WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:04.000 Well, we are continuing this morning in our series through the book of James. 00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:12.480 And what we've seen is that James, the brother of Jesus, has given us seven more verses of strange, blunt, and interesting verses. 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:14.720 We've seen that this book is hard. 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:19.440 It's challenging, it's blunt, the grammar's weird, it doesn't flow beautifully. 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:28.879 But James is coming at us with a big underlying assumption throughout the whole book, chapters one through five, that we are beloved sons and daughters of Jesus. 00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:38.880 Not because we hold it all together, not because we never doubt, not because we pray really well, but fully 100% in the finished work of the Son of God. 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:43.039 And that's the assumption that James goes at this book with. 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:54.799 In the book of James, we've seen it's really about the practical outworkings of the faith, which basically means if somebody is born of the Spirit, born again, blocked by the blood of Jesus, what will their life look like? 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:56.719 That's kind of the thing he's aiming at. 00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:01.759 And as James closes this book, written to believers, what is his main driving force? 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:06.480 Well, it's built out of last week's sermon that Russ hit on that we are awaiting the coming of the Lord. 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:08.400 We are waiting for the return of Jesus. 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:12.239 And as we do that, how do we make sense of this life? 00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:15.599 James knows life's gonna hurt. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:18.560 You're going to go through trials, you're going to suffer. 00:01:18.799 --> 00:01:22.079 And in that it's going to be tempting to doubt God's goodness. 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:25.680 In that it's going to be tempting to doubt that God even exists. 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:28.000 And James says, I get it. 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:39.120 But he says, Establish your hearts, not in your safety, not in your comfort, but in that the God of creation loves you and has not forsaken you and is coming back. 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:48.560 And one day, when he comes back, all sad things will be untrue, all hard things will be made right, and all of your tears will be wiped away. 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:49.760 And that's the good news. 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:57.439 That's what the return of Christ offers for us, not fear and trembling, but hope and joy and sadness being made untrue. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:01:59.280 Now with that in mind, let's jump in. 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:01.519 Verses five or verse 13. 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:03.840 James says, This Is anyone among you suffering? 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:04.640 Let him pray. 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:05.920 Is anyone cheerful? 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:07.200 Let him sing praise. 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:13.919 So point number one is this in all circumstances of life, we are invited to step into God's presence. 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:38.319 A little over two months ago, I was riding in the car on the way home from school with Keel, and this is a little after 9 p.m., so late at night, and uh we were listening to music, tired, uh, we just sat in six hours of class, and I looked at my phone, I saw I had a missed call, and it was from a student of mine, and um that's when my kind of radar starts going off as a student pastor, if I get a call at night like that from a student, because he wasn't just calling to say, hey, what's up, man? 00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:38.479 Right? 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:39.360 Like something's going on. 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:42.800 So my radar's up, and so I text him back, I'm like, hey man, I'm sorry I missed your call. 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:43.680 What's going on? 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:47.439 And he sends me kind of three broken up voice messages. 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:50.800 Um, and basically what he says, what I could make out, his voice is a little shaky. 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:54.560 All I could make out was, Teverino, not gonna make it. 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:59.919 I've said this constantly to students on Sunday nights and on Sunday mornings. 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:04.159 Any one of us at any given time could get a phone call like that. 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:07.439 Where the world falls from under our feet. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:09.680 And that's one of those phone calls. 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:12.080 Maybe you've gotten a phone call like that. 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:19.759 What happened uh the next morning absolutely blows my mind and will, for the rest of my life, be something I will never forget. 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:26.639 Because what had happened the day before is a beloved student daughter friend lived Teverino, died in a car crash. 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:32.080 Girl that came regularly on Sunday nights that was an active part of our student ministry. 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:41.919 So several pastors and ministry leaders from around Marietta showed up to the high school the next morning just to kind of be an available voice, an available shoulder to cry on. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:46.800 So we showed up early the next morning to pray for the staff first and then to be, again, just readily available. 00:03:46.879 --> 00:04:00.800 And what started as a quiet, solemn gathering with certainly a lot of heartache and a lot of tears just slowly got louder and louder with weeping, and then it turned into praying and singing, which was interesting to me. 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:12.800 Because several ministry leaders in the area brought guitars and started singing songs and leading worship, and students that were at one point really quiet started singing. 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:20.240 And in the midst of such searing pain, singing about God's goodness. 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:36.079 One of the most impactful moments of the entire day was to me when several, thankfully, several women at Redeemer helped us open up the church, and we basically just said, hey, the church is open for anybody that wants to come, have a meal, we'll have sandwiches, come hang out, whatever you want to do. 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:41.439 Um we were just like, maybe 30 are gonna show up, maybe 10, maybe 50, we had no idea. 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:46.319 But about an hour later, 200 students just poured through our doors here. 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:51.439 Had a quick bite, and then they all just started going to the student chapel, unprompted. 00:04:51.519 --> 00:05:00.959 We had candles lit up in there, and our worship pastor Sam led us for about an hour in worship in one of the most heaven-like moments I've ever experienced. 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:14.639 What we got to observe was hundreds of students jam-packed just down the hall in that tiny little student chapel that normally has about 70, had about 200 weeping, snot, and tears pouring out of their faces. 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:17.920 And in that crying that the King of Kings is still good. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:21.680 So James says, Is anyone among you suffering? 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:23.519 Let him pray. 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:31.839 Is that moment not a testimony of what can happen when a student and a group of students are caught on fire by the love of God? 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:40.079 That in that moment of intense pain and intense grief, that was really real and really there in that moment, crying out that God is still good. 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:44.319 There's one moment in particular that this image just brings me to tears. 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:48.480 Sam, let us in the bridge of a song called Fear Is Not My Future. 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:54.000 And students screaming these lyrics just has pierced my heart. 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:55.600 Listen to these words. 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:58.399 Fear is not my future, you are. 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:00.800 Sickness is not my story, you are. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:03.199 Heartbreak is not my home, you are. 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:05.519 Death is not the end, you are. 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:14.639 Hearing students sing that, last line, not 24 hours after their friend died in a car crash, is something I will never forget. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:27.680 What James is getting at here is in light of the return of Christ, in light of our belovedness in Christ, in light of the fact that we who were once far off, the scriptures say, have been brought near by the blood of the Son. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:33.279 He says, Hey, in whatever circumstance, suffering or joy, bring your hearts to God. 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:36.800 Here's what James Modire says about this verse. 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:39.680 He says, This then is the individual at prayer. 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:50.480 He or she is reflecting all of life upward, acknowledging the sufficiency and sovereignty of God, practicing the grace of acceptance, and rejecting the disgrace of stubbornness. 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:57.120 In this, the voice of prayer and the voice of praise are one, for alike they say that the will of God is good. 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:08.639 In times of suffering and in times of joy, we find a beautiful companion in Christ, a dear friend who wants to share with our joys and our sorrows. 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:09.839 Let's keep reading. 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:11.839 Fifteen, fourteen through sixteen. 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:13.360 Is anyone among you sick? 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:18.959 Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:25.600 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. 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:30.879 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:34.639 The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:42.480 So, point number two for us is this God desires to heal both the physically sick and the spiritually sick. 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:48.879 So James moves from the sort of vague, ambiguous situation of suffering and joy to, he gets really practical. 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:52.000 He says, Hey, if somebody is sick, here's what you do. 00:07:52.240 --> 00:08:00.800 And his instruction, the elders, the like what we say at this church, the men who are placed in a position of leadership over a body of believers, there to pray for them. 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:06.800 And the promise of this text is that the prayer of faith will raise this person up. 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:14.800 What's notable is that James doesn't say, hey, get the people who are really gifted in prayer, get the people who are gifted in healing, like 1 Corinthians would talk about. 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:17.439 He says, get the regular guys to come pray. 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:19.040 I think that's notable. 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:21.279 We have a few things to wrestle with, though. 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:26.639 He talks about oil, which is foreign to many of us. 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:33.039 The historical belief among Christians is that anointing oil, the oil that he's talking about here, is not magic. 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:39.200 But much like the waters of baptism or the bread and wine of communion are a symbol that point to a deeper reality. 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:42.960 So he's not saying, hey, throw some oil on this person and then your prayer is gonna work. 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:52.080 He's saying when you put the oil on the person as an act of consecration or meaning, hey, we're declaring this prayer in this moment to be holy, meaning we believe that God can answer it. 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:53.840 That's what he's getting at. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:58.720 But sometimes, passages like this can feel exhausting and condemning. 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:01.679 And maybe they've been used in unhelpful ways to us. 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:06.639 Because the reality is, what if I pray and this person doesn't get healed? 00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:10.000 What if I pray and this person gets worse? 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:12.799 What if I pray and this person dies? 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:15.600 Does that mean that I don't have enough faith? 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:19.279 Does that mean that my faith isn't strong enough that I don't believe hard enough? 00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:22.720 Otherwise, God would have surely healed this person, right? 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:27.519 Here's what author Dan Doriani says about this that I think is very helpful. 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:31.759 The phrases the prayer of faith and the Lord will raise him up require careful thoughts. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:35.279 There is a time for believers to die, to go be with the Lord. 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:39.200 So we cannot say that every prayer of faith will result in healing in this life. 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:42.559 So we should not think, if only we have enough faith, healing will come now. 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:44.399 Healing may come in the future. 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:49.600 In other words, prayers for healing are not the same as the appeals people made to Jesus in the Gospels. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:55.440 He performed miracles that announced his deity and redeeming purposes, and he always fulfilled his purposes. 00:09:55.679 --> 00:10:01.360 That said, in every church, elders should gather to pray, and we should expect God to act. 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:06.480 So here's there's four kind of points that I think are helpful for us to land on about this passage. 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:09.279 So number one is we should pray expecting that God can heal. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:10.080 Amen. 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:16.399 Number two, we are free, though, in these prayers, to trust that God's plan is good and bigger than ours, but we don't see the whole picture. 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:19.279 And so we're free to believe that as we pray for healing. 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:22.320 Number three, God's ultimate desire is for spiritual healing. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:27.600 So even if a person is not healed, we can trust that God is more interested in their soul than their body. 00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:32.639 And then lastly, God does not respond to prayer based on how strong our faith is or is not. 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:35.600 And that's especially good news if you're anything like me. 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:41.279 Healing is something that is amazing, that we should seek, that we should ask the Lord for. 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:46.320 But sometimes our prayers aren't answered like we'd like for them to be, are they? 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:50.480 I'm sure many of you have prayed for healing for somebody, for yourself. 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:52.799 Perhaps for a long time. 00:10:53.120 --> 00:10:55.679 Maybe the prayer hasn't even been for a physical healing. 00:10:55.919 --> 00:11:02.080 Maybe it's been for your marriage to heal, for your relationship with your son or daughter or mother or brother to heal. 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:09.919 Maybe you've been praying for this addiction to break, or this mental illness you've been struggling with for years to just make it better. 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:13.279 And maybe in your prayers you're finding God frustratingly silent. 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:17.120 And if that's the case, then you find good company in the scriptures. 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:26.720 What I believe James, the brother of Jesus, is most interested in is not for you to feel condemned or like you don't have enough faith if God doesn't answer your prayers like you thought. 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:31.120 What James is most interested in is for you and I to believe that God's ways are good. 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:44.080 Even Jesus, in a moment of intense suffering in Gethsemane, pouring his heart out of the Father in prayer just hours before his crucifixion, had cried out, Father, not my will, but yours be done. 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:49.840 If the Son of God prays something like that, man, is that not so often what prayer is? 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:53.120 Saying, Lord, I'd love for this to happen. 00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:56.480 But at the end of the day, please align my heart to yours. 00:11:57.039 --> 00:11:57.840 So let's keep reading. 00:11:57.919 --> 00:11:59.360 Verses 17 and 18. 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:04.879 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain. 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:08.080 And for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:11.600 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:16.639 So point number three says this prayer can and does impact the world. 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:17.600 It's true. 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:25.440 James uses the example here of a man from the Old Testament named Elijah, and James again is writing to Jewish, specifically Christians who knew their Bibles well. 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:28.879 So the mention of Elijah would have sparked some lights for them. 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:37.519 And I'm sure for many of them and for many of us, we look at the people of the Bible like David, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and think, oh, those are the all-American five-star recruits right there. 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:38.799 You don't know me. 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:52.720 And what James is saying is, hey, Elijah, this man you've heard of, the man that was there on the Mount of Transfiguration, the man who prayed that rain would come and go, he says, hey, he's just like you and me. 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:54.080 He's sinful. 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:55.440 He doubts. 00:12:55.679 --> 00:13:00.399 Yeah, he prayed fervently for three years, but maybe in the midst of that he thought God might not do it. 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:02.320 That's what James is saying. 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:08.000 And James is also saying that Elijah didn't have special access to God like you and I do. 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:14.320 He's not saying Elijah was some varsity believer who had a special line to God and we don't. 00:13:14.639 --> 00:13:18.000 And so James lands the plane saying Elijah prayed and things happened. 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:24.159 So therefore, in Christ we can also pray and in our prayers believe that God can and does work. 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:36.240 I was talking to a student a couple weeks ago who asked me essentially if God is over all things, if God is sovereign, if there's no hair that falls from our head, then why pray? 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:39.200 And let me just say, what a great question. 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:40.559 What an amazing question. 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:42.559 Maybe one you've asked. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:49.279 And I, as I was even thinking this week and praying this week, I just pray that we as a church and a student ministry welcome questions like that. 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:53.120 That we don't ever meet somebody with condemnation with a question like that. 00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:57.919 And there's one thing before we go into the answer that we need to rest in is that God does not and will not change. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:02.320 He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, which is good news because that means you'll never catch him on an off day. 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:05.519 You'll never catch him like he rolled off the wrong side of the bed and is grumpy with you. 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:08.080 He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that's good news. 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:11.519 So if that is good news, if he doesn't change, how does prayer fit in? 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:14.559 Why pray if God is over all things? 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:15.120 And R. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:15.360 C. 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:19.919 Sproul, a theologian, he had an article that literally says, Does prayer change God's mind? 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:21.039 Great article title. 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:22.159 Here's what he says. 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:29.039 No human being, it's a long quote, but we can do it, no human being has ever had a more profound understanding of divine sovereignty than Jesus. 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:33.360 And yet no man has ever prayed more fiercely or more effectively. 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:38.240 Even in Gethsemane, he requested an option, not my will but yours, in a different way. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:41.200 When the request was denied, he bowed to the Father's will. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:48.960 The very reason we pray is because of God's sovereignty, because we believe that God has it within his power to order things according to his purpose. 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:52.960 That is what sovereignty is all about, ordering things according to God's purpose. 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:55.200 So then, does prayer change God's mind? 00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:55.759 No. 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:57.519 Does prayer change things? 00:14:57.679 --> 00:14:58.720 Yes, of course. 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:03.440 The promise of the scriptures is that the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:06.720 The problem is that we are not all that righteous. 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:11.279 What prayer most often changes is the wickedness and the hardness of our own hearts. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:17.039 That alone would be reason enough to pray, even if none of the other reasons were valid or true. 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:20.240 God does not change, and that is good news. 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:23.360 God is over all things, and that is also good news. 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:29.120 What prayer does is it transforms our hearts more in humility to the will of God. 00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:34.240 And God's will can sometimes be frustratingly painful and slow. 00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:39.120 But prayer, above all else, invites us into communion with God. 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:45.200 Let's read the end of our passage in the book of James, the final words from the Brother of Jesus. 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:57.120 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 00:15:57.360 --> 00:16:05.840 So, point number four, our last point this morning says this the main driving force of the book of James is the forgiveness of sins under the blood of Christ. 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:14.559 On Monday this past week, uh I was I was sitting in hour five of class after being a hundred percent attentive and listening. 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:18.080 Of course, I decided I've earned it. 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:19.600 You get a break now, Sam. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:26.159 Mid-lecture, I thought, okay, I'm gonna go find some Georgia Bulldogs highlights on YouTube, as one does. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:28.399 I mean, it's Thanksgiving week. 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:32.240 I owe it to myself to have some Georgia Bulldogs highlight videos. 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:41.519 So I type in UGA football highlights into the search bar on YouTube, and the first thing that comes up is the playoff game from last year between Georgia and Ohio State. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:48.960 Which, Georgia fan, Ohio State fan, any other fan that you are, we can all agree that was one of the best football games in a long time. 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:50.399 Like it was it was pretty crazy. 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:52.639 All the way to the last second. 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:58.320 As I was watching the highlights, um, and if any of my professors at RTS are somehow listening to this, I am sorry. 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:02.879 Uh, I was reminded uh back then I want to watch this game with some friends. 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:10.000 Now, if you watch this game, you know that it was stressful on both sides the entire time to the last play. 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:11.839 All the way to the last second. 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:17.119 And watching a game like that when you don't know the ending is not that fun, honestly. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:19.279 It's fun in moments, it's mostly stressful. 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:20.960 The game almost ended me. 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:22.799 Um my heart really couldn't handle it. 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:25.200 But here's a picture of some of us at the game. 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:27.920 I don't know where, I don't know when in the game that is. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:31.200 Uh it could be first play, it could be third quarter, fourth quarter. 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:32.240 I really don't know. 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:36.160 Um, but that's those were the vibes for about four hours right there. 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:37.599 It wasn't great. 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:42.240 Um that night watching the game did end well. 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:47.599 Uh it certainly did end well, but for 98% of it, it was pretty stressful. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:56.319 Now, thinking back to Monday in class as I was watching the highlights, I knew how the game ended, and I still was panicking in my seat whenever I watched certain plays. 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:01.279 I'm a Georgia fan, I'm a Braves fan, I'm a Falcons fan. 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:06.079 I've seen some things turn around, I've had some tears shed. 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:09.680 Now I know that the game's not over until it's over. 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:11.759 I've learned that in my life. 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:15.599 So even while I knew the ending of this game, I was still a little stressed. 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:17.279 I was like, man, maybe did Georgia even win? 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:18.799 Like, am I remembering it right? 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:24.720 But I did have a level of peace deep down, knowing that the story did end how it did. 00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:29.920 There's one thing we've been making the point of every single week as we've been reading James. 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:34.079 The driving force of the book of James is the end of James. 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:38.799 In the Bible, there's no verses or chapters, and so it was one long stream of thought. 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:40.000 This is like his conclusion. 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:42.880 This is where everything in the whole book points to. 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:50.559 And this is the promise of James that in Christ we are fully, freely, and forever forgiven and covered by the blood of the Son. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:53.359 We sing the song, full forgiveness meets my gaze. 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:55.279 I stand redeem my grace alone. 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:58.480 So is it 99% forgiveness from the cross? 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:03.359 And then, man, I need to add that 1% to maybe make sure that God's really happy with me? 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:04.000 No. 00:19:04.559 --> 00:19:05.839 Full forgiveness. 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:06.880 Found how? 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:08.640 By faith in the Son of God. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:11.839 So, what is our point here at the end of James? 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:15.680 Is the point of every scripture in the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation? 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:17.119 Look to Jesus. 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:18.640 You hurting? 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:20.160 Look to Jesus. 00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:21.119 You're cheerful? 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:21.920 Look to Jesus. 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:22.799 You need a friend? 00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:23.599 Look to Jesus. 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:24.400 You need healing? 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:25.119 Look to Jesus. 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:32.400 You need this addiction to break, or this marriage to heal, or this addiction to go back to, or to for the shame to find love? 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:34.160 Look to Jesus. 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:37.279 Maybe this morning a lot of thoughts are coming from the end there. 00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:39.519 James talks about the one who wanders. 00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:41.839 Maybe someone is coming to mind for you. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:45.279 Maybe your son or your daughter is falling away from their faith. 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:51.839 Maybe you're terrified in your seat right now because you're having doubts about the Bible and about your faith that you never thought you'd have. 00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:56.400 Maybe you've been struggling with a hidden sin that no one knows about. 00:19:56.559 --> 00:20:02.400 And you're wondering if anybody found out about this, if God found out about this, could I still be lovable? 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:09.839 Maybe you wish your spouse or your boyfriend or your mom or dad or friend or whatever was farther along in their faith. 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:13.279 Or maybe you've come in here this morning and you've been the wanderer. 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:17.680 Maybe you've orbited church for a long time, maybe you've never walked in before. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:23.839 And maybe you know some Bible stories, maybe you don't, but you've just never found faith to be something that's feasible to you. 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:29.680 And the invitation from James and from the scriptures to all of us is, hey, do you want to find life? 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:32.000 Do you want your shame to be met with joy? 00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:38.160 Do you want your suffering to be met with a friend, no matter the circumstance? 00:20:38.720 --> 00:20:40.799 He says, collapse into the Son of God. 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:45.279 The one who didn't see the sins of this world and back off in fear and anger. 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:48.960 But the one who actually stepped in and said, Hey, I'm the remedy. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:50.720 I'll fix it. 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:57.440 He says, your brokenness, your shame, your addictions, your broken marriage, your messed up relationship with your mom or sister. 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:01.839 He says, all of it is met with love and grace and the forgiveness of Christ. 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:04.880 And that's the driving force of the book of James. 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:07.839 I want to close with a reading from the book of Hebrews. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.400 This is chapter 12, verses 1 and 2. 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:35.279 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside also every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:36.799 Let's pray together. 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:44.720 Father, um, I thank you that when Adam and Eve fell, you did not shy away. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:49.039 You didn't just send a religious system for all of us to figure it out. 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:54.880 But Lord, you promised even all those years ago that you would yourself become the remedy. 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:58.000 No other faith system in the world promises that. 00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:02.079 No other moralistic teaching promises that. 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:08.559 Christianity is the only faith system where the God who created is the God who redeems. 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:11.359 So, Father, thank you that that's true. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:19.519 Thank you for the book of James, that even though it's hard, even though it presses on us a little bit, even though we wrestle with it, thank you that it ultimately points us to you. 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:22.720 That it ultimately points us to our forgiveness in Christ. 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:26.000 There's nothing we can add to it, there's nothing we can take away from it. 00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:30.960 But the invitation from James, Lord, I'm grateful for it is that we can just come and rest with you. 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:33.200 In every circumstance, we can come to you. 00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:38.079 Thank you that you are accessible no more to Elijah than to us. 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:43.519 That we have full access to the Creator of the universe who loves us and gave himself up for us. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:53.680 I pray that all of us will be met with grace, and that all of our shame would be met with joy, all of our addictions will be meet will be met with freedom, and then in all of it we define the love and grace of Jesus. 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:55.519 I pray this all in Jesus' name. 00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:56.160 Amen.