by weareclctinley on Aug 06, 2024
### Summary
Good morning, CLC. Today, we conclude our deep dive into the book of James, focusing on the final chapter, which contains five imperatives that guide us in living out our faith. These imperatives are not just suggestions but essential actions that James urges us to take to walk the walk of faith.
The first imperative is to embrace contentment. James warns us about the dangers of wealth and the importance of being content with what we have. He emphasizes that wealth can lead to spiritual peril if we start depending on it instead of God. The American church, with its relative affluence, needs to heed this warning and focus on generosity rather than hoarding riches.
The second imperative is to wait patiently, specifically for the Lord's return. James uses the example of farmers waiting for their crops to illustrate the kind of patience we need. This patience is not just about enduring life's minor inconveniences but about living with an eternal perspective, always mindful of Christ's imminent return.
The third imperative is to pray effectively. James asks us to pray in all circumstances—whether we are suffering, happy, or sick. He emphasizes the power of prayer offered in faith, anointed with the Holy Spirit, and in the name of Jesus. This kind of prayer can bring healing and forgiveness, making it a cornerstone of our spiritual lives.
The fourth imperative is to confess regularly. James instructs us to confess our sins to each other, not just to God. This mutual confession brings healing and accountability, helping us overcome persistent sins. It's a practice that fosters community and spiritual growth.
The final imperative is to rescue compassionately. James urges us to go after those who have wandered from the faith, to bring them back into the fold. This act of compassionate rescue can save lives from spiritual destruction and prevent further wandering.
### Key Takeaways
1. **Embrace Contentment**: Wealth can be a spiritual trap if we start depending on it instead of God. James warns us that the riches we hoard will testify against us on the day of judgment. Instead, we should focus on generosity and contentment, recognizing that even those with modest means in America are wealthy by global standards. [05:05]
2. **Wait Patiently for the Lord's Return**: James emphasizes the importance of living with an eternal perspective. Just as farmers wait for their crops, we must wait patiently for Christ's return. This patience shapes our decisions and actions, reminding us to live with urgency and purpose, always mindful of the eternal. [13:36]
3. **Pray Effectively**: Effective prayer is not complicated but requires faith, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and being offered in the name of Jesus. James assures us that such prayers can bring healing and forgiveness, making prayer a powerful tool in our spiritual arsenal. [22:20]
4. **Confess Regularly**: Mutual confession brings healing and accountability. While we confess to God for forgiveness, confessing to each other helps us overcome persistent sins. This practice fosters a supportive community where we hold each other accountable and pray for one another. [26:12]
5. **Rescue Compassionately**: James calls us to go after those who have wandered from the faith. This compassionate rescue can save lives from spiritual destruction and prevent further wandering. It's a call to be proactive in our love and concern for others, ensuring that no one is left behind. [32:07]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[02:54] - Walk the Walk
[03:47] - Five Imperatives
[05:05] - Embrace Contentment
[07:50] - Dangers of Wealth
[10:10] - American Wealth Perspective
[12:23] - Contentment is a Choice
[13:36] - Wait Patiently
[14:33] - Second Coming of Christ
[19:09] - Living with Eternity in Mind
[22:20] - Pray Effectively
[24:36] - Healing Covenant
[26:12] - Confess Regularly
[30:03] - Accountability in Confession
[32:07] - Rescue Compassionately
[33:12] - Drawing Near to God
[35:18] - Closing Prayer
### Bible Reading
1. **James 5:1-6** - Warnings to the Rich
2. **James 5:7-11** - Patience in Suffering
3. **James 5:13-20** - The Prayer of Faith
### Observation Questions
1. What does James warn the rich about in James 5:1-6?
2. How does James illustrate the concept of patience in James 5:7-8?
3. According to James 5:13-15, what should believers do in times of suffering, happiness, and sickness?
4. What is the purpose of confessing sins to one another as stated in James 5:16?
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does James emphasize the dangers of wealth and the importance of contentment? How does this apply to the American church today? [05:05]
2. What does it mean to live with an eternal perspective, and how does this shape our daily decisions and actions? [13:36]
3. How does James describe effective prayer, and what elements make it powerful according to James 5:13-15? [22:20]
4. Why is mutual confession important for spiritual growth and community, according to James 5:16? [26:12]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you might be depending on wealth instead of God? How can you shift your focus towards generosity and contentment? [05:05]
2. How can you cultivate patience in your life, especially in the context of waiting for the Lord's return? What practical steps can you take to live with an eternal perspective? [13:36]
3. Think about your prayer life: Are you praying effectively as described by James? What changes can you make to ensure your prayers are offered in faith, anointed by the Holy Spirit, and in the name of Jesus? [22:20]
4. Is there a sin or struggle you need to confess to a trusted friend or mentor? How can mutual confession and accountability help you overcome this issue? [26:12]
5. Do you know someone who has wandered from the faith? What steps can you take to compassionately reach out and bring them back into the fold? [32:07]
6. How can you create a supportive community within your small group that encourages regular confession and prayer for one another? [26:12]
7. Reflect on a time when you experienced spiritual growth through the support of others. How can you be that support for someone else in your community? [30:03]
Day 1: Embrace Contentment in a Wealth-Driven World
James warns us about the dangers of wealth and the importance of being content with what we have. Wealth can be a spiritual trap if we start depending on it instead of God. In a society where affluence is often equated with success, it is crucial to remember that our true security and worth come from God, not material possessions. James emphasizes that the riches we hoard will testify against us on the day of judgment. Instead, we should focus on generosity and contentment, recognizing that even those with modest means in America are wealthy by global standards. [05:05]
1 Timothy 6:6-8 (ESV): "But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content."
Reflection: In what ways have you been relying on material wealth for your sense of security and worth? How can you practice generosity and contentment in your daily life starting today?
Day 2: Wait Patiently with an Eternal Perspective
James emphasizes the importance of living with an eternal perspective, urging us to wait patiently for the Lord's return. Just as farmers wait for their crops, we must wait patiently for Christ's return. This patience is not just about enduring life's minor inconveniences but about living with an eternal perspective, always mindful of Christ's imminent return. This shapes our decisions and actions, reminding us to live with urgency and purpose, always mindful of the eternal. [13:36]
James 5:7-8 (ESV): "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."
Reflection: How does the promise of Christ's return influence your daily decisions and actions? What steps can you take to live more intentionally with an eternal perspective?
Day 3: Pray Effectively with Faith and Anointing
Effective prayer is not complicated but requires faith, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and being offered in the name of Jesus. James assures us that such prayers can bring healing and forgiveness, making prayer a powerful tool in our spiritual arsenal. Whether we are suffering, happy, or sick, we are encouraged to pray in all circumstances. This kind of prayer can bring healing and forgiveness, making it a cornerstone of our spiritual lives. [22:20]
James 5:15-16 (ESV): "And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to pray more effectively? How can you incorporate faith, the Holy Spirit's anointing, and the name of Jesus into your prayers today?
Day 4: Confess Regularly for Healing and Accountability
Mutual confession brings healing and accountability. While we confess to God for forgiveness, confessing to each other helps us overcome persistent sins. This practice fosters a supportive community where we hold each other accountable and pray for one another. James instructs us to confess our sins to each other, not just to God. This mutual confession brings healing and accountability, helping us overcome persistent sins. [26:12]
Proverbs 28:13 (ESV): "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy."
Reflection: Is there a trusted person in your life with whom you can share your struggles and sins? How can you take a step towards mutual confession and accountability this week?
Day 5: Rescue Compassionately Those Who Wander
James calls us to go after those who have wandered from the faith. This compassionate rescue can save lives from spiritual destruction and prevent further wandering. It's a call to be proactive in our love and concern for others, ensuring that no one is left behind. This act of compassionate rescue can save lives from spiritual destruction and prevent further wandering. [32:07]
Galatians 6:1-2 (ESV): "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Reflection: Who in your life has wandered from the faith and needs compassionate rescue? How can you reach out to them in love and help guide them back to the fold?
Good morning, CLC. Good to see every one of you that have joined us today.
And we've threatened in the past, Brent and I were talking before service, that maybe we would have a Sunday where it was nothing except announcements and special prayer needs, and we wouldn't even have any preaching. And today was one of those days. I don't know if you recognize that, all the things that we've been talking about.
But I do want to add one more to it, and that is, for several years now, we have been participating with a number of churches in the Chicagoland area with a men's unity retreat in Lake Geneva. And the deadline for that is today, but we do have one of the organizers, one of the leaders, Mike Evans. Mike, are you in the room? You can wave. Here we go. He is going to be in the lobby after service, and any of our men that would like to register, you can do so with Mike, and we really appreciate it.
All right. Are you ready to see the book of James end? No, that's right. I certainly have enjoyed each one of these messages. We went right from "At the Movies" to what we've called a deep dive into the book of James, where it's been literally every other verse, no kidding, 108 verses in the book of James, and 54 of them are imperatives, commandments, essentials that we are to take action on.
I like how someone described it when he said, James speaks especially to those inclined to talk their way to heaven instead of walking their way. And I think all of us need to not just talk the talk, but we need to... Oh, come on. I know I'm nervous because I haven't been up here to preach in way too long, but you're not nervous, so we don't want you just to talk the talk. We want you to... Walk the walk. That's right. And I know that that's a cliché. But I also know that it's true.
Let me ask you like this. Have you ever been involved in a conversation with someone, and just before the conversation ended, you thought of something really important that you had forgotten to tell them? Anybody ever had that happen? Okay. That's kind of how chapter five is. This is the last book, the last words from James. He's concluding his letter. But before he did that, he thought of some action phrases, some imperatives that would help us to walk out our faith.
I don't expect you to need all five of them today. You don't have to memorize these. But I fully expect that there is something in these last five imperatives that the Holy Spirit wants you to get a hold of and do something about. Is it going to be like that all morning, or are you going to... All right. I fully expect that you're going to need some of them. So if you want to be a real Christian, today is how. Are you ready?
Okay. The first one of those five imperatives is to embrace contentment. And I'm almost embarrassed to say this, but what stood out to me when I learned that I was going to be doing chapter five, I started to read it. I started to read it and study those verses. And I was really surprised, honestly, of how the American church ignores the dangers of finance and riches and how important it is for us to be content.
I know that there are many verses that tell us that, but for some reason, I just hadn't thought about it in that sense. I hadn't thought about the idea that the American church has a lot of money. And we are not always content with what we have.
Let's start at chapter five, verse one. Look here, you rich people. He didn't wait any time, did he? Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on, by the way, that's the problem. It's not that you can't have wealth. The problem is when you start depending on it instead of what God wants to do in your life.
He said, the very wealth you were counting on will eat your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. The man doesn't mince any words, does he? How much better it would be, this is not James now, this is Jerry. How much better it would be for us to move away from hoarding and greed in order to give big now. He said, judgment's coming then, but I'm interested in having this go now. That's why at CLC we encourage generosity. It's one of our core values.
Okay, let's get back to verse number four now from James. For listen, hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ear of heaven's, the Lord of heaven's armies. Verse five, you have spent your years on earth in luxury. You say, not me. Yeah, you. Satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.
The message translation there says, but all you'll have to show for it is a fatter than usual corpse. If I was holding a mic, I'd drop it right now and just walk off the stage, okay? James chapter five and verse six says, you have condemned and killed innocent people who do not resist you.
I think it should go without saying that we don't want poverty. I'm not suggesting in reading these verses that we should want to be impoverished. But at the same time, we probably shouldn't want prosperity as much as we do as well. It's the consistent witness of scripture. This is what stood out to me and it didn't get any better throughout chapter five that we probably shouldn't want prosperity because it's the consistent witness of scripture that money and riches can be dangerous for Christians.
Can I say that again? Money and riches can be dangerous for Christians. And I hear somebody, I couldn't tell who it was coming from, but I hear somebody saying, whew, I'm so glad I don't have to worry about that. I don't have any money and riches to be worried about. Can I tell you something? If you earned $38,000 last year, that's, by the way, is minimum wage in Illinois. If you earned $38,000 last year, you made more money than 90% of the world's population.
So when James said you need to be concerned about your money and your riches, I don't think he would have said, oh, not you Americans. I think he would say, I'm talking to you. Turn to your neighbor and say, you're rich. Now, since half of you were laughing then, the person that you talked to, would you look back at them and say, I'm serious. You're rich.
Yeah. I've worked for the last few months. Well, for several months, I was going to Senegal. It seemed like every other week or so. And I've seen it in other nations where we've been privileged to work. I've worked with pastors who, for five or six days in a row, wore the exact same shirt. And it wasn't because they just were in love with that shirt. It was because they didn't have anything else.
And yet some of us today stood in front of a full closet and said, I don't have a thing to wear. You know why? You're rich. Amen. Amen. James would have us to avoid unnecessary acquisition. Why is that? Because this is something that was born out of these verses. Acquired wealth can bring unwelcomed problems to your life.
Yeah. I love how Ralph Waldo Emerson put it. He said, a man builds a fine house, and now he has a master and a task for life. He is to furnish, watch, show, know it, and keep it in repair the rest of his days. Some of us are getting religion over here. Yeah. It's kind of like this. I've said it before. First, we get some stuff, and then we take care of our stuff, and then we have to repair our stuff, and it doesn't get any better.
The rest of his days. Often, the things that we think we own, in reality, own us. But the Apostle Paul said, I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I think some of us ought to get convicted today and say we're going to learn that with him. He says, I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it's with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.
That's why I say contentment is a choice. Tell your neighbor, the one that you haven't been talking to, and say, yeah, contentment is a choice. James, in this last chapter, the last pages of his epistle, he's saying to us, we need to embrace contentment. It's essential that we do so.
Okay. I feel it right now. I'm in a move-on spirit. So let's go on to the second of the imperatives. James would have us to wait patiently. Everybody say wait patiently. Now, when I say wait patiently, I'm not talking about long lines at the grocery store. And I'm sure not talking about one of my pet peeves, the trains in the south suburbs that delayed your trip trying to get to church today.
Yeah. I've outsmarted one today. He went left and I went right. Yeah. He says be patient. He wasn't talking about those things. He was talking about a very specific event. Let's look at verse 7. He said, dear brothers and sisters, Pastor Brent's been pointing that out to us almost every week to remind us that this was written to the church. It's written to believers.
Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. That's the main word, main Greek word that's used for the second coming of Christ over and over again. And then he says, consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You too must be patient, he says. Take courage for the coming of the Lord is near.
Those of you that have been around CLC for long, you know that I grew up in Arkansas. You can probably tell it from my accent that I can't get rid of. And I grew up in a Pentecostal church in Arkansas, which is a two-fold problem, I guess. And I will tell you that I grew up hearing a lot about the second coming of Christ. Maybe you did too. Is there anybody in the room? Do you remember the Left Behind series?
Anybody? Oh, got converts on this one. Okay. You know, it put some fear in us. Yeah. All 16 books of the series. Personally, I don't think it was fear as much as I think the word would probably be urgency. I know that's how I felt. I don't know. It just influenced my decisions. That's probably the best way to say it.
And you probably didn't know this about me, but I skipped my senior year of high school in Jonesboro because I thought Jesus was coming soon. And I needed to go to Bible college and get ready for ministry. So I did. And any parents in the room? If you have children that try that on you and say, you know, I've got to be working for the Lord. I do want you to know. I added this. I want you to know that I did finish high school by correspondence.
Okay. We didn't have the internet back in those days. But I finished by correspondence and got my diploma in case anybody's worried about it. Okay. Don't let your kids try to pull that one on you. Okay. But about probably about a year and a half after I'd gone away to Bible college, I met the gorgeous blonde down here on the front row. And she was almost as beautiful then as she is today.
And when we met and dated for... I'm not going to tell you how short a time because your kids might be listening. But I was worried about the second coming because I didn't want to go to heaven as a virgin. Time out. This is not in my notes. But I'm honestly wondering. Why was it when I complimented my wife's beauty, it was all ladies that were clapping and cheering? And when I said I didn't want to go to heaven as a virgin, it was all men that I heard from.
I guess I know. What I mean is that I didn't want to go to heaven without experiencing marriage. Can we bring this one back? Okay. That may not have been James's reasoning. But catch this. This is true. He emphasized the second coming of the Lord three times in the space of three verses. I've already read the first two to you. And here verse 9 is the third one.
Don't grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look, the judge is standing at the door. James is saying, Jesus is coming. And we need to live with eternity in mind. Amen. Find a neighbor that you think needs to hear this and ask them, when was the last time you heard a message about the second coming of Jesus? That's a serious point.
And so in verse 10 he goes on to say, for examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. We do know about Job, but I don't think you have to go that far back in order to find someone who had great endurance.
Chris and I have been privileged to build a friendship with Pastor Farshid in Turkey. Actually, he's Iranian. When we first knew about him, some of you may remember this. It was here at CLC. We first heard about him because churches around the world were praying for Pastor Farshid because he was imprisoned in Iran for five years. Not for anything wrong that he had done. Just the opposite. Just because he preached the gospel.
He was imprisoned. Not only was he imprisoned, but he was beaten. He was starved. He was interrogated. He was placed in solitary confinement. And I think when I met him and heard his story first up to date, I guess, the worst thing of all I felt was that he lost his family. His wife and his two children. As a result of the way he was treated.
And yet, if he were in this room today, he is going to be with us next year. I think I've got him promised finally. And if he was in the room today, he would tell you that it was worth it. Waiting patiently is worth it. James said it like this when he was talking about Job. He said, you can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end. For the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. And that's what Farshid would tell you as well.
I'm going to keep moving to the third of these imperatives. That we need to pray effectively. Everybody say pray effectively. Now we all know that prayer is an important part of our walk. So James says this and he asks some questions. I would encourage you to answer them. You don't have to belt it out loud if you want to keep it to yourself. But if we're going to pray effectively, listen to the questions he asks.
Are any of you suffering hardships? Anybody in the room suffering hardships? That's serious. He said you should pray. Are any of you happy? Anybody in the room happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? If you got COVID, I hope you stayed home. But if you're sick, he said you should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.
Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick. And the Lord will make you well. I still remember one morning. I was pulling into the parking lot here. And I was listening to a preacher on the radio. And he read that verse or those verses. And he said evidently in that day, the oil that they anointed with had medicinal value.
And so when James had told them to have the elders lay hands on them and anoint them with oil, that oil was actually the means of their healing. I won't tell you the preacher that said it because I thought it was hogwash. Because the oil that they were anointed with, it wasn't because it had medicinal value. It had everything to do with the fact that the oil is always in scripture a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
And what James was encouraging them to do was make sure that they were praying in the name of the Lord and that they were calling on the name of the Lord with the power of the Holy Spirit. Okay. And he said such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick. And the Lord will make you well.
Now praying effectively is not complicated, but it is dependent on the oil of the Holy Spirit. And it is dependent on using the oil in the name of Jesus. He mentioned that here too. Offered in faith according to God's will. That's exactly what you need. And it's all listed right there in just a couple of verses for us.
But you know in the Old Testament, God gave his people a healing covenant. I don't know if you've read this one. I love the song that we sometimes sing out of this. Exodus chapter 15 and verse 26. The Lord said if you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.
I love that. But the New Testament, in this right here in the book of James chapter 5, the New Testament is a better covenant. Because he promised not only to heal us, but he promised to forgive all our sins. Amen. He said to those elders who are going to lay hands on them and anoint them with oil, he says, and if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
You know why I think that's so important? Why it's a better covenant than the Old Testament covenant? Have you sinned since you got saved? I got both hands on the wheel. And the reason it's so important is because we need to be forgiven. And he promised to do that.
And so the next of those imperatives, number four, say we're almost there. Number four is to confess regularly. You know this next verse is one that I honestly didn't really understand for probably 30 or 40 years of ministry. When he says that we need to confess, he says in verse 16, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. Why? So that. Everybody say so that.
When you see a so that, it's almost like for. You know that you got to find out what the therefore is there for. When you read so that, he's telling us the reason that it's so important that we confess regularly. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
I think most of us, maybe all of us understand that we confess our sins to God, not to man. We confess our sins to God in order to be forgiven. But in this verse, he tells us that we need to confess to each other so that we can be healed. Sometimes I have prayed and confessed the same sin repeatedly. I've said, Lord, I did it again. Please forgive me. And he does. I'm grateful for that.
Is there anybody in the room besides me? I'm feeling really guilty about now that you've prayed more than once for the same sin. And he forgave you and you didn't feel embarrassed or bad about it. You felt grateful that he took care of it for you, right? But not only did he forgive us, but the truth is I was still struggling with that same sin until a few years ago.
Someone pointed out to me that when we confess to other people, we can be made whole of our sin. Why is the confessing important? Because when we confess to people, they will hold us accountable. When before we moved here, Chris and I pastored a small church in Dexter, Missouri. And we had prayer meetings like the prayer meeting that we have here at CLC.
But we were doing at that time, this was a real emphasis with churches. We were doing a 6 a.m. prayer meeting. And to be honest, it was a small church. There weren't a whole lot of folks that were rolling out of bed before six in order to get to the church. But there was one brother in the church that told me he would pray with me. And he was fairly regular with it.
But there were times that he missed praying. And there were probably times besides that that I just wanted to sleep in. You know, just maybe been a long day the day before, whatever. And if he shows up at the church, there's nobody with a key that's going to let him in. And I felt so obligated. I felt like I can't let him down. I knew he would be holding me accountable.
And so I would roll out of bed and go and pray at six o'clock. That's kind of the same principle. When you confess to a brother or sister in the Lord, when you confess that to them, they're going to hold you accountable. By that I mean maybe the next time they see you, they're going to say, hey, Jerry, how's it going with the issue that we've been praying about?
Because not only will they hold you accountable, but the verse even says that they will pray for us. You confess not because you just want to be forgiven, but you confess to them because you want them to pray for you and hold you accountable in that area. And James says the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power.
The English word there for power is where we get our English word energy. The Greek word of our life and for us and our faith and our life. Ordinary people can make a difference in this world. Ordinary people can get results from God. And he says, yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years.
Then when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. I love that. I love that. Amen. Amen.
The last of the imperatives, the final two verses of the book of James, is to rescue compassionately. Would you say that? Rescue compassionately. The last two verses say it like this. My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God's truth, don't write them off. Go after them. Get them back.
And you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God. Let me close with just telling you, when I was working on this a few weeks ago now, I felt like the Lord dropped into my heart what he was going to do for a couple of someones. I don't know who the someones are.
But I felt like, first one, I felt like the Lord was saying, you're going to be talking to someone who once walked closely with the Lord. You know, you can be as close to God as you want to be. James told us that. James said, if you seek the Lord, you draw near to him, he'll draw near to you.
But I believe that I'm talking to someone that there was a time when you were really close with the Lord. But today, you're not as close as you were. Every eye closed, if you would, for a moment. But if that's you, and you want to be included in this final prayer, would you just lift your hand? You say, Jerry, I used to be closer to God than I am now. And I'd like for you to pray for me that I can get close to him again.
Let's pray. Lord, thank you for those who were willing to open up and raise their hands and say, I'm not as close with you as I once was. I pray that this final chapter of James would stir them to draw closer, to draw nearer, and to be what God wants and to be what God has called them to be.
In Jesus' name. I also sense, you know, the verse, the two verses there that I mentioned. He said, if you see someone or you know someone. And I felt like the Lord told me, you're going to know someone in the room today that has wandered. They didn't mean to, didn't intend to, but it happened.
And you're sitting in the room listening to this. And you know that person that has wandered. And you feel like that you could be a part of rescuing them. It might be, I don't know this. It might be a loved one. It might be a relative. It might be a child or a parent. But you feel like the Lord would have you to help rescue them.
If that's you, I'd like for all of us to stand now. We're closing. We're going to sing. We're going to sing. We're going to sing. We're going to do.
Father, I pray that that person who has wandered away, pray that you would speak to the heart of the person who knows them. And that even today they could reach out. Go after them, as James said. And that you would use someone in this room today to stir up the faith of someone, someone who has wandered away and is not walking closely with the Lord.
And I thank you for what you're doing. In Jesus' name.
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "I think all of us need to not just talk the talk, but we need to... Oh, come on. I know I'm nervous because I haven't been up here to preach in way too long, but you're not nervous, so we don't want you just to talk the talk. We want you to... Walk the walk. That's right. And I know that that's a cliche. But I also know that it's true." [02:54] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "If you earn $38,000 last year, you made more money than 90% of the world's population. So when James said you need to be concerned about your money and your riches, I don't think he would have said, oh, not you Americans. I think he would say, I'm talking tickets. I'm talking to you. Turn to your neighbor and say, you're rich." [08:56] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Often, the things that we think we own. In reality, own us. But the Apostle Paul said, I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I think some of us ought to get convicted today and say we're going to learn that with him. He says, I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it's with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little." [12:23] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "James is saying, Jesus is coming. And we need to live with eternity. With eternity in mind. Amen. Find a neighbor that you think needs to hear this. And ask them, when was the last time you heard a message about the second coming of Jesus? That's a serious point." [19:09] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Ordinary people can make a difference in this world. Ordinary people can get results from God. And he says, yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years. Then when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. I love that. I love that. Amen. Amen." [31:29] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "I fully expect that you're going to need some of them. So if you want to be a real Christian, today is how. Are you ready? Okay. The first one of those five imperatives is to embrace contentment. And I'm almost embarrassed to say this, but what stood out to me when I learned that I was going to be doing chapter five, I started to read it. I started to read it and study those verses. And I was really surprised, honestly, of how the American church ignores the dangers of finance and riches and how important it is for us to be content." [03:47] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "James would have us to avoid unnecessary. Necessary acquisition. Why is that? Because this is something that was born out of these verses. Acquired wealth can bring unwelcomed problems to your life. Yeah. I love how Ralph Waldo Emerson put it. He said, a man builds a fine house, and now he has a master and a task for life. He is to furnish, watch, show. Know it, and keep it in repair the rest of his days." [11:09] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "James would have us to wait patiently. Everybody say wait patiently. Now, when I say wait patiently, I'm not talking about long lines at the grocery store. And I'm sure not talking about one of my pet peeves, the trains in the south suburbs that delayed your trip trying to get to church today. Yeah. I've outsmarted one today. He went left and I went right. Yeah. He says be patient. He wasn't talking about those things. He was talking about a very specific event." [13:36] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Praying effectively is not complicated. But it is dependent on the oil of the Holy Spirit. And it is dependent on using the oil. In the name of Jesus. He mentioned that here too. Offered in faith according to God's will. That's exactly what you need. And it's all listed right there in just a couple of verses for us." [24:36] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Confess your sins to each other. And pray for each other. Why? So that. Everybody say so that. When you see a so that. It's almost like for. You know that you got to find out what the therefore is there for. When you read so that. He's telling us the reason that it's so important. That we confess regularly. Confess your sins to each other. And pray for each other. So that. You may be healed." [26:53] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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