They still remember his victory over Goliath & how he took 200 foreskins of the Philistines as a dowry for his wife. Saul may be David’s enemy now, but what would happen in the heat of battle – the Philistines simply couldn’t trust David enough to stand side-by-side with him in a battle against Israel. Interesting that the Philistine army here has more sense than either David or their king!

B. Ultimately, this isn’t the work of the Philistines; this is the work of God. God is providentially moving upon the hearts of the Philistine army to get David out from between a rock & a hard place! There’d be no way for David to assume the throne of Israel if he had fought against Israel as a traitor – and thus God is protecting David from himself… And as a consequence God is protecting His promise of the Messiah. Even though the covenant with David had not yet been made, God would later promise that the Messiah would be a descendant from the lineage of David. God was ensuring His word was kept long before He ever made the promise!
__a. Our God is a faithful God!!
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6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “Surely, as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you. 7 Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” 8 So David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

A. Achish basically fires David – doesn’t want to cause a mutiny among the troops…

B. Was David happy that he didn’t have to go to battle? Did he rejoice in God’s deliverance from this tough spot where he would have had to fight against his own people in Israel? No. David is actually upset! He believes he’s being wrongfully terminated & disgraced in front of the Philistine army.

C. What happened? David had stayed in his flesh & sin so long that he lost perspective. He couldn’t tell the difference between right & wrong any more. Instead of desiring to please the Lord God, David’s upset that Achish is afraid of displeasing the lords of the Philistines. In Ch 24 & 26, David was grieved at even the thought of lifting his hand against the Lord’s anointed king, but now here he was upset about not being able to enter into battle against him. Persistent sin causes us to lose perspective.
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9 Then Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.” 11 So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

A. David is released from the battle, but he still doesn’t end this well. Knowing that he was rejected by the Philistines, does he go home to Bethlehem? No. David actually would rather return to “the land of the Philistines” than to return back to the land of promise…

Conclusion:
Two kings of Israel make the same mistake. At this point we expect Saul to remain in his flesh & not humble himself before the Lord in repentance – and Saul stays true to his character. Yet David – the one who had been so reliant on the Lord in the past does the exact same thing. He acts out in his flesh, and is deadened to the work of God in his life. Both of them had spent so much time living in their sin by this point that neither had any perspective on the will of God for them… …

Be careful! It can be so easy for us to take our relationship with Christ Jesus for granted. We get saved, start walking with the Lord, rejoice with Him, pray, worship, help others, etc. We’re so passionate at first! There’s little comparison with the zeal of a new believer… … But over time, things change. We pray less – we depend on the Lord less – we start falling into old habits & acting out in our flesh. Before long, we’re living like we’ve lost all perspective on what God desires for us – we just become apathetic to it. Beware! This is the trap of the Laodiceans (Rev. 3:14-22)… … Don’t take the Lord Jesus for granted!

Wars of Selfishness

James 4:1-10, “Wars of Selfishness”
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Wars and fights are not exactly uncommon things in our world – they are to be expected, though tragic. We saw two examples just this week: one was a disgruntled former employee in Orlando who opened fire on former co-workers, killing one & wounding 5 more. The other was the massacre at Fort Hood in Killeen, where it appears an act of domestic terrorism took place. 13 are dead, and 30 are still wounded. These are terrible events, and the families of the victims need our prayers. They are terrible & tragic, but not unexpected, because people in the world are at war with one another. What ought to be unexpected (but sadly isn’t) are wars inside the church among the people of God.

As we need to remind ourselves throughout this letter, James is writing to the very early church. These were people who were primarily Jewish in their upbringing & culture, but born-again believers in Jesus Christ. Time-wise, the records in the book of Acts have not yet ended, but already the church is having to deal with fights, wars, and quarrels among its members. (James written between 45-48; Acts written in 60-63) There were many great things about the early church – but they suffered some of the same exact problems we all do, and fights amongst themselves were one of them.

So what is a Christian to do when quarrels and fighting break out in their homes, among friends, etc? That’s exactly what James deals with in the 1st part of Ch 4. He starts off by defining the problem [“a problem well defined is half-solved…”], then he gives us the solution. The problem? Carnal selfishness… The solution? Godly humility…

James 4:1-10 (NKJV)
- Tackles the problem 1st: carnal selfishness…
1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

A. Do Christians war & fight amongst ourselves? Yes. Ought we to do so? No! Sometimes we fall into a trap of thinking that the love we ought to be displaying as born-again believers in Jesus Christ is only part-time. ‘I’ll be loving and kind when you’re nice to me & agree with me, but don’t you dare turn on me, or I’ll be on you like white on rice!’ … That’s not love at all; that’s convenience. … … True selfless agape love is patient & kind, it doesn’t behave rudely & isn’t easily provoked (1 Cor 13:4-5). Those aren’t qualities that can be tested when everything is peaches & roses; you can only test how easily you can’t be provoked when someone actually provokes you. … So many times we get provoked, and then we don’t respond in agape; we respond in anger, and language heats up, voices get louder, and before you know it, we’re fighting with someone we love. And when fights aren’t dealt with & forgiveness doesn’t take place, those fights turn into wars…
__a. This isn’t what our Lord Jesus desires for us! He obviously knew we would struggle here, which is why He prayed for unity. John 17:20-21 (20) “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; (21) that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. [] This doesn’t sound like a people at war with one another! Jesus’ prayer for the church is that we would be one! Neither backbiting one another as individuals, nor breaking fellowship with other churches over non-essential doctrine. Jesus is the head over ONE Church – and every person who’s trusted Christ as Savior & Lord is part of it. When we fight & war with one another, we’re warring against someone for whom Christ died – and in a way, fighting against Christ Himself…it’s part of HIS body.

B. Where do these fights come from? Can we blame them on pressures from the world? Can we blame them solely upon the work of the devil? No. Just like our temptations, our fights come from our own sinful desires. In Ch 1:14, we’re told we’re led away by our own desires & tempted. Likewise here. Our fighting is a result of our own desires, our own covetousness that wants ‘my way & only my way.’
__a. Greek is interesting here. ἡδονή ~ “hedonism” = “that which tastes good”…it’s a reference to personal pleasure & preferred desires. Obviously pleasure is not necessarily a bad thing (we’re to taste & see that the Lord is good! Ps 34:8), but hedonists seek only what is pleasurable to them, regardless of its effects on others. It’s actually the opposite of agape love. Agape love thinks of others 1st; hedonism thinks of self 1st. Those who think of themselves 1st are easily provoked because “I” was offended, and “I” will feel better if “I” lash out in anger, and “I” will feel better if to hold grudges, etc.

C. Internal selfishness leads to external sinfulness…
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2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

A. Notice how this all goes back to selfishness. One person lusts for something & they can’t get it. They do whatever they think they need to do to get it (coveting, character assassination, whatever) and they still can’t get it. So they fight & war with other people until they do get it…but it still doesn’t come. But it all comes back to self. Selfish covetousness is the oldest sin in the book. Satan wasn’t happy with his place; he wanted more & so he rebelled against God. Adam & Eve were tempted in the garden because they wanted more. Cain murdered Abel because he wanted his offering to be the best offering – he wanted more. Selfishness is a gateway to all kinds of sin ranging from idolatry to murder.
__a. BTW – was James accusing the church of literally murdering & killing one another? No…this would have been a far different kind of letter! But we can murder people in our hearts far more easily & often. Whoever hates their brother is a murderer (1 John 3:15), and unrighteous anger is just as worthy of judgment as murder is (Matt 5:21-22). Hopefully none of us in this room have held a gun to someone’s head, but how many of us have shot it off in our hearts? This is where carnal selfishness leads…

B. Interestingly enough, the very thing that sets people on a selfish path of destruction could so very easily be solved through submitted prayer! Christians don’t have because we don’t ask. Jesus said to ask anything in His name, and He’d do it (John 14:13) – He said everyone who asks will receive & everyone who seeks will find (Matt 7:8) – He said that we are to ask in prayer, believe that we’ll receive, and we will receive them (Mark 11:24). Over & over through the gospels, Christ Jesus makes this same promise…you’d think we’d actually listen.  We do not have because we do not ask.
__a. ‘Ok, so why is it my prayers weren’t answered?! Why didn’t I get what I asked for?’ See vs. 3…
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3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

A. How to ensure your prayers are NOT answered? Ask in selfishness. Ask amiss. Ask because you want it for your hedonistic desires (same word as in vs. 1) because it’s what you want for you first, without regard of what God wants. [Sears Christmas catalog as a kid] Prayer is not taking a catalog of stuff to God & saying, “I want, I want”; prayer is about submitting ourselves to God & declaring “I want what You want.” We see it in the model prayer the Lord Jesus gave us, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread…” (Matt 6:10-11) Are we invited to ask for our needs? Absolutely! We are utterly dependent upon God for them. But we are 1st submitted to God Himself, and we are to ask for His will to be done 1st & foremost. Jesus personally exampled this in the garden before His crucifixion – Luke 22:41-42 (41) And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, (42) saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” [] Was Jesus asking in faith? Absolutely! But He didn’t ask in selfishness; He asked in submitted faith.

B. Sometimes we hear criticism from certain preachers along the lines of, “If you’re asking for God’s will to be done instead of yours, you’re not asking in faith; you’re invalidating your whole prayer!” How many ways can we say that’s wrong? Let’s be perfectly clear: there can be no more God-honoring prayer than to ask for God’s will to be done. Do we bring our heart’s desire before the Lord? Yes – absolutely. But are we omniscient? Do we know the end from the beginning? Worse yet, do we think we know better than God Almighty? Heaven forbid! God is God & we’re not. When we ask in the type of “faith” that demands God puts His will aside so that our personal request will be accomplished, that is pure carnality & selfish covetousness. And that’s exactly what James condemns.
__a. Although James may or may not have known it was coming, this is a direct hit on the modern “prosperity gospel” movement. We can not bribe God with our gifts, nor manipulate Him with our praise in order that God is forced to do anything for us. There is no magic formula we can work that will make God fatten up our bank accounts & give us luxury cars. If selfish hedonistic pleasures are the reason you’re praying, James (through the Holy Spirit) assures you that you won’t get what you’re asking for.
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4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

A. One aspect of selfishness? It’s an indicator of worldliness. When what goes through our mind is “I want, I want…”, then we can be assured that we have the exact same mindset of the world & thus the sin Christ died for. When we’re wanting the things of the world – and especially when we’re willing to step all over people to get them – then our minds are obviously set on worldly things. Never mind what Jesus wants (you know, the One you call Lord & King), you want what you want, and who cares what the consequences are? If that’s you, be careful! If you’re a born-again Christian (you turned away from your sin, believed Jesus is the Son of God risen from the dead, received Him as Lord), then you are part of the bride of Christ. As Christ’s bride, you’ve just committed adultery with the world.

B. The result? We’re making ourselves into an enemy of God. It may sound a bit extreme, but it’s perfectly logical when we think about it. The world hates Jesus, thus we can’t be friends with the world; the world is an enemy of God. If we’re friends with God’s enemy, that makes us God’s enemy as well…

C. Keep in mind there is a big difference between separation & isolation. Christians are to be different from the world, but we’re not to be completely cut off from it. Jesus specifically prayed that God would not take us out of the world, but that we’d be kept safe from the temptations (and tempter) of the world (John 17:15). Jesus does not call us to be hermits locked away in our own little Christian communes – how then could be salt & light? How could we fulfill the Great Commission? We are IN the world, but we are not OF the world, and thus we are not to commit adultery WITH the world.
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5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

A. If you do a word search in the OT to find this quote, you’re going to come up a bit short. Many scholars think that James isn’t attempting to quote Scripture here, but rather summarize the general thought of God’s holy jealousy for His people which is seen throughout the OT (Exo 20:5, 34:14, Deut 4:24, Josh 24:19, etc.)…
__a. God is jealous? Not like us. God is jealous for US…

B. BTW – Translations differ on this somewhat…scholars have a tough time translating this particular phrase. Some think this is a reference to the human spirit yearning to jealousy & envy, which would stir up pride & worldliness & quarrels. Others believe this is a reference to the 3rd Person of the Trinity as God the Holy Spirit yearns jealously for US to follow God alone & not the world. Personally, I side with those who believe this is a reference to the Holy Spirit – He “dwells in us.” Over & over the NT refers to the Holy Spirit dwelling in us (or looks at demon possessions with the spirits dwelling with the man in question); yet when referring to the spirit of man it almost never separates the man from the spirit. Our spirits don’t “dwell” in us; they’re simply a part of us. It’s by the grace of God that the Holy Spirit of God does dwell in us! And that Holy Spirit is jealous for us to be devoted only to Him.
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- What’s the solution to all this selfishness & worldliness? Godly humility! …
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

A. Quoting the LXX version of Proverbs 3:34. Original Hebrew, Proverbs 3:34 (34) Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble. [] Greek word used for “scornful” is a compound word – seems to have root of “over-shining.” The idea is arrogance & haughtiness. [good pride vs. bad pride] Those who come to God with a haughty selfish spirit are going to find themselves resisted by God at every turn. But those who humble themselves & submit themselves to God are going to receive His grace in abundance. Look no further than the kings of Israel – Saul was proud & haughty & had the kingdom ripped away from him… David was humble at times he had opportunity for selfish revenge, and God blessed him…

B. This principle is absolutely key in our relationship with God! Contextually, if we want to avoid fighting & warring against other members in the body of Christ (and thus fighting against God Himself), what do we do? We humble ourselves. Instead of seeking ourselves 1st, we seek 1st the kingdom of God & His righteousness… Instead of showing ourselves proud & arrogant against our brother or sister in Christ, we humble ourselves before God & demonstrate His love & patience with one another.
__a. Humility before God ought to be the 1st step we take in addressing any problems we have with one another. Before we can take the speck out of our brother’s eye, we need to take the log out of our own (Matt 7:5); before we jump down someone’s back about how they offended us, we need to examine our own hearts before the Lord & humble ourselves before Him.
__b. Also a key principle to remember in evangelism… Those who are proud in their sin & self-righteousness will not understand their need for a Savior because they haven’t any idea of how sinful their sin actually is. But the person who is broken because they realize that they’ve sinned against a Holy Perfect Just & Loving God will welcome the gospel…

C. So we know we need to humble ourselves before God. Great spiritual truth, amen! But how do we do that, practically? James gives 3 steps…
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7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

A. Step #1: be submissive… The word has the idea of voluntary submission – a falling in-line – an assuming of duty. Different than mere obedience. A person can be obedient, but not submissive (ask your children!). Obedience may be part of humility, but without submission it’s not humility. If we want to deal with selfishness in our own hearts, we need to stop being selfish – which requires that we voluntarily get off our throne & allow the Lord Jesus to have His proper place in our lives. After all, it doesn’t matter what counsel we receive in the Scriptures if we’re not willing to do it in the 1st place…

B. Beyond humility, this is essential in spiritual warfare. The order here is divinely inspired. We cannot resist the devil if we are not submitted to God. Ever wonder why temptations & spiritual struggles run rampant in your life when you haven’t been spending time in the word & in prayer? It’s because you’re not submitted to God. When we don’t willingly place ourselves at His feet, it’s no wonder that our attitudes start growing arrogant & we begin to get susceptible to all kinds of temptations & are led away by our own desires.
__a. BTW – there’s a wonderful promise here. When we are submitted to God, then when we resist the devil (standing firm against him clothed in the armor of God, Eph 6), then he WILL flee from us! The devil is a very real enemy looking to take down as many people to Hell with him as possible. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But the devil is no match against the Lord Jesus Christ… When you’re submitted to Christ, the devil will run!
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8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

A. Step #2: be sanctified… Goes back to the idea in vs. 4 about being friends with the world… As Christians, we don’t want to draw near to the world, we want to draw near to God. This is the idea of sanctification. Two-fold:
__a. Sanctified towards God: Draw near to God – worship Him, learn of Him, grow close to Him. ‘But how do I draw near to God?’ How do you draw near to your spouse? How is it that your know more of your husband/wife today than you did back when you 1st met them? You spend time with them, talk with them, etc… … It’s the same idea with God. And the wonderful promise is that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us! The more time you spend in the presence of God through worship & the word, the more you’ll recognize the work of God in your life…which only increases your worship… It’s wonderful!
__b. Sanctified away from the world: Sanctification has both the idea of being holy & being separate. If we are to no longer be friends with the world, then we need to be separate from the world – be cleansed from its enticements & desires & be purified away from it. Obviously this is only possible through the work of the Holy Spirit. As we draw near to God, our hearts will be changed to where we don’t desire the things of the world like we used to…and when our hearts change, then our actions need to follow.
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9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

A. Step #3: be sincere… At 1st glance, this verse might seem opposed to other parts of the Bible where we’re told change out our mourning for dancing (Ps 30:11) & letting the new covenant of Christ change our sorrow for joy (Jer 31:13), but keep the context in mind. When it comes to worldliness within the church, this IS something that should bring us sorrow! When are hands aren’t cleaned, and our hearts aren’t pure before God, we shouldn’t laugh it off, but we should rather mourn over it. IOW, we need to recognize our sin for what it is, and actually show contrition & remorse over it. [David’s repentance] Psalm 51:16-17 (16) For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. (17) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise. [] It’s no surprise when Christians slip up in sin; it is when they show no remorse over it. Remorse over sin is a sign that your heart is being changed into the heart God has…if you don’t have remorse, you need to get on your knees quick.
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10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

A. The result of our humility? God will exalt us in due time… 1 Peter 5:6-7 (6) Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, (7) casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. [] God cares for you! God loves you! We don’t humble ourselves in order that we would be abased & wail in dust & ashes, putting on false shows of humility. We humble ourselves in order that we might come to our exalted King & God who invites us to come before Him, that we would enjoy His presence & live as His children. Whether it be now or in eternity, God will lift us up in His time. The 1st will be last & the last will be 1st, and God will be glorified in all things. And His desire is to be glorified in us now just as much as He will be glorified in us in heaven – so put away the selfish desires, and humble yourself before your God who loves you with an everlasting love!

Conclusion:
When there’s fighting among believers, we have a problem. When you war in your heart against another brother or sister in Christ, we have a problem. When you desire the things of the world more than God, we have a problem. The problem is selfishness – worldliness – covetousness, and it’s infected the church. The problem isn’t new, but it IS indeed a problem, and we need to deal with it.

The good news is that God has already dealt with it at the cross, and He calls us to a new way of living as a result. Not in selfishness, but in humility. As we submit ourselves to God, are sanctified by His grace, and are sincere in our contrition, we are coming to God in simple humility by which He gives us grace and lifts us up. And know this: God doesn’t ask us to do what He hasn’t demonstrated already through His Son, Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus is our very example of humility! He was eternally co-equal with God the Father, emptied Himself & came incarnate as a man of no reputation, took on the form of a bondslave, and was humble & obedient even to the death of the Cross – and as a result, God has highly exalted Him & given Him the name which is above every name! One day, every knee will bow & every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God! (Phil 2:5-11)

If the Son of God would humble Himself on our behalf to the glory of God, why would we do any less? A servant is not greater than His master, and our Master humbled Himself – thus we ought to humble ourselves. He will lift us up in due time…even to the point of being co-heirs for all of eternity with none other than the Lord Jesus Himself! So Christian, humble yourself now, and let God exalt you later.

Maybe you’re at war today. You’ve been led away by selfish desires, and it’s caused you to be at war with others, and fighting with the people you love. Let today be the day you make peace. It starts with submission…humble yourself before God today, confess your sin to him in sincerity – ask Him to do His will in you that He wants to do. That’s the starting point…then & only then will you be able to make peace with those around you.

Maybe the One you’re at war with is none other than God Himself. You’ve rebelled against His law, resisted His work in your life, refused to submit to Him as God. In short, you’ve been proud & had no fear of God whatsoever. Know this: you’re setting yourself up for a fall. Whether you want to believe it or not, it’s appointed to man to die once, and then face the judgment. You will stand before God one day and give an account for every thought, word, and deed you’ve ever had. Who can possibly stand in that day? When lust is seen as adultery, hatred is seen as murder, and selfishness is equal to idolatry? The law of God is our standard, and by the law of God, everyone is found guilty – there is none righteous, no not one. But it’s because of that that the gospel is indeed such good news! The punishment we deserved for breaking the law of God has already been poured out upon Jesus Christ… Whereas we are dead in our sin, Jesus through His love offers us life & life everlasting… But you cannot come to Him in your pride. God resists the proud. Humble yourself before Him today & receive His grace…

Taming the Untamable Tongue

James 3:1-18, “Taming the Untamable Tongue”
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Anyone ever had their mouth get them into trouble? … It may be only a tiny muscle, but a little tongue can cause a lot of damage if not ruled correctly. [Rancher vs. the DEA] If we could just tame our tongue – let our words and thoughts be guided by the wisdom given by God, we could save ourselves (and others) a lot of pain!

James 3 (NKJV)
1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

A. The whole subject of Ch 3 relates to the tongue, so addressing teachers is a logical way to start out. Those who teach false doctrine have unruly tongues…not so much in that they can’t control what comes out of their mouths, but what comes out is poisonous & shouldn’t have been uttered in the 1st place. False teachers are nothing new to the Church (Paul encountered many!) – but we can be assured that it will only increase the further along we get in the end times (2 Tim 4:1-3).

B. Teaching the Scriptures is a good thing! To be called as a pastor/teacher is a gift (Eph 4:11), & to desire the position of a bishop/overseer is to desire a good work (1 Tim 3:1). But it’s a weighty thing; it’s not something to be taken lightly. With teaching comes responsibility – after all, this is the very word of God that we handle! Just as a prophet wouldn’t dare speak in the name of the Lord if he were going to lie about it, neither should a pastor/teacher get in the pulpit with a thought of ever mishandling the Scriptures.
__a. The pastoral ministry is not a career; it’s a calling… It’s a dreadful thing to assume & a dreadful thing to deny. Jeremiah couldn’t help but speak because the word of God was like a fire burning in his bones (Jer 20:9)… Yet Simon the sorcerer was rebuked because he looked at the Holy Spirit as a way to make money (Acts 8:18-19)… If God is calling someone & he’s not serving, he’s going to be miserable until he does. And if someone is serving who hasn’t been called, he’s going to be just as miserable.

C. Even beyond pastoral ministry, the idea is clear: anyone who teaches needs to be careful about what it is they’re teaching. There are many who would spout all kind of teaching & then try to hide under the excuse, “But I’m not a pastor.” Doesn’t work… In James’ day, it was common for people who visited different synagogues to get up and share something from the Scriptures (this was Paul’s SOP). Apparently many Christians were eager to do the same thing in an attempt to show off – but the only thing they showed was that they didn’t understand the teaching. It’s a good thing to have the opportunity to teach the word of God (regardless of your personal calling); but if you’re going to teach it, make sure you teach it correctly.

D. What awaits teachers? A “stricter judgment.” Probably a reference to the Bema seat judgment that every believer in Jesus Christ is going to face. At the judgment, every idle word men speak will be called into account (Matt 12:36), so it makes sense that every teaching is going to be answered for. If a pastor wouldn’t say it when standing before the Lord Jesus Christ, then he shouldn’t say it to his congregation either.
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2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

A. The tongue is an easy trap in which to get tripped up…it makes people “stumble”. Ever notice how quickly an argument can come simply through a few careless words? Proverbs 17:14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. [] It doesn’t take much before a torrent of sinful anger gushes forth… [parents/teens]

B. What does James mean by “perfect”? Perfect perfect?! Maybe – the word could simply mean “mature,” but this is the same word James uses in regards to the perfect gift of God (1:17) and the perfect law of liberty (1:25). A perfect Christ would obviously be mature – but James seems to be holding up an ideal here, that even he doesn’t reach yet. He admits that even he stumbles… But IF someone could fully control their tongue, that would keep them from all sorts of sins that follow.
__a. It may be an ideal in this life, but praise God it is reality in the next! Jesus is moving us towards perfection (process of sanctification), and that’s exactly what we’ll be in eternity (glorification).

C. A mature Christian can reign in his tongue (through the power of the Holy Spirit), which changes the actions that follow…
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3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

A. Example #1: horses & bridles… Example #2: ships & rudders… Unless you’ve got horses on a farm today, or go sailing often, this may be tough to relate to. The same principle applies to automobiles. Compared to the rest of your car, the steering wheel is tiny – and it can be turned easily. The littlest effort can turn several hundred pounds of metal, fiberglass, & rubber. The point? A little thing can make a big difference!

B. ‘So what? What’s the big deal about words?’ Keep our context in mind from last week. Ch 2 ended with an exhortation to do good works; now we see an exhortation to speak good words. Our works & deeds to much to demonstrate our faith in Christ Jesus – they show our faith in action (which is necessary, because although we are saved by grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone, the faith that saves will be a faith that works). But someone can do the right deeds with a wrong attitude. Handing out food to the homeless while cursing them under your breath misses the point. Showing grace to family members while complaining about them isn’t showing grace at all. Our works may be abundant in quantity, but our words make a huge difference in its quality.

C. Note vs 3-4 are mostly good examples…at the very least, ambivalent. Those who ride horses & sail ships need those small devices to drive them, otherwise they’ll never get where they need to go. Likewise, words by themselves aren’t necessarily bad things. We may need to let our words be few, but taking a vow of silence doesn’t solve anything. If it weren’t for someone speaking to us, most of us probably wouldn’t have ever heard the gospel! What’s necessary isn’t that our tongues aren’t used at all, but rather that they are used in the right way.
__a. But there are also bad examples…look at the rest of vs. 5…
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…See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

A. Example #3: a forest fire. In 2007, 38,000 acres in Southern California were burned because a 10-year-old boy was playing with matches (NY Times, Nov 1, 2007). It doesn’t take much of a spark to set a whole forest ablaze. Huge swaths of destruction take place every year in California due to wildfires. []

B. One unguarded phrase can start a world of hurt…and the effects last & last & last. To say “it is set on fire by hell,” James uses the word commonly used by Christ for Hell: gehenna. The picture was well familiar to Jews as a place outside of Jerusalem where fires were always burning & consuming trash, dead animals, & more. Jesus used it to describe a place where the worm never dies & the fire is never quenched – a very real place where very real people go and suffer for eternity (which is exactly what Jesus is offering to save you from!!) Contextually here, the effects from our tongues can last far longer than what we imagine. How many family members bear grudges for years based on some careless comment at a holiday dinner? For Christians, how many opportunities to witness about the Lord Jesus have been ruined because of hateful angry speech that spewed out of our mouths?

C. The tongue is capable of defiling the “whole body” – this is exactly what Jesus was teaching us about our thought life (of which our tongue is merely an extension). [controversy about washed hands] Matthew 15:18-20 (18) But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. (19) For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. (20) These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” [] Notice how thoughts & words bookend the list…it’s not just sinful works that show what’s in our hearts; it’s sinful words as well. (Praise God for our forgiveness through Jesus Christ!)
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7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

A. Example #4: taming wild animals… Interesting contrast here with our tongue. We think there are some animals that can’t be tamed – they’re too powerful & deadly. Yet even lions can be trained to do what a person wants them to (to a certain extent). But our tongues (which we ourselves control) have less of a capability of being trained than a wild beast! It’s ready to spew forth poison…and can do so at any time.

B. Seeing the danger with your words yet? James isn’t trying to leave us hopeless here. Man can’t tame the tongue, but God can. What is impossible with man is possible with God because with God, ALL things are possible (Luke 18:27).
__1. Most of the book of James deals with various aspects of our sanctification – that life-long process that begins the moment we’re saved as God continues to grow us in holiness & shape us into the image of Christ…making us the man or woman of God that He wants us to be. What all of this serves to tell us is that sanctification is just as much dependent on the work and grace of God as justification is. We don’t perform good deeds on our own, but as God works in us, we work good deeds for Him, demonstrating our faith. We can’t control our tongue & words on our own, but because we’re new creations & the Holy Spirit lives in us, we can learn to tame our tongue – not based on our work, but based upon HIS work. Goes back to James 1:17 – every good gift & perfect gift comes from God the Father. Every area in which we grow in our character & become more & more like Jesus is due to the grace of God!
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9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.

A. This is the problem with our tongue – it was given us so that we could give praise, honor, and glory to God…but what we actually do with it is far different.

B. Note the hypocrisy being pointed out here: to bless God, yet curse men made in the image of God is flat-out hypocritical. If anyone says they love God & hate their brother, they’re a liar (1 John 4:20). People (though fallen) are made in the image of God – to curse them, hate them, insult them, etc. is to insult the God who made them.
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10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

A. Like the old phrase, “You kiss your mother with those lips?” … Of course it ought not be so! We ought to be giving praise to God – speaking comfort to men – building one another up – exhorting one another to good works – proclaiming the gospel to those around us & more. The Bible gives us many things to do with our tongue other than cursing!
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11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

A. Example #5: unity in nature. Interesting illustration. Nature shows us that one source generates a certain kind of product/fruit…not opposite kinds…

B. If that’s the case with nature, how is it different with us? Here’s the idea: we console ourselves thinking that our mouths are sometimes good/sometimes bad. But the problem is that even in nature, it can’t be both. Thus if it’s sometimes bad with us, then in reality it’s ALL bad because it’s all been spewing from the same place. I.e. even our blessings to God are somewhat tainted because it’s come from a mouth that spews forth curses on His created beings…
__a. This is where grace comes in. Praise God for the righteousness given us by Jesus Christ! Left to our own devices, even our praises are rotten – but in Christ Jesus, we are made pure & perfect in the sight of God. Even when we trip up in sin & accidentally curse our brother, Jesus has already paid the price for that at the cross… God made the bitter waters sweet by the hand of Moses (Exo 15); God made our bitter praises sweet by the grace of Christ.
__b. BTW – it’s precisely because the Lord Jesus already paid the price that our behavior ought to change. The Son of God didn’t pay the price for your sin in order that you could have the liberty to keep sinning as much as you wanted – He paid the price for you & made you a new creation so that you would change! We of all people have even more reason to watch what comes out of our mouths & hearts towards our brothers & sisters…we want whatever it is to honor the Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed us.
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13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

A. Change of subject? Not really…how does someone control their tongue? How do they attempt to tame it through the power of the Holy Spirit? By Godly wisdom. The wise man/woman demonstrates his/her wisdom through “meekness.” The idea here is that meekness is the opposite of wrath & cursing. A wise man has his tongue under control…which is demonstrated though his “good conduct.”

B. Consistency is the key. Virtually everyone has occasional times when they fly off the handle – but wisdom is demonstrated through consistency. The person who praises God in the church building, but lives with outbursts of wrath when they get home in private cannot claim to have shown good conduct. The one who controls their words in public AND private is the one who shows him/herself to be wise & understanding.
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14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.

A. What’s “bitter envy & self-seeking”? “Envy” = zeal…but obviously the context here isn’t a godly zeal. “Self-seeking” comes from a word that means to work as a day-laborer. James’ intent is that the person is looking out for their own interests, without regard to others or to the truth. [] It’s easy to think of worldly examples of bitter envy & self-seeking (ambition) – but remember that James is writing to the Church (“my brethren”). What does this look like in the Church? Some might be false teachers/unqualified teachers per vs. 1 who just want the perks of being “in the ministry.” Others might be folks that have a good cause, but go about it in such a way that it demeans Christ & it just serves to build up their own name.

B. So what is someone to do if James is describing you here? Don’t lie about it. Certainly don’t boast in your sin, but don’t lie & claim you’re not self-seeking or zealous with an ungodly zeal. Problems aren’t solved by ignoring them. The Holy Spirit didn’t put these verses in the Bible to condemn us & leave us feeling guilty; if He convicts your heart, He wants you to do something about it! Repent from the sin & submit to the Lord’s guidance…

C. James goes on to describe what this false wisdom is like – see vs. 15…
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15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

A. Selfish egotism is demonic & leads to evil. Just as the demons have a type of “faith” that doesn’t begin to approach real faith (2:19), they have a type of “wisdom” that doesn’t approach the real thing. To be zealous for oneself & one’s own motives is thought of as wisdom in the eyes of the world, but it’s truly soulish & selfish & is precisely the opposite of what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves.

B. Keep the context in mind. Those with unruly tongues do so many times because of envy & self-seeking in their hearts. They’re setting themselves up for the same trap as the Devil who rose up against God in pride & was cast down.
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17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

A. The opposite of “demonic wisdom”… True wisdom is yielded to the things of God & reflects the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). True wisdom is not of the earth; it’s from above (like every other good gift) – true wisdom doesn’t seek itself; it’s willing to yield – true wisdom doesn’t spew forth blessings & cursings; it’s without hypocrisy. We want to be wise with our words…seek true wisdom!

B. Keep the promise of Ch 1 in mind: James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. [] Wisdom is something God wants to give you! We have not because we ask not.
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18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

A. Great summation. Those who sow peace with their tongues display a fruit of righteousness with their actions…they demonstrate the wisdom of God & give praises to His name. As Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” (Matt 5:9)

Conclusion:
Men & women – may we be careful with our tongue & the words of our lips! James tells us many things about our tongue:
• Tongues that teach are judged (vs 1)
• Tongues trip us up & are tough to tame (vs 2-7)
• Tongues can be tainted (vs. 9-12)
• Tongues tell the type wisdom – demonic or Godly (vs. 13-18)

So how’s your tongue? Do you use words as a balm or a whip? It’s easy to fall into the line of thinking that words don’t matter – after all, they just disappear into thin air. But the schoolyard rhyme is a lie: Sticks & stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Wrong. Words DO hurt – and words can hurt for a long time with devastating effects.

Maybe you’re here & have been hurt by words in the past… Turn to Christ Jesus who alone has the words of life. Maybe you’re here & have hurt others with your words – your kids, spouse, neighbors… Ask forgiveness from God – seek to be reconciled to others – and then ask God for wisdom in using your tongue best. Submit your tongue to Him by the power of the Holy Spirit & start sowing peace…