WEBVTT

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 We're reading from James chapter 2 verses 14 to 26.

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 Faith without works is dead.

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 What good is it, my brothers and sisters,

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 if someone says he has faith but does not have works?

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 Can that faith save him?

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 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,

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 and one of you says to them,

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 go in peace, be warmed and filled without giving them the things needed for the body,

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 what good is that?

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 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

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 But someone will say, you have faith and I have works.

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 Show me your faith apart from your works,

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 and I will show you my faith by my works.

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 You believe that God is one.

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 You do well.

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 Even the demons believe and shudder.

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 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person,

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 that faith apart from works is useless?

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 Was not Abraham our father justified by works

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 when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

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 You see that faith was active along with his works,

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 and faith was completed by his works.

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 And the scripture was fulfilled, and that says,

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 Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.

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 And he was called a friend of God.

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 You see that a person is justified by works,

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 and not by faith alone.

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 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute,

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 justified by works when she received the messengers,

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 and sent them out by another way?

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 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead,

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 so also faith apart from works is dead.

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 This is the word of God.

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 Great.

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 Thank you, Margo.

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 Let me pray for us.

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 Heavenly Father, as we come to your word,

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 we want to hear you speaking to us.

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 Won't you open up the eyes of our heart

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 to see you in your word,

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 and to see what it means to live by faith,

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 and to trust you, and to know you.

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 God, you know where each one of us are at this morning.

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 You know our fears and our worries.

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 You know what's on our heart, God.

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 You know where we feel anxious and afraid.

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 You know what we're hoping for and longing for.

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 You know our dreams.

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 God, this morning we pray that we will meet with you,

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 the living God.

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 We have already, God, in the sung worship.

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 Thank you for those wonderful songs

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 that you've given to us as a church to sing.

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 God, your word also, let it speak to us.

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 God, we know that your word and your spirit work in unison.

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 We pray, Holy Spirit,

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 now won't you make your word come alive to our hearts,

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 and speak to us, we pray, in your gracious name.

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 Amen.

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 One last thing before we dive in is,

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 if you've got a bulletin, open it up.

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 You'll see there's the scripture reading in front of you,

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 or if you've got a Bible on your phone,

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 have it in front of you.

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 I don't have a lot of scripture on the screen,

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 but I want you to look at the scripture as we go through it.

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 Well, I wonder if you've ever been ripped off

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 by buying something that you thought was true,

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 only to find out later it was a fake or a forgery.

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 When I was about 17 years old,

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 my older brother wanted to buy a car,

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 and there was a particular car that he wanted.

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 We lived in South Africa.

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 He had done all this market research.

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 He knew what that model,

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 that year,

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 should cost secondhand.

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 He was looking out for a good deal.

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 Anyway, one day,

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 he finds an advert for this particular car

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 at a really, really good price.

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 And so he thinks,

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 I know this car is worth more than that.

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 So being the entrepreneur that he is,

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 he says,

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 I'm going to buy the car,

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 and I'm going to flip it straight away.

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 I'm going to add 10%

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 and sell it straight away,

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 make a few bucks.

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 So,

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 he's good at entrepreneurship,

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 not so good at checking things out.

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 Buys this car,

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 a week later,

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 advertises again for 10% more,

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 and when people come to look at the car,

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 suddenly they notice all sorts of things

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 that he hadn't noticed.

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 This is wrong.

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 This is broken.

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 Turns out the car had been in a serious accident,

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 and someone had done a good job

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 of hiding the cracks and the faults,

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 and he ended up selling it for a big loss

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 at the end of the day, right?

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 Or I heard of a teenager recently,

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 also a family member,

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 who wanted a pair of Apple AirPods,

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 didn't want to pay the full retail price,

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 found a good deal on Carousel,

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 met the person on Carousel

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 for a good price of AirPods,

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 went home only to find out that they were fakes.

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 They didn't work at all.

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 And so what he thought was a good price

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 for genuine AirPods

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 turned out to be an expensive price for fakes.

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 Discovering something is not what you thought it was

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 can be very frustrating, very disappointing.

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 How many of us have built a friendship

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 or got to know somebody,

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 maybe a colleague in the workplace, a neighbor,

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 only to find out later

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 they're not who we thought they really were?

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 And of course, it can be very costly.

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 Some of you are involved in buying businesses,

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 and so you do all your research,

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 all your due diligence,

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 you turn over every stone you can,

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 look at all the financials,

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 but there's always a risk that you buy a business,

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 and at the end of the day,

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 it's not what you thought it was.

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 And there's a whole lot of stuff hidden behind.

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 I think of people invested

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 in Bernie Madoff's securities, right,

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 a few years ago,

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 and it proved not to be very secure at all.

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 Thinking something is legitimate or genuine

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 when it proves to be otherwise

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 can be frustrating, disappointing,

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 can be very costly.

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 But it can also be dangerous.

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 It can be very deadly.

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 Imagine you take your car for a service,

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 and the mechanic decides to install

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 cheap imitation brake pads on your wheels

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 instead of the real thing.

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 And one day they give way

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 when you're careering downhill.

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 Or think about somebody,

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 you go to hospital,

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 and somebody buys or installs imitation parts

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 in the ventilator, right?

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 You need some fresh air,

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 and the ventilator stops working

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 because of fraudulent parts.

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 Being fooled into thinking

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 that something is genuine when it's not

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 can be frustrating,

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 it can be costly,

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 it can be dangerous,

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 it can be deadly.

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 So what about our faith?

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 What about your Christian faith?

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 How do you know

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 whether your Christian faith

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 is the real deal?

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 Or whether you've just been fooled

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 into thinking that what you think is faith

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 is not really the real thing?

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 How would you know if it's fraudulent?

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 What diagnostic tool would you use

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 to employ,

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 to test the genuineness of your faith?

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 In the book of 1 Peter,

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 the apostle Peter writes,

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 and he says that

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 like a furnace to silver or gold,

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 trials are to our faith.

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 A furnace tests silver and gold,

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 and it heats it up,

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 and it reveals the impurities,

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 and the alloys,

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 and the fake materials.

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 So trials do the same thing to our faith.

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 They reveal what's genuine and real

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 when the heat comes.

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 Well, we've been reading the book of James,

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 and the brother of Jesus, James,

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 has been watching these Christians

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 who were once part of his congregation

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 going through these trials,

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 and he seems to be worried

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 by what he sees.

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 And so he's concerned

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 as to the genuineness of their faith.

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 And so in this passage,

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 he invites them to take a closer look

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 and to examine the authenticity

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 of their Christian faith.

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 Well, to change analogies,

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 James is like a doctor

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 who holds up the x-ray of their faith

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 to the light of day,

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 and he invites them,

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 and he invites us,

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 to look at the x-ray

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 and to see what's really there.

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 And so James is helping his readers,

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 this scattered congregation

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 that he calls his beloved brothers and sisters,

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 to examine the legitimacy of their faith.

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 And he's concerned

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 that what they think is genuine

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 may be nothing more

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 than just religious tradition

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 or superstition.

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 And this is James' big idea

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 for the passage today.

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 He says,

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 real Christian faith

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 is not simply believing certain truths.

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 Genuine Christian faith

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 causes you to live differently,

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 and not just because of what you believe,

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 but because of who you've come to believe in.

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 Okay, so it's not just believing

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 propositional truths,

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 creeds, and statements,

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 as important as that is,

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 it actually,

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 those beliefs cause you

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 to live differently,

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 but not simply because

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 of the theological truth,

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 but because of the person

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 or the being,

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 the God behind those truths,

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 because of who you've come to believe in.

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 Or said another way,

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 James is saying that

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 simply holding

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 to certain theological

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 or Christian truths

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 and doctrines,

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 true as they may be,

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 and as sincerely

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 as you may hold them,

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 if those truths

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 don't cause you

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 to live differently

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 because of a real dynamic

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 relationship with God,

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 then those,

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 your faith

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 may be no more worthwhile

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 than a teenager's fake airpods

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 at the bottom of his cupboard.

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 And if you know

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 what a teenager's cupboard

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 looks like,

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 that's not worth very much,

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 right?

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 So James is telling us this,

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 that where our professed belief

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 in Christ has no material impact

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 in our faith,

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 doesn't change the way we live,

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 the way we speak,

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 the way we handle conflict,

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 the way we handle challenges,

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 how we steward our finances,

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 our sexuality,

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 our positions in society,

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 maybe our faith

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 is not as sincere,

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 genuine as we thought it was.

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 And the way that James

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 is going to do this

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 is this,

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 he's going to hold up

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 four pictures for us.

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 The first two are examples

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 of fake or fraudulent faith.

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 The second two are pictures

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 of genuine faith,

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 okay?

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 I think you see

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 a picture behind me.

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 So James is going to hold

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 up four pictures.

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 The first two are fraudulent faith.

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 The second two are genuine faith.

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 So let's dive in

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 and look at what he says.

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 Look at the first one with me.

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 Look at verse 14 to 17.

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 He says,

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 what good is it,

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 my brothers and sisters,

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 if someone says

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 he has faith

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 but does not have any works,

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 nothing to back it up?

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 Can that kind of faith save him?

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 If a brother or sister

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 is poorly clothed

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 and lacking in daily food,

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 one of you says,

00:10:32.579 --> 00:10:33.139
 go in peace,

00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:33.759
 be warmed,

00:10:33.860 --> 00:10:34.399
 be filled.

00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:36.299
 Without giving them

00:10:36.299 --> 00:10:37.079
 the things that they needed

00:10:37.079 --> 00:10:37.719
 for the body,

00:10:38.299 --> 00:10:39.379
 what good is that?

00:10:40.039 --> 00:10:42.159
 So also faith by itself,

00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:44.120
 if it does not have any works,

00:10:44.679 --> 00:10:45.500
 it's dead.

00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:47.419
 James gets straight

00:10:47.419 --> 00:10:48.079
 to the point here.

00:10:48.459 --> 00:10:49.259
 Pretty clear.

00:10:49.659 --> 00:10:50.360
 What's his point?

00:10:50.919 --> 00:10:51.600
 His point is,

00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:53.159
 talk is cheap.

00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:55.379
 Easy to say the right things.

00:10:56.019 --> 00:10:57.460
 We say what people

00:10:57.460 --> 00:10:58.000
 want us to say.

00:10:58.059 --> 00:10:59.000
 We want to save face.

00:10:59.139 --> 00:11:00.200
 We say the right things.

00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:02.360
 But backing that up

00:11:02.360 --> 00:11:02.860
 with reality,

00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:04.259
 that's another story.

00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:06.179
 Maybe you've experienced

00:11:06.179 --> 00:11:07.259
 this in business.

00:11:07.340 --> 00:11:08.080
 You want to do business

00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:08.539
 with someone.

00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:09.879
 You have a couple of meals

00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:10.759
 and meetings

00:11:10.759 --> 00:11:11.659
 and someone says,

00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:12.659
 yeah, no,

00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:13.240
 it looks good.

00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:13.980
 I think we can really

00:11:13.980 --> 00:11:14.539
 do something.

00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:15.740
 I think there's a potential

00:11:15.740 --> 00:11:16.399
 deal here.

00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:17.480
 We'll be in contact.

00:11:18.379 --> 00:11:19.139
 And then you never hear

00:11:19.139 --> 00:11:19.940
 from them ever again.

00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:21.320
 And you phone them.

00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:22.179
 You send emails.

00:11:23.059 --> 00:11:23.419
 Silence.

00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:23.620
 Silence.

00:11:24.539 --> 00:11:25.839
 They're saying the right thing.

00:11:26.279 --> 00:11:27.199
 And we tend to think

00:11:27.199 --> 00:11:28.519
 that as long as nobody's hurt,

00:11:28.620 --> 00:11:29.559
 as long as nobody's offended,

00:11:30.259 --> 00:11:31.299
 as long as I can kind of

00:11:31.299 --> 00:11:32.139
 keep the peace,

00:11:32.579 --> 00:11:33.399
 no harm done.

00:11:34.099 --> 00:11:35.179
 And so we tend to say

00:11:35.179 --> 00:11:36.059
 the right things.

00:11:36.860 --> 00:11:37.199
 James says,

00:11:37.259 --> 00:11:38.479
 unless that's backed it up,

00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:39.819
 it's meaningless.

00:11:40.059 --> 00:11:41.199
 And the point is that

00:11:41.199 --> 00:11:42.319
 we can do the same thing

00:11:42.319 --> 00:11:43.179
 with our Christian faith.

00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:44.799
 We can say the right thing,

00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:45.179
 say, God,

00:11:45.219 --> 00:11:45.879
 I believe this.

00:11:46.219 --> 00:11:46.759
 This is true.

00:11:47.339 --> 00:11:48.059
 But unless there's some

00:11:48.059 --> 00:11:49.379
 substance behind it,

00:11:49.899 --> 00:11:51.120
 maybe it's all a sham.

00:11:52.039 --> 00:11:52.919
 We say things like,

00:11:52.919 --> 00:11:54.159
 God, I really trust you.

00:11:54.839 --> 00:11:55.599
 But if we don't take

00:11:55.599 --> 00:11:56.199
 any risks,

00:11:56.939 --> 00:11:57.699
 if we don't trust God

00:11:57.699 --> 00:11:58.719
 when it's hard,

00:11:59.620 --> 00:12:00.599
 do we really trust Him?

00:12:01.500 --> 00:12:01.899
 Confession,

00:12:02.039 --> 00:12:04.099
 I had this a few years ago.

00:12:04.439 --> 00:12:05.419
 I remember writing

00:12:05.419 --> 00:12:06.559
 a position paper

00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:07.259
 for Watermark.

00:12:07.659 --> 00:12:09.059
 This is what we believe

00:12:09.059 --> 00:12:10.240
 on this certain area.

00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:12.439
 And it was very theological,

00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:13.620
 very wonderful,

00:12:13.839 --> 00:12:15.199
 really brilliant paper,

00:12:15.299 --> 00:12:16.740
 if I can say so myself, right?

00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:18.559
 This is what we believe.

00:12:19.459 --> 00:12:20.419
 Well, about six months later,

00:12:20.419 --> 00:12:22.740
 I actually had to defend that paper.

00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:24.120
 And there was a situation

00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:25.000
 where I actually had to

00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:25.919
 then explain,

00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:27.299
 this is what we believe,

00:12:27.839 --> 00:12:28.799
 and I cowered away.

00:12:30.039 --> 00:12:31.039
 It's one thing to say,

00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:31.860
 this is what we believe,

00:12:31.939 --> 00:12:33.240
 but when push comes to shove,

00:12:33.779 --> 00:12:35.240
 it was easier just to stay silent,

00:12:35.479 --> 00:12:36.159
 remain quiet,

00:12:36.519 --> 00:12:37.979
 avoid the conversation at all.

00:12:39.059 --> 00:12:40.059
 That's James' point,

00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:41.620
 that validity of our faith

00:12:41.620 --> 00:12:42.799
 and our relationship with God,

00:12:43.799 --> 00:12:44.740
 and whether we really,

00:12:44.899 --> 00:12:45.360
 it's based on whether

00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:46.319
 we really know Him,

00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:47.699
 whether we really love Him,

00:12:47.700 --> 00:12:49.660
 whether we really trust Him.

00:12:50.280 --> 00:12:51.240
 It's not authenticated

00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:52.320
 by what we claim,

00:12:52.920 --> 00:12:54.720
 it's by how we live.

00:12:55.720 --> 00:12:56.640
 And so he asked the question,

00:12:56.740 --> 00:12:57.280
 verse 14,

00:12:57.379 --> 00:12:57.640
 look here,

00:12:57.780 --> 00:12:58.900
 can that kind of faith

00:12:58.900 --> 00:12:59.780
 save a person?

00:13:00.840 --> 00:13:01.560
 His answer is no.

00:13:03.220 --> 00:13:04.360
 So look at his summary statement,

00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:05.100
 verse 17.

00:13:05.540 --> 00:13:07.360
 So also faith by itself,

00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:08.879
 that means faith in concept

00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:10.060
 or idea only,

00:13:10.560 --> 00:13:11.780
 if it does not have works,

00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:12.680
 if it doesn't correspond

00:13:12.680 --> 00:13:13.440
 to real life,

00:13:13.800 --> 00:13:14.820
 well, that kind of faith is dead.

00:13:15.020 --> 00:13:16.420
 It's not real faith at all.

00:13:16.419 --> 00:13:18.259
 Okay, first picture,

00:13:19.099 --> 00:13:20.019
 cheap talk.

00:13:20.459 --> 00:13:21.339
 Second picture,

00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:23.240
 look at verse 18 to 20.

00:13:23.860 --> 00:13:26.439
 Here, James anticipates an objection.

00:13:27.199 --> 00:13:27.500
 So he says,

00:13:27.620 --> 00:13:29.339
 okay, someone might say,

00:13:29.719 --> 00:13:31.339
 well, you have faith,

00:13:31.479 --> 00:13:32.679
 I have works.

00:13:33.219 --> 00:13:33.419
 Okay?

00:13:33.819 --> 00:13:35.419
 You're a faith kind of person,

00:13:35.539 --> 00:13:36.599
 I'm a kind of practical

00:13:36.599 --> 00:13:37.419
 kind of person.

00:13:38.179 --> 00:13:38.819
 In other words,

00:13:39.159 --> 00:13:40.139
 you say potato,

00:13:40.339 --> 00:13:40.980
 I say potato.

00:13:41.959 --> 00:13:43.299
 You like rice,

00:13:43.399 --> 00:13:44.240
 I like noodles.

00:13:44.539 --> 00:13:44.799
 Okay?

00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:44.879
 Okay?

00:13:45.620 --> 00:13:46.219
 In other words,

00:13:47.000 --> 00:13:48.379
 why do you have to

00:13:48.379 --> 00:13:49.799
 put me in a box

00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:50.539
 and say that

00:13:50.539 --> 00:13:51.159
 I've got it,

00:13:51.179 --> 00:13:52.639
 my faith needs to look like this?

00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:54.299
 There's so many different

00:13:54.299 --> 00:13:55.240
 types of Christians,

00:13:55.339 --> 00:13:55.459
 right?

00:13:55.479 --> 00:13:56.179
 And some people are

00:13:56.179 --> 00:13:57.039
 kind of believing,

00:13:57.279 --> 00:13:57.939
 trusting God,

00:13:58.099 --> 00:13:58.959
 faith kind of people.

00:13:59.299 --> 00:14:00.399
 Some are just very practical,

00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:01.279
 social justice,

00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:02.159
 get their hands dirty

00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:02.839
 kind of people.

00:14:03.479 --> 00:14:03.819
 And so yeah,

00:14:03.859 --> 00:14:04.979
 you might be one of those people,

00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:06.339
 I'm one of these people.

00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:07.859
 And James says,

00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:08.299
 no, no, no,

00:14:08.299 --> 00:14:09.259
 what you're doing

00:14:09.259 --> 00:14:10.719
 is you're taking one thing

00:14:10.719 --> 00:14:11.539
 and you're creating

00:14:11.539 --> 00:14:12.299
 a dichotomy,

00:14:12.419 --> 00:14:13.379
 splitting into two,

00:14:13.379 --> 00:14:14.519
 and saying choose one

00:14:14.519 --> 00:14:14.980
 or the other.

00:14:15.539 --> 00:14:16.439
 But these two things

00:14:16.439 --> 00:14:17.620
 inherently go together.

00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:19.519
 Very silly analogy.

00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:21.000
 It's like a hen

00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:22.580
 saying to another hen,

00:14:23.179 --> 00:14:24.720
 you lay egg yolks,

00:14:24.939 --> 00:14:26.480
 I'll lay egg whites.

00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:26.960
 Okay?

00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:28.620
 Not going to be

00:14:28.620 --> 00:14:29.340
 a very good,

00:14:29.700 --> 00:14:30.480
 productive hen.

00:14:31.179 --> 00:14:31.639
 Those eggs

00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:32.179
 are not going to sell

00:14:32.179 --> 00:14:32.620
 very well.

00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:34.439
 It's like imagine

00:14:34.439 --> 00:14:36.279
 you go to buy a car,

00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:37.320
 you want to buy

00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:38.139
 a secondhand car,

00:14:38.539 --> 00:14:39.840
 you go to a car dealer

00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:40.379
 because you don't want

00:14:40.379 --> 00:14:40.960
 to get ripped off

00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:41.539
 like my brother,

00:14:41.539 --> 00:14:42.419
 and he says,

00:14:42.459 --> 00:14:43.240
 I've got two cars for you.

00:14:43.319 --> 00:14:44.299
 This one's got an accelerator,

00:14:44.500 --> 00:14:45.279
 this one's got brakes.

00:14:45.319 --> 00:14:46.219
 Which one do you want?

00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:47.419
 Well,

00:14:47.419 --> 00:14:47.980
 that's not going to be

00:14:47.980 --> 00:14:48.799
 a very good car,

00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:49.219
 right?

00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:50.500
 You need them both.

00:14:50.899 --> 00:14:51.319
 James says,

00:14:51.860 --> 00:14:52.539
 one person says,

00:14:52.599 --> 00:14:52.679
 look,

00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:53.620
 you've got faith,

00:14:53.779 --> 00:14:54.039
 belief,

00:14:54.179 --> 00:14:54.439
 trust,

00:14:54.539 --> 00:14:55.399
 I've got works.

00:14:55.459 --> 00:14:56.319
 What's the big deal?

00:14:57.039 --> 00:14:57.159
 No,

00:14:57.159 --> 00:14:57.699
 the big deal

00:14:57.699 --> 00:14:58.299
 is these two

00:14:58.299 --> 00:14:59.339
 go together.

00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:01.599
 Show me your faith

00:15:01.599 --> 00:15:02.459
 apart from your works,

00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:03.459
 I'll show you my faith

00:15:03.459 --> 00:15:04.480
 by my works.

00:15:05.199 --> 00:15:05.319
 Now,

00:15:05.439 --> 00:15:06.599
 drive that car,

00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:07.759
 best of luck to you.

00:15:07.819 --> 00:15:09.019
 Let's see how far you get.

00:15:09.699 --> 00:15:11.159
 I'll drive my car that has both

00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:11.860
 and I'll show you

00:15:11.860 --> 00:15:12.799
 how this works.

00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:14.559
 Look at verse 19.

00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:15.679
 Here you see something fascinating.

00:15:16.460 --> 00:15:16.679
 It says,

00:15:16.899 --> 00:15:17.159
 okay,

00:15:17.579 --> 00:15:19.299
 you believe that God is one,

00:15:19.579 --> 00:15:20.199
 you do well,

00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:22.519
 even the demons believe that,

00:15:23.079 --> 00:15:23.679
 and shudder.

00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:24.840
 Now,

00:15:25.259 --> 00:15:25.679
 remember,

00:15:26.340 --> 00:15:27.759
 all devout Jews

00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:29.840
 every day

00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:31.519
 would recite a prayer

00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:32.500
 called the Shemal.

00:15:33.019 --> 00:15:34.480
 The Shemal is a prayer

00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:35.379
 that's based on

00:15:35.379 --> 00:15:36.279
 a couple of scriptures

00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:36.959
 in Deuteronomy.

00:15:37.259 --> 00:15:38.000
 The first one is

00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:38.699
 Deuteronomy 6.

00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:39.059
 It says,

00:15:39.439 --> 00:15:39.980
 hear, O Israel,

00:15:40.079 --> 00:15:41.079
 the Lord our God,

00:15:41.199 --> 00:15:42.439
 the Lord is one.

00:15:42.899 --> 00:15:44.120
 So every single day,

00:15:44.179 --> 00:15:44.799
 devout Jews

00:15:44.799 --> 00:15:46.019
 will wake up in the morning

00:15:46.019 --> 00:15:47.279
 and recite this prayer.

00:15:47.639 --> 00:15:48.299
 Hear, O Israel,

00:15:48.379 --> 00:15:49.139
 the Lord our God,

00:15:49.199 --> 00:15:50.240
 the Lord is one.

00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:51.240
 You shall love

00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:51.959
 the Lord your God

00:15:51.959 --> 00:15:52.740
 with all your heart

00:15:52.740 --> 00:15:53.459
 and all your soul

00:15:53.459 --> 00:15:54.319
 and all your might.

00:15:56.699 --> 00:15:58.259
 The Jewish Christians

00:15:58.259 --> 00:15:59.360
 that James is writing to

00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:00.639
 would have known

00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:01.339
 this prayer.

00:16:01.659 --> 00:16:02.059
 It's probably

00:16:02.059 --> 00:16:03.019
 one of the most

00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:04.019
 important sentences

00:16:04.019 --> 00:16:05.120
 in the whole Old Testament

00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:07.299
 for Jewish men and women.

00:16:08.980 --> 00:16:09.759
 James says,

00:16:10.179 --> 00:16:10.720
 you know that thing

00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:11.360
 that you recite

00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:12.039
 every morning?

00:16:12.379 --> 00:16:13.419
 You believe God is one.

00:16:14.120 --> 00:16:15.179
 That's great,

00:16:15.819 --> 00:16:16.699
 but even the demons

00:16:16.699 --> 00:16:17.299
 believe that.

00:16:18.059 --> 00:16:19.039
 Even Satan knows

00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:19.659
 that that's true

00:16:19.659 --> 00:16:21.399
 and he's not a Christian.

00:16:23.439 --> 00:16:24.679
 Sam Albury says like this,

00:16:24.919 --> 00:16:25.539
 are you pleased

00:16:25.539 --> 00:16:26.579
 with your right understanding

00:16:26.579 --> 00:16:27.360
 of who God is,

00:16:27.439 --> 00:16:28.179
 your good theology?

00:16:28.699 --> 00:16:29.139
 Congratulations,

00:16:29.899 --> 00:16:30.639
 you're at precisely

00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:31.500
 the same level

00:16:31.500 --> 00:16:32.659
 that the demons are at.

00:16:32.659 --> 00:16:34.759
 You see,

00:16:34.819 --> 00:16:35.439
 just because you have

00:16:35.439 --> 00:16:36.100
 good theology

00:16:36.100 --> 00:16:37.000
 or you know your Bible

00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:37.659
 really well,

00:16:37.860 --> 00:16:38.519
 you know your doctrine

00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:39.480
 straight as an arrow,

00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:40.899
 doesn't mean you have

00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:41.839
 saving faith.

00:16:42.539 --> 00:16:44.000
 You genuinely know God.

00:16:44.519 --> 00:16:45.439
 As many have observed,

00:16:45.819 --> 00:16:47.019
 hell is full of demons

00:16:47.019 --> 00:16:48.019
 with great theology.

00:16:48.980 --> 00:16:49.860
 They don't know Jesus.

00:16:50.519 --> 00:16:51.419
 They don't trust him.

00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:52.919
 They fear him,

00:16:52.980 --> 00:16:53.539
 they shudder,

00:16:54.539 --> 00:16:55.539
 but they've never come to him

00:16:55.539 --> 00:16:56.100
 in surrender

00:16:56.100 --> 00:16:57.439
 and love and trust.

00:16:58.899 --> 00:16:59.139
 Friends,

00:16:59.259 --> 00:16:59.939
 saving faith,

00:17:00.100 --> 00:17:01.159
 genuine Christian faith,

00:17:01.159 --> 00:17:03.199
 is not just intellectual assent

00:17:03.199 --> 00:17:04.859
 to core doctrines

00:17:04.859 --> 00:17:05.279
 and beliefs.

00:17:05.339 --> 00:17:06.000
 It is that,

00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:07.240
 but it's more than that.

00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:09.159
 It's heartfelt trust

00:17:09.159 --> 00:17:10.899
 in who God is

00:17:10.899 --> 00:17:12.480
 and handing our lives

00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:13.039
 over to him.

00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:13.980
 So James tells us

00:17:13.980 --> 00:17:15.519
 that genuine saving faith,

00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:15.940
 yes,

00:17:15.980 --> 00:17:16.519
 it's grounded

00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:17.680
 in theological truth.

00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:19.000
 This is who God is,

00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:20.339
 but it's more than simply

00:17:20.339 --> 00:17:21.779
 knowing a lot about God.

00:17:21.859 --> 00:17:22.799
 It's loving him.

00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:24.139
 It's knowing him.

00:17:24.599 --> 00:17:25.920
 It's trusting him.

00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.779
 If you're a high schooler here,

00:17:29.600 --> 00:17:30.600
 if you're a part of the youth

00:17:30.600 --> 00:17:31.039
 this morning,

00:17:31.120 --> 00:17:32.160
 so glad that you're with us,

00:17:32.680 --> 00:17:33.420
 chances are,

00:17:33.740 --> 00:17:34.380
 you're here

00:17:34.380 --> 00:17:35.400
 because you grew up

00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:36.440
 in a Christian family

00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:37.840
 and have parents

00:17:37.840 --> 00:17:38.980
 that want you

00:17:38.980 --> 00:17:39.940
 to know God.

00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:41.759
 And that is an amazing privilege.

00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:43.100
 You are very privileged

00:17:43.100 --> 00:17:44.060
 to grow up in a family

00:17:44.060 --> 00:17:45.620
 that has parents,

00:17:45.700 --> 00:17:46.680
 not perfect parents,

00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:48.279
 not a perfect family,

00:17:48.820 --> 00:17:50.320
 but parents who love God

00:17:50.320 --> 00:17:51.519
 and want you to love God.

00:17:52.380 --> 00:17:53.420
 But one of the dangers,

00:17:53.740 --> 00:17:54.420
 high schoolers,

00:17:54.420 --> 00:17:55.720
 is that you can grow up

00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:56.160
 in a family

00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:57.019
 because you know

00:17:57.019 --> 00:17:58.160
 the Christian stuff

00:17:58.160 --> 00:17:59.980
 thinking that you're a Christian.

00:18:00.580 --> 00:18:01.740
 Because you know the stories,

00:18:01.860 --> 00:18:02.740
 you know the catechisms,

00:18:02.840 --> 00:18:04.259
 and you know the Bible teaching,

00:18:04.380 --> 00:18:05.019
 and you've memorized

00:18:05.019 --> 00:18:05.840
 the Bible verses.

00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:08.259
 Youth and high schoolers,

00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:10.300
 here's a challenge for you.

00:18:10.360 --> 00:18:11.400
 I want you to go home

00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:12.660
 and at lunchtime today

00:18:12.660 --> 00:18:14.120
 or dinner tonight,

00:18:14.180 --> 00:18:15.300
 I want you to ask your parents

00:18:15.300 --> 00:18:15.920
 this question.

00:18:16.600 --> 00:18:17.279
 Mom and dad,

00:18:17.600 --> 00:18:18.640
 how do you know

00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:19.880
 that your faith is genuine

00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:21.420
 and not fake?

00:18:21.740 --> 00:18:21.920
 Okay,

00:18:21.940 --> 00:18:22.480
 can you do that?

00:18:23.060 --> 00:18:23.779
 And then I want you

00:18:23.779 --> 00:18:24.980
 to ask yourself a question.

00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:27.319
 Am I really a Christian

00:18:27.319 --> 00:18:28.960
 or am I just believing

00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:29.539
 what my parents

00:18:29.539 --> 00:18:30.420
 have told me to believe?

00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:31.240
 Okay,

00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:31.720
 can you do that,

00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:32.240
 high schoolers?

00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:33.839
 Ask them that question

00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:35.420
 tonight at dinner time.

00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:36.000
 See,

00:18:36.059 --> 00:18:36.940
 you too can be fooled

00:18:36.940 --> 00:18:37.500
 into thinking,

00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:37.980
 yeah,

00:18:38.019 --> 00:18:38.440
 I'm a Christian,

00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:38.940
 I'm safe,

00:18:39.079 --> 00:18:39.879
 I know all this stuff.

00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:41.500
 But do you know him?

00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:43.359
 Do you trust him?

00:18:43.980 --> 00:18:45.180
 Do you love him?

00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:47.379
 James has given us

00:18:47.379 --> 00:18:47.960
 two examples

00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:49.500
 of counterfeit faith,

00:18:49.619 --> 00:18:49.899
 right?

00:18:49.900 --> 00:18:52.480
 But now he gives us

00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:53.240
 two examples

00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:54.240
 of genuine faith.

00:18:54.320 --> 00:18:55.060
 Look at what he does here.

00:18:55.120 --> 00:18:56.120
 Look at verse 20.

00:18:56.880 --> 00:18:57.340
 He says,

00:18:57.960 --> 00:18:58.740
 do you want to be shown,

00:18:58.960 --> 00:18:59.860
 you foolish person,

00:19:00.040 --> 00:19:01.420
 that faith apart from works

00:19:01.420 --> 00:19:01.920
 is useless?

00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:03.620
 We said earlier,

00:19:03.700 --> 00:19:04.560
 James is like a doctor,

00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:04.759
 right?

00:19:04.759 --> 00:19:05.640
 He holds up this x-ray.

00:19:06.360 --> 00:19:07.320
 James is a great doctor,

00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:08.400
 he just needs to work

00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:09.380
 on his bedside manner.

00:19:09.600 --> 00:19:10.340
 Not a good thing

00:19:10.340 --> 00:19:11.300
 to call your congregation,

00:19:11.540 --> 00:19:12.480
 you foolish people.

00:19:13.120 --> 00:19:13.259
 Okay,

00:19:13.320 --> 00:19:14.140
 but anyway,

00:19:15.740 --> 00:19:15.960
 well,

00:19:16.100 --> 00:19:16.600
 that aside.

00:19:17.100 --> 00:19:17.800
 Verse 21,

00:19:17.799 --> 00:19:19.399
 was not Abraham,

00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:20.119
 our father,

00:19:20.379 --> 00:19:21.700
 justified by works

00:19:21.700 --> 00:19:22.440
 when he offered up

00:19:22.440 --> 00:19:23.159
 his son Isaac

00:19:23.159 --> 00:19:23.720
 on the altar?

00:19:24.440 --> 00:19:25.419
 You see that faith

00:19:25.419 --> 00:19:26.079
 was active

00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:27.180
 along with his works

00:19:27.180 --> 00:19:28.700
 and faith was completed

00:19:28.700 --> 00:19:29.639
 by his works.

00:19:30.119 --> 00:19:30.599
 And the scripture

00:19:30.599 --> 00:19:31.220
 was fulfilled

00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:31.940
 that says Abraham

00:19:31.940 --> 00:19:32.839
 believed God

00:19:32.839 --> 00:19:33.940
 and was counted to him

00:19:33.940 --> 00:19:34.779
 as righteousness.

00:19:35.460 --> 00:19:36.039
 He was called

00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:37.099
 a friend of God.

00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:38.579
 Now,

00:19:38.639 --> 00:19:39.460
 if you're new to church,

00:19:39.919 --> 00:19:40.740
 James assumes

00:19:40.740 --> 00:19:41.480
 that we understand

00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:42.480
 some of the Old Testament

00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:43.859
 and so there's a story here

00:19:43.859 --> 00:19:44.859
 that you need to understand.

00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:45.659
 Let me explain to you.

00:19:46.259 --> 00:19:46.940
 In the Old Testament,

00:19:46.940 --> 00:19:48.200
 Abraham is kind of

00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:49.000
 the founder

00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:50.299
 of the Judeo-Christian faith

00:19:50.299 --> 00:19:50.960
 in many ways.

00:19:51.840 --> 00:19:54.180
 And one day,

00:19:54.259 --> 00:19:55.180
 God comes to Abraham

00:19:55.180 --> 00:19:56.380
 and he says to Abraham,

00:19:56.660 --> 00:19:58.000
 through your descendants,

00:19:58.539 --> 00:20:00.880
 I am going to create

00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:01.920
 a nation of people

00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:03.700
 and through that nation,

00:20:03.700 --> 00:20:04.500
 I'm going to send

00:20:04.500 --> 00:20:05.259
 the Messiah,

00:20:05.640 --> 00:20:06.180
 the Savior,

00:20:06.620 --> 00:20:07.779
 who will save humanity

00:20:07.779 --> 00:20:09.680
 from sin and death

00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:10.940
 and the curse of the fall.

00:20:11.840 --> 00:20:12.519
 And so Abraham,

00:20:12.660 --> 00:20:13.059
 you're going to have

00:20:13.059 --> 00:20:14.059
 a son and descendants

00:20:14.059 --> 00:20:14.779
 and through them,

00:20:14.860 --> 00:20:16.019
 the Savior of the world

00:20:16.019 --> 00:20:17.299
 is going to come.

00:20:18.099 --> 00:20:19.099
 The only problem is

00:20:19.099 --> 00:20:20.139
 Abraham is one,

00:20:20.500 --> 00:20:21.400
 very old,

00:20:21.779 --> 00:20:22.200
 and two,

00:20:22.299 --> 00:20:23.400
 doesn't have any children.

00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:24.579
 And so things

00:20:24.579 --> 00:20:25.420
 are not looking good.

00:20:26.220 --> 00:20:26.420
 Well,

00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:28.139
 fast forward about 30 years,

00:20:28.259 --> 00:20:29.779
 Abraham is now even older.

00:20:30.339 --> 00:20:31.740
 He's about 100 years old

00:20:31.740 --> 00:20:33.339
 and God is good

00:20:33.339 --> 00:20:34.139
 on his word

00:20:34.139 --> 00:20:35.379
 and gives him a son.

00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:36.980
 A son called Isaac.

00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:38.440
 And so,

00:20:38.680 --> 00:20:39.480
 it seems like

00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:40.000
 the promise

00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:40.759
 is going to be fulfilled.

00:20:41.619 --> 00:20:42.119
 And so Abraham

00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:43.119
 has the son Isaac,

00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:43.839
 through Isaac

00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:44.639
 and his descendants,

00:20:44.819 --> 00:20:45.359
 the world is going

00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:45.799
 to be blessed

00:20:45.799 --> 00:20:46.379
 and saved.

00:20:47.500 --> 00:20:48.659
 But then one day,

00:20:49.179 --> 00:20:50.159
 God asks Abraham

00:20:50.159 --> 00:20:51.279
 to do something crazy.

00:20:52.220 --> 00:20:52.379
 He says,

00:20:52.439 --> 00:20:52.679
 Abraham,

00:20:52.819 --> 00:20:53.500
 take your son,

00:20:54.059 --> 00:20:54.899
 your only son,

00:20:55.399 --> 00:20:56.099
 whom you love,

00:20:56.679 --> 00:20:57.699
 go up on the mountain

00:20:57.699 --> 00:20:59.159
 with a pile of wood

00:20:59.159 --> 00:20:59.839
 on his back

00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:02.279
 and sacrifice him to me.

00:21:03.559 --> 00:21:04.679
 Make a burnt offering

00:21:04.679 --> 00:21:06.259
 and sacrifice your son

00:21:06.259 --> 00:21:06.740
 to me.

00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:08.279
 Now,

00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:09.059
 immediately you can see

00:21:09.059 --> 00:21:09.459
 there's a couple

00:21:09.459 --> 00:21:10.179
 of problems with this.

00:21:10.299 --> 00:21:10.619
 One,

00:21:10.619 --> 00:21:13.219
 what do you do with that?

00:21:13.399 --> 00:21:13.619
 I mean,

00:21:13.699 --> 00:21:15.099
 what parent says,

00:21:15.539 --> 00:21:15.679
 yeah,

00:21:15.779 --> 00:21:15.979
 sure,

00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:16.500
 no problem.

00:21:17.099 --> 00:21:17.519
 Let me just go

00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:18.179
 kill my son,

00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:18.500
 right?

00:21:18.899 --> 00:21:19.119
 I mean,

00:21:19.179 --> 00:21:20.119
 that itself is,

00:21:20.459 --> 00:21:20.579
 okay,

00:21:20.599 --> 00:21:21.159
 you need to wrestle

00:21:21.159 --> 00:21:21.579
 with that.

00:21:22.459 --> 00:21:23.559
 But in addition to that,

00:21:23.979 --> 00:21:25.719
 everything that Abraham

00:21:25.719 --> 00:21:26.899
 was and had

00:21:26.899 --> 00:21:27.559
 and believed in,

00:21:27.579 --> 00:21:28.779
 his entire legacy,

00:21:29.199 --> 00:21:30.279
 the hope for humanity

00:21:30.279 --> 00:21:32.339
 rested on this one child

00:21:32.339 --> 00:21:33.019
 not dying

00:21:33.019 --> 00:21:33.959
 but staying alive

00:21:33.959 --> 00:21:35.259
 as long as possible

00:21:35.259 --> 00:21:35.939
 and having many,

00:21:36.059 --> 00:21:36.539
 many children.

00:21:37.539 --> 00:21:38.039
 And so here,

00:21:38.139 --> 00:21:38.639
 God says,

00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:39.739
 the whole hope

00:21:39.740 --> 00:21:40.380
 of the world,

00:21:40.620 --> 00:21:41.700
 I want you to

00:21:41.700 --> 00:21:42.779
 sacrifice it for me.

00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:44.200
 Well,

00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:45.259
 Abraham somehow

00:21:45.259 --> 00:21:46.920
 so trusts God

00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:47.579
 and his promise

00:21:47.579 --> 00:21:48.620
 that he takes his son,

00:21:49.140 --> 00:21:49.720
 his only son,

00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:50.779
 he puts wood on his back,

00:21:51.319 --> 00:21:52.120
 climbs the hill

00:21:52.120 --> 00:21:54.839
 and is about to sacrifice him

00:21:54.839 --> 00:21:55.680
 and at the last minute

00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:56.319
 God says,

00:21:56.440 --> 00:21:56.620
 okay,

00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:57.220
 that's enough.

00:21:58.000 --> 00:21:59.079
 Now you know

00:21:59.079 --> 00:21:59.880
 that I know

00:21:59.880 --> 00:22:01.500
 that you love me

00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:02.519
 and trust me.

00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:05.240
 It's an unbelievable account

00:22:05.240 --> 00:22:06.099
 of taking God

00:22:06.099 --> 00:22:06.799
 at his word.

00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:08.180
 But what's James'

00:22:08.359 --> 00:22:08.799
 point here?

00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:09.720
 His point is,

00:22:09.859 --> 00:22:10.940
 Abraham's faith

00:22:10.940 --> 00:22:11.700
 was active

00:22:11.700 --> 00:22:13.000
 along with his works

00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:13.859
 and was completed

00:22:13.859 --> 00:22:14.579
 by his work.

00:22:15.379 --> 00:22:16.279
 James' point is that

00:22:16.279 --> 00:22:17.539
 genuine Christian faith

00:22:17.539 --> 00:22:18.559
 is not just theoretical,

00:22:18.700 --> 00:22:18.859
 God,

00:22:18.919 --> 00:22:19.579
 I trust you.

00:22:20.339 --> 00:22:21.180
 It actually has

00:22:21.180 --> 00:22:22.259
 real relevance

00:22:22.259 --> 00:22:23.059
 in real life

00:22:23.059 --> 00:22:24.899
 on the decisions

00:22:24.899 --> 00:22:25.440
 that we make,

00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:26.200
 on the way we conduct

00:22:26.200 --> 00:22:26.619
 ourselves.

00:22:27.259 --> 00:22:28.460
 Real Christian faith

00:22:28.460 --> 00:22:29.480
 is not just believing

00:22:29.480 --> 00:22:30.740
 propositional truths

00:22:30.740 --> 00:22:32.159
 but really trusting

00:22:32.159 --> 00:22:33.099
 in a real God.

00:22:34.039 --> 00:22:35.139
 Real Christian faith

00:22:35.139 --> 00:22:36.220
 knows not just

00:22:36.220 --> 00:22:37.279
 that God is God

00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:38.379
 but that he's good.

00:22:38.899 --> 00:22:40.460
 Not just that he's true

00:22:40.460 --> 00:22:41.720
 but that he's trustworthy.

00:22:42.700 --> 00:22:44.279
 Not just that he's a father

00:22:44.279 --> 00:22:45.519
 but that he's faithful

00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:47.619
 and therefore brings our lives

00:22:47.619 --> 00:22:47.920
 and says,

00:22:48.059 --> 00:22:48.259
 God,

00:22:48.359 --> 00:22:49.599
 this is so hard

00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:51.379
 but you are good.

00:22:51.380 --> 00:22:53.180
 I trust you.

00:22:56.440 --> 00:22:57.180
 This is the point

00:22:57.180 --> 00:22:57.740
 that the writer

00:22:57.740 --> 00:22:58.560
 of the book of Hebrews

00:22:58.560 --> 00:23:00.020
 makes as he looks back

00:23:00.020 --> 00:23:00.800
 on the Old Testament

00:23:00.800 --> 00:23:02.080
 and he recounts

00:23:02.080 --> 00:23:02.700
 the stories

00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:04.120
 of men and women

00:23:04.120 --> 00:23:05.440
 of their genuine faith

00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:06.180
 and how their faith

00:23:06.180 --> 00:23:07.020
 was made visible

00:23:07.020 --> 00:23:09.280
 because of the way

00:23:09.280 --> 00:23:10.320
 it manifests itself

00:23:10.320 --> 00:23:11.220
 in the real contours

00:23:11.220 --> 00:23:11.660
 of life.

00:23:12.460 --> 00:23:12.740
 And so he says,

00:23:12.820 --> 00:23:13.420
 think about Abraham.

00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:14.880
 God comes to him one day

00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:15.080
 and says,

00:23:15.160 --> 00:23:15.340
 Abraham,

00:23:15.500 --> 00:23:16.320
 leave your family,

00:23:16.660 --> 00:23:17.480
 your father's home,

00:23:17.580 --> 00:23:18.080
 your country.

00:23:18.699 --> 00:23:19.299
 Follow me.

00:23:19.419 --> 00:23:19.779
 Trust me.

00:23:19.819 --> 00:23:20.379
 I'm going to take you

00:23:20.379 --> 00:23:21.019
 to a new place.

00:23:21.079 --> 00:23:21.619
 I'm not telling you

00:23:21.619 --> 00:23:22.139
 where it is

00:23:22.139 --> 00:23:23.199
 but trust me

00:23:23.199 --> 00:23:24.519
 and Abraham did.

00:23:25.339 --> 00:23:26.419
 Or God says that

00:23:26.419 --> 00:23:26.960
 Moses,

00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:28.619
 because of his trust in God,

00:23:29.019 --> 00:23:29.720
 turned his back

00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:31.059
 on the privileges of Egypt

00:23:31.059 --> 00:23:32.179
 growing up in the palace

00:23:32.179 --> 00:23:33.659
 and associated himself

00:23:33.659 --> 00:23:34.480
 with the slaves

00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:35.460
 because he knew

00:23:35.460 --> 00:23:36.339
 that God's promise

00:23:36.339 --> 00:23:37.039
 was faithful.

00:23:37.919 --> 00:23:38.500
 Or he says,

00:23:38.740 --> 00:23:39.919
 think of the nation of Israel,

00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:41.679
 how they left Egypt,

00:23:41.899 --> 00:23:42.960
 wandered in the wilderness

00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:44.439
 even though they didn't know

00:23:44.439 --> 00:23:45.679
 what lay in store for them.

00:23:46.360 --> 00:23:47.539
 It was genuine faith

00:23:47.539 --> 00:23:48.759
 in the faithfulness of God

00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:50.320
 that caused David

00:23:50.320 --> 00:23:52.039
 to go up against Goliath

00:23:52.039 --> 00:23:52.880
 even though Goliath

00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:54.060
 was much bigger,

00:23:54.259 --> 00:23:54.940
 much scarier,

00:23:55.080 --> 00:23:56.240
 much more experienced

00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:57.120
 soldier than him.

00:23:58.140 --> 00:23:59.200
 But his genuine faith

00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:00.340
 in the faithfulness of God

00:24:00.340 --> 00:24:02.019
 caused him to actually act.

00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:04.380
 Or think of Daniel

00:24:04.380 --> 00:24:05.080
 and his friends

00:24:05.080 --> 00:24:06.060
 in Babylon,

00:24:06.700 --> 00:24:07.580
 how they refused

00:24:07.580 --> 00:24:08.900
 to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar

00:24:08.900 --> 00:24:10.019
 knowing that that meant

00:24:10.019 --> 00:24:10.940
 the lion's den

00:24:10.940 --> 00:24:11.920
 or the furnace

00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:13.840
 or some other certain death

00:24:13.839 --> 00:24:15.299
 and yet their trust

00:24:15.299 --> 00:24:16.859
 in the trustworthiness of God

00:24:16.859 --> 00:24:19.459
 led them to actually say no.

00:24:21.059 --> 00:24:23.659
 Friends, think of Hosea,

00:24:24.500 --> 00:24:26.059
 this man whose wife

00:24:26.059 --> 00:24:27.919
 probably left him

00:24:27.919 --> 00:24:29.159
 to go sell herself

00:24:29.159 --> 00:24:30.279
 into prostitution.

00:24:31.059 --> 00:24:31.659
 God says,

00:24:31.859 --> 00:24:32.980
 go and bring her back

00:24:32.980 --> 00:24:34.279
 and marry her again

00:24:34.279 --> 00:24:35.199
 a second time.

00:24:35.919 --> 00:24:36.740
 And Hosea says,

00:24:36.879 --> 00:24:37.639
 you are God

00:24:37.639 --> 00:24:38.279
 and you are good.

00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:39.059
 I trust you.

00:24:39.179 --> 00:24:40.079
 Okay, I'll do it.

00:24:41.139 --> 00:24:41.879
 Or think of Esther

00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:43.320
 who takes her life

00:24:43.320 --> 00:24:43.920
 into the hands

00:24:43.920 --> 00:24:45.180
 and goes into the king's palace

00:24:45.180 --> 00:24:46.060
 and challenges him

00:24:46.060 --> 00:24:47.780
 to revoke an edict,

00:24:48.180 --> 00:24:49.240
 bring shame on himself

00:24:49.240 --> 00:24:51.080
 against God's people.

00:24:51.600 --> 00:24:52.400
 But she goes

00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:53.680
 because God asks him to.

00:24:54.700 --> 00:24:55.580
 Or think of Gideon

00:24:55.580 --> 00:24:56.580
 who goes against

00:24:56.580 --> 00:24:57.220
 the Midianites

00:24:57.220 --> 00:24:58.220
 even though he's outnumbered

00:24:58.220 --> 00:24:59.500
 500 to 1.

00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:01.440
 It's his genuine trust

00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:02.900
 in the trustworthiness of God.

00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:05.240
 And the writer of Hebrews

00:25:05.240 --> 00:25:07.960
 says that this is

00:25:07.960 --> 00:25:09.000
 what faith looks like.

00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:10.580
 Friends, this is James' point.

00:25:10.579 --> 00:25:11.939
 As you look at the panorama

00:25:11.939 --> 00:25:12.639
 of scripture,

00:25:13.240 --> 00:25:13.899
 genuine faith

00:25:13.899 --> 00:25:14.779
 is not just saying,

00:25:14.919 --> 00:25:16.220
 God, I believe you to be true,

00:25:16.299 --> 00:25:17.639
 but I believe you to be trustworthy.

00:25:18.439 --> 00:25:19.359
 And I'll put my life

00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:20.139
 in your hands.

00:25:21.579 --> 00:25:22.599
 Faith is tangible.

00:25:22.819 --> 00:25:23.539
 It's real.

00:25:23.980 --> 00:25:25.240
 It leads to real action.

00:25:26.139 --> 00:25:27.119
 And so James asks us

00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:27.980
 the question again,

00:25:28.619 --> 00:25:29.439
 is our faith,

00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:30.659
 is my faith genuine

00:25:30.659 --> 00:25:31.839
 or is it fantasy?

00:25:32.639 --> 00:25:34.000
 Is it intellectual belief

00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:34.819
 about something?

00:25:35.240 --> 00:25:37.480
 Or is it heartfelt faith

00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:38.759
 and trust in someone?

00:25:39.500 --> 00:25:40.640
 Someone that's proved

00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:41.720
 himself to be good.

00:25:44.299 --> 00:25:46.880
 Look at the final picture

00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:48.339
 that James paints for us.

00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:49.299
 Verse 24.

00:25:49.980 --> 00:25:50.400
 He says,

00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:52.720
 you see that a person

00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:53.460
 is justified,

00:25:53.640 --> 00:25:54.620
 that means a person's faith

00:25:54.620 --> 00:25:55.980
 is proven to be true,

00:25:56.320 --> 00:25:56.980
 shown to be true,

00:25:57.300 --> 00:25:58.100
 by works

00:25:58.100 --> 00:25:58.820
 and not simply

00:25:58.820 --> 00:26:00.180
 by faith alone.

00:26:00.900 --> 00:26:01.600
 In the same way,

00:26:01.660 --> 00:26:02.740
 was it not also Rahab,

00:26:02.800 --> 00:26:03.519
 the prostitute,

00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:04.740
 justified by works

00:26:04.740 --> 00:26:05.440
 when she received

00:26:05.440 --> 00:26:06.100
 the messengers

00:26:06.100 --> 00:26:07.019
 or spies

00:26:07.019 --> 00:26:08.560
 and sent them out

00:26:08.560 --> 00:26:09.120
 another way?

00:26:09.360 --> 00:26:10.060
 For as the body

00:26:10.060 --> 00:26:11.019
 apart from the spirit

00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:11.380
 is dead,

00:26:11.500 --> 00:26:12.320
 so also faith

00:26:12.320 --> 00:26:13.240
 apart from works

00:26:13.240 --> 00:26:13.600
 is dead.

00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:15.360
 Again, James here assumes

00:26:15.360 --> 00:26:15.800
 that we know

00:26:15.800 --> 00:26:16.740
 our Old Testaments.

00:26:16.860 --> 00:26:17.700
 And so the story here

00:26:17.700 --> 00:26:18.980
 is the nation of Israel,

00:26:19.120 --> 00:26:19.940
 they come out of Egypt,

00:26:19.940 --> 00:26:21.320
 they wander in the wilderness

00:26:21.320 --> 00:26:22.480
 for 40 years.

00:26:22.900 --> 00:26:23.779
 They actually wander there

00:26:23.779 --> 00:26:24.559
 because they don't

00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:25.660
 have great faith in God.

00:26:25.779 --> 00:26:26.759
 God asked them previously

00:26:26.759 --> 00:26:27.559
 to trust Him

00:26:27.559 --> 00:26:28.200
 and they're like,

00:26:28.279 --> 00:26:29.259
 no, we're not going

00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:29.759
 to trust you.

00:26:30.100 --> 00:26:31.680
 They stay 40 years wandering.

00:26:32.279 --> 00:26:32.720
 Eventually,

00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:33.880
 after 40 years,

00:26:33.940 --> 00:26:34.240
 God says,

00:26:34.340 --> 00:26:35.220
 okay, it's time to go

00:26:35.220 --> 00:26:36.160
 into the promised land.

00:26:36.600 --> 00:26:37.460
 They cross over

00:26:37.460 --> 00:26:38.200
 the river Jordan

00:26:38.200 --> 00:26:39.059
 and they're going to

00:26:39.059 --> 00:26:40.380
 occupy the promised land.

00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:41.940
 But in order to do that,

00:26:42.019 --> 00:26:43.059
 they need to conquer

00:26:43.059 --> 00:26:44.000
 one or two towns

00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:44.460
 and cities

00:26:44.460 --> 00:26:45.180
 that are in their way.

00:26:45.779 --> 00:26:46.600
 The first city

00:26:46.600 --> 00:26:47.340
 that they come to

00:26:47.340 --> 00:26:48.519
 is a city called Jericho.

00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:50.019
 And so Joshua,

00:26:50.139 --> 00:26:50.639
 the leader,

00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:52.819
 sends two spies

00:26:52.819 --> 00:26:53.740
 into the city

00:26:53.740 --> 00:26:55.480
 to go and suss it out,

00:26:55.579 --> 00:26:56.839
 do some reconnaissance work.

00:26:57.539 --> 00:26:58.519
 But they obviously

00:26:58.519 --> 00:26:59.400
 can't go and say,

00:26:59.619 --> 00:27:00.339
 hey, we're spies.

00:27:00.819 --> 00:27:01.799
 So they go in

00:27:01.799 --> 00:27:02.900
 and the chances are

00:27:02.900 --> 00:27:04.039
 they go in as kind of

00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:05.519
 merchant traders, right?

00:27:06.220 --> 00:27:07.819
 And they do

00:27:07.819 --> 00:27:10.039
 what most merchant traders do

00:27:10.039 --> 00:27:11.200
 as they pass through the city.

00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:12.579
 They go to the house

00:27:12.579 --> 00:27:13.940
 of a local prostitute

00:27:13.940 --> 00:27:14.639
 called Rahab

00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:15.560
 and they stay with her

00:27:15.560 --> 00:27:18.259
 to not be seen

00:27:18.259 --> 00:27:19.120
 for who they are.

00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:21.780
 But Rahab is heard.

00:27:22.280 --> 00:27:24.040
 So Jericho are not Israelites.

00:27:24.259 --> 00:27:24.800
 They're not Jews.

00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:25.640
 They don't know God.

00:27:26.060 --> 00:27:27.440
 But Rahab is heard

00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:28.580
 about the God of Israel.

00:27:29.400 --> 00:27:30.380
 She's not an Israelite,

00:27:30.480 --> 00:27:31.220
 but she's heard

00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:32.220
 that God is powerful

00:27:32.220 --> 00:27:32.920
 and strong

00:27:32.920 --> 00:27:33.960
 and she's heard

00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:34.580
 that this God

00:27:34.580 --> 00:27:35.120
 is faithful

00:27:35.120 --> 00:27:35.940
 to his promises

00:27:35.940 --> 00:27:36.700
 that he makes.

00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:38.900
 And so she picks up

00:27:38.900 --> 00:27:40.220
 when that the Israelites

00:27:40.220 --> 00:27:41.640
 are coming to attack us

00:27:41.640 --> 00:27:42.880
 and these spies

00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:44.380
 are coming to suss things out.

00:27:45.220 --> 00:27:46.440
 And now she's got a decision.

00:27:47.120 --> 00:27:48.360
 Who will I trust?

00:27:49.020 --> 00:27:51.759
 Will I trust my fellow citizens,

00:27:51.940 --> 00:27:52.880
 the Jerichoites

00:27:52.880 --> 00:27:54.280
 or people of Jericho

00:27:54.280 --> 00:27:56.460
 and fight against God

00:27:56.460 --> 00:27:58.200
 or will I trust

00:27:58.200 --> 00:27:59.320
 the God of Israel

00:27:59.320 --> 00:28:00.720
 and side with him?

00:28:00.800 --> 00:28:02.120
 Whose side am I going to take?

00:28:03.400 --> 00:28:04.320
 Well, while she's

00:28:04.320 --> 00:28:05.500
 deliberating about this,

00:28:05.900 --> 00:28:06.520
 word gets out

00:28:06.520 --> 00:28:07.060
 that there are two

00:28:07.060 --> 00:28:08.020
 suspicious people

00:28:08.020 --> 00:28:09.200
 walking the streets

00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:09.640
 of Jericho

00:28:09.640 --> 00:28:10.900
 and they stay at Rahab's house.

00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:11.960
 And so the city officials

00:28:11.960 --> 00:28:12.660
 come to her,

00:28:13.019 --> 00:28:13.600
 knock on her door

00:28:13.600 --> 00:28:13.960
 and say,

00:28:14.440 --> 00:28:15.440
 hey, who are the two guys

00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:17.060
 that you are sheltering

00:28:17.060 --> 00:28:17.780
 in your house

00:28:17.780 --> 00:28:19.040
 and bring them out?

00:28:19.560 --> 00:28:20.880
 And suddenly she's got to decide,

00:28:20.980 --> 00:28:21.900
 who am I going to trust?

00:28:22.340 --> 00:28:22.880
 Am I going to trust

00:28:22.880 --> 00:28:23.780
 the God of the Israelites

00:28:23.780 --> 00:28:24.880
 that he's going to save

00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:26.000
 his people

00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:28.280
 or will I trust my people?

00:28:28.980 --> 00:28:30.080
 And she comes to the conclusion

00:28:30.080 --> 00:28:31.500
 that God is trustworthy,

00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:33.140
 he's with his people

00:28:33.140 --> 00:28:34.420
 and that no one

00:28:34.420 --> 00:28:35.440
 who trusts him

00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:36.259
 is in danger

00:28:36.259 --> 00:28:37.280
 and no one

00:28:37.280 --> 00:28:38.460
 who stands against him

00:28:38.460 --> 00:28:39.120
 is safe.

00:28:40.119 --> 00:28:41.259
 And so she makes a decision

00:28:41.259 --> 00:28:42.539
 and this is what she says.

00:28:42.599 --> 00:28:42.899
 She says,

00:28:42.979 --> 00:28:44.219
 I know that the Lord

00:28:44.219 --> 00:28:46.179
 has given you our land.

00:28:46.679 --> 00:28:47.359
 For we have heard

00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:48.679
 how the Lord your God

00:28:48.679 --> 00:28:49.539
 dried up the water

00:28:49.539 --> 00:28:50.199
 of the Red Sea

00:28:50.199 --> 00:28:51.479
 before you came out of Egypt

00:28:51.479 --> 00:28:52.679
 and what you did

00:28:52.679 --> 00:28:53.959
 to the kings of the Amorites

00:28:53.959 --> 00:28:54.859
 who were beyond the Jordan.

00:28:55.479 --> 00:28:56.699
 For the Lord your God,

00:28:56.939 --> 00:28:58.079
 he is God

00:28:58.079 --> 00:28:59.079
 in the heavens above

00:28:59.079 --> 00:29:00.179
 and on earth below.

00:29:00.859 --> 00:29:01.199
 She's saying,

00:29:01.239 --> 00:29:01.859
 I've come to believe

00:29:01.859 --> 00:29:03.219
 he's the real God.

00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:05.500
 So more than just believing it,

00:29:05.739 --> 00:29:06.719
 she acts in it.

00:29:07.539 --> 00:29:08.700
 And so she says

00:29:08.700 --> 00:29:09.420
 to these two spies,

00:29:09.539 --> 00:29:09.779
 okay listen,

00:29:09.860 --> 00:29:10.980
 you go hide on the roof

00:29:10.980 --> 00:29:12.480
 and she tells the soldiers,

00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:13.140
 oh,

00:29:13.319 --> 00:29:14.660
 I think they went that way.

00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:15.779
 Created our version

00:29:15.779 --> 00:29:17.079
 and she saves

00:29:17.079 --> 00:29:18.120
 these two spies

00:29:18.120 --> 00:29:20.019
 and lets them live.

00:29:21.900 --> 00:29:22.539
 He may have

00:29:22.539 --> 00:29:24.180
 this Gentile prostitute,

00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:25.600
 this person

00:29:25.600 --> 00:29:26.920
 who in every respect

00:29:26.920 --> 00:29:27.600
 was outside

00:29:27.600 --> 00:29:28.700
 of the covenant people of God.

00:29:28.799 --> 00:29:29.660
 She's not an Israelite,

00:29:29.960 --> 00:29:30.759
 she's not a believer,

00:29:31.500 --> 00:29:33.180
 she's not rich,

00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:34.079
 she's not famous,

00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:34.920
 she's not esteemed,

00:29:34.920 --> 00:29:36.180
 she's the very opposite

00:29:36.180 --> 00:29:36.680
 of Abraham.

00:29:37.120 --> 00:29:37.920
 Abraham is wealthy,

00:29:38.039 --> 00:29:38.600
 she's poor,

00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:39.600
 Abraham's a man,

00:29:39.660 --> 00:29:40.140
 she's a woman

00:29:40.140 --> 00:29:40.840
 in that culture,

00:29:40.920 --> 00:29:41.600
 not a good thing.

00:29:42.220 --> 00:29:43.279
 Abraham is respected,

00:29:43.580 --> 00:29:44.779
 she's a sex worker,

00:29:45.539 --> 00:29:46.220
 Abraham's a Jew,

00:29:46.320 --> 00:29:47.420
 she's a Gentile,

00:29:47.720 --> 00:29:48.700
 in every way the opposite.

00:29:49.720 --> 00:29:50.800
 And yet both of them

00:29:50.800 --> 00:29:52.860
 have one thing in common,

00:29:53.900 --> 00:29:54.740
 they trust

00:29:54.740 --> 00:29:55.940
 in the God

00:29:55.940 --> 00:29:57.000
 of Israel.

00:29:58.200 --> 00:29:59.320
 And so here she is,

00:29:59.820 --> 00:30:01.279
 her faith in the living God

00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:02.480
 was not simply believing

00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:03.740
 propositional truths,

00:30:04.299 --> 00:30:05.279
 her faith caused her

00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:05.980
 to make bold

00:30:05.980 --> 00:30:07.299
 and risky decisions,

00:30:07.640 --> 00:30:08.559
 not just because

00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:09.640
 of what she believed

00:30:09.640 --> 00:30:10.799
 but who she had come

00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:11.480
 to believe in.

00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:13.620
 And so James' question,

00:30:13.720 --> 00:30:14.279
 verse 14,

00:30:14.360 --> 00:30:15.339
 does that kind of faith

00:30:15.339 --> 00:30:15.920
 save you?

00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:17.960
 Absolutely it does.

00:30:19.660 --> 00:30:19.900
 Friends,

00:30:19.940 --> 00:30:20.640
 James is telling us

00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:21.440
 that genuine faith

00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:22.400
 is not so much about

00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:23.559
 what you know

00:30:23.559 --> 00:30:24.599
 but who you trust.

00:30:25.380 --> 00:30:26.539
 And trust by its very nature

00:30:26.539 --> 00:30:27.759
 means you put your hands

00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:29.099
 in the life of somebody else

00:30:29.099 --> 00:30:30.559
 at their mercy.

00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:33.200
 So as we come to a close,

00:30:33.319 --> 00:30:34.579
 where do we find ourselves?

00:30:34.819 --> 00:30:35.679
 Well, the question is

00:30:35.679 --> 00:30:36.839
 where do we find this faith?

00:30:38.579 --> 00:30:39.859
 Every passage of Scripture

00:30:39.859 --> 00:30:40.480
 in the Bible

00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:42.480
 has got a purpose behind it.

00:30:42.919 --> 00:30:43.419
 The authors,

00:30:43.539 --> 00:30:44.240
 in this case James,

00:30:44.319 --> 00:30:45.059
 didn't just write

00:30:45.059 --> 00:30:45.659
 to tell us,

00:30:45.779 --> 00:30:46.019
 you know,

00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:47.319
 some poetry or something.

00:30:47.720 --> 00:30:48.559
 They've got a purpose.

00:30:48.679 --> 00:30:49.859
 They want us to do something

00:30:49.859 --> 00:30:50.460
 with the passage.

00:30:50.599 --> 00:30:51.619
 They want us to respond.

00:30:52.659 --> 00:30:53.379
 How does James

00:30:53.379 --> 00:30:54.319
 want us to respond?

00:30:54.940 --> 00:30:56.059
 What is James' purpose

00:30:56.059 --> 00:30:57.200
 for writing this passage?

00:30:58.299 --> 00:30:58.740
 One of the things

00:30:58.740 --> 00:30:59.240
 that's interesting

00:30:59.240 --> 00:31:01.019
 is in nowhere in this passage

00:31:01.019 --> 00:31:02.480
 does James tell us

00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:03.380
 to do a single thing.

00:31:03.480 --> 00:31:04.259
 There's no action,

00:31:04.359 --> 00:31:04.940
 no imperative.

00:31:05.960 --> 00:31:07.140
 So what does he want us to do?

00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:09.039
 How does he want us to respond?

00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:11.180
 Well, let me tell you firstly

00:31:11.180 --> 00:31:12.279
 how not to respond.

00:31:12.819 --> 00:31:13.960
 The wrong way to respond

00:31:13.960 --> 00:31:14.500
 is to say,

00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:15.220
 okay,

00:31:15.660 --> 00:31:15.900
 well,

00:31:16.039 --> 00:31:16.799
 James tells you

00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:17.400
 that faith

00:31:17.400 --> 00:31:18.839
 without doing a lot of things

00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:19.440
 is useless,

00:31:20.079 --> 00:31:21.380
 so I guess I better get busy,

00:31:21.500 --> 00:31:21.740
 right?

00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:22.579
 Okay,

00:31:22.640 --> 00:31:23.960
 I'll join the multimedia team

00:31:23.960 --> 00:31:25.519
 and I'll join the kids ministry team

00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:27.960
 and I'll go in that social justice outreach.

00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:30.319
 James is not writing,

00:31:30.539 --> 00:31:30.779
 saying,

00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:31.779
 you lazy Christians,

00:31:31.879 --> 00:31:32.420
 get busier.

00:31:33.079 --> 00:31:33.339
 Okay?

00:31:34.200 --> 00:31:35.519
 That's not what he's wanting to do.

00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:37.559
 What he's wanting to do

00:31:37.559 --> 00:31:38.440
 is he's wanting to say,

00:31:38.799 --> 00:31:39.119
 stop

00:31:39.119 --> 00:31:41.460
 and examine your faith.

00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:44.400
 Does what you say you believe

00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:46.400
 correspond to reality?

00:31:46.400 --> 00:31:49.600
 Is what's true in your mind

00:31:49.600 --> 00:31:52.360
 played out in the reality of your life?

00:31:53.620 --> 00:31:54.540
 Do you really,

00:31:54.820 --> 00:31:55.080
 he says,

00:31:55.140 --> 00:31:56.460
 to what extent do you really believe?

00:31:57.320 --> 00:31:58.740
 James has been pushing us to see

00:31:58.740 --> 00:31:59.460
 that Christianity

00:31:59.460 --> 00:32:00.759
 is not about intellectually

00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:01.800
 believing something,

00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:03.320
 but coming to believe

00:32:03.320 --> 00:32:04.300
 and trust in someone.

00:32:05.620 --> 00:32:06.840
 In John chapter six,

00:32:06.940 --> 00:32:08.080
 some people come to Jesus

00:32:08.080 --> 00:32:08.720
 and they say,

00:32:08.920 --> 00:32:09.200
 Jesus,

00:32:09.380 --> 00:32:10.840
 what works must we do

00:32:10.840 --> 00:32:13.040
 to be doing the works of God?

00:32:13.560 --> 00:32:13.800
 God,

00:32:13.860 --> 00:32:14.880
 we want to get to eternal life,

00:32:14.920 --> 00:32:15.560
 we want to get to heaven,

00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:16.380
 what must we do?

00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:17.220
 Must we fast more?

00:32:17.320 --> 00:32:18.080
 Must we pray more?

00:32:18.440 --> 00:32:19.780
 Must we give money to the poor?

00:32:20.080 --> 00:32:20.840
 What must we do

00:32:20.840 --> 00:32:21.800
 to do the works of God?

00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:23.440
 And Jesus says,

00:32:23.640 --> 00:32:25.120
 this is the works of God,

00:32:25.640 --> 00:32:27.060
 to believe in him

00:32:27.060 --> 00:32:28.440
 whom God has sent.

00:32:30.140 --> 00:32:31.500
 You want to do the right thing?

00:32:32.060 --> 00:32:32.660
 Trust me.

00:32:33.560 --> 00:32:34.259
 Believe in me.

00:32:35.180 --> 00:32:36.300
 Look to me.

00:32:37.580 --> 00:32:37.980
 Friends,

00:32:38.040 --> 00:32:39.300
 where do we find this kind of faith,

00:32:39.380 --> 00:32:40.580
 this genuine faith

00:32:40.580 --> 00:32:42.460
 that so changes our lives

00:32:42.460 --> 00:32:43.519
 that we live and behave

00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:44.720
 and think and act differently?

00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:45.980
 The kind of faith

00:32:45.980 --> 00:32:48.100
 that causes us to obey

00:32:48.100 --> 00:32:49.180
 even when it's hard.

00:32:50.539 --> 00:32:52.519
 Don't look inwardly to yourself.

00:32:53.299 --> 00:32:55.100
 Look outwardly to Jesus.

00:32:56.019 --> 00:32:57.720
 Let your mind be captured

00:32:57.720 --> 00:32:59.000
 by the trustworthiness

00:32:59.000 --> 00:33:00.660
 and the faithfulness of Jesus.

00:33:01.539 --> 00:33:02.620
 Do you remember what Rahab says?

00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:03.339
 He says,

00:33:03.400 --> 00:33:04.680
 we've heard the stories

00:33:04.680 --> 00:33:05.960
 that God has been faithful

00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:06.600
 to his people

00:33:06.600 --> 00:33:08.400
 time and time and time again.

00:33:09.319 --> 00:33:09.680
 Friends,

00:33:10.299 --> 00:33:11.180
 hear the stories

00:33:11.180 --> 00:33:12.360
 of where God has been faithful

00:33:12.359 --> 00:33:13.339
 to us.

00:33:14.199 --> 00:33:14.919
 And where is God

00:33:14.919 --> 00:33:15.939
 most faithful to us?

00:33:16.979 --> 00:33:18.299
 Jesus died on the cross.

00:33:19.240 --> 00:33:20.279
 And so don't look inwardly

00:33:20.279 --> 00:33:20.500
 and say,

00:33:20.599 --> 00:33:21.399
 I've got to do more.

00:33:21.500 --> 00:33:22.240
 I've got to be more.

00:33:22.339 --> 00:33:23.259
 I've got to try harder.

00:33:23.419 --> 00:33:24.279
 Don't look at yourself.

00:33:24.859 --> 00:33:25.179
 No, friends,

00:33:25.240 --> 00:33:26.259
 forget about yourself

00:33:26.259 --> 00:33:28.599
 and look to the crucified Christ.

00:33:29.459 --> 00:33:30.319
 That's how you know

00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:31.279
 that Jesus is faithful.

00:33:32.199 --> 00:33:32.899
 And so what battle

00:33:32.899 --> 00:33:33.919
 are you facing this week?

00:33:34.579 --> 00:33:35.319
 What trial

00:33:35.319 --> 00:33:36.299
 are you facing this week?

00:33:36.959 --> 00:33:38.359
 What thing at the moment

00:33:38.359 --> 00:33:39.579
 are you wrestling with God

00:33:39.579 --> 00:33:39.839
 and say,

00:33:39.919 --> 00:33:40.139
 God,

00:33:40.199 --> 00:33:40.819
 I don't know

00:33:40.819 --> 00:33:42.000
 whether I can trust you or not.

00:33:42.220 --> 00:33:43.980
 If I step out on the water,

00:33:44.079 --> 00:33:45.439
 will you be there for me?

00:33:46.159 --> 00:33:46.460
 Friends,

00:33:46.500 --> 00:33:47.539
 the cross proves

00:33:47.539 --> 00:33:48.819
 he won't let you down.

00:33:51.039 --> 00:33:52.159
 Robert Murray McShane,

00:33:52.460 --> 00:33:53.460
 one of my favorite quotes.

00:33:54.220 --> 00:33:54.859
 For every one,

00:33:54.939 --> 00:33:55.539
 look at yourself.

00:33:55.740 --> 00:33:56.720
 Take 10 looks

00:33:56.720 --> 00:33:57.679
 at Jesus Christ.

00:33:58.299 --> 00:33:59.419
 He is altogether lovely.

00:34:00.119 --> 00:34:01.379
 Such infinite majesty

00:34:01.379 --> 00:34:02.539
 and yet such meekness

00:34:02.539 --> 00:34:03.059
 and grace

00:34:03.059 --> 00:34:04.019
 and all for sinners,

00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:05.399
 even the chief of sinners

00:34:05.399 --> 00:34:05.899
 like me.

00:34:06.759 --> 00:34:07.419
 Live much

00:34:07.419 --> 00:34:08.500
 in the smiles of God.

00:34:08.500 --> 00:34:09.780
 Bask in his beams.

00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:11.840
 Feel his all-seeing eye

00:34:11.840 --> 00:34:13.340
 settle on you in love

00:34:13.340 --> 00:34:15.719
 and rest in his almighty arms.

00:34:16.599 --> 00:34:16.880
 Friends,

00:34:16.940 --> 00:34:17.400
 the amazing thing

00:34:17.400 --> 00:34:18.179
 about Jesus Christ

00:34:18.179 --> 00:34:18.800
 is it doesn't matter

00:34:18.800 --> 00:34:19.539
 who you are

00:34:19.539 --> 00:34:20.659
 or what you've done.

00:34:20.840 --> 00:34:21.179
 It doesn't mean

00:34:21.179 --> 00:34:21.820
 your background,

00:34:22.420 --> 00:34:23.519
 your socioeconomic status.

00:34:24.119 --> 00:34:24.820
 It doesn't matter

00:34:24.820 --> 00:34:25.659
 if you're the world's

00:34:25.659 --> 00:34:26.380
 worst criminal

00:34:26.380 --> 00:34:27.360
 or the world's

00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:28.400
 greatest philanthropist.

00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:30.300
 If you will simply

00:34:30.300 --> 00:34:31.300
 come to Jesus

00:34:31.300 --> 00:34:33.300
 and take a small step

00:34:33.300 --> 00:34:33.579
 and say,

00:34:33.639 --> 00:34:33.840
 God,

00:34:33.920 --> 00:34:35.559
 I want to trust you,

00:34:36.500 --> 00:34:37.159
 he'll draw near.

00:34:37.159 --> 00:34:38.960
 He'll save you.

00:34:39.779 --> 00:34:40.839
 He'll rescue you.

00:34:41.379 --> 00:34:42.279
 He'll prove himself

00:34:42.279 --> 00:34:43.139
 faithful to you.

00:34:44.079 --> 00:34:44.799
 In his mercy

00:34:44.799 --> 00:34:45.559
 and in his grace,

00:34:45.659 --> 00:34:46.339
 he will come

00:34:46.339 --> 00:34:47.379
 and meet with you.

00:34:48.440 --> 00:34:49.199
 And so what about you?

00:34:49.839 --> 00:34:50.079
 Friends,

00:34:50.119 --> 00:34:51.079
 some of us have been religious

00:34:51.079 --> 00:34:52.039
 for many, many years.

00:34:52.119 --> 00:34:52.980
 You've done the church thing.

00:34:53.059 --> 00:34:53.719
 You've done the retreat.

00:34:53.899 --> 00:34:55.039
 You've done the CG thing.

00:34:56.420 --> 00:34:57.299
 But maybe you're not

00:34:57.299 --> 00:34:58.059
 genuinely a Christian.

00:34:58.259 --> 00:34:58.759
 Maybe you're not

00:34:58.759 --> 00:34:59.759
 genuinely saved.

00:35:01.699 --> 00:35:02.639
 Do you know him?

00:35:03.460 --> 00:35:04.359
 Do you love him?

00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:06.680
 Do you trust him?

00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:08.900
 Maybe you believe

00:35:08.900 --> 00:35:09.640
 the facts about him.

00:35:09.700 --> 00:35:10.200
 You do well,

00:35:10.280 --> 00:35:11.420
 but even demons know that.

00:35:12.340 --> 00:35:13.260
 Come and trust him.

00:35:13.880 --> 00:35:14.099
 Friends,

00:35:14.160 --> 00:35:14.840
 maybe you genuinely

00:35:14.840 --> 00:35:15.500
 are a Christian,

00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:16.099
 but your faith

00:35:16.099 --> 00:35:17.039
 has become cerebral

00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:17.660
 and intellectual.

00:35:17.820 --> 00:35:18.519
 It's become dry

00:35:18.519 --> 00:35:19.059
 and academic.

00:35:19.840 --> 00:35:20.780
 You go through the motions.

00:35:20.920 --> 00:35:21.740
 Why don't you this morning

00:35:21.740 --> 00:35:22.780
 come and get on your knees

00:35:22.780 --> 00:35:23.099
 and say,

00:35:23.160 --> 00:35:23.380
 God,

00:35:23.420 --> 00:35:24.460
 I want to know you.

00:35:25.079 --> 00:35:26.420
 I want to trust you again.

00:35:27.099 --> 00:35:28.240
 I want you to have your way

00:35:28.240 --> 00:35:28.840
 in my life.

00:35:29.720 --> 00:35:29.980
 Jesus,

00:35:30.120 --> 00:35:30.920
 come and have your way.

00:35:30.920 --> 00:35:34.119
 Let me pray for us

00:35:34.119 --> 00:35:35.240
 as we come to close.

00:35:37.039 --> 00:35:37.740
 Lord Jesus,

00:35:38.099 --> 00:35:39.180
 thank you so much

00:35:39.180 --> 00:35:40.039
 for your amazing grace.

00:35:40.119 --> 00:35:40.240
 God,

00:35:40.300 --> 00:35:42.260
 thank you for who you are

00:35:42.260 --> 00:35:43.320
 again and again

00:35:43.320 --> 00:35:43.960
 throughout scripture.

00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:44.200
 God,

00:35:44.280 --> 00:35:45.780
 every page of the Bible

00:35:45.780 --> 00:35:47.460
 echoes the fact

00:35:47.460 --> 00:35:48.860
 that you are God,

00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:50.320
 but you're also good.

00:35:50.820 --> 00:35:51.820
 You are true

00:35:51.820 --> 00:35:53.079
 and you are trustworthy.

00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:55.039
 You are a father

00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:56.000
 who loves us

00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:57.480
 and you are faithful

00:35:57.480 --> 00:35:58.280
 and we can bank

00:35:58.280 --> 00:35:59.019
 our lives in you.

00:35:59.019 --> 00:36:00.420
 God,

00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:01.039
 it's very easy

00:36:01.039 --> 00:36:01.780
 to come to church

00:36:01.780 --> 00:36:02.340
 and to sing

00:36:02.340 --> 00:36:03.619
 the wonderful songs

00:36:03.619 --> 00:36:04.699
 we sang this morning,

00:36:06.259 --> 00:36:06.739
 but God,

00:36:06.840 --> 00:36:07.320
 to actually,

00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:08.059
 for that to be

00:36:08.059 --> 00:36:09.039
 the reality of our hearts

00:36:09.039 --> 00:36:10.099
 is sometimes hard.

00:36:10.159 --> 00:36:10.619
 I pray,

00:36:10.739 --> 00:36:10.940
 God,

00:36:11.639 --> 00:36:12.440
 won't you open

00:36:12.440 --> 00:36:13.420
 the eyes of our hearts,

00:36:13.539 --> 00:36:13.679
 Lord?

00:36:14.519 --> 00:36:14.759
 God,

00:36:14.820 --> 00:36:15.179
 even now,

00:36:15.259 --> 00:36:16.440
 open the eyes of our hearts

00:36:16.440 --> 00:36:17.460
 to see you

00:36:17.460 --> 00:36:19.400
 that we can trust you.

00:36:20.460 --> 00:36:21.599
 Help us to see you,

00:36:21.699 --> 00:36:21.940
 Jesus,

00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:22.900
 how good

00:36:22.900 --> 00:36:24.019
 and trustworthy you are.

00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:25.840
 Help us to see

00:36:25.840 --> 00:36:26.539
 that Jesus,

00:36:26.679 --> 00:36:27.340
 you went to the cross

00:36:27.340 --> 00:36:27.820
 for us

00:36:27.820 --> 00:36:33.160
 God,

00:36:33.220 --> 00:36:33.960
 come and have your way,

00:36:34.019 --> 00:36:34.320
 I pray.

00:36:37.960 --> 00:36:38.360
 God,

00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:39.120
 both individually

00:36:39.120 --> 00:36:40.340
 and as a church body,

00:36:40.420 --> 00:36:41.059
 as a community,

00:36:42.820 --> 00:36:43.500
 I want you to help us

00:36:43.500 --> 00:36:44.080
 to be those

00:36:44.080 --> 00:36:45.320
 that love you,

00:36:46.140 --> 00:36:46.760
 trust you

00:36:46.760 --> 00:36:47.900
 and obey you.

00:36:52.220 --> 00:36:52.660
 Father,

00:36:52.700 --> 00:36:53.740
 I pray for the wrestle

00:36:53.740 --> 00:36:54.640
 that's in our hearts

00:36:54.640 --> 00:36:55.740
 this day,

00:36:55.880 --> 00:36:56.480
 this week,

00:36:56.480 --> 00:36:58.780
 God,

00:36:58.840 --> 00:36:59.240
 where we've got

00:36:59.240 --> 00:37:00.320
 some decisions to make,

00:37:00.420 --> 00:37:01.440
 which way will we go?

00:37:02.920 --> 00:37:04.079
 Help us to trust you,

00:37:04.159 --> 00:37:04.360
 God.

00:37:18.079 --> 00:37:18.480
 Father,

00:37:18.579 --> 00:37:19.559
 forgive us for our

00:37:19.559 --> 00:37:22.420
 eager faith.

00:37:22.420 --> 00:37:25.460
 forgive us,

00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:25.780
 God.

00:37:26.539 --> 00:37:27.480
 But then help us

00:37:27.480 --> 00:37:27.880
 to grow.

00:37:28.860 --> 00:37:29.440
 Help us to become

00:37:29.440 --> 00:37:30.059
 more like you.

00:37:33.820 --> 00:37:34.619
 Pray this in your

00:37:34.619 --> 00:37:35.880
 great and wonderful name.

00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:38.139
 Amen.

00:37:38.139 --> 00:37:38.320
 Amen.

00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:38.480
 Amen.

00:37:38.480 --> 00:38:08.460
 Thank you.