Sunday Night Bible Study - James 1 Part 2

James 1:9-11 and the Testing of Faith

Good evening and welcome to Sunday night Bible study with pastor Josiah Shipley of Witten Baptist Church, okay? I know we've taken a break for a while, but I'm super excited. We got this set up now Screen sharing so we left off on Our intro to the book of James and we got through verse 8 and I'm gonna be using something here.

I'm gonna be using this software. Which you'll see and I know my face on the bottom right here but you'll see as I Highlight verses if I highlight words over here, it's gonna highlight the Greek on the right side.

So what we have here on the right side is the Greek Original Greek of what James wrote and of course what we have here on the left side is English now a reminder. We've been over this before many times on Sunday night Bible study.

The Bible was not originally written in Greek in English. Excuse me. The New Testament was originally written in Koine Greek. So the words you see on the right are the Greek words and what you see on the left is our English translation.

Now don't start feeling down if you don't understand the Greek and all that stuff. But I'm gonna start highlighting a few things to show you on our in-person Sunday night Bible study. We've been doing something called Greek of the week where I teach a Greek word Each week and let you see it.

So When we get in the chapter 2 we'll start doing that a lot but just to reiterate. Over here on the left is the English and I'll be reading for that mostly but you see its corresponding highlight over here.

On the right side that's for the original Greek for those of you working on already knowing how to do that or studying on that I'll be referencing that from time to time. Okay, so we're gonna try the screen sharing thing.

Let me know in the comments if you like this if you think it's helpful. It's distracting whatever. Okay now I know it's been a while, but we left off on verse 8. So we've already covered in video 1 in James part 1 verses 1 through 7 so go back and watch that if you need to on Facebook or on YouTube at Witten Media Ministry and please share these videos.

Please like them. Comment subscribe all that stuff. Okay a Key verse we covered last time we did James was verse 5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach without criticizing you know be given them.

We talked about a Faithful request as opposed to a doubting request that just is shifted in the sand in the waves and that has no basis and verse 8 says this a Double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

So a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways and the idea behind that is One foot in the world one foot with God but also when you ask you ask in faith and we covered that last time so now in our new section starting in verse 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation and the richness humiliation.

Because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. Verse 11 for the Sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass and the flower falls and his beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Perseverance Under Trial and the Crown of Life

Blessed is the man verse 12 Blessed is the man who remains Steadfast under trial for when he has stood the test He will receive the crown of life which God has promised to all those who love them. There's a lot there.

Let's just cover a few things. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast in the trials. One of the tests of your faith is what can it endure as Pastor Jeff says here is your faith a mile wide and inch deep in other words.

You know all the church words. I'm blessed and highly favored, you know, all the church words, you know, the Romans wrote in John 3 16. But it has no depth to it your faith. The moment any type of adversity hits you you fold up like a cheap lawn chair from Walmart.

What James is calling us to do is have a strong faith that even in the midst of doubt. We remain steadfast we hold on to what is true and What that does is we've already read as it produces endurance gets a little bit of toughness a little bit of grit when I train fighters.

That experience factors a big deal because the ones who have been in the ring a few times Already know the worst it can get and I've already been through it and say, all right. Well, you know what? There's nothing to be afraid of anymore felt the worst it can get.

That's why I always try to bloody him up in practice so that when they're in the real thing. It's not new to them. That crown of life God has promised to all who love him. Now the evidence of our love for him is of course obeying him and the primary commandment He's given us to obey is to love each other as we love ourself.

Temptation, Sin, and the Source of Death

Verse 13 let no one say when he's tempted. I'm being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself Tempts no one's he tests he does not tempt. But each person is tempted when he is Lord and enticed by his own desire.

First 14 by his own desire. Don't start saying well the devil made me do it. That's not true. That's not true. Satan uses your weakness. Yes. He preys on your insecurities. Yes, but you are Lord and enticed by your own desire.

This is not Bugs Bunny where there's some angel on this side and demon on this side and you're listening. That's not how it works. Our hearts are desperately liquid. Liquid are desperately wicked on their own on their own.

Jeremiah 17 9. We're enticed by our own desires and then that desire doesn't just kiss a desire verse 15 it Conceives and gives birth to sin in sin when it's fully grown brings forth Death right there.

You can see the Greek word is Thanaton. Thanaton like Thanos from the Marvel movies and God of Death and Marvel Thanatos. Thanaton means death. Do not be deceived my beloved brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above.

Coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shattered you to change or or turning um. Every good and perfect gift is from above pasa every all. Good and perfect gifts are from above all of them.

They're from above every good thing you have in life is because of God of His own will he brought us forth by the word of truth. Why are you a Christian? We can answer that a few ways, but the simplest answer is because God decided to love me.

And I believed of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. We've entered a new dispensation here. James is probably the first New Testament book written the only other one that's kind of maybe as early as it is the book of Galatians, but probably James is the first New Testament book written and We've entered a new age the church age and What we have is the Holy Spirit indwelling believers at Pentecost and from now on a Kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing the Implanted Word

Check out verse 19 know this my beloved brothers that every person must be. Oh, here we go quick to hear. Slow to speak and slow to anger. Quick to hear slow to speak and slow to anger. This is one that a lot of us could do a lot better on.

We should be slow to speak. Slow to anger but quick to listen. We should listen first then speak. Anger is not a sin if it is righteous anger. The Bible is very clear on this. We should be slow to anger and quick to listen.

Because the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word Which is able to save your souls.

We talked about the law of God being written on our hearts. It's implanted word. Put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness with meekness with humility the implanted word Which is able to save your souls.

We talked about that yesterday during Sunday morning. The Sunday morning sermon sermon about how humility. When you look at Galatians 5 and the works of the flesh and the fruit of spirit the works of the flesh for the most Part have to do with selfish ambition.

The work the fruits of the spirit the fruit of the spirit, excuse me for the most part for the most part has to do with serving others and That comes the key ingredient. Missing from the work of the flesh and that is prevalent in the fruit of spirit is the word humility.

Philippians 2 gives us the example of that humility in Jesus. Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus who existing in the form of God Did not consider equality with God as something to be used for his own advantage.

But instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a slave and taking on the likeness of men. And when he had come as a man in his external form He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on the cross.

In other words. Our job is to make our attitude that of Christ Jesus and he was equal with God. He existed in the form of God and he didn't consider that as something to be grasped something to be used for his own advantage.

And if he can humble if God can humble himself to be Subservient to his creation. How can we not with our fellow man? Verse 22 and this is a key verse for chapter 2 but be doers of the word and Not hearers only deceiving yourself.

For if a hero of the word If anyone's a hero of the word and not a doer, he's like a man looking intently at his natural face in the mirror. He looks at himself and goes away and forgets at once what he was like.

In other words, here's the analogy someone Just hears the word or maybe talks about it, but never does anything never backs it up. Never does has any action behind it. It's all fluff. That's like a guy who's looking in a mirror and he's hearing the word.

He's seeing it right in front of him and he walks away and forgets immediately what he looks like. I've been guilty of this before. And some of you pastors and preachers and and all that you need to listen here.

Do you talk about God more than you talk with God? Let that never be so. Be a doer of the word not a hero only. What good is it? If you memorize the book of Psalms and never apply any of it. What good is it if you can tell every key point of the Sermon on the Mount?

But you don't apply any of it in your own life. What good does that do and that is what chapter 2 is about to be about? Verse 25 but the one who looks into the perfect law the law of Liberty and perseveres Christian.

Quit folding up when the smallest bit of adversity hits you persevere. Being no hero who forgets but a doer who acts. He will be blessed in his doing if anyone thinks He is religious last two verses and does not bridle his tongue.

But the seeds his heart this person religion is Worthless that word religion is only used four or five times in the New Testament, and they're all negative except for verse 27. If anyone thinks he's religious and does not bridle his tongue Christian Gossip, those are one of the things God hates.

That person's religion is useless all of your piety. All of your good works all of your religion is useless if you can't control your tongue. Verse 27 religion that is pure and Undefiled before God the Father is this.

To visit or to care for orphans and widows and their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Two commands here if you want to know how to keep your religion pure and undefiled before God.

You take care of the widows and orphans in their affliction. And you keep oneself unstained by the world. I tell my people Whitten recently when we were studying this in the in-person Bible study. Whitten does a pretty good job at this part taking care of the widows and orphans.

This part to keep oneself unstained by the world cosmon the world. That's just as important as visiting what is an orphans don't think that's less important these this right here. This is pure and undefiled religion.

Visit widows and orphans in their affliction and keep oneself unstained by the world. Don't think you can just do one and not the other this is. This is something that Paul will talk about in Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and 2.

When he says I beg you brothers by the mercy of the God to present Your bodies as a living sacrifice. Holy and acceptable. This is your reasonable service or spiritual worship and Don't be conformed to this world.

But be transformed by the constant renewing of your mind. So you may discern what is the good pleasing and perfect will of God. Keep oneself unstained by the world Christian. I'm gonna end with this. Can someone looking at your life tell difference between you and the world?

Do you dress smell talk and act just like the world if so. You're not keeping yourself unstained by the world and I gotta ask you if there is absolutely no difference. Zero and you feel no conviction about how you live.

Maybe we need to go back and ask yourself. Are you really part of the faith in the first place? We all sin we all fall. But the righteous man is the one. The righteous man is the one who when he falls seven times.

He still gets back up. Bible says. Think about this that your religion. Think about this in your church. What's pure and unfathomable. God is taking care of widows and orphans and keeping oneself unstained by the world.

Guys I hope you enjoyed this new format next week. We start on chapter 2. So get ready. We got a lot to talk about. I'm glad to be back doing this. Well, we'll be consistent with it now I'm actually full-time here at the church now, so no more distractions, right?

Whatever, but we'll be back in chapter 2 next week. Let me know in the comments if you like this new format and what we can do better. Love you guys very much. Bye.