WEBVTT

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 I'm going to invite Anne up, who's going to read scripture for us.

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 She's going to read James chapter 1, verses 9 to 18.

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 These are the verses that Corey's going to teach from just shortly.

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! Thank you, Anne.

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 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,

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 and the rich in his humiliation,

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 because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.

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 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass,

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 its flower falls and its beauty perishes.

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 So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

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 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial,

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 for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life,

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 which God has promised to those who love him.

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 Let no one say when he is tempted,

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 I am being tempted by God,

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 for God cannot be tempted with evil,

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 and he himself tempts no one.

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 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

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 Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin,

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 and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.

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 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

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 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,

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 coming down from the Father of lights,

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 with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

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 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth,

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 that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

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 Amen.

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 All right, well,

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 I don't know if you've had the experience,

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 I think I do know you have,

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 that you go to bed on a weeknight too late,

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 and then you get up too late the next morning,

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 and your morning self hates your nighttime self for it.

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 And then you can't find your keys,

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 and then, or you go to the bus stop,

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 and the bus never comes,

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 despite the fact that the app said it was two minutes away.

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 And then you get into work or uni,

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 and you're frustrated, and you're flustered,

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 and you get an email,

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 and it says,

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 we need to talk,

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 and it's from your boss.

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 It's the email I send to David Court every week.

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 We need to talk now.

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 And then the next day comes,

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 and you get that unexpected bill.

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 And the next day comes,

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 and you get a ticket,

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 because you drove in the bus lane.

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 And then the next day comes,

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 and your friend wants to talk,

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 and poor,

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 and addiction they're struggling with,

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 into your life,

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 and say,

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 I need your help.

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 And it's good,

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 but it's a burden.

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 And then you come,

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 you drag yourself to church on a Sunday.

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 After a hard week,

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 and an ordinary week,

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 and the text is James 1, verse 2,

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 that says,

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 count it all joy,

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 brothers and sisters,

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 when you face trials of various kinds,

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 big and small.

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 Now, the week I just described

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 is not martyrdom.

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 It's not the persecution

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 that the first century scattered church

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 was facing,

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 and the week I described

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 was not a life-ending diagnosis.

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 But sometimes those weeks do come as well.

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 It was quite a normal week,

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 quite an ordinary week,

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 that we face.

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 Various trials,

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 big and small,

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 James says.

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 Count it joy when you face them,

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 no matter what they are.

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 So we saw last week

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 that Christians meet trouble

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 on ordinary roads.

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 And just because you're a Christian,

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 it doesn't mean

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 that you're exempt from suffering.

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 In fact,

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 it's exactly the opposite.

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 It's a guarantee

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 that you will suffer.

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 And we learned that

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 when you're a follower of Jesus,

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 you need an entire cognitive reframe

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 of what suffering is.

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 And James is telling us

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 the reason suffering is so different,

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 we receive it so different as believers,

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 is because God can grow you

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 and mature you in the midst of it.

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 It has a completely different purpose

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 than we normally think about suffering.

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 And so he said,

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 count it all joy.

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 Consider it joy.

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 Put the events of that week

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 in the credit of joy

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 instead of the debit of misery.

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 It's a thinking term.

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 It's a thinking command.

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 And he says also

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 that every single moment like that,

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 the week I described,

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 is a, quote,

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 testing of your faith.

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 It's a trial.

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 That's a testing.

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 And a testing is a smelting term.

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 That's the Greek word that's chosen

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 as one of the verbs

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 for how you smelt precious metals.

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 And so if you're going to smelt gold,

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 you've got to stick gold into a furnace

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 and heat it up

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 to at least 1,064 degrees Celsius

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 to smelt gold.

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 And you do it in cycles,

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 over and over again,

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 pulling it out,

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 sticking it back in the furnace.

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 And the impurities fall away over time.

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 And you move from 80% gold

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 to 90% to 92, 93, 94,

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 up to 98, 99% gold.

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 That's as good as you can get.

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 It's never perfect.

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 And that's exactly what he means

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 by reentering the furnace

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 over and over again.

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 You can become perfect.

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 Not sinless, but whole.

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 More and more mature.

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 More and more Christ-like

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 over time is the idea.

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 And so today, we come back.

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 He's talking about the same stuff

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 in the passage we read.

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 But today, he's getting more specific

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 and saying,

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 well, how does this work exactly?

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 What does this mean

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 in certain circumstances more precisely?

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 So he's talking here

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 about how to be blessed

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 in the midst of reentering the furnace.

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 Whether the bus,

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 that's the bus doesn't come

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 day after day

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 or the life-ending diagnosis,

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 you reenter the furnace

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 big and small all the time.

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 And how can you be blessed?

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 How really can you?

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 What does it look like practically?

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 And you see that in verse 12.

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 He said,

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 blessed is the one

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 who remains steadfast.

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 You say,

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 how could we be blessed in that?

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 And so that's what he's answering

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 for us today.

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 Now, this is James,

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 the biological brother

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 of Jesus Christ,

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 writing to the church,

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 Jews and Gentiles,

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 scattered all throughout

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 the Roman Empire

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 in the first century

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 or all the empires

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 of this world today to us.

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 And he's going to teach you today

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 in verses 9 to 18

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 that you can be blessed

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 in the midst of suffering

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 when you will see

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 that number one,

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 suffering will strip away

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 your idols.

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 Number two,

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 that suffering exposes

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 your truest,

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 greatest problem.

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 And finally,

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 your suffering will point you

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 to the man

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 who is the blessed one.

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 All right, so first,

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 let's think about that.

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 Suffering,

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 suffering can bring a blessing

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 when you will allow it

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 to strip your idols away.

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 All right, so if you look down

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 at verse 9,

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 he says,

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 let the lowly brother

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 boast in his exaltation

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 and the rich brother

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 or sister in their humiliation.

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 Now, it looks like James

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 is switching topics here.

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 Suffering, wisdom,

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 and now rich people

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 and poor people.

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 But this is the same topic.

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 He's still in the realm

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 of talking about suffering.

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 And we've already said

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 just this morning

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 that a trial for James,

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 suffering is a test

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 of your faith.

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 And so what he's talking about

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 when he brings up

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 the poor,

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 the lowly brother or sister,

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 the lowly,

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 the poor Christian

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 or the rich Christian,

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 he's saying that

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 if you're poor,

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 if you're a Christian

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 and you're poor,

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 you don't have money.

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 If you're a Christian

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 and you're rich

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 and you've got a lot of wealth,

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 you're still going to face

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 the same problems.

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 And that's suffering.

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 But you come at them

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 from different perspectives.

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 He's drawing a difference

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 of perspective there.

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 Now, the first thing

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 he says is to the lowly person.

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 And the word for lowly here

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 is not the most normal word

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 for a poor person.

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 So it would be different

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 in English than saying

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 the homeless

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 or something like that.

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 Instead, it's a word

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 that's more closely associated

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 with a person

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 who has been humbled.

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 And so it's more than economics.

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 It's, you know,

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 there's, as we grow older,

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 I think we learn

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 that there's lots of different ways

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 to be wealthy.

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 You know, you can have

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 a lot of money,

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 but you can have

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 really poor friendships.

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 And so there's lots of ways

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 to be lowered,

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 to be a lowly person.

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 And I think the reason

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 he uses this particular word

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 is because,

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 if you remember last week,

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 he's talking to people

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 who in the first century

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 were scattered

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 by persecution

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 across the Roman Empire.

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 And from Acts 8,

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 Stephen was stoned to death,

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 and then people dispersed.

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 And if you were one

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 of those Jewish Christians

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 that got dispersed

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 from Jerusalem,

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 you ran,

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 and you left behind friendship.

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 You left behind your money.

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 You left behind everything

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 that you would call wealth

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 in this life.

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 You left behind

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 market relationships.

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 You know,

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 you don't even have a source

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 of generating a new business

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 and living in Antioch

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 or Corinth or Thessalonica.

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 You don't have anything.

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 And so he's talking

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 to that lowly person

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 who has lost it in life.

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 All material wealth,

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 friendship wealth,

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 market wealth.

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 And he's saying,

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 you've entered

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 into that station in life,

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 and that is the trial.

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 That is the test.

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 And you've got to take it,

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 and you've got to think

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 of your exaltation.

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 What is he talking about?

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 He's explaining

00:09:16.379 --> 00:09:17.759
 how exactly a person

00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:18.659
 who doesn't have a lot

00:09:18.659 --> 00:09:19.259
 in this life

00:09:19.259 --> 00:09:20.960
 would consider it joy

00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:21.980
 or count it joy.

00:09:22.659 --> 00:09:23.179
 So he's saying

00:09:23.179 --> 00:09:24.179
 to the lowly person,

00:09:24.299 --> 00:09:25.519
 look, it'll be your temptation

00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:27.399
 if you don't have a lot

00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:27.899
 in this life,

00:09:27.940 --> 00:09:28.639
 if you don't have a lot

00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:29.220
 financially,

00:09:29.419 --> 00:09:30.019
 if you don't have a lot

00:09:30.019 --> 00:09:31.100
 in terms of relationship,

00:09:31.899 --> 00:09:32.799
 whatever it may be,

00:09:32.940 --> 00:09:34.120
 whatever lack of wealth,

00:09:34.279 --> 00:09:35.200
 it will be your temptation

00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:36.019
 to despair,

00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:38.820
 to even say things like,

00:09:39.379 --> 00:09:40.480
 God doesn't care about me.

00:09:41.259 --> 00:09:42.279
 God doesn't value me.

00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:44.659
 I've done everything I could,

00:09:44.779 --> 00:09:46.679
 and God's left me where I am.

00:09:46.759 --> 00:09:47.879
 And so God clearly

00:09:47.879 --> 00:09:48.980
 doesn't care what I'm doing.

00:09:49.559 --> 00:09:50.580
 And that'll be the temptation.

00:09:51.399 --> 00:09:53.120
 And there's another temptation

00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:54.039
 that you will face,

00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:55.039
 and that's the same temptation

00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:56.299
 that the rich face.

00:09:56.919 --> 00:09:58.139
 And that's that you might say,

00:09:58.139 --> 00:10:01.460
 if only I had economic wealth,

00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:02.559
 if only I had

00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:03.600
 these different types of wealth,

00:10:03.740 --> 00:10:04.939
 then my life would be better,

00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:06.000
 then everything would be okay.

00:10:06.139 --> 00:10:07.860
 And so the poor person

00:10:07.860 --> 00:10:08.480
 who's suffering

00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:09.840
 is facing all sorts

00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:10.559
 of temptations

00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:12.419
 to think God hates them,

00:10:12.759 --> 00:10:13.000
 even.

00:10:13.779 --> 00:10:14.500
 And what he's saying

00:10:14.500 --> 00:10:15.299
 is you've got to,

00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:16.139
 how do you move

00:10:16.139 --> 00:10:17.379
 that suffering

00:10:17.379 --> 00:10:18.379
 from the ledger

00:10:18.379 --> 00:10:19.559
 of debit to credit,

00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:21.199
 of misery to joy,

00:10:21.199 --> 00:10:22.840
 and you've got to consider

00:10:22.840 --> 00:10:24.259
 your exaltation?

00:10:24.819 --> 00:10:25.659
 What is he saying?

00:10:25.700 --> 00:10:27.120
 He's saying you've got to realize

00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:27.919
 that if you're a Christian

00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:28.819
 and you don't have a lot

00:10:28.819 --> 00:10:29.460
 in this life,

00:10:29.939 --> 00:10:33.039
 that you are so united to Jesus

00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:36.139
 that His glory is your glory.

00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:37.779
 In other words,

00:10:37.819 --> 00:10:39.019
 you've got to actually think

00:10:39.019 --> 00:10:40.200
 about the fact

00:10:40.200 --> 00:10:42.519
 that God sees you as exalted.

00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:44.439
 You think God hates me

00:10:44.439 --> 00:10:45.340
 in the midst of my lowliness,

00:10:45.460 --> 00:10:46.500
 my suffering, my poverty.

00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:47.500
 No, no, no.

00:10:47.860 --> 00:10:49.200
 He's saying when you're a believer,

00:10:49.500 --> 00:10:50.679
 you can suffer differently

00:10:50.679 --> 00:10:52.039
 even when you're poor

00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:53.779
 because you can say,

00:10:53.779 --> 00:10:56.439
 inasmuch as Jesus Christ

00:10:56.439 --> 00:10:58.000
 was exalted into the heavenly realm

00:10:58.000 --> 00:10:58.659
 at His resurrection,

00:10:59.159 --> 00:11:00.559
 so God the Father sees me

00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:01.259
 like He sees Him.

00:11:02.059 --> 00:11:04.360
 See, boast in your exaltation.

00:11:05.199 --> 00:11:05.759
 Boast in the fact

00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:06.860
 that you have glory

00:11:06.860 --> 00:11:08.100
 because you're connected to Jesus.

00:11:09.179 --> 00:11:10.339
 Be lifted up in that.

00:11:10.860 --> 00:11:11.839
 Think about the next life.

00:11:12.019 --> 00:11:12.620
 That's what he's saying.

00:11:13.259 --> 00:11:15.159
 And this is striking something

00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:17.279
 so hard for us

00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:17.980
 as modern people

00:11:17.980 --> 00:11:19.600
 because in our culture,

00:11:20.100 --> 00:11:20.860
 in our moment,

00:11:20.939 --> 00:11:21.720
 really since the time

00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:22.620
 of the Enlightenment,

00:11:22.620 --> 00:11:26.200
 we think we're tempted

00:11:26.200 --> 00:11:27.860
 to secular materialism

00:11:27.860 --> 00:11:28.379
 all the time,

00:11:28.539 --> 00:11:29.299
 even as Christians,

00:11:29.460 --> 00:11:30.440
 to think that way,

00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:31.419
 to live in that framework.

00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:33.500
 And when you live that way,

00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:34.500
 you don't believe

00:11:34.500 --> 00:11:35.840
 that there's a life to come.

00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:36.659
 Not really.

00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:37.960
 Not practically.

00:11:38.820 --> 00:11:40.259
 And so if you are a person

00:11:40.259 --> 00:11:40.820
 in this life

00:11:40.820 --> 00:11:41.740
 who's a materialist

00:11:41.740 --> 00:11:44.080
 and you lose all this stuff in life,

00:11:44.139 --> 00:11:45.639
 you lose your economic wealth,

00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:46.980
 you lose your friendship wealth,

00:11:47.080 --> 00:11:48.240
 you lose relational wealth,

00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:50.000
 you lose market possibility,

00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:51.059
 business opportunity,

00:11:51.539 --> 00:11:52.899
 you fail your degree,

00:11:53.059 --> 00:11:53.940
 whatever it may be,

00:11:54.379 --> 00:11:55.940
 you're left saying,

00:11:56.559 --> 00:11:57.620
 I don't have anything left.

00:11:58.220 --> 00:11:59.700
 I don't have a glory

00:11:59.700 --> 00:12:00.960
 that is to come for me.

00:12:01.539 --> 00:12:02.320
 And so you're living

00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:03.480
 in this horizontal plane

00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:04.279
 without any hope.

00:12:05.399 --> 00:12:05.720
 And he's saying,

00:12:05.779 --> 00:12:06.480
 but when you're a believer

00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:07.179
 and you face suffering,

00:12:07.299 --> 00:12:08.240
 you might lose everything

00:12:08.240 --> 00:12:09.100
 and you can still say,

00:12:09.500 --> 00:12:11.039
 I boast in the fact

00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:11.759
 that I know

00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:13.120
 I will be exalted.

00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:15.240
 I have hope in the next life.

00:12:16.340 --> 00:12:17.100
 So in other words,

00:12:17.100 --> 00:12:19.259
 he's saying that the opportunity,

00:12:19.879 --> 00:12:20.519
 the blessing,

00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:21.680
 the blessing,

00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:23.879
 even when you're poor,

00:12:24.580 --> 00:12:25.840
 is that you're having

00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:27.800
 your idol stripped away from you,

00:12:28.019 --> 00:12:28.879
 even when you're poor.

00:12:30.139 --> 00:12:31.200
 Because you're being told

00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:32.080
 that there is a hope

00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:33.860
 of everlasting life

00:12:33.860 --> 00:12:34.440
 that's far greater

00:12:34.440 --> 00:12:35.360
 and that's sharing

00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:36.600
 in the glory of Jesus Christ.

00:12:36.700 --> 00:12:38.340
 Now, I've got to move on.

00:12:38.860 --> 00:12:39.960
 To the rich, he says,

00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:40.500
 secondly,

00:12:40.700 --> 00:12:42.139
 he gives more words to the rich,

00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:44.019
 more clauses to the rich.

00:12:44.019 --> 00:12:45.519
 Because when you're rich,

00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:47.579
 it's far harder

00:12:47.579 --> 00:12:48.879
 to have your idol stripped.

00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:51.220
 It's far harder to let go.

00:12:52.379 --> 00:12:53.059
 And you see,

00:12:53.299 --> 00:12:54.840
 I think one of the reasons

00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:56.399
 he chooses humiliation

00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:57.299
 for the rich,

00:12:57.480 --> 00:12:58.740
 exaltation for the poor,

00:12:59.079 --> 00:12:59.539
 is he's saying,

00:12:59.620 --> 00:13:01.100
 you're facing the same things,

00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:02.319
 but you've got to think about it

00:13:02.319 --> 00:13:03.579
 in opposite ways.

00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:06.159
 And that means that

00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:07.120
 suffering,

00:13:07.559 --> 00:13:09.179
 when you suffer with Jesus,

00:13:09.299 --> 00:13:10.899
 it almost lifts the poor

00:13:10.899 --> 00:13:13.059
 to the same plane as the rich,

00:13:13.059 --> 00:13:15.000
 and it lowers the rich down.

00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:16.559
 See, it humbles the rich

00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:17.679
 to be equal to the poor,

00:13:17.859 --> 00:13:19.000
 and it raises the poor

00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:19.959
 to be equal to the rich.

00:13:20.919 --> 00:13:22.079
 Because you're all facing

00:13:22.079 --> 00:13:22.919
 the same things.

00:13:23.859 --> 00:13:26.179
 And so he turns to the rich here

00:13:26.179 --> 00:13:26.659
 and he says,

00:13:26.739 --> 00:13:26.859
 you know,

00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:29.099
 the poor man or woman

00:13:29.099 --> 00:13:29.799
 is going to be tempted

00:13:29.799 --> 00:13:30.539
 to despair,

00:13:30.899 --> 00:13:31.159
 to say,

00:13:31.219 --> 00:13:31.919
 God hates me.

00:13:32.619 --> 00:13:33.979
 I'm not a person of value.

00:13:34.119 --> 00:13:35.479
 Nobody sees me in this life.

00:13:35.659 --> 00:13:36.199
 You've got to think

00:13:36.199 --> 00:13:36.939
 of your glory

00:13:36.939 --> 00:13:39.639
 with Jesus.

00:13:40.439 --> 00:13:41.639
 But the rich person

00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:43.199
 is going to be far more tempted

00:13:43.199 --> 00:13:45.399
 to hang on as tightly as possible

00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:46.699
 to the pursuits

00:13:46.699 --> 00:13:48.240
 that that person has pursued,

00:13:48.460 --> 00:13:49.779
 to the things of this world,

00:13:49.860 --> 00:13:50.819
 to get it back,

00:13:51.299 --> 00:13:51.699
 to say,

00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:51.840
 no,

00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:53.439
 this is what completes me.

00:13:53.500 --> 00:13:54.519
 I've got to have these things

00:13:54.519 --> 00:13:55.740
 that I've built my life around.

00:13:56.279 --> 00:13:57.000
 And so he's saying,

00:13:57.100 --> 00:13:58.819
 you've got to consider it joy,

00:13:58.980 --> 00:13:59.620
 count it joy,

00:13:59.620 --> 00:14:02.179
 by thinking about the grace

00:14:02.179 --> 00:14:03.240
 or the humiliation,

00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:04.000
 the humbling

00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:04.860
 that you're experiencing.

00:14:04.860 --> 00:14:07.360
 You've got to think

00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:08.580
 not about the glory

00:14:08.580 --> 00:14:09.500
 that you're to receive

00:14:09.500 --> 00:14:10.759
 because you've been living that life.

00:14:10.840 --> 00:14:11.600
 You've already lived

00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:12.360
 a life of glory.

00:14:12.659 --> 00:14:13.519
 But you've got to thank God

00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:13.879
 and say,

00:14:14.019 --> 00:14:15.060
 here's how I can count it blessing

00:14:15.060 --> 00:14:17.100
 because God is lowering me

00:14:17.100 --> 00:14:18.259
 to remember

00:14:18.259 --> 00:14:19.500
 that everything is grace.

00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:21.159
 Everything is a gift.

00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:23.360
 The rich man suffers,

00:14:23.860 --> 00:14:24.860
 the rich woman suffers,

00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:27.039
 and the gift of God in that

00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:28.340
 is your humiliation.

00:14:28.500 --> 00:14:29.080
 You're being humbled.

00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:29.960
 You're having your idol

00:14:29.960 --> 00:14:30.759
 stripped away from you.

00:14:31.180 --> 00:14:32.300
 The poor person suffers

00:14:32.300 --> 00:14:33.320
 and they're being lifted up

00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:33.519
 and say,

00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:35.139
 remember that you're sharing

00:14:35.139 --> 00:14:36.319
 in the sufferings of Christ

00:14:36.319 --> 00:14:37.919
 to share in the glory of Christ.

00:14:37.980 --> 00:14:39.120
 You see how it goes

00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:39.799
 two different ways

00:14:39.799 --> 00:14:41.480
 to make an even plane

00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:42.740
 right across the board.

00:14:43.500 --> 00:14:44.860
 Now, the reason I think

00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:46.299
 he's focused a little bit more

00:14:46.299 --> 00:14:46.960
 on the rich here

00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:47.699
 is because

00:14:47.699 --> 00:14:50.199
 what's the biggest danger

00:14:50.199 --> 00:14:53.779
 pretty much every one of us faces?

00:14:54.340 --> 00:14:55.919
 So James is talking here

00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:57.579
 to first century people

00:14:57.579 --> 00:14:59.559
 who ran away from their homes.

00:14:59.860 --> 00:15:00.939
 They're living as refugees.

00:15:01.299 --> 00:15:02.179
 They don't have anything.

00:15:02.179 --> 00:15:03.979
 That's none of us.

00:15:04.139 --> 00:15:04.939
 We are the rich.

00:15:05.839 --> 00:15:06.759
 Very few of us in here

00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:07.939
 can say that we're the poor,

00:15:08.259 --> 00:15:08.620
 really,

00:15:08.779 --> 00:15:09.620
 when we talk about this.

00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:10.839
 If we eat every day,

00:15:11.239 --> 00:15:12.059
 we're the rich

00:15:12.059 --> 00:15:13.219
 that James is talking about.

00:15:13.319 --> 00:15:14.099
 So that's all of us,

00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:16.399
 mostly in the modern Western world,

00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:17.339
 mostly everyone sitting

00:15:17.339 --> 00:15:18.039
 in this room today.

00:15:19.139 --> 00:15:19.659
 And so the reason

00:15:19.659 --> 00:15:20.579
 he focuses on us

00:15:20.579 --> 00:15:21.199
 a little bit more

00:15:21.199 --> 00:15:22.599
 is because the most dangerous

00:15:22.599 --> 00:15:23.459
 place to be

00:15:23.459 --> 00:15:24.759
 is to be wealthy,

00:15:25.219 --> 00:15:26.179
 to have plenty of food,

00:15:26.319 --> 00:15:26.899
 plenty of water,

00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:27.659
 plenty of shelter,

00:15:28.179 --> 00:15:29.459
 and to never have trouble.

00:15:29.460 --> 00:15:31.780
 That's the most dangerous place to be,

00:15:32.220 --> 00:15:33.180
 to be prosperous,

00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:34.879
 to have a lot,

00:15:35.100 --> 00:15:36.740
 but to never have any trouble

00:15:36.740 --> 00:15:37.360
 in this life.

00:15:38.019 --> 00:15:39.340
 That's the greatest

00:15:39.340 --> 00:15:40.139
 spiritual danger

00:15:40.139 --> 00:15:40.700
 you can face,

00:15:40.759 --> 00:15:41.360
 the Bible says,

00:15:41.540 --> 00:15:42.600
 is to be prosperous

00:15:42.600 --> 00:15:43.560
 but not suffer.

00:15:43.900 --> 00:15:44.100
 Whoa.

00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:45.100
 You see,

00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:46.759
 he's saying that suffering

00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:48.040
 is a blessing

00:15:48.040 --> 00:15:49.680
 because it strips away

00:15:49.680 --> 00:15:50.620
 your tight hold

00:15:50.620 --> 00:15:52.759
 on the potential idols

00:15:52.759 --> 00:15:54.000
 that we all have

00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:54.519
 in this world.

00:15:55.160 --> 00:15:55.800
 And so he gives you

00:15:55.800 --> 00:15:56.639
 a little illustration

00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:57.340
 in verse 11.

00:15:58.279 --> 00:15:58.980
 And here's why

00:15:58.980 --> 00:15:59.620
 it's so dangerous.

00:15:59.840 --> 00:15:59.939
 You know,

00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:04.419
 the flower rises in the morning,

00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:05.779
 it's beautiful in the springtime,

00:16:05.819 --> 00:16:07.000
 but then the summer heat comes

00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:08.399
 and it falls to the ground.

00:16:08.460 --> 00:16:08.840
 And he says,

00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:10.399
 all of us in our pursuits

00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:11.259
 are the same way.

00:16:11.779 --> 00:16:13.620
 The flower fades in the summer.

00:16:14.199 --> 00:16:14.919
 And in the same way,

00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:16.559
 when you hitch your heart

00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:17.259
 to something,

00:16:18.199 --> 00:16:18.899
 to some pursuit

00:16:18.899 --> 00:16:19.759
 that's going to fade,

00:16:20.360 --> 00:16:21.679
 if you hitch your heart

00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:22.799
 too tightly to it,

00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:24.439
 you're going to fade with it.

00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:26.180
 So as it fades,

00:16:26.260 --> 00:16:26.920
 you will fade.

00:16:27.820 --> 00:16:28.720
 And suffering is meant

00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:29.940
 to strip that away from us,

00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:30.820
 to take that away

00:16:30.820 --> 00:16:31.460
 from our hearts.

00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:33.880
 Best time of the year

00:16:33.880 --> 00:16:34.420
 in Edinburgh,

00:16:35.160 --> 00:16:36.260
 it's not the Christmas market,

00:16:36.700 --> 00:16:38.660
 it is when the cherry blossoms

00:16:38.660 --> 00:16:41.180
 bloom in the meadows, right?

00:16:41.420 --> 00:16:42.920
 And you can walk through

00:16:42.920 --> 00:16:43.660
 the meadows

00:16:43.660 --> 00:16:44.600
 or wherever else

00:16:44.600 --> 00:16:46.380
 under those archway trees

00:16:46.380 --> 00:16:46.840
 in the meadows

00:16:46.840 --> 00:16:48.060
 and the cherry blossoms are out

00:16:48.060 --> 00:16:49.460
 and it's late April

00:16:49.460 --> 00:16:50.400
 and they're out.

00:16:50.560 --> 00:16:51.120
 And you know

00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:52.060
 that if you've lived here

00:16:52.060 --> 00:16:52.760
 for any time,

00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:54.779
 probably far longer than me,

00:16:55.319 --> 00:16:56.980
 that you can walk

00:16:56.980 --> 00:16:58.279
 underneath those beautiful blossoms

00:16:58.279 --> 00:16:58.860
 in the morning

00:16:58.860 --> 00:16:59.580
 and you come back

00:16:59.580 --> 00:17:00.059
 in the evening

00:17:00.059 --> 00:17:00.840
 and where are they?

00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:02.039
 They're all on the ground.

00:17:02.299 --> 00:17:02.460
 You know,

00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:03.860
 it just goes by like that.

00:17:04.539 --> 00:17:05.680
 And that's exactly

00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:07.079
 the nature

00:17:07.079 --> 00:17:08.480
 of the wealthy life.

00:17:10.059 --> 00:17:11.299
 The glory will fade

00:17:11.299 --> 00:17:12.440
 and if you have your heart

00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:13.220
 too tightly attached

00:17:13.220 --> 00:17:13.960
 to the cherry blossom,

00:17:14.140 --> 00:17:15.119
 you're going to fade with it.

00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:17.359
 And it still will remain beautiful

00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:18.099
 because it is beautiful

00:17:18.099 --> 00:17:19.259
 on the ground for a while,

00:17:19.480 --> 00:17:20.039
 but you know

00:17:20.039 --> 00:17:21.019
 it turns to vapor

00:17:21.019 --> 00:17:22.019
 and dust eventually.

00:17:22.019 --> 00:17:23.639
 And that's the warning

00:17:23.639 --> 00:17:24.339
 he's given us.

00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:27.079
 There's a genre of art

00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:28.980
 called memento mori art

00:17:28.980 --> 00:17:30.920
 from that Latin phrase,

00:17:31.720 --> 00:17:32.480
 remember,

00:17:32.779 --> 00:17:33.759
 you must die.

00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:35.579
 And that genre of art

00:17:35.579 --> 00:17:36.700
 is reminding us

00:17:36.700 --> 00:17:37.460
 with skulls

00:17:37.460 --> 00:17:38.059
 and crossbones

00:17:38.059 --> 00:17:38.940
 and all sorts of things.

00:17:39.400 --> 00:17:39.680
 Remember,

00:17:39.859 --> 00:17:40.059
 you must,

00:17:40.099 --> 00:17:40.539
 and that's what he's saying,

00:17:40.599 --> 00:17:40.859
 remember,

00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:41.619
 you must die.

00:17:41.700 --> 00:17:43.180
 The rich man has got to remember

00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:44.400
 that you're sharing

00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:45.819
 in the suffering of Christ,

00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:46.599
 your humiliation.

00:17:47.079 --> 00:17:47.720
 The poor man,

00:17:47.879 --> 00:17:48.420
 the poor woman

00:17:48.420 --> 00:17:49.019
 has got to remember

00:17:49.019 --> 00:17:49.900
 you're sharing

00:17:49.900 --> 00:17:50.440
 in your suffering

00:17:50.440 --> 00:17:51.480
 in the glory of Christ.

00:17:51.480 --> 00:17:52.519
 You're being lifted up

00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:54.299
 like he was lifted up.

00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:55.120
 You see,

00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:55.660
 vice versa.

00:17:55.860 --> 00:17:57.220
 It's how you can be blessed

00:17:57.220 --> 00:17:58.660
 in the midst of suffering.

00:17:58.860 --> 00:17:58.960
 Boy.

00:18:00.299 --> 00:18:00.700
 Secondly,

00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:03.340
 the second way

00:18:03.340 --> 00:18:04.100
 he teaches us here

00:18:04.100 --> 00:18:05.039
 is to be blessed

00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:05.960
 in the midst of suffering

00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:07.680
 is that suffering

00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:08.900
 then exposes

00:18:08.900 --> 00:18:11.220
 our deepest problem,

00:18:11.320 --> 00:18:12.180
 our truest problem.

00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:14.019
 So let me bring you down,

00:18:14.180 --> 00:18:15.279
 we'll pass over verse 12

00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:16.039
 and come back to it,

00:18:16.100 --> 00:18:17.900
 but verse 13 to 15.

00:18:17.900 --> 00:18:19.160
 Now he says,

00:18:19.360 --> 00:18:20.100
 let no one say

00:18:20.100 --> 00:18:20.759
 when you're tempted,

00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:22.280
 I'm being tempted by God.

00:18:23.220 --> 00:18:24.340
 Now there's a temptation.

00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:26.180
 If you're rich or poor

00:18:26.180 --> 00:18:27.320
 or something in between,

00:18:27.720 --> 00:18:29.280
 if you're a human being,

00:18:29.880 --> 00:18:30.680
 you're a sufferer.

00:18:31.180 --> 00:18:32.100
 You're facing trials

00:18:32.100 --> 00:18:32.720
 all the time,

00:18:32.820 --> 00:18:33.900
 big and small trials.

00:18:34.600 --> 00:18:35.880
 And now he's turning

00:18:35.880 --> 00:18:36.560
 and saying,

00:18:37.120 --> 00:18:38.019
 with that suffering,

00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:38.960
 with those trials,

00:18:39.100 --> 00:18:40.000
 there are temptations

00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:40.640
 coming about

00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:41.460
 in your life

00:18:41.460 --> 00:18:42.220
 all the time.

00:18:43.940 --> 00:18:44.920
 Let me say it like this.

00:18:45.259 --> 00:18:47.140
 Trials are a test of faith.

00:18:47.140 --> 00:18:47.900
 He keeps saying that

00:18:47.900 --> 00:18:48.560
 over and over again.

00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:50.320
 Your suffering is there

00:18:50.320 --> 00:18:51.640
 to test your faith.

00:18:52.660 --> 00:18:54.200
 And that testing of your faith

00:18:54.200 --> 00:18:55.180
 can grow you,

00:18:55.280 --> 00:18:56.380
 it can make you mature,

00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:57.920
 it can make you compassionate,

00:18:58.140 --> 00:18:58.640
 it can make you,

00:18:58.880 --> 00:18:59.920
 it can strip away your idols,

00:19:00.120 --> 00:19:02.320
 it can do so much good

00:19:02.320 --> 00:19:03.800
 to make you like Jesus,

00:19:04.540 --> 00:19:05.520
 becoming more and more like Him.

00:19:05.540 --> 00:19:06.680
 But it can also break you,

00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:07.860
 it can make you bitter,

00:19:08.280 --> 00:19:09.220
 you can respond to it

00:19:09.220 --> 00:19:10.160
 in ways that you actually

00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:11.540
 end up chasing after

00:19:11.540 --> 00:19:12.860
 addictions because of it.

00:19:13.120 --> 00:19:13.820
 So we can respond

00:19:13.820 --> 00:19:14.400
 to our suffering

00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:15.460
 with coping mechanisms.

00:19:15.460 --> 00:19:18.120
 There's things that we need

00:19:18.120 --> 00:19:19.140
 to run from suffering

00:19:19.140 --> 00:19:20.720
 with these addictions in life,

00:19:20.759 --> 00:19:22.559
 we can respond with anger at God,

00:19:22.700 --> 00:19:23.539
 anger at other people,

00:19:23.960 --> 00:19:24.259
 bitterness,

00:19:24.700 --> 00:19:25.380
 this isn't fair,

00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:26.819
 why have you put this

00:19:26.819 --> 00:19:27.400
 into my life?

00:19:27.420 --> 00:19:28.100
 All sorts of ways.

00:19:28.360 --> 00:19:29.059
 It's not automatic.

00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:30.759
 Suffering can make you

00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:31.519
 or break you.

00:19:32.539 --> 00:19:34.200
 And so now in verse 13 to 15,

00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:35.680
 he's addressing that temptation

00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:36.559
 because the temptation

00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:38.920
 for anybody who faces suffering

00:19:38.920 --> 00:19:40.799
 is going to be something like,

00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:44.839
 yeah, I've been in this

00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:45.859
 long season of suffering

00:19:45.859 --> 00:19:47.980
 and maybe I haven't handled it

00:19:47.980 --> 00:19:49.079
 well all the time.

00:19:49.159 --> 00:19:50.599
 It's made me into an angry person,

00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:51.379
 a bitter person,

00:19:51.619 --> 00:19:52.740
 an addicted person.

00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:54.319
 But you know,

00:19:55.139 --> 00:19:56.700
 God made me like this.

00:19:57.419 --> 00:19:58.519
 This is just who I am.

00:19:59.399 --> 00:20:02.279
 These addictions that I grab hold of

00:20:02.279 --> 00:20:03.099
 when I'm suffering

00:20:03.099 --> 00:20:04.220
 to cope with my life,

00:20:04.460 --> 00:20:05.899
 this is just who God made me to be.

00:20:06.399 --> 00:20:07.559
 Or you might come and say,

00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:09.339
 on the other side,

00:20:10.039 --> 00:20:10.940
 in the midst of my suffering

00:20:10.940 --> 00:20:11.899
 and my pain and my sorrows,

00:20:12.059 --> 00:20:13.419
 it's clear that God hates me.

00:20:13.879 --> 00:20:14.839
 And you can take the approach

00:20:14.839 --> 00:20:15.919
 of Job's wife and say,

00:20:16.299 --> 00:20:17.779
 you know, curse God and die.

00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:19.240
 You've done something bad.

00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:20.240
 He hates you.

00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:21.599
 He's left you in the midst

00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:22.559
 of this misery.

00:20:23.339 --> 00:20:24.819
 And in verse 13, he says,

00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:26.759
 let nobody say that.

00:20:27.500 --> 00:20:28.139
 Verse 16,

00:20:28.259 --> 00:20:29.079
 don't be deceived,

00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:29.919
 brothers and sisters.

00:20:30.019 --> 00:20:30.980
 Let nobody say that.

00:20:31.299 --> 00:20:32.659
 If you're in the midst of suffering,

00:20:33.079 --> 00:20:33.879
 God hates me.

00:20:34.019 --> 00:20:36.119
 Or if you're not handling it well,

00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:36.859
 not with wisdom,

00:20:36.859 --> 00:20:37.859
 but with foolishness,

00:20:37.979 --> 00:20:39.299
 it's God's fault,

00:20:39.459 --> 00:20:40.259
 not my fault.

00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:42.359
 He's the one tempting me to this.

00:20:42.439 --> 00:20:43.519
 He's the one that made me like this.

00:20:43.539 --> 00:20:44.919
 He says, let nobody say that.

00:20:45.199 --> 00:20:46.000
 You can't say that.

00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:47.199
 So in verse 13,

00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:48.899
 look at the language really specifically

00:20:48.899 --> 00:20:50.039
 because it's so specific.

00:20:51.439 --> 00:20:53.359
 Let nobody say when they're tempted,

00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:54.759
 I'm being tempted by God.

00:20:54.879 --> 00:20:57.359
 Now, the word temptation there,

00:20:58.119 --> 00:20:59.219
 you can't see this in English,

00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:00.119
 but it's so important

00:21:00.119 --> 00:21:01.519
 that the word temptation there

00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:03.599
 is the same word in Greek

00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:05.039
 as the word trial

00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:06.159
 throughout the passage.

00:21:06.859 --> 00:21:07.559
 All right,

00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:08.839
 so when it says in verse 13,

00:21:09.319 --> 00:21:10.919
 let no one say when he is tempted,

00:21:11.159 --> 00:21:12.619
 there's two different uses

00:21:12.619 --> 00:21:13.639
 of the word temptation

00:21:13.639 --> 00:21:14.939
 or trial in that verse.

00:21:15.159 --> 00:21:16.719
 So let me translate it a different way.

00:21:17.639 --> 00:21:18.699
 Let no one say

00:21:18.699 --> 00:21:21.219
 when they are under a trial of suffering,

00:21:21.740 --> 00:21:22.899
 I am being tempted.

00:21:23.879 --> 00:21:24.099
 All right,

00:21:24.099 --> 00:21:25.319
 it's the same word in Greek.

00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:26.539
 Let no one say

00:21:26.539 --> 00:21:27.579
 when they're under trial,

00:21:27.799 --> 00:21:28.699
 I'm under trial.

00:21:28.839 --> 00:21:29.379
 Let no one say

00:21:29.379 --> 00:21:29.899
 when they're tempted,

00:21:30.059 --> 00:21:30.599
 I'm being tempted.

00:21:30.659 --> 00:21:31.159
 What is he saying?

00:21:31.219 --> 00:21:33.119
 He's using it in two different ways.

00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:34.739
 Let no one say

00:21:34.739 --> 00:21:36.139
 when they're under the yoke

00:21:36.139 --> 00:21:37.339
 of a trial,

00:21:37.739 --> 00:21:39.339
 God is tempting me

00:21:39.339 --> 00:21:41.239
 to sin in the midst of it.

00:21:41.919 --> 00:21:44.039
 Now, what is he talking about us today?

00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:46.039
 He's making this very important distinction

00:21:46.039 --> 00:21:48.359
 about the psychology of sin,

00:21:48.459 --> 00:21:50.359
 how does sin work in our lives?

00:21:50.719 --> 00:21:52.259
 When we react badly to suffering,

00:21:52.379 --> 00:21:53.319
 whose fault is it?

00:21:53.699 --> 00:21:54.119
 And he's saying,

00:21:54.119 --> 00:21:54.939
 you've got to know

00:21:54.939 --> 00:21:57.739
 that God will put you into trials.

00:21:58.179 --> 00:22:00.339
 Yes, God gives you suffering,

00:22:00.699 --> 00:22:03.419
 but he never gives you desire

00:22:03.419 --> 00:22:04.459
 in your heart

00:22:04.459 --> 00:22:06.599
 to sin in that suffering.

00:22:07.619 --> 00:22:08.959
 So God will place you

00:22:08.959 --> 00:22:10.379
 in an objective situation

00:22:10.379 --> 00:22:11.059
 of test,

00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:12.059
 of trial,

00:22:12.299 --> 00:22:13.019
 of suffering.

00:22:13.619 --> 00:22:15.299
 God never gives you

00:22:15.299 --> 00:22:16.859
 the desire in your heart

00:22:16.859 --> 00:22:18.039
 to react badly,

00:22:18.099 --> 00:22:19.439
 to sin in the midst of that.

00:22:19.539 --> 00:22:19.799
 Never.

00:22:20.879 --> 00:22:21.519
 See, it's the difference

00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:23.159
 between objective testing

00:22:23.160 --> 00:22:25.060
 and subjective temptation.

00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:26.759
 God does not tempt.

00:22:26.860 --> 00:22:28.160
 He never gives you evil desires.

00:22:28.300 --> 00:22:28.440
 No.

00:22:28.800 --> 00:22:30.100
 Any evil desire you have,

00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:31.380
 any way you react poorly,

00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:32.900
 who did it?

00:22:32.980 --> 00:22:33.600
 You did it.

00:22:33.880 --> 00:22:34.720
 I did it.

00:22:34.820 --> 00:22:35.500
 That's what he's saying.

00:22:36.300 --> 00:22:37.259
 And so he uses

00:22:37.259 --> 00:22:38.540
 a couple illustrations here.

00:22:38.600 --> 00:22:39.120
 Let me give you one

00:22:39.120 --> 00:22:39.779
 that's not in the text.

00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:40.840
 We all know this.

00:22:40.900 --> 00:22:42.640
 So if you're in school,

00:22:42.860 --> 00:22:43.360
 you're in uni,

00:22:43.540 --> 00:22:44.360
 or you have been,

00:22:44.740 --> 00:22:45.500
 you know that

00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:47.460
 a good teacher

00:22:47.460 --> 00:22:48.700
 gives you a test

00:22:48.700 --> 00:22:50.160
 in order to grow you,

00:22:50.320 --> 00:22:51.140
 not to break you.

00:22:51.840 --> 00:22:52.000
 Right?

00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:53.799
 And that good teacher

00:22:53.799 --> 00:22:54.799
 tells you in advance,

00:22:54.980 --> 00:22:56.319
 this is when the exam is coming.

00:22:57.859 --> 00:22:59.559
 And that exam is meant

00:22:59.559 --> 00:23:00.859
 to force you to study

00:23:00.859 --> 00:23:02.599
 and to raise up your knowledge.

00:23:03.579 --> 00:23:04.500
 And if you go

00:23:04.500 --> 00:23:05.539
 and you take the test

00:23:05.539 --> 00:23:07.599
 and you make a,

00:23:08.359 --> 00:23:09.059
 you make an F,

00:23:09.480 --> 00:23:10.660
 you fail miserably,

00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:12.640
 you can't turn and say,

00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:14.680
 the reason I made an F

00:23:14.680 --> 00:23:16.140
 is because the teacher,

00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:17.039
 it's the teacher's fault.

00:23:17.099 --> 00:23:17.220
 You know,

00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:17.759
 the teacher should have

00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:18.440
 never tested me.

00:23:18.759 --> 00:23:19.160
 The teacher,

00:23:19.279 --> 00:23:20.660
 the teacher tried to trick me.

00:23:20.660 --> 00:23:21.540
 The teacher tried to do this

00:23:21.540 --> 00:23:21.720
 or that.

00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:22.240
 A good teacher,

00:23:22.340 --> 00:23:22.759
 no, no.

00:23:22.800 --> 00:23:23.480
 A good teacher

00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:25.400
 wants to grow you

00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:26.180
 through the test.

00:23:27.400 --> 00:23:27.800
 So he's saying,

00:23:28.019 --> 00:23:28.160
 look,

00:23:28.259 --> 00:23:28.960
 God puts you

00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:30.320
 in objective situations

00:23:30.320 --> 00:23:31.000
 of suffering

00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:32.160
 in order to grow you

00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:32.840
 and change you.

00:23:33.420 --> 00:23:34.480
 But when we

00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:35.800
 make the wrong choices,

00:23:35.900 --> 00:23:37.500
 when we adapt

00:23:37.500 --> 00:23:38.779
 to those situations foolishly,

00:23:39.080 --> 00:23:39.940
 it's us.

00:23:40.100 --> 00:23:40.680
 It's us

00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:42.140
 that are doing the wrong,

00:23:42.220 --> 00:23:42.940
 that are doing the sin.

00:23:43.240 --> 00:23:43.900
 You can never say,

00:23:44.040 --> 00:23:44.940
 like Job's wife,

00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:45.440
 you can never say,

00:23:45.500 --> 00:23:46.140
 God's hating me

00:23:46.140 --> 00:23:46.620
 in this moment.

00:23:46.619 --> 00:23:47.859
 And you can never say,

00:23:48.199 --> 00:23:48.799
 it's God's fault

00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:49.719
 that I keep doing this,

00:23:49.779 --> 00:23:50.719
 that I keep coming back.

00:23:51.339 --> 00:23:52.119
 You keep seeing

00:23:52.119 --> 00:23:54.039
 that same test of faith

00:23:54.039 --> 00:23:54.559
 in your life,

00:23:54.659 --> 00:23:57.000
 that same person,

00:23:57.259 --> 00:23:58.439
 that same image,

00:23:59.099 --> 00:24:00.579
 and your heart

00:24:00.579 --> 00:24:01.899
 is lured and enticed.

00:24:01.979 --> 00:24:02.439
 You can't say,

00:24:02.539 --> 00:24:03.199
 it's God's fault

00:24:03.199 --> 00:24:04.219
 he made me like this.

00:24:05.139 --> 00:24:06.159
 So he uses here

00:24:06.159 --> 00:24:07.919
 a sexual metaphor

00:24:07.919 --> 00:24:09.079
 to explain it.

00:24:09.679 --> 00:24:10.319
 And you'll see that

00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:11.759
 down in verse 14 and 15.

00:24:11.879 --> 00:24:13.019
 Each person is tempted

00:24:13.019 --> 00:24:14.619
 when they are lured

00:24:14.619 --> 00:24:16.099
 and enticed

00:24:16.099 --> 00:24:17.739
 by their own desires.

00:24:17.959 --> 00:24:18.839
 And that word for desire

00:24:18.839 --> 00:24:19.899
 is a very important word

00:24:19.899 --> 00:24:20.779
 and I want to give it to you

00:24:20.779 --> 00:24:21.939
 in the Greek

00:24:21.939 --> 00:24:23.000
 because you'll know it

00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:24.079
 partially in English.

00:24:24.619 --> 00:24:25.319
 And it's this word,

00:24:25.539 --> 00:24:26.359
 epithumia.

00:24:26.939 --> 00:24:28.319
 Thumia just means desire,

00:24:28.500 --> 00:24:29.799
 but epi, epi,

00:24:29.899 --> 00:24:30.599
 like epic,

00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:32.779
 epic, big, bold,

00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:33.659
 epicenter,

00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:34.459
 the core,

00:24:35.479 --> 00:24:36.739
 bold desires,

00:24:36.899 --> 00:24:37.439
 big desires,

00:24:37.639 --> 00:24:38.659
 centering desires,

00:24:39.099 --> 00:24:40.379
 deep desires is the word.

00:24:40.419 --> 00:24:41.119
 It's not the normal word

00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:41.639
 for desire,

00:24:42.019 --> 00:24:42.939
 it's deep desires.

00:24:43.059 --> 00:24:43.259
 Why?

00:24:43.259 --> 00:24:44.000
 Because he's saying,

00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:45.359
 how does sin

00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:46.440
 take place in our lives?

00:24:46.759 --> 00:24:48.180
 Especially when we're reacting

00:24:48.180 --> 00:24:49.819
 to situations of trial

00:24:49.819 --> 00:24:50.299
 and suffering.

00:24:50.759 --> 00:24:51.420
 He's saying that

00:24:51.420 --> 00:24:52.680
 deep down at the core

00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:53.700
 of your heart,

00:24:54.259 --> 00:24:54.980
 deeper than

00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:56.779
 all of your thoughts,

00:24:57.039 --> 00:24:57.680
 deeper than

00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:00.400
 the self that you even know,

00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:02.880
 there is epi desire,

00:25:03.539 --> 00:25:04.480
 deep desire.

00:25:05.240 --> 00:25:06.599
 And that deep desire

00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:08.799
 sees opportunity for sin.

00:25:09.420 --> 00:25:09.819
 And then,

00:25:09.940 --> 00:25:10.579
 you see the rest

00:25:10.579 --> 00:25:11.039
 of the metaphor,

00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:12.559
 then it gives,

00:25:12.779 --> 00:25:13.680
 it conceives.

00:25:14.180 --> 00:25:15.759
 So when your deepest desires

00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:16.740
 for something

00:25:16.740 --> 00:25:17.819
 that is other than God,

00:25:18.139 --> 00:25:18.779
 see opportunity,

00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:20.099
 there's a conception

00:25:20.099 --> 00:25:21.059
 that takes place.

00:25:22.039 --> 00:25:22.220
 See,

00:25:22.259 --> 00:25:23.039
 it's a sexual metaphor.

00:25:23.220 --> 00:25:23.440
 And then,

00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:25.480
 that conception grows.

00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:26.180
 It says it grows

00:25:26.180 --> 00:25:26.579
 and it grows

00:25:26.579 --> 00:25:27.559
 and then it gives birth.

00:25:28.299 --> 00:25:30.200
 And birth brings forth death.

00:25:30.279 --> 00:25:30.579
 So it's saying,

00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:31.819
 every act of sin

00:25:31.819 --> 00:25:33.359
 follows that trajectory.

00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:35.500
 And what are these epi desires?

00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:36.500
 Thomas Aquinas

00:25:36.500 --> 00:25:37.879
 helped us know

00:25:37.880 --> 00:25:38.380
 what they are

00:25:38.380 --> 00:25:39.060
 and all sorts of

00:25:39.060 --> 00:25:39.660
 Christian thinkers

00:25:39.660 --> 00:25:40.460
 from the Bible

00:25:40.460 --> 00:25:41.680
 throughout world history.

00:25:41.780 --> 00:25:42.780
 There's really only four.

00:25:43.960 --> 00:25:44.760
 So you can desire

00:25:44.760 --> 00:25:45.520
 all sorts of things

00:25:45.520 --> 00:25:46.120
 in this life,

00:25:46.700 --> 00:25:47.460
 chase after things

00:25:47.460 --> 00:25:47.920
 that are sin,

00:25:47.980 --> 00:25:48.820
 but there's only four

00:25:48.820 --> 00:25:49.820
 epi desires,

00:25:49.980 --> 00:25:50.220
 really,

00:25:50.860 --> 00:25:51.560
 epithumia,

00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:52.680
 deep desires in you,

00:25:52.760 --> 00:25:53.880
 and that is the desire

00:25:53.880 --> 00:25:55.580
 for the illicit,

00:25:55.720 --> 00:25:56.620
 disordered desire

00:25:56.620 --> 00:25:57.420
 for power,

00:25:58.400 --> 00:25:59.640
 the disordered desire

00:25:59.640 --> 00:26:00.720
 for security,

00:26:01.640 --> 00:26:03.020
 a disordered desire

00:26:03.020 --> 00:26:05.220
 for comfort or pleasure,

00:26:05.220 --> 00:26:07.620
 and a disordered desire

00:26:07.620 --> 00:26:08.460
 for approval.

00:26:09.319 --> 00:26:10.579
 So if you take power,

00:26:11.059 --> 00:26:11.460
 pleasure,

00:26:12.019 --> 00:26:12.480
 approval,

00:26:12.680 --> 00:26:13.500
 or security,

00:26:13.940 --> 00:26:15.839
 and you want those things

00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:17.319
 more than you want God,

00:26:17.559 --> 00:26:18.799
 that's the real core

00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:19.640
 of epithumia.

00:26:19.779 --> 00:26:20.500
 That's what's at the bottom

00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:21.279
 of all of our souls,

00:26:21.700 --> 00:26:22.640
 giving birth

00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:24.460
 to actionable sins

00:26:24.460 --> 00:26:25.360
 all throughout our life.

00:26:25.420 --> 00:26:26.539
 And you can think about

00:26:26.539 --> 00:26:28.360
 Genesis chapter 3,

00:26:28.839 --> 00:26:29.240
 Eve.

00:26:29.579 --> 00:26:30.640
 This is just,

00:26:31.079 --> 00:26:31.940
 I think James here

00:26:31.940 --> 00:26:32.779
 is just teaching us

00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:33.400
 Genesis 3.

00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:34.600
 It says that Eve

00:26:34.599 --> 00:26:36.619
 saw that the fruit

00:26:36.619 --> 00:26:37.980
 could make her

00:26:37.980 --> 00:26:39.059
 like God,

00:26:39.299 --> 00:26:40.240
 wise like God.

00:26:40.939 --> 00:26:41.959
 So those epithumia

00:26:41.959 --> 00:26:42.599
 were triggered

00:26:42.599 --> 00:26:43.399
 with an opportunity.

00:26:44.019 --> 00:26:44.519
 And it says,

00:26:44.740 --> 00:26:46.039
 it tells us that she saw,

00:26:46.419 --> 00:26:47.480
 she delighted in

00:26:47.480 --> 00:26:48.099
 the opportunity.

00:26:48.579 --> 00:26:50.019
 She reached out her hand,

00:26:50.339 --> 00:26:51.099
 she took,

00:26:51.379 --> 00:26:52.099
 and it gave birth

00:26:52.099 --> 00:26:52.679
 to death.

00:26:52.819 --> 00:26:53.339
 And James says

00:26:53.339 --> 00:26:54.000
 the same thing.

00:26:54.539 --> 00:26:55.679
 Your deepest desires

00:26:55.679 --> 00:26:56.539
 see an opportunity,

00:26:57.359 --> 00:26:58.259
 it conceives,

00:26:58.539 --> 00:26:59.559
 you let it grow,

00:26:59.859 --> 00:27:01.000
 and then it gives birth.

00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:01.799
 And when you reach out

00:27:01.799 --> 00:27:02.699
 your hand and you take,

00:27:02.919 --> 00:27:04.240
 death has entered the room.

00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:06.139
 The psychology of sin,

00:27:06.199 --> 00:27:06.819
 it's the way it works

00:27:06.819 --> 00:27:07.519
 every single time.

00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:08.719
 And he's specifically

00:27:08.719 --> 00:27:09.879
 bringing it to the lens

00:27:09.879 --> 00:27:11.019
 of suffering and saying,

00:27:11.219 --> 00:27:12.219
 when we're walking

00:27:12.219 --> 00:27:13.339
 through trials and suffering

00:27:13.339 --> 00:27:14.219
 in our life,

00:27:14.439 --> 00:27:16.379
 and we keep grabbing the fruit,

00:27:16.500 --> 00:27:17.240
 grabbing the apple,

00:27:17.619 --> 00:27:19.699
 keep chasing that same thing,

00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:20.399
 we say we're faced

00:27:20.399 --> 00:27:21.240
 with the test of faith,

00:27:22.279 --> 00:27:22.679
 and it's a,

00:27:22.939 --> 00:27:23.139
 boy,

00:27:23.240 --> 00:27:23.779
 is it suffering.

00:27:23.879 --> 00:27:24.059
 Yes,

00:27:24.059 --> 00:27:24.319
 it is.

00:27:24.359 --> 00:27:25.179
 It keeps coming back,

00:27:25.219 --> 00:27:25.980
 the same temptation,

00:27:26.379 --> 00:27:27.559
 and we keep reaching out.

00:27:27.639 --> 00:27:28.000
 He's saying,

00:27:28.199 --> 00:27:28.919
 who did it?

00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:30.119
 You did.

00:27:30.939 --> 00:27:31.619
 Not God.

00:27:32.179 --> 00:27:33.719
 God puts you in the test

00:27:33.719 --> 00:27:34.500
 to grow you,

00:27:34.959 --> 00:27:35.939
 but when you fail,

00:27:36.139 --> 00:27:37.119
 when you struggle,

00:27:37.639 --> 00:27:38.419
 it's me,

00:27:38.619 --> 00:27:39.500
 it's you that struggle.

00:27:39.679 --> 00:27:40.659
 It's our sinful desire

00:27:40.659 --> 00:27:41.459
 at the bottom.

00:27:41.559 --> 00:27:42.319
 There's a golem,

00:27:42.779 --> 00:27:43.519
 there's a golem

00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:45.199
 at the very bottom.

00:27:45.719 --> 00:27:46.399
 That's what he's saying.

00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:49.379
 And what can you do about that?

00:27:49.639 --> 00:27:50.979
 And what you can do about that

00:27:50.979 --> 00:27:52.799
 is, I think,

00:27:52.879 --> 00:27:54.000
 just one or two things,

00:27:54.639 --> 00:27:55.619
 because we can't say everything

00:27:55.619 --> 00:27:56.500
 that could be said

00:27:56.500 --> 00:27:57.419
 about what to do about it,

00:27:57.500 --> 00:27:57.960
 but today,

00:27:58.080 --> 00:27:58.840
 in the passage,

00:27:59.240 --> 00:28:00.160
 what can you do about it?

00:28:00.620 --> 00:28:00.920
 He says,

00:28:01.539 --> 00:28:02.500
 blessed are you

00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:04.680
 when you use trials

00:28:04.680 --> 00:28:05.259
 and suffering

00:28:05.259 --> 00:28:06.320
 and even your failures

00:28:06.320 --> 00:28:08.060
 to actually understand yourself.

00:28:08.180 --> 00:28:09.320
 So I think one of the things

00:28:09.320 --> 00:28:09.860
 you can do today

00:28:09.860 --> 00:28:10.320
 is realize,

00:28:10.580 --> 00:28:11.380
 he's calling me here

00:28:11.380 --> 00:28:12.500
 to self-knowledge.

00:28:13.420 --> 00:28:15.180
 What are my deepest desires

00:28:15.180 --> 00:28:16.259
 that are giving birth

00:28:16.259 --> 00:28:17.100
 to sin in my life

00:28:17.100 --> 00:28:17.880
 when I face trials

00:28:17.880 --> 00:28:18.820
 and suffering and tests?

00:28:19.340 --> 00:28:20.080
 Do you know them?

00:28:20.200 --> 00:28:20.940
 Do you know yourself?

00:28:21.100 --> 00:28:21.700
 Do you know

00:28:21.700 --> 00:28:23.360
 what your deep idols are?

00:28:23.880 --> 00:28:24.220
 Do you know

00:28:24.220 --> 00:28:25.100
 what your deep idols are?

00:28:25.099 --> 00:28:27.559
 One of the ways

00:28:27.559 --> 00:28:28.259
 you can learn

00:28:28.259 --> 00:28:29.099
 is in the midst

00:28:29.099 --> 00:28:30.240
 of your own failures

00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:31.240
 and your struggles

00:28:31.240 --> 00:28:32.579
 to ask,

00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:34.399
 to do a sort of

00:28:34.399 --> 00:28:35.399
 removal process.

00:28:35.699 --> 00:28:35.839
 So,

00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:37.939
 do I really crave power

00:28:37.939 --> 00:28:39.059
 or security

00:28:39.059 --> 00:28:40.559
 or pleasure

00:28:40.559 --> 00:28:41.959
 or approval

00:28:41.959 --> 00:28:43.959
 more than the other four?

00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:44.419
 Right?

00:28:44.439 --> 00:28:45.279
 So you can almost

00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:45.919
 take them away

00:28:45.919 --> 00:28:46.199
 and say,

00:28:46.459 --> 00:28:47.259
 I know I can,

00:28:48.099 --> 00:28:49.959
 I won't spill the beans

00:28:49.959 --> 00:28:50.579
 on my own,

00:28:50.579 --> 00:28:50.819
 but,

00:28:51.579 --> 00:28:52.059
 you know,

00:28:52.119 --> 00:28:53.139
 I can look at my life

00:28:53.139 --> 00:28:53.699
 and I can say,

00:28:53.700 --> 00:28:55.380
 I know that it's not

00:28:55.380 --> 00:28:57.100
 security that I love most.

00:28:57.200 --> 00:28:58.580
 I know it's not,

00:28:58.580 --> 00:28:59.700
 it's not comfort

00:28:59.700 --> 00:29:00.700
 that I love most

00:29:00.700 --> 00:29:01.740
 and I can whittle down

00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:03.819
 to what it really is

00:29:03.819 --> 00:29:04.319
 in the bottom of the soul.

00:29:04.340 --> 00:29:05.019
 Have you done that?

00:29:05.200 --> 00:29:05.480
 Have you,

00:29:05.500 --> 00:29:06.160
 have you looked

00:29:06.160 --> 00:29:06.740
 at your idols?

00:29:07.380 --> 00:29:07.980
 That's what,

00:29:07.980 --> 00:29:08.880
 that's what tests

00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:09.900
 actually show you,

00:29:10.299 --> 00:29:10.980
 self-knowledge.

00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:11.460
 The second thing

00:29:11.460 --> 00:29:12.140
 he tells you to do

00:29:12.140 --> 00:29:14.279
 is he says,

00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:14.900
 instead of saying,

00:29:15.059 --> 00:29:16.000
 what is God doing?

00:29:16.200 --> 00:29:17.299
 He must hate me.

00:29:17.779 --> 00:29:18.120
 Instead,

00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:18.640
 he said,

00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:19.600
 you've got to do

00:29:19.600 --> 00:29:20.180
 some theology

00:29:20.180 --> 00:29:21.120
 and you've got to say,

00:29:21.420 --> 00:29:22.900
 God is never doing wrong

00:29:22.900 --> 00:29:23.620
 by me in this.

00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:24.240
 And so you'll see

00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:25.620
 in verse 13,

00:29:25.900 --> 00:29:26.180
 remember,

00:29:26.440 --> 00:29:27.540
 God tempts nobody.

00:29:27.700 --> 00:29:28.519
 He never creates

00:29:28.519 --> 00:29:30.040
 a desire in your life

00:29:30.040 --> 00:29:30.920
 to sin

00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:31.759
 because he cannot

00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:32.500
 desire evil.

00:29:32.620 --> 00:29:33.840
 He can't desire sin.

00:29:34.360 --> 00:29:35.280
 So he would never

00:29:35.280 --> 00:29:36.700
 give you a desire for sin.

00:29:36.840 --> 00:29:37.019
 No,

00:29:37.060 --> 00:29:37.519
 not at all.

00:29:37.880 --> 00:29:38.620
 It comes from you.

00:29:38.700 --> 00:29:39.360
 But then secondly,

00:29:39.460 --> 00:29:40.259
 in verse 17,

00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:42.280
 cognitive reframe.

00:29:42.440 --> 00:29:42.840
 Instead,

00:29:43.100 --> 00:29:43.780
 verse 17,

00:29:45.060 --> 00:29:46.900
 he is giving you gifts

00:29:46.900 --> 00:29:48.300
 in the midst

00:29:48.300 --> 00:29:49.960
 of this process

00:29:49.960 --> 00:29:50.460
 of learning.

00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:52.300
 And what are those gifts?

00:29:52.299 --> 00:29:52.500
 Now,

00:29:53.019 --> 00:29:54.339
 as we read our English Bibles,

00:29:54.460 --> 00:29:55.839
 as we kind of do

00:29:55.839 --> 00:29:58.500
 a day-by-day reading plan,

00:29:58.819 --> 00:29:59.319
 and you're reading

00:29:59.319 --> 00:29:59.859
 through James,

00:29:59.940 --> 00:30:00.680
 in verse 17,

00:30:00.879 --> 00:30:01.879
 you would read this clause

00:30:01.879 --> 00:30:02.539
 very quickly.

00:30:03.159 --> 00:30:04.119
 Every good and perfect gift

00:30:04.119 --> 00:30:04.700
 is from above.

00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:06.279
 But you've got to slow down

00:30:06.279 --> 00:30:06.940
 right there and realize

00:30:06.940 --> 00:30:07.639
 that when he says

00:30:07.639 --> 00:30:08.759
 every good gift

00:30:08.759 --> 00:30:09.940
 and perfect gift,

00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:11.019
 he's talking about

00:30:11.019 --> 00:30:12.139
 two different types of gifts.

00:30:13.139 --> 00:30:13.859
 So it's a temptation

00:30:13.859 --> 00:30:14.299
 just to say,

00:30:14.399 --> 00:30:14.500
 oh,

00:30:14.539 --> 00:30:15.460
 every good and perfect gift.

00:30:15.579 --> 00:30:16.460
 It's all from God.

00:30:17.379 --> 00:30:18.839
 Good gifts there

00:30:18.839 --> 00:30:20.000
 are what kind of gifts?

00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:23.339
 They are the sunshine

00:30:23.339 --> 00:30:24.400
 and the rain

00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:26.359
 and the food that tastes good

00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:28.079
 and music

00:30:28.079 --> 00:30:29.000
 and Spotify

00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:30.839
 and, you know,

00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:31.859
 all the good gifts

00:30:31.859 --> 00:30:32.539
 that we have

00:30:32.539 --> 00:30:33.640
 in this life.

00:30:34.279 --> 00:30:34.359
 Right?

00:30:34.440 --> 00:30:35.180
 Every good gift

00:30:35.180 --> 00:30:35.700
 is from God.

00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:36.119
 And he's saying

00:30:36.119 --> 00:30:36.940
 that first category,

00:30:37.059 --> 00:30:37.339
 remember,

00:30:37.579 --> 00:30:38.200
 what do you got to do?

00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:39.079
 You got to realize

00:30:39.079 --> 00:30:40.279
 all the good gifts

00:30:40.279 --> 00:30:40.700
 in your life

00:30:40.700 --> 00:30:41.700
 are coming from God.

00:30:41.799 --> 00:30:44.880
 He's not tempting you

00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:46.259
 toward evil desire.

00:30:46.380 --> 00:30:46.720
 That's coming

00:30:46.720 --> 00:30:47.359
 from your heart.

00:30:47.659 --> 00:30:47.959
 Instead,

00:30:48.339 --> 00:30:49.079
 in the midst of that,

00:30:49.379 --> 00:30:49.899
 you got to realize

00:30:49.899 --> 00:30:50.919
 that the only reason

00:30:50.919 --> 00:30:51.539
 you even know

00:30:51.539 --> 00:30:52.219
 you're suffering,

00:30:52.459 --> 00:30:53.419
 the only reason

00:30:53.419 --> 00:30:54.919
 you know you're suffering

00:30:54.919 --> 00:30:56.299
 is because you're being

00:30:56.299 --> 00:30:57.599
 lavished with gifts.

00:30:58.719 --> 00:30:59.859
 You're in the context

00:30:59.859 --> 00:31:00.539
 of being surrounded

00:31:00.539 --> 00:31:01.139
 all the time.

00:31:01.240 --> 00:31:01.319
 You know,

00:31:01.359 --> 00:31:02.079
 you might be in the midst

00:31:02.079 --> 00:31:02.519
 of trial,

00:31:02.779 --> 00:31:03.859
 but did you eat today?

00:31:04.019 --> 00:31:05.619
 Did you drink water today?

00:31:06.379 --> 00:31:07.179
 Do you have a friendship?

00:31:07.559 --> 00:31:08.299
 Do you have a church?

00:31:08.419 --> 00:31:08.599
 Yeah.

00:31:09.299 --> 00:31:10.219
 You're being lavished

00:31:10.219 --> 00:31:11.019
 with gifts all the time.

00:31:11.079 --> 00:31:11.959
 That's the only way

00:31:11.959 --> 00:31:12.639
 you can even know

00:31:12.639 --> 00:31:13.219
 you're suffering.

00:31:14.119 --> 00:31:14.399
 You see?

00:31:14.500 --> 00:31:15.519
 He's reframing

00:31:15.519 --> 00:31:16.279
 and helping you see.

00:31:16.279 --> 00:31:18.200
 If you're a materialist,

00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:20.180
 secular materialist

00:31:20.180 --> 00:31:20.759
 in the room today,

00:31:21.139 --> 00:31:21.759
 you got to think about it.

00:31:21.759 --> 00:31:22.180
 You got to say,

00:31:22.259 --> 00:31:23.039
 do you say,

00:31:23.399 --> 00:31:24.039
 it's not fair?

00:31:24.139 --> 00:31:25.139
 I hate my suffering.

00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:27.619
 But if God doesn't exist,

00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:28.899
 if there's no gift

00:31:28.899 --> 00:31:30.220
 coming down from on high,

00:31:30.779 --> 00:31:32.000
 the lion doesn't care

00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:33.139
 when he eats the gazelle.

00:31:34.759 --> 00:31:36.539
 And cancer doesn't care

00:31:36.539 --> 00:31:37.639
 when it eats up your body.

00:31:37.779 --> 00:31:39.019
 But if you're really committed

00:31:39.019 --> 00:31:39.799
 to materialism,

00:31:39.879 --> 00:31:40.460
 you've got to say

00:31:40.460 --> 00:31:41.119
 the same thing.

00:31:41.259 --> 00:31:42.039
 I don't have any right

00:31:42.039 --> 00:31:43.039
 to be upset about this.

00:31:43.339 --> 00:31:44.000
 This is the ordinary

00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:44.859
 process of nature.

00:31:46.279 --> 00:31:47.420
 But you're not.

00:31:47.539 --> 00:31:48.579
 You're not happy with that.

00:31:49.180 --> 00:31:50.019
 And the reason you're not

00:31:50.019 --> 00:31:51.000
 is because you know

00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:51.980
 that your life

00:31:51.980 --> 00:31:53.519
 is being lavish with gifts.

00:31:54.759 --> 00:31:55.680
 You know that you

00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:56.779
 weren't made for suffering,

00:31:56.920 --> 00:31:57.519
 that that's not what

00:31:57.519 --> 00:31:58.259
 true humanity

00:31:58.259 --> 00:31:59.200
 is meant to be like.

00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:00.160
 And so you struggle with it.

00:32:00.200 --> 00:32:00.980
 You wrestle with it.

00:32:01.899 --> 00:32:03.379
 But it's not just good gifts.

00:32:03.639 --> 00:32:04.039
 He says,

00:32:04.200 --> 00:32:05.480
 then it's perfect gifts.

00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:06.700
 And the word perfect there

00:32:06.700 --> 00:32:08.839
 is the same word

00:32:08.839 --> 00:32:09.879
 as in verse 4

00:32:09.879 --> 00:32:10.559
 when he says,

00:32:10.980 --> 00:32:11.539
 your suffering

00:32:11.539 --> 00:32:12.660
 can make you perfect.

00:32:13.639 --> 00:32:14.259
 So he's saying,

00:32:14.339 --> 00:32:14.779
 what is he saying?

00:32:14.779 --> 00:32:15.379
 He's saying that

00:32:15.379 --> 00:32:16.420
 when he gives you

00:32:16.420 --> 00:32:17.519
 trials and tests,

00:32:17.700 --> 00:32:18.619
 they are gifts.

00:32:19.180 --> 00:32:20.779
 They're perfecting gifts.

00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:22.319
 So he's saying,

00:32:22.399 --> 00:32:22.899
 you've got to reframe

00:32:22.899 --> 00:32:23.960
 and realize that your life

00:32:23.960 --> 00:32:25.440
 is being lavish with gifts.

00:32:25.660 --> 00:32:26.460
 But when suffering

00:32:26.460 --> 00:32:27.039
 does come,

00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:28.420
 the Christian can say,

00:32:28.619 --> 00:32:29.799
 that's a perfecting gift

00:32:29.799 --> 00:32:30.480
 in my life.

00:32:31.339 --> 00:32:32.639
 God is actually using that

00:32:32.639 --> 00:32:33.579
 to grow me.

00:32:33.639 --> 00:32:34.399
 He's testing me.

00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:35.379
 And I've got to see it that way.

00:32:35.700 --> 00:32:36.480
 I've got to reframe

00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:37.720
 my life in that way.

00:32:38.460 --> 00:32:40.480
 God never gives you

00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:43.539
 desire to sin.

00:32:43.539 --> 00:32:44.819
 And he doesn't hate you.

00:32:44.879 --> 00:32:45.480
 He loves you.

00:32:45.539 --> 00:32:46.420
 He wants to grow you.

00:32:47.500 --> 00:32:47.740
 Why?

00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:48.859
 Because he is the God

00:32:48.859 --> 00:32:50.500
 with whom there is no shadow

00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:51.399
 due to change.

00:32:52.879 --> 00:32:54.399
 He gives you a little metaphor.

00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:54.740
 He says,

00:32:54.819 --> 00:32:54.899
 look,

00:32:54.980 --> 00:32:55.960
 God never changes.

00:32:56.139 --> 00:32:57.259
 And that means that the God

00:32:57.259 --> 00:32:59.000
 who gave the suffering

00:32:59.000 --> 00:33:00.339
 into Job's life

00:33:00.339 --> 00:33:01.240
 in order to grow him

00:33:01.240 --> 00:33:02.799
 is the same God

00:33:02.799 --> 00:33:04.159
 who's giving this suffering

00:33:04.159 --> 00:33:04.720
 in your life

00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:05.379
 to grow you.

00:33:05.480 --> 00:33:07.279
 It's the same exact situation.

00:33:07.379 --> 00:33:08.279
 He's never changed.

00:33:08.740 --> 00:33:09.339
 He's the God

00:33:09.339 --> 00:33:10.099
 of the sun,

00:33:10.180 --> 00:33:10.299
 moon,

00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:10.799
 and stars.

00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:11.000
 stars.

00:33:11.799 --> 00:33:12.680
 And as he shines,

00:33:12.799 --> 00:33:12.940
 you know,

00:33:13.720 --> 00:33:14.980
 he doesn't have a shadow

00:33:14.980 --> 00:33:15.559
 due to change.

00:33:15.579 --> 00:33:16.059
 What does that mean?

00:33:16.099 --> 00:33:17.059
 It means that when you

00:33:17.059 --> 00:33:17.960
 stand outside

00:33:17.960 --> 00:33:19.599
 and the sun is shining,

00:33:20.279 --> 00:33:21.759
 the sun shines on you,

00:33:21.819 --> 00:33:22.700
 it casts a shadow

00:33:22.700 --> 00:33:23.299
 on the ground.

00:33:23.700 --> 00:33:24.799
 And if you turn,

00:33:24.919 --> 00:33:25.839
 if you turn one way

00:33:25.839 --> 00:33:26.359
 or the other,

00:33:26.720 --> 00:33:27.619
 the shadow turns,

00:33:27.700 --> 00:33:27.919
 right?

00:33:28.579 --> 00:33:29.299
 He's saying God

00:33:29.299 --> 00:33:31.099
 never casts a shadow.

00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:31.819
 In other words,

00:33:31.839 --> 00:33:32.539
 he's not a creature.

00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:34.619
 He doesn't turn

00:33:34.619 --> 00:33:35.680
 right or left,

00:33:35.779 --> 00:33:36.419
 or he doesn't,

00:33:36.680 --> 00:33:37.919
 the sun can't hit him

00:33:37.919 --> 00:33:38.680
 and cast a shadow

00:33:38.680 --> 00:33:39.099
 on the ground.

00:33:39.099 --> 00:33:40.259
 He doesn't change.

00:33:40.679 --> 00:33:41.279
 The God

00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:42.659
 who has given suffering

00:33:42.659 --> 00:33:43.579
 in the life of Job

00:33:43.579 --> 00:33:44.519
 to grow him,

00:33:44.959 --> 00:33:45.599
 the same God.

00:33:46.379 --> 00:33:47.019
 He's doing the same

00:33:47.019 --> 00:33:47.819
 exact thing in your life.

00:33:47.879 --> 00:33:48.500
 Now, finally,

00:33:48.659 --> 00:33:49.299
 and very briefly,

00:33:49.679 --> 00:33:50.459
 just a couple minutes.

00:33:52.279 --> 00:33:52.719
 Thirdly,

00:33:53.619 --> 00:33:54.679
 our suffering points us

00:33:54.679 --> 00:33:55.559
 to the blessed man.

00:33:56.659 --> 00:33:57.339
 And here's how.

00:33:58.219 --> 00:33:58.959
 Verse 12.

00:34:00.399 --> 00:34:01.599
 Verse 12 tells us

00:34:01.599 --> 00:34:02.359
 as we close,

00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:03.240
 blessed is the man

00:34:03.240 --> 00:34:04.399
 who remains steadfast

00:34:04.399 --> 00:34:05.079
 under trial.

00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:06.480
 Now, this has all been

00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:07.219
 about how you can be

00:34:07.219 --> 00:34:08.159
 blessed in suffering.

00:34:09.099 --> 00:34:10.940
 And you might say today,

00:34:11.059 --> 00:34:12.279
 can you say today with me,

00:34:13.380 --> 00:34:14.099
 some of the things

00:34:14.099 --> 00:34:16.099
 I listed in that ordinary week

00:34:16.099 --> 00:34:16.559
 at the beginning

00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:17.299
 of the service,

00:34:17.460 --> 00:34:18.199
 beginning of the sermon,

00:34:18.619 --> 00:34:20.299
 happened in my life this week.

00:34:20.400 --> 00:34:20.860
 Maybe they happened

00:34:20.860 --> 00:34:21.779
 in your life this week.

00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:23.179
 You know,

00:34:23.219 --> 00:34:24.400
 the ticket that comes

00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:24.880
 in the mail

00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:26.000
 or the bus that doesn't run

00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:27.059
 or you can't find your keys

00:34:27.059 --> 00:34:28.299
 or whatever else it is.

00:34:28.400 --> 00:34:29.179
 And you say,

00:34:29.420 --> 00:34:30.779
 in the little annoyances

00:34:30.779 --> 00:34:32.259
 and the big things of life,

00:34:32.719 --> 00:34:36.079
 I have not faced the test

00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:36.679
 in the trial

00:34:36.679 --> 00:34:38.000
 with wisdom in every way.

00:34:39.500 --> 00:34:42.099
 And I have been frustrated

00:34:42.099 --> 00:34:42.599
 with God

00:34:42.599 --> 00:34:43.839
 and I have wondered,

00:34:44.059 --> 00:34:45.019
 does God hate me right now?

00:34:45.039 --> 00:34:45.799
 And I have wondered

00:34:45.799 --> 00:34:47.519
 if I have any value.

00:34:48.799 --> 00:34:48.980
 And, you know,

00:34:49.019 --> 00:34:50.679
 I think suffering shows us

00:34:50.679 --> 00:34:51.879
 that if we use it

00:34:51.879 --> 00:34:52.699
 in Jesus' metaphor,

00:34:52.960 --> 00:34:54.480
 our house is not entirely

00:34:54.480 --> 00:34:55.399
 built on the rock.

00:34:55.519 --> 00:34:57.000
 It's sort of on the rock

00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:58.279
 and halfway onto the sand.

00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:00.539
 And when suffering comes,

00:35:00.619 --> 00:35:00.779
 you know,

00:35:00.819 --> 00:35:01.960
 I realize I've got to

00:35:01.960 --> 00:35:03.500
 shift my life

00:35:03.500 --> 00:35:05.159
 a little more on the rock

00:35:05.159 --> 00:35:05.739
 because right now

00:35:05.739 --> 00:35:07.780
 it's 50% sand underneath.

00:35:08.460 --> 00:35:09.539
 And that's what suffering

00:35:09.539 --> 00:35:10.320
 does for us.

00:35:11.119 --> 00:35:12.179
 I told you last week

00:35:12.179 --> 00:35:14.139
 that when you're reading James,

00:35:14.199 --> 00:35:14.960
 one way to realize

00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:16.539
 is that James doesn't mention Jesus

00:35:16.539 --> 00:35:17.480
 but two times

00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:18.300
 in the whole book.

00:35:18.659 --> 00:35:19.500
 But he's teaching

00:35:19.500 --> 00:35:20.519
 Jesus' teaching

00:35:20.519 --> 00:35:21.139
 all throughout.

00:35:21.920 --> 00:35:22.920
 When he says

00:35:22.920 --> 00:35:23.760
 in verse 12,

00:35:24.300 --> 00:35:26.199
 blessed is the man

00:35:26.199 --> 00:35:27.900
 who remains steadfast

00:35:27.900 --> 00:35:28.599
 in all trials.

00:35:29.400 --> 00:35:30.320
 He's been talking

00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:30.800
 the whole time

00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:32.360
 about brothers and sisters,

00:35:32.360 --> 00:35:33.700
 the beloved plural,

00:35:34.120 --> 00:35:34.880
 but then he uses

00:35:34.880 --> 00:35:36.320
 this masculine singular,

00:35:37.039 --> 00:35:38.340
 blessed is the man.

00:35:39.460 --> 00:35:40.460
 And what is he quoting there?

00:35:40.480 --> 00:35:41.099
 He's quoting

00:35:41.099 --> 00:35:42.840
 from the Beatitudes,

00:35:43.280 --> 00:35:44.180
 Matthew chapter 5.

00:35:45.160 --> 00:35:46.320
 And he's drawing us

00:35:46.320 --> 00:35:46.820
 to see something

00:35:46.820 --> 00:35:47.660
 that when you're walking

00:35:47.660 --> 00:35:48.280
 through suffering

00:35:48.280 --> 00:35:49.240
 and trial in your life,

00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:52.260
 what do you need most?

00:35:52.340 --> 00:35:53.820
 You need beloved

00:35:53.820 --> 00:35:54.559
 brothers and sisters.

00:35:54.700 --> 00:35:55.180
 You need to know

00:35:55.180 --> 00:35:55.900
 that just like

00:35:55.900 --> 00:35:56.620
 the first century

00:35:56.620 --> 00:35:57.880
 people James was talking to,

00:35:57.940 --> 00:35:58.800
 they didn't suffer well

00:35:58.800 --> 00:35:59.320
 all the time.

00:35:59.640 --> 00:36:00.360
 You're not suffering

00:36:00.360 --> 00:36:01.039
 well all the time.

00:36:01.039 --> 00:36:01.800
 I'm not suffering

00:36:01.800 --> 00:36:02.420
 well all the time.

00:36:02.820 --> 00:36:03.719
 You need to know

00:36:03.719 --> 00:36:06.239
 that the blessed man

00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:08.320
 has already walked

00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:09.279
 the road that you're walking.

00:36:09.480 --> 00:36:10.500
 The blessed man

00:36:10.500 --> 00:36:12.659
 has already faced the trial

00:36:12.659 --> 00:36:13.960
 and he was steadfast.

00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:15.420
 The blessed man himself,

00:36:16.039 --> 00:36:16.880
 Jesus Christ,

00:36:17.300 --> 00:36:19.179
 has run the race for you

00:36:19.179 --> 00:36:20.800
 and now you are following

00:36:20.800 --> 00:36:21.400
 in his footsteps.

00:36:21.820 --> 00:36:22.460
 You need to know

00:36:22.460 --> 00:36:24.340
 Jesus lover of my soul,

00:36:24.739 --> 00:36:25.440
 you are with me.

00:36:25.480 --> 00:36:26.360
 You need a person.

00:36:27.099 --> 00:36:27.880
 And that's what verse 12

00:36:27.880 --> 00:36:28.739
 is pointing us to.

00:36:29.739 --> 00:36:30.459
 He's saying that

00:36:30.459 --> 00:36:31.679
 when you know

00:36:31.679 --> 00:36:33.779
 that he has walked

00:36:33.779 --> 00:36:35.879
 through every trial for you,

00:36:35.919 --> 00:36:36.819
 he stood in the fray

00:36:36.819 --> 00:36:37.619
 on your behalf,

00:36:37.679 --> 00:36:38.959
 he went to the cross for you,

00:36:39.619 --> 00:36:40.059
 you can say,

00:36:40.199 --> 00:36:41.699
 now I'm walking a road

00:36:41.699 --> 00:36:42.519
 where the rock

00:36:42.519 --> 00:36:43.379
 is already secure.

00:36:43.539 --> 00:36:44.659
 He's not going to leave me.

00:36:45.439 --> 00:36:46.199
 I'm going to get

00:36:46.199 --> 00:36:47.219
 across the finish line.

00:36:47.339 --> 00:36:47.979
 He's going to take me

00:36:47.979 --> 00:36:49.759
 all the way to the crown of life.

00:36:49.959 --> 00:36:51.599
 And crown of life there

00:36:51.599 --> 00:36:54.419
 is not what we think of.

00:36:54.459 --> 00:36:55.199
 It's not diadem.

00:36:55.199 --> 00:36:58.159
 It's the athlete's wreath.

00:36:58.439 --> 00:37:00.199
 It's not the crown

00:37:00.199 --> 00:37:01.159
 of a king or queen,

00:37:01.319 --> 00:37:03.960
 but it's the woven athlete's wreath.

00:37:04.039 --> 00:37:04.859
 You run the marathon

00:37:04.859 --> 00:37:06.960
 and the king leans over

00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:08.559
 and puts the athlete's wreath

00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:09.199
 upon your head.

00:37:09.259 --> 00:37:09.480
 He's saying,

00:37:10.059 --> 00:37:11.699
 because he has already

00:37:11.699 --> 00:37:12.500
 walked the path,

00:37:13.619 --> 00:37:15.219
 you will receive

00:37:15.219 --> 00:37:16.179
 the crown of life.

00:37:17.939 --> 00:37:18.779
 Finish with a story.

00:37:18.879 --> 00:37:19.659
 The Christian life

00:37:19.659 --> 00:37:20.939
 is a lot like this

00:37:20.939 --> 00:37:21.779
 in the midst of our suffering.

00:37:21.780 --> 00:37:22.620
 I don't know

00:37:22.620 --> 00:37:23.900
 if you've come across

00:37:23.900 --> 00:37:24.620
 the video.

00:37:25.100 --> 00:37:26.000
 If you are a person

00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:27.519
 who scrolls,

00:37:27.700 --> 00:37:28.519
 you will undoubtedly

00:37:28.519 --> 00:37:29.800
 have come across

00:37:29.800 --> 00:37:31.780
 the video of Derek Redman.

00:37:32.760 --> 00:37:33.620
 And Derek Redman

00:37:33.620 --> 00:37:35.660
 was an athlete,

00:37:35.800 --> 00:37:36.280
 U.S. athlete,

00:37:36.380 --> 00:37:37.500
 in the 1992 Olympics.

00:37:38.580 --> 00:37:40.960
 And he had trained,

00:37:41.440 --> 00:37:42.100
 he was a favorite

00:37:42.100 --> 00:37:43.760
 for the 400 meter sprint.

00:37:44.180 --> 00:37:45.840
 And he got about 100 meters

00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:46.960
 into the 400 meter sprint

00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:47.980
 at the 1992 Olympics.

00:37:48.240 --> 00:37:49.780
 And he pulled his hamstring.

00:37:50.400 --> 00:37:51.340
 And maybe you've seen it.

00:37:51.340 --> 00:37:52.039
 And he goes down

00:37:52.039 --> 00:37:52.600
 to the ground.

00:37:53.000 --> 00:37:54.440
 And he tries to get back up.

00:37:54.539 --> 00:37:56.220
 And he hobbles, you know.

00:37:56.240 --> 00:37:56.720
 And everybody else

00:37:56.720 --> 00:37:57.780
 has already finished the race.

00:37:58.420 --> 00:37:59.460
 And his dad,

00:37:59.980 --> 00:38:00.720
 his father,

00:38:02.380 --> 00:38:03.880
 jumps over the barriers

00:38:03.880 --> 00:38:05.720
 and runs out

00:38:05.720 --> 00:38:07.460
 onto the Olympic track.

00:38:08.600 --> 00:38:09.180
 And he picked,

00:38:09.360 --> 00:38:10.539
 and the security guards

00:38:10.539 --> 00:38:11.380
 are trying to get him,

00:38:11.600 --> 00:38:12.420
 you can't come out here.

00:38:12.720 --> 00:38:13.800
 And he pushes him away.

00:38:14.260 --> 00:38:16.460
 And the dad picks his son up,

00:38:16.660 --> 00:38:17.120
 Derek,

00:38:17.480 --> 00:38:18.840
 and he puts his arm

00:38:18.840 --> 00:38:19.440
 over his shoulder

00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:20.740
 and he carries him

00:38:20.740 --> 00:38:22.000
 all the way

00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:22.880
 to the finish line, right?

00:38:23.920 --> 00:38:25.079
 And they're weeping.

00:38:25.500 --> 00:38:26.599
 And he carries them across

00:38:26.599 --> 00:38:28.619
 and he gets the crown of life,

00:38:29.079 --> 00:38:30.000
 the athlete's wreath.

00:38:30.639 --> 00:38:31.740
 That's the Christian life.

00:38:33.360 --> 00:38:34.079
 You're going to pull

00:38:34.079 --> 00:38:35.019
 a hamstring this week.

00:38:36.639 --> 00:38:37.440
 Maybe literally.

00:38:40.400 --> 00:38:41.740
 But figuratively, definitely.

00:38:42.459 --> 00:38:43.719
 And Jesus Christ,

00:38:43.899 --> 00:38:44.799
 the blessed man

00:38:44.799 --> 00:38:45.319
 who has already

00:38:45.319 --> 00:38:46.299
 walked the road for you,

00:38:46.559 --> 00:38:47.719
 he will carry you

00:38:47.719 --> 00:38:48.519
 through your suffering.

00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:49.919
 You might,

00:38:50.099 --> 00:38:50.919
 some of you will sprint,

00:38:51.059 --> 00:38:51.899
 some of you will crawl,

00:38:52.079 --> 00:38:53.279
 some of you will walk fast.

00:38:53.739 --> 00:38:54.319
 You will grow

00:38:54.319 --> 00:38:55.099
 to different levels

00:38:55.099 --> 00:38:55.719
 of maturity,

00:38:56.159 --> 00:38:57.579
 but Jesus will take you

00:38:57.579 --> 00:38:58.039
 all the way.

00:38:58.939 --> 00:39:00.079
 Will you grow with him?

00:39:00.399 --> 00:39:01.319
 Will you become like him

00:39:01.319 --> 00:39:01.599
 in that?

00:39:02.219 --> 00:39:03.019
 That's the question.

00:39:03.599 --> 00:39:04.279
 Let us pray.

00:39:04.419 --> 00:39:04.659
 Father,

00:39:05.379 --> 00:39:06.259
 we ask

00:39:06.259 --> 00:39:08.179
 that you would train us

00:39:08.179 --> 00:39:09.979
 to be mature

00:39:09.980 --> 00:39:11.340
 in our sufferings like Jesus.

00:39:12.059 --> 00:39:12.619
 And we thank you

00:39:12.619 --> 00:39:14.300
 that we have a blessed man

00:39:14.300 --> 00:39:15.599
 who has run the race before us.

00:39:16.980 --> 00:39:18.500
 So help us to trust in him today.

00:39:18.639 --> 00:39:19.519
 We pray in Christ's name.

00:39:19.960 --> 00:39:20.219
 Amen.