Grace in Tullahoma

A Prescription for Any Condition

James 5:13-14

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick, let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Question #1, Is anyone among you suffering?                                        

Question #2, Is anyone cheerful?                                                        

 Question #3, Is anyone among you sick?  

I.  The Circumstance of Hardship Is anyone among you suffering?

Let him pray!

1.  God may remove the troubles.

2.  God may give you the grace to bear the problem.

II. The Circumstance of Gladness Is anyone cheerful?

Let him sing songs.

Come to Jesus today!

Revelation – Spit You Out – 10

Revelation 3:14-22 – 14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

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I love to walk past groups of people and catch just part of their conversation. It can be hilarious. Once, I heard “And that’s why you don’t take an introvert to prom.” I have no clue what they were talking about, but just hearing that one line was hilarious. One of my friends did the same thing one time and heard, “I woke up, and there were Cheetos all in the bed.” And that’s all you hear of the conversation. I’m sure it makes sense in context, but when you take it out of context, it just sounds funny.

There are several parts of this letter that are often quoted, but they are almost entirely taken out of context. I have even taken them out of context on numerous occasions. To rightly understand the intent of a passage, context is important. There is much meaning that is drawn from this letter that requires context from Laodicea. Here is some of their background.

The city was a wealthy commercial center, the richest in Phrygia.[1] It was known for banking, the manufacturing of clothing (especially black wool), and a famous medical school with ointments for the ears and eyes. It was so wealthy that when it was destroyed in an earthquake in AD 60, it was able to completely rebuild itself without any funds from Rome.[2] The Roman historian Tacitus said of the city, “Laodicea arose from the ruins by the strength of her own resources, and with no help from us.”[3]

So, this city had great wealth and was able to achieve anything they wanted on their own. They were self-reliant, and that same mindset existed for the church there. But here’s something they needed and we need to remember:

We need Jesus. (vs 14-15)

Jesus is before all, created all, and sustains all. There is no part of our life where we don’t need Jesus. When it says in verse 14 that he is the “beginning” of God’s creation, it doesn’t mean that he had a beginning. The word literally means “origin.” It is the Greek word “archē.”[4] It’s where we get our word archetype, which means “an original that has been imitated.” Jesus has not been created as some cults and other religions have claimed. He his eternal. He has always existed. And all that exists does so because of him. Hear what John 1 says about him, using the same Greek word every time you hear “beginning.”

 John 1:1-3 – “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Now, we see why we need Jesus based on who he is, but here’s where the need for context comes in for us to understand this passage accurately. The church at Laodicea, and often us as well, lived in such a way as if they didn

Jesus is Coming Soon! 

James 5:7-12

7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. 12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” be “No,” lest you fall into judgment.

“Maranatha–the Lord is coming!“

I. The fact that Jesus is coming soon ought to EXCITE us!

II. The fact that Jesus is coming soon ought to cause us to EXAMINE ourselves!

(1) Am I strong in heart? “Establish your hearts.” 

(2) Am I sweet in spirit? “Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.”                                                                                               

(3) Am I sincere in my words? “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath.  “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ be ‘No,’ lest you fall into judgment.”

III. The fact that Jesus is coming soon ought to ENCOURAGE us.

1) A farmer. “See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.”

He claimed the PROMISE of God.

2) The prophets “My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.”                                           

They claimed the POWER of God.

3) Job. “Indeed we count them blessed who endure.  You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord–that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

He claimed the PURPOSE of God.                                                                             

Are you ready for Jesus to come?

Revelation – Open Door – 9

Revelation 3:7-13 –  7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

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Have you ever lost your keys? We lost the keys to our shed and didn’t realize it until Christmas Eve night when I needed to get presents out of it. I had to figure out a way to take the doors off the hinges in the freezing night, while neighbors thought someone was breaking into our shed. What I needed was an open door and a set of keys. In the passage tonight, the letter to the church in Philadelphia, we see that they had an open door and that Jesus has the keys. This church was commended for their faithfulness to Christ, and we don’t see anything negative said about them. We can learn a lot from the church in Philadelphia about how to be a faithful people of God.

Jesus is the holy one, the true one, and the sovereign one. (vs 7)

Jesus is the holy one. To be holy means to be set apart. There is none more set apart than Jesus, who is seated on the throne in heaven, distinct and ruling and reigning over all else. He is the spotless lamb who was slain. The one who never sinned.

Jesus is the true one. Jesus, as scripture represents him, corresponds with reality. It doesn’t matter what we believe or want to believe. What matters is what is true. Jesus is “the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [him]” (Jn 14:6). So many people questioned him, even in Bible times…was he really who he said he was, like John the Baptist in Matthew 11:3, asking “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” And they walked away certain. We can be too. Jesus not only existed, as virtually all scholars believe, but he is, in reality, as he is recorded in the scriptures.

Jesus is the sovereign one. It says he is the one who “has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.” This statement is found in Isaiah 22:22, which states, “I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” It also makes us think of the words of Matthew 16:19, which says, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

What Jim Hamilton says in his commentary is too good and necessary for me to summarize. Hear what he says about all of this with your head and your heart.

“Revelation 3:7 is heralding the trustworthiness of Jesus for us. Do you trust him? Maybe you have consciously decided not to trust Jesus. Let me ask you: is what you trust holy? Are you sure? Is what you trust true? Are you sure? Will what you trust prevail? Are you sure?

If you don’t trust in Je

Money Miseries

James 5:1-6

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.

I.  The Misery of Idle Money “You have heaped up treasure in the last days.” 

1) It’s unused treasure.

2) There is unused talent. “Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire.” 

II. The Misery of Illegal Wealth “Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.”

1) The cry of the wages. “the wages of the laborers cry out.” 

2) The cries of the laborers. “The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.”

III. The Misery of Indulgent Wealth. “You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened you hearts as in a day of slaughter.”

IV. The Ministry of Invested Wealth. “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9) 

There’s only one way to financial peace, and that’s to walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus!

Revelation – Wake Up – 8

Revelation 3:1-6 – 1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

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The best way to scare someone is when their guard is down. They use this in scary movies. The music will build and build and then, nothing. When you think the scare will come it doesn’t, and as soon as you let your guard down, BOO! Scaring people is one of the most fun things to do, and sometimes you will wait for a long time for the person to walk around the corner and then scare them. But, it’s all wasted if they’re alert and paying attention.

What we’re going to see tonight is the need to be alert. To wake up.

Jesus is fully alert. (vs 1a)

Some commentators think the angels of the churches are angelic representatives who report to Jesus. If this is the case, I wonder what they say about us. About you? What do you think they would say?

Even though we often need a wake-up call, Jesus is fully aware of all that’s going on. “Jesus is fully alert, fully informed, and completely aware of all that takes place in Heaven and on earth. As the one who has the seven spirits and the seven starts, nothing escapes his notice.”[1]

As we’ve seen in other letters, this is good and bad for us. He sees your effort and your faith and your love, even if nobody else does. But he also sees your sin. The sin you think nobody sees.

Jesus knows us as we truly are. (vs 1b)

This church had a reputation for being alive and vibrant, but that was far from the truth. They were living in the past. They were living on their reputation. They were thinking that because there was no big controversy and everyone thought well of them that everything was good with them. They were wrong.

You can’t live in the past with Jesus. You are always here and now walking in obedience or in defiance of Jesus. You are always, every moment, either pursuing life or death.

“Yesterday’s victories are of little value for today’s battles.”[2]

This is why Jesus says you must take up your cross daily and follow him (Luke 9:23). Following Jesus is an everyday, every moment pursuit.

“One never drifts anywhere worth going. We always drift away from God into sin and rebellion. We never drift into obedience and Christlikeness.”[3]

Though this church had a reputation for being alive and thriving, there is nothing positive said about this church in this letter. Other churches that had severe problems were commended for different things. This church wasn’t.

Warren Wiersbe says, “The church would have been better off had there been some suffering, for it had grown comfortable and content and was living on its past reputation.”[4]

Is this you? Are you trusting in your “good girl” or “good boy” persona? Are you trusting in your church attendance? Are you trusting in everyone’s perception of you? Nobody’s perception of you matters except God’s.

So, what was causing this church to need a wake-up call? They weren’t confessing Jesus.

We are to confess Jesus.

In 3:5 Jesus says of the one who conquers, “I will confess h

What if Tomorrow Never Comes?

James 4:13-17

Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy. And that is God so…who are you to judge another?

Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrowwe will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, if the Lord wills we shall live and do this or that. But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

I.  The picture James draws.

II. The problem that James detects.                                                                       

1) This man doesn’t understand the uncertainty of life. Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.

2) This man doesn’t understand the brevity of life. What is your life? It is a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.                                                                

III. The procedure James describes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills we shall live and do this or that. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

1) Find the will of God.

2) Follow the will of God.      

a) You can ignore the will of God. Today or tomorrow I’m going to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.

b) You can reject the will of God “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

c) You can do the will of God. “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

What if tomorrow never comes? Will you be prepared? Will you have any regrets?

The Tragedy of a Worldly Life

James 4:4-10

1) He says we are saved out of the world.

2) He says we are still in this world.

3) He says we are not to be of the world.

4) He says He sends us into the world.

I.  The sinfulness of a worldly life.

(1) Worldliness is a sin against love. “Adulterers and adulteresses!”

(2) Worldliness is a sin against light. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?”

(3) Worldliness is a sin against liberty. “Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

II. The seriousness of the worldly life.

(1) Worldliness is serious because it rejects the person of the Lord. “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?”

(2) Worldliness also refuses the provision of the Lord. “But He gives more grace.”

“Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Revelation – Tolerating Tolerance – 7

Revelation 2:18-29 – 18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

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* A little bad spoils a whole lot of good analogy.

We’re going to see the danger of letting the bad into our lives and into the church. Each letter deals with particular issues within specific churches, and they all apply to us as well.

“Ephesus had abandoned their first love. Smyrna was not reproved, but they were facing tribulation. Pergamum had people holding the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Thyatira, the subject under consideration now, is tolerating Jezebel. We will see that Sardis seemed alive but was dead. Philadelphia had an open door. Laodicea was lukewarm.”[1]

Each letter, just like the whole book of Revelation, starts with a view of who Jesus is.

Jesus is the Davidic King. (18)

Several commentators say this introduction about Jesus alludes to him as the pure king in the line of king David. It seems like it is purposefully reminiscent of the covenant God made with David in 2 Samuel 7. Mounce says, “Since Psalm 2:9 is quoted later in the letter (v. 27), it may be that Psalm 2:7 (“the Lord…said to me, ‘You are my Son’”) suggested its use here.”[2]

The description of his blazing eyes here suggests the penetrating power of Christ’s ability to see through the seductive arguments of “Jezebel” and those who were being led astray by her teaching. Jesus knows what the truth is. Jesus knows our thoughts and our actions. He sees through every lie Satan and the culture seeks to ensnare you with. He is the definer of truth.

Jesus is announcing himself to this church as the Davidic King. We will see later why this is important. First, we need to see what this church did to require harsh words from Jesus.

The church failed to exclude sin. (19-25)

“Their sin – toleration – is the very thing commended in our culture as the greatest virtue.”[3]

Tolerating sin brings about a very slippery slope. John Wesley is quoted as famously saying, “What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.”

Why is this a bad thing? There are some things we need to tolerate and embrace, right? Yes, but content and truth matters.

If we lived in a world where smiling is frowned upon (pun intended), and I look around and realize the world needs some smiles, I’m going to slip a few smiles at people and tolerate it when it is done at me, in hopes that it is accepted down the road. On th

The Tragedy of a Misdirected Life

James 4:1-3

I.  The tragedy of disruptive problems. “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?”

(1) So he asks, where do they come from?

(2) How do they operate?

(3) Now notice what takes place then.

II. The tragedy of destructive passions.

(1) These destructive passions destroy peace within. “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war.”

(2)  The destructive passions destroy peace without.

III. The tragedy of defective prayers. 

(1)  There is unoffered prayer. “Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”

(2) There is unworthy prayer. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss that you may spent it on your pleasures.”

“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”