DATE: 6-7-26

As always, it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — whether you’re worshiping with us for the first time or joining us at our North Main Campus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you, too.

And — if you’re at our County Road 9 Campus and seeing me on video — either our flights back from our missions trip had some sort of delay — or — I’m never going to hear the end of me being too old and tired to preach while my wife, who was on the missions trip with me, is teaching the kids over in Kidway. So here’s to hoping that this pre-recorded video is just a backup.

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in the book of James this weekend — learning from the younger brother of Jesus, who believed that his older brother was God. And — in his letter — James has taken some teachings from his older brother and is showing us how to apply what Jesus taught to everyday life. Thus — when we listen to James — we’re learning what it means to be wise — for wisdom is taking God at his Word and applying it to our lives.

And — today — James has another practical topic for us: patience. That’s right. After everyone’s favorite topic for a pastor to preach on last week — money — we have another highly requested topic: patience. But let’s see what James has to say to us about the topic.

We’ll be in James chapter five today. James chapter five — looking at verses seven through eleven. We’re in James chapter five — beginning in verse seven. There we read…

James 5:7–11 ESV

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

As he nears the end of his letter, James brings up the topic of patience. And he does so by showing us an endurance that God’s people are to have, as well as an attitude we’re to display, before reminding us of some examples of patience from history. And together they reveal to us the reward for living a life of patience.

Let’s find these in our text.

A PATIENT ENDURANCE

We’ll begin with the endurance that God’s people are to have. We’re in verse seven.

James 5:7–8 ESV

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Be patient. Our first command. And it’s repeated — the command’s found in verses seven and eight. And the bottom line is this: God’s people are commanded to be patient. And being patient is a command that demands our obedience.

To be patient means to be long-suffering — it means to be even-tempered, even while enduring difficult situations and circumstances — even difficult people. And did you know that being patient is one aspect of being a loving person? We know this because…

1 Corinthians 13:4 ESV

4 Love is patient and kind…

This famous statement on love appears between two chapters in which Paul seeks to unite a divided church. The church was experiencing a difficult and divisive situation, so Paul tells them to love one another. And, in doing so, he defines what he means by love. And he tells them, and us, that loving each other is one way patience expresses itself in the church — especially when she finds herself in challenging times.

In other places we read…

1 Thessalonians 5:14 NLT

14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

Oh, how easy it is to be impatient with those who are lazy — even in the church! Warning them — that’s the easy part — but being patient with them — man, that’s hard. 

• It’s the Life Group member who rarely comes prepared. 
• It’s the volunteer who serves with you in Kidway who regularly shows up late.
• Or the people who ask to get by you during the closing worship songs because they want to beat the traffic. 

Maybe laziness isn’t their issue, but the temptation to be impatient with them is still there — just as it is with those who are timid and whom you think need to be more courageous for Jesus. Be patient with them, we’re told. Be patient with everyone, Paul commands.

And we’re to be a patient people because — in being made in God’s image — we’re to reflect, or mirror, or imitate the patience he has with us. And what kind of patience does God have with us?

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Think about this: If God had not been patient with you, the day of your salvation would never have arrived. And, if you’re here today and you don’t believe in Jesus, know that you’re experiencing God’s patience. Which leads us to James’ reason for our patience. 

Our Lord, who is not slow in fulfilling his promises, is returning soon. As James says, “The coming of the Lord is at hand.” The arrival of Jesus is near. His second advent, when he will be present here on earth — physically and spiritually — once again, is near.

After Jesus had told his disciples that the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed…

Matthew 24:3–51 NLT

3 His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” 4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. 9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. 15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about — the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones. 23 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. 26 “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. 28 Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. 29 “Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world — from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. 32 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. 36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. 42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. 45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ 49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus, in one of the longest and clearest descriptions of what it will be like to live in the end times, mentions wars and threats of wars, nations rising up against other nations, famines and earthquakes, arrests and the persecution of God’s people — he even says that some of his followers will be murdered because of their faith in him. And, with all of this heaviness, Jesus says, “Don’t be misled. Don’t panic. Instead, endure to the end. Which James summarizes as, “Establish your hearts.”

To establish means to strengthen. And what are we to strengthen? Our hearts. It means to have a firm determination to remain steadfast and faithful. Strengthening is something that Christians are to do to themselves and to other Christians. Like Peter, who Jesus said…

Luke 22:31–32 NLT

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

“Peter, don’t waste what you’re about to learn through failure. Instead, use it to strengthen others.” 

Or take Paul, who…

Acts 18:22–23 ESV

22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Like Paul, we’re all called to strengthen other followers of Jesus in their faith. The way we say it around here is that we’re to be disciples who make disciples. And, as we strengthen and are strengthened by each other, we remember and are encouraged by promises, such as…

1 Peter 5:10 ESV

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

It’s not just that we strengthen each other; God uses his people to strengthen one another. With this in mind, Paul can write…

1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 NLT

11 May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. 12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. 13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

God has commanded us to love one another because, through our love for one another, our hearts are made strong. And Christians with strong hearts will endure until Christ returns.

Every generation of Christians has anticipated that Jesus would return in their lifetime. And, so far, every generation before us had to practice patience their entire lifetime — never seeing Jesus’ promise to return fulfilled. Our generation is no different. And it’s not just the eccentric Christians who rent billboard signs with their prediction about the date of Jesus’s return — most of us who follow Jesus have a desire for him to return in our lifetime. 

Yet, even with this desire, fatigue can set in. Where our longing for Jesus’ return turns into doubt, wondering if he’ll ever return. God’s timing and ours are not the same. A thousand years are like a day to him — a day like a thousand years — which is why we must be patient like a farmer.

A farmer has no control over the weather. He or she can’t make it rain or stop raining. But like a farmer, who must trust in God to supply the rain that their crops need for a bountiful harvest, so we’re to trust that God will supply all that we need to endure whatever life may bring our way.

Like his promise that he will strengthen the hearts of his people so that we endure to the end — no matter what we face, no matter how hard our circumstances are — God’s promise will not fail. So we’re to remember his promises and endure patiently as we wait for him to fulfill them.

A PATIENT ATTITUDE

Though there’s much that’s out of our control, much that we’re to entrust to God, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing within our control, which leads us to the attitude God’s people are to display as we endure. Enduring patiently is just one command upon your life if you follow Jesus. We’re also commanded to have a specific attitude while we patiently endure. We’re in verse nine.

James 5:9 ESV

9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

Do not grumble — our second command. The attitude that we’re to have, which displays that we’re being patient as God has commanded us to be, is a no-grumbling attitude. One pastor has noted what James doesn’t say to highlight what he does say. The pastor noticed how James doesn’t say…

Don’t revenge yourself. Don’t punch them out. Don’t harm them.” That would be easier for us to say, “Well, I don’t do that,” because an awful lot of us don’t. A lot of us have enough self-control [to not do those things]. [But] that’s not what James does. He says, “Don’t grumble …” Need I say it? Yes, I guess I do need to say it. This is very easy to do, grumbling. Grumbling is just complaining. Grumbling is scorning. Grumbling is zinging people. Grumbling is griping. Grumbling is always finding fault. Grumbling is nitpicking. Grumbling is complaining all the time. James doesn’t say, “Well, you know what? Grumbling isn’t so bad, just try to avoid it.” He says, “Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” Grumbling! You’ll be condemned for grumbling. You’ll be judged by the Judge of the universe for grumbling.

I wonder what would happen if we all considered what James is saying here about grumbling? 

Now, this isn’t the first time James has brought up the words that come out of our mouths. And — as you’ve heard me say before — James wouldn’t have found it necessary to command the Christians receiving his letter not to grumble against one another if they weren’t grumbling. A no-grumbling command makes sense only if there was grumbling going on. 

Obviously, the Christians he’s writing to had some serious relational issues with each other. And when we find ourselves living in difficult circumstances, it becomes all too easy to let relational issues be the reason we complain and grumble about one another. And James wants us to see how toxic, poisonous, and terrible grumbling about each other is. James warns us, “The Judge is going to judge you for this.”

In fact, the phrase “behold, the Judge is standing at the door” is meant to make us feel an urgency — again, that Christ’s return is near. And the phrase reminds us that, when Jesus returns, he will return as the Judge.

As Peter said to some Gentiles — or non-Jewish people — about Jesus…

Acts 10:40–43 NLT

40 God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, 41 not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all — the living and the dead. 43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

Jesus is the judge of all — the judge of you and me. 

Take what Paul wrote in his words to a young pastor — and to all pastors today…

2 Timothy 4:1–5 ESV

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 But as for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

In the last days, which we’re to patiently endure, people will want their ears tickled with ideas that they agree with, they’ll desire echo chambers of ideas that suit their passions, and they’ll desire these things so much that they’ll turn from the truth. And Paul, in stressing the importance of sound, biblical preaching, calls on Jesus — the one who will judge the living and the dead — as his witness as to what pastors are called to do.

Back to Peter. Here are his words explaining what it will be like to live in the end times.

1 Peter 4:1–5 NLT

1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy — their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. 4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead.

The Judge stands at the door. What kind of attitude will you have when the door opens, and you see him face to face?

PATIENT EXAMPLES

Finally, James gives us some examples of patience. And these examples are meant to spur us on and encourage us in our patience. We’re in verse ten.

James 5:10–11 ESV

10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

As an example….take. This is our final command. What James means is, “Remember the examples of patience that have come before you — examples of the endurance and attitude that God expects all of his children to display.”

As an example, take…the prophets. As you may know, prophets were individuals called by God to speak on his behalf. And prophets were often persecuted and suffered for speaking on God’s behalf — yet they were told to keep speaking on his behalf — they were called to patiently endure.

Listen to what one pastor had to say about the prophets. He said…

The persecution endured by Israel’s prophets is a sad litany of rejection and abuse. Moses had to put up with the stiff-necked, rebellious Israelites who left Egypt. Elijah faced hostility from the evil king Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel. Jeremiah endured opposition throughout his ministry, bringing him such sorrow that he became known as the weeping prophet. Ezekiel endured the death of his wife during the course of his ministry. Daniel was torn from his homeland as a young boy and later thrown into a den of lions because of his faithfulness to God. Hosea endured a heartbreaking marriage, Amos faced lies and scorn, and John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded for his testimony to God’s truth. The patience under trials exhibited by those faithful prophets should provide encouragement for believers to run the Christian race with diligence and faithfulness, no matter how severe the persecution.

As an example, take the prophets. Also…take Job. Job, though an imperfect man, put his hope in God when his life was immeasurably hard. He lost everything — all of his wealth, his health, and his children — the only thing he didn’t lose was his nagging wife and some misguided friends! And after a period of exhausting suffering, what Job learned — and what we’re to learn through his story — is that the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

CONCLUSION: THE REWARD FOR LIVING A LIFE OF PATIENCE

Which leads us to the reward for living a life of patience. It’s found in verse eleven. I’ll read it again.

James 5:11 ESV

11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

The reward given to those who live a life of patience is the experience of the compassion and mercy of their God. Yes, all who believe in Jesus experience God’s compassion and mercy — even those who live all their days impatiently. But, for those who are patient, they will experience God’s compassion and mercy in a way that the impatient Christian won’t. 

• Like Job, who, in having passed the test, tasted a sweetness to God’s compassion and mercy that he wouldn’t have tasted had there been no test of his patience.
• Like the prophets who, in having passed the test, experienced God’s power and promises fulfilled in their lives — power and fulfilled promises they wouldn’t have experienced had there been no test of their patience.
• So to you, by patiently enduring challenging circumstances and difficult people — and by displaying the attitude of patience which we’ve seen in our text — as you follow the examples of patience that have come before you — so too will you experience God’s compassion and mercy towards you. 

And with this as the goal set before us, I can’t think of any better words than Paul’s with which to conclude this sermon, when he writes…

1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT

23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

Until Jesus comes again, may you patiently endure. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Heavely Father, what patience you have with each of us. If we’re honest, right now, the patience we’ve received from you far exceeds whatever patience you’ve asked us to give to others. May we, when we find ourselves growing impatient, remember your patience with us.

Holy Spirit, until the day Jesus returns, help us to strengthen our hearts so that we endure with patience. Strengthen our hearts so that we love you and one another more purely. Strengthen our hearts so that others might wonder why we’re so different than the impatient world they’re so used to. 

And, Jesus, we ask this in prayer because our desire is that our lives would make you look beautiful and awesome to those who don’t believe. May those who challenge us the most — those who are the most difficult in our lives — experience your love through us. And we pray this, trusting that you will give us all that we need to love them with a love that is patient and kind. We ask all of this in your name. Amen.

DATE: 5-31-26

As always, it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — whether you’re worshiping with us for the first time or joining us at our North Main Campus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you, too.

PASTORAL PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in the book of James this weekend — learning from the younger brother of Jesus, who believed that his older brother was God. And — in his letter — James has taken some teachings from his older brother and is showing us how to apply what Jesus taught to everyday life. Thus — when we listen to James — we’re learning what it means to be wise — for wisdom is taking God at his Word and applying it to our lives.

And — today — just like last week — the topic James has for us is very practical. For he’s going to talk to us about wealth. That’s right. Everyone’s favorite topic for the pastor to preach on: money. And — if our topic isn’t enough to get you excited for today’s sermon, know that — it’s at this point, late in his letter — when writing about wealth — that James uses his harshest language. So don’t blame me, blame James. He’s the one bringing up wealth and riches — not me. I’m just following his lead.

So let’s turn to our passage for today. We’ll be in James chapter five. James chapter five — looking at verses one through six. We’re in James chapter five — beginning in verse one. There we read…

James 5:1–6 ESV

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

In our text, we find some characteristics of those who are rich, we find a warning to those who are rich, and — thankfully — we find hope for those who are rich. Characteristics, a warning, and hope for those who are rich. That’s where we’re headed today.

But before we go much further, I want to ask something important about money and wealth. What do you think is the Bible’s view of money and wealth? 

Did you know that the Bible doesn’t have a disparaging view of money? It doesn’t. In fact, and this may surprise you, the Bible often speaks of wealth as a blessing from God. Take Isaac, for example…

Genesis 26:12–14 NLT

12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him.

Or take King David’s prayer, where he said…

1 Chronicles 29:10–12 ESV

10 Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. (So far so good. But look at what he says next.) 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

Or take this from the book of Proverbs…

Proverbs 10:22 NIV

22 The blessing of the Lord brings wealth…

And…

Proverbs 22:4 ESV

4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

Now, what we’ve just read doesn’t imply that wealth is always a blessing from God — for wealth can be sought in ways that God disapproves of — and it doesn’t mean that if you follow Jesus you’re going to be rich — no health, wealth, and prosperity gospel here — but what I’m trying to help us all see is that wealth isn’t always a curse. I think, in a reaction against materialism and consumerism — which are problems in the American Church — we’ve tended to make money and wealth out to be irredeemable. Yes, we remember what James warned earlier, when he wrote…

James 4:13–16 NLT

13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.

We must guard against being pretentious with our plans — including our financial plans — and instead we’re to trust in God’s sovereignty — in his being in control of all things — including the financial details of our lives. Or to say this biblically…

Deuteronomy 8:17–18 ESV

17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

I say all of this to reveal a tension we find in the Bible. Wealth isn’t evil and — at the same time — it tends to trip up more people — Christian or not — when it comes to finding joy, satisfaction, and purpose in life. And — for those who live for money — regardless if they’re aware that money and riches are what they’ve given their lives to or not — money is always a terrible god. For it’s a god that cannot save, it’s a god that only disappoints, and it’s a god that leaves one at odds with the one true God.

So let’s see what James has to say to us about wealth and money.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RICH

We’ll begin by looking at the characteristics of those who are rich. We find characteristics of the rich beginning in the last half of verse three, where we read…

James 5:3–5 ESV

3 You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

Notice, first, that James mentions the last days. He wants his original readers — and us — to feel the weight of the time we live in. We live in the last days. The last days are the time between Christ’s first coming to earth and his return. In the Bible, we find this period called the last days, the end times, or the end of the age. For example, listen to what the apostle Peter said during one of the first Christian sermons to be preached. These were Peter’s words in response to being mocked by a crowd of onlookers.

Acts 2:14–21 NLT

14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. 16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants — men and women alike — and they will prophesy. 19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below — blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 20 The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. 21 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Peter told the crowd that the last days were upon them. 

Or take what the apostle Paul said when, after reviewing some moments in the history of God’s people, he wrote…

1 Corinthians 10:11 NLT

11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

And as the author of Hebrews begins his letter with…

Hebrews 1:1–4 NLT

1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. 4 This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.

And as the apostle John warns us…

1 John 2:18 NLT

18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.

Those who first received James’ letter, just like us today, lived in the last days. Thus, one characteristic of the rich, which James is speaking about, is that they ignore the time in which they live. They’re careless in how they live. They don’t recognize that the time of God’s final judgment on all things — including them — is at hand. And James calls it a “day of slaughter” for the rich, which — let’s be honest — sounds pretty terrifying.

So, let me ask, how aware are you of the time in which you live? Like the rich, whom James is addressing, are you being careless by not recognizing that you’re living in the last days? Here’s another way to think of this question: How does the nearness of God’s final judgment influence the way you live? 

One characteristic of the rich is that they don’t feel the weight of the time in which they live.

Another characteristic is that they’re wealthy. I left this obvious characteristic for second — because — you don’t have to be financially wealthy to not recognize that you’re living in the last days — you don’t have to have a big bank account to live without considering the nearness of God’s final judgment. So no matter how much is in your bank account, that first characteristic of the rich is something that applies to all of us. 

But now we can focus on actual wealth. James specifically calls out those who gained their wealth by corrupt means. In James’ day, it was common for people to be day laborers. Meaning they worked each day expecting to be paid at the end of the day, so they would have the means to meet their basic needs. But if the rich landowner held on to the laborer’s paycheck — even for a day or two — maybe they wanted to make some interest off of the money before they paid their workers, or maybe they didn’t want to go to the bank or wherever they kept their money that day, so they told the workers they’d be paid tomorrow — regardless of the reason, there were many ways the rich could make life a death sentence for their workers. 

As one scholar says, “No doubt their (the rich…no doubt their) mansions were well protected against the shouts of the workers who had families to feed and nothing to feed them because their pay had been unjustly held back. So James declares: The wages themselves, which you have kept back, are shouting out, and God is listening!” 

Now, I’m going to assume the best about all of us and that none of us are gaining wealth by defrauding others like the rich that James is speaking of. So I’ll let God use his Word to speak to any of us who are gaining wealth by unjust means, as I point out to us a third characteristic of the rich: They live in luxury and self-indulgence. And this characteristic, like the first, is one we may find ourselves uncomfortably familiar with.

Before we learn about this characteristic, I want to remind us of a moment in Jesus’ life that we looked at last week. 

Luke 12:13–21 ESV

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Both James and Jesus are teaching against hoarding. The Bible is pro-saving, but is anti-hoarding. 

One pastor has said, “People get pretty upset at this point. Here’s why. James is saying it is extremely important for Christians to see there’s a line to be drawn between saving and prudence, and self-indulgence, hoarding, and storing up money instead of putting it to good use. There’s a difference between living a basic life of necessities and conveniences and moving over into the area of unnecessary luxuries and self-indulgence.

Everybody says, “Where’s that line?” People say, “Okay, how many cars can you have as a Christian? How big of an apartment? How big should your clothing budget be?” 

[The Bible doesn’t give us the line.] But this doesn’t mean, “So don’t worry about the line.”

That pastor goes on to say, “You’d better find a way to draw that line. You’d better look at everything in your life and say, ‘Is this really a necessity or is it a luxury? Do I really have to spend my money on this, or could I, instead of spending this on myself, be giving this money away?” Somebody says, “Boy, I’d hate to have to live a life like that.” [But] this is the life that you’re called to.”

Here’s an example from church history: John Wesley. John Wesley founded the Methodist Church. Wesley began his ministry as a simple preacher. He didn’t make much money, but as his popularity grew, so did his income. Records show that when Wesley earned thirty pounds one year, he gave away three. That’s the biblical tithe or giving ten percent of your income to God’s work through the local church.

Another year, Wesley made forty pounds. His income went up ten pounds — from thirty to forty. Now, if he gave three pounds away when he made thirty pounds, how much do you think he gave away when he made forty pounds? He gave away ten pounds. He went from giving away ten percent of his income to giving away twenty-five percent.

Another year, he made seventy pounds. How much do you think he gave away? The answer gets to the heart of what it means to be generous — or being rich toward God. When Wesley made seventy pounds, he gave away forty. That’s fifty-seven percent of his income.

At one point, he made fourteen hundred pounds in a year. It’s easier to ask “How much do you think he lived on” than to ask “How much do you think he gave away?” When he made fourteen hundred pounds, he lived on thirty pounds. He gave away ninety-eight percent of his income.

Now I want to be clear. God isn’t against us spending on ourselves. God’s not against us enjoying his creation — every good gift does come from him after all. But here in the US, we assume that our standard of living should increase as fast — or sometimes even faster — than our income. And I want us to ask, “Why do we believe this?”

Why have we bought into the American cultural idea that our standard of living should always increase when our income does? Why can’t it be that — the more money you make — the greater the distance there should be between the lifestyle you live and the lifestyle you’re capable of living? I’m not telling you what the line is — all I’m asking is if you even have a line. For someone who follows Jesus, a man who was both born and died poor, no Christian should live as well as we’re capable of living. For we follow a generous Savior and are called to be generous with our riches and wealth — especially in our generosity towards God and the work he’s doing through the local church.

A WARNING TO THE RICH

Now we turn to James’s warning to those who are rich. We’re back in verse one.

James 5:1–3 ESV

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire.

There’s division among Bible scholars about who James is writing to here. Are the rich Christians or unbelievers? Some say he’s writing to unbelievers because James doesn’t use the word “brothers” in these verses, whereas he uses the word in the rest of his letter to refer to fellow followers of Jesus. Others say he’s writing to Christians because — one — the letter is addressed to churches — and two — it’s pretty unlikely that non-Christians would end up reading his letter. Now, if you forced me to choose, I’d say he’s writing to Christians — though his warning applies to everyone, Christian or not.

So with that out of the way — and none of us off the hook — let’s look at his command. You may have noticed how — in most sermons — I’ve pointed out any commands in the passages we’ve looked at. I do this because we’re a people who — generally speaking — like to know what we’re supposed to do. And commands tell us what we’re supposed to do. And, here — in verse one — we find the only command in our passage for today. And here’s the command: weep.

The rich are commanded to weep. And in what way are they to weep? They’re to howl — meaning — this is a weeping with audible, yet unintelligent sounds. And what’s the cause for this howl-filled weeping? The miseries that are coming upon them.

Miseries isn’t a fun word, is it? For starters, it’s plural. And, for most of us, a single misery is more than enough. But miseries — plural — are what’s promised to those who display the characteristics of the rich that we looked at earlier. Do you remember how, at the start of the sermon, I said that James saved his harshest words for these verses? A day of slaughter. And, now, miseries are coming on you.

And it’s at this point that someone may ask, “Isn’t James being a bit too hard on his fellow Christians? How can he say that miseries are coming upon fellow believers? Didn’t his older brother die to keep us from experiencing miseries from the hand of God?” 

I think the answer lies in recognizing that Christians sin. And we sin often. And we can sin in some horrendously huge ways. Like not paying people what they’re owed — even when we know they need that paycheck to make it through the day. So James is warning Christians because — this kind of sinful behavior — when not killed — when not turned away from — when it’s allowed to continue in one’s life — this kind of sin can be evidence that you’re not really a Christian in the first place. So he uses harsh language to wake us from a stupor of comfort that will result in our condemnation.

But James’ warning to the rich continues. And — here — I think we find a teaching of Jesus that may have been on James’ mind when he wrote these words. Jesus once said…

Matthew 6:19–21 NLT

19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

That sounds like what James is getting at, doesn’t it? The idea of storing up wealth here on earth instead of storing up treasures in heaven by using our wealth and resources in this life to advance God’s mission of seeking and saving those who are lost. For as Jesus says, “Wherever your treasure is — either here on earth or in heaven — that’s where the desires of your heart can be found.”

The question we’re forced to answer, based on what you do with your wealth, is this: Is the desire of your heart located here on earth or in heaven? If you’re someone who claims to follow Jesus, don’t dismiss this question — that’d be the foolish thing to do when wisdom is asking you such a revealing question. Especially when we remember what James said to us earlier in his letter when he wrote…

James 2:15–16 NLT

15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”— but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

What good does that do? No good. They’re still cold and hungry even though you’ve got the means to help them. James goes on to say…

James 2:17 NLT

17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

What good deeds of financial generosity is your faith in Jesus producing? Yes, there are many ways faith produces good deeds in our lives. Serving others. Practicing patience. Sharing the gospel and so on. But these good deeds are not in competition with one another, and doing one doesn’t excuse failing to do the others. Meaning, serving others — a sign of your faith producing good works — doesn’t excuse you if you’re not generous with your money. Just as being generous with your money doesn’t excuse you if you’re not serving others. But since James is focusing on our wealth, that’s what we’re focusing on. 

So, how is your faith in Jesus producing good works of financial generosity in your life? How is it growing you in your generosity, where you haven’t just settled to give the equivalent of three pounds of your income, even though you’re now making way more than thirty pounds a year? How is your growth in understanding God’s love for you — which surely has grown the longer you’ve followed Jesus — how has your growth in understanding God’s love for you transformed you into a more financially generous person? Into a person not storing up treasures that will only rot and corrode with time, but into a person storing up eternal treasure that will last forever?

CONCLUSION: HOPE FOR THE RICH

Now to our final point: Hope for the rich. James has said some hard things to the rich, but there is an offer of hope in our verses. You see, being the kind of person James is pointing us to — a person who has this God-glorifying relationship with riches and wealth — this isn’t natural — it’s supernatural. And because this kind of relationship with riches is supernatural, it’s full of hope. But it’s hope found in a most unexpected place. We’re in verse six.

James 5:6 ESV

6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

In these words, James reminds us that the most grievous act the rich have committed isn’t oppressing the poor, living in luxury, or denying workers their pay — the most grievous act the rich have committed is the moment in history when we condemned and murdered the righteous person. Or — better — the Righteous One, whose name is Jesus.

• Jesus, the one who’s worth far more than any amount of riches we can hoard up here on earth. 
• Jesus, the one who left the infinite riches of heaven to come to earth to be your loving Savior. 
• Jesus, the Righteous One, who did not resist our thirst for his blood, was condemned and murdered by our hands.

And, as hard as this may be to imagine, it’s here that we find hope. For just like the woman who anointed Jesus with perfume during the last week of his life here on earth, when we realize what Jesus is really worth, we’ll generously give up everything we have for him. 

John 12:1–8 NLT

1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus — the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor — he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. 7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Did you see how much the perfume was worth? It was a year’s worth of wages. Not even John Wesley — in all of his God-glorifying giving — was that generous. He gave ninety-eight percent of a year’s wages. Mary, well, she gave one hundred percent.

But let’s not compare Mary with John Wesley — let’s compare her to Judas. Ultimately, we can take what James wants us all to wrestle with — regarding riches and wealth — and ask ourselves: Who are we more like when it comes to our money? Mary or Judas? Mary, who saw Jesus for who he truly was and put all of her riches at his feet, saying, “I see who you are and what you’ve done. And you’re worth more to me than every cent I have.” Are we like Mary or Judas, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver?

Yes, that’s a very uncomfortable question, but it’s the question we’ve arrived at. What’s worth more to you? What do you value more? What does your heart truly desire? Jesus or money? God’s love and all that he’s done for you, or riches that will one day rust and corrode?

Mary or Judas? Jesus or riches? Treasure in heaven or here on earth? That’s the choice before each of us. One is the choice of those whose faith is producing good works of financial generosity in their life. Mary or Judas? Jesus or riches? That’s our choice, which will you choose? Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father in Heaven, we’ve faced some hard questions today. Questions of what our heart truly loves. Questions of what we value most. Questions that have forced us to take an honest look, and I’m sure some of us are uncomfortable with what we’ve seen.

Spirit, cleanse us from the sins of hoarding, greed, trusting in riches instead of you, and for storing up treasures here on earth instead of in heaven. Give our hearts that supernatural desire to live a generous life because we have tasted and seen the love you have for us.

And, Jesus, any hope we have is because you, the Righteous One, gave your life on the cross in our place and for our sins. You did so in love. You did so because you knew the price that had to be paid for your people to be redeemed. And the cost was high. A price higher than all our bank accounts combined. 

Father, Son, and Spirit, help us to first believe that we’re really loved in this way. And, second, to respond by living a generous life as we love you in return. For the day is near. We’re living in the last days. May we be found to be faithful — knowing the times so that you’re glorified in our lives. And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

May God bless you with eyes that see his love for you. For then, and only then, we he be the treasure that your heart desires most. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

DATE: 5-24-26

As always, it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time, if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus, or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

And for our Gateway folks, I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard me welcome our friends in Bucyrus. As you may remember, their new pastor started back in March, but he has a few family events in May — including this weekend — so they’re joining us today while he’s away.

PASTORAL PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in the book of James this weekend. We’re learning from the younger brother of Jesus, who believed that his older brother was God. Now — in his letter — James has taken some teachings from his older brother and is showing us how to apply what Jesus taught to everyday life. Thus — when we listen to James — we’re learning what it means to be wise — for wisdom is taking God at his Word and applying it to our lives.

And if you want to talk about a practical topic, well, our topic for today is right up there in practicality. Our topic for today is arrogance. Christian or not, arrogance is something you’re familiar with. And arrogance is something that — for most of us — is quite the turn off when we see it in other people. While — at the same time — arrogance is something that’s often hard to see in ourselves.

So arrogance is the very practical topic that wisdom wants to speak to us about today from the book of James. So let’s see what wisdom has for us. We’ll be in James chapter four today. James chapter four — looking at verses thirteen through seventeen together. We’re in James chapter four — beginning in verse thirteen. There we read…

James 4:13–17 ESV

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

The reason why we’re focusing on the topic of arrogance is because of the key verse in our passage, which is verse sixteen. It says…

James 4:16 ESV

16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Writing to Christians, James says that some of them boast in their arrogance — and he calls such boasting evil. So it’s not just that we’re arrogant — we boast in our arrogance. Boasting means to pride oneself in. It means to glory in. To speak loudly about. But where does all of this come from — the things that we pride ourselves in, and glory in, and speak loudly about — what’s the source of all of this? Our arrogance, James says.

Now, for those who follow Jesus, instead of boasting in our arrogance, we’re told to boast in other things.

Romans 5:1–5 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in (or we boast in the) hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in (or we boast in) our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

To rejoice in is the same as boasting in. And…

Romans 5:11 ESV

11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

And…

1 Corinthians 1:28–31 ESV

28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

That last phrase is repeated in another of Paul’s letters…

2 Corinthians 10:17 ESV

17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Boast in the hope we have in God. Boast in our sufferings. Boast in God. Boast in the Lord. And…

2 Corinthians 11:30 ESV

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Boast in our weakness, which Paul expands on later when he heard these words spoken to him…

2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

What else are we to boast in?

Galatians 6:14 ESV

14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

And…

Philippians 3:3 ESV

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in (or boast) Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

What is your life boasting in? The hope you have in God? In your sufferings? In God? In the Lord? In your weakness? In Christ and his cross? Or in your arrogance?

Though we easily see arrogance in our culture, James wants us to look in a mirror. Because arrogance isn’t just something out there — arrogance isn’t just something those people struggle with — once again, James goes straight for us. Straight for you. Straight for me. He wants us to do some honest self-examination of our own arrogance and our boasting in it. And he gives us two ways to examine our lives for arrogance, then offers a solution for overcoming it.

To examine our lives for arrogance, he’ll have us look at our view of our future and our view of our sin. He’s going to force us to ask whether we have an arrogant view of our future and of our sin, for these are two ways to examine our lives for arrogance. Then James will give us the solution for our arrogance. Let me show you.

ARROGANT ABOUT OUR FUTURE

We’ll begin with our arrogant view of our future. We’re in verse thirteen. There, James writes…

James 4:13–14 ESV

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

The question James asks is this: “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow?” Why do you arrogantly think that tomorrow’s guaranteed?

James uses merchants for his illustration, but he’s not against those who work in sales. What James is pointing out to all of us — regardless of our vocation — is the arrogance of how we think we’re in charge of our future. The arrogance of thinking we’re in control. The way that we live life as if it’s just going to go on and on and on.

Jesus once spoke about this.

Luke 12:16–20 NLT

16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

God isn’t opposed to us making plans, but he is opposed to us making plans as if we’re the ones in charge instead of him. He’s God. Not us. Thus, our plans for the future should be made with the recognition that God’s plan is what will ultimately take place in our lives.

Additionally, James tells us that our lives are like a mist, a vapor, a puff of smoke. James’ point is pretty simple: Life is short — which is why he wants us to think biblically about the future. 

Maybe James was thinking of…

Proverbs 27:1 ESV

1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

Or how we’re to…

Job 7:7 ESV

7 Remember that my life is a breath…

Or…

Psalm 39:5–6 ESV

5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! 6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

I got quite a few comments the last time I pointed out what a handbreadth is and how it illustrates our life. This is a handbreadth. Four fingers. Each finger represents a quarter of a person’s life. We’ll round the numbers to make this easy math for all of us.

The first finger represents your first twenty years of life. The second finger is years twenty-one to forty. The third finger is forty-one to sixty. Once you pass sixty, this is it — just one finger left. And it’s on the way down. A sobering and humbling reminder of how brief our lives are. 

Don’t fool yourself. Don’t try to say, “Well, I know I’m in my sixties — or older — but I’m still only on finger three.” You’re not! I’m not saying that to be mean to you. Lord willing, I’ll make it to the fourth finger someday. I tell you this because God doesn’t want you to waste your life. And the way you don’t waste your life is by recognizing how quickly it’s passing.

One day, you’re young enough to play soccer with your kindergartners, and — what seems like the next day — though it’s been nearly two decades — you’re twisting your ankle because you’re not as young as you used to be, right? 

About James’ point, one author has said, “This world tells us to live like we’re going to be here forever, urging us to make our plans, acquire our possessions, and work to build our portfolio. But James tells us to submit to God. Don’t live like you’re going to be here forever. Instead, live, plan, and work as if your life is short and you don’t want to waste it. Live like you want to spend your life humbly before the sovereignty of God and ultimately for the glory of God. As the people of God, we ought to make our lives — the mist that comprises who we are for the short while we’re here — count under his sovereignty for his glory.”

ARROGANT ABOUT OUR SIN

That’s how we end up with a “boasting in our arrogance” view of our future. Now we turn to our arrogant view of our sin. We’re in verse seventeen. There we read…

James 4:17 ESV

17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

It’s common for people to think of sin as doing what God has said, “Don’t do.” Don’t commit adultery. Don’t lie. Don’t steal. And so on. Where sin, for many people, is defined as doing what God has told us not to do. And, I want to be clear, that is sin. It’s sinful to do something that God has told us not to do. But that’s only one aspect of sin. That’s what theologians have called sins of commission — where we commit sin by doing something we know we’re not supposed to do.

But there’s another aspect of sin — not doing the things we know we should do. These are sins of omission. Where God has given a command to do this or that — a command that, when ignored — or omitted — is an act of sin. James touched on this earlier in his letter when he wrote…

James 1:27 ESV

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

To not care for orphans and widows or to not keep oneself unstained from the world — to disobey by not doing them — is to sin. Not by what you do, but are acts of sin by what you don’t do.

James also touched on this when he wrote…

James 2:8–9 ESV

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Showing partiality — or favoritism — is a sin of commission. Not loving your neighbor as yourself — even if you don’t show partiality — is a sin of omission. 

Again, in the church culture that most of us are familiar with, sins of commission — lying, stealing, homosexuality, pornography, and so on — are the sins that have gotten the majority of our attention. But sins of omission — not loving your neighbor as yourself, not loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, not being generous and kind and merciful — these sins of omission are just as sinful in God’s sight.

And those who are arrogant don’t see this. They think, much like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day.

Matthew 15:1–9 NLT

1 Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, 2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.” 3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

“Mom and dad, I can’t help you because I’ve been so generous to God’s church” doesn’t cut it with Jesus. Just like “God, I can’t be generous to your church because I’m being so generous to my parents,” or to some other cause or organization, doesn’t work. Similarly, Jesus said…

Matthew 23:23 NLT

23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

Obeying one command — to tithe — doesn’t offset when we fail to obey other commands — like being just, merciful, and faithful. Only the arrogant would think that God would wink an eye at disobedience in one area of our lives because of obedience in another.

As we read elsewhere…

Luke 19:11–27 NLT

11 The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. 12 He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. 13 Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ 14 But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’ 15 “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. 16 The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’ 17 “‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’ 18 “The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’ 19 “‘Well done!’ the king said. ‘You will be governor over five cities.’ 20 “But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. 21 I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’ 22 “‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, 23 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ 24 “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ 25 “‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’ 26 “‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 27 And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king — bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’”

The third servant was wicked — not because of what he did with the king’s money — commission — but because of what he didn’t do with it — omission.

And as Jesus warns about the final judgment, when we’ll all stand before God…

Matthew 25:31–46 NLT

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ 41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ 44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ 45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

CONCLUSION: OVERCOMING OUR ARROGANCE

Finally, the cure to our arrogance. Here’s how we overcome our arrogance. We’re in verse fifteen.

James 4:15 ESV

15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

The phrase “Lord willing” has been used in various ways by God’s people. Some say it like a magical phrase that guarantees God will make your plans happen. Others say it in a way that seems to express doubt: “I’ll be married some day, Lord willing.” Others think it’s something that must be said in order to show God and others that you know he’s really in charge.

Regardless of your experience with the phrase, know that it is a biblical idea. The apostle Paul uses it.

Acts 18:21 ESV

21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

To others, he said…

1 Corinthians 4:19 ESV

19 I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.

But one thing to note is that Paul doesn’t always use the phrase when discussing his plans. 

Now, neither James nor Paul want us to be fatalists. Where we’re all like, “Whatever happens will happen.” As we saw earlier, the issue isn’t that we make plans. The issue is that we think we’re in charge when we make plans. And what the phrase “If the Lord wills” makes clear is that we’re not in charge. God is. 

It’s not if we say “Lord willing,” then he’ll do what we want. It’s not an expression of doubt. It’s not even about making sure God knows that we know he’s in charge — he already knows what we think. Instead, “Lord willing” is us acknowledging that God is God and we’re not. He’s in charge, we’re not. But just because God’s in charge doesn’t mean we’re free to just sit back and let whatever’s gonna happen to happen. 

Think about it. If that’s what God wanted — for us to just sit back and let whatever’s gonna happen happen — why would he give us commands to obey? His commands are pointless if “whatever’s gonna happen will happen” is the motto he wants us to live by. Even James has given us plenty of commands to obey throughout his letter, so he’s probably not now saying, “I take it all back. Let whatever’s gonna happen just happen. Forget all of those commands I wrote down earlier in my letter.”

Instead, the posture of the follower of Jesus is to be one in which every breath we take, every thought we have, every plan we make, and every action we do is done while acknowledging that God’s in charge. Where we live, aware that we’re alive right now — taking this breath, having this thought, making this plan, doing this action — because God is being sovereignly gracious to me. James wants us to have that kind of mindset. A mindset that when asked…

1 Corinthians 4:7 ESV

7 What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

We won’t boast. For we’re the people who recognize that every good gift comes from our Father in heaven. We’ll live with a mindset that could be summed up with…

Acts 17:28 ESV

28 ‘In him we live and move and have our being.’

Where, with King David, we say…

Psalm 40:8 NLT

8 I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”

And where our life’s prayer is…

Psalm 143:10 NLT

10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.

As we remember the words of Jesus, that…

Mark 3:35 NLT

35 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

As we also remember him saying…

Matthew 7:21 NLT

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

Thus, Peter encourages us…

1 Peter 4:2 ESV

2 to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

And we do so knowing that though…

1 John 2:17 ESV

17 The world is passing away along with its desires, [Christians know that] whoever does the will of God abides (or lives) forever.

The cure for our arrogance is knowing and doing God’s will. And, for those who do, the promise — which is guaranteed to them — is that they will live with their God forever.

I’m not sure what your view of your future or of your sin is. What I can guess, though, is that if God’s will isn’t yet the cure for either, you’re probably stressed, irritable, angry, short-tempered, not happy about life, your relationships are a mess, people probably talk about you behind your back (which you’re probably aware of), and you’ve not experienced any sort of lasting joy. And what I want you to know is that all of that can change. It can. If you submit yourself to the will of God, and allow your life to be a “if the Lord wills” boasting kind of life. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father in Heaven, thank you for your perfect will. Thank you for making your will known to us. Your will in saving a people to be your own. Your will for how you want those whom you’ve saved to live through your good commands. Your will for us to repent when we sin. And your will to forgive us when we come to you in repentance. Thank you for your good and perfect will.

Holy Spirit, remind us of your will. Help us to remember — for we are such a forgetful people. Reveal to us sins of commission — where we commit acts of disobedience against your commands. And reveal to us sins of omission — where we omit and don’t do what you’ve told us to do. Purify our hearts and cleanse us from our sin — especially the sin of arrogance.

And, Jesus, we desire pure hearts so that when we boast, our boast is in you and your cross and your great love for people. In this world of boasting — where people are known for their boasting in themselves — may we be a people who are known for our boasting in you. By the words we say and by the lives we live as we live an “if the Lord wills” kind of life for your glory.

And we pray all of this in your name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

May you go living an “if the Lord wills” boasting kind of life. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

DATE: 5-17-26

As always, it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time or if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

PASTORAL PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in the book of James this weekend as we learn from the younger brother of Jesus, who believed that his older brother was God. And — in his letter — James has taken some teachings from his older brother and is showing us how to apply what Jesus taught to everyday life. Thus — when we listen to James — we’re learning what it means to be wise — for wisdom is taking God at his Word and applying it to our lives.

And in our verses for today, James is returning to two themes we’ve already encountered in his letter. Speech — meaning our words — and God’s law.

About the words we speak, James has said…

James 1:13 ESV

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

And…

James 1:19 ESV

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

And…

James 2:14–16 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

And…

James 3:1–2 ESV

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

And…

James 3:5–6 ESV

5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

And…

James 3:8–10 ESV

8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

And…

James 3:14 ESV

14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

And…

James 4:2–3 ESV

2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

James has already said much about the words we speak. And about the royal — or the perfect law — James has said…

James 1:25 ESV

25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

And…

James 2:8–13 ESV

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

So James has already written much about our speech — the words we say — as well as the royal or perfect law — meaning the Law of God.

Now, before we get to our verses for today, I want to ask you a question. What part of God’s law do you think doesn’t apply to you? What part of God’s law do you think doesn’t apply to you?

If you’re a Christian, my guess is you may have responded with, “Well, all of it applies to me. Sure, there are some ceremonial laws in the Old Testament that don’t apply to us today, but the law that James is referring to — as we’ve already seen — is the royal law — the big Ten — the Great Commandment — whatever you want to call it — and it applies to Christians today.” Hold on to that thought for a moment.

Now, if you’re here — and you wouldn’t call yourself a Christian — my guess is you probably responded to my question with, “I’m not sure.” There are probably parts of the law that you do think apply to people today, like “Don’t murder,” but there are other parts you’re just not sure about — or you’re sure that some parts of the law definitely don’t apply to you — like those pesky parts of the law that tell us who and who not to have sex with.

Now James’ goal is to teach us how to be wise. And, by wise, he means not just taking God at his Word, but applying God’s Word to life. Thus, we know we’re being wise or foolish — for example, when it comes to the law — not by simply saying, “All of the law applies to me today” — but we’re being wise when we take that truth — that all of God’s law applies to me today — and live accordingly. Being wise means we don’t say “This is what I believe about God’s law” and then go on to live as if we’re above God’s law.

We’ll see how all of this works itself out in a moment — but first, we need to turn to our verses for today. We’ll be in James chapter four today. James chapter four — looking at verses eleven and twelve. We’re in James chapter four — beginning in verse eleven. There we read…

James 4:11–12 ESV

11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Christians, don’t speak evil against one another. That’s the command — the only command — in our verses. Don’t speak evil against one another, brothers. 

A few observations.

First, the word brothers is James’ way of referring to the Christians he’s writing to. And the only reason he’d need to command a group of Christians not to speak evil against one another is because — guess what they were probably doing? Speaking evil against each other!

Can you imagine? Christians speaking evil about other Christians? Unbelievable. Oh, wait, pretty believable.

Our second observation is that the kind of speech James is referring to is slander. He uses a similar phrase three times in verse eleven — speak evil, speaks against, and speaks evil. This is when we speak degradingly or defamingly of a fellow believer. It’s where we make malicious charges against someone else, attacking their good name and reputation. And, obviously, this is something Christians can do to other Christians as well as to non-Christians. This is also something that non-Christians can do to Christians. Slander is a sin that doesn’t care whose mouth it comes out of. Thus, God’s people are warned not to be slanderers — and not just here in James.

About those who serve in the church, we’re told…

1 Timothy 3:10–11 ESV

10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.

Just as…

Titus 2:3–5 ESV

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Christians are not to be slanderers. However, we’re to anticipate being slandered. This is why the apostle Peter writes…

1 Peter 2:12 ESV

12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you (or when they slander you…) as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

And…

1 Peter 3:14–16 ESV

14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

And the reason why Christians are not to slander others, while expecting to be slandered, is because our enemy — Satan, who’s also known as the Devil — his name in the Greek language means “slanderer” and “false accuser.” Thus, to be a slanderer of others is to imitate the Devil, for his name means “the slanderer.”

Slander is the opposite of godly speech — words of love and blessing. In fact, slander destroys fellowship among God’s people because slander is devilish speech. Thus, James wants us to know how to be wise in our speech so that we don’t follow Satan’s lead by speaking evil against one another. And the way of wisdom — the way of not speaking evil against one another — begins by, one, thinking biblically about each other, two, thinking biblically about God’s law, three, thinking biblically about God, and — finally — thinking biblically about ourselves. 

So let’s learn how not to slander one another by thinking biblically about each other, thinking biblically about God’s law, thinking biblically about God, and thinking biblically about ourselves.

THINK BIBLICALLY ABOUT EACH OTHER

First, thinking biblically about each other. We’re in verse eleven where James writes…

James 4:11 ESV

11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother…

As one person has said, when “fellow believers are viewed as those chosen by God before the foundation of the world, for whom Christ died, who are loved and honored by God, and with whom we will spend eternity in heaven, we will seek to honor, love, and protect them. [Thus] the first step in avoiding the sin of slander is not keeping one’s lips sealed, but keeping one’s thoughts about others right.” 

Biting one’s tongue isn’t the solution to the sin of slander; having a biblical view of each other is the solution to slander.

I wonder what your view is of those who are in the room with you right now? There are probably a lot of people in the room you don’t know. What do you think about them? Do you think biblically about them? How we think about one another — biblically or not — shapes what we say about one another.

Now, James, as you probably saw, also highlights judging one another. He doesn’t stop with slander — he also mentions judging, which is another topic he brought up earlier when he wrote…

James 2:4 ESV

4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

In both this verse and our verse for today, James isn’t making a universal statement about judging — there are plenty of places in Scripture where we’re told to judge one another. What James is saying is that we’re not to use God’s law to make judgments that result in us slandering others.

THINK BIBLICALLY ABOUT GOD’S LAW

Which leads us to the law and how we’re to think about it biblically. We’re back in verse eleven again.

James 4:11 ESV

11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

As we’ve seen, by law, James wants us to remember what Jesus taught about the law. And — as we saw in a previous sermon — in knowing what Jesus taught about the law, James has told us that the fulfillment of the law is summed up by the command to love others. And here’s what that means. 

The law — all of the commands and rules — is love codified. The law tells us how to love. Thus, to disregard, ignore, or disobey the law is to be an unloving person. 

One Bible scholar explains…

“An examination of the Ten Commandments reveals them to be ten features of love verbalized. [We don’t have time to look at all ten, but a few will suffice.] The first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me”, shows that love is not fickle, but single-minded, devoted, loyal…The third command, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain”…reveals love to be respectful toward its object…The fifth commandment, “Honor your father and your mother”, reveals love to be submissive to authority…The sixth commandment, “You shall not murder”, expresses the value love places on others… The seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery”, shows love to be pure and [that] love would never defile another person. The eighth commandment, “You shall not steal”, manifests the unselfish nature of love. Love seeks to give, not to take.”

God’s law shows us how to love him and each other. Back to one of the first questions I asked today: I wonder what part of God’s law you’re disregarding, making you less loving than God has created you to be? Where — in disregarding God’s law — you’re not a doer of the law, but its judge.

THINK BIBLICALLY ABOUT GOD

But there is only one who is judge — and to him we turn, as we think biblically about God. We’re in verse twelve.

James 4:12 ESV

12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy.

When we slander others, we put ourselves above God’s law and attempt to put ourselves above God. Do you know who else tried to put himself above God? The one whose name means slanderer. But there’s only one lawgiver and judge — the God of Heaven above. The one who is able to save and to destroy.

God is the only one able to save. Meaning, God is the only one who can deliver us from sin and save us from evil. This is why Jesus, God in the flesh, came to earth.

Luke 19:10 ESV

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

For…

Titus 3:4–7 ESV

4 when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

And in response to this news…

James 1:21 ESV

21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

God is the only one who can save — and — he can destroy.

The word destroy means “to utterly destroy.” It has a sense of spiritual destruction. This destruction is the eternal judgment and condemnation that those — who don’t believe in Christ — will experience for all eternity. As Jesus said…

Matthew 10:28 ESV

28 Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

And as the apostle Paul says about the return of Christ…

2 Thessalonians 1:6–10 NLT

6 In his (God’s) justice he will pay back those who persecute you. 7 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 10 When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people — praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

Think biblically about God. For he is the one who gave us the royal law. He alone is the perfect judge. And he is the only one who is able to save and to destroy.

THINK BIBLICALLY ABOUT YOURSELF

And, finally, think biblically about yourself. We’re in the last half of verse twelve, which says…

James 4:12 ESV

12 But who are you to judge your neighbor?

James essentially asks, “Just who do you think you are? I mean, who in the world do you think you are that you’re perfectly comfortable with slandering others?” 

Whoever you think you are — and this is true for me too — when we slander others, we’re not thinking biblically about ourselves.

Who are you?

2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

We’re fragile clay jars through whom the light of Christ shines forth in a world that’s clothed in darkness.

Who are you?

Luke 17:10 NLT

In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

Even when we’ve obeyed God’s commands — maybe even receive an award for doing so — we’re unworthy of his grace.

Who are you?

2 Corinthians 5:16–17 ESV

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Having believed in Jesus, you’re a new creation.

Who are you?

Galatians 2:20 NLT

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

If you believe in Jesus, he lives in you.

Who are you?

1 John 3:1 NLT

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

You are a beloved child of God.

Who are you?

Ephesians 1:3–5 NLT

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

You are chosen. Blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. United with Christ. Adopted into God’s family. Holy and without fault in his eyes.

Who are you?

Romans 5:8 NLT

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

You are someone for whom Christ died.

Who are you?

Romans 8:38–39 ESV

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You are someone who will never be separated from the love of God.

Who are you?

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Who are you?

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Who are you? 

Jesus says to you…

John 5:24 NLT

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

Who are you? 

Having believed in Jesus, you are someone for whom…

Romans 8:1–2 NLT

There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

CONCLUSION

All that you’ve just heard can be true for you, regardless of what you thought about Jesus, or the law, or if slandering other people was something you excelled at before you came here today — all that you just heard — and more — can be yours, if you listen to the advice of the wisdom that’s from heaven above. 

And if you listen and respond to God’s wisdom, you will be loved by God, saved by God, cherished by God, eternally secured by God, and will be forever changed by God. Including the words you say about others — as words of slander become words of your past — and words of blessing are now the words of your present and future. For God’s Word — his Word of his love for you — will change you down to the very words that you say about others. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father in Heaven, thank you for your Word to us today. What words of blessing, even as we tackled the topic of slander. 

Holy Spirit, continue to sanctify us, to perfect our words, to radically transform them from words of cursing to words of blessing, from words of slander to words of grace and truth. 

And, Jesus, we pray all of this because our desire is that our whole being — down to every word we speak — would be a life that brings you glory and honor. For you gave your whole life for us — and in recognizing how you’ve loved us — we want to give our whole lives back to you.

Father, Son, and Spirit — for any who hear my voice who came here today without the new life that only you can give — may you open their eyes, give them ears to hear, and hearts that long for the peace, joy, hope, and love that’s found only through faith in you. And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

Having heard and responded to God’s wisdom, may you go speaking words that honor him and others. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

DATE: 5-3-26

As always, it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time or if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

PASTORAL PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in the book of James this weekend. We’re learning from the younger brother of Jesus, who believed that his older brother was God. In his letter, James has taken some teachings from his older brother and is showing us how to apply what Jesus taught to everyday life. Thus — when we listen to James — we’re learning what it means to be wise — for wisdom is taking God at his Word and applying it to our lives.

And today, James will be helping us understand where division comes from. In a world that’s divided — in a culture that seems to pride itself on groups, tribes, and an “us versus them” mentality — James is going to explain to us where this division comes from.

So — if you have your Bible — please turn with me to James chapter four. We’ll be in James chapter four — looking at verses one through three together today. We’re in James chapter four — beginning in verse one. There we read…

James 4:1–3 ESV

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Where division comes from — this is what wisdom is going to teach us today. And we’re going to discover wisdom’s answer by looking at the cause of division, the results of division, and the cure for division. The cause, the results, and the cure.

THE CAUSE OF DIVISION

Beginning with the cause of division. In verse one, James writes…

James 4:1 ESV

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?

Though what we’re about to learn has application to the division we see in the world around us — James is specifically wanting us to understand the cause of division among us — meaning the division we so often see among followers of Jesus. 

Before we get to the answer James gives, what would you say is the cause of the division we experience in the church?

Is it biblical illiteracy? If only Christians knew their Bible as well as you do, then we’d all be on the same page.

Is it theological shallowness? If only Christians knew their theology as well as you do, then there’d be no division.

Is it political influence? If only Christians kept politics out of their faith as well as you do, then there’d be no division.

What would you say is the cause of the division we see in the church of our day?

Well, here’s James’ answer to our question: It’s our passions that are at war within each of us. James is going right for us. He’s saying that our problem is that each of us is selfish and arrogant enough to believe that our desires should come first. And — when others don’t agree — our desires convince us that it’s worth making war with our fellow Christians. And when you put a bunch of people who all struggle with selfishness and arrogance together in one group — even if you call the group a church — well, you’re gonna have some problems. 

One of the most cleverly titled books on marriage that I’ve come across is When Sinners Say I Do. Someone should write a book on the church that’s titled When Sinners Say We Do.

Are there some things worth dividing over? Yes! We call these the Essentials of Our Faith here at Gateway. It’s been some time since I’ve reminded us of our Essentials, so it’d be good for us to remember them.

Every member of Gateway has agreed to these Essentials. If you’re a follower of Jesus, these Essentials should easily be something you can agree with. In fact, if you’re here today and you’d call yourself a follower of Jesus, I’m going to ask you to do something for me. I’m going to read our Essentials, and after each one, I’m going to ask if you agree with these statements by saying “I do.” Again, this is for anyone who follows Jesus — not just members of Gateway.

Here’s the opening statement — the preface — to the Essentials.

All Scripture is self-attesting and being Truth, requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life. The infallible Word of God, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks.

And — now — the Essentials.

We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To him be all honor, glory and praise forever!

Do you believe this? If so, say “I do.”

Jesus Christ, the living Word, became flesh through his miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and his virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. On the third day, he arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, he now is our High Priest and Mediator.

Do you believe this? If so, say “I do.”

The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. Indwelling our hearts, he gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.

Do you believe this? If so, say “I do.”

Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits his righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifying them in his sight. Only such as are born of the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ become children of God and heirs of eternal life.

Do you believe this? If so, say “I do.”

The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfecting, she awaits the return of her Lord.

Do you believe this? If so, say “I do.”

Jesus Christ will come again to the earth — personally, visibly, and bodily — to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Do you believe this? If so, say “I do.”

The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations. Obedience to the Great Commission requires total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave himself for us.” He calls us to a life of self-denying love and service. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Do you believe this? If so, say “I do.”

Can we acknowledge that followers of Jesus rarely divide or fight with one another because of differing views of the Essentials? So I gotta ask, “If we agree on the Essentials, why so much division among Christians?”

This reminds me of something Paul wrote in his letter to Christians living in Rome. He said…

Romans 7:15 NLT

15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

He goes on to write…

Romans 7:19–24 NLT

19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life — that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

I wonder if you see this in your life? A desire to do good, yet there are still times when you don’t do what is good. A desire not to do what’s wrong, but times when you still do what’s wrong. Being baffled with yourself — frustrated even — because of this inconsistency — or maybe it’s a consistency? Are you able to get past the noise of our culture, which tells us to blame others for all that’s wrong in the world — including divisions within the church — and instead are you able to notice the not-so-subtle ways you contribute to the division?

What’s the cause of the division among Christians? We may have an answer, but James says it’s the ungodly passions and desires that are within each of us.

THE RESULTS OF DIVISION

Now we turn to the results of division. We’re in verse two where James writes…

James 4:2 ESV

2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.

Now I know — murder? Really James? Fight and quarrel, sure. But murder! We’ll get to murder — in a moment — but let’s talk fighting and quarreling first.

To quarrel means to make war. Where you view the moment you’re in as if it’s active warfare. And — to fight — here — has the sense of a verbal fight. So the idea James wants us to have is a division characterized by verbal fighting, but those involved act as if they’re at war with each other. Nothing like what we find going on today, right? 

Seventeenth-century Jewish philosopher Spinoza observed: ‘I have often wondered that persons who make boast of professing the Christian religion — namely love, joy, peace, temperance, and charity to all men — should quarrel with such rancorous animosity, and display daily towards one another such bitter hatred, that this, rather than the virtues which they profess, is the readiest criteria of their faith.’ 

Ouch!

So if anyone thinks that all of this infighting and division among Christians is a twenty-first-century problem — well — apparently — at least to Spinoza — it’s been an issue for a few hundred years. I bring his quote up because one of the results of division is that our witness — our testimony of what Christ has done in our life — loses its power. Unbelievers rightly look to our lives as evidence of the Christian faith’s compellingness. And when they see infighting and division in the church — well, they can find that anywhere. Division hurts our witness.

What are some other results of division? Earlier in his letter, James wrote…

James 1:14–15 NLT

14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

The ultimate result of division is death. For the desires within us will go to rather extreme lengths to get what they want. And the Bible is full of examples of what happens when we allow our sinful passions to lead us towards divisiveness, including examples of people willing to murder to get what they want.

When two angels visited the city of Sodom, they were welcomed by Lot to stay in his house for the evening. A quick warning about what I’m about to read from the Bible: This is a bit graphic. But it shows us where sinful desires can lead.

And…

Genesis 19:4–11 NET

4 Before they could lie down to sleep, all the men — both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom — surrounded the house. 5 They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!” 6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. 7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly! 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.” 9 “Out of our way!” they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, and now he dares to judge us! We’ll do more harm to you than to them!” They kept pressing in on Lot until they were close enough to break down the door. 10 So the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house as they shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, with blindness. The men outside wore themselves out trying to find the door.

Even when blinded, the men of Sodom still tried to find their way in so they could satisfy their sinful passions.

Later in Genesis, we come to the story of Joseph and his brothers. Admittedly, Joseph was a bit of a punk of a brother, but because of their sinful passions and desires…

Genesis 37:18–20 NLT

18 When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. 19 “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. 20 “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

Brothers are willing to murder their sibling because of passions within them — like jealousy and envy.

In the book of First Kings, we find the story of King Ahab. Ahab’s a wicked king married to an evil woman named Jezebel. 

1 Kings 21:1–19 NLT

1 Now there was a man named Naboth, from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. 2 One day Ahab said to Naboth, “Since your vineyard is so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you for it.” 3 But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors.” 4 So Ahab went home angry and sullen because of Naboth’s answer. The king went to bed with his face to the wall and refused to eat! 5 “What’s the matter?” his wife Jezebel asked him. “What’s made you so upset that you’re not eating?” 6 “I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard or trade it, but he refused!” Ahab told her. 7 “Are you the king of Israel or not?” Jezebel demanded. “Get up and eat something, and don’t worry about it. I’ll get you Naboth’s vineyard!” 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and other leaders of the town where Naboth lived. 9 In her letters she commanded: “Call the citizens together for a time of fasting, and give Naboth a place of honor. 10 And then seat two scoundrels across from him who will accuse him of cursing God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.” 11 So the elders and other town leaders followed the instructions Jezebel had written in the letters. 12 They called for a fast and put Naboth at a prominent place before the people. 13 Then the two scoundrels came and sat down across from him. And they accused Naboth before all the people, saying, “He cursed God and the king.” So he was dragged outside the town and stoned to death. 14 The town leaders then sent word to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.” 15 When Jezebel heard the news, she said to Ahab, “You know the vineyard Naboth wouldn’t sell you? Well, you can have it now! He’s dead!” 16 So Ahab immediately went down to the vineyard of Naboth to claim it. 17 But the Lord said to Elijah, 18 “Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be at Naboth’s vineyard in Jezreel, claiming it for himself. 19 Give him this message: ‘This is what the Lord says: Wasn’t it enough that you killed Naboth? Must you rob him, too?”

“You desire and do not have, so you murder” would be a pretty good summary of what we just read. The cause of division is our ungodly passions and desires. The results of division — as we’ve just seen — are not good.

CONCLUSION: THE CURE FOR DIVISION

Which leads us to the cure for division. Obviously, we need a cure. We’re in the last half of verse two where James writes…

James 4:2–3 ESV

2 You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

What’s the cure for division? To ask God. It seems as if James is returning to an idea he began his letter with, for early on he wrote…

James 1:5 NLT

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

The cure for our division is for us to ask God for the wisdom we need and to trust that he’ll give it to us. And we do so while we remember that God will not give us what we ask for when what we ask for comes from ungodly, sinful, evil, or selfish desires. The cure for division is for us to ask God for help.

This leads us to the teaching of Jesus that may have been on James’ mind when he wrote these words. This is only speculation — maybe James was thinking of something else Jesus taught — but because he returns to the topic of asking God — or what we call prayer — I couldn’t help but think of the time when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. He said…

Matthew 6:9–13 NLT

9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

When it comes to prayer, our top priority is to ask God that his name would be kept holy — that’s a cure for division. Meaning, the priority isn’t us getting what we want. It’s not them getting what they deserve. But keeping God’s name holy and revered is our ultimate desire. 

And we’re to pray that God’s will be done in our specific situation. Not my will. Not your will. But his will be done. And only those who are selfish or arrogant would think that their will and God’s will are always the same. Just as only the humble and those who desire God to be glorified in their life will know that there are times when their will and God’s will are not aligned. And, in these moments, they will desire for God’s will to still be done. A cure for division.

Another time, Jesus said this about asking. He said…

Matthew 7:7–11 NLT

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “You parents — if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

When we ask our Father in Heaven, we must remember that he knows what’s best for us. We may think we’re asking him for bread — but he knows the bread we really need. We may think we’re asking him for a fish — when he knows that we’re actually asking him to give us a snake. We may think we’re asking him to end the division — when he knows what ending the division will really take. 

So we ask, yes! But we ask as we trust that our Father in Heaven is good and will give only good and perfect gifts to his children — including the cure for division, which is a gift to his people.

Earlier, I had us look at what Paul wrote about himself and the division he experienced. I intentionally left off how he ended his thought. I’ll re-read what we looked at earlier, but this time I’ll let Paul finish his thought.

Romans 7:15 NLT

15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

And…

Romans 7:19–25 NLT

19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life — that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Now, if we take what James has taught us — to ask God — and what Paul says — that the answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord — we find that the ultimate cure for division is a prayer life that’s fully submitted to the will of God, which is only possible through faith in Christ. Meaning, the only way that your passions and desires will be tamed and brought under control — the way you find victory over those division creating agitations when life doesn’t go the way you want it to go — resulting in you pushing and fighting and shoving — or in extreme cases — even killing and making war with others — the cure to division in your life is to submit yourself to God’s authority and to find greater joy and satisfaction in Christ and what he’s done in love for you — and in him being glorified in your life — than in having the sinful desires and pleasures of your flesh fulfilled.

• And this posture will only come by knowing God’s will as revealed to you in his Word.
• This posture will only come by knowing how God has defined holy desires versus unholy desires.
• This posture will only come when God’s people realize that the war we’re in is not with one another — it’s not a war against unbelievers — it’s not a war against the other political party or people from that foreign nation — but is a war against our sin, our flesh, and our Enemy who wants to keep us divided and warring with one another so that we don’t unite — by the power of the Spirit of God — with locked arms and with feet planted firmly in God’s Word as we stand our ground against he and his demonic army. 

Dear Christian, stand your ground. Stand your ground by being rooted in truth. Stand your ground by being rooted in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stand your ground with your brothers and sisters in Christ. For then, and only then, will unity — not division — be what we’re known for. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father, Son, and Spirit — unite us together, we pray. Keep us grounded in your Word. Empower us by your Spirit. And may the passions and desires of each of our hearts be for your name to be kept holy and for your will to be done — in each of our individual lives — and in our life together as a faith family. And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

COMMUNION (JOSH WILL MOVE TO TABLE)

Leader: Lift up your hearts.

Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.

Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

Congregation: It is right for us to give thanks and praise.

Leader: With joy we praise you, gracious God, for you have created heaven and earth, made us in your image, and kept covenant with us — even when we fell into sin.

Congregation: We give you thanks for Jesus Christ, our Lord, who by his life, death, and resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore, we join our voices with all the saints and angels and the whole creation to proclaim the glory of your name.

We give thanks to God the Father that our Savior, Jesus Christ, before he suffered, gave us this memorial of his sacrifice, until he comes again. At his last supper, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this in remembrance of me.” For whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. – 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Leader: Therefore, we proclaim our faith as signed and sealed in this sacrament.

Congregation: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

INSTRUCTIONS

At this time, I’d like to invite those who will be serving us to come forward. And — while they make their way forward — know that as the bread and cup are passed down your rows, you’re to take the bread on your own — but save the cup — which we’ll drink together. Also — in the bread trays — there’s a gluten-free option in the center.

If you’re NOT taking communion today, know that no one is judging you. We’d appreciate it, though, if you could pass the trays to the next person in your row. And if you have any questions about communion, or what it means to follow Jesus, please stop by the resource center before you leave today.

Finally, to any of our homebound members — who are watching this from home — know that your shepherding elder is available to bring communion to you in your home. Please reach out to him if you’d like to have communion brought to you.

Eat the bread on your own — but save the cup — which we’ll drink together.

COMMUNION PASSED OUT

The blood of Christ, shed for you.

PRAYER (TRANSITION FOR WORSHIP TEAM)

Father, we give you thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ, for his willing obedience and suffering during his life on earth, and especially for his giving up of his body and blood on the cross. Give us assurance that our sins are forgiven through his blood, and may your perfect love drive out all fear. Fill our minds with your peace and turn our eyes to Heaven, where Christ is at your right hand interceding for us. Give us the strength and faith we need to offer ourselves in service to Christ, and may no trouble or sorrow distract us from this loving service. And unite us with each other through your Spirit, so we continue in the living hope of our Savior’s return, which is sure to come. Hear us now through our Lord Jesus, who taught us to pray, saying these words — which are on the screens if you need them…

Congregation: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13 ESV)

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

May you go committed to living in unity with your fellow Christians. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

DATE: 4-26-26

As always, it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time or if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

PASTORAL PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

And we’re continuing our series in the book of James this weekend. We’re learning from the younger brother of Jesus, who believed that his older brother was God. So — if you’re here today and you’re not sure about the validity of the Christian faith — take what I just said into account. Jesus’ younger brother — someone who grew up with Jesus — believed he was God. That’s quite an argument in favor of the truthfulness of Christianity. 

Now — in his letter — James has taken some teachings from his older brother and is showing us how to apply what Jesus taught to everyday life. Thus — when we listen to James — we’re learning what it means to be wise — for wisdom is taking God at his Word and applying it to our lives. And wisdom is actually the topic James has for us today. And if you caught the title for this sermon — Godly Wisdom, Demonic Wisdom — you can probably tell that this is not only going to be a sermon about wisdom — but we’re going to discover a truth that doesn’t just lend itself to writing provocative sermon titles — but is a truth that’s going to open our eyes and minds to seeing the world in a whole new light.

So — if you have your Bible — please turn with me to James chapter three. We’ll be in James chapter three, looking at verses thirteen through eighteen today. We’re in James chapter three — beginning in verse thirteen. There we read…

James 3:13–18 ESV

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Godly wisdom and demonic wisdom. These are the two categories — or types — of wisdom that James puts before us. Before we get to them, I want us to remember something we saw months ago in one of our first sermons from this book. In the fifth verse of the first chapter, James writes…

James 1:5 ESV

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

In that sermon, one of the first things I did was give us a definition of wisdom because — if wisdom is what we lack — then we need to know what wisdom is. And in that sermon, I mentioned that there are two definitions of wisdom commonly used today. The first definition is something like “applying knowledge to a situation,” which doesn’t sound all that bad. And — it’s not — except for one significant aspect. Often — with this definition — morality and theology are not taken into consideration. For this view of wisdom is human-centric — it puts the power and responsibility for determining what is wise in our hands.

Then I pointed us to a second definition of wisdom, which is nearly identical to the first — but with one significant change. If definition one is “applying knowledge to a situation,” the second definition of wisdom is “applying biblical and theological knowledge to a situation.” And this tells us that wisdom — foundationally — is theological. And theology has to do with God. Thus, wisdom is understanding our proper place in relationship to God and — here’s the application part — responding to that relationship accordingly.

Another way of thinking of these two definitions is this: Wisdom — under definition number one — asks, “What works?” Wisdom — under definition number two — asks, “What honors God and reflects his character?” In that sermon from months ago, I went on to say, “Even in the church, the wisdom of ‘what works’ continues to dominate — at least in the church in the US. We’re such pragmatic people that the wisdom of ‘what works’ — and the success it often brings — in relationships, in business, in politics, even in the church — really excites us. But the wisdom of what works will not produce righteousness, which is the goal of biblical wisdom.  And — righteousness — as you may know — means to be right with God. And there are many people who call themselves Christians today — and many organizations that call themselves churches — who are very successful and yet are not right with God. 

Many have discovered what works — again, in relationships, in business, in politics, even in the church — and they think this makes them right with God. But our works — what we do — have never made us right with God — even works that bring about great success — and those who are biblically wise understand this. For it’s not our works — but the works of the One who’s called the Wisdom of God — that make us righteous. Which is why, according to God, wisdom means not just understanding what works, because what works and what pleases God are not always the same thing. And we who claim to follow Jesus need to be very careful of which definition of wisdom we allow to influence the decisions we make, because God will not bless the wisdom of ‘what works’ when it does not bring him honor and glory.”

And — now — two chapters later — James returns to the topic of wisdom. And he’s going to show us another reason why the wisdom we choose — ‘what works’ or ‘what glorifies God’ matters. For James tells us that one is a wisdom that is godly — or from God — while the other is demonic — or from the devil.

DEMONIC WISDOM

We’ll begin with demonic wisdom and end with godly wisdom. We’re in verse fourteen. There, James writes…

James 3:14–16 ESV

¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

James begins by describing the evidence of demonic wisdom: Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. But he warns — by way of a command — the only command in our verses, by the way — when he writes, “Don’t boast and be false to the truth.” Another Bible translation says, “Don’t cover up the truth — that you’re bitterly jealous and have selfish ambition — with boasting and lying.” Another says, “Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.”

So, there’s evidence of demonically inspired wisdom. And one piece of evidence is bitter jealousy. A harsh, cruel, hostile rivalry towards others. Where you’re greedy and longing for something that others have, which causes you to be harsh and cruel towards them. This is bitter jealousy.

James used the word bitter earlier in this chapter, when he wrote…

James 3:11 ESV

¹¹ Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?

Salt water is bitter water. Fresh water has no bitterness to it. Godly wisdom — which we’ll get to in a moment — has no bitterness to it. But demonic wisdom — well — it produces bitter jealousy in those who follow its lead. Just like it produces…

Romans 13:13 ESV

¹³ orgies and drunkenness…sexual immorality and sensuality…quarreling and jealousy.

This kind of wisdom entices our flesh — our sinful desires — to give into all kinds of bitter and ungodly behaviors. As Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth…

1 Corinthians 3:2–3 ESV

² And even now you are not yet ready, ³ for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

And to the Galatians he writes…

Galatians 5:19–21 ESV

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Fruit of the flesh, which are in opposition to the fruit of the Spirit that Paul goes on to list, is evidence as to which wisdom a person is following.

Unfortunately, bitter jealousy is just one piece of evidence of demonic wisdom. The second is selfish ambition. Selfish ambition means to be self-seeking. It’s a strong drive for personal success without any moral guardrails. This is the person who will do whatever it takes to be successful — as they define success — and rarely is God glorified in our lives when personal success is our ultimate goal. In fact, God can’t be glorified in a person’s life when personal success is their ultimate goal. Because either personal success or God’s glory will be ultimate in your life and — whichever is ultimate — will lead to the wisdom you follow.

In contrast to selfish ambition, we’re told to…

Philippians 2:3 ESV

³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Why? Because we’re to…

Philippians 2:5–11 NLT

⁵ …have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. ⁶ Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. ⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, ⁸ he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Christ — in being your Savior, if you believe in him — is also your example. And the reason why he’s your Savior is because — instead of acting out of selfish ambition — he selflessly gave his life on the cross for you. And in being loved this way — when you taste and see the love Jesus has for you — you follow his example of what it means to be wise by living selflessly instead of selfishly.

So that’s the positive reason not to practice selfish ambition. The negative reason — the warning — is this.

Romans 2:6–8 NLT

⁶ He (God) will judge everyone according to what they have done. ⁷ He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. ⁸ But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.

Those who live for themselves are those who live with selfish ambition — it’s the same phrase in the original language. And those who listen to the demonic wisdom of our enemy will display a selfish ambition in their life. Which — Paul warns — will result in them experiencing God’s anger and wrath for all eternity.

And what does this bitter jealousy and selfish ambition produce? In verse sixteen, James writes…

James 3:16 ESV

¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Disorder and every vile practice are the outcome of demonic wisdom in one’s life. Disorder’s an interesting word. It has the sense of an insurrection — think of a violent group causing a disturbance. It’s a word often used to describe what life will be like in the end times. For example, Jesus said…

Luke 21:9 NLT

⁹ And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.”

But James is saying that this is an insurrection — not out there — but that jealousy and selfish ambition cause an insurrection within you. Sure, this will have consequences to your relationships, your health, potentially your finances — those may be a result of the vile or evil practices you end up doing — but all of this is self-inflicted because of the wisdom you’re following. An inner war — an internal insurrection — a disorder in one’s life.

Let’s return to how James describes this demonic wisdom. In verse fifteen, we read…

James 3:15 ESV

¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

So he describes this wisdom not solely as demonic — he also calls it earthly and unspiritual. It’s a wisdom — not characterized as coming down from heaven — but as coming from here on earth. It’s unspiritual — as opposed to spiritual. And all of this is James’s way of saying that this is wisdom that comes from our fallen world.

Earthly versus heavenly are contrasted in a variety of places. For example, Paul says…

1 Corinthians 15:40 ESV

⁴⁰ There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another.

Our earthly bodies — these bodies subject to disease, decay, and death are different than the heavenly bodies God’s people will experience for all eternity.

But earthly versus heavenly isn’t just a contrast of physical material. It also includes philosophies, thoughts, and motivations that drive us. For example, Paul also writes…

Philippians 3:18–19 NLT

¹⁸ For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.

The desires of those who oppose Christ are earthly, not heavenly. Resulting in them only thinking about their life now — here on earth — and not the life that is to come.

Paul also writes…

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

¹⁴ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

The opposition of earthly and heavenly — of the natural versus the spiritual — goes so far that those who are “natural” — meaning those who don’t have spiritual life — can’t accept the things of the Spirit of God. They need spiritual life given to them first — in order to discern and accept spiritual — or heavenly — truths.

There’s much more that God’s Word says about the earthly versus the heavenly — the natural versus the spiritual — but I think you get the point. This wisdom — wisdom that is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic is not from God and doesn’t please him. Instead, it leads to ruin and destruction. It leads to evil thoughts and actions. It leads to misery and — ultimately — to one’s eternal death.

So — don’t lie to yourself. That’s James warning to all of us. Do an honest evaluation of the wisdom you’re following.

GODLY WISDOM

Which leads us to godly wisdom. This is wisdom from above — wisdom from our Father in Heaven. And — I’ll remind us of this later — but keep in mind that James is trying to help us apply what his older brother — Jesus — taught. So see if you can think of what Jesus said that James may have been thinking of with these words. I’ll get us all there — but see if anything comes to mind. We’re in verse thirteen. There, James writes…

James 3:13 ESV

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

And skipping to verse seventeen, we read…

James 3:17–18 ESV

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James begins by telling us that the wisdom from above — that is, wisdom from God — displays itself in one’s life as good conduct. Meaning — being wise leads to good works — a topic James has already touched on in his letter. 

So if you think you’re wise, what good works do you have to show for it? And — to be wise — in the present — would mean to have good works — and these are good works according to God — that are also in the present. Meaning past good works may validate past godly wisdom, but present godly wisdom in your life will be accompanied with present good works.

But — as I said — we’ve already touched on faith and good works in a previous sermon, so let’s focus on the characteristics of godly wisdom. We spent quite a bit of time on demonically inspired wisdom — let’s spend some time on godly inspired wisdom. James says…

James 3:17–18 ESV

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

What are the characteristics or qualities of godly wisdom? Godly wisdom is…

• Pure
• Peaceable
• Gentle
• Open to reason
• Full of mercy
• Full of good fruits
• Impartial
• Sincere
• And godly wisdom results in a harvest of righteousness — or right living — that’s sown in peace by those who listen to it.

Godly wisdom is pure — meaning — it’s holy. It has no faults. For the God who gives this wisdom is pure and holy himself.

Godly wisdom is peaceable. It promotes a state of wholeness, well-being, and happiness. It’s free from a quarrelsome attitude.

Godly wisdom is gentle. It’s kind, tolerant, fair, and fitting. It’s lenient and merciful towards differences of opinion. It’s thoughtful and respectful of other people’s feelings.

One of my favorite sections of the Bible highlights the importance of gentleness in the life of those who follow godly wisdom. The apostle Peter writes…

1 Peter 3:14–16 NLT

¹⁴ But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. ¹⁵ Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. ¹⁶ But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.

Even when you experience suffering, for following Jesus and his wisdom from heaven, be ready to explain why you’re willing to suffer to those who oppose you and do so in a gentle and respectful way. Of all the characteristics of godly wisdom we can display to the world, this one — gentleness — may be the biggest opportunity to distinguish godly wisdom from the natural, unspiritual, and demonic wisdom that runs rampant in our culture today.

Godly wisdom is also open to reason. As Christians, we believe in objective truth. Yet, godly wisdom — in being open to reason — reminds us that we’re not all-knowing — only God is. And we may have faults in our reasoning — though God doesn’t — thus we need to be open to reason. We need to be open to being wrong. Open to adopting or changing our position or belief about something, given sufficient reason or evidence. Instead of quickly responding with the “wrong meme,” which is the way of our culture, godly wisdom is open to reason. To say it another way, those who follow godly wisdom know that they’re not right about everything. And being a “know-it-all” is an indicator that one is not following godly wisdom.

Godly wisdom is full of mercy — it’s compassionate. As Jesus said to his religious opponents…

Matthew 23:23 NLT

²³ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

Or as James previously told us…

James 2:13 NLT

¹³ There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

Godly wisdom is made evident by the mercy it shows to others.

Just as godly wisdom is also full of good fruits. Good fruits are the consequences of the wisdom from heaven. Whereas disorder and every evil practice are the consequences of demonic wisdom, godly wisdom produces godly results. And as James earlier told us…

James 1:18 NIV

¹⁸ He (God) chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Our lives are to be the firstfruits of God’s saving and restoring work to his creation. And — in following his wisdom — more good fruits will be produced in our lives.

Godly wisdom is impartial — it’s nonjudgmental. Where demonic wisdom causes division, godly wisdom produces unity. Godly wisdom fights against our natural, unspiritual tendency to divide.

Additionally, godly wisdom is sincere. It’s without hypocrisy. It’s genuine.

And godly wisdom leads to a harvest of righteous living — resulting in peacemaking being a characteristic of those who follow God’s wisdom.

CONCLUSION: JESUS ON GODLY WISDOM

And it’s this final result — this harvest of righteous living — that leads us to the teaching of Jesus that James may have been thinking of. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said…

Matthew 5:3–12 ESV

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. ⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. ⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. ⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. ⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. ⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. ¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Though James doesn’t address everything Jesus says here, did you notice quite a bit of thematic overlap?

• Godly wisdom is pure. And Jesus said, “God blesses those whose hearts are pure.”
• Godly wisdom is peaceable. And Jesus said, “God blesses those who work for peace.”
• Godly wisdom is gentle. And Jesus said, “God blesses those who are meek” — another word for gentle.
• Godly wisdom is full of mercy. And Jesus said, “God blesses those who are merciful.”

I’m sure we could find even more connections — but that’s enough to show us that the godly wisdom that James speaks of — will lead to the godly living that Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount. For — remember — James wants us to apply wisdom to life — for just knowing the wise thing to do isn’t enough. Wisdom leads to action. And we’re all guided by some wisdom that leads to the actions we choose. The question — that James is forcing us to ask — is this: Does the evidence in your life show godly wisdom or demonic wisdom to be your guide? And if you’re not satisfied with the evidence in your life, which wisdom do you need to start listening to and following?

As I prepared for this sermon, I came across some words that I thought would help us all take what we’ve heard and begin applying it to our lives.

One author said, “These characteristics [of godly wisdom]…are hard to acquire and hard to maintain. They can only be sustained at great personal cost. They only appear where there has been a steady habit of prayer and self-discipline; even then, they may take a while to show themselves. It would be worth spending the time to work through the words in [James’s] list one by one. Do it slowly. Review your life in the light of them. You might want to make a note of the times, the places, and particularly the people, that make it hard for you to live in this way — and then pray for strength, and for this wisdom from above, to hold firm when the challenge comes round once more. Some of the people you meet every day are people who follow godly wisdom, and others are people who follow demonic wisdom. Which one would you rather see coming towards you down the street? Which one would you rather have as a neighbor? [Which would you rather work with or be married to?] The question answers itself. The challenge is to become that person yourself. Someone who listens to, submits to, and follows the wisdom that comes from above.”

May we all be committed to listening to the wisdom that’s from above. The wisdom that is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. For then — and only then — will a harvest of righteousness be sown in peace through our lives — as individuals — and as a church. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father in Heaven, by wisdom you founded the earth; by understanding you created the heavens. O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. True wisdom and power are found in you; counsel and understanding are yours. Only you can tell you the future before it happens. Everything you plan will come to pass, for you do whatever you wish.

Spirit of God, when it comes to grasping all of this — of truly understanding what we’ve heard today — we admit that our minds seem so incapable. We say with the psalmist, “How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!” We confess that “Your thoughts are nothing like our thoughts. And your ways are far beyond anything we can imagine.” So help us, we pray. Help us to trust that you will use the wisdom from above to change our lives.

And, Jesus, all of this is possible because you not only lived a life full of godly wisdom, but are the wisdom of God come in the flesh. The evidence in your life is clear. All that you do or say is pure and peaceable. You are gentle and full of mercy. You’re sincere, and a harvest of righteousness is being produced in the lives of your people because of your transforming love.

For your glory — Father, Son, and Spirit — we commit to following your wisdom. And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

As you go, may you commit yourselves to listening to and following the wisdom from above. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

DATE: 4-19-26

As always, it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time or if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

PASTORAL PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in the book of James this weekend. In his letter, James has taken some teachings from his older brother and is showing us how to apply what Jesus taught to everyday life. Thus — when we listen to James — we’re learning what it means to be wise — for wisdom is taking God at his Word and applying his Word to our lives. So let’s see what James has for us today.

If you have your Bible, please turn with me to James chapter three. We’ll be in James chapter three — looking at verses one through twelve together today. We’re in James chapter three — beginning in verse one. There we read…

James 3:1–12 ESV

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Years ago, someone said, “Direction, not intention, determines your destination.” What the person was pointing out is that — often — we give our intentions way more credit than they deserve. 

• We may intend to improve our health. 
• We may intend to have a loving marriage. 
• We may intend to raise our children to know and love Jesus. 

There are lots of things that we intend — or have the intent to do — but direction, not intention, ultimately determines our destination.

Our intention is to improve our health, but for many, our direction is towards an inactive lifestyle and foods that are full of sugar and other highly processed ingredients that aren’t great for us. And, our direction determines our destination — not being as healthy as we intend to be.

Our intention is to have a loving marriage, but our direction — working extra late hours to impress our boss, coming home and gluing ourselves to screens, not praying together as husband and wife — leads to a marriage that resembles having a roommate rather than a spouse.

Our intention is to raise our children to know and love Jesus, but our direction — not having family devotional times, not regularly attending church, allowing sports and other activities to control our calendars — leads to children who are disinterested in Jesus.

Direction, not intention, determines your destination.

But what determines our direction? What causes us to go this way instead of that — to make this decision instead of that one? If direction, not intention, determines our destination — what determines our direction? James is going to tell us that it’s our words. The words we say out loud and the words we say to ourselves in our heads, are what determine our direction in life. And — to make this personal — your words are determining the direction of your life.

Earlier in James, we read…

James 1:19 ESV

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

James also told us…

James 1:26 ESV

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

So the tongue and our words aren’t a new topic for James. He’s just going to show us a bit more about this very practical topic — the power of our words.

But there’s one more question for us. If direction, not intention, determines our destination. And our words are what determine our direction — what determines our words? I mean, if our words are this important — if they determine our direction, which leads to the destination our lives are headed to — what determines our words? This is the question we’ll let Jesus answer.

But before we get to his answer, let’s return to our verses, where we find a warning about our words. Then we’ll look at both words of cursing and words of blessing, before we turn to Jesus’ answer to our final question.

A WARNING TO TEACHERS (AND TO ALL OF US)

So, first, a warning. We’re in verse one.

James 3:1 ESV

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

So James starts with a warning directed at teachers. And, to be clear, he means teachers of God’s Word. And his point is this: Those of us who teach God’s Word use words to do so. And, because we use words, we’re going to be judged with greater strictness because the words we say — one — usually have a much bigger audience than what most people experience — and two — when one teaches God’s Word, you are saying words of eternal importance. 

Now, with this warning, James isn’t trying to get Bible teachers to quit. He doesn’t want to stop people from becoming Bible teachers. He’s just warning us that the more words you speak, and teachers speak more words than most, the more evaluation God is doing of what you say. And, unfortunately, the more you speak, the more you can become careless with the words you say — especially when we fail to heed the warning James gave earlier about being quick to listen and slow to speak. 

On Tuesday, I was at BGSU to do a Q&A session with students. I’ve been doing this for a few years now. And college ministries always start past my bedtime. We spent over an hour on questions and answers, with follow-up questions sent in response to something I said in my answer to a previous question — it was a great time, and I love seeing how eager the next generation is to understand how the Christian faith applies to life. 

This is just one example of how teachers of God’s Word are often asked to give their opinion on something or answer an individual’s question, meaning they speak, speak, speak into all kinds of situations. And more words usually — not always — but usually more words mean more errors — especially when it’s past your bedtime. Thus, those who teach — and not just preach on a big stage like this — but those who take on any form of teaching the Bible to others — are warned: Be careful with your words.

But James’s warning isn’t solely for those of us who teach. In fact, his warning to teachers is meant to grab our attention — so that we hear his general warning that’s for all of us. James continues in verse two with…

James 3:2 ESV

2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

Notice that he doesn’t say that teachers stumble in many ways. Nor does he say that “only teachers” stumble in many ways. The verse says, “We all stumble in many ways.” And “we” is inclusive. It includes teachers and non-teachers. It includes men and women. Young and old. Christians and non-Christians. His point is simple: All of us have stumbled when it comes to the words we’ve said.

The word “stumble” means to be defeated. Defeated by what? Sin. This is the word James used in the previous chapter when he wrote…

James 2:10 ESV

10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

“Fails” is the same word as “stumble.” Remember, when it comes to being right with God by the law, the standard is perfection. You must obey all of the law, or you’ve failed. And now — in our chapter — James acknowledges that we’ve all failed — or stumbled — in many ways when it comes to the words that come out of our mouths. For if you hadn’t stumbled — or failed — with your words, you’d be a perfect man or woman. You’d be able to control your entire being when it comes to sin and its temptations. He explains it this way.

James 3:3–8 ESV

3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

By way of illustration, James shows us the power of our words. Though we’ve got some folks in our church with farms and animals, horses and bits aren’t used by as many of us as in James’s day. The same goes for rudders of a ship. If we were to use a twenty-first-century illustration, we’d say the tongue is like the steering wheel in your car. The steering wheel is a small part of the car, but it determines the direction the car is headed. And that’s what your words are like.

In contrast to our tongues, James first brings up animals. And he reminds us of how we’ve tamed all kinds of animals and creatures. We can go to a zoo, see all kinds of dangerous animals behind glass, and be amazed by their beauty without fearing their power. That’s what the word tame means in our verses. It means to subdue or make something your subject. And, what James is saying, is that though we’ve tamed and made subject all kinds of beasts and animals — this little part of our body — the tongue, representing our words, can’t be tamed. We can’t subdue it, we can’t break it in, we can’t make it our subject. Even those of us who “bite our tongues” still say some awful things to other people or to ourselves.

James goes so far as to say that the tongue is set on fire by hell, and the tongue sets our lives on fire. I wonder if you’ve experienced this? 

You don’t have to live very long to be burned by the fire of hell coming out of the mouth of someone else, do you? Just like it doesn’t take long in life to see how your words can cause destruction and pain, not only to others, but to your own life. 

• Our lives can be suddenly on fire because of some words that came out of our mouths. 
• Relationships are no more because words of fire came out of your mouth. 
• Unemployment because words of fire came out of your mouth. 
• Self-hatred because of words of fire that — even if they’ve never been spoken out loud — are on repeat in your mind constantly — setting your life on fire. And not a holy refining fire — but the destructive fire that comes from hell.

James — being familiar with the Old Testament — probably had passages in mind like…

Proverbs 16:27 NLT

27 Scoundrels create trouble; their words are a destructive blaze.

He may have been thinking of…

Proverbs 26:21 NLT

21 A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood.

People who like to quarrel and fight use their words like hot embers, igniting a fire. And though fire isn’t mentioned, James could’ve been thinking of these words of King David.

Psalm 140:1–3 NLT

1 O Lord, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent, 2 those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long. 3 Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips.

Which is quoted by Paul when he writes…

Romans 3:10–14 NLT

10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous — not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” 13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

• Foul talk — words that have a stench to them like decaying flesh. We once had a mouse die in the wall of our home. The stench — from such a small creature — was awful. 
• Our tongues are filled with lies — like venom dripping from our lips. We put labels on bottles to make sure we avoid ingesting poison. If only we had labels to warn people that poison was about to be spewed at them from our mouths.
• And our mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. 

What an indictment about our words — about your words — about my words. 

I wonder how you’re responding to what God’s Word is saying to you about your words? 

• Are you dismissing what you’re hearing — “none of this is true of me.” 
• Are you pointing the finger — “So and so needs to hear this.”
• Are you ashamed — “Man, I’ve said some horrible things.” 
• Or are you hoping for an answer — “What am I supposed to do about this?” 

How are you responding to what God is saying to you about the words you speak?

Something important for all of us to see is what James says in verse eight. He says…

James 3:8 ESV

8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

About this verse, Augustine — who lived in the fourth century — said, “James does not say ‘no one came tame the tongue’, but ‘[no human being],’ so that, when it is tamed, we admit that it was done by the mercy of God, the assistance of God, the grace of God.” 

So, first, know that it’s impossible for you to tame your tongue. That’s the bad news. Now, the good news. Though it’s impossible for any human to tame their tongue, it’s not impossible for God. In fact, God’s power over our tongues is seen in an incredible moment in the early life of the church. Forty days after Jesus’ resurrection…

Acts 2:1–4 NLT

1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

These tongues of ours — which can spew fire from hell that burns others and sets destruction to our lives — God — as we just saw — is able to use for his own purpose. He can set his people’s tongues ablaze with a message of holy fire — the gospel — the news of what Jesus has done in his life, death, and resurrection. And when God’s people submit their words to God’s authority, the gospel message will go forth like a fire setting a forest ablaze. 

And the question for each of us is this: Which fire will come out of our mouths? Words that come from the fire of hell or words that come from the fire of Heaven?

WORDS OF CURSING AND BLESSING

Which leads us to words of cursing and words of blessing. Let’s briefly look at the difference between the words from hell and the words of Heaven. We’re in verse nine. There, James writes…

James 3:9–12 ESV

9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

In the beginning God spoke, and he said, “Let there be light” — and there was light. God speaks, and blessings follow. Whether it be life to all that exists or a wife for Adam, who was alone in the Garden. God speaks, and blessings follow. 

And a truth that James emphasizes is how all people are made in the likeness of God. Part of our being made in God’s likeness — or image — is that God created us to use our words in a way that images — or reflects — or is like the way he uses words. And how are we to reflect — or imitate — how God uses words? By speaking words of blessing.

But — after God speaks — we come to Genesis chapter three, where Satan speaks. And do you know what Satan got Adam and Eve to doubt? God’s word of blessing to them.

Genesis 3:1–4 NLT

1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’ ” 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.

Now the woman spoke back to Satan with information that wasn’t accurate. And Satan both uses her inaccurate words — and twists God’s words — resulting in the man and the woman disobeying God, leading to sin entering God’s creation and us all living under a curse. The snake of hell spoke words from hell to deceive the man and woman into inviting hell into God’s perfect creation. And ever since, we’ve all used our words to curse each other.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never”…how does it go? That’s right. “But words will never hurt me.” What a lie. One person has said, “It’s a terrible thing that children have gotten hold of this nursery poem. Let me tell you what the poem should say. [It should say…} ‘Sticks and stones can only break my bones, but words can pollute and distort and destroy my very soul.’ [But that] doesn’t rhyme.”

With our words, we curse people who are made in the likeness — or image — of God. And, we do so, as Christians. We curse people with our words while we use our words to bless our God in Heaven. And, about this reality, James says…

James 3:10 NLT

10 Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

Though a freshwater spring does what God created it to do — it produces fresh water. And though a fig tree produces figs, as God created it to do. And an olive tree produces olives, and a vine produces grapes, and an apple tree produces apples, and so on — though all of these creations do what God made them to do — our tongues don’t. Our tongues are like a banana tree producing apples. Yet our tongues — which were created to produce words of blessing — which demonstrate our being made in God’s image — instead produce words of cursing in the image of our Enemy. So, yes, James. This isn’t right!

CONCLUSION: JESUS THE TEACHER TO LISTEN TO

Which leads us to our only hope. His name is Jesus. And Jesus said quite a bit about our words. To some religious leaders, he said…

Matthew 12:34–37 NLT

34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

Another time he said…

Mark 7:20–23 NLT

20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

Ultimately, the words of cursing that we speak — whether to ourselves or to others — reveal something about the condition of our hearts. It reveals to us the curse we all live under because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God’s words of blessing to them. And we’re incapable of changing the condition of our hearts. Thus, we need a word spoken to us by Someone whose words can change us — and our hearts — forever. 

As someone has said, “We need words. Words are powerful. We don’t have a self without words. You can say all you want, ‘All that matters is how I feel about myself.’ No. Somebody from the outside has to tell you you’re valuable. Somebody from the outside has to tell you you’re great. Somebody from the outside has to tell you you’re acceptable, or you won’t believe it. The Bible tells us God said to his Son, “You are my beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased.” The Bible tells us that if we believe in Jesus, the Father loves us in the same way as he loves his own Son. Until you hear over and over and over in your own heart through prayer, through reading the Word of God, through a variety of ways, unless you hear God saying to you, “You are my beloved child in whom I’m well pleased”…Until you hear a word from the outside that tells you who you are, you’re going to be trying desperately, through all kinds of duplicity and all kinds of deception, to create a self by getting people to tell you how great you are…[You see,] underneath it all, we know we’re unacceptable until [a] word from the outside [says…] “This is my beloved child in whom I’m well pleased.” That’ll heal your tongue. It’ll set your tongue on fire with a different kind of fire, the fire that came down at Pentecost, [a fire] not from hell but from heaven.”

I wonder if, even right now, you’re hearing that life-changing word from Someone else? A word from the God who created you. A word from Jesus, who came to live and die for you because he loves you. A word from the Spirit of God who is saying right now, “Receive my word: You are loved. You are forgiven. You are set free from the curse. You are mine.” I wonder whose word you’re listening to right now? The word of the Serpent, who wants to keep you enslaved under his curse, or the word of the God who is in Heaven, who created you, and who wants to set you free?

Later this year, my friend and fellow pastor, Alan Wright, will be with us. Alan has written many books, including The Power to Bless: How to Speak Life and Empower the People You Love. I was so impacted by Alan’s book that I bought all the staff and elders a copy for Christmas last year and invited Alan to come speak on the topic so we can all learn to use our words to be better blessers of others. 

So if you want to be someone who uses your words to bless God and others — and even yourself — grab a copy of Alan’s book — again, it’s titled The Power to Bless. There’s a QR code at your campus’s Resource Center if you forget the title. If your Life Group is looking for something to study, it’d be a great option. And be sure to block off your calendar for the weekend of October 18th when Alan will be with us. He’s going to teach a Saturday seminar on blessing others with our words and preach for us during our worship services that weekend. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for being a God who speaks. Who speaks words of blessing over your people and creation. As Creator, you have made each of us in your image — creating us to use our words to mirror your words — which are words of blessing.

Spirit, we confess that because of the curse and our own sinful choices, we’ve often used our words to curse others instead of blessing them. We’ve even used our words to curse ourselves. We confess this, ask for forgiveness, and Spirit, we ask you to lead us in a new direction with our words. Teach us how to bless. Guide us in what we say. All so that we reflect our God who blesses others with his words as we bless a world full of people who are desperate to hear some good news.

And, Jesus, you are God’s Word in flesh. The perfect Word of blessing to your people. And you continue to speak words of blessing to us. May we have ears to hear, so that our hearts and lives are forever changed, so that we head in a new direction. A direction of blessing others — for that is who you have called, created, and saved us to be. Thank you for this purpose. And we pray all of this in your name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available / Resource Center for QR to book)

May you go imitating the God who had created you in his image by using your words to bless others. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

DATE: 4-5-26

He is risen! He is risen indeed. As always, it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time or if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

PASTORAL PRAYER

Each week, here at Gateway, we spend some time praying for people, circumstances, and situations going on in our congregation, community, country, and world.

Today, we’ll be praying for the individuals being baptized. Not every worship service will have baptisms, but know that sixteen people are being baptized this Easter Sunday. So — we’ll pray for them — and we’ll pray for the world and that there may be a great response of people believing in Jesus on this Easter Sunday. 

Please join me in prayer.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)

Heavenly Father, these are the marching orders that your Son gave to us, your people. To go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of you — the Father — Jesus — the Son — and the Holy Spirit. Throughout our services today, we’ll be obeying this command. Yet, there’s still more work for us to do in the lives of those we’re baptizing today. We’re to teach them to obey all that you’ve commanded. We’re to remember that you are always with us.

Spirit of God, help us to teach well. Help us to remember that our God is always with us. Help those we baptize today to remember that — in being baptized today — they are clothed in Christ — meaning — their primary identification is now that of one who follows Jesus, who has been saved by Jesus, who submits themselves to the authority of Christ in all areas of their life. And one whose life will be marked by confession and repentance because none who are baptized practice perfect faithfulness.

Which is why we remember and are thankful that baptism, first and foremost, is a sign of your faithfulness to those baptized. For when we are faithless, you remain faithful — for faithful is who you are to your people. When we are forgetful, you remember your promises to us — and your promises never fail. And when the last day of our life comes upon us — we have no reason to fear — for just like we went down into the water — signifying our death — you’ve guaranteed that we will rise again. 

May those being baptized today — and all of us who are witnesses — be in awe of what we see. For today — in baptisms — we see your everlasting commitment to your people. 

And, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as people around the world continue to celebrate Easter and Jesus’ resurrection. I first pray for protection for our brothers and sisters who live in countries where gathering together can cost them their lives. I pray that, even in these countries, great joy in Jesus would be experienced. And may many who started off today hating Jesus or were apathetic towards him — be saved by him. For he is the only Savior, and he is the Risen Savior. 

And we pray all of this in his name. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

For two Sundays, we’re taking a break from our series in the book of James to reflect on some of the events that took place during the week leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Today — like last Sunday — we’re looking at the same passage from the Old Testament — Isaiah chapter fifty-three — if you want to open your Bibles — that’s where we’ll be — we’ll be in Isaiah chapter fifty-three this Easter Sunday.

And the goal of this short series is to show you how the Old Testament predicted — the biblical word is prophesied — how the Old Testament foretold about Christ and all that he would accomplish in his life — including what happened during the final week leading up to his death on a cross and his resurrection three days later.

Now, you may be someone who’s here today because someone else put the pressure on you to come to church. You’re not sure about Jesus and this whole Christianity thing — or maybe you are — you’re sure you think it’s all a bunch of baloney. If this is you — know that this is exactly why we’re spending time in the Old Testament today — because long before Jesus walked here on earth — God gave news of what Jesus would do and accomplish through his prophets. Prophets were individuals who wrote down what God told them would happen someday in the future.

And — again — if you’ve got your doubts about Christianity — know that these prophecies were perfectly fulfilled by Jesus. Not one or two — we’re talking hundreds and hundreds of prophecies — predictions about what Jesus would do while here on earth. And he did them all — proving that he is indeed God’s promised Savior of the world, which I understand may not sound all that impressive to you. 

Well, one mathematician did the math. And he calculated that you’ve got a better chance of picking out one specific atom in all of the universe than Jesus did in fulfilling just forty-eight prophecies. “Well, Josh. One atom compared to forty-eight prophecies doesn’t seem a very fair comparison. Do you have any idea how many atoms there are?” I have no idea, but I did some Googling and found that the average human has about seven octillion atoms. I’d never heard of octillion before. Million, sure. Billion, yup. Trillion, even heard of it. Quadrillion — I thought that was just a word kids made up on the playground. Well, apparently, numbers just keep getting bigger. You’ve got quintillion, sextillion, septillion, and then Octillion. And there are seven octillions worth of atoms in the human body.

We don’t have a word for the number of atoms in the room you’re in right now — much less the entire universe. So — back to the comparison — what are the odds that you’d be able to select one specific atom out of all the atoms in the universe? It ain’t gonna happen. You’ve got a better chance of being struck by lightning on your way to buying the Jackpot-winning lottery ticket — no, I’m not promoting gambling — only to be eaten by a shark on your way home.

But — even against odds greater than all of that — Jesus fulfilled all that had been prophesied about God’s promised Savior in the Old Testament. So maybe — just maybe — you should consider what you’re about to hear today.

So let’s turn to Isaiah chapter fifty-three. We’ll begin in verse one.

Isaiah 53:1–12 ESV

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

As I mentioned last week, this chapter is full of prophecies that are related to Jesus. Writers of the New Testament clearly saw the fulfillment of these verses in Jesus, which is why we find eleven of the twelve verses in this chapter referred to or quoted in the New Testament. 

For example — and this will be a review for you, if you were here last week — verse one says…

Isaiah 53:1 ESV

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

This verse is quoted in the gospel of John, where the apostle writes…

John 12:37–38 ESV

37 Though he (Jesus) had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Or take verse six of our chapter in Isaiah, which says…

Isaiah 53:6 ESV

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Which is quoted by the apostle Peter when he writes…

1 Peter 2:25 ESV

25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Or take verses seven and eight, which state…

Isaiah 53:7–8 ESV

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

Which was the passage being read by a man whom Philip, a follower of Jesus, prompted by the Holy Spirit, to go and talk to the man reading our verses, resulting in this happening.

Acts 8:30–35 ESV

30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

We could go verse by verse through our chapter and see how the New Testament authors saw — in Jesus — the fulfillment of Isaiah chapter fifty-three. But we’re not going to do that. Instead — like last week — we’re going to focus on one verse today. Just one verse showing us how Jesus demonstrated that he was God’s promised Messiah — which means Savior — during his last days here on earth.

And the verse we’ll focus on today is verse nine, which says…

Isaiah 53:9 ESV

9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

In this verse, we find promises about an innocent sufferer, an honored servant, and a victorious Savior. An innocent sufferer, an honored servant, and a victorious Savior — who all happen to be the same person.

AN INNOCENT SUFFERER

First, an innocent sufferer. We’re in the middle of verse nine, which says…

Isaiah 53:9 ESV

9 Although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

So this person — whom Isaiah is prophesying about in our verse — will come some day in the future and — when he comes — he won’t be violent or deceitful. He’ll suffer punishment for crimes committed — but he won’t be the one who’s committed them. He’ll be innocent. Pure. Holy. Perfect.

The apostle Peter quoted this verse when he wrote these words about Jesus.

1 Peter 2:21–24 NLT

21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. 22 He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. 23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. 24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

And as the apostle John writes…

1 John 3:5 NLT

5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.

Jesus is the innocent sufferer. He never did an act of violence or deception — he’s the only person who’s never sinned — and yet — he suffered on the cross for crimes he didn’t commit as he carried our sins in his body. 

Jesus was an innocent sufferer.

AN HONORED SERVANT

He was also an honored servant. Again, our verse in Isaiah says…

Isaiah 53:9 ESV

9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death…

Jesus was crucified between two thieves. That’s the fulfillment of “they made his grave with the wicked.” Jesus — though innocent — suffered, as we just saw. And, in the New Testament, we learn that his suffering took place between two other men who were also executed that day. 

They were guilty — he was not. They were getting justice for their crimes — he was being punished for ours. They made his grave with the wicked…

…and with a rich man in his death.

If you’re unaware — while here on earth — Jesus was poor. The Son of God — who has the infinite riches of heaven at his disposal — became the Son of Man — born to a poor couple — who died without anything to his name. Yet — his Father in Heaven — pleased with the faithfulness of his Son — called a rich man — Joseph of Arimathea — to loan his burial tomb to Jesus.

Matthew 27:57–61 NLT

57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.

Though poor, Jesus was honored in his burial by being laid in a rich man’s tomb. But — as I said a moment ago — the tomb was just on loan. It was only needed for three days. Joseph of Arimathea didn’t realize this, of course. He didn’t know he’d be getting his tomb back — usually the dead stay dead, after all.

CONCLUSION: A VICTORIOUS SAVIOR

Which leads to our final observation about Jesus. But — for this observation — we have to see what happened three days later. We’re in John’s gospel. Chapter twenty, where we read…

John 20:1–18 NLT

1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home. 11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” 16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). 17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

The hope of the Christian faith — what Christianity rides on — is that three days later, that borrowed tomb was empty. As another gospel writer records it…

Luke 24:1–9 NLT

1 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” 8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened.

Jesus isn’t here! He’s risen from the dead! And his rising from the dead was his defeat of our sin. His rising from the dead was his proof that he is the only Savior. His rising from the dead demonstrates to the world that he is the victorious Savior.

May the innocent sufferer, the honored servant who borrowed a rich man’s tomb — only to rise from the grave three days later — be not just a Victorious Savior. May he be your Victorious Savior. For he is risen! He is risen indeed!

Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we thank you for the news we’ve heard today. Though innocent, Jesus suffered for sins he did not commit. He suffered for our sins. Though poor, he was honored by being buried in a rich man’s tomb. Yet — because of his faithfulness to his Father — the tomb was only needed for three days. For on the third day, that first Easter morning, Jesus rose as our Victorious Savior. The one who has defeated Satan, sin, death, and Hell so that all who turn to him in faith might be given eternal life, eternal hope, eternal joy, and the eternal victory that he earned for them.

God, may this good news be received by many who hear my voice. May the lost be found. May the dead be raised. Bless many with new life in Christ. And we ask all of this in his name. Amen.

BELIEVER’S BAPTISM CONGREGATION VOW

If you’re newer to Gateway — or a guest with us today — we have a tradition around here of celebrating baptisms on Easter Sunday. These are folks whose lives have been changed because of Jesus. But — before we celebrate God’s faithfulness to them and us — if you’re a member of Gateway, would you please stand — if you’re able — as I have a question for you.

Do you, the members of this congregation, take responsibility for the continued Christian nurture of those being baptized today, and do you promise to set a godly example by your own life?

If so, say “We do.”

And now I’d like to invite everyone to stand as we respond to God’s faithfulness in worship.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

May you go believing that Jesus — the innocent sufferer and honored servant — is your victorious Savior. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

DATE: 3-29-26

As always, it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — whether you’re worshiping with us for the first time or are joining us at our North Main Campus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

INTRODUCTION

Today we’re taking a break from our series in the book of James to spend time this week — and next — reflecting on some of the events that took place during the week leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Today and next Sunday, we’ll be looking at the same passage from the Old Testament — Isaiah chapter fifty-three — if you want to open your Bibles, that’s where we’ll be — we’ll be in Isaiah chapter fifty-three today and on Easter Sunday. And — on Thursday — Matt Heft — one of your elders — will take us to another Old Testament passage that connects to this week of Jesus’ life.

The goal of this short series is to show you how the Old Testament predicted — or pointed forward to — the biblical word is prophesied — about Christ and all that he accomplished in his life — including what happened during the final week leading up to his death on a cross and his resurrection three days later. That’s why we’ll be in the Old Testament, because — long before Jesus walked here on earth — God gave news of what Jesus would accomplish through his prophets — individuals who wrote down what God told them would one day happen. And Jesus perfectly fulfilled these prophecies — and we’re talking hundreds and hundreds of prophecies — proving that he is indeed God’s promised Savior of the world.

So — now that you know where we’re headed for the next week or so — let’s turn to Isaiah chapter fifty-three. We’ll begin in verse one. There we read…

Isaiah 53:1–12 ESV

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

This chapter — if you don’t know — is full of prophecies that are related to Jesus. Writers of the New Testament clearly saw the fulfillment of these verses in Jesus, which is why we find eleven of the twelve verses from Isaiah chapter fifty-three referred to — or quoted — in the New Testament. Some of these verses are even found in multiple places in the New Testament.

For example, verse one — which says…

Isaiah 53:1 ESV

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Is quoted in the gospel of John — where the apostle writes…

John 12:37–38 ESV

37 Though he (Jesus) had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Or take verse six of our chapter in Isaiah — which says…

Isaiah 53:6 ESV

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Which is referred to by the apostle Peter when he writes…

1 Peter 2:25 ESV

25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

The Shepherd and Overseer of our souls is Jesus. Or take verses seven and eight — which state…

Isaiah 53:7–8 ESV

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

Which was the passage being read by a man whom Philip — a follower of Jesus — was prompted by the Holy Spirit to go and talk to, resulting in this happening.

Acts 8:30–35 ESV

30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

I could take you verse by verse and show you how the New Testament authors saw — in Jesus — the fulfillment of Isaiah chapter fifty-three. But we’re not going to do that. Instead, we’re going to focus on one verse today. Just one verse. One prophecy fulfilled. One way in which Jesus demonstrated that he was God’s promised Messiah — which means Savior — during his last days here on earth.

And the verse we’ll focus on today is verse twelve, which says…

Isaiah 53:12 ESV

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

In this verse, we find multiple prophecies — or promises — about Jesus. We find the promise that he would die, the promise that he would be identified with transgressors, the promise that he’d bear the sins of many, the promise that he would intercede for sinners, and — finally — the promise that he will share the reward of his victory. We’ll briefly look at each of these promises.

A PROMISED DEATH

First — a promised death. In our verse, Isaiah says…

Isaiah 53:12 ESV

12 Because he poured out his soul to death…

For the Jewish people of Isaiah’s day, the idea that God’s Messiah would die would’ve been unthinkable. For the Jews, the Promised Messiah was an undefeatable Warrior King who would come and return the Promised Land back to the Jewish people. The Messiah was going to come and defeat all of their enemies that had been oppressing them — for theirs was a history of war and defeat. In fact — not too long in the future — during Isaiah’s lifetime — the nation of Israel would be conquered by the Assyrians. And — in another hundred years or so — Judah would fall to the Babylonians. More defeats that the Jewish people will experience while they waited for the Messiah to come.

So the Messiah’s death was unimaginable to them — he’s a victorious conqueror, not someone who will die. Yet — Jesus experienced death. For as the apostle Peter writes…

1 Peter 3:18 ESV

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

If you’ve been around Gateway for some time, you’ve heard me talk about Bible journaling before. This is a practice where I read slowly through the Bible — maybe a verse a day — and write down my personal reflections on each verse.

I wrote this in my journal as I reflected on the verse we just read by Peter. I wrote, “Physical suffering and death, yet spiritual victory. The Spirit of God applied God the Father’s pleasure with his Son in raising him from the dead in a victorious new life. A new life that’s promised to all who believe in Jesus, trusting in his perfect life and death for the payment of their sins and the fulfillment of their joy and hope.”

The first prophecy of our verse is that of a promised death, which Jesus fulfilled.

A MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Next — a mistaken identity. Again, Isaiah says…

Isaiah 53:12 ESV

12 Because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors…

The phrase “numbered with the transgressors” is the mistaken identity I’m referring to. This prophecy is saying that the Messiah — for some reason — will be numbered with — or mistaken as — a transgressor — or someone who’s sinned and broken God’s law.

Throughout Jesus’ life and ministry — time and time again — false accusations and mistaken identities were thrown his way. Religious leaders accused him of breaking God’s law — even though he never did — not even once. At one point, they were so angry with Jesus that they accused him of working for Satan. Talk about a mistaken identity: The Son of God was accused of working for the Devil!

Yet, our focus is on the last week and the final moments of Jesus’ life. And when we turn to Matthew’s gospel — and how he records the crucifixion of Jesus — we read this.

Matthew 27:35–44 NIV

35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

This is even more than a mistaken identity — it’s a false identity given to Jesus. He’s crucified with rebels as if he’s a rebel himself. The people mocked him — while he was dying on the cross — with words like, “Come down from the cross, if you really are the Son of God! Then we’ll believe in you.” They heaped insults on him. They had no clue who they were in the presence of — who they were murdering — all because of a mistaken identity they’d put on Jesus.

Now the verse from First Peter — that I read earlier — alludes to how this mistaken identity was fulfilled in a different way.

1 Peter 3:18 ESV

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

In my journal, about this verse, I wrote, “Christ was both sinless and our sin substitute on the cross. He who never sinned became sin for us so that we might be made right with God — that’s a quote from the apostle Paul. This loving substitution is more than enough motivation to live a loving, obedient life in return. God, help my life and my love for what Jesus has done become more pure, holy, and devoted. Amen.”

Jesus was mistaken for a sinner — he was falsely called a rebel — he was numbered with the transgressors as he was crucified between two thieves.

SINS TO BEAR

Third — promised sins to bear. Again — Isaiah says…

Isaiah 53:12 ESV

12 Yet he bore the sin of many…

To bear sins means to carry them. When I was in the military, there was a moment on a combat mission when two of my soldiers experienced heat exhaustion. We were in the middle of nowhere in Afghanistan — an hour or more helicopter ride from the nearest base. My medic got an IV in both guys, but we had to move — it wasn’t safe to stay where we were.

The problem was that the two soldiers could barely move, much less move with all of the gear they’d been carrying. We were each easily carrying a hundred or so pounds of gear. So I started to divide up their gear among the rest of my soldiers so we could get moving. And as I started dividing up gear from the first soldier’s rucksack, my platoon sergeant came over — hooked a metal clip onto the other soldier’s rucksack — attached it to his rucksack — and — to this day, did one of the most impressive things I’ve ever witnessed — he got the two rucksacks up on his back and said, “Let’s go.”

My platoon sergeant bore the soldier’s rucksack by himself.

Isaiah tells us that the Messiah would bear the sins of many. To which the author of Hebrews — in looking back at what Jesus accomplished — writes…

Hebrews 9:26–28 ESV

26 But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Now, you may be taken aback by the phrase “of many.” That sounds quite exclusive — which is the point God makes throughout his Word to us. Jesus bore the sins — carried the sins — paid for the sins — of many people. Not for all people — only for those who turn to him in faith. You see, Scripture tells us that either Jesus paid for your sins or you will pay for your sins. Either way, your sins will be paid for.

We won’t turn to it again — but that verse from First Peter also mentions that Christ suffered once for sins. And — something we’ll reflect on in a few days — when we come together to celebrate Maundy Thursday — the night when we remember the Last Supper of Christ — as he was sitting around the table with his disciples…

Matthew 26:27–28 ESV

27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Even Jesus himself said that his sacrifice on the cross would be for many, not for all. This is why the invitation to believe is so important — for when the invitation to believe is extended, people will respond. Not everyone will respond, but many will. And — when they do — when you respond to the news of what Jesus has done — and believe in him — your sins are forgiven, which means your sins are not yours to bear any longer, but were sins carried by Christ — paid for in full — on the cross.

INTERCESSION FOR SINNERS

We’re to our fourth promise — intercession for sinners. Isaiah prophesies that this individual, who would die, have a mistaken identity, and bear the sins of many, would also intercede for sinners. Here’s how Isaiah says it.

Isaiah 53:12 ESV

12 Yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Intercession is a priestly role. It’s the role of an intermediary. Where the priest stands between the people and God and intercedes on their behalf — asking God to forgive their sins — to answer their prayers — to heal them, and so on. And Isaiah says that the Messiah will intercede for the transgressors. To which the author of Hebrews writes…

Hebrews 7:25 ESV

25 Consequently (because Jesus is our permanent High Priest), he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

And as the apostle Paul tells us…

Romans 8:34–39 NIV

34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus — the Savior and Lord of his people — is also their Intercessor. He mediates between our Father who is perfect in Heaven and us. He stands between us — not because he’s warding off an angry Father — but because of the holiness and justice of our God. Jesus intercedes on our behalf — protecting those who are his own — who he bore the sins of — who he so identified with that he’s guaranteed to us that his Father — when he looks at us transgressors — will see his beloved Son standing in our place.

CONCLUSION: A SHARED REWARD

Finally — a shared reward. Back to our verse one last time.

Isaiah 53:12 ESV

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong…

As if all that we’ve encountered isn’t enough beauty and grace for us — as if it’s not been an overabundance of goodness and mercy — now we discover that the Messiah will divide the reward that he earned by living faithfully for God — a reward that came at the cost of his life — a reward that’s both eternal and infinite in value — this Promised One will divide his rightfully earned reward with the people he gave his life for.

And this is cause for rejoicing. This is reason for us to praise God. This is why we’re to join the apostle Peter who said…

1 Peter 1:3–5 NLT

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

Those who believe in Jesus are recipients of an inheritance that’s priceless and pure — undefiled and beyond the reach of change and decay. For God is protecting those who believe in his Son, by his almighty power. And he’ll do so until the last day — when our salvation is complete — and our inheritance received.

This is the hope of the Christian faith — a hope that Jesus secured during the final week leading up to his death and resurrection. This hope is why he came to earth. This hope is what Isaiah prophesied about hundreds of years before Jesus was born. And this hope can be yours — if you turn to Jesus in faith. Believing that he died in your place — bearing your sins on the cross. Believing that he’s interceding for you — right at this very moment — telling his Father, “This one too. This one is mine. I gave my life for him — for her.” And believing that all that Jesus earned — his eternal inheritance — he’s promised will be yours. Including eternal life, eternal victory, and his loving presence with you forever and ever. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father, thank you for speaking to us through your prophets. Individuals you called to write down your words of promise to your people, including us today. 

Holy Spirit, may you open up spiritually blind eyes, spiritually deaf ears, and give life to spiritually dead hearts, so that many respond to the news they’ve heard today. You are the Giver of life — I’m just sharing the Good News that you use to give people the faith to believe.

And, Jesus, that faith is in you and all that you did in your life, death, and resurrection on behalf of your people — the many — who will believe. Those who’ve been promised your inheritance. Those who’ve been promised that you will intercede for them. Those who’ve been promised that you’ve paid for their sins in full. Those who’ve been promised a new identity. Those who believe that you died and have risen from the grave for their eternal hope.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, may many respond to what they’ve heard and receive the hope you’re offering to them today. And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

May you respond to Jesus’ love for you and the hope he’s offering to you. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

DATE: 3-22-26

As always, it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time or if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

PASTORAL PRAYER

Each week, we spend some time praying for people, circumstances, and situations going on in our congregation, community, country, and world. Today we’ll be praying for our team headed to Cuba tomorrow. We’ll also pray for Pastor Travis Johnson — he’s the pastor of Bible Methodist Church here in Findlay and was hospitalized for a few days this past week with some health issues. We’ll pray for Southport Church — a fellow EPC Church who’s going through a challenging season. And then we’ll pray for some of our ministry partners in Beirut, Lebanon and all that they’re facing with the war going on in that area of the world.

Please join me in prayer.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his loyal love endures! 2 Let Israel say, “Yes, his loyal love endures!” 3 Let the family of Aaron say, “Yes, his loyal love endures!” 4 Let the loyal followers of the Lord say, “Yes, his loyal love endures!” 5 In my distress I cried out to the Lord. The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place. 6 The Lord is on my side, I am not afraid! What can people do to me? 7 The Lord is on my side as my helper. I look in triumph on those who hate me…14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me; he has become my deliverer.”…24 This is the day the Lord has brought about. We will be happy and rejoice in it…28 You are my God and I will give you thanks! You are my God and I will praise you! 29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his loyal love endures! – Psalm 118:1-7, 14, 24, 28-29 (ESV)

To you — our good and loving God — we lift up our team headed to Cuba tomorrow to serve the people living in a nation desperate for good news. Give them safe travels. Give them attentive ears. Give them eyes to see. And may their spirits be led by you — Spirit of God — so they do good and loving acts of service to all they encounter in the coming week.

As we turn to our local community, I want to lift up my friend and fellow pastor in Findlay — Travis Johnson. Spending days in the hospital isn’t at the top of any of our “here’s how I hope my week goes” list. As he continues to recover — I pray that the congregation he serves will serve him well. May they come alongside him and his family and lovingly care for them. May you heal him — restore him to wholeness. And may he allow this season of slowing down to be a reminder that it’s not by his strength or might — but by your strength and might — that things of eternal importance are accomplished.

Turning to our nation — God we’re so thankful for the thousands and thousands of churches that are proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. Regardless if they’re Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God, Nazarene, Evangelical Free, non-denominational, or whatever — like Paul — wherever your gospel is proclaimed is reason for us to rejoice. 

Yet often your churches experience challenging seasons because we — your people — are far from perfect. For Southport Church, we pray for the Spirit of unity to bind them together in a deep love for one another. We pray for the leadership to display godliness, wisdom, courage, and holiness. We pray for repentance — where repentance is needed — and forgiveness — where forgiveness is needed. And we pray for the powerful light of Christ to shine brightly in, among, and through this local church whom you love.

And — finally — as we turn to the world — we once again can’t help but be grieved when we hear of what’s happening around the world due to the many wars that are raging on right now. For our ministry partners in Beirut, Lebanon — for Resurrection Church and the Philemon project — we pray for great hope and wisdom in how to minister to the nearly one million refugees that have entered their country. We pray for the resources they need to provide care to so many people. We pray for rest for our ministry partners — may they trust that you are working at all times so they don’t have to. And — ultimately, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — we pray for peace in their land.

And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in the book of James this weekend. Once again — we’re learning from the younger brother of Jesus, who believed that his older brother was God. So — if you’re here today and you’re not sure about the validity of the Christian faith — take what I just said into account. Jesus’ younger brother — someone who grew up with Jesus — believed he was God. That’s quite an argument in favor of the truthfulness of Christianity. Imagine what it’d take for you to convince your siblings that you’re God — or for one of your siblings to convince you the same about them. Probably not gonna happen, right? Yet that’s exactly what we find with James and Jesus’ other siblings.

Now — in his letter — James has taken some teachings of his older brother — and is showing us how to apply what Jesus taught to everyday life. Thus — when we read this letter — we’re learning what it means to be wise — for wisdom is taking God at his Word and applying it to life. So let’s see what words of wisdom that James has for us today.

If you have your Bible — please turn with me to James chapter two. We’ll be in James chapter two — looking at verses one through thirteen together today. We’re in James chapter two — beginning in verse one. There we read…

James 2:1–13 ESV

1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

The wisdom that James has for us today will cover a variety of topics — including the sin of being prejudiced, the obedience that God requires of us, and our merciful God who shows no favoritism. That’s where we’re headed today. The sin of being prejudiced. The obedience that God requires. And our merciful God, who shows no favoritism. 

THE SIN OF BEING PREJUDICED

So let’s begin. First, the sin of being prejudiced. 

James uses the word partiality — but — in our language today — we’d use the word prejudice or showing favoritism. Let me show you. We’re in verse one again.

James 2:1 ESV

1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

If you believe in Jesus — show no partiality, James says. Now the reason why I said prejudice is a better word to help us understand what James is saying — is because of the illustration he uses to make his point. It starts in verse two where he writes…

James 2:2–4 ESV

2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

I appreciate how Eugene Peterson translates the scenario.

James 2:2–4 MSG

2 If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him, 3 and you say to the man in the suit, “Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!” and either ignore the street person or say, “Better sit here in the back row,” 4 haven’t you segregated God’s children and proved that you are judges who can’t be trusted?

Now — if you look around Gateway you won’t see men in expensive suits — “men in Lululemon pants” — most definitely — but no expensive suits — but I think you get the point. What James is talking about is making judgments about people based solely on external circumstances — such as physical appearance, social status, or race. Nothing any of us struggle with, right?

Have you seen the articles about the physical features of political candidates and who ends up getting our vote? It’s not always the case — but the data shows that often we’re not voting for the candidate with the best policies — we vote for the person who we think looks the part of a politician.

One person has said, “The world is always assessing people, sizing them up, putting them down, establishing a pecking order. And God, who sees and loves all alike, wants the church to reflect that generous, universal love in how it behaves.” Those of us who believe in Jesus are to reflect God’s generous love — while recognizing that we’re caught up in a culture where prejudice reigns.

This is why we care about how many cameras are on the back of our iPhone — two or three? Most of us aren’t doing anything with our phones that requires the best-of-the-best iPhone — yet we justify purchasing the pro version because of an underlying cultural pressure in which we’re being sized up by each other. We feel pressured to meet others’ prejudices — even when it comes to our phones.

Do you wanna hear a ridiculous story? When the iPhone first came out — I didn’t have one. But I did have an iPod Touch. For those not born in the nineteen hundreds — the iPod Touch was basically an iPhone without the phone part. It looked exactly like an iPhone even though it wasn’t an actual iPhone. Well I was at a conference and it seemed like everyone else had an iPhone. So you know what I did? I held that iPod Touch up to my ear like I was talking on an iPhone just to look like I had one. 

Ridiculous, right? Silly? What lengths we’ll go to climb the cultural prejudiced pecking order. Since I know I’m not the only one who’s done something like that — I thought we’d spend some time sharing personal stories of trying to keep up appearances. Who wants to go first? I’m totally kidding — save your stories for Life Group.

Social media’s an entire industry built on our sinful desire to compare ourselves with others — even to be prejudiced towards others — and it’s having negative effects on all of us — especially the youngest in our nation.

And — let me lovingly warn you — this is a sin much easier to see in the lives of others than it is to spot in your own life. It’s the Democrat who sees bias and prejudice in Republicans — after all, all Republicans are fascists who favor the wealthy and don’t care about the poor, right? It’s the Republican who sees bias and prejudice in Democrats — after all, all Democrats are Marxists who want to rob from the rich to give the poor undeserved handouts, right?

Living in a world that operates on partiality and favoritism has influenced all of us. Yet — the point James is making — is that — especially in the church — we’re not to demonstrate such partiality or prejudice. And his reasoning is this: When we do this, we’re practicing judgment that comes from evil thoughts. Which takes us back to a point James made in the last chapter — when he told us where the temptation to sin comes from. It comes from within us.

And look at where such prejudice leads. We’re in verse six.

James 2:6–7 ESV

6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

And skipping to verse nine, we read…

James 2:9 ESV

9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

The irony in James’ illustration is better understood when we realize that the early church was predominantly made up of those who were poor. There were some wealthy people who believed in Jesus — but for the most part — the message of the gospel was welcomed by the poor to a greater degree than those who were wealthy. Thus — the irony I was speaking of — is that one could easily conceive that the poor person — in James’s illustration — was a fellow Christian — while the rich person — in the illustration — was not a believer. Thus — the sin of favoritism — was actually pushing fellow followers of Jesus to the side to make room for a person who — for no other reason than their wealth — was given top-notch service.

Now — James — in using the rich and poor in his illustration — probably had some Old Testament passages on his mind when he wrote these words. Such as…

Leviticus 19:15 NLT

15 “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.

Notice how this Old Testament passage warns against showing favoritism to the poor and the rich. Statuses — like rich and poor — are not justification for sinful partiality or favoritism. So too categories like Black and White. As well as male and female. And dare I even say — Ohio State or Michigan — which may be crossing a line for some of you. 🙂

THE OBEDIENCE THAT GOD REQUIRES

Which leads us to the obedience that God requires. We’ve been told what not to do — don’t show partiality or favoritism — but what are we to do? We find our answer in verse eight.

James 2:8 ESV

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

The royal — or supreme — law of God is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. This commandment is first found in the Old Testament.

Leviticus 19:18 NLT

18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

And Jesus affirmed this commandment when he was asked…

Matthew 22:36–39 ESV

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

This is often referred to as the Great Commandment — and yes — it’s a two-parter: Love God and love your neighbor. And — as some of you may know — in Luke’s gospel — this commandment was brought up to see if there was any wiggle room when it comes to showing favoritism in who we’re willing to love. Here’s how Luke records the moment.

Luke 10:25–37 NLT

25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” 27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” 29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. 31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. 33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ 36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. 37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

The expert in religious law — the equivalent of a religious lawyer — like the majority of the Jewish leaders of his day — was prejudiced towards the Samaritan people. The history of Jews and Samaritans went back centuries — leading to a prejudice in Jesus’ day that resulted in things like Jewish people refusing to even cross through the land where the Samaritans lived. And the Jewish people saw no conflict in their prejudice towards the Samaritans and their faithfulness to Yahweh. I wonder how many Christians today see no conflict in their prejudice towards certain groups of people and their faithfulness to Jesus?

But this conflict is what Jesus went right for — Jesus went straight for the lawyer’s prejudiced jugular when he made the Samaritan the hero of his story. The Samaritan is the one who loves the Jewish man who’d been left for dead. It wasn’t the priest who demonstrated love to his fellow Jew — neither was it the Temple assistant — a Levite — which was the tribe of Israel specifically called to a life of service to Yahweh. Neither of these Jewish men demonstrated love for his fellow Jew. It’s the despised Samaritan — he’s the one who loved his neighbor as himself.

Yet there’s even more for us to learn from this commandment. For the commandment — to love our neighbor — helps us understand that showing favoritism and showing honor are not the same. For example, when we read…

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 NLT

12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work.

We’re not showing partiality — or showing favoritism — when we honor, respect, and demonstrate love for those who lead us in the church. Just as we’re simply obeying God’s word when we…

Romans 13:7 NLT

7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

I bring this up because — sometimes in the cry of “don’t show favoritism” — we may intentionally or unintentionally justify disobeying other commands that God’s given to us. And we may even judge others for showing favoritism when that’s not the case. 

All that to say: Be careful about playing the favoritism police in other people’s lives. Examine your own life first — and the areas where you’re prone to show favoritism or not love your neighbor. Become an expert in your own heart’s sinful desires and pursue spiritual growth and obedience to all of God’s commands. For if we — those who follow Jesus — spend more time focused on our own spiritual growth — we’d all be pleasantly surprised to discover that everyone else is making good progress right along with us.

CONCLUSION: THE MERCIFUL GOD WHO SHOWS NO FAVORITISM

Which leads us to the motivation James gives us — what should motivate us to obey the commands he’s given us? We’re in verse five.

James 2:5 ESV

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

And in verse ten we read…

James 2:10–13 ESV

10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Earlier, the command was to show no partiality. And — in addition to all that we’ve already encountered — another reason — really the most compelling reason as to why we’re not to show partiality — is because the God we worship is an impartial God.

And this isn’t just James’ idea. The apostle Paul made this comment about some people in the church who were considered important by others. He said…

Galatians 2:6 NLT

6 By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.

About God’s just judgment — to the Christians in Rome — Paul wrote…

Romans 2:6–11 NLT

6 He (God) will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

To other Christians, Paul writes…

Colossians 3:23–25 NLT

23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. 25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.

If you believe in Jesus, you believe in a God who judges you — not according to what you deserve — but according to his mercy. For what do you deserve? Eternal death. Why? Because you’ve broken God’s commandments. And James makes it clear — it doesn’t matter if you haven’t broken the big ones — maybe you’ve never murdered anyone — but, James says, “If you’ve broken one commandment, you’ve failed.” The standard — when it comes to the law — is perfection. There’s no wiggle room with the law. You either obey all of God’s commands or you fail the test. For it’s all or nothing when it comes to being right with God by the law.

Thus — if God were to judge you based on external appearances — he would’ve found you guilty just like every other human to have lived — because you’ve broken his law. And a guilty verdict is his just judgment for all of humanity. God doesn’t overlook the external factors of some of us. Those who are saved aren’t saved because God winks an eye at the sin we’ve committed, while he punishes others because of what he sees — if he did so, that would be God showing partiality. But God’s not partial!

So, how is anyone saved? For we’ve all sinned — we’ve all broken God’s law and have failed to meet the standard set by his law. If we’re all lawbreakers, how is anyone saved?

We’re saved not because God overlooks what we’ve done — we’re saved because he — in love — looks to what his Son did in our place.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Here’s what this means. On the cross — what the Father saw — when he looked at his Son on the cross — was our sin. Though Jesus was the rich man — to use James’ illustration — he became the poor man on our behalf. And God judged Christ in our place accordingly. But that’s not all. Now — because of our faith in his Son — when God looks at us, what he sees is Christ — he sees us as the rich man — the perfect man. How amazing and baffling and unbelievable — yet it makes your heart sing — believably true is that?

At this point, someone may respond with, “Well, how is any of that fair? If — as James says — God’s done the choosing of who will receive salvation — how isn’t all of this just favoritism on God’s part?” And my response is, “Mercy and favoritism are not the same. In fact, they’re complete opposites.” 

Mercy is God giving to someone his good favor — even though they don’t deserve it. And everyone who receives his mercy doesn’t deserve it. And what God has revealed about himself — throughout the Bible — is his plan to be merciful to people of all classes, races, nationalities, genders, ages, and languages — including men who wear expensive suits or Lululemon pants and those who prefer Levi jeans. He’s as unbiased in distributing his mercy as one could ever be.

And — yet — the fact that God isn’t merciful towards everyone makes us think that somehow he’s impartial. Why wouldn’t he just give mercy to everyone? If I had that answer, I’d write a bestseller. But what I do know is this: God isn’t required to be merciful towards any of us. And the fact that he is merciful towards some isn’t a reason for us to demand that he must be merciful towards all. Mercy isn’t mercy if it must be given. For though mercy triumphs over judgment, mercy doesn’t negate God’s just judgment towards those who reject what Christ has done.

But let’s end — not in theological theory — but in real life. As it stands right now, which are you the recipient of? God’s mercy or his judgment? 

God’s mercy is being offered to you today — for you’re hearing the voice of God call out to you. God’s words of wisdom are telling you to turn from your sin and turn to Jesus in faith. And that’s undeserved — just hearing this news is an act of God’s mercy towards you. But his judgment will come for those who think there’s no need for God’s mercy in their life. For those who reject his mercy — who hear his voice of wisdom and say, “I’d rather not — I know a better way” — will experience his judgment. 

Mercy triumphs over judgment. Which will prove triumphant in your life? Let’s pray.

PRAYER

God, thank you for being merciful. Where your mercy is undeserved — your judgment is what we all deserve. For we’ve all sinned — we’ve all demonstrated prejudice — we’ve all failed to love our neighbors — we’ve all rebelled against you — we’ve all disobeyed your commands. May we — who’ve received your mercy — marvel at this gift that’s been given to us.

Holy Spirit, may you stir in the hearts of many listening to me to respond to your mercy. For they are hearing your voice — right now — saying, “Turn from your sin. Turn from your pride. Turn from doing life your way. And turn to Christ and the mercy of God.” Spirit, do the work of salvation that only you can do so that mercy might triumph over judgment in many lives today.

And — Jesus — our hope in the promise — that mercy triumphs over judgment — is because of the sacrifice you made in our place on the cross for our sins. You — the rich man of Heaven — the One deserving honor and the best seat at every table — humbled yourself. Became poor. Gave up your seat at the table, pulled back the chair, and invited us to sit down in your place. What grace. What mercy. What favor. What blessing to all who respond to your offer and take the seat offered to us and rest — trusting you alone for our salvation.

Father, Son, and Spirit — as you offer us all a seat right now — the seat of faith — the seat of mercy — the seat of eternal forgiveness leading to eternal life — we thank you and now praise you in song. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

As you go, remember that God’s mercy triumphs over his judgment for all who obey his words of wisdom. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.