July 24th, 2022 SUNDAY MESSAGE
JOIN US AT 10 AM TODAY!
Transcription Notes:
As we turn towards the Letter of James, I want to remind you that, one of the things I’ve tried to present over and over again during this series is that James, or UNCLE James, has a series of LESSONS that he has
collected,
preached (or taught in some capacity)
Lessons that he wants to share with these exiled Jewish believers
There are different ways to slice it but about 11 different encapsulated teachings and we are doing our best to teach one each week.
James has a specific orientation around the poor and marginalized in regards to socio-economic classes in the first century which surface repeatedly.
What I haven’t put much emphasis on is that the writing STYLE of James helps to fortify his point.
Here are two things:
1. FIRST, He writes in BINARIES. Maybe you’ve caught it already, there has been a consistent usage of binaries playing out in the letter.
Rich and poor
Pathway that gains a crown of life or a pathway giving birth to death
Listening and Doing
The ways of the World and the ways of the Spirit
Favoritism in terms of the rich and poor
Faith and Deeds
Tongues can curse or bless
…Do you see it in there??
The REASON for this is that, in his day, chirstiantiy is competing for the hearts and minds of people whose culture is FILLED with orators & thinkers advocating for all kinds of:
philosophies,
kinds of wisdom and knowledge
And enlightenment
one of the most prominent being:
GNOSTICISM! Meaning: A dualistic separation of physical (bad) and spiritual (good).
So James MIRRORS that dualism (almost OVER doing it) to show his awareness of this philosophy.
Then he uses it to:
Create a compare/contrast format to teach what he wants
To reveal the ways of Jesus AND
Shows them why something they have separated should be integrated (faith AND deeds).
…this knowledge of Gnosticism is also why he keeps mentioning/ connecting the physical to the spiritual (describing things as demonic, or heavenly)! This BINARY THEME is VERY apparent today!
In addition, James’ letter isn’t just direct or punchy, it’s eloquent, it’s poetic!! It’s a surprising masterpiece of a letter written:
At a High level Greek vocabulary
With a specific structure called a A Chiasm (fun word!) - it’s a literary device presenting a sequence of ideas and then repeats it in reverse order like this:
WRITE ON WHITE BOARD:
A => A
B => B
C => C
D
The result is THREE FOLD:
The CENTER is the main focus
Cristina Condi says it’s the dynamics between poor/rich
Creates a “mirror” effect as the ideas are “reflected” back in a passage and connected.
SO, the REASON I mention this is that TODAY’S lesson
mirrors something ALL THE WAY back to his FIRST lesson that we read all the way back in chapter one.
It talks about: wisdom, not being double-minded or thrown or tossed by waves/wind of trends, two pathways leading to life/death, and purity of faith to name a few.
BUT it also shows James’ poetic and literary capability in a culture where this is valued!
TO BE CLEAR: James IS showing off a little bit by including these elements in order to communicate to this Jewish audience that they are falling for a GREEK CULTURAL TREND of wisdom INSTEAD of staying faithful to the continuation of their religion through Jesus Christ…which HAS:
ALL the wisdom,
ALL the beauty,
ALL the philosophical knowledge they need.
…You’re getting caught up in cultural trends in the same way a child gets caught up with a shiny new toy!!
In our day, WE have different kinds of knowledge, & cultural trends, a dualistic political framework, western and eastern thought, philosophies on life, ways of parsing out and identifying which schools of thought we belong to and a flag, YARD SIGN, a hat, a bumper sticker, and FB Frame to put it on display for everyone to see!!
and I want you to begin thinking about those things so we can evaluate them later…
…but, with everything I just mentioned, PLEASE don’t miss the first century sarcasm and HUMOR in James’ opening line as he writes the next section (it’s subtle but it’s there)...
James 3:13-18 Who is wise (poetic) and understanding among you?
Reading between the lines:
if it’s an eloquent tongue you admire, I can use the big words and come at you like that…
If you’ve fallen for the gnostic dualism, I can use that style too, and I’ll use it to correct you
OH! It’s poetry that is enchanting you, then let me write a letter SO POETIC that you become enamored with the only wise King who placed the sun, moon, and stars in the sky to POUR out knowledge and wisdom declaring His eternal existence!!
Your “POETRY” is WEAK compared the artistry that God wrote into the fabric existence when he ORDERED all of creation!!
(So, let me hear you…) Who is it that was wise (poetic) and understanding among you? Let them SHOW IT by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
Uncle James is still coming at us. He is taking us to school and today's lesson is SHOW AND TELL?! He’s taking them back to Kindergarten so they understand that:
FIRST you SHOW and
THEN you TELL!! (repeat)
James is brilliantly ELEMENTARY in His approach: don’t just talk, live a life that causes people to want to ask you about your life and say: “Hello good sir, you seem to live an admirable life…do tell, by what philosophy do you live by?”
In other words, “what WISDOM is informing your life decisions?” SO:
FIRST you SHOW and
THEN you TELL!! (repeat)
Well, James continues by giving yet another binary. TWO kinds of wisdom. This is what he says, V14:
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
<FLIP> THE WHITE BOARD:
EARTHLY WISDOM and
HEAVENLY WISDOM.
WRITE ON THE WHITE BOARD:
What we just learned was that EARTHLY WISDOM (OR Demonic/ Unspiritual) characterized by these ATTRIBUTES:
Bitter Envy
Selfish ambition
Boasts
Denies the truth
What’s that mean?
ESV Global Commentary says James is “admonishing his audience to refrain from sinning against the truth by boasting of their wisdom.”
Earthly Wisdom, then, PRODUCES:
Disorder
All kinds of “Evil Practice”
Now, he isn’t just coming up with random descriptions, he is saying this because they are apparently putting THESE attributes on display!
AND, if we reverse engineer a bit, he is saying that if you act like THIS, you have consumed, internalized, and agreed with wisdom that did NOT come from God but has been sown into the earth through the ministry (or assignment) of DEMONS whose goal is the same as the Father of Lies!
WRITE ON THE WHITE BOARD:
EARTHLY wisdom comes FROM:
the Father of Lies
Whose ministry is to Kill steal destroy (which is the disordering of God’s original creation ordered to flourish, teem with life, fruitful multiplication)
Let me re-read what he gives as the alternative or HEAVENLY WISDOM…VERSE 17.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
WRITE ON THE WHITE BOARD:
HEAVENLY WISDOM (Pure)
ATTRIBUTES:
Peace-loving
Considerate/Submissive
Full of mercy
Impartial
sincere
PRODUCES
Good fruit (love joy peace…)
Harvest of righteousness
If we follow the chiasm BACK, it will reflect a lesson we learned in Ch. 1 Verse 17 which tells us THIS wisdom comes “from the Father of Lights,” with whom “there is neither variation nor darkness.”
<WRITE ON THE WHITE BOARD>
HEAVENLY WISDOM:
FROM
Father of Lights
Created to flourish, teem with life, fruitful multiplication
Ministry of Reconciliation
Now, this is simple lesson but THINK of the implications!! You and I are like this guy, with two worlds to consider pulling at us. Are we internalizing THIS or THIS?
<POINT TO THE WHITE BOARD>
The words of James from the beginning of the letter come back to haunt us: 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Think of the double-mindedness we may embrace today…
What philosophies have you consumed? What ideologies have you internalized? What demonic wisdom have you embraced? If you haven’t been able to see it, look at the fruit produced in your life because if it doesn’t look like THIS <point at the HEAVENLY WISDOM> then you have been living according to THIS <Point at the EARTHLY wisdom>!!
There is:
Individualism
Consumerism
There’s the allure Youth Athletics
Nationalism
Liberalism OR Conservatism:
You SHOULD be politically homeless in this season because none of it is the Kingdom.
Pastor Albert Tate says: “I can’t live completely under the elephant and I don’t fit completely under the donkey that’s why I just lay at the feet of the lamb. I don’t have a home! God is saying: “that’s right because this world ain’t your home…your home is the kingdom of God.”
It’s not just a “DON’T DO THIS” it’s an appeal to be FREED from them!! These “influences” make promises and even have a way of LOOKING LIKE WISDOM but they are not from God.
Why? Because they are temporal. Why? Because they are suspended by the limitations of humans construction.
Why? Because they are wrought with imperfections and selfish gains!!
Will you agree with the World's wisdom at times?? Yes, sure they may overlap with the kingdom from time to time but, as the saying goes: even a broken clock is right twice a day but hear me…
THEY DO NOT DESERVE YOUR ALLEGIANCES!! They don’t deserve your AFFECTIONS!!
They don’t love you,
they don’t care about you,
they are wholly un-devoted to you insomuch as you can become a vote, a click, or a subscription for their own agendas and success…
All the while, 1 Timothy 1:17 says, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise King, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Jesus deserves your affection, Jesus deserves your allegiance and we need to make him the prominent influence in our lives.
I don’t want you to get overwhelmed. It’s not PERFECTION, it’s progress. Identifying where we are off and making the adjustment incrementally. So, take a minute to reflect…What philosophies of our day have you consumed?
Where have you:
Espoused Envy, Selfish ambition
Boasted or Denied the truth
Where have you created DISORDER that opposes the way God established the earth to teem with life, abundance, and fruitfulness?
Where have you agreed with Evil Practices
Where have your allegiances been given to empires of this world (Pledge?)?
OR, where have you…
established peace (not acquiesce to false harmony).
How have you cultivated a considerate and submissive heart posture?
How have you displayed a life full of mercy
Where has Impartiality been
sincere
Because where you see these things, it will produces
Good fruit (love joy peace…)
And a Harvest of righteousness
What is that??
Jesus said it this way in Matt 5...
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
If YOU are going to make adjustments, grow, and develop in the area of Heavenly wisdom, you will NEED to (this will FEEL elementary but I promise you it works):
READ your BIble more and listen to the influences less.
Turn off the talk radio, the podcast, the books, the voices of our culture and read the Bible.
Fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledg
He wants you to live the best life
BE in community with others that are moving towards God in discipleship.
They help you with the blind spots
Repent to one another and be known!
Hang out with the person that’s taking this so seriously it’s weird!!
Be involved in a church
IF WE DO THESE THINGS…we will live a life that SCREAMS out wisdom that is so otherworldly, others can’t help but take notice.
You see, it really is just a simple game of SHOW & TELL:
If we heed the words of James, our actions should draw a straight line to Father of lights Himself and when the fruits of God SHOW UP in our lives, the hope is that we are given the opportunity to TELL of the great God we serve.
As God’s wisdom - through God’s people - INFILTRATES the Earth, it transforms it creating Heaven on Earth for ALL PEOPLE!!
COMMUNION:
(1 COR. 11:23B-26)
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 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.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
PRAYER REQUESTS:
We are hosting prayer team meetings for both the congregation at large and individuals to sign up for individual prayer.
SUGGESTIONS FOR WORSHIP:
“Praise & Worship” Spotify playlist and “Praise & Worship” YouTube playlist (slightly different from each other), both of diverse music that are being constantly updated!
Bethel Music :
Bethel Music’s hours of live music YouTube Playlist, also being constantly updated
Bethel provides chords to most (if not all) of their songs here (just have to register email, but free!)
Live worship moments from the Upper Room YouTube Playlist
Journal writing! (I’m a writer too, so sometimes creative writing and writing my thoughts to God is my form of worship.)
Declare and worship with truth by singing and praying scriptures.
WORSHIP NIGHT! Dedicate a night to worship with friends and family, your house church or neighbors, those who need prayer, love worship, or just enjoy music through a video chat platform like Zoom. You can have one person leading at a time (switching off to whoever else wants to lead) while others sing along, pray, or prophesy, etc.
Serving your community, both online, in person, or both, is a great way to worship God, from spreading encouragement and God’s Word online to physically serving food to others. If you are able to go out and serve, click here for opportunities.
COMMISSIONING:
As Jesus said in John 20:21,
"Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Go, be the Church!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.