{"id":6593,"date":"2024-07-19T19:45:27","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T19:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/?p=6593"},"modified":"2024-07-19T19:45:27","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T19:45:27","slug":"he-gives-more-grace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/he-gives-more-grace\/","title":{"rendered":"He Gives More Grace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click HERE for sermon audio<\/a><\/p>\n

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions[a<\/a>]<\/sup>\u00a0are\u00a0at war within you?[b<\/a>]<\/sup><\/span>\u00a02\u00a0<\/sup>You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.<\/span>\u00a03\u00a0<\/sup>You ask and do not receive, because you ask\u00a0wrongly, to spend it on your passions.<\/span>\u00a04\u00a0<\/sup>You adulterous people![c<\/a>]<\/sup>\u00a0Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?\u00a0Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.<\/span>\u00a05\u00a0<\/sup>Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, \u201cHe yearns jealously over the spirit\u00a0that he has made to dwell in us\u201d?<\/span>\u00a06\u00a0<\/sup>But\u00a0he gives more grace. Therefore it says,\u00a0\u201cGod opposes the proud but\u00a0gives grace to the humble.\u201d<\/span>\u00a07\u00a0<\/sup>Submit yourselves therefore to God.\u00a0Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.<\/span>\u00a08\u00a0<\/sup>Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.\u00a0Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and\u00a0purify your hearts,\u00a0you double-minded.<\/span>\u00a09\u00a0<\/sup>Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.<\/span>\u00a010\u00a0<\/sup>Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.<\/span><\/p>\n

11\u00a0<\/sup>Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.[d<\/a>]<\/sup>\u00a0The one who speaks against a brother or\u00a0judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.<\/span>\u00a012\u00a0<\/sup>There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:1-12)<\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n

It may be tempting to view our passage today as a collection of individual verses without any significant connection to each other, for that is probably how we are most familiar with these verses – we\u2019ve heard them individually. However, what I want you to see today is how they are part of a coherent whole in this section of James, and are all related to these issues that James is writing about.<\/span><\/p>\n

To give you a taste of the coherence of this passage, I want to start by simply summarizing the flow of the passage for you and then we\u2019ll spend the sermon going into more detail. So here is a summary of the flow of the passage: Submit yourself and your desires to God. The passions that lead to fights are pride and lack of submission to God. You desire and don\u2019t have, and ask wrongly if you do ask. This pride is also the problem of judging wrongly. In so doing, you put yourself in the place of the law and the only lawgiver and judge. Instead of following this worldly wisdom, be humble and submit to God. Draw near to God. How? Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts; which is to repent and humble yourself, knowing that God gives more grace and exalts the humble.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Problem, v. 1-4 (Envy)<\/b><\/p>\n

Having summarized the flow of the passage, let us begin by looking first to verse 1-4. Here, James addresses the problem among the brethren. The problem may be summarized as the problem of envy.<\/span><\/p>\n

But James starts by confronting the fruit of their envy. \u201cWhat causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?\u201d James asks. So apparently these brothers were dealing with a problem of quarrels and fights to the point that James needed to write to them about it. James assumes these quarrels and fights are sinful and should not be among them. But really, he has already labored to show what should be: patient endurance, steadfastness, prayers of faith, humility, quickness to hear, slowness to speak, slowness to anger, meekness, being doers of the word, bridling the tongue, showing no partiality, doing good works, and sowing seeds of righteousness in peace. The practice of all of these things would prohibit the quarreling and fighting that was going on. The fights and quarrels going on are contrasted with the peace James has commended to them at the end of chapter 3.<\/span><\/p>\n

James immediately answers the question that he asks in verse 1, stating the cause of these quarrels and fights. The cause of their strife is not the difficult circumstances they find themselves in, it is not the trials they are being tested with, it is not the persecution and injustices they are facing, or any other such thing outside of them. The cause is themselves, their own hearts. It is their own passions that are at war within them. This is much like when James talked about how we are lured and enticed by our own desires.<\/span><\/p>\n

The King James Version calls these passions \u201clusts.\u201d These are inordinate desires, sinful lusts, selfish inclinations that are not bridled and submitted to Christ in self-control.<\/span><\/p>\n

Peter says something very similar in 1 Peter 2:11, \u201cBeloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So often when there are fights and quarrels in our lives, in church, at work, in our homes with our spouse, children, or parents, we often think: \u201cIf they would just listen\u2026If people just saw how hard I work\u2026If she would just do this\u2026If he would just do that\u2026then we could have peace.\u201d So often we wrongly locate the cause of strife in our circumstances or at the feet of everyone else, instead of considering that James says it\u2019s the passions in our own heart that wage war! When there is fighting among brothers there is a war going on – and the war is not so much between one another, but in each of our hearts, as our passions and lusts rage and wreak havoc. And so often we turn and send friendly fire, firing upon the wrong enemy instead of humbling ourselves and purifying our hearts and submitting to God and saying, \u201cI was wrong. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d Remember the Scripture says, \u201cwe wrestle NOT against flesh and blood\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

These passions and desires of the heart must be subdued manfully and kept in check and repented of and rooted out, or rightly ordered, because they have such an emotional power to blind our minds and cause us to see red when we are looking at the wrong target. We are tempted to believe the sinful passions of the heart are not that big of deal, because they are just thoughts and feelings in the heart, so we think. But inward tolerance of passions leads to outward intolerance of brothers.<\/span><\/p>\n

So James explains their problem further\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

The first example of this he gives in verse 2 might come off as shocking to us, indeed many have explained it in non-literal ways, when James says, \u201cYou desire and do not have, so you murder.\u201d I believe James is being literal here. The passions of the heart, their desiring and not having, has led them to murder. It may seem shocking to the modern person, but in historical context it is not so outlandish. Zealotry was a common thread in 1st century Jewish life, and these Jewish converts to Christ have been persecuted, imprisoned, and even put to death by their own kinsmen, and driven out of their home and lands. No doubt there were Christians in this time and place who considered and committed such violence in response. Indeed much of church history shows that Christians have killed for unjust reasons. I think it likely that some of their quarrels and fights were over how to handle the situation they were in – whether or not violence was acceptable. The war within led to war without. James exposes this situation for being unjust taking of life by showing that it came from the desire for things they did not have, so they murdered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If we ever think little of the envy in our hearts, we must be reminded that such desire can bring a man to murder, so such desires must be mortified. We may think of the example of King David, who desired a woman he did not have, which ultimately resulted in having a man killed in order to obtain and cover what he desired.<\/span><\/p>\n

We may think such a thing to be so far from us, but James shows us that we may be dangerously closer to such a thing than we know when he says, \u201cYou covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.\u201d Fights and quarrels that come from envy and covetousness of what we do not have come from the same root as such murders. I hope you see the gravity of this: fights and quarrels share the same root with murder. Have you ever desired something so powerfully that you think of how you could have it if only the person was dead who stood in your way? May we shudder and flee from such thoughts. Certainly these desires, murders, and fights shed light on the peace promoted at the end of chapter 3.<\/span><\/p>\n

When fighting against such desires may we look with faith to our Lord Jesus who was in quite a similar position as these early Christians to whom James writes. Jesus did not fight back and murder when He was persecuted, but willingly laid down His life, to the same Jews who were persecuting these early Christians. He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly, He awaited His resurrection and vindication from the Father when He would receive all authority in heaven and on earth. Yes, Jesus has a specific mission to redeem His people, but let us not use this as an excuse, when there are riches of comfort and strength to gain from His example when we are in a situation that we must not fight back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Boys and girls, do you fight with your siblings because you want something that they have? God says that this is sin and we must be content with what we have and trust in the Lord.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

James goes on to address their situation and the problem of envy, saying, \u201cYou do not have, because you do not ask.\u201d Why do we let envy and coveting rule our hearts when our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills and loves to give good gifts to His children, and indeed is the Father of lights from whom every good gift comes? Christians have no need to envy and covet for we have a Father who hears us when we call and loves to answer prayer. So one of the reasons for the passions that wage war within us is our own prayerlessness. Instead of being consumed by desire and meditating on how things could be different, we are to take our burdens to God and make our requests known to Him. Believers should ask God for what they seek rather than fighting one another.<\/span><\/p>\n

James continues, \u201cYou ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.\u201d There is a wrong way to pray. Simply following the direction for prayer that Jesus taught His disciples would help us to pray right. The Lord\u2019s Prayer begins with the hallowing of God\u2019s name, and then the first petition is \u201cThy will be done.\u201d When we pray in this way, our desires are given a corrective, and we are reoriented to the will of God, and our desires may be properly ordered. We ought to truly pray this way in sincerity. So often in prayer we quickly jump to giving our requests without first honoring the Lord as Holy and submitting ourselves to His will. In this way the desires within us become the driving force, the goal, or the authority of our prayer, for that is why we ask, to spend it on our passions. I would encourage you to actually pray the Lord\u2019s Prayer often, and then structure your prayers in the same way as the Lord\u2019s Prayer. In it we also ask forgiveness for our sins, which includes those passions of the flesh, which helps us then to ask rightly.<\/span><\/p>\n

So James wants us to use prayer not to satisfy our passions, but to submit to God and humble ourselves before Him, which is his corrective for these lusts at war within us.<\/span><\/p>\n

James then makes a hard accusation of being an adulterous people and stating how friendship with the world is enmity with God. Here he speaks of worldliness as these passions of envy and coveting, and equates this with being an adulterous people. Such desires are worldly desires that are at odds with God. These desires are unfaithful desires, not submitted to God. This accusation draws a connection to the accusation leveled against Old Covenant Israel who was an adulterous people because of their idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. In the New Testament this same accusation is brought against those with these covetous passions that drive them. He shows that this is a divided heart, a double-minded man, just as he has spoken of a spring which cannot bring forth both salt and freshwater – this is to be an adulterous people – unfaithful in our hearts to God, not really submitted to Him. This is an important teaching from James, for He addresses passions which we think of as being sins against other people – murder, fights, quarrels, coveting – and he says this is not just against others, it is worldliness and enmity with God.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Grace of God, v. 5-6 (God\u2019s Jealousy)<\/b><\/p>\n

James then goes from calling out the adulterous people to speaking of the jealousy of God in verse 5. This is also what is said of God in the Old Testament, He is a jealous God, as a husband is for His bride and for her faithfulness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now there are some translation issues with verse 5 and questions as to what Scripture may or may not be referenced here in verse 5. I won\u2019t go into all those details here.<\/span><\/p>\n

I will just say that I believe this is hearkening to the idea of what we see in Deuteronomy 6:15 which says, \u201cfor the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God\u2026\u201d The Lord being in the midst of Old Covenant Israel is a sign of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us – who is a jealous God – jealous for the faithfulness of His people, like a husband for a bride. So these lusts of the flesh are these unfaithful desires to God – we can\u2019t be friends with worldly desires and God.<\/span><\/p>\n

In short, James is exhorting us not to be unfaithful like Old Covenant Israel, and not even to be so in the desires of our hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n

I love verse 6, \u201cBut He gives more grace.\u201d What a balm for the war torn soul. What a need this grace is for the battlefield of the heart. What a gospel ointment it is that God has more grace than we have sin. His grace is more powerful than the passions of our heart. His grace triumphs over our sin. Who does He give grace to? Those who need it, essentially. He references Proverbs 3:34, \u201cGod opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.\u201d God gives grace to the poor, the humble, the lowly before Him, those who need it. Those who come to Him. Those who submit to Him. He is ready to give it. He has more than we can fill our hands and our hearts with. The proud refuse. The proud will not receive a gift. The proud will not open their hand to receive.<\/span><\/p>\n

The connection to pride and humility show us that these problems of fights and quarrels and murders and coveting are problems of pride. We don\u2019t ask because of pride. We ask wrongly because of pride. James says humble yourself before Him. Put down your fighting and self-righteousness and receive.<\/span><\/p>\n

The solution to these passions, sins, and fights is God\u2019s grace. It\u2019s received in humility. You covet all these things you do not have. You murder and fight because you cannot obtain. But God has grace ready to give to you. Why do you long after all these worldly passions when God has more grace to give? God\u2019s boundless grace satisfies that we might not want. \u201cThe Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name\u2019s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Lord\u2019s portion is enough to satisfy the soul of the believer in the midst of dark valleys of death, persecution, and enemies. It is enough to satisfy the craving passions of our hearts that we shall not want. And it is not merely enough. It is more than enough, that the believer\u2019s cup overflows. It is always enough that His goodness and mercy may follow us all the days of our lives. And it is not just enough here, but the believer shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. We are tempted to think, \u201cYes, eternal life is great, but what about all these desires here and now, I can\u2019t make it or live without these desires.\u201d But if Christ is our portion for all eternity, surely we wouldn\u2019t think so little of it to think that our eternal portion of grace is not enough for this short life?<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you know that He gives more grace? Have you had more lately, or have you been filled with worldly desires and pride in seeking to get what you want your way? Such seeking has failed you, and you know it. You have quarreled, fought, and been miserable. So come now, put that away, and come humbly to Jesus Christ who gives more grace. You cannot have what you covet, but you can have more of Christ who is enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Solution, v. 7-12 (Humility)<\/b><\/p>\n

James tells us more of what this looks like. It looks like humility. He basically goes on to show next how to sow a harvest of righteousness in peace.<\/span><\/p>\n

Very simply, submit yourselves therefore to God. God gives more grace. He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. THEREFORE submit yourself to God. Submit yourself to grace. It\u2019s painfully and beautifully simple. It\u2019s oh so hard, but oh so easy all at once. Because it\u2019s pride that\u2019s in the way. God gives grace to the humble, therefore be humble before God. It means you stop clenching your first and you stop trying to make all desires of the flesh happen by your might. You stop trying to right all the wrong things that have been done to you, and you come before God, praying, \u201cThy will be done,\u201d and \u201clet it be done Your way.\u201d It\u2019s laying down the murder, fights, quarrels, and the coveting; and it\u2019s waiting on God to give, waiting on God to deliver, waiting on God to vindicate. Submit yourself to God.<\/span><\/p>\n

James has also talked about a demonic faith without works and a demonic wisdom, which is this wisdom of thinking murder is how you get what you desire, and that fighting is how you get what you covet. And he exhorts us simply, \u201cResist the devil and he will flee from you.\u201d Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. If we submit to God the devil cannot have us. If we humbly abide by God\u2019s wisdom and peace, the enemy has none over us. It\u2019s a simple beauty. The Bible does not give convoluted and complicated rituals and rites for casting out demons, but simple submission to God and resistance of the devil – and he will flee from you. Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth. If we are under Christ\u2019s authority we cannot also be under the devil\u2019s, which he does not have. Obedience to God and resistance to temptation is spiritual warfare and it gives the devil no home in you. This both heightens the gravity of obedience to Christ and simplifies the fight against spiritual forces of evil.<\/span><\/p>\n

This reminds us of Christ, our Lord, when He was tempted in the wilderness by Satan. Jesus was tempted in similar ways that James speaks to his audience about. He was tempted to do things according to passions of the flesh – satisfying His hunger. He was tempted to take the kingdoms He wanted by worldly wisdom – bowing to Satan. He was tempted to prove Himself in pride, throwing Himself down. But what did Jesus do? How did Jesus defeat Satan in the wilderness? He did not gratify the desires of the flesh. He did not bow to Satan. He did not act in pride. He submitted Himself to God and He resisted the devil. And then Matthew 4:11 says \u201cthe devil left him.\u201d Such is the power of Christ and such may be the power of Christ in us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So what more does submitting ourselves to God look like? James says draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cleansing the hands signifies changing our deeds or repenting of our wrong deeds. And purifying the heart signifies changing our desires or repenting of our wrong desires. This is what repentance looks like. It is in the heart and in the hands. It is a change in the desires of the heart and in the life.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is also interesting that James uses these images because the cleansing of the hands was a priestly ritual. Remember the basin for washing from the priestly tabernacle rites in Exodus. They were to wash their hands daily, before they did what? Before they entered the Holy Place, which is where they would draw near to God and God would draw near to them. And James shows us the reality that now we all have sanctuary access to God through Jesus Christ, and thus all have this responsibility of humble repentance, the washing of hands and heart before God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Or we may once again be reminded of the beatitudes in the sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:8, \u201cBlessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Or we may think of Psalm 24 which asks the question, \u201cWho shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?\u201d What\u2019s it say? \u201cHe who has clean hands and a pure heart.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This is to say what James spells out further in verse 9-10, humble yourself, be wretched and mourn and weep. Recognize your pride and repent. Be sorrowful. Why so gloomy? Well it is necessary when we realize the pride of our hearts in being an adulterous people with worldly desires as enemies of God. How could we raise ourselves up in arrogance, be so foolish, and do such evil? There is a house of mourning that we need to travel to. And there are better things there for us than in the house of feasting. This is not worldly wisdom, is it? This is strange to the world. Very weird to the world. But this is the wisdom of Jesus and the way of the Kingdom of God. The sermon on the mount again, Matthew 5:4, \u201cBlessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.\u201d This is God\u2019s wisdom, for when you humble yourself before the Lord, He will exalt you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Think of Joseph in the Old Testament. Humbled to the lowest place for many years. Betrayed and sold into slavery by his brothers. Falsely accused and thrown into an Egyptian prison. Forgotten in prison. But he didn\u2019t murder the prison guard. He patiently waited humbly on the Lord and in the Lord\u2019s time, God highly exalted him to the right hand of the kingdom of Egypt.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the story of Jesus essentially, our Lord. He humbled Himself. There was no sin in Him. No sin for which He should mourn or repent. But He humbled Himself to save sinners. He humbled Himself in putting on human flesh. He humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross. But God then highly exalted Him, raising Him from the dead, ascending to the right hand of God, giving Him all authority, and bestowing upon Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

And that is our story and our calling in Christ. We may suffer for a time. We need to repent and mourn for a time. But in God\u2019s time, He will exalt us in Christ, where even now we are seated with Him in the Heavenly places. Even now we rule and reign with Him, though around us it may not always feel or look to be so when we are faced with trials of various kinds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Time fails us to consider details of verse 11 and 12, but the sense of the passage should be plain by now. Do not speak evil against another. This is the judgment we are not to pass on another, evil judgment. Judgment made in pride or falsehood. For doing so is a form of pride, you judge your brother with evil judgment and you put yourself in the place of the law, in the place of the lawgiver, and in the place of the judge, when your place is to be a doer of the Word, not a judger over it. Instead of hasty judgment and evil speaking we are to be merciful and to wait upon the only lawgiver and judge, the only one able to save and destroy – Jesus Christ. He will come and vindicate His saints. He will come and judge the wicked. He will come and make right. It is not for us to grab for ourselves and make happen. Humble ourselves, get down from the judge\u2019s seat, and wait on our Redeemer and Judge of all. For the one who is able to save and destroy should sober us up to repentance, for He will come. He will not leave His people hanging. He will not let injustice and evil continue forever. Wrong will be made right.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus saved these early Christians from their fierce persecutors when He destroyed apostate Israel and Jerusalem in that generation with the destruction of AD 70. A horrific judgment was salvation and relief for the hotly persecuted brethren. These early brothers did not need to take political machinations and murder into their hands, because Jesus was coming to deal with it. And this judgment was a downpayment on what will come for all the ungodly and prideful who refuse to repent and humble themselves before God. All the blood of the martyrs cries out down throughout the ages, and Christ will hear and vindicate their cause in finality one day. Therefore, today, humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Click HERE for sermon audio What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions[a]\u00a0are\u00a0at war within you?[b]\u00a02\u00a0You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.\u00a03\u00a0You ask and do not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":6594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1582],"tags":[33,39,69,205,240,274,279,2028,2030,2026,557,567,592,615,672,678,679,699,765,2027,849,2029,1114,1172],"class_list":{"0":"post-6593","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sermon","8":"tag-33","9":"tag-39","10":"tag-69","11":"tag-bible","12":"tag-brothers","13":"tag-christ","14":"tag-christians","15":"tag-envy","16":"tag-fights","17":"tag-gives","18":"tag-god","19":"tag-grace","20":"tag-he","21":"tag-holy","22":"tag-james","23":"tag-jenkins","24":"tag-jesus","25":"tag-joshua","26":"tag-lord","27":"tag-more","28":"tag-murder","29":"tag-quarrels","30":"tag-sermon","31":"tag-spirit","32":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/R.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1629,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/martyn-lloyd-jones-on-the-sermon-on-the-mount\/","url_meta":{"origin":6593,"position":0},"title":"Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Sermon on the Mount","author":"Joshua Mills","date":"May 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I have heard many people say, \u201cSurely the Sermon on the Mount teaches that we have our sins forgiven only if we forgive others. Doesn\u2019t our Lord say, 'but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses'\u201d (Matt. 6:15). Is this true? Is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"bible\"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/tag\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/05\/268.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/05\/268.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/05\/268.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1107,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/reasons-for-not-evaluating-a-sermon\/","url_meta":{"origin":6593,"position":1},"title":"Reasons for Not Evaluating a Sermon","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"August 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Preaching is serious business. So is listening to a sermon. For those of us who take preaching seriously as it should be taken, there is sometimes the desire to evaluate the sermon. Sermon evaluation is not necessarily a bad thing. There are indeed good reasons and ways to do so.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/faith\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6468,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-father-of-lights\/","url_meta":{"origin":6593,"position":2},"title":"The Father of Lights","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"April 29, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Click HERE for sermon audio Let no one say when he is tempted, \u201cI am being tempted by God,\u201d for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.\u00a014\u00a0But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.\u00a015\u00a0Then desire\u00a0when it has conceived\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/04\/660b56bb3be13f277116f690c44a8f9e.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/04\/660b56bb3be13f277116f690c44a8f9e.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/04\/660b56bb3be13f277116f690c44a8f9e.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1368,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/a-short-practical-guide-to-preaching\/","url_meta":{"origin":6593,"position":3},"title":"A Short, Practical Guide to Preaching","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"April 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"There is not a one size fits all method or structure of preaching. There are many ways to study, structure, and faithfully deliver the Word of God to God\u2019s people. That being said, I will mention three important elements to consider in your study and delivery of God\u2019s Word. You\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"bible\"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/tag\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/04\/pulpit.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5691,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/laws-about-hebrew-slaves\/","url_meta":{"origin":6593,"position":4},"title":"Laws About Hebrew Slaves","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"May 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Click HERE for sermon audio \u201cNow these are the\u00a0rules that you shall set before them.\u00a02\u00a0When you buy a Hebrew slave,[a]\u00a0he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.\u00a03\u00a0If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1231,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/dear-bi-vocational-pastor\/","url_meta":{"origin":6593,"position":5},"title":"Dear Bi-Vocational Pastor","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"January 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Being a bi-vocational pastor is an immensely glorious, yet difficult task. I have seen and heard of the struggles from my own bi-vocational pastors. It is something that takes discipline, dedication, and gobs of grace. As I prepare to enter into the bi-vocational pastorate myself, I want to revel in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Bi-vocational\"","block_context":{"text":"Bi-vocational","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/tag\/bi-vocational\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}