Category: Mercy

James 3:13-18

3/29/2020

Teacher: Rusty Kenned
Series: James (Acts)

Rusty's Notes

James 1 – Patient when in trouble. (stand confidently)
James 2 – Lives out who they are. (serve compassionately)
James 3 – Controlling our tongue. (speak carefully)
Wisdom was an important thing to Jewish people.
They realized that it was not enough to have knowledge.
You had to have wisdom to be able to use that knowledge correctly.[1]

James 3:13-18
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness (meekness) that comes from wisdom.

Here is an original “show and tell.”
“Wise” (sophos) describes one with moral insight and skill in the practical issues of life.
Wisdom is not measured by degrees but by deeds.
People demonstrate wisdom if their deeds reflect God’s Word.[2]
Wisdom knows the good and knows how to do the good.[3]
Gentleness/Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23);
The phrase, “meekness of wisdom,” is an interesting one.
Meekness is the right use of power, and wisdom is the right use of knowledge. They go together.
The truly wise person will show in his daily life (conduct means “behavior”) that he is a child of God.
Attitude and action go together.[4]
It is not a matter of acquiring truth in lectures but of applying truth to life.
The truly wise man is humble.[5]

14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth.

Bitterness and selfishness… get me away.
Selfishness will always rise to the top.
You may want something to turn out your way… So you take God’s Word and start beating people over the head with it.
It’s God’s agenda over your agenda.

15 Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition (strife), there is disorder and every evil practice.

Envy and strife are clear indicators that one’s so-called wisdom is not from above (James 1:17 - 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.[6]),
but is earthly, unspiritual (“natural, sensual,”), and of the devil (“demonic,”).
Envy and selfish ambition, or rivalry, can only produce disorder, or confusion, and every evil practice.

The Bible contains many examples of the folly of man’s wisdom.
The building of the Tower of Babel seemed like a wise enterprise, but it ended in failure and confusion (Gen. 11:1–9).
It seemed wise for Abraham to go to Egypt when famine came to Canaan, but the results proved otherwise (Gen. 12:10–20).
King Saul thought it was wise to put his own armor on young David for the lad’s battle with Goliath, but God’s plan was otherwise (1 Sam. 17:38ff).
The disciples thought it was wise to dismiss the great crowd and let them find their own food; but Jesus took a few loaves and fishes and fed the multitude.
The Roman “experts” in Acts 27 thought it was wise to leave port and set sail for Rome, even though Paul disagreed; and the storm that followed proved that Paul’s wisdom was better than their expert counsel. They lived to regret it, but they lived![7]

The unspirituality of worldly management, if not reigned by the wisdom from above, will dominate the church and cause it to be led into a myriad of evils.[8]
A truly wise person does not seek glory or gain; he is gracious and giving.[9]
Ephesians 2:1 - 1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.[10]
-The world’s system of values and perspective of things vs - spirit – way of thinking.
Heavenly wisdom vs earthly wisdom.
Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.[11]
“Counseling” is the practice of seeking wisdom.
A “secular” counselor will generally process behaviors (past/present/future) with a client.
These processes will be dependent upon one’s self-discipline (strength)
A “Christian” counselor – WARNING!!!! Be careful where you step… may do the exact same thing based upon using the Bible as LAW.
A “wise – heavenly wise” counselor will process behavior experiences with you and disciple/teach you that the best way is to submit to the Spirit that resides in your mortal body.
They will disciple you out of heavenly wisdom.
I believe in professional counseling… but I have great reduced my recommendations over the years.
I would trust most of you (Leavener people) in discipling others than most counselors.
Satan has power in this system according to the ruler of the atmospheric domain
- Ruler = prince, chief of the atmosphere
- We are in a battle and natural tendency is to protect our child.
There is only one way to protect your child…
1) Know Jesus
2) Trust Him.
1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.[12] (Simba-pounce)
2 Corinthians 11:14 – And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.[13]
James has listed the negative:
- Envy
- Strife
- Boasting/bragging
- Deceit

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.[14]

James has listed the “fruit of righteousness”
- Purity - God is holy; therefore the wisdom from above is pure.
- Peace (unity) - The peace of the church is not more important than the purity of the church. If the church is pure, devoted to God, then there will be peace.

Fruit of the Spirit

Meekness/Gentleness – James 3:13

The gentle person does not deliberately cause fights, but neither does he compromise the truth in order to keep peace.

Compliance - God’s wisdom makes the believer agreeable and easy to live with and work with. Man’s wisdom makes a person hard and stubborn. The compliant person is willing to hear all sides of a question, but he does not compromise his own convictions. He can disagree without being disagreeable.
Mercy - God in His grace gives us what we do not deserve, and in His mercy He does not give us what we do deserve.
Good Fruits - People who are faithful are fruitful. God’s wisdom does not make a life empty; it makes it full. The Spirit produces fruit to the glory of God
Decisiveness - When you have God’s wisdom, you need not waver; you can be decisive and not be afraid. Wisdom from above brings strength from above.
Sincerity - Faith is living without scheming.[15]

Worldly wisdom produces trouble (v. 16).
Isaiah 32:7 - The scoundrel’s weapons are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies, even when the poor person says what is right.[16]
God’s wisdom produces blessing (v. 18).

God’s ways and God’s thoughts are far above us! 1 Corinthians 2:12 - Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.[17]

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 362). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Jas 3:13). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[3] Richardson, K. A. (1997). James (Vol. 36, p. 162). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 364). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[5] Blue, J. R. (1985). James. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 828). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jas 1:17). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 362). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[8] Richardson, K. A. (1997). James (Vol. 36, p. 168). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[9] Blue, J. R. (1985). James. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 828–829). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[10] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Eph 2:1–2). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[11] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Pr 14:12). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[12] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Pe 5:8). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[13] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (2 Co 11:14). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[14] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jas 3:13–18). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[15] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 365). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[16] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Is 32:7). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[17] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Co 2:12). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

James 2:1-13

3/8/2020

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
Series: James (Acts)

Rusty's Notes

Show random pictures people that will cause others to pass judgment on them based upon who they are what they have done.
Show James 2:1-4
Did you journey through a series of emotions as you watched these pictures?
How many of you passed judgment on these people as their pictures scrolled by?
Of these people… who would you talk to and who would you ignore if they walked into Pinheads and sat down among us?
Who would you show favoritism to and who would cause you to quit coming to Pinheads?
Would it make a difference if they were believers or not?
Would it make a difference if they were cruel to others?

THE SIN OF FAVORITISM
James 2
1 My brothers and sisters (fellow believers), do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. (not of) 2 For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy (dirty, shabby) clothes also comes in, 3 if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,”

The imagery of providing comfortable elevation of feet above the filth of the floor and then assigning the poor man a place on that floor is as crass as could be.

4 haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Can favoritism or partiality coexist with the glorious Christ of faith? Impossible.
Special respect of persons based on their high social standing is antithetical to faith in God.
Believers must never mix faith with partiality.
If they do, it is just another case of double-mindedness.
When favoritism dominates, the obedience of faith is compromised and undermined.[1]

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

God does display preferential treatment, but toward the poor (2:5) with the intent to demonstrate the greatness of his grace.
The emphasis here is on God’s choosing, and this involves the grace of God.
If salvation were on the basis of merit, it would not be by grace.
Grace implies God’s sovereign choice of those who cannot earn and do not deserve His salvation (Eph. 1:4–7; 2:8–10).
God saves us completely on the basis of the work of Christ on the cross and not because of anything that we are or have.[2]
Always the pressing question remains: Is the community of believers united around the principles of Christ rather than those of the fallen world?
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 - Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. 27 Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one may boast in his presence. 30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.[3]

6 Yet you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?

If James is having to bring this concept to their attention, it is obviously something they have done in the past.
Seems like common sense if you have a new heart.
But sometimes you have to teach common sense…
Look at these instructions…
Warning label on a wheelbarrow: "Not intended for highway use"
Warning label on a baby stroller: "Remove child before folding"
Warning label on a thermometer: "Once used rectally, the thermometer should not be used orally"
Warning label on a jet ski: "Never use a lit match or open flame to check fuel level"
Warning label on underwear tag: “Always wash your butt”

8 Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well.

James reached back into the Old Testament for one of God’s laws, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Lev. 19:18).
“royal law” - it rules all the other laws. “Love is the fulfilling of the Law” (Rom. 13:10).
There would be no need for the thousands of complex laws if each citizen truly loved his neighbors.[4]

9 If, however, you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all. 11 For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.

“law of freedom” is different than the law mentioned in vs. 9-11.
“law of freedom” – Be obedient to the Spirit.
“Obey” means to act according to the Spirit.
Make a choice… it’s still you having to do something.
Submit to the Spirit in you to actually do it for you.
You’ve already proved you can’t do it in your own strength.
When you walk away and say, “What just happened here?”

13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.[5]

Failure to show mercy to those in need calls into question whether there has been any true act of repentance in face of God’s mercy.[6]
The importance of mercy in human relationships is so essential because mercy is a direct indicator of repentance toward God.[7]
Christian love does not mean that I must like a person and agree with him on everything.
I may not like his vocabulary or his habits, and I may not want him for an intimate friend.
Christian love means treating others the way God has treated me.
It is an act of the will, not an emotion that I try to manufacture.
The motive is from the new heart and leads to submission.
The means is the power of the Spirit within (“for the fruit of the Spirit is love”).
As I act in love toward another, I may find myself drawn more and more to him, and I may see in him (through Christ) qualities that before were hidden to me.[8]
The true heart of others may be hidden in their own journey… but in your journey, the Spirit will lead you to love all without judgment.

Justin Bieber Video

[1] Richardson, K. A. (1997). James (Vol. 36, p. 108). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 351). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Co 1:26–31). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 352). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jas 2:1–13). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Richardson, K. A. (1997). James (Vol. 36, p. 126). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[7] Richardson, K. A. (1997). James (Vol. 36, pp. 125–126). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[8] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 352). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

James 3:13-18

Rusty's Notes

James 2:1-13

Rusty's Notes

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