Three Do Nots
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
The Three Do Nots
The Three Do Nots
Tonight we will cover James 4:11 through James 5:6.
We will look at Three, Do Nots!
Do not speak evil of One-Another (James 4:11-12)
Do not Boast (James 4:13-17)
Do not mis-use what God has put in my care (aka Stewardship) (James 5:1-6)
Pride
Pride
Pride is at the root of all Three, Do Nots.
I am better than you.
I control my life.
I control my stuff.
Earthly Wisdom
Slide
1) Do Not Speak Evil of One-Another
1) Do Not Speak Evil of One-Another
Read
11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
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What does it mean to speak evil of one-another?
Opening Up James Speaking Evil of One Another (vv. 11–12)
To “speak evil” … of a person is to find fault with him, to speak disparagingly of him, to gossip maliciously about him.’ Some people think fault-finding is their spiritual gift!
Only God knows the full picture or the full story about a person.
How do we feel when people speak against us, especially when they don’t know the full picture!
What is at stake?
The body of Christ doing self harm to the body of Christ.
It weakens the body and It undermines the gospel message.
No one James says we should be slow to speak, better to say nothing!
What law is James writing about and is violated?
Probably the Royal Law of love,
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
We need to encourage each other, even more so as we see the day of the Lord approaching.
The ultimate judge is the Lawgiver
12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
This would seem to be judgement about a person’s salvation or destruction.
The ultimate judgement, bu the ultimate Judge.
That judgement belongs to God alone.
Amen to that!
Slide
2) Do not Boast
2) Do not Boast
Read
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
I am not to plan without regard to God!
As followers of Jesus, He is now in charge of my life.
There is much pride in boasting about me and my plans!
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Why does James say we ought always say, “if the Lord wills?”
Only God knows the future
We want the Lord to direct all our steps as He knows best.
Life is of a few days, and full of trouble.
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
7 Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good.
6 The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”
Opening Up James Planning without Regard to God (vv. 13–17)
Don’t count on your time. It is passing! Don’t count on your possessions. They will soon belong to someone else. Don’t count on your career. It will soon be over. But count on this: eternity is rapidly approaching, and only those who have taken refuge in Jesus Christ can face it
16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
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What do you make of James curious statement in James 4:17 in the context of James 4:13-16?
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
The context here is James 4:13-16.
It is sin to rush ahead of God, or to ignore His sovereignty over our lives.
James is putting in a caveat, don’t use my words to excuse yourself from doing what is main and plain in the word.
It is a sin to say no when God says go, or ignore doing good, when it is clear we should act.
If it is God’s will I will go and pay that debt. Pay the debt, it is God’s will!
Never use God’s will as an excuse not to perform clear duty.
Slide
3) Do not mis-use what God has put in my care (aka Stewardship)
3) Do not mis-use what God has put in my care (aka Stewardship)
Read
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
You have heaped up treasures and misery in the last day (James 5:3)
You have heaped up treasures and misery in the last day (James 5:3)
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Progression in what James is saying.
Earthly Wisdom > Earthly Treasures > Earthly Idols > Earthly Misery = Last Days
Is there an Implication here that as we get older, we more experience that earthly treasures cannot satisfy ?
Those things we seek to consume as pleasure, consume us with misery, when they become idols.
Corrupted, moth-eaten, corroded, eat our flesh like fire.
Manifestation of the misuse of Wealth
Manifestation of the misuse of Wealth
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What examples does James highlight as a misuse of Wealth?
Hoarding (James 5:3). “You have heaped up”.
Not paying what I owe (James 5:4). “Their cries have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts”.
Excessive Self Indulgence, at expense of obvious needs around me (James 5:5)
Murdering the innocent (James 5:6). There is more than one way to murder. All of the previous deprive others of life.
Seek First
Seek First
Two verse in particular came to mind, and I will close with these,
31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace:
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
Do not speak evil.
Do not boast.
Do not misuse things or people!
Slide
Three Cosmic Messages by Mark Finely
Three Cosmic Messages by Mark Finely
We are reaching the end of James.
I had planned to move in First Peter, but we can delay that.
As you know this Friday Mark Finely will begin a 13 part series on the Three Cosmic Messages.
It will be shown at 8pm on Friday on YouTube on the BUC News Channel.
You can also watch it as a replay.
There is a study guide with the series.
I downloaded the first three ones today.
What about if we use Monday Night for the next 13 weeks to go through the study guide and take a second look at what is shown on the Friday night before.
This coming Monday, I will quickly conclude James 5 and we will do our first second look at the first episode of the Three Cosmic Message that will be shown this Friday.