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Well, good evening everyone. Welcome to Mountain Baptist Church. Take your songbooks and turn to song number 24. Song number 24 in your songbooks will sing, and can it be that I should gain? And if you would stand, we'll sing song number 24. And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood? And died He for me, who caused His pain, for me He who am to death pursued. Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me? He left His Father's throne above, so free, so infinite, His grace emptied Himself of all, but love and plan for Adam's helpless race. His mercy all immense and free, for, oh, my God, it found out me. Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound and sent at nature's night. Thine I defuse a quickening rain. I woke the dungeon flame with light. My chains fell off, my heart was free. Wrote, went forth and followed Thee. Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, again, we just want to thank you, God, for just another day to come to church and to hear your word preached. I pray, Lord, now that you would just bless in everything that we say and do, help it to be for your honor and glory, for it's in Jesus' name we ask all of it, amen. You may be seated and turn in your songbooks to song number 45. Song number 45 in your songbooks, we'll sing When I Read My Title Clear. Song number 45. When I can read my title clear To mansions in the sky I'll bid farewell to every fear And wipe my weeping eyes And wipe my weeping eyes And wipe my weeping eyes I'll bid farewell to every fear And wipe my weeping eyes Should earth against my soul engage And fiery darts be hurled Then I can smile at Satan's rage And face a frowning world And face a frowning world And face a frowning world Then I can smile at Satan's rage And face a frowning world Let cares like a wild dulich come And storms of sorrow fall May I but safely reach my home My God, my heaven, my all My God, my heaven, my all My God, my heaven, my all May I but safely reach my home My God, my heaven, my all There shall I bathe my weary soul And seize up heavenly rest And not a wave of trouble roll Across my peaceful breast Across my peaceful breast Across my peaceful breast And not a wave of trouble roll Across my peaceful breast Amen. So welcome to Mount Baptist Church on this Wednesday evening. And just some announcements here before we get started or as we get started. As far as the service time they're concerned, everything should be normal this week. We have soul-winning times and I think Brother Rich is leaving tomorrow evening, right? So tomorrow there'll be a soul-winning time there and then just be on the WhatsApp there when it comes to the soul-winning times for the regional soul-winning times. And he also gives announcements too. So and then upcoming events here, we do have the men's prayer meeting coming up this Friday and then we have the Lord's Supper this Sunday. So after the afternoon service we'll have the Lord's Supper and if you never, I think most everybody here has been here for the Lord's Supper but yeah, we'll do it after the service so if you can't stay obviously you can go but Lord willing everybody can stay for it and remember the Lord's death till he comes. And then we have the women's prayer meeting the next Saturday and so be in your places there if you can. Chapter memory, we have 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 so we're coming to the end of the month here and we'll have one more chapter in 1 Thessalonians for our Bible, our chapter memory and then Ephesians 6, 4 is our memory verse for the week and everybody keep up that good work with the reading the New Testament this month, go back to mama, go be free. So we're going to have probably, I did say be free I guess, so we're going to have prizes for if you get through the New Testament this month and so we're not going to be super sticklers if you have to take an extra day in February or anything like that but obviously if you're like it's March and I finally got through it that's going a little too far there. So once you've gone past two months it's no longer in that month span so but just keep up the good work with that and then if you're on any other reading schedule getting through the Bible in a year or maybe twice in a year or whatever you're doing just keep up the good work with the reading and then on the pregnancy list there, we have my wife on there so do it any moment but just be in prayer for her and for us and that everything works out there as far as getting to the hospital and everything and then the spinas, I guess you didn't ask me to put it on the list but I'm going to go ahead but I figured since everybody knows right so we'll be putting that on the list there but another lady on the list there so Amanda will be on the list so be in prayer for her but be in prayer for Tiara Alesco as well so it's about that time you know where that list starts getting filled up again so but just be in prayer there for all these ladies and just be in prayer because I know with that first trimester there's a lot of sicknesses and stuff dealing with that and so be in prayer obviously have understanding in that area but all I got for announcements we have the offering box in the back there if you want to give any tithes or offerings the mother baby rooms for the mothers and babies only and brother Dave who's reading this morning or this evening brother Wade so brother Wade's gonna be reading James chapter 4 after brother Dave sings one more song all right take your songbooks and turn to song number 55 song number 55 in your songbooks will sing when the roll is called up yonder song number 55 when the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more and the morning breaks eternal bright and fair when the saved on earth shall gather over on the other shore and the roll is called up yonder I'll be there when the roll is called up yonder when the roll is called up yonder when the roll is called up yonder when the roll is called up yonder I'll be there on that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise and the glory of his resurrection share when his chosen one shall gather to their home beyond the skies and the roll is called up yonder I'll be there when the roll is called up yonder when the roll is called up yonder when the roll is called up yonder when the roll is called up yonder I'll be there let us labor for the master from the dawn till setting sun let us talk of all his wondrous love and care then when all of life is over and our work on earth is done and the roll is called up yonder I'll be there when the roll is called up yonder when the roll is called up yonder when the roll is called up yonder when the roll is called up yonder I'll be there all right take your Bibles and turn to James chapter number four the book of James chapter number four James chapter number four from whence come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lust that warned your members you lust and have not you kill and desire to have and cannot tame you fight and war you not have because you ask not you ask and receive not because you ask him miss they may consume it upon your lusts the adulterers and adulteresses know ye that the friendship of the world is enemy of the God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God do you think that the scriptures say the main the spirit that dwelleth in us lusted through envy but giveth he giveth much more grace wherefore he said God resisted the proud but giveth grace into the humble submit yourselves therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts ye double-minded be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to morning and your joy head to heaviness humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up speak not evil one of another brethren he that speak of evil of his brother and judge his brother speak of the evil of the law and judge the law but if thou judge the law there are no doer of the law but a judge there is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy who art thou that judges another go to now he say today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow for what is life it is even a vapor that appearth for a little time and then vanishes away for that you ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and to do this or that but now ye rejoice in your boastings all such rejoicing is evil therefore to him that know it's too good and do it the not to him it is sin let us pray dear Lord uh please be the pastor let's hear your words tonight and get something from the message and Jesus now I pray amen amen so you're there in James chapter 4 and we are continuing our study through the book of James and chapter 4 here has some interesting stuff in here and it seems like every chapter there's there's a verse or there's something that's maybe a little more difficult to understand and so on this I'm gonna be going verse by verse through here but some of these spots I may be sticking a little more on to try to explain but going into James chapter 4 we came out of James chapter 3 talking about the wisdom that comes from above and not the wisdom that's of the earth so we're seeing a contrast of wisdom and then coming into chapter 4 we're really getting into prayer and we're getting into the fact of asking for things but it's also showing us that it's not this blank check when it comes to asking for you know things in prayer that there's actually things that you're not gonna receive if you're not asking the way you should be but in verse 1 here it says from whence come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members ye lust and have not you kill and desire to have and cannot obtain you fight in war yet you have not because you ask not you ask and receive not because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts so the first thing that's kind of mentioned here is obviously there there's wars and fightings but it's basically coming from your members and it's talking about the flesh really is what we're talking about the lust of the flesh and it's not coming from what you know that that's that wisdom that's from above it's coming from that wisdom which is of the earth which is sensual devilish you know all that but it gets into this aspect of you have not because you ask not but then it qualifies that so one thing is that you're not asking for you can't expect to receive it okay and so and this goes for things that I believe are typical daily needs that's why it says give us this day our daily bread you know that model prayer and there's certain things that we should just be on a constant basis asking for so if we're not asking for it on a constant basis then if we don't receive it you have not because you ask not but then it goes on to say that in verse three you ask and receive not because you ask a miss okay so basically it's saying a miss would be like you're asking an error like there's there's an error in what you're asking and it's stating that that you may consume it upon your lusts so this is kind of a very you know hyperbolic way of looking at this but basically if I said I want to I Lord give me a Ferrari right I mean there's nothing about that that's like what would you say like that's the Lord's will you know like that's what God really wants me to receive and that it's gonna be using for the kingdom of God you know it's just straight up not that I want a Ferrari just so you know I'd rather have a diesel truck and it's probably cost just as much as a Ferrari nowadays but but either way you know if let's say I wanted like some like crazy like expensive truck or something like that the question is do I need it is it needful is it something that God really wants me to have and or I just want it because it's really cool and it's awesome and you know all that right and so that's the kind of idea there but you can apply that to anything when it comes to your prayers you know is it just so that you can have it and you want it or is it because you know what I need this to further the kingdom of God I need this to provide for my family you know it's a it's a you know something that is not just because you you you desire it and you lost after it or whatever we go to Matthew chapter 21 Matthew chapter 21 you know that the Bible says asking you shall receive but this passage is really good because it's not just here because I'm going to show you other places where it shows you when you're praying there's certain things that have to be accompanied with that right and so the idea of asking shall receive knock and it shall be open done to you right and people take that and just pull out of contact to be like I asked for it and I didn't receive it therefore God's not real you know it's just like you got to take the Bible as a whole because when it's talking about asking and receiving it says you ask and receive not because you ask a miss right so there are gonna be times you're gonna ask and not receive it because it's just based off it's not what God wants for you or it's something that you're just wanting to consume upon your lust and verse 22 here of Matthew 21 it says in all things whatsoever you ask in prayer believing you shall receive so even in this this verse here where it's talking about asking and receiving notice that having that faith when you're asking right it's not just that you ask but you actually believe that he's able to give it to you right you have faith that he's able to do it and go to first John chapter 3 first John chapter 3 first John chapter 3 and verse 21 because these are the each of these passages kind of give us some information about praying right one in James chapter 4 it says that well when we pray we can't be praying for things that we just want to consume upon with our lusts right it can't just be basically just some desire that you have and has nothing to do with you know actual needs it's just lustful desires right and then we see in Matthew 21 that we're dealing with well you got to have faith though when you're when you're asking for you can't just ask and not even believe that God's able to do it in chapter 3 of first John here in verse 21 it says beloved if our heart condemn us then have we confidence toward God and whatsoever we ask we receive of him because notice this because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in sight so here's how we have confidence that he's going to answer us is that we're actually keeping his commandments so there's another portion to prayer there is one you're not asking it to consume it upon your lusts to that you're asking in faith and then three here that you're keeping his commandments and that you have confidence to come to him in order to receive what you're asking for right go to chapter 5 so first John chapter 5 verse 14 and this could be this could be a whole sermon on prayer which obviously I'm not going to stick on this point here but but when you're praying you should be thinking about these elements okay and first John 5 14 it says and this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will he hearth us you see how it just narrows it down right and really James is kind of hitting on that because if you're if you're asking it to consume it upon your lust that's obviously not according to his will but in first John 5 here it's really narrowing it down it's not just that it's something that you're not consuming upon your lusts it's got to be something that he it's his will that you have it right and it says you know it says that if we ask anything according as well you hear it thus and we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him okay notice that confidence that gets into the idea of believing and having faith we have confidence we know that he hears us right it's that idea of knowing believing trusting that he's gonna hear us but it's according to his will you're not trying to consume it upon your lusts and you know what that's that's how you pray and that's how you're gonna receive but with all that noted there if you don't ask you're not gonna receive okay yes you know you have not because you ask not now here's the thing God is very merciful and I do believe God gives us things that we don't ask for too right but we can't we can't be like God why didn't you give us this if we're not asking for it right so God God's merciful and he'll give us things even if we don't ask for it but in the end God is constantly wanting people to ask him think about it the blind the blind man that came up to him right and said thou son of David have mercy on me and this always sticks out of my mind but you remember when the blind man finally is allowed to come to him and Jesus says basically I'm gonna paraphrase but basically what will thou that I do unto thee he's blind right so I mean it's like obvious but he wants the blind man to say that I may receive my sight right it's not that Jesus doesn't know he's blind everybody knows he's blind but the idea there is that you have not because you ask not and even though God obviously knows what we need he knows before we ask but he wants us to ask and so now this kind of goes back remember that chapter one is really kind of showing you a whole bunch of information and then it's kind of giving you you know kind of breaking it down in the next chapters look at chapter one of verse five here dealing with asking right notice what it says in chapter one James chapter one of verse five it says if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God so let me ask you a question do you think wisdom is something that God wants us to have yes definitely I mean the the fear of the Lord is beginning wisdom and obviously with all I getting right always that always verse always sticks out to me it's like get wisdom you don't get understanding get knowledge and with all I getting get wisdom right and you think about Solomon obviously asking for wisdom but notice here that you want to know what's something that's according to God's will that he wants you to have that's wisdom and so asking for wisdom is not to consume it upon you you know it's not something you're consuming upon your lust it's obviously according to the will of God and not only will he give you that but he'll give it to you liberally because it says that give it to all men liberally in a braideth knot and it shall be given him but notice this but let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord so notice how you in James you have those two things going on there that you ask in faith but that you don't ask according to you know your loss to consume it upon your lusts and it gives you an example of something you can ask for that he's gonna give liberally that's wisdom okay you say well I'd rather have the Ferrari well then you're a fool so I mean you need to ask for wisdom because you don't understand that wisdom is is you know far above rubies and gold and all that stuff okay now go back to James chapter 4 James chapter 4 and actually these first three verses here are going to have a significance to understand some other verses later on so we're gonna be coming back to those verses to help this this setup here what's being said actually gives a lot of credence what's said later on as well okay even though you can kind of just see the the simple plain reading of what we're seeing here about what you're asking for and receiving things right but in chapter 4 and verse 4 here it says ye adulteresses and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever there for will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God now this verse right here is very clearly teaching that if you're a friend of the world you're the enemy of God and this is something Christians can do listen he's the whole book is to my brethren my beloved brethren brethren brethren brethren over and over and over again right he's talking to Christian saying you can be the enemy of God if you're if you're a friend of the world you're the enemy of God okay let me show you a couple more verses where it talks about us being enemies okay now look at Romans chapter 5 Romans chapter 5 and the reason I'm bringing this up is because we obviously believe in the reprobate doctrine and that there's people that God is done with and that there's people that are past hope of salvation okay and what I want to hit on is that enemy of God does not equal reprobate okay reprobate does equal enemy of God though okay so and I'm gonna clarify I'm gonna explain that okay but basically just because someone's an enemy of God doesn't mean that there are reprobate or past hope of salvation or even unsaved okay but obviously all those that are rejected by God are God's enemies okay so but I want to prove to you that you know enemy of God does not equal reprobate okay because notice what it says in Romans chapter 5 verse 10 Romans chapter 5 verse 10 it says for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life so notice here that we were enemies so obviously and I believe what we're talking about here is you know spiritually speaking we were enemies because we're dead and trespasses and sins you know and our sins you know basically have our we're enmity with him because of that right this whole chapter even talks about how we've made peace with God right through faith and through grace but go to Colossians chapter 1 Colossians chapter 1 Colossians chapter 1 verse 21 and what I want to state here is that our flesh is still at enmity with God okay because we're still fleshly speaking the children of wrath and children of disobedience and it's not until the resurrection of the body that that's going to be reconciled okay and so that's why it's pertinent you know this verse of being the enemy of God because obviously spiritually speaking we're not right inwardly in the inward man that new creature we're not enemies anymore okay but physically speaking we can if we love the world and we're walking in the flesh then we're at enmity with God at that point physically speaking now in in Colossians chapter 1 verse 21 it says in you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight so at the very least you can see with these verses in Romans 5 and Colossians that an unsaved person would be considered an enemy of God right they're enemies because you know they're dead and trespasses and sins you know because of sin essentially okay but the idea here is that what I want to get across here is that just because you're an enemy of God doesn't equate reprobate now go to Psalm 139 Psalm 139 I'm gonna explain this okay cuz here's the thing when it comes to doctrines in the Bible we want to make sure that we're using the right semantics okay it's not just semantics listen words matter okay what we see what we say and the word choices that we use do matter because words have meanings and plus you don't want to contradict yourself okay because if you say listen reprobates the enemies of God equal reprobates and they're gonna look at these verses be like well I guess they can get saved then that makes sense this is why it's important to define terms in the Bible because if you say that then you're like well they got two verses now saying that you can be reconciled that enemies of God can be reconciled which is a true statement enemies of God can be reconciled but here's here's the thing that doesn't mean that they were reprobates though okay and so and and Psalm 139 verse 19 Psalm 139 verse 19 it says surely that will slay the wicked Oh God depart from me therefore ye bloody men for they speak against thee wickedly and thine enemies take thy name in vain so we're talking about enemies of God right cuz thine enemies take thy name in vain do not I hate them Oh Lord that hate thee and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies search me Oh God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting the key here as far as who we should hate or who are our reprobate are those that are haters of God so here's the key term haters of God or the key phrase if you will those that hate the Lord listen the world or unbelievers are our enemies of the Lord because they're dead and trespasses and sins their sins have separated us from our God you know there's enmity that's there right because the transgression but so you can think of that as like this holistic kind of like enemies of God but reprobate would be in that category as well okay but unbelievers as a whole aren't haters of the Lord okay so I hope that makes sense you have this bigger group that's enemies of God and within that group there's a smaller group of those enemies that are haters of the Lord okay and and some people would even look at this and be like well see we should love them then you're because we need to love our enemies because David said I count them mine enemies right but here's the thing when it says you know love your enemies it says do good them to persecute you that speak evil of you right the idea is that it's they hate you right those that hate you you should love right those that hate the Lord though shouldest thou love them that hate the Lord shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore it's wrath upon thee from before the Lord so I hope that makes sense and that can be a whole sermon for another day when it comes to enemies of the Lord or enemies of God and those that hate the Lord okay it doesn't say that if you're a friend of the world you hate the Lord okay that you hate God does that make sense because we can all end up being friends of the world and we shouldn't be and this verse is telling us not to be but that's a stark difference as far as you know you want to be I know what I want to do here is I want to compare chapter 2 to chapter 4 chapter 2 go to chapter 2 and verse 22 we're dealing with the friend of God right chapter 4 we're talking about being the enemy of God quite a stark difference isn't it and so when we're dealing with this it's no Marvel actually that chapter 4 would dive into the opposite of Abraham right kind of the opposite of being Abraham is being the enemy of God but these both apply to Christians you know being the friend of God or being the enemy of the Lord and this gets into the idea of where you're walking in the Spirit are you walking in the flesh okay you're either the friend of the Lord or you're at enmity with him okay and so that's you know something that we need to be careful of and and don't look at this verse be like well that that can only be talking about reprobates only reprobates can be the friend of the world give me a break I mean that's that's just ridiculous to think that way because we know that most unbelievers would be considered friends with the world the adulteresses adult only reprobates can be adulterers and adulteresses the David after man's got David a man after God's own heart you're telling me that he was a reprobate then so you know obviously this verse is talking to us as believers okay and obviously unbelievers can be enemies of the Lord too and be friends of the world but this is a this is basically a rebuke because as Christians we should not be at enmity with God you know as children of God we should not be at enmity with our Heavenly Father so and which is why later on it talks about resisting the devil and talking about drawing nigh on the God cleansing your hands you sinners the whole idea here is like okay I don't want to be an enemy of God I don't want to be an enmity with God how do I how do I write you know deal with that but in James chapter 2 verse 22 it says see as thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect and the scripture was scripture was fulfilled which said Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God now obviously I preached the whole sermon on chapter 2 and the idea of you're my friends if you do whatsoever I command you but I want you to think about what started in and I know when I preached through this that you have to look at what's starting this whole conversation about faith with works and everything go back up to verse 11 okay so you're in James chapter 2 in verse 11 James chapter 2 in verse 11 I just want you to see the similarities on what's said in chapter 2 and what's said in chapter 4 okay verse 11 it says for he that that said do not commit what adultery said also do not kill now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgression of law so speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of Liberty for he shall have judgment without mercy that has shown no mercy and mercy rejoices against judgment what doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and have not works can faith save him and I and I know I've already preached on that that we're talking about being saved from judgment without mercy because the next example is having mercy on your brother and sister okay look at chapter 4 okay what we see there what two commandments were brought up talking about being judged by the law of Liberty adultery and killing right murder look at chapter 4 and verse 2 he lost and have not ye what kill and desire to have and cannot obtain you fight and war yet you have not because you ask not you ask and receive not because you ask amiss they may consume it upon your lusts ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God see the opposite of what's going on here what did what did Abraham do he kept those commandments right the in the two specific commandments as being made there is adultery and murder right in James chapter 2 and he was called the friend of God I believe because the Bible says you're my friends if you do whatsoever I command you chapter 4 though is on the flip side though if you're killing and committing adultery guess what now you're not the friend of God you're the enemy of God do you see how the contrast is there I mean who here would say being a friend of being an enemy is a complete contrast right I mean that's polar opposites okay not committing adultery or keeping the commandments right doing the works of law and fulfilling the the works of law is what the law is fulfilled in one word even in this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself and isn't that the royal commandment that's given in chapter 2 and the two actual commandments that are brought up is murder and adultery and the two things that are brought up as far as what they're doing is killing and committing adultery in chapter 4 I don't think it's an accident that he's bringing that up he's bringing those back up to show the contrast okay and so when you're dealing with being the enemy of God obviously not keeping his commandments will cause that breaking his commandments and and obviously those are two very grievous sins right I mean you think about it those are two sins that are given to death penalty which kind of helps you understand why in chapter 5 at the end of chapter 5 it's saying that there's a sin unto death essentially right you'll save a soul from death you're dealing with you're not just dealing with any sin here we're dealing with murder and adultery that's being brought up in multiple chapters leading up to that okay now and what I leave off there so so I hope that makes sense when you're dealing with you know what makes you the enemy of God the opposite of what makes you the friend of God okay if you love me keep my commandments you're my friends if you do what there are command you and so the opposite would be that you're not keeping his commandments and obviously that's your flesh right I mean throughout the Bible it's talking about the lust of the flesh and not fulfilling the lust of the flesh but the walk in the spirit so to be the friend of God is the walk in the spirit to be the enemy of God is the walk in the flesh okay so pretty simple when you're dealing with that but go to verse 5 of chapter 4 and this is a verse that and you may you may say I understood this verse I know what this is talking about and good for you joking aside there no but this is a verse that honestly you know I've thought about many times and what is this talking about okay and it's verse 5 here it says do you think the scripture seth in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lust at the envy that verse right there is a verse that I've got I mean and maybe your ears I know what that's talking about well the question that you first have to ask is are we talking about the Spirit of God are we talking about the spirit that's in us okay right and you can't now mine's not capitalized but I don't I don't hold stock in capitalization in the King James Bible okay meaning that capitalizations I don't believe something that we look at as being preserved so when it comes to that all of the spirits could you know like when it's talking about Spirit of God I mean if you look at the Old Testament a lot of times the Spirit is lowercase and when it's talking about the Spirit of Lord and all that stuff so I don't look at that and be like well it's lowercase so it's it's definitely not talking about Spirit of God the reason I don't think it's talking about the Spirit of God is because it's talking about lusting to envy okay and envy in the Bible is something that you that's always looked at as a bad light if it said lust to jealousy then that would be different right then I would be thinking okay well God's jealous God's names jealous right the envy is like the opposite of jealousy or the jealous he's good and he's bad but they're kind of this the same thing but one's good one's bad if that makes sense like being jealous of your wife is a good thing but being envious of your neighbor's wife that's bad okay or being envious of your neighbor of things that you don't have now no let's just keep reading that next verse there says but he giveth more grace now the reason that I believe this isn't talking about the Spirit of God because there's a contrast there right you know it says the scripture do you think the scripture seth in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lust us to envy we just got done talking about being an adulterer adulteress killing right but then it says but he giveth more grace wherefore he said God resisted the proud but giveth grace unto the humble so I believe that contrast there is showing you that that's not a good thing right that the spirit that dwelleth in us lust us to envy now here's and I'm gonna give you a verse that has made me think of both directions here when it comes to this go to Galatians chapter 5 Galatians chapter 5 now I've already I already kind of stated my point I don't believe it's talking about the Spirit of God but this verse would kind of maybe think make you kind of lean that way okay but I'm gonna explain to you what I believe this verse is talking about I just think in context this it's talking about it's not talking about the Spirit of God okay in verse 17 there of Galatians 5 it says for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary to one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would so you can see here it doesn't say that the Spirit lusteth against the flesh but it's kind of implied now lust doesn't necessarily mean that it's wrong it just means like a desire but it doesn't say lust to envy right but you can see how that terminology and how you kind of put that over there in James chapter 4 but like I said I believe it's a contrast here and it's talking about the Spirit dwelleth in us lusteth to envy kind of talking about all the stuff that was bad going on before that right killing committing adultery being the enemy of God you know that type of stuff and then it says basically he's kind of qualifying it you think the scripture Seth in vain right it's kind of like you stating all this but he's like do you think it says in vain the Spirit dwelleth in us the lusteth to envy and you say well where is that written okay what you have to understand is in the Bible sometimes it'll say the scripture Seth or it says you know so speak it the law and sometimes it's not a direct quote it's just a teaching of of the Old Testament right is the teaching of the law or the scripture it's not necessarily just spelled out like you know written out you know because you know when it says it's you think it's Seth in vain right you know so I don't believe there's like a verse in the Old Testament that says the Spirit dwelleth in us lusteth to envy okay but that concept is there right that that teachings there okay in the Bible and but let me give you what I believe it's talking about go to Proverbs chapter 16 Proverbs chapter 16 and you say well how did you get the Proverbs 16 to figure it to look at this well what's the contrast of the Spirit that dwelleth in us lusting to envy what's the contrast what's the you know what are we talking about in that next verse but he gave us more grace wherefore he said right so here's the contrast God resisted the proud but give his grace unto the humble okay so the idea here is that I believe that the Spirit of dwells in us lusting to envy is the kind of a proud spirit or a haughty spirit okay now notice what it says here in Proverbs chapter 16 verse 18 very well-known verse but it says pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall better is he better is it to be of an humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud notice the contrast here of a haughty spirit which obviously would be going into being like proud high-minded type of spirit or having a spirit that's humble okay and go to Proverbs 29 verse 23 Proverbs 29 verse 23 Proverbs chapter 29 verse 23 Proverbs 29 verse 23 says and a man's pride shall bring him low but honor shall uphold the humble and spirit so notice the humble and spirit haughty and spirit the proud and the humble and just the contrast obviously and remember that James is like a mini Proverbs and there's other verses on you know this contrast but for sake of argument here notice that it's talking about a haughty spirit and a humble spirit now spirit doesn't always mean like the entity that you are made up of right so if you think about like our being is soul body and spirit okay so when it's talking about the spirit that dwells in us I don't believe it's talking about like that piece of who we are and part might you know like I'm not saying like we're one-third of spirit okay what I mean by that is that our spirit and our soul have been made pure right our spirit our soul or without guile they've been purified right but that term spirit can sometimes be talking about the spirit of our mind they can be talking about different types of spirits spirits of the spirit of fear a spirit of haughtiness a spirit of pride okay and I believe that there's you know when you think about a spirit what are we talking about you kind of think about think about kind of like your your desires right you think about sometimes spirit is is if you're spirited right if you think about it in that term like you're a spirited person what does that mean you're kind of like a lively type of person and doesn't mean that you are a spirit right as far as like you're a specter you know you're a ghost it's just kind of an attribute okay and so now what I believe is talking about is the spirit of our carnal mind okay and the spirit of the flesh if you will and that we still have to deal with that okay and let me let me just go down this rabbit trail just for a minute with you okay and this is one that I'm sticking on then obviously the rest of this I'm gonna gonna go a lot faster okay because this is a hard verse okay and if you don't think this verse is hard then after the service you can tell me how you knew you know how you can either say I'm wrong or you say listen I knew that already and you're just treading on ground again that I've already been on and that's great you know but to be honest with you this verse has always been a little perplexing as far as understanding it but I believe in context this is what we're talking about in Ephesians chapter 4 go to Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 22 Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 22 as you're going there in Psalm 51 and verse 10 it says you know this David sweet psalmist of Israel saying created me a clean heart Oh God and renew a right spirit within me now we know that in the Old Testament and specifically with David that his spirit had no guile right because in Psalm 32 which by the way is before 51 not for that matter you know obviously it would apply anyway but he states you know blessed is the man whose transgressions are forgiven and then it goes on to say who's in whose spirit is no guile okay but he's stating here because he just committed what what was what was the thing that David did okay and this psalm is him basically trying to get right with God what he committed adultery and murder and then he's saying basically you know creating me a clean heart basically clean my heart and clean you know give me a right spirit is he talking about his like actual spirit that he's like attaching to himself you know as far as his being I don't believe so I believe he's talking about like restore the joy of my salvation right that idea that spirit you know that the sweet psalmist of Israel that the man after God's own what heart he wants his heart back that he had with God before he committed those sins okay and that's what I believe we're dealing with here and in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 22 it says that he put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the what spirit of your mind okay so what's being renewed the spirit of your mind okay now what is that talking about I know I kind of hit on this I think I did it when I talk about renewing your mind at the beginning of the year here but think about this with our heart right I go to Romans chapter 7 Romans chapter 7 but in Jeremiah 17 9 it says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it let me ask you a question is that still true today after you're saved is your heart still deceitful above all things and desperately wicked or is that like are we the simply sin you know sin perfected heretics that basically believe that they don't you know they don't think about thought you know what I mean like so once you realize okay let's be in reality here we still have a fleshly heart we still have a fleshly mind and the Bible calls it a carnal mind I'll show you in a minute but we have both we can be spiritually minded we can be carnally minded but the spirit of our carnal mind is what we got to clean up okay and I believe that's what's lusting to envy okay and let me just show you some terminology what did it say about the spirit the spirit that dwells within us lust it to envy okay I want you to keep that in mind that it's dwelling in us okay notice what says in Romans 7 verse 18 it says for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not for the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but what sin that dwelleth in me isn't that interesting like the sin I mean sin is a transgression to law but in here when it's talking about this it's basically saying like there's something inside of me that's doing this not me personally so it's kind of separating because you got the old man a new man but the old man has a spirit to itself right that's what I'm trying to get at here is that it's sin that dwell within me it says in verse 21 it says I find that then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me okay and it says but I see another law on my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sin now I want you to think about this what it keeps talking about these members right the members which which is what your body your physical members right the flesh how did how did chapter 4 start off it says from whence come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lust at war in your members the spirit that dwells in us lust it to envy what are we talking about we're talking about this law of sin if you will that's reigning in our mortal body that is causing us to do things that we would not and basically he's stating here you need to resist that later on it says cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts he's double-minded if your heart holistically was purer than you wouldn't have to purify it right and keep reading there in Romans chapter 8 Romans chapter 8 and verse 5 it says for their for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit this is talking about walking after the flesh compared to walking up the spirit the very beginning of the chapter it states that you know those that are in Christ Jesus there's now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit so those that are in Christ Jesus who we're talking about here we're not talking about unbelievers we're talking about believers and if you walk after the spirit you don't have any condemnation now in this life because against such there is no law right the Bible talks about it through the spirit and all that but if you do if you are fulfilling the lust of the flesh well listen that that is under the law and you are gonna have condemnation in this life now in this world okay and then it goes on to talk about carnally minded to spiritually minded because notice what it says in verse 6 it says for it to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is what enmity against God for it is not subject to law of God neither indeed can be what are we talking about in this passage we're talking about having enmity with God being so the carnal mind is at enmity with God and then it says do you think the scripture seth in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lust envy what spirit the spirit of our carnal mind that's why in second Corinthians chapter 7 it talks about you know cleansing or purifying you know all the flesh and spirit because that spirit and you'll find another place in first first Corinthians chapter 5 where it talks about you know the destruction of his flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus right what are we talking about we're not talking about our spirit as far as like our soul in our spirit you know that we got to cleanse that that's already been cleansed if there's no guile there it's completely cleansed our souls been purified but when you understand that spirit isn't always talking about you know that part of our who are being but more so it could be talking about our desires our lusts you know whether that's in the flesh or that could be the desires that are in the spirit those are contrary to each other but the carnal mind the spirit of our carnal mind is at enmity with God and it cannot be subject to the law of God because in me dwells no good thing right because sin dwell within me and sin it is no longer I that do it but sin that dwells in me I believe that's what you're dealing with there is that now just other verses on this 1st John 2 verse 15 love not the world not of things that are in the world if any man loved not if any man loved the world the love of the Father is not in him for all this in the world the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world so we're talking about being a friend of the world what we're talking about loving the world right and if you're if you're loving the world that means that you have the lust of the flesh there okay the spirit that dwells in us lust at the envy is talking about that carnal fleshly mind that's minding things it talks about you know those that flesh mind the things of the flesh right that's what we're talking about we're talking about what are you thinking about and that is always going to envy that's always going in the end game of that is death okay destruction you know corruption all of that right but other verses you know think about this and first Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 12 it says now we have not received the spirit not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God right meaning that spirit of the world I don't believe it's talking about a person okay but there's a certain spirit of the world right as far as like being worldly minded right or being spiritually minded and that idea there of you know having you the spirit of the world you know dwelling in you and you're the rudiments and it talks about the elements the weak and beggarly elements of this world and you're going back to that type of stuff and that no you should put off the flesh if you live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit and that's what I believe this is talking about so I hope that makes sense that's what I believe this is talking about I don't believe it's talking about the spirit of God lusting the envy I believe it's very clear that it's basically saying adulterers adulteresses killing people at war and enmity in your members then it's talking about it doesn't say in vain the spirit as well then is less than the envy because it's talking about basically the spirit of man right as far as like their fleshly sinful nature that is there that's causing them to lust envy but he says but he giveth more grace and that's that's the contrast he's like okay you can fight this though because he gives you grace to battle this and go to a chapter 4 and verse 7 there because he resisted the problem give the grace of the humble and so that's the contrast you want to have there you don't want to have the spirit think about it you don't have a haughty spirit or a prideful spirit you want to have a humble spirit okay but that proud and haughty spirit is not coming from the Spirit of God that's coming from your own flesh okay now in verse 7 here is to submit yourselves therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you draw an eye to God and he will draw an eye to you cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up so here's the answer here's how you here's how you deal with that right you cleanse your hands and you purify your hearts and you know basically instead of just basically being proud rejoicing and laughing over the things that you're doing that are wrong you need to do the opposite of that you should be mourning over the sins that you commit but your lack or return to mourning and your joy the heaviness meaning this it's not saying this holistically you know people look at this be like see this is why you should never laugh you should never be happy it's like you just negated the whole Bible where it says you know that we should rejoice and we should leap for joy and then rejoice in the Lord all the way you know what I mean like come on now in context though if you're in sin and you're basically committing adultery committing murder yet that's time for you to mourn okay that's not time for you to be rejoicing okay so in context we're talking about people that are committing sin people that that are enemies of the Lord and their walk and you know that's obviously where they need to clean things up okay but think about this you know I I know we just went through first Peter but in first Peter chapter 5 first Peter chapter 5 talking about resisting the devil and he will flee from you yeah the devil's out there he's trying to get he's trying to trying to maim Christians okay and I believe specifically he goes after the weak ones I do believe he goes after the weak as far as like just picking off the weak the faint right as far as the ones that are that could do great things for God but maybe their babes in Christ or they're you know they're not just ready to take on the trials and tribulations they'll just kind of pick those off real quick but I think when you think about it though he's gonna be going after the strong he's gonna after the ones that are gonna lead the charge if he could take down those then it's gonna be a lot more profitable to him but in first Peter chapter 5 verse 8 it says be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walk about seeking whom he may devour so this is why we're resisting him okay but it says whom resist steadfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world and what you have to understand is that we're not alone in this everybody is having to resist the devil or his devils that are you know ministers of unrighteousness and that we're not alone in this but if we resist him he'll flee and think about it Jesus resisted him in the wilderness and there was three times he came to him and then what happened at the end he left them first season right that doesn't mean that it's over right you know like you made it you resisted him and he's never coming back but you resist him he will flee at some point he gives up okay and but then the other portion of this passage here in James 4 draw an eye to God and he will draw an eye to you you know in 1 Peter chapter 5 there it says humble yourselves in verse 6 humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time casting all your care upon him for he careth for you this passage where it says draw an eye to God and he will draw an eye to you and casting all your care upon him for he careth for you I can't help but think of the prodigal son I go to Luke chapter 15 Luke chapter 15 and I'm not gonna read the whole story I'm actually just gonna read one verse to you okay but most of you probably know the story of the prodigal son okay he wasted all his living and all his inheritance but he came to himself and basically he realized like that he's not even worthy to be called his father's son anymore and he's basically gonna come back to him and say just make me a servant I'm not even worthy to be your son so he's obviously been humbled right and but the thing that I want you to notice here is what does the Bible say it says draw an eye to God so who's going first you are you're drawing out of God and then he will draw an eye to you but I want to show you what I believe that looks like though notice in Luke 15 and verse 20 okay it says and he arose and came to his father so this is the prodigal son he rose up and came to his father notices but when he was yet a great way off so the son was just way out there right and he's starting to come to his father but he's way out there his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him notice that notice that that he's way out there and his father's just like I'm getting to him first right he's not waiting for him to get to where he's at he's running and he has compassion and I believe that's the thing that you have to understand is that if we get away from God and you get out of things of God you start you're like I need to get back to God I believe God's running I believe he's has compassion and he's running back to get you and honestly these passages where it says that you know will you leave the 99 and go after the one that's lost I don't believe that's talking about salvation as far as eternal salvation I believe we're talking about a saved person that has left the fold that's backslidden that's you know not following like they should that if that one is coming back that's the contrast that's you know and that's why there's there's more rejoicing over that one center that repented than over 99 that need no repentance okay meaning that there's this great joy and rejoicing that whole story is about that right because even so much as the one son that didn't leave it's just like what in the world you know what's all this about you know he wasted everything now obviously the consequence though is that the son that didn't waste all his living he still has his inheritance the other son doesn't but that just because you know we waste everything that God has given to us that doesn't mean that he doesn't want us to come back and doesn't want us to have compassion for us to come back and then we can just start off fresh and go forward doesn't mean that you don't have the consequences of everything you lost though okay but it you know God I believe is a god of second chances third chances and I believe that if you're saved and you're still breathing God still has work for you to do okay now go to James chapter 4 in verse 11 James chapter 4 in verse 11 now these two verses I kind of explained last week was last week yeah last week I was kind of explaining these so I don't want to belabor this too much but I do kind of want to hit on this again because this is another passage where people be like see we should never judge anybody right just ripping it out of context you know okay well I guess we should never be happy and never rejoice because the Bible says let your laughter be turned to morning you know it's like you gotta have context of what you're talking about but in verse 11 here says speak not evil one of another brethren he that speaketh evil his brother judge it and judges his brother speak it evil the law and and judge it the law but if thou judge the law thou art not a doer the law but a judge there is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy who art thou that judges another so what you have to understand here is that in context what you have to understand is when it says don't speak evil of your brother you have to understand okay well is that right or wrong right because you could speak evil of somebody and it not be wrong but you can also speak evil somebody and it be wrong okay right I mean if you were to speak evil of false gods right you know or you're to speak evil of you know a false prophet like like I preached you know last week I believe or when it went I forget what I was preaching but basically about the fact that you can you know it says let him be accursed you know if any man preach any other gospel into that you have received let him be accursed that's speaking evil that person by the way but in this case there's something that's going on here and I think that the simple answer here is when it says in verse 12 there is one lawgiver you know what that means is that what they're judging and speaking evil about somebody is a law that's not in the Bible okay that's what makes this whole thing make sense okay is the fact that when you understand you're judging the law it's like well if the law says this and then I'm telling this person that they're doing wrong then how would I be judging the law right why would how would I be speaking evil of the law then the only way it makes sense is that since it says there's one lawgiver the whole premise here is that what they're judging their brother about is a law that they made up that's a man's law and not God's law okay and you know go to Roman chapter 14 I'm gonna hit that point one more time Mark chapter 7 says this in verse 7 says how be it in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men and then it goes on to say making the Word of God of none effect through your tradition so that's what I believe is going on here is that they have a tradition that they're judging their brethren on that is not based on the Word of God not a law in the Bible right let me give you an example hairstyles haircuts right now obviously the Bible says that it's a shame for a man to have long hair we can all agree on that right a man should not have long hair okay after that point if I start judging and be like listen you need to have a haircut like me you need to have a haircut like you know brother brother Richie you know we need to go straight up you know brother Matt and like it's got to be that short right now I don't believe any any man in here has a wrong ever has long hair okay but we all kind of have different haircuts to varying degrees right or maybe we style it differently here's how what I believe this passage be saying if I was speaking evil of anybody didn't have a haircut like me like that's crazy no one to ever do that really can I get a witness about how I understand college that that they basically made them have a haircut like Jack Hiles it was the comb-over it was the Jack House come over and listen Jack House I had nothing wrong with this haircut but to demand that that be the only haircut that's allowed and then if you don't have that you're not right with God that's what that's talking about okay it's one example but you could have a you know an infinite number of examples of this okay because now you're a lawgiver and we need to be careful not to do that okay because we have standards you know as Baptist we have standards we have dress standards but we have to be careful that our standards don't become commandments of men right because we're all trying to obviously keep not break God's commandments but we don't want to make it to where okay my standard is now the commandment okay so that's what I believe is basically being warned against here go to Romans chapter 14 because Romans 14 gives you to it kind of two examples of this one is celebrating holidays and the other is like eating being a vegetarian or being a carnivore obviously you get it's not saying you're a carnivore in this case but basically eating meat and not eating meat okay and when it comes to this you know what the Bible is teaching here is that there's no law saying that you can't keep a day above another and there's no law saying that you can't esteem every day alike and there's no law that says you you have to eat meat okay that makes sense and even though I I don't agree with vegetarians I think they're out to lunch I think that they're gonna be hard-pressed to get the protein that they need being a vegetarian you know what they can do what they want and I'm not gonna condemn them for it right you want to be a vegetarian go to town go nuts right but in Romans chapter 14 and verse 1 it says him that is weak in the faith receive receive you but not to doubtful disputations and that's what I believe we're talking about here we're talking about things that are gray areas things that maybe are based off of the law in the Bible but but there's a lot of like you know you know basically we don't know where that lines at necessarily and also there's a lot of liberty as far as what you want to do there but then it goes on to say for one believe it that he may eat all things another who is weak eateth herbs okay so basically it's stating the Bible is very clear here that eating meat is justified there's nothing wrong with it and he's saying the person that's weak in the faith is the one that thinks he has to eat herbs okay that he has to eat vegetables and that's you know he's bound to that okay but then it goes on to say let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not though that's the key here we're not gonna speak evil and basically say I despise you I hate you for for you know you eating being a vegetarian okay then it goes on to say in verse verse 3 there and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth for God hath received him so here here's here's one you know we're using the term judge right that's like someone coming up to me and saying you can't eat this because I believe it's wrong and they don't have any chapter and verse to back it up you can't do this because it's I believe it's wrong it's like well so-and-so teaches this it's like I don't care who teaches that you don't have a chapter and verse it may be so-and-so who does that you know when it comes to whatever standard they have is right and that's probably the best way to go it doesn't matter because it's not written in the Bible it's not a law of God so you can't teach it as a law of God and you can't condemn it as a law of God then it goes on to say who art thou that judges another man's servant to his own master he standeth or follow it yea he shall be holding up for God is able to make him stand now in this whole chapter it has nothing to do with like committing sins though it's not saying like your brother is murdering people and you just need to not judge them and just let but let let everything just kind of pass right you know what's interesting about that is that in 1st Corinthians chapter 4 and for sake of time you can look at it as yourself 1st Corinthians chapter 4 which is right after the judgment seat of Christ it says I will judge nothing before the time and the whole premise is talking about like the rewards you're gonna be get getting who's above who you know what I mean like when it comes to the judgment seat of Christ which it talks about in Revelation or I'm sorry Roman chapter 14 that we should all stand before the judgment seat of Christ chapter 5 he's saying he says in chapter 5 at the end when we're talking about fornication and we're talking about things that are in the law of God and he says for what have I to judge them that them also that are without do not ye judge them that are within and then he goes on to basically just rip their face off in chapter 6 basically saying is there not someone that can judge in these matters so in chapter 4 he's saying judge nothing before the time chapter 5 he's like don't you judge these things and then chapter 6 he's like you're gonna judge angels like how much more than things in this life so don't just negate the Bible I don't know obviously no one here is doing that but what I'm saying is that you got to take it with context when it comes to rewards when it comes to things that are not a law in the Bible you know what the Bible says don't speak evil someone that does it don't judge somebody that does it unless they're asking your advice as far as whether you think it's the best way to go just mind your business that's basically what Romans 14 is to me is mind your business and don't put a stumbling block in someone's way because if someone truly believes that they can't eat bacon okay they truly believe that even though we know it's right and the Bible teaches that it's right if they believe that they're in sin if they do it and so it's saying don't put a stumbling block in front of them and cause them to sin because they're doing it in unbelief right they're doing it without faith so that's what this is talking about in James chapter 4 go back to James chapter 4 verse 13 James chapter 4 verse 13 James chapter 4 verse 13 it says this is go to now ye that say today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life it is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away for that you ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and do this or that so this is that where we get that frame you know Lord willing I'll go over there right because we don't know we have tomorrow and this verse this this passage always sticks out to me because this is I always think of my friend Wes Thompson who tragically died at 20 years old and this passage right here just always like this was like the passage we were thinking about you know like what is your life is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away and we don't know what's on the morrow and we need to be living in a manner that basically we're not we're not promised the next day and so we need to say if the Lord will we'll do this or that in that city we don't know if we're gonna end up doing that but you know what we're gonna plan on stuff it's not like saying don't plan anything ahead of tomorrow you know today but it's you know the Bible says take no thought for the morrow for the the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself sufficient unto the day is the evil era so it's like don't worry about what's gonna be on the horizon one you got enough to worry about today but then two you don't even know if you have tomorrow okay when it comes to you know boasting if you will the Bible talks about this a lot as far as like our days are as a shadow and basically if you think about our days compared to eternity and you live 80 90 100 years old what is that to eternity it's nothing and then it goes on to say and James chapter 4 verse 16 but now you rejoice in your boastings all such rejoicing is evil so what is this talking about okay well I believe it does tie into where the people are saying we're gonna go into this city and do such a thing right basically he's kind of rebuking them saying you're saying you're gonna do all this stuff but you need to be saying if the Lord will you know because you don't know what's on the morrow you don't know what you're gonna do and here's a verse that kind of complements this in Proverbs 27 Proverbs 27 and verse 1 Proverbs chapter 27 verse 1 it says boast not thyself of tomorrow sound familiar boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth okay so when you couple this with James chapter 4 and it's saying go to now you know ye that say we're gonna go into the city and continue their year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you don't know what should be on tomorrow that's exactly what this is talking about in verse 1 here but then it says they're rejoicing in their boastings right they're kind of like boastful but they're like rejoicing in it they're not just boasting about the fact that they're gonna be doing this tomorrow they're rejoicing in their boastings about doing it notice in verse 2 there of Proverbs 27 verse 2 it says let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips meaning this is that the idea of rejoicing in your own boastings isn't wise okay someone else should boast of you right and Paul talks about this often about his boastings and how he has to basically speak foolishly about the things that he's done and kind of having to praise himself because he's gonna have to like show hey this is who I am you you know I'm in authority and he has to kind of speak foolishly because the wise person doesn't boast about themselves they don't you know they're not like Donald Trump that just like I did it all you know and just like act give me praise okay no someone else should praise you you know that's where the praise warranted is if someone else says something about you that's good okay and so all such rejoicing is evil because you're boasting and you're rejoicing in boasting okay that's wrong and it kind of tells you you're like what's you know what's so you should just know that you boasting about yourself is evil okay just as much as praising your own self constantly that's why interviews are so awkward go to interview for a job and they're just like tell me why I should hire you because I'm the best worker there is you know and like you got to give them like all this stuff and I just feel foolish and you know luckily I've only interviewed once in my life or you know like my job and then I just stayed there but but some of you know like you go to another job or you're interviewing for another job and you're just like it's uncomfortable it's an uncomfortable feeling to just be like telling them why they should hire you okay you'd rather have a reference that's basically like you should hire me this and just listen to him you know listen to that person over here and don't make me have to say all this stuff and the last verse is in John in James chapter 4 verse 17 it says therefore to him that know what to do good and do with it not to him it is sin and this is something that's also in Proverbs go to Proverbs chapter 3 Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 27 Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 27 you know all these times that people are just like well that's a New Testament doctrine like loving your enemy oh you mean like we're in Exodus it says to do that you mean like we're in Proverbs it says the exact same thing about doing good unto those that persecute you in Romans chapter 12 that is actually quoting Proverbs or the idea of like to him that know what to do good and do with it not to him it is sin that's actually a Proverbs teaching and actually James chapter 2 it goes all the way back to that as far as doing good unto your brother and sister when you have when they have need Proverbs 3 and verse 27 here it says withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do it say not unto thy neighbor go and come again and what tomorrow I will go give when thou hast it by thee because you may hear the kind of may think this is kind of random right it's like why why is this being said right like the boasting you're like where'd that come from right you're rejoicing in your boastings and all this rejoicing is Eve when you're like where'd that come from but then you see in Proverbs it says boast not of tomorrow what was just talked about you know not what shall be on the morrow then it goes on to say him that know what to do good and do it and not to him and his sin you're like okay that kind of seemed random but okay it's a good teaching then you look in Proverbs and it's talking about don't wait until tomorrow to do good to somebody do you see how the Bible just kind of fits together just like okay it wasn't just random it wasn't just like he's just spitting off stuff I think that James was probably thinking about Proverbs now obviously this is under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost right but that's why I believe James is like a mini Proverbs and and I believe Proverbs will help you kind of you know make sense of a lot of this stuff and one show you that it's not just New Testament teaching but also that that teaching in Proverbs is still applies today so that's James chapter 4 and Lord willing next week we'll finish up the book James chapter 5 but let's end with a word of prayer to Heavenly Father we thank you for today thank you for your word thank you for the book of James it's such a magnificent book and Lord just help us to learn more from it and I know there's so many things that I haven't seen or understood in that book and Lord just pray that you'd help us to constantly gain more wisdom and I pray that you would give us wisdom and Lord we love you and pray all this in Jesus Christ's name Amen. For a day we'll come and sing one more song and then we'll be dismissed all right take your song books and turn to song number 50 song number 50 in your song books we'll sing peace perfect peace if you would stand we'll sing song number 50 peace perfect peace in this dark world of sand the blood of Jesus whispers peace with and peace perfect peace with sorrow surging round on Jesus bosom not but calm