DATE: 2-22-26

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 — 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.

PASTORAL PRAYER

A few weeks ago, we reintroduced an ancient practice to our worship services — a time of pastoral prayer. Where — each week — we’re being more intentional about praying for people, circumstances, and situations going on in our congregation, community, country, and world. 

Today we’ll be praying for our friends in Bucyrus. This is their last Sunday with us — as their new pastor begins next week. We’ll pray for those who serve our community as emergency medical responders. We’ll pray for those who serve in the military. And we’ll pray for our Christian witness around the world as this is the first Sunday of Lent. 

Please join me in prayer.

Heavenly Father, what a gracious God you are. For every good and perfect gift comes from you — including the gift of fellowship with our friends in Bucyrus. And how thankful we are that they’ve found a pastor to lead them. May you bless them in the weeks and months ahead as they and their new pastor get to know each other. May you forge a sweet relationship between him and the elders. Spirit, may you unite the congregation together in a common purpose — and that purpose isn’t finished now that a pastor has been called — for the purpose you’ve called your church to — wherever she is found — is to go and make disciples of all nations. So may the arrival of their new pastor be the beginning of a new and fruitful season of making disciples of Jesus Christ. 

As we turn our attention to our local community, we lift up to you those who serve as emergency medical responders. Spirit of God, give them quick thinking, wisdom, and steady hands as they help those in need of their service. And we ask you to help them to not only live trying to save the lives of others — but may you help them to live life themselves. To live the abundant life that’s only possible through faith in Jesus Christ.

For our nation’s military — first — we thank you that they’re willing to serve us by protecting our freedom as a nation. As someone who’s served — the further I’m removed from my time in the military — the more I see how precious a thing it is to have others who are willing to give their life so that we can experience the freedoms we have in our country. Even the freedom to disagree with the decisions our military makes is a freedom they’ve secured on our behalf. May you protect them. May you give those in leadership wisdom from on high. And may all of us — no matter our political views — be grateful for those who protect the freedoms we have.

And — finally — as many Christians around the world participate in the season of Lent — the forty days between now and Easter symbolizing the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness before being tempted by Satan — may those who participate — and even those who don’t — recognize and respond to what Jesus accomplished on our behalf during those forty days. Jesus, thank you for denying yourself and overcoming the temptations you faced. The times that we’ve done the opposite are countless — and it’s only by your grace that we find forgiveness when we come to you in repentance and faith. 

May all of us — who believe in Christ — recognize what a gift it is to repent of our sins. What a gift it is to believe in Jesus Christ. What a good and perfect gift salvation is — and may we show the world what wonderful gifts these are — during Lent — and throughout the entire year.

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

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 the Son of God. And James seems to have taken Jesus at his word — for much of what we read in James — appears to be mini-sermons — explaining, illustrating, and applying what Jesus had taught. So there’s much wisdom for us to gain from what we find in this book — including what James has for us today.

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

James 1:16–18 ESV

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

This is going to be a very theological sermon. But the goal isn’t for this to just be a sermon for our minds — the goal is for this to be a sermon that penetrates our hearts. For what we’re going to discover today — about God and salvation — is meant to stir not only our minds — but is to excite our hearts as well. Let me explain what I mean.

If you were here with us last week — when we saw God’s purpose in the trials we experience in life — we uncovered a truth about where temptation comes from — and it was a sobering truth. For temptation — we saw — comes from within us — from what’s called our sin nature. In and of ourselves we’re not pure — we’re tainted by sin. It’s the condition we’re born in because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God in the Garden.

Yet we also saw how — one of the habits of our sinful hearts — is to find someone else to blame for the temptation we give into — for we stubbornly refuse to acknowledge that temptation comes from within us — so we look outside ourselves. And it’s quite common to throw blame right at God. But James told us that — not only is God not tempted by evil — he also doesn’t tempt us with evil. Meaning — the temptations we face don’t come from God.

We also learned that temptation — when given into — leads to sin. And sin always takes from us — ultimately taking away life — for sin — James tells us — leads to death. And — death — is the ultimate taking away from.

So — in arguing against the belief that God’s the one tempting us and — instead — arguing that temptation comes from within us — James now says…

James 1:16 ESV

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

Don’t be deceived. That’s the only command in our verses. So — if you want to know what you’re to do today — this is it: Don’t be deceived. Don’t be misled from having a true and proper belief about where temptation comes from.

The Bible gives us many warnings about being deceived. For instance, why are we deceived? According to Jesus…

Matthew 22:29 NET

29 “You are deceived, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God.

While others will be deceived by…

Matthew 24:24 NLT

24 False messiahs and false prophets [who] will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.

Or — in a quite memorable way — Paul warns…

1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV

33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

And the consequences for being deceived are severe.

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 ESV

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

And none of us are above being deceived. In fact — especially those of us who believe in Jesus should remember how…

Titus 3:3 NIV

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

So…don’t be deceived! Don’t be fooled! Don’t blame God for tempting you to do evil when what’s to blame is the sin within you.

ON GOD

That’s the command James uses to transition us from last week’s text to our verses for today. And — now — he’ll show us how great God is. We’re in verse seventeen.

James 1:17 ESV

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

In this verse we find incredible truths about God. We find that he’s generous, unchanging, and is light.

First, God is abundantly generous to us. James tells us this in saying that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” 

Now — when I read this verse — the question that came to my mind was, “What’s the difference between a good gift and a perfect gift?” And I don’t know that I discovered any great difference other than what’s pretty obvious: a good gift is something with positive qualities whereas a perfect gift — is just that — perfect — complete — without any deficiency.

Good gifts are something we humans can give. As Jesus says…

Matthew 7:11 ESV

11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Obviously Jesus is helping us to question something we so often doubt — something James is reiterating to us: Is God good? Will he be good towards me? 

What Jesus and James are saying is that — because our Father in Heaven is good — he only gives good gifts to his children. To stress his point — Jesus mentions how we humans — as imperfect as we are — have managed to figure out how to give good gifts to our children. And then he says — how much more so does your perfect God know how to give good gifts to his children?

Now the perfect gift — that James refers to — is something we’ll come back to. But our first truth about God is that he is gracious.

Second, God is unchanging. About God — James says — “There’s no variation or shadow due to change.”

Variation is a word that means “mutation or a change of position” — and change means a “turning around or reversing course.” So what great news! God doesn’t change. As Scripture tells us…

Malachi 3:6 ESV

6 “For I the Lord do not change…

And…

Hebrews 13:8 ESV

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

God doesn’t change — which means — when you read of God — in the Bible — you’re reading about who God is today — and who he’ll always be. God doesn’t waver in who he is — like we do. Who he is isn’t a response to anyone or anything else. 

• He’s not loving because we’re worthy of his love. He’s loving because he is love. 
• He’s kind because he’s kind. 
• He’s merciful because he’s merciful. 
• He’s just because he’s just. 
• He’s good because he’s good.

With God you get exactly who he says he is — every single time. That’s why we must take him at his word — which means you have to know his word. Let him tell you who he is — to do anything else — is the ultimate act of foolishness.

God is gracious. And God doesn’t change. And — third — he’s the Father of lights. As the apostle John also tells us…

1 John 1:5 ESV

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

God is light and in him is no darkness — which is why he’s the Father of lights. Light represents purity — holiness — being completely separate and untainted by evil. And God’s purifying light is so bright and powerful and holy that nothing can block — or interfere with — his light. Nothing stands between God’s light and where he wants it to shine — which is why his light never casts a shadow. For a shadow is what happens when something interrupts light — but nothing can stop God’s light from shining wherever he wants it to shine.

In his gospel — John begins his words about Jesus this way.

John 1:1–5 NLT

1 In the beginning the Word (that’s Jesus) already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John goes on to say…

John 1:9–14 NLT

9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn — not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. 14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

The Father of lights sent his Son — who is the light of the world — to shine the message of salvation — so that a world clothed in darkness might have hope.

God is gracious. God doesn’t change. And God is light.

ON SALVATION

But there’s one more truth about God that we discover in the next verse — verse eighteen — which is also where we’ll discover the perfect gift that God gives to his children.

James 1:18 ESV

18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Here James focuses on the topic of salvation. But — before we get to salvation — let me explain what’s about to happen. A few weeks ago — I had some guys in my office — and I was showing them how I prepare my sermons — how I take a few verses — like our three verses for today — and end up with a sermon. 

Quite often — a lot of the work that I do in sermon preparation — is actually in my sermon — if you know what to listen for. But I’m going to make it even more clear for you all today as we talk about salvation. So imagine — if you will — that I’ve invited you into my office to show you how I prepare a sermon.

When I’m preparing a sermon — and this can apply to any time you read the Bible — but preparing a sermon is a time when I slow things way down. And while I’m reading the Bible passage — I’m constantly asking questions about the text. And when I tell you the questions I ask you’re going to think, “There’s no way it’s that simple.” I promise — it’s really as simple as what I’m about to tell you. Of course there’s an anointing by the Holy Spirit that makes what one person does — with this process — and spiritually multiplies it to be used for others through preaching — but any follower of Jesus can look at a text, ask the questions that I’m about to share with you, and better understand the Bible.

So here are the secret, mysterious, “got you on the edge of your seat” questions that I ask when I’m preparing a sermon. Are you ready? Got your pen and paper — or your notes app open? Here they are:

• Who?
• What?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?
• And how?

Anybody’s mind blown right now?

That’s right — who, what, when, where, why, and how — questions you learned to ask back in elementary school! Some of you can’t believe that what I’m saying is true — so let me show you.

Here’s our verse again — and then we’ll ask it some questions. About salvation — James writes…

James 1:18 ESV

18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

So let’s ask a question: Who? Who’s will is James referring to? Who’s will is it for people to be saved? James writes…

James 1:18 ESV

18 Of his own will…

Who does the word “his” refer to? God the Father. How do we know? Because the Father is the last “who” referred to in our verses.

So look at what James is telling us: God is the one doing the action in our salvation. This is one way to describe God’s sovereignty in our salvation. God’s sovereignty means that God’s in control of all things. And what James is telling us is that — the act of salvation — is an act done to us — it’s not something we do. And — to prove his point — James uses a phrase that’s meant to bring to mind an illustration.

James 1:18 ESV

18 Of his own will he brought us forth…

The phrase “brought us forth” is the same phrase he used in verse fifteen when he said…

James 1:15 ESV

15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

So what does “brings forth” mean — what is James describing? He’s describing what theologians have called regeneration — or the new birth — or being born again. This is the moment where the Spirit of God gives life to our spiritually dead and stone-like hearts — awakening us to the truth of who Jesus is — leading to our repentance and faith. And — remember — this is of God’s own will and he’s the one bringing us forth — this is an act of God.

Now — I did say that — regeneration does lead to repentance and faith. Repentance is our turning away from sin and rebellion against God — and faith is our turning to Jesus — trusting in him alone for our salvation. Repentance and faith are our choice — we make the decision to repent and believe — this is what is called conversion. But prior to our repentance and faith is a work of God — where he transforms the condition of our heart — so that we can repent and believe in Jesus.

Here’s what Jesus had to say on this topic when he spoke to a man named Nicodemus.

John 3:1–8 NLT

1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

“You must be born again,” Jesus says. “And humans can’t do this — only the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.” For — just as sin “brings forth death” — God is the one who “brings forth spiritual life.”

Often — at this point — many people — including many Christians — have a strong reaction against the idea that God — according to his own will — is the one who brings forth new life in those who believe. This is why the illustration of giving birth is so helpful — because — in the illustration that Jesus gives — we’re the baby being born. 

The mom gives birth — the baby is born. No one says, “The baby gave birth to itself” — the mom gives birth. And James and Jesus both say that God is the one who gives spiritual birth to his people. We don’t spiritually birth ourselves — we can’t. But we do respond to the spiritual birth that God gives. And — just like a baby in the womb — there’s nothing that baby can do to stop itself from being born. It may fight. It may fuss. It may even turn itself around and force the doctors to do a C-section — but — it’s gonna be born. So too when it comes to God giving new life to his children.

OK. So God the Father is the “who” — and “what” he’s doing is giving us spiritual birth — but “how” — “how” does this new birth take place? Back to our verse again?

James 1:18 ESV

18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth…

God the Father gives us new life by the word of truth. And what’s the word of truth? The word of truth is the Word that is truth. As the apostle Peter says…

1 Peter 1:23 NLT

23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

Notice how Peter uses the same born again language. And how being born again leads to a new and eternal life. And this new life is eternal because it comes from where? It comes from the eternal, living word of God. And what is the word of God?

That’s a bit of a trick question. For we learn in the Bible that the word of God is both Jesus — as we saw in the gospel of John — and Scripture. But — here — James is referring to the Bible — the written word of God. 

The Bible is God’s Word and it is both true and truth. And the message of salvation — what’s called the gospel — is found in this book. Yes — the gospel can be shared to a friend over lunch without a Bible present — but the message being shared comes from the Bible. And the message of the Bible is the means by which God brings forth new life and saves his people.

As you heard me say in a sermon a few weeks ago — God’s Word to us is his generosity on display — it’s one of his good gifts to us. And it’s a gift — not only to those who believe — but to those who’ve yet to believe.

Hebrews 4:12 NLT

12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

And what’s the result of the word of God being alive and powerful? One result is that…

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NLT

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

And one way that God’s word accomplishes this purpose is when pastors…

2 Timothy 2:15 ESV

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

And pastors are to rightly handle the word of truth because they’re called to…

2 Timothy 4:2 NLT

2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

And — through the preached Word — God calls people out of spiritual death and darkness — and into new life that’s found in his marvelous and saving light.

So God the Father uses the word of truth — the gospel — to give us new life. But why does God do this? Back to our verse one last time.

James 1:18 ESV

18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Why does God save us? So that we’d be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. So what does that mean?

If you’re thinking, “OK, Josh. We get it. You’re laying all of the who, what, where, when, why, and how on pretty thick right now” — I’d encourage you to take note of how often you hear them in future sermons — or go listen to some past sermons if you’re up for it. For — not only am I preaching a sermon — I’m modeling for you how to read the Bible so that you get the most out of it when you do. And the sermons you hear should make you a better interpreter of the Bible when you read it — which is why I’m taking time to show you how to understand God’s Word when you read it.

So back to us being firstfruits of God’s creatures — what does James mean by that? It means that we’re God’s choice offering — meaning — God considers us the first of all of his creation. 

Paul uses the term this way in writing to Christians in Thessalonica.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV

13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

Notice — again — who’s doing the act of salvation here? God is. “God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved,” Paul says. The Bible’s quite consistent and clear when it comes to salvation. Yet I think firstfruits — in addition to meaning God’s choice offering — gets a bit clearer in its meaning — in another of Paul’s letters. In a section where he also writes about our salvation.

Ephesians 2:1–10 NLT

1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil — the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Though we were once spiritually dead because of our sins — living just like the rest of the unbelieving world as children of the devil — following the desires of our sin nature — subject to God’s wrath and just judgment like everyone else — “but God,” Paul says. There’s God in action once again. “But God” — this God who is abundantly generous, who never changes, and who’s sovereign — “but God, who’s rich in mercy and love, gave us life” — and he raised us up from the dead by the power of Christ’s resurrection. And this is all by grace — it’s undeserved — it can’t be earned — it’s a total and completely free gift from God to his people.

And now we get to the firstfruits part: Why did God do all of this? So that he can show the rest of his creation how gracious and kind he is towards his people. So that he can show all of his creation what he’s done — through Christ — for his beloved children. That’s what it means for his people to be his firstfruits. This is what it means for you — if you believe in Jesus. 

It means that God is lavishing his grace and kindness and favor and mercy and power and love on you — so that the world may know how generous he is — and will always be — to his people — for he is the unchanging God. To be God’s firstfruits means that you’re his masterpiece — and it means he has a specific plan for you — a life to live — a mission to accomplish — so that the world may know of his great and never-ending love for his people.

CONCLUSION

Friends, do you see where James has taken us today? As one person has said, “Far from enticing [us] to evil, God is the source of every good gift, one of the greatest of which is the new birth.”

When you hear me say, “God loves you” — know that this is what I mean by those three words. May you rest in God’s generous, unchanging, and saving love towards you. May you soak it in. May you embrace his love. May you enjoy him and his love for you. May you respond to his love. May you have hope because of his love. And may you show the world what it means to be loved by the God who saves. For he’s the giver of every good and perfect gift — and he is lavishing gifts on you so that the world may know how generous he is to his children. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Gracious and generous Father, we marvel at who you are. We’re in awe. We feel the holy weight of your love towards us right now — and it feels good.

Holy Spirit, may you take your word preached — and use it to give new life to some who are listening. And may you do so at this very moment. For that woman who came here today feeling hopeless — give her eternal hope. For that man who came here today feeling dead inside — may you raise him from the grave and give him new life. For that college student who’s been overwhelmed — may you draw them to the Prince of peace. Spirit, whoever they are — those who — according to God’s own will today is the day of salvation — may you give them life.

And — Jesus — this new life is only possible because you gave your life on the cross for our sins. The good and perfect gift of salvation is ours because you gave the good and perfect gift of your life on our behalf because of your eternal love for us. Thank you for loving us — and for proving your love for us on the cross. We pray all of this in your name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available / If you’ve responded, please stop by the Resource Center)

Whoever you are — Christian or not — may you respond to God’s generous, unchanging, and saving love towards you. Amen.

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

DATE: 2-15-26

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.

PASTORAL PRAYER

Last week we reintroduced an ancient practice in our worship service — a time of pastoral prayer. Where — each week — we’ll be more intentional about praying for people, circumstances, and situations going on in our congregation, community, country, and world. 

Today we’ll be praying for the marriages in our congregation, for Findlay High School students — as they grieve due to one of their classmates taking his life this past week — for president Trump, and for Muslims around the world as Ramadan begins this week. 

So — with that — please join me in prayer.

Heavenly Father, what a faithful God you are. When we are faithless — you remain faithful — for faithful is who you are. 

Faithful is something you call us to be in our relationships as husbands and wives. You tell us to, “Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.” (Heb 13:4 NLT) You command husbands to, “love your wives, just as Christ loved the church.” (Eph. 5:25b) And wives are to “respect her husband.” (Eph. 5:33b NLT)

Holy Spirit, empower the husbands and wives among us so that we are faithful to our spouses demonstrating our faithfulness to you. For one cannot claim faithfulness to God while being unfaithful to our spouse. Thank you for these commands and your vision of what our marriages are to be. And thank you for empowering and equipping us to fulfill your vision for marriage.

For our community — we lift up Findlay High School, the students who attend, the teachers and staff, and especially the family of the student who took his life this past week. Father, Son, and Spirit, may you lead, guide, and direct pastor Chris as he ministers to this family in their time of deep grief. For the students who are in shock, confused, perhaps feeling hopeless — may the staff, teachers, coaches, and others who follow Jesus — be used by you to give comfort, hope, and peace in the days ahead. 

Tomorrow our nation celebrates president’s day. So it seems fitting to lift up our nation’s president to you today. Father, may you draw President Trump closer to you. I have no idea the condition of his heart or his faith in you — I don’t personally know the man — so I ask that you do the work in his heart that will bring you the most glory. Help him to recognize the potential he has to point people to Christ and may he use the influence you’ve given him to do so. 

And for our world, we pray for the billions of Muslims as this week begins Ramadan for them. During the weeks ahead — as they seek our spiritual truth — Jesus may you awaken their hearts to you — the one who is the way, the truth, and the life. Spirit, give them eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to receive the truth about who Jesus is so they believe in him and find everlasting life. 

We pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in James this weekend. We’ve been learning what it means to be wise from the younger brother of Jesus on a variety of topics. And today’s topic — like the ones we’ve previously looked at — is practical for all of us — Christian or not. So let’s see what wisdom wants to teach us today.

If you have your Bible, please turn with me to James chapter one. We’ll be in James chapter one — beginning in verse twelve. There we read…

James 1:12–15 ESV

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 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. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

We’re going to do something different today — and that is — we’re going to start at the end of our verses and work our way back to the beginning. We’re doing so because this will lead us to James’ point — which he states in verse twelve. And I don’t want us to forget his point — so we’ll save it until the end.

So this backwards journey of ours will begin by looking at where temptation comes from. Then we’ll see a way that God is not like us. And — finally — we’ll discover God’s purpose in our trials.

Where temptation comes from. How God is not like us. And God’s purpose in our trials.

WHERE TEMPTATION COMES FROM

So — first — where does temptation come from? We’re in verse fourteen.

James 1:14–15 ESV

14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Now — to me — these two verses are like a bad version — or a bizzaro world version — of one of Jesus’ parables. If you don’t know — a parable is a short story that teaches a moral truth — and Jesus loved to use parables to teach his listeners. And — the parable I’m thinking of — is the parable of the soils.

We’ll look at this parable in a few weeks but — for now — know that it’s a story where Jesus compares our hearts to different kinds of soil. And Jesus’ point is that when the message of hope — what’s called the gospel — the news of what Jesus has accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection — when the gospel is heard — it’s similar to a farmer throwing seed out onto a field. The seeds that are thrown are all the same — what matters is the condition of the soil on which the seed lands. And Jesus’ point for his listeners — and us — is for us to each examine the condition of our hearts and our receptivity to the gospel message.

Now here — in James —we have a similar opportunity — an opportunity to examine our hearts. For our heart is either soil that produces a gospel harvest — a harvest of life — or — as James is making clear — our heart is soil that produces death. Because James says that those who — when tempted — give into the lure and enticement of their desires — James says that these people create the right conditions for the seed of those desires to give birth to sin — which — when matured — leads to death. Jesus talks about a seed that produces life — while James talks about a seed — or a desire of our heart — that produces death. 

Something interesting to be aware of is that the word James uses — that we translate as “desire” — is a neutral word. Meaning — though we may read into his statement “sinful desires” — that’s not what James meant. He simply means “desires” — and desires can be good, neutral, or sinful. But by using this neutral word for “desire” — what James is saying is that — even non-sinful desires — can lead to death. For even good desires can lead to sinful decisions when — instead of trusting God and his timing — we do whatever we can to get what we want.

This is the individual who desires to be married — a good desire — and — instead of waiting for God’s timing — takes things into his own hands and finds himself married to someone who does not love Jesus. And — inevitably — the person who doesn’t love Jesus influences the person who does more than the other way around. As a pastor — I’m telling you — this is just how it works. Thus — this non-sinful desire — to be married — results in a life that seems more like death. Why? Because sin controls the marriage you’re in.

That’s just one example that shows how our desires can entice us. Now the word “entice” means “to be baited.” This is where the desire we have — again — not necessarily a sinful desire — but this is where a desire we have is like a worm on a hook baiting us to take a bite.

“Wait. Josh, are you saying we’re the fish?”

In what James is describing to us — yes — that’s exactly what I’m saying. We’re the fish — not the one fishing.

Now the Bible does give us some examples of what the fishermen are like — those who are trying to entice — or bait us — by our desires. The apostle Peter tells us…

2 Peter 2:12–14 NET

12 But these men, like irrational animals — creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed — do not understand whom they are insulting, and consequently in their destruction they will be destroyed,13 suffering harm as the wages for their harmful ways. By considering it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight, they are stains and blemishes, indulging in their deceitful pleasures when they feast together with you. 14 Their eyes, full of adultery, never stop sinning; they entice unstable people. They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children!

“They entice unstable people” — which reminds me of all of the “tossing to and fro by the winds and waves” imagery that James used earlier in his letter.

Peter goes on to say…

2 Peter 2:18–19 NET

18 For by speaking high-sounding but empty words they are able to entice, with fleshly desires and with debauchery, people who have just escaped from those who reside in error.19 Although these false teachers promise such people freedom, they themselves are enslaved to immorality. For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved.

So these false teachers lure people — even God’s people! — into sin and corruption by getting us to bite down on the hook so they can reel us into death. But notice how they hook us. They appeal to our desires and promise us that freedom will be the result of us getting what we want — only to enslave us all over again to the sin we were freed from.

Again — James warns us…

James 1:14 ESV

14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

We’ve looked at the words “desire” and “entice” — now the word “lured.” The word that James uses — that’s translated as “lured” — is only used here in the New Testament. And the word means “to be dragged away.”

So — back to our fishing illustration. Our desires — sinful or not — bait us like a worm on a hook to a fish. And — once we’ve taken the bait — we’re then dragged off in a direction we do not want to go — towards death — just like a fish on the end of a line.

Friends — my concern right now is that some of us think we’re above being dragged off — against our will — in the direction towards death. We think such things may happen to others, but not to me. And such thinking is exactly what false teachers — used by our enemy, Satan — use to get us hooked on their lines of deceit and lies.

• It’s the husband who thinks that a little porn is OK. You’re on the line being dragged to death.
• It’s the student who thinks a little cheating is OK. You’re on the line being dragged to death.
• It’s that extra glass of wine to numb you to the pain you don’t want to face. 
• Making the time to scroll on social media while never finding time to be in God’s Word.

This isn’t meant to make you fearful of the desires you have — but is meant to make sure that all of your desires are submitted to God and his authority over your life. Because — the answer to our question — where does temptation come from — is: It comes from within us — from within you. That’s what James is telling us.

Though outside factors may play a role — ultimately — we’re responsible for the decisions we make — you’re responsible for whether or not you give into your desires — for whether or not you take the bait and get dragged off in a direction you never intended to head in.

GOD IS NOT LIKE US

But there’s someone who tends to get more of the blame than others — when it comes to us taking the bait. And — unfortunately — it’s not the false teachers that we just learned of. It’s not even Satan. And it’s definitely not ourselves. No — usually at the top of mankind’s go to for casting blame — is God. So let’s see what James has to say about God and our temptations. We’re in verse thirteen.

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.

Here — James pushes against what many people believe. Because it’s our nature — in not wanting to be responsible for giving into our desires — to look for someone else to blame. And many people have no issue in blaming God. 

“If God’s really in control of everything — as you Christians say you believe — then he shouldn’t have put that drink in my hand, or that porn on the internet, or that opportunity to cheat on my spouse in my life.”

Yet James say’s, “God does not tempt us with evil” — which is another way of saying that God doesn’t tempt us to sin. James also gives us a profound truth about God — for he tells us that God also can’t be tempted with evil.

You see — God is holy — which means he’s completely pure and without sin. Thus he has no inclination to sin or to be tempted by it. God is also righteous — which means he only does what is right — and — he does what is right all the time — in every situation — including every situation in your life — Christian or not.

So the question then becomes, “If God can’t be tempted with evil — and if he doesn’t tempt us with evil — then what’s his purpose in the trials — or temptations — that we face? Because he doesn’t stop them. And — if he doesn’t stop them — then what’s his purpose in them?” For as Scripture tells us…

Romans 8:28 NLT

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

And “everything” means “everything.” Nothing is excluded. So what’s God’s purpose — or his goal — in us facing temptation?

We find our answer in two Old Testament accounts that would’ve been familiar to James and his original readers. One is from the book of Job — and the life of the man for whom the book of Job is named. And the other is from the book of Genesis — from the life of Abraham.

First — Job’s story. Job’s story begins this way.

Job 1:1–5 NLT

1 There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless — a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area. 4 Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. 5 When these celebrations ended — sometimes after several days — Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.

Here we learn that Job is blameless, a man of integrity, he feared God, and he avoided evil. We learn about his family and his wealth. And we even learn that he offered sacrifices to God on behalf of his children — just in case they had sinned. If ever there was a man devoted to God — it was Job.

But — after these opening words — quite possibly one of the strangest events in all of the Bible takes place. We’re taken to the heavenly court — where angels are present before God— and Satan’s there too! And here’s what happens.

Job 1:7–12 NLT

7 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan. Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.” 8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless — a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” 9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” 12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

Now what comes next is a shock. We learn that Satan takes everything away from Job: his animals, his wealth, and even his children — they’re all killed. It’s one blow after another after another. And how does Job respond to all of this tragedy?

Job 1:20–22 NLT

20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” 22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

As you can imagine — Job’s response did not please Satan. So we’re taken back to the heavenly courts and God asks Satan how things are going with Job. And…

Job 2:4–6 NLT

4 Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!” 6 “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.”

And we’re told that Satan strikes Job with a disease on his skin that covers him from head to toe. The pain was so unbearable that Job took broken pottery to scrape at his skin. And…

Job 2:9–10 NLT

9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.

The book of Job — which is part of the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, by the way — goes on to record the back and forth conversation Job has with some of his friends. And — in the end — though Job is an imperfect man — he did receive correction from God — he’s proven faithful.

And that was God’s purpose in allowing Job to experience this trial in life — along with all of the temptations that came with his suffering. God proved to Satan that Job was a man who — with integrity — meant it when he said, “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!” 

A question you must wrestle with is this: Is your God this sovereign? Can he use temptation, suffering, trials, persecution, and even extreme hardship in your life to prove to Satan that you are a man or woman of integrity when it comes to your faith in Jesus? Does God have that kind of authority over your life — or — would that be him taking things a bit too far?

Now we turn to Abraham. At this point in Abraham’s life, God has promised to him that one day he would be the father of many nations. It was an incredible promise for many reasons — one of which was that Abraham — and his wife, Sarah — we’re old. And — I mean — old, old. We’ve got a few ladies among us in their nineties and I don’t think any of them are eager to have a child at their age — but that’s the age bracket Abraham and Sarah were in when Isaac was born.

Now Isaac is the promised child — the child through whom God’s promise to Abraham would be fulfilled — the son through whom descendants would come numbering like sand on a seashore — like the stars in the sky. Yet here’s what happened.

Genesis 22:1–19 NLT

1 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” 2 “Take your son, your only son — yes, Isaac, whom you love so much — and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” 3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.” 6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” 8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” 12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” 15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed — all because you have obeyed me.” 19 Then they returned to the servants and traveled back to Beersheba, where Abraham continued to live.

A different kind of test than what Job faced. So what was God’s purpose in this test in Abraham’s life? God’s purpose was for Abraham to learn that his God will provide for his every need. And as we learn in the New Testament…

Hebrews 11:17–19NLT

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

God’s purpose was never for Abraham to kill Isaac — God’s plan was always to provide the ram as a substitute. But Abraham would never have known this was God’s purpose without first going up the mountain in complete trust that — somehow, someway — Isaac would survive — even if it meant God raising his son from the dead.

CONCLUSION: GOD’S PURPOSE IN OUR TRIALS

And both of these biblical examples lead us to our final point: God’s purpose in our trials. We’re in verse twelve.

James 1:12 ESV

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Notice how — though the English word “tempt” is used throughout our verses — here the word “trial” is used. There’s a reason for that. James uses a different word in the original language here. It’s a word that often can mean “temptation” — but here — the word has a different sense to it. Instead of “temptation” the word means “examination.”

So James is saying, “Blessed is the man — or woman — who remains steadfast under examination.” And this helps us to understand God’s purpose in our trials — or examinations — that often include us being tempted. For God’s purpose — just like with Job and Abraham — God’s purpose for the trials in your life is not to see you fail and give in and take the bait — his purpose is that you will remain steadfast during the examination.

James goes on to say, “For when he has stood the test” — “stood the test” means to be approved or to be accepted. Approved by whom — accepted by whom? Like Job, approved by God. Like Abraham, accepted by God.

Friends, what greater reason do we have to remain steadfast under trial — to stand firm when tested — to remain faithful to God when we’re being examined by circumstances in life — than to know that this is an opportunity to please our Father in Heaven — to be approved by him — to be accepted by him?

We see this in children, don’t we? They want the approval of their mom and dad. They desire to be accepted by those in authority over them — like a teacher. In fact — I find it quite common for us to never grow out of this desire to be approved and accepted by others. And — here — James tells us how we can please the God who created everyone and everything.

How awesome is that? What a different way to view the current trial you may be in the thick of right now? To see it as an opportunity to be approved by your God as you remain steadfast and faithful to him while in this trial. To see it as an opportunity to be accepted by the God who loves you and sent his Son to rescue you. To see it as an opportunity to experience your God providing for your every need.

• This is what God did for Abraham after he stood the test on the mountain. A ram was provided to be the substitute for Issac.
• This is what God did for Job — when he restored everything that Job had lost.
• And this is what God has promised to you — if you believe in his Son. For Jesus is One who substituted himself in your place — as he stood firm during the test on the mountain — when he gave his life — in love — for you.
• And — in doing so — he guaranteed an eternal inheritance for those who believe in him. For he’s promised his people the riches of Heaven which are his. For those who give up the desires of this world for him — will be blessed beyond what they can imagine.

And Jesus has done this — because — he knew that we’d never pass the test on our own — he knew that we’d all fail the exam of life — he knew that none of us would remain steadfast and would — instead — bite on hook after hook after hook — being dragged off towards sin and death to the delight of the one who — just like with Job — wants to destroy our lives. 

So Jesus did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves: He passed the test. He earned for us his Father’s approval and acceptance by living the perfect life of faith on our behalf, and gave his life as the payment for our sins, rising from the grave, defeating the power of sin and death — so that — we’ll be giving a crown of life — which God has promised to those who love him.

May these sweet words of truth ignite in your soul a great love for — and a desire to live faithfully for — the God who uses trials in your life to remind you of his great love for you. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father, what love you have for us. That even the trials we face are meant to remind us of your great love for us. For your purpose — in us facing these trials — is not our failure and demise — but for our victory.

Holy Spirit, when we’re in a trial it can be hard to remember your purpose. So remind those who are in the midst of pain, suffering, hardship, disappointment, grief, uncertainty — and whatever form of trial they may be facing — remind them — right now — of your purpose. For them to remain steadfast. To pass the test. To prove to them your power and love. 

And — Jesus — the only hope we have in prayers like these being true — is what you’ve done — in love — for us. You not only stood the test — like Job — but are the truly innocent sufferer. You gave up everything for our sake — and did so willingly. You not only climbed up the mountain — like Abraham — but you didn’t receive a substitute sacrifice — you were the substitute sacrifice — in our place — for our sins. 

You remained steadfast. You passed the test. And — because you did so on our behalf — through our faith in you — we can now do so. For your Spirit in us — and your love for us — are more powerful than any trial or temptation we may face. Help us to believe this wonderful truth. To believe it more. And to believe it even more. We pray all of this in your name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

No matter what you may be facing in life — may you know that God’s purpose is that even this moment is meant to remind you of his great love for you. Amen.

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

DATE: 2-8-26

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.

PASTORAL PRAYER

Today we’re going to start something new — a time of pastoral prayer. It’s actually not really new — just an old practice that we’re going to renew in our worship time together. Where — each week — we’ll be more intentional about praying for people, circumstances, and situations going on in our congregation, community, country, and the world. One critique of the contemporary church in the US is how prayer is often just a time of transition — a time for the worship team to get on or off the stage. Yet prayer — historically — has been a sacred practice by God’s gathered people. So we’re going to take time each week to develop this sacred practice even more than what has been our practice around here. 

Feel free to take these prayers — or the topics prayed for — and use them throughout the week. For — when God’s people unite together in prayer — quite often — amazing things happen. So — with that — please join me in prayer.

Gracious Father, we begin by praising you for being a God who is full of generosity towards your creation and especially your people. You are the God who meets our every need according to your glorious riches in Christ Jesus. And you have called us to be a generous people. 

Holy Spirit, thank you for teaching us what it means to be generous. We ask you to inspire in us an ever increasing spirit of generosity as a congregation. Thank you for the faithful giving of your people in this local church — and stretch us towards even greater generosity.

For our local community, Father, Son, and Spirit, I want to bring before you other local pastors in our city — friends of mine — my co-laborers in ministry. For pastor Blair at Living Hope, pastor Mike at First Naz, pastor Chris at Cedar Creek, pastor Travis at Bible Methodist, pastor Kirk at College First, and pastor Ken at the Upper Room — may you speak through them in a mighty way this morning. Change lives for all eternity as your Word is preached through these men. May they trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to speak through them to awaken many to new life in Christ.

As we turn our attention to our nation — tonight is a night when many will be gathered to enjoy a football game. Enjoyment of such things are good gifts from you. So my prayer for our nation is that this evening — for many people — hundreds of thousands of people even — that the joy they find in watching the Super Bowl would point them to the infinitely greater joy that’s found in Jesus. For football games come and go — even Super Bowl victories for our team are nothing more than fleeting moments — but Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the joy that’s found in him endures forever.

Finally — as we now pray for the world — we lift up to you the Arora people group. Nearly four point one million people who — today — don’t believe in Jesus because they haven’t heard about him. Your Word tells us that “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” — may men, women, and children of the Arora people group look up to the sky, recognize that you exist, and see their need to be in right relationship with you. And Father we ask that — at the very moment when they recognize their need — may someone you’ve called and anointed for this very purpose bring them the Good News of Jesus Christ. Though this may seem impossible to us — nothing is impossible for you. For you are the God who is orchestrating all things for the good of the people that Jesus came to seek and save.

Thank you for hearing our prayers. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in the book of James this weekend. We’ll be in James chapter one today. James chapter one — looking at verses nine through eleven. There we read…

James 1:9–11 ESV

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

This is the first of a few warnings that James will give to the rich. And — immediately — our thought is, “Well, I’m glad he’s not speaking to me. I’m not rich!” Be careful with that thought. Most of us are rich in James’ estimation. Either way — the principle James is teaching applies to the rich and the humble — interestingly — that’s the two categories of people James uses in our verses. The rich and the humble.

But — today — we’re going to — first — explore an echo of the Bible — I’ll explain what I mean by that in a moment. Then we’ll briefly look at two false gospels. Then we’ll face the fact that life is fading away. But we’ll end on a high note of being amazed by Christ.

An echo of the Bible. Two false gospels. Life is fading. And Christ — that’s where we’re headed.

THE BIBLE’S ECHO

First — the Bible has an echo to it. By that — I mean — when you get to know the Bible better — you’ll find repeated themes — or echoes — throughout it. Where something said early on in the Bible is echoed later in another part of the Bible. And then it echoes again. And again. And again.

James — if you recall — is writing to Christians of Jewish background. And — for the most part — the Jews knew their Bibles — what we call the Old Testament — really well. And they would’ve immediately recognized the passage that James is echoing in our verses.

Maybe you recognized the echo as well. It’s in his words about the rich when he writes…

James 1:10–11 ESV

10 because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes.

The Old Testament passage that James is referring to — or echoing — is from the prophet Isaiah. For some context — the people of God have been living in exile. They’re being punished for abandoning God who had graciously warned them to come back to him or face the consequence of their sin. They refused to do so and their punishment was being conquered by another nation.

Now — you can imagine how demoralizing, depressing, and disheartening it must have been to experience being defeated by another nation. And it’s in the midst of this situation that the prophet — on behalf of God — says…

Isaiah 40 NLT

1 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. 2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.” 3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! 4 Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. 5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!” 6 A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” 9 O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!” 10 Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. 12 Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? 13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? 14 Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? 15 No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. 16 All the wood in Lebanon’s forests and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God. 17 The nations of the world are worth nothing to him. In his eyes they count for less than nothing — mere emptiness and froth. 18 To whom can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble him? 19 Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains? 20 Or if people are too poor for that, they might at least choose wood that won’t decay and a skilled craftsman to carve an image that won’t fall down! 21 Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand? Are you deaf to the words of God — the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? 22 God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. 23 He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing. 24 They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and they wither. The wind carries them off like chaff. 25 “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. 26 Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. 27 O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? 28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Even though the people are presently in exile — experiencing the punishment for their sins against God — God speaks words of comfort and hope and of power to them. He tells his people that their sad days are over. Their sins have been forgiven. A path will be made which will lead them back to God — back to the Promised Land — back from the wilderness to their home.

I can’t help but think that some among us need to know that God’s words still echo to his people today. That your sad days are coming to an end. Your sins have been forgiven. God has made the path for you to walk on which is leading you to an eternal Promised Land — heaven — for this wilderness of a world is not your home.

Now for the people in Isaiah’s day — this is all an echo of an earlier part of their history. For — just like when they wandered in the wilderness during the Exodus — some of the people in Isaiah’s day will fade away — they will die before the promise is fulfilled when God’s people return to the Promised Land. But what will never fade away is the Word of God — it stands forever. 

The Word of God which declares — and tells us to shout from the mountaintops, “Our God is coming to rule! He’s coming in power and is bringing his reward with him. He will feed his people like a shepherd — and he’ll carry them in his arms. He’ll hold them close to his heart and will lead them gently back to him.” Words of comfort for his people. Words that I hope give you comfort today — if you believe in Jesus.

And the Word of God — which will never fade — says some amazing truths about God. For example…

• He holds the oceans in his hands.
• And has measured the heavens.
• And knows the weight of the world.
• And he is all-knowing and needs no one to instruct him on anything.
• He knows what is good.
• He knows what is just.
• And all people — along with all of creation — are mere dust compared to him.

Isaiah goes on and on and then concludes by asking, “What compares to God?” The answer? No one and nothing — that’s what. But oh how easy it is to get excited about — and distracted by — and give our lives to things — like money — that don’t even come close to the awesomeness that is our God.

This is the passage James is echoing in our verses. For he wants his original readers — who were living in exile — dispersed from Jerusalem because of persecution — and us — his people living in exile as we await the return of our King — to remember — and have great confidence in — who our God is so that our lives become more and more committed to living for him alone. And — by the way — the benefits of living this way are countless.

For example — if you’re feeling weak right now — remember — your God is the God who gives strength. If you’re feeling powerless — remember — your God gives power to his people. For — as Isaiah says — those who trust in him will find new strength. They will soar like eagles. They’ll run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

If you’ve been with us during our journey in James — which we’re just a few weeks into — me mentioning that I memorize books of the Bible a few weeks ago may have made you think that I’m pretty weird — and if you talk to folks who know me — they’ll tell you that I’m weird. One of my other weird habits is that I have a list of life resolutions. These are statements of who God says I am in Christ that I know I’m prone to forgetting — so I’ve collected them as a list and read them regularly to remember who I am and who God’s called me to be.

Resolution number twenty-seven is based on the passage from Isaiah that we just read — in fact — it’s based on the last verse. My resolution number twenty-seven is this: To be thankful during soaring seasons. Faithful in running seasons. And to persevere in walking seasons.

And the way you and I can be thankful, and faithful, and even demonstrate perseverance — when life is soaring or when it’s soul-crushing — is by remembering who our great and mighty and powerful and saving God is as he’s told us in his never-fading Word.

TWO FALSE GOSPELS

Which leads us to two false gospels I want to point out to us. But — first — our verses again. This time in a different translation.

James 1:9–11 NLT

9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

There are two false gospels that are a constant source of division in the church: the prosperity gospel and the poverty gospel. The prosperity gospel is the false teaching that God rewards our faith with health and wealth and that Christians should expect God to bless them with health and wealth in an ever increasing way. The poverty gospel — on the other hand — is the false teaching that God requires poverty — or denying oneself of material goods — as a sign that your faith is genuine.

Obviously, our verses in James would be correcting those who believe the prosperity gospel — as the rich — in our verses — are given a warning. And the prosperity gospel — if nothing else — is about being rich. Yet our verses have the potential to be used to justify the poverty gospel — which again — like the prosperity gospel — is false. It’s a lie. And it’s to be rejected.

The Bible has much to say about the poor — but never is being economically poor a way to judge the spiritual state or maturity of a person. Maybe the person was foolish with their money. Or maybe they were called by God to exercise the spiritual gift of generosity in a way that few have been called to. Their bank accounts may have the same amount in them — but for very different reasons. And — generally speaking — we’re all pretty terrible at judging people’s motives.

I bring these false gospels up to warn you to be careful with what you consume in books, podcasts, and sermons. There are many prosperity gospel preachers and teachers in our country today. They sell a message that entices our sinful desire to be rich. And these false teachers cause many people to be disappointed in God when he doesn’t live up to the lies they’ve been sold — which is why you must know who God says he is on his own terms in his unfading Word.

And though not as popular — poverty gospel false teachers are also out there. And — ironically — they make quite a bit of money selling a false message — telling their readers and listeners to denounce wealth and give everything away as a sign of spiritual maturity. Both the prosperity and poverty gospels can be quite lucrative for the false teachers selling such lies.

So — remember — God calls his people to — one — love him and not money — because you can’t love both according to Jesus. Two — God calls us to be generous with our money — really, I should say — be generous with his money because it’s not our money anyway. Which is why generosity is one of the values we hope to see in all who follow Jesus here at Gateway — and I’m continually blown away by your generosity. And — three — we must remember…

2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT

9 The generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

We’ll reflect more on this truth in a moment. 

LIFE IS FADING

But — before we get to Jesus — let’s face the fact that life is fading for all of us. James tells us this a few times in our verses.

James 1:9–11 ESV

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Passing away. Withering. Falling. Perishing. Fading away — they all mean the same thing: The rich — and the poor — the proud and the humble — all of us are experiencing the fading away of our lives. I recently heard someone say, “I’ve got a lot of good years behind me.” That’s not how we expect that sentence to go, is it? Most of the time we talk about good years that are ahead of us — and often people talk as if the years are never gonna run out.

But — according to James — life is like grass in a field. The sun rises and dries out the grass — and it withers and dies. The flowers wilt and the petals fall off and the flower’s beauty is gone forever. Later James will say…

James 4:14 NLT

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.

The morning fog is something we’re all familiar with living in Northwest Ohio. Growing up in Florida — I didn’t have fog delays when I was a student. But — here — we occasionally get a fog delay or cancellation. And — inevitably — when school’s cancelled — the sun comes out — warms everything up — and the fog burns off leaving a beautiful day for the students to enjoy. Our life — James says — is like that — fog. It’s here in the morning and gone in a few hours.

In the Old Testament our lives are described as a handbreadth.

Psalm 39:5 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! Selah

A handbreadth — if you don’t know — is this — four fingers. Essentially each finger represents a quarter of a person’s life. Some of us are under twenty years old. So this first finger — though not all the way up — hasn’t completely closed. Some of us are between twenty and forty. The first finger is down — and the second is on its way down — but you’ve still got two full fingers of life left ahead of you. Some of us have passed forty — which is middle age by the way — not sixty — we’re not living to a hundred and twenty these days. Once you pass forty — the third finger is starting to creep its way down. And when you pass the sixty year old mark — you’re on the last finger — and it’s started its way down.

And — in response to this truth — the psalmist says, “Selah.” Which means — pause, reflect, meditate on the reality of how brief your life is — for this is the only way to not waste your life — but to live it to the full.

Our culture wants us to not think about such things. Ignore your mortality. Ignore the wrinkles — botox them away even. We idolize youthfulness and despair when there’s nothing more we can do to cover up the fact that our life is fading away.

If you saw a picture of me from my twenties — you’d recognize it’s me — but you’d probably think, “What happened?” A few years ago — during a sermon I quoted from a television show I watched growing up and someone said to me, “When you said that, I realized I never imagined that you were a kid. I just always think of you as being this age.” I remember hearing a pastor lament because he was already up there in age when recording sermons on video became a thing. He said something like, “People will always think of me as an old preacher even though I’ve been doing this for decades.”

But age happens. Gravity’s been pulling on my body for nearly five decades. I don’t dye my hair — so gray is happening. My life is passing away.

I’ve had to give up on many pursuits I once dreamed of accomplishing — there’s just not enough life left to pursue everything — which is good — because now what matters makes it to the top of my priorities — at least I hope it is. Life has a great way — if you allow it — to prioritize things for you.

And — to what should be the biggest priority — for those who follow Jesus — we now turn.

CONCLUSION: CHRIST’S HUMILIATION AND EXALTATION

In our verses — two words kept sticking out to me over and over again. Humiliation and exaltation. The lowly — or the humble — are exalted. And the rich are humiliated. And here’s where my mind kept going.

A few weeks ago I read our Essentials of the Faith. Think of them as the standard of beliefs that Christians have always held regardless of denomination, church affiliation, and so on. They unite us together with other local churches in Findlay — like Living Hope, Cedar Creek, First Naz, College First, Bible Methodist, the Upper Room, and so on. Churches in town whose pastors I’m friends with and meet with on a monthly basis.

Yet — in our church tradition — we’re part of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church if you’re newer to Gateway — in our church tradition we also hold to the Westminster Confession of Faith and its catechisms. Catechisms are a list of questions and answers — which are very helpful as they cover many of the questions people have about the Christian faith.

What does any of that have to do with humiliation and exaltation? Well when the two words kept sticking out to me — where my mind went to was the Larger Catechism. It’s called “larger” because it has more questions than the shorter catechism. And the forty-sixth question in the larger catechism is this.

Q. 46. How was Christ humiliated?

The answer.

A. For our sakes, Christ emptied himself of his own glory and took on the form of a servant, and so was humiliated in all the poor circumstances involving his conception and birth, life on earth, death, and after his death until he was resurrected.

Paul speaks of this when he writes…

Philippians 2:6–8 ESV

6 [Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The next few questions are…

Q. 47. How did Christ humble himself in his conception and birth?

And…

Q. 48. How did Christ humble himself in his life?

And…

Q. 49. How did Christ humble himself in his death?

And…

Q. 50. How was Christ humiliated after his death?

And what the answers to these questions reveal — and I’d encourage you to go read them for yourself — the answers reveal that Jesus — the Rich Man of Heaven — left his infinite riches and humbled himself — in love — for our sake. What love displayed for you and me. What compassion towards us who are spiritually poor. The Rich Man gave up everything for us — he gave up everything for you. Christ humbled himself in love for you.

Yet that’s not all. Remember — there were two words that stuck out to me: humiliation and exaltation. The last question we just read — on Christ’s humiliation — was number fifty. The next question asks this.

Q. 51. How was Christ exalted?

A. Christ’s exaltation includes his resurrection, ascension, sitting at the right hand of the Father, and coming again to judge the world.

The catechism goes on to ask.

Q. 52. How was Christ exalted in his resurrection?

And…

Q. 53. How was Christ exalted in his ascension?

And…

Q. 54. How is Christ exalted by sitting at the right hand of God?

And what the answers to these questions reveal is that — the Rich Man became poor for your sake. And — just like James tells us — the humble man — Jesus Christ — is now exalted to the heavenly places. And because of all that he’s done in love — for you and for me — we’re to exalt the name of Jesus together. Meaning — we’re to lift up the name of Jesus in song and praise — and we’re to honor him in how we live as we show the world that — though the flower fades and its beauty perishes — not so with Jesus Christ. 

Though you and I age and get old, and bare the physical scars of medical procedures and surgeries to help fight off sickness and diseases and decay — the Word of the Lord — the Bible — will never fade away — just as the Word of the Lord — Jesus Christ — though he still has the scars in his hands and feet from the cross — he will never fade away. For he considered his humiliation a small price to pay to save his people from their sin — and to rescue them from the wilderness — so that they might experience being lifted up to Heaven where they’ll be with their exalted Savior for all eternity.

Wisdom has been speaking to us today. Wisdom’s told us much about who God is, who we are, and what Jesus has done for us. How will you respond to what wisdom has said to you today? May you receive the advice that wisdom has graciously taught you today and turn to the humble — and now — exalted Savior, Jesus Christ. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father in Heaven, your ways are not our ways. If anything — we’ve learned that today.

Spirit of God, may you take the truth of your Word — which is never-fading — and apply it deep into our hearts at this very moment. Maybe it’s the truth of how awesome God is, or how fading our lives are, or how beautiful Jesus is, or the love that is ours because of what Christ has done. 

And — Jesus — the Rich Man of heaven, our humble and exalted Savior — we now prepare our hearts to join together in praising your awesome and mighty name. May you receive our praise. If it’s praise from those who are soaring like eagles. If it’s praise from those who are running. And especially if it’s the praise coming from those whose lives are in a season of walking. May our praise bring you honor and joy. In your name we pray. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

In love — Christ humbled himself for your sake. Therefore — in love — may you go and exalt his name by living for him. Amen

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

DATE: 1-18-25

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.

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in the book of James this weekend. As we learned two weeks ago — James — our author — is the younger brother of Jesus — and he was also a key leader in the early church. And James — the book — is essentially a collection of mini-sermons — or teachings — on a variety of topics. The book is considered by many to be the wisdom literature of the New Testament — sort of like the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament — as it contains many short statements that show us how life generally works.

Last week’s topic was on the purpose of the trials we experience in life. Those unexpected — and often — unwanted moments — those experiences in life that are trying and hard and exhausting do have a purpose. Again — that’s what we saw last week. And — today — we’re on to a new — but somewhat related — topic. Here’s what James has for us today. We’re in James chapter one — beginning in verse five. There we read…

James 1:5–8 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. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Christian or not — here’s a topic that’s relevant and practical for all of us. For — inevitably — we come to moments in life when we don’t know what to do — where we lack wisdom — and James is going to tell us what to do in these moments. And — spoiler alert — his advice isn’t to turn to Google or to ChatGPT. No — James is going to tell us to turn somewhere else — or — I should say — to Someone else — when we find ourselves in need of wisdom.

But before we get to our destination — here’s how we’re going to get there. We’re going to first answer the question, “What is wisdom?” Then we’ll look at the generosity of God which — believe it or not — has everything to do with where wisdom is found. And — finally — we’ll look at how we receive — or find — wisdom.

What is wisdom? The generosity of God. And how we receive wisdom. That’s where we’re headed today.

WHAT IS WISDOM?

We’ll begin with our question, “What is wisdom?” As James says in verse five…

James 1:5 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom…

If wisdom is what we lack — we need to make sure we’re in agreement with what we mean by wisdom. I say this because there are two very different meanings of the word wisdom that are used by people today. 

The first definition is something like this: Wisdom is applying knowledge to a situation. 

Now — that doesn’t sound all that bad. And — it’s not — except for one significant aspect. Often — with this definition of wisdom — morality and theology are not taken into consideration. And that’s because this view of wisdom is human-centric — meaning — it puts the power and responsibility of determining what is wise in the hands of us humans.

The second definition of wisdom is nearly identical to the first — but with a significant change. If definition one is “applying knowledge to a situation” our second definition of wisdom is “applying biblical and theological knowledge to a situation.” 

This second definition emphasizes that wisdom — foundationally — is biblical and theological. And — theology — if you’re unfamiliar with the word — has to do with God. Thus, wisdom is understanding our — humanity’s — proper place in relationship to God as found in the Bible. Which means — to live wisely means we must live according to what the Bible tells us about God, ourselves, and our relationship with him.

Here’s another way to show the difference in these two definitions of wisdom. Wisdom — under definition number one — asks, “What works?” Wisdom — under definition number two — asks, “What honors God and reflects his character?” 

And we live in a “what works” world created by a God who is more concerned with “what honors him.”

For example,listen to what the Bible has to say about wisdom and notice its relationship to God.

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

And…

Proverbs 9:10 ESV

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

And…

Psalm 111:10 ESV

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.

And…

Job 28:28 ESV

28 And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Fear — in these verses — means to revere — to hold in admiration — to have a profound respect for someone or something. And in these verses we learn that wisdom’s birthplace is in having fear of — or a profound respect for — the Lord. 

Now fear is a word we quickly associate with something scary. So let me try and help us all out. To fear the Lord means that — in knowing who God is — for example — in knowing that God is holy — that he’s pure and without sin — and that he’s righteous — meaning God always does what’s right — and that he’s just — meaning God doesn’t play favorites or take bribes — and that he’s loving and kind and good and merciful and wrathful — that last one means that God hates wickedness, sin, and will punish those who do such things — in knowing who God is — on his terms and in his own words — we then fear him — are in awe of him — have great respect for him — and live accordingly. 

So there’s a theological aspect of wisdom — it’s God-focused. Yet there’s also a moral aspect of wisdom. We saw this in the verse from Job which mentioned “turning away from evil.” Turning away from evil is a statement of morality. It supposes that there’s a definition of good and evil and that — to be wise — means you turn away from evil and turn to God who is good.

Having said all of that — even in the church — the wisdom of “what works” continues to dominate — at least in the church in the US — I won’t speak of churches around the world. Here 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 — the wisdom of “what works” 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 — when it comes to us humans 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 — they’ve figured out “what works” — and yet — they are not right with God. 

Many people 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 — that makes us righteous — but the work of the One who’s called the Wisdom of God. We’ll get to him in a moment.

So wisdom — according to God — means more than just “what works” — for many sinful decisions may bring about success. Dictators — who have their opponents killed — win elections — a shocking example, I know — but when wisdom is solely about “what works” — people will go to extremes. 

But “what works” and what honors and 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. We who follow Jesus need to be careful about which definition of wisdom we expect and tolerate those in leadership to use. Because God will not bless the wisdom of “what works” when it does not bring him honor and glory. And — many people — after doing nothing other than “what works” — then try to spin their decision as if honoring God was always their goal. But God is no fool.

Interestingly, provocatively, and — what’s quite possibly one of the most shocking statements in his entire letter — James will later say this about wisdom. In chapter three he writes…

James 3:13–18 NLT

13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

We’ll get to these verses in a later sermon, but — for now — I want you to notice what James says about wisdom in verses fifteen and sixteen. I’ll read them to you again.

James 3:15–16 NLT

15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

What’s often called wisdom — the pragmatic kind that “gets the job done” and is “what works” — is often wisdom clothed in jealousy, selfish ambition, disorder, and evil of every kind. And James says that this kind of wisdom is earthly, unspiritual, and — wait for it — demonic. And — friends — this is why we need to be so very careful about giving into the spirit of our age in which getting things done — and “what works” — matters more than whether or not something is demonic.

THE GENEROSITY OF GOD

A moment ago I said, “God is no fool” — but he is generous. Which leads us to some extremely great news about wisdom found in our verses. We’re in verse five again.

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.

James — being a good Jewish man — may’ve been thinking of a verse like this one from the book of Proverbs when he wrote these words. In Proverbs we read…

Proverbs 2:6 ESV

6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

God has, is, and will always be the source of true wisdom. And though it may seem overwhelming — especially when thinking that something may work and bring about success and still be grounded in something like the demonic — though it may seem impossible to know where to begin — “How do I even know what’s biblical wisdom or just something that works” — James points us directly to step one — which will never lead you astray. For James essentially says, “Do you lack wisdom? Here’s step one: Ask God.” 

Ask God.

Yet how many of us make decisions — and not just small or insignificant ones — but even really huge decisions — without ever asking God, “Hey God, I’m about to make a decision about — marriage or a promotion or switching careers or having a hard conversation with a friend — and I need some help here. What’s the wise thing to do?” And — my goal — is to encourage all of us — myself included — to do more asking. Let’s ask God more and more for wisdom.

“OK. But how will I know what he’s telling me?” Great question! Did you know that there are many ways that God responds to us when we ask him for wisdom?

In his cleverly titled book, God Told Me: Who to Marry, Where to Work, Which Car to Buy…And I’m Pretty Sure I’m Not Crazy, author Jim Samra lists twelve different ways that God speaks to us. His list includes the Bible, the preached Word, individual prayer and fasting, corporate prayer and fasting, the inner prompting of the Spirit, spiritual direction from others, to name a few.

We’ll look at just two ways that God answers us when we ask him for wisdom: 1) God’s Word — the Bible — and 2) Prayer. His Word and prayer.

By far — prayer is perceived as the less demanding of these two. You can pray whenever and wherever — but reading the Bible — well that’s a lot more work. But here’s something I’ve found to be a principle of following Jesus: The better we know his Word — the Bible — the better we’ll know his answers to us in prayer. Meaning — God’s answers to us in the Bible are clear. Yes, this is a big book with lots of words — but — instead of viewing that as an insurmountable obstacle — I wonder what would happen if we viewed the bigness of this book — and the vast amount of words in it — as God’s gracious way of making sure we know how to be wise. And — again — the principle I’ve found is that the better I know what he’s said in the Bible — the better I know what he’s saying to me in prayer.

A recent survey by the Barna Group found a hopeful trend regarding Bible reading in our country. Forty-two percent of adults in the US say they read their Bible weekly — up from thirty percent in 2024. That’s forty-two percent of all US adults — Christian or not. Can you believe that? Nearly half of all adults in our country say they read the Bible weekly. That’s pretty encouraging to me!

So what about those of us who claim to follow Jesus? If forty-two percent is the national average — surely we Christians are tipping the scales, right? Not so fast. In that same survey, just fifty percent of self-identified Christians report reading their Bible weekly. 

Though I’m thankful that both numbers have seen an increase — I see such an opportunity for Christians to engage more and more with God’s Word — so that — we’ll be people who grow in wisdom and influence our nation for the better. 

Here at Gateway we describe this as our desire for us to be Word and Spirit Christians. Where — as followers of Jesus — we live under the authority of the Word of God and by the power of the Spirit of God. And — to do this — we must be people who know this book.

That same Barna survey revealed another piece of data about Bible reading. This data focused on what’s going on generationally in our country in regards to Bible reading. Though Bible reading has grown among Boomers, Gen-Xers, Millennials, and Gen Z — one of these groups is lagging behind the others in their weekly Bible reading. Any guesses as to which generation in our country is falling behind the others? 

Who thinks it’s Gen Z — the youngest generation surveyed? They’re just on video games and social media, right? I bet they’re not reading their Bible.

What about the Millennials — who thinks it’s them? They’re all depressed because we’ve moved on from talking about their generation and now it’s all about Gen Z, right? I bet it’s them — they’re probably the ones not reading their Bibles.

Who thinks it’s the Gen Xers? Nobody does — because everyone forgets about my generation.

Well — it’s not Gen Z. It’s not the Millennials. And it’s not Gen X. The generation falling behind the others — when it comes to Bible reading in our country — are the Boomers. 

Forty-nine percent of Gen-Z, fifty percent of Millennials, and forty-one percent of Gen-Xers read the Bible weekly — but only thirty-one percent of Boomers do. So — to the Boomers among us — first, I love you. And I see this data as an opportunity for you to lead your generation. You have an opportunity to be an example to your peers when it comes to the practice of reading God’s Word and living by his wisdom.

God answers us in his Word and in prayer. 

But I want to take this a step further — because we need to push back against our individualistic view of the Christian faith. How many of us make decisions without ever asking a fellow Christian, “What do you think God would say is the wise thing to do here?” I bring this up — because often — for those of us who do read our Bible and pray about our decisions — God’s leading often ends up being the choice we wanted to make anyway.

You know. I know it. And God knows it. 

Whether it’s a relationship decision, a business decision, a church decision, and so on. And we know if we clothe our decision with “God’s leading me” or some other spiritual sounding statement — we know that no one can question our decision. Even if it’s just a “what works” decision or a decision that’s nothing more than selfish ambition on our part. 

I mean who does God think he is that he can use someone else to tell me what to do? Or have someone point out a verse in Scripture that should cause me to pause in the decision I’m about to make. Or have the preacher say something that — even though he has no idea of what choice I’m thinking about making — well that preacher said something in his sermon that’s clearly a direct warning to me to stop in my tracks.

Will we be people who desire biblical wisdom — wisdom whose primary purpose is to make our God look glorious in all of our decisions — and not just be people who make decisions that work? If so, then we must ask God for wisdom — knowing that he’s generous and has given us the Bible, prayer, sermons, our fellow Christians, and much more to give us his wisdom.

RECEIVING GOD’S WISDOM

Which leads to our final thought for today — receiving God’s wisdom. We’re in verse six. There James writes…

James 1:6–8 ESV

6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

The way we receive God’s wisdom is by asking him in faith — with no doubting. James then goes on to describe what he means by using the illustration of waves of the seas being tossed around by the wind — an illustration we looked at last week. But — now — James goes on to call the person who doubts a double-minded individual who’s unstable. And this tells us something very important about what James means when he says we must ask in faith without doubting: He’s describing our posture towards God. 

And — when we remember our two definitions of wisdom — one based on “what works” — the other based on “what honors God” — this shows us that James is definitely meaning the second definition of wisdom.

The apostle Paul says something similar to the Christians in Ephesus in a passage we looked at last week as well. Though he doesn’t specifically use the word wisdom — notice the similar illustration he uses to describe why we — together as a church — need to mature in faith. He writes…

Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Here Paul warns about doctrinal instability causing us — as a church — to be tossed around by the deceitfulness of false teachers and their lies that lead us away from faith in Christ. James is warning about the personal instability that comes from this kind of doctrinal instability. 

And this all becomes clear when we understand that the word ‘doubt’ — in verse six — doesn’t mean a moment of uncertainty — but rather having a divided mind or being double-minded. The word means to have a discrimination against God — where our default setting is to take God out of the picture when it comes to our decision making and what we think is the wise thing to do. Whereas faith — and this will not surprise you — means to have a commitment to God — a wholehearted commitment, in fact. Where you keep God — not just in the picture — but in the center of your life — where your desire is for your decisions to honor him.

Or — to say it another way — it means to…

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on — or trust only in — your own understanding — even if it’s “what works.” Thus — to receive God’s wisdom — requires a humble and teachable spirit. Humble — because — we recognize our limitations in what we know and understand. Teachable — because — even what we do know and understand will need some correction. And then you can add to that — how all of us have a lot of unlearning we need to do as well — especially when it comes to believing that the wisdom of “what works” is what matters most.

But — ultimately — the key to receiving God’s wisdom — is to know the One who is the Wisdom of God — which is where we turn to as we end our time together.

CONCLUSION: TO KNOW WISDOM IS TO KNOW JESUS

For quite a few years — we did a series here at Gateway that was called Finding Jesus. In that series I preached one sermon on every book in the Old Testament. For the sermon on the book of Proverbs — which is part of the wisdom literature of the Old Testament — and a book I’ve quoted quite a bit from today — I helped us find Jesus by looking at verses from Proverbs chapter eight. Specifically these words that wisdom speaks…

Proverbs 8:35–36 ESV

35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, 36 but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Throughout Proverbs chapter eight — wisdom is personified as if it — wisdom — is a person. And there’s a reason for this — the wisdom of God is a person. The apostle Paul tells us so.

1 Corinthians 1:24 NLT

24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Jesus is the wisdom of God. 

And wisdom — whether in Proverbs chapter eight or in James chapter one — or in all of Scripture, for that matter — wisdom is pointing us to Jesus. In fact, true wisdom will always point you to Jesus because Jesus is true wisdom. And all who find Jesus — who believe that he is who he says he is and has done what he says he’s done — all who find Jesus find life and favor from the Lord. And all who fail to find him — all who reject him instead of believing in him — whether they realize it or not — love death. For eternal death — separation from the wisdom of God for all eternity — is what’s in store for them.

You see, in obedience to his Father’s will — and in love for you — Jesus went to the cross. He did so accomplishing the wisest plan ever made — the salvation of the people of God. And — in finding Jesus — the wisdom of God tells us that we must take the step of repentance. For — as one person has said, “The most basic act of wisdom is repentance.” 

What is repentance? Repentance is turning from the direction you’re headed in and turning to the Wisdom of God — Jesus Christ. It’s the “turning away from evil” that we saw in the passage from Job. We repent — and turn away from evil — as we turn to Jesus in faith. And faith is more than just knowing that Jesus lived, or knowing that he was crucified, or knowing that he rose from the grave — faith means you act on the knowledge of his life, death, and resurrection. That you live accordingly — in response to now realizing that he — Jesus — is God in flesh. 

For — as Paul — just before telling us that Christ is the wisdom of God — writes…

1 Corinthians 1:18–24 NLT

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” 20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. 24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Jesus is the wisdom of God. And the message of what he accomplished on the cross is foolishness to the world. And — though the world may find it foolish — it’s the news all people need to hear. For it’s the news that must be received in order to be saved. It’s not a message that makes the most sense — it’s not the obvious “what works” — yet Jesus and his cross is the wisest plan ever to have been made. And — not only that — it’s the wisest plan ever to be accomplished. And — not only that — it’s the most loving act in all of history. 

So — now — having heard of God’s wise plan — let me ask you: What’s the wise thing to do in response to the news about Jesus that you’ve just heard? Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father, we begin by being struck in awe with who you are: wise, good, kind, righteous, holy, all-knowing, all-powerful, just, wrathful, the God who saves, and the one who is in control of all things. You are awesome.

Holy Spirit, help us to fight against the lure of “what works” wisdom — and instead — commit ourselves to “what honors God” wisdom. And help us to search our hearts and desires — especially in those decisions of life where we’re prone to deceiving others and ourselves into thinking our desire is to honor God when — in reality — we’re selfishly doing nothing more than “what works.” 

Jesus — to you the Wisdom of God — as we turn ourselves to you — we turn ourselves from our sinful ways. We thank you for loving us. Thank you for your commitment to us. Thank you for showing us what it means to be wise. And may we honor you as we follow in your footsteps. And we pray all of this in your name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

May you go asking God for the wisdom you need. And may you remember that he is always generous in giving his wisdom to those who ask. Amen.

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

DATE: 10-5-25

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.

SERIES INTRO

We’re continuing our series in Romans this weekend and we’re in the practical application section of Paul’s letter where — after eleven chapters of theological truths — we’re now in the “so what” section of Paul’s letter. Meaning he’s now addressing how all of the theology — that’s found in the first eleven chapters — is to play itself out in how we live. Or at least how it should influence the way we live.

And — today — we’re concluding our mini-series within our series in Romans — as Paul continues to address the same topic we’ve looked at the last two times we’ve been together. What topic is that? How to disagree.

When Paul started his discussion on how to disagree, he began with something quite controversial for the times in which we live. He says that part of the reason why we have disagreements with each other is because — and this is the controversial part — some of us are weak and some of us are strong. And — what he means by that — is that some of us are weak and strong when it comes to our understanding of the Christian faith and how it applies to life — which tells us that Paul is focusing on disagreements among Christians — though there are many ways to apply what he teaches to all of our relationships.

Last time — Paul instructed us on what we’re to do — and not do — when we disagree with one another. We were told to not despise or pass judgment on Christians with whom we disagree over a non-essential matter. This isn’t disagreement over an essential of the faith — doctrines like faith alone in Christ alone for salvation — this is about disagreements over non-essential matters. The examples Paul uses indicate that the Christians in Rome disagreed over what foods were acceptable to eat as followers of Jesus and whether or not there were special days for worship. Neither of these topics are essential to being a Christian.

And — as I’ve said again and again — non-essential doesn’t mean non-important. Many non-essential beliefs and practices are very important — they’re just not essential in determining whether someone’s a Christian or not. Non-essential also doesn’t mean that we believe in subjectivism — that what’s true for you is true for you, but for me this other thing is true. It just means that — in our fallibility and human limitations — we haven’t come to unity on what the Bible teaches on these matters and we believe that Christians on both sides are trying to be faithful to God and what they believe he’s said on the matter in the Bible.

So with that as a guide as to where we’ve been — if you have your Bible — please turn with me to Romans chapter fifteen. We’ll be in Romans chapter fifteen today — looking at verses one through seven. Where Paul — concluding his discussion on how to disagree — writes…

Romans 15:1–7 ESV

1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

In this — our final look at how to disagree — Paul reminds us of our ultimate goal in life. What goal? That God would be glorified in all areas of our life — including how we disagree with one another. We’ll look at this goal before turning our attention to an obligation we must fulfill in order for us to accomplish our goal. And — finally — we’ll see how we fulfill our obligation.

We’ll begin with our goal: the glory of God. Then we’ll look at an obligation we must fulfill in order for God to be glorified in our disagreements. And — finally — how we accomplish our obligation.

FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

So — first — our ultimate goal in life. The ultimate goal — when we disagree — should be the same for all areas of our life as followers of Jesus: That God would be glorified. That’s why Paul ends his section on how to disagree with the words — this is verse seven…

Romans 15:7 ESV

7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Now — why did I say that the glory of God is our ultimate goal — not just in our disagreements — but in all areas of life? Because this is what we read in Scripture. For example…

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Including using the spiritual gifts that God’s given to each of us — which we looked at earlier this year — for Peter writes…

1 Peter 4:10–11 ESV

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Glorifying God also includes what we do and don’t do with our bodies…

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

And why must we do this? For God is the One who created us…

Isaiah 43:6–7 ESV

6 I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I (God) created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Which means all that we do is to be done for the glory of God so that others might turn to him. For as Jesus said…

Matthew 5:16 ESV

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

And…

John 15:8 ESV

8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

And — when we live this way — we’ll join the psalmist and say…

Psalm 115:1 ESV

1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

And join the saints in heaven who proclaim…

Revelation 4:11 ESV

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

And join creation for…

Psalm 19:1 ESV

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Because we agree with Paul who said…

Romans 11:36 ESV

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

All things — including our salvation — which is a gift from God. For…

Ephesians 1:11–12 ESV

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

All things — including grace…

2 Corinthians 4:15 ESV

15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

All things — including our love for and unity with one another…

Philippians 1:9–11 ESV

9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Thus we say…

Psalm 86:12 ESV

12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.

Knowing that God’s glory will continue to expand across creation…

Habakkuk 2:14 ESV

14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Therefore we’re to…

1 Chronicles 16:28–29 ESV

28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! 29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;

So…

Isaiah 60:1–2 ESV

1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

And — at just the right time — the moment when darkness covered the earth — the Light of the world pierced the darkness…

Philippians 2:9–11 ESV

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

For God has said…

Isaiah 42:8 ESV

8 I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

Therefore when Jesus had fulfilled all that his Father required of him — and as the cross was just before him — he said…

John 17:4 ESV

4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

To glorify God in all of our life — that’s the ultimate goal for every Christian — including our goal in how we disagree with one another. This means that displaying God’s greatness and praising his name is the primary goal in our disagreement. Not winning an argument. Not proving our point. Not getting the other side to concede. For you can be on the right side of the debate and not have God being glorified as your goal — and that would mean you win an argument and yet fail to fulfill your God given purpose. 

For God being glorified in your life is why you — and I — and all people exist. This is why you exist — Christian or not. God being glorified is why you’re alive and breathing — Christian or not. And we’re either moving towards this goal — as followers of Jesus — the theological term is growing in our sanctification — so that God being glorified is more and more the goal of our life. For — if we’re not growing in our spiritual maturity — then we won’t disagree with one another in a way that glorifies our God.

AN OBLIGATION FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

So how do we grow in our spiritual maturity when it comes to our disagreeing with one another? Because — in order for us to accomplish our goal — that God would be glorified even in our disagreements — we must recognize the obligation that’s now before each of us who follow Jesus. For our goal — that God would be glorified in our disagreements — comes with an obligation. There’s something expected and required of us who follow Jesus. Paul tells us this in verse one.

Romans 15:1–2 ESV

1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Here’s our obligation if God is going to be glorified in our disagreements: We who are strong are to bear with the failings of the weak — and none of us are to please ourselves, but we’re to please our neighbors — our fellow Christians — so we build them up in the faith.

Bearing with the failings of the weak — and pleasing them — doesn’t mean that we just capitulate and give them whatever they’re asking for. After all — our goal is to build them up. And often the very thing the weak think will please them is what’s keeping them from maturing in the faith. That’s what Paul means by “the failings of the weak.” These aren’t moral failings — or necessarily sinful behaviors — this is a lack of spiritual maturity on their part when it comes to non-essential beliefs and behaviors.

And I want to be clear about something: A person can be spiritually mature in many areas and weak in others. So it’s not that one person is always a weak Christian or always a strong Christian — for one can be strong in ninety percent of their Christian faith and yet incredibly weak in the other ten percent. And this is why disagreements among Christians are so tricky — for most of us think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. We think, “Well I read my Bible regularly. I attend worship every week. I’m actively involved in my Life Group. I serve. I give. I go on missions trips. I’ve memorized lots of God’s Word. I can defend my view of the end times and so on.” And all that is great and spiritual growth and to be commended. But all of that can be true — and yet — you’re still an immature spiritual leader in the home. Or unaware how the religion of your political party has sunk its nails in you. Or how social media has consumed your time and thoughts and views in many areas of life. 

Not to mention how many of us don’t read our Bible regularly, or attend worship weekly, or serve, or give, or go on missions trips and so on — and yet — view ourselves as spiritually refined and mature in our views on — well — on everything!

All that to say — though some of us may be new to the faith — and thus — generally speaking — weak in most areas — while others of us have been faithfully following Jesus and growing in the faith for years — and thus — generally speaking — strong in most areas — the majority of us fall somewhere in between. We’re strong in some areas — really strong in others — weak in some — and more weak than we realize in other areas.

But our aim — if you remember — is to glorify God — to please him first and foremost. And that means — especially if you happen to be the weak brother or sister in Christ in a particular situation — that we realize that — just because you don’t get what you want or what you think you should — that doesn’t mean that the strong are being unloving, unkind, or disobedient.

And — for those who happen to be the strong — in a particular situation — the strong are to be bearing — which means enduring — and kind towards your weaker spiritual siblings. Your goal should be to help them mature in the faith in this area. For Paul wants the weak to become strong — which should be the desire of all of us — we should desire for all who follow Jesus to grow stronger and stronger in the faith.

I wonder what your attitude is towards those whom you think are weak or spiritually immature on a particular non-essential issue? Sometimes everything about them is immature. Other times it’s just one area where you happen to disagree with them. Regardless, what’s your attitude towards the other person? Is your desire to help them grow and mature? Or do you just want to avoid another long conversation with them? Maybe you just want to prove to them how wrong they are? Or to get them to agree with you? I wonder if your answers to these questions reveal that — maybe — just maybe — you’re not as strong as you think you are?

HOW WE FULFILL OUR OBLIGATION

At this point — we now know our goal — that God would be glorified — and that we have an obligation we must fulfill in order to accomplish our goal — we’re to bear with the failings of the weak, not please ourselves, but seek to please our fellow Christians instead. And that sounds good and all — but how do we actually fulfill our obligation? Do we just grin and bear it? Tighten our belts and trudge on through the disagreements among us? Give up and go our separate ways?

Paul explains how we do all of this beginning in verse three.

Romans 15:3–6 ESV

3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul gives us three reminders that we must keep before us in order to fulfill our obligation when we disagree — so that God is glorified in our disagreements. Three reminders — think of them as instructions that you most likely already know — that Paul gives us so that we become the kind of people who glorify God in our disagreements.

First, we must look to Christ. In verse three Paul writes…

Romans 15:3 ESV

3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”

To fulfill our obligation we must look to Jesus and remember that Christ did not please himself. But notice that Paul doesn’t say, “For Christ did not please himself, instead, he did what we wanted.” That’s not what Paul writes. Paul goes from Christ not pleasing himself to something Christ did that is unexpected and challenging to those who follow him: he gave his life on the cross. And it’s his sacrifice which ultimately pleases his people — for his sacrifice is the reason we have found true life.

You see, Jesus didn’t try to appease the unappeasable. He knew us — he knew our hearts — he knew that we’d never be pleased for there’s always one more demand, suggestion, “helpful piece of feedback” we’d have given him. Yet he denied himself for our sake anyway — he gave up his freedom so we might be set free from our enslavement to Satan, sin, death, and hell.

And — when we look to Christ — we see the One who welcomed us into his family, into a relationship with him — not because we deserved it or even because he looked around at humanity and thought we were the best options available. No — he did so because he chose — in love — to take our sins — our reproaches — that were offenses against him — and instead of giving us what we deserve — he experienced the judgment we deserved for our sins on the cross.

Thus what we’re to remember is this: Whatever we may have to give up for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Christ is — as they say — small potatoes. Not even worth comparing to what Jesus gave up for our sake. A great question to ask yourself is this: Am I seeking to please others as Jesus has first pleased me? Am I following Christ — and his example — of what it means to bear with the failings of the weak?

Remember — he is the One…

Philippians 2:6–11 ESV

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

To be the kind of people who glorify God in our disagreements we must look to Christ.

Second, we must turn to the Bible. In verse four Paul writes…

Romans 15:4 ESV

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

This book is what was written in former days. For sure — Paul would’ve been thinking of the Old Testament — but we’re blessed with the Old and New Testaments. And as Paul writes elsewhere…

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Thus all of God’s Word is written for our instruction — so that we may be complete and equipped for every good work. Including the good work of disagreeing with one another in a way that glorifies God.

Yet Paul tells us that we’re to turn to the Bible with a specific purpose in mind: We turn to it for both endurance and encouragement. Again in verse four we read…

Romans 15:4 ESV

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Do you know what makes division so easy when you find yourself in a disagreement? It requires no enduring with the other person. Do you know why it’s so easy to allow divisiveness to spill over into words that do anything else but encourage the other person? Because we’re not submitting ourselves to God’s Word.

God’s Word — at all times — but especially when we disagree with a fellow Christian over a non-essential matter — will give us the endurance and encouragement that both parties need so that unity — not division — is the result — which leads to us living with hope. 

Again in verse four Paul writes…

Romans 15:4 ESV

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

And hope is what we all need in this divisive age in which we live. Culture says, “Oh, you disagree with me — we’re through — it’s hopeless.” Yet God says to his people, “Endure with one another. Encourage one another. Stay unified with one another. Continue to love one another. In this way you will have hope — hope that abounds and overflows.” Whose voice will we listen to? Whose voice will you listen to? Culture’s voice or God’s?

Finally, we must remember to pray. Did you notice how — after all of chapter fourteen — and four verses of chapter fifteen — in this lengthy instruction on how to disagree — Paul suddenly starts to pray? Look at what happens in verse five.

Romans 15:5–6 ESV

5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul goes from instruction straight into prayer. No “let’s all bow our heads and close our eyes” — none of that. He just goes straight into prayer. 

And what does Paul pray for? He prays for everything he just instructed us to do in order to fulfill our obligation so that God is glorified in our disagreements. For our God is the “God of endurance and encouragement” who grants us the endurance and encouragement we discover when we turn to the Bible as our final authority. And doing so gives us hope. This is the very endurance and encouragement we need in order to live in harmony with one another. And all of this follows the example of our Savior — Jesus — who we’re to turn to. So Paul ends his discussion on how to disagree by praying — and he prays that God would be glorified in our lives.

CONCLUSION

Christ. The Word. And prayer. 

Jesus. The Bible. And bringing one another — and our disagreements — to God in prayer. 

This is our goal. This is how we disagree in a way that brings glory to our God. This is how we can disagree over non-essential matters — and not have to go our separate ways. But only if we’re all committed to following Christ, submitting to God’s Word, and to prayer.

Our unity is in our hands. No one of us can maintain our unity — we must all work to maintain it together. But it only takes one of us to create division. Which will you choose to be? A promoter of unity or of division?

That’s the question before each of us. And my prayer — and even more — my hope for all of us — is that we will fight for our unity — especially in our disagreements. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, when we think of all that you’ve done to unite us with you — and with each other — all we can do is stand in amazement — and ask for forgiveness. For often we work against you and the unity you desire for us to display to the world.

Holy Spirit, this is why we’re so desperate for your power in our lives. For the only way that we’ll submit to the Word of God in all areas of our lives — including in how we disagree — is by being empowered by you who lives in all who believe in Jesus. For Scripture calls you the Spirit of unity — unite our hearts together we pray.

And — Jesus — our unity with your Father — and each other — is only possible because of the loving sacrifice you offered when you gave your life on the cross. You came to earth to fulfill what we failed to do — which ultimately led to your death in our place. May we look to you. May we look to your love for us. May we look to the love you displayed — with your arms stretched open wide on the cross — for each other — and maintain the unity you died for.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — it’s hard not to see the division in our world — and the division is exhausting. May those who don’t yet believe in you — hear of the unity you offer — and see it in our faith family — so that they respond by believing in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And we pray all of this in his name. Amen.

COMMUNION (JOSH MOVES TO TABLE)

As we turn our attention to the table — the Lord’s Table — in the words of Paul that we’ve looked at today…

Romans 15:5–7 ESV

5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant us to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together we may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 May we welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, for the glory of God.

Therefore…

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 forward those who are going to be serving us. 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 — there’s a gluten free option in the trays with the bread. 

If you’re not taking communion today — first — know that no one is judging you. And — second — we’d appreciate it if you could help those who are taking communion by passing the trays to the next person in your row. If you have any questions about communion — or what it means to follow Jesus — please stop by the resource center before you leave today.

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

COMMUNION PASSED OUT (Worship song)

The blood of Christ, shed for you.

CLOSING WORSHIP SONG

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

I think it’ll be good for us to hear Paul’s prayer one last time:

Romans 15:5–7 ESV

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Amen.

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

Date: 12/11/2024

Questions

Before Jesus- where did people who died go? Especially Gentiles. Did they all go to hell because the Gospel wasn’t “for them” yet? -6 grade youth

• Those who had faith in God’s promised Messiah (who hadn’t yet come; who is Jesus), went to be in God’s presence when they died (heaven; paradise). Those who did not have faith in God’s promised Messiah to come went to a place called Sheol (hell) when they died.
• We do see that there were Gentiles who believed (Rahab, Ruth, as examples). In the New Testament, there were Gentiles who were called God-fearers as well.

When did say incest was wrong? After creation, didn’t men start marrying their sisters because God wanted them to fill the earth? – 6 grade youth // How did Adam and Eve’s kids have other people to marry if they were the 1st family?

• Obviously, the first few families didn’t have options other than to marry within their own family.
• As far as when incest became wrong, Leviticus 18 prohibits incest as do other passages in Leviticus as well as Deuteronomy.

When did the dinosaurs die out in relation to Adam and Eve? Were there dinosaurs on the ark?

• Christians disagree on this as there isn’t explicit evidence in the Bible on the death of dinosaurs. Some Christians believe they were on the ark with Noah and others believe that they had died out long before the flood.

Is God still creating universes? Is that why there are an endless amount of universes today? – Malia

• From the one science class I took during my doctoral studies, I believe that the universe is expanding, but I don’t know anything about new universes being created. Science isn’t my area of study. 

Why did God create us so that we would sin and disobey him in Eden? – Malia // Why did God make the tree in the garden of Eden?

• God didn’t create us so that we would sin, he created us with the choice to obey or disobey. That’s called freedom. And for love to be part of our relationship with God, the choice to obey or disobey him was given to Adam and Eve. 

Where is heaven now?

• Heaven is where God is. 

Where is hell? Are there people in hell?

• Hell is where God isn’t. Yes, people are in hell right now.

What does it mean about eternal life?

• It means you will live forever. As will all people: either in heaven or hell. 
• In the Bible, eternal life means life with God forever. And eternal death means life without God forever.

Why did Satan choose to make bad choices? // Did Jesus and the devil fight when Jesus died?

• The Bible doesn’t give us a clear answer as to why Satan disobeyed and rebelled against God. It just tells us that he did.
• Though I like the idea of Jesus and the Devil putting on boxing gloves and giving it a go, Jesus and the Devil did not fight after Jesus died.

How could Paul love God but hate Jesus before he was saved, since God and Jesus are 1?

• What Paul would say is that he didn’t love the real God. The god he believed in — before believing in Jesus — was not the true God. Even though he was a practicing Jew — and sincerely believed that he worshiped the One true God — in rejecting Jesus — he showed he wasn’t worshiping the One true God after all. 

Were angels always there?

• Angels are creatures. And, in being creatures and like all creatures, they are not eternal. They were created.

How was God a thing? How did God begin?

• God has no beginning (or end). He has no Creator — he is the Creator. He’s always existed. That’s what it means for him to be God.

Anyway…I was doing a super spiritual activity when my wife came to the table and said, “Josh, I think you should come to the living room and pray with us.” The “us” was her and another woman who was over at our house.

The visitor has had a rough 10 days with a depression like she’d never experienced before. She had no idea why she was experiencing it. So I asked a few questions. “Did you do anything recently, change any behaviors, etc…” just to try and see if there may be something that caused the start of the depression.

Nothing.

My wife and I asked a few other questions and discovered a few things to pray for. I led the time of prayer. I modeled for her a prayer of repentance for something she’d done years ago. I prayed a blessing over her for some experiences she had witnessed as a kid. And then I didn’t know what to pray next.

So I paused.

Clark.

That’s what came to my mind.

A name.

Clark.

And here’s what I thought.

“I recently watched the documentary on John Williams (which is quite good, by the way). John Williams wrote the score for the Superman movie. Clark Kent is Superman. So that must be why the name Clark popped into my head. Oh boy. Now things could get weird. Do I mention the name or not?”

All of those thoughts went through my head in seconds.

So I said, “Does the name Clark or the word clerk mean anything to you?” I threw in “clerk” because I was too nervous to only go with Clark. I didn’t want to look any more odd than where this was already headed.

She said, “Clerk doesn’t mean anything, but Clark. I haven’t thought of that name in years.”

At this point, I apologized to her, my wife, and to God. I knew that Clark was what I heard, but I was too much of a coward to just say it. So I threw in “clerk” as if it would strengthen the odds of me not looking like a fool. Oh ye of little faith…

It turns out that Clark had done some really bad things to her years ago. So we prayed. She let go of the power Clark had on her and, in her words, “Was able to take a deep breath for the first time in a long time.”

She didn’t know what God had in store for her yesterday. I didn’t either. I was busy doing other super holy stuff. Thankfully my wife was paying attention. And she knew that God, for reasons only he knows, speaks to me in this way at times for others.

God, forgive me for the times I’ve not been listening to what you want to say to others through me. And thank you for continuing to speak to me anyway. Amen.

If you believe in Jesus, you belong to him and to the Father. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. The price being Christ’s life. But know that he who owns you is a loving Father who desires the very best life for you. And he knows what that life is for he created you for that life.

Date: October 22, 2019

Questions

Do we not need to make sure believers understand that, yes ADAM fell, but the Scripture states “that we were all in ADAM”? Otherwise we might be tempted to say, “Why am I suffering because of Adam’s stupidity?” (6:30)

Our church mission is to “connect people to Jesus Christ and one another.” I can’t help but wonder why our church is not more involved with the Emmaus Community? I have never felt closer to Jesus then I have after I’ve been on the walk. (7:35)

Is gambling entitled in the Bible as a sin? (11:05)

After Jesus feeds the 5000 in John 6, there is this odd dialogue where Jesus compares himself to bread from Heaven and it sure sounds like he is expecting people to literally eat his flesh and drink his blood. (vs 53-58) This seems to drive people away from him. What does he really mean with this analogy and why wasn’t he more clear? Surely he wasn’t intentionally trying to speak in riddles that few would get, was he? (12:20)

We learned about Isaiah in Kidway and I was wondering why they lived so long in the Bible times? (18:05)

I love the analogy of thinking of God like a doctor. In my experience some sincere people are anxious to go to God because they’re afraid of God like they’re afraid of doctors. How do we encourage people who are afraid of going to God because they think of him like a doctor? (21:50)

How do you go about responding to someone who is not a Christian and says God is evil? (31:50)

Date: 8/26/2020

Lighting Round

1. Kinos when set up his reign for the first 1000 years (Rev 20) and then “Neos” when a new heaven and earth comes down from above (Rev 21)?
   1. Nope. 
   2. New Heavens and New Earth isn’t mentioned in Revelation 20. 
   3. As I said in my sermon, when New Heavens and New Earth are mentioned in Revelation, the Greek word for “new” is always kainos. (2 Peter 3:13 as well)
   4. Maybe revisit the marriage illustration from sermon.

2. As my boys delight in fishing, I have been speaking with them about how God has given Man the responsibility of caring for creatures. So this week’s sermon hit on topic for our family. One thing that my mind keeps dwelling on is the word “dominion” in Genesis 1:26. Is having dominion over creation the same as caretaking?
   1. The Hebrew word that we translate as “dominion” means to exercise authority over.
   2. What’s important to remember is that this came before the Fall so we need to not think of authority being exercised in any way that’s sinful or sin influenced.
   3. So this is an exercise of authority that’s for the benefit of those under authority. What we long for from those in authority over us. Where they lead us, but do so with our good in mind.
   4. So does dominion mean the same as caretaking? I think it at least includes caretaking, because of the fact that sin was not a thing yet when God gave mankind this mandate.

3. Loved your sermon about taking care of creation on Sunday. What can we as a church be doing better, practically, even on Sunday mornings? Has Gateway implemented a recycling program themselves? Can we reduce the paper handouts that often get thrown out, or encourage people to bring their own coffee mugs?
   1. Someone texted me after the service asking if the coffee cups in our cafe are made of styrofoam.
   2. I’d love for folks to bring their own coffee mugs.
   3. We’ve done our best to reduce paper copies of most everything (handouts, etc…).
   4. We’ve recently installed new lighting that will be better economically and in use of electricity.
   5. Recycling?

Questions

1. I want to love others with no record of wrong (1 Corinthians 13:5). But when my mind is quiet I unintentionally go to a place where I relive past conversations and hurts. I want to hold every thought captive to Christ. How do I accomplish this?
   1. The last verse was 95% quoted correctly. But a key word was left out.
      1. 2 Corinthians 10:5 “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ”
      2. Paul is arguing against critics of his in Corinth who are trying to divide the church. And essentially, Paul says, “Remember that we all belong to Christ. And all have work to do on his behalf. But shouldn’t divide but be a united people.”
   2. So regarding this person’s situation who is having trouble reliving past hurts.
      1. Have you forgiven them?
      2. Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting and there may be times when you do need to think about the past in order to move towards personal healing.
      3. They also say this is “unintentionally” — this thinking about the past.
         1. Are there any patterns that this “unintentional” thinking happens?
         2. Is it when you’re bored? Alone? Or some other pattern that maybe you can recognize.
   3. Obedience comes by being empowered with God’s Spirit and by living under the authority of God’s Word. The Spirit desires to help you obey God’s Word, but you have to know it in order to obey it. So be a person of the Word (read, study, memorize, meditate on it).
   4. Resources (in other doc)

2. Questions from an almost 10 year old about Moses and the Passover (submitted by her dad): I know God is holy, but how can He be holy if he kills people?” (then we talked about God’s righteousness and justice). Does God (or His angels) kill people or does he allow Satan to kill people for Him? Also, why is it that children ask their most deep spiritual questions when they know it’s already past bedtime??
   1. Why do kids ask these questions at bedtime? They want to stall going to bed.
   2. Difference between killing/murder and righteous judgment (which is hard for us to distinguish).
   3. It’s easy to think of the people who are judged as innocent. As being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But that’s an inaccurate view.
      1. All have sinned.
      2. All are guilty.
      3. All deserve judgement.
      4. Yet God is merciful. What should surprise us is his mercy not his judgment. But it’s his judgment we question and we presume upon his mercy.
   4. Finally, Satan kills (steal, kill, and destroys). God judges. I’d be cautious to say that God kills because that seems to imply innocence on the one killed and guilt on the one who kills. And that’s vastly different than God judging guilty people.

3. The question asker has concluded a nearly 3 year personal Bible study on God, the Holy Spirit; His Person, Characteristics, and Ministry. At the conclusion of the study, a specific question continually surfaced. After all that God has done for us through the New Covenant, why do we Christians live our lives at a much lesser spiritual quality than Jesus died to give us?
   1. We’re like the father in the gospel of John. We believe but we need help with our unbelief.
   2. We get caught up in what our eyes can see instead of what faith requires of us (believing and living for things not seen).
   3. We’re still in a spiritual war.
   4. Resource recommendations (in other doc)