http://bible.com/events/48864357

He Learned Obedience

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:7-9‬‬
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

Would you be willing to think about suffering this morning? Your suffering?

You may have the faith to be healed but do you have the faith to continue on even if you’re not.

David Guzik: Though Jesus was God and is God, yet He learned obedience. God, enthroned in heaven’s glory, can only experience obedience by casting off the glory of the throne and humbling Himself as Jesus did. Surely, there is no need for “obedience” in Heaven because there is no “disobedience.” As God, Christ had access to divine omniscience and omnipotence. However, according to Scripture, He chose to experience human weaknesses such as hunger and fatigue. He also chose to experience learning and growth. In Luke, Jesus is said to have “learned” through His struggles. In the context of the original writing, the concept of “learning” is intimately tied to the idea of “experiencing.” The focus is not so much on Jesus becoming aware of what suffering is, but Jesus actually putting into practice what He was called to do. He suffered.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:12-13‬‬
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:17-18‬‬
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

None of the glory we so desire is birthed without suffering:
Not freedom from sin
Not strength for the journey
Not peace that passes understanding
Not the joy of the Lord

Oswald Chambers: To choose to suffer means that there is something wrong; to choose God’s will even if it means suffering is a very different thing. No healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he chooses God’s will, as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. Be merciful to God’s reputation. It is easy to blacken God’s character because God never answers back, He never vindicates Himself. Take for instance God’s so-called ‘waste’ of saints, according to the judgment of the world. God plants His saints in some of the most useless places. We say, ‘God intends me to be here because I am so useful.’ Jesus never estimated His life along the line of the greatest use. God puts His saints where they will glorify Him most, and we are no judges at all of where that is.

About Suffering: One question never to ask and two questions always to ask:
Never ask: Why?
Always ask:
1. What does obedience look like today?
2. Who needs me today?

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:3-5‬‬
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

Steadfast Loyalty
Christianity is not consistency to conscience or to convictions; Christianity is being true to Jesus Christ. – Oswald Chambers

“We are stuck in a generation (culture) where loyalty is just a tattoo, love is just a quote, and lying is the new truth”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭3:1-15‬‬
Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” “I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” “By what route shall we attack?” he asked. “Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered. So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them. “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?” But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” “No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.” Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. But now bring me a harpist.” While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha

GOD’S UNDERSTANDING OF LOYALTY

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:34-38‬‬
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

DEMONSTRATING STEADFAST OR FAITHFUL LOVE IN (COVENANT) RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM

We want a god we don’t have to trust
We want a god that’s ok with lust
We want a god that doesn’t ask for much
Some of us serve a god by the name of “us”
-Andy Mineo

Are we loyal to the One who redeemed us?

HOW HE WANTS LOYALTY TO BE LIVED OUT
1. Completely undivided
2. Daily, over a lifetime

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:23-25‬‬
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

http://bible.com/events/48857393

Church of the Nazarene

James and the Wanderers
Wanderers are all around you. What will you do about them?

And as we prepare to dive into these final words from James’ letter, let’s pause for a moment to reflect on our journey.

What have we learned?
How are we different now?
What steps are we taking?

1. We must trust God in the storm
-“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds” James 1:2
-“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
-Almost every truth we read from James is through this perspective: not just that we can trust God no matter what, we must.

2. We must act on what we believe
-You can’t separate this from the first point because they are tied together: trusting God in the storm results in action.
-“Don’t just listen to the word. Do what it says.” James 1:22
-This action shows up in so many different ways: we measure and steward our words carefully (James 1:26, James 3:6), we care for those others ignore (James 1:27), we don’t show favoritism (James 2:8-9).

3. We must walk in humility
-Trusting God in the storms of our life is the birthplace of true humility. Acting on what we believe requires constant humility.
-There is a battle with us, a divided loyalty (James 4:4, James 4:10). The call to humility ultimately asks the question “Who has your heart?” (James 5:5)
-There is power available to us when we walk in this truth: God is the source. He is Lord. I don’t have to be.

But what about those for whom this isn’t true?

-What about those who struggle to trust?
-What about the one who claims no faith in Christ?
-Or whose faith has become so stagnant, so superficial, so lifeless and without any action?

How should we respond?
James’ final exhortation is with this question in mind.

‭‭James‬ ‭5:19-20‬‬
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

-James’ heart is clear. The final thing on his mind is the return of those who were once followers but have turned away. His heart is for what Jesus called ‘the one’.
-“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?” (Matthew 18:12)
-The word here for ‘wanders’ is the same root word that James uses in 5:19.
-The message of Jesus and the final words of James is this: have such a heart for the wanderer, that you will pursue them. Not separate from them, but run after them.

“My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them.” James 5:19 (The Message)

Wanderers are all around you. What will you do about them?

Verses for further study/reflection:
2 Corinthians 5:11-21
2 Timothy 4:5
1 Peter 4:8
Proverbs 10:12

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY

https://bible.com/events/48857744

James and Elijah: One Like Us

When was the last time that you believed your prayer really mattered to God?

‭‭James‬ ‭5:17-18‬‬
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭17:1‬‬
Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:27-29‬‬
At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:36-38‬‬
At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

We know that prayer was essential to Elijah because:

– He had to depend on God completely
– The importance of prayer outweighed the risk of prayer
– He knew God and trusted him

Bottom line: not only should we commit our lives to prayer, we must.

1. Prayer draws us near to the heart of God
2. God responds when we pray

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY

James and Elijah: One Like Us (ER)

East Rock Campus
James 5:17-18

Welcome back to our “white flag lap” of our journey through the book of James.

Towards the end of Chapter 5, James catches a deep breath of sorts, and gives us a few parting thoughts before he closes out his letter.

These were likely some of the last words of a man who would face death because of his faith in Christ. As we saw last week in our study, one of James’ primary concerns is that we would be people of prayer.

One of the key points James makes in this teaching on prayer, is that it is for everyone. The promise of powerful and effective prayer is for every follower of Jesus who has experienced forgiveness and new life in Him.

That begs the question of us today- Do you believe that?

As we continue in our teaching text today, James highlights a well-known character in the Old Testament- The prophet Elijah

‭‭James‬ ‭5:17-18‬‬
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Notice here in the text, before he says anything else on the matter, James emphasizes, that Elijah was not a super-being, but a human just like James’ readers.

When James wants to illustrate for us that “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” he brings the well-known prophet Elijah. A man just like us, who staked his life on prayer.

‭‭James‬ ‭5:17‬‬
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

We find the story of Elijah that James is referencing in 1Kings 17-19:10

Ahab was the king of Israel during the time of Elijah and things were not going so well.

1 Kings 16:33 records “Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him”

So literally, this was the worst king the nation of Israel had ever had.

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭17:1‬‬
Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

In response to the nations sin and idolatry, God brought about a drought so severe that not even the morning or evening dew fell upon the ground.

In the story, the Lord tells Elijah to head east and hide out for a while, because the kings wife is out to kill all of the prophets of the Lord.

As the story goes on, three years pass before the Lord’s next command comes to Elijah. Sometimes, impossible prayers often involve impossible amounts of patience and waiting on the Lord.

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:1-2‬‬
After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria,

3 years without rain has left the land desolate and the King was desperate, and more than a little angry with the Prophet Elijah.

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:17-21‬‬
When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.

Through bold courageous faith, Elijah calls for a showdown between the prophets of Baal and the Lord

What follows is story of victory that was etched into the minds of the people of God for generations to come.

This was the amazing story that James is calling on to remind his readers that the power of prayer, the power of this story, is still available for believers today.

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:22-24‬‬
Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

The prophets of Baal called upon their gods all day, with no response.
No fire came down, nothing happened. Elijah even begins to taunt them, saying their god must be asleep, or busy, or in the bathroom. So they cried out more fervently, but nothing happened.

Finally, that evening, Elijah invited all to come near and see the Lord move. Elijah ordered that water be poured over the wood, the bull, and the altar until it was completely soaked. There was no way this thing was going to catch fire.

Then Elijah, the man, Prayed…

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:36-39‬‬
At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Elijah prayed and the Lord moved mightily, accomplishing the impossible.

Do you believe today that your prayers have that kind of power?

Do you believe that through prayer you can see impossible things happen because you have sought the Lord?

Do you believe that your family can change? That relatives can be saved? That healing can happen? all because you prayed?

Do you believe that your community can see revival- that Elkton, VA could be known as the place that the Lord started the next great awakening?

The worst mistake a Christian can make is to assume that, just because the Lord might not have answered some of your past prayers in ways that you desired or expected, you shouldn’t bother praying. That’s the devil’s favorite tune.

When James invites his people to tap into the power of prayer- I believe he knew that they were wrestling with these doubts.

He knows that we have a tendency to elevate characters of the bible to a super spiritual status, that us normal folks can never attain to.

That’s why the first thing he says about Elijah is that he is a man just like us. He had doubts, struggled with depression, fear, and frustrations, just like you and me!

James’ audience also knew what happened next in Elijah’s story

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19:1-5‬‬
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”

The man who just challenged 450 pagan prophets, call the king a troubler of the nation, called down fire from heaven to consume a waterlogged sacrifice, then chased down and executed the false prophets

That guy- Elijah- was afraid for his life and ran 80 miles away and told the Lord he wanted to die, that he was done.

A character that we may have chalked up as a superhero, suddenly becomes very human doesn’t he?

He becomes frail, weak, and emotional- just like us.

In his final parting words on prayer James has chosen a character from scripture that I think we can all relate to, to show us that the power of prayer is for everyone.

People who struggle with depression, people who get frustrated, people who have fears, people who feel like they are all alone-People just like you.

What would it look like for you to pray like Elijah today?

You see the invitation of James to prayer is not that we should pray- but that we MUST pray- no matter what.

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY