Men's Workout #52 - July 21, 2018

OPENING SONG AND PRAYER

We started our time together by singing hymn #7 "Sing Praise to the Lord."

MEMORIZATION & DISCUSSION

James 5:7-11

• Prior to this, James has just dealt with those who are rich and abusive, and doesn't refer to them nor treat them as brethren. Now, in contrast, James is addressing the brethren who have been suffering because of the abuse they have been receiving. In light of their suffering, James encourages these saints to be patient and wait for the coming of the Lord.
• We must be patient with one another in our waiting. We ought not to sin by complaining against one another in light of Christ's imminent return - James reminds us of the truth that the Judge is standing right at the door. This motivates us to keep their minds focused on the hope of Christ's return with a clear conscience, rather than focusing on worldly or selfish interests apart from Christ.
• Examples of God's prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord, but endured through suffering with patience:
  • Elijah
  • Noah
  • Moses
  • Jeremiah
  • Micaiah

• We may not suffer in the same manner as the prophets today, but as Christians we still regularly receive ostracizing or ridicule. In times of suffering like these, we should follow the example of the prophets and strengthen our hearts with hope and trust in the Lord.
• Those who endure are blessed. For example, despite all of the hardships, losses, and sufferings he faced, Job endured them all with patience and hope in the Lord. Job was not entirely perfect, but he was faithful and praised the Lord, waiting upon Him. "The LORD game and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).
• If we are not enduring through suffering ourselves, we can come alongside those who are suffering and bless them, helping to meet their needs, praying for them with compassion, and pointing them to a longing and hope for the Lord and His return.

James 5:12

• The issue that James makes in this section is not necessarily an issue of oath taking, but honesty. James is simply telling God's people to be dead honest, so that our words can be trusted. Even in suffering and under pressure, we should always be straight shooters and answer honestly and truthfully, rather than hastily or rashly making oaths or promises that we know cannot be fulfilled.

Men's Workout #51 - July 7, 2018

OPENING SONG AND PRAYER

We started our time together by singing hymn #133 "All Glory Be To Christ."

MEMORIZATION & DISCUSSION

James 5:6

• James is writing to a Jewish audience. They have a history of putting righteous men to death.
• Who are some examples whom the Jews condemned and put to death?
  • Jesus, Stephen, James, and the prophets (1 Thessalonians 2:14-15), such as Zechariah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Elijah
• Should righteous people willingly let harm come upon them?
  • In this context, James' point is to condemn his Jewish audience for their past (and current) wrongs. James is not prescribing a principle for righteous people going forward.
  • However, we know that there are varying responsibilities for different groups of people. We know that Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek (Luke 6:29), but on the other hand, we also should not act as sitting ducks who invite harm. Additionally, we ought to physically protect our loved ones in shepherding care.
• If the Lord blesses us materially, we must always keep our hearts in check to obey the Lord's will in righteousness. We must not use our positions and resources to inflict harm on others for selfish gain.

James 5:7-8

• James is now addressing the brethren to be patient for the coming of the Lord.
  • The coming of the Lord is joy for believers, but a terror for those who are evil.
  • Like those who waited in Noah's ark for the fulfillment of the events they knew would come, Christians also must wait patiently for the return of the Lord. We know the day is coming, but we do not know when it is. Until it comes, every day can feel like a seemingly ordinary day, and we don't know how many more there will be. We need to be patient, and be the kind of people who can deal with these ordinary days until the coming of the Lord occurs.
• "Early and late rains"
  • In Israel, there were seasons of rain that farmers expected and depended upon to water their crops (Deuteronomy 11:14). Until the rains come, the periods in between are filled with days of waiting, albeit with expectation.
• Patience is a manifestation and evidence of great strength, resolve, and self-control.
• Continually waiting for the Lord and His return requires great strength. How can we foster patience in our lives as we wait for His return?
  • Pondering and anticipating the precious outcome and results of His return. Keep the reality and truth of His coming in our minds.
  • Participating in fellowship and encouragement with fellow saints.
  • Continual prayer and soaking in the Word.
  • Singing about the Lord's return.
  • Meditate upon and recite Scripture.

James 5:9

• Verse 9 deals with our treatment of one another. Specifically, James tells us to stop complaining against one another, because God takes our complaining against each other seriously to the point of judgment against it. Instead, Christians must be content in the Lord and rejoice in all things.
• What are some examples of complaining against each other that can happen in the church?
  • Gossip and slander against other brethren.
  • Being critical of others who are not serving (and vice versa). For example, Martha complained that Mary was not helping out with all of the labor in the church (Luke 10:38-42).
  • Comparing yourself and/or others based on the amounts of each person's financial giving to the church.
  • Comparing yourself against others based on the amounts of their physical blessings (i.e. salary level, ability for large purchases, etc.).
• Grumbling and complaining is an offense to the Lord; He takes it very seriously.
  • Exodus 16 - 1st generation Israelites complained against God.
  • Numbers 11:16-35 - Israelites complained about lack of meat.
  • Philippians 2:14-15 - do all things without grumbling or disputing.
  • Genesis 1:12 - Adam complained against God about Eve ("the woman You gave to be with me")
• Remember that love is patient (1 Corinthians 13). Rather than grumble and complain against one another and God, we ought to be patient with one another.

Men's Workout #50 - June 23, 2018

OPENING SONG AND PRAYER

We started our time together by singing hymn #213 "My Hope Is In The Lord"

REVIEW

We continued our review through James, picking up with the following:

• 4 minutes to review/memorize James 4:13-17;
• 2 minutes to review/memorize James 5:5-6

DISCUSSION

James 4:13-17

• This passage is talking about real, practical, everyday living in light of God's sovereignty. We must always submit our plans to the Lord. Our lives are not controlled by our own plans or determinations, but by our sovereign Lord and God. Therefore, in everyday living, we ought to submit all things to God and trust in His leading.
• The world often attributes success as a result of self-making or fortunate circumstances. As Christians, we must not fall into that line of thinking. We ought to submit to the truth that our active, living God is sovereign and is orchestrating all things.
• Examples:
  • Entrust the salvation of family members to God's sovereignty. Salvation is from the Lord.
  • When you leave a job, don't worry about whether things will fall apart in your absence. God is sovereign and we must be humble to acknowledge that He is in control of all things.

James 5:5-6

• Christians must not live to please themselves in self-indulgent pleasure. If there are people in need within our communities that we can really help, then we ought to help if we are able. We ought not to be "sponges" that receive and hoard the blessings of God for ourselves without also giving to others and blessing them with service and resources. Christians ought to be blessings to other people.
• Examples:
  • Luke 16:19-31 - The rich man and Lazarus. The rich man was unwilling to lift a finger to help Lazarus the poor man, but instead was pampering himself.

Men's Workout #49 - June 16, 2018

OPENING SONG AND PRAYER

We started our time together by singing hymn #385 - "More Love to Thee, O Christ."

REVIEW

We spent our time together in a general review of James chapter 4.

Verses 1-3:

• The source of quarrels and conflicts among us is our own desires apart from God's will.
• Quarrels and conflict occur between members of the church, not within our own bodies. Context points the way to this understanding. For instance, James 3 sets the groundwork understanding of interpersonal conflict.
• Not only ought we to let go of our own desires, but we should replace our own desires with the desires of God and Christ our Lord. We should pray to the Lord without holding onto selfish motives, not expecting an answer to prayer so that our will would be done, but rather that the Lord's will would be done.
• "We should pray for the ends rather than the means." We should pray for the result of Lord's glory, rather than praying specifically for the mechanisms of how we might think this will should be carried out. If we pray for the means, we will likely end up with an attitude of discouragement or even disappointment in God if or when events don't transpire in the way we expected.

Verses 4-6

• Friendship with the world would be to align with their philosophy to do whatever it takes to get your own way. When we engage in this kind of selfish mentality and action, we become enemies of God.
• Verse 5 refers to the man's inner spirit, not the Holy Spirit. The Lord desires our inner man. He desires for our full obedience and worship. God doesn't desire outward or hypocritical acts of religion, but He desires our entire being in devotion and submission to Him.
• When we engage in conflict with others in pursuit of our own selfish desires, we become just like the world and enemies of God. Rather, we must submit to God willingly in full obedience, not holding fast to our own selfishness, but drawing near in full and humble trust in God's will for our lives.

Verses 7-10

• To be humble is to submit to God's authority and obey His Word.
• To resist the devil means to resist his temptations to seek after your own glory and authority apart from God's glory and authority.
• When we feel distant from God, it is not God who has abandoned us, but rather we have wandered and failed to draw near to God. We can only draw nearer to God when we realize our own sinfulness and respond with humble repentance. We ought to truly mourn over our sins before our holy God. We ought to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts from our sins, actively turning away from them and instead turning our hearts and minds back toward God and His will.

Verses 11-12

• In the context of interpersonal conflict, we must not judge our brethren according to our own selfish desires. When we judge or condemn our brethren, we place ourselves at the same level or even above God, and we give ourselves the authority to place judgment on others for what we evaluate as sinfulness. This is foolishness and sin, for only God can judge, and we have no power or authority to save and destroy.
• We should seek to edify and bless others. We should seek to help and ease others' burdens, bearing them as our own. We ought to confront others of their sins, but not just abandon them there with a judgmental attitude; we should love them, care for them, pray for them, and help them to repent and overcome their sins.

Men's Workout #48 - June 7, 2018

OPENING SONG AND PRAYER

We started our time together by singing hymn #17 "O Father, You Are Sovereign."

REVIEW

We spent 3 minutes reviewing James 4:13-17, after which we recited the passage together.

• Even in planning for positive things in life, we should submit all things and circumstances to the sovereignty of God.

MEMORY PASSAGE

We reviewed James 5:1-5, spending:

• 3 minutes to memorize verses 1-3;
• 2 minutes to memorize verse 4

DISCUSSION

James 5:1-3

• James warns the rich to weep and howl, for their hoarding of riches ultimately ends up in a wasted result (e.g., gold and silver rusting. Gold and silver don't actually rust, but is used as a demonstration to show their ultimate worthlessness when esteemed in inappropriately high value vs. having a godly attitude toward wealth).
• In the past, wealth was very visible and tangible. For example, wealth was found in physical currency, property, cattle, etc. But in our digital age today, our wealth may not be very visible, and so our attitude and value toward wealth must be more honest before the Lord.
• What are some examples that demonstrate hoarding our wealth today?
  • Putting into retirement before giving to the Lord.
  • Building a real estate empire to amass personal riches.
  • Excessive spending, even when amassing debt against resources we never had. "Hoarding against the future"
• Did Jesus tell everyone to sell all of their wealth and possessions and live in poverty instead? No! The Lord knows the hearts of every person, and calls them to respond and obey accordingly.
  • Example: Zaccheus (Luke 19). Zaccheus was a tax collector who defrauded people, and hoarded his riches. In his repentance, Zaccheus he gave away half of his wealth to the poor, and making up to the people he defrauded. He may have had more riches left, but the Lord didn't demand that he give up the rest of his wealth also.
  • Martha, Mary, and Lazarus seem to have a house, in which they host the Lord.
• These are some good questions we can ask in order to evaluate our hearts regarding wealth and hoarding. What should we do with the wealth that God has given to us?
  • Who do we serve: God or wealth? (Matthew 6)
  • Are we caring for and helping the needy? (Job 31:16-23)
  • Are we conceited about our wealth? (1 Timothy 6)
• God's purpose is not for us to live in poverty. Rather, God desires for us to be in a position where we can use our resources to help others.

James 5:4

• Lord of the Sabaoth = Lord of Hosts. Referring to the Lord of the hosts of angels who is coming. This is why the rich have their miseries coming upon them, because the Lord's return will bring judgment upon those who are rich but withhold fair wages from their employees.
• We must deal honestly before the Lord in all things, even in the small things. For example, it is not worth lying in order to save any amount of money, while compromising our conscience and righteousness before the Lord.

Men's Workout #47 - June 2, 2018

OPENING SONG AND PRAYER

We started our time together by singing hymn #143, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name."

MEMORY PASSAGE

We reviewed James 4:13-17, spending:

• 3 minutes to memorize verses 13-14;
• 3 minutes to memorize verses 15-17;

DISCUSSION

James 4:13-14

• James is addressing the attitude in the heart. James doesn't call this attitude foolishness, but arrogance. We literally do not know what will happen to us tomorrow; we are not sovereign, and thus we don't control our own destinies.
• Life is unpredictable. We encounter things in life that we don't anticipate and cannot control.
• The Bible is not telling us not to make plans at all. We ought to submit our plans for the future to the Lord's trust and care. He is sovereign and He is in control. But we sin if we proudly and arrogantly plan according to our own arrogance and expect outcomes of our own control. We must live with the understanding that we are all living under God's sovereign plan and control.
• The principle of humility vs. arrogance is general and not only tied to the specific example of enterprise or making money. We could replace "make a profit" with "make disciples of Christ," and in either scenario a boasting and arrogant attitude that doesn't submit plans to God's sovereign is still foolish and sinful.

James 4:15-17

• James is not saying boasting and arrogance is merely foolish, but that it is sin.
• Verse 17 generalizes the sin of omission. If you do not follow through with what God wants, that is clearly sin.
• "The right thing" in verse 17 is geared toward God's commands. We ought to live practically under the sovereignty of God, acknowledging His control in all things.

DISCUSSION OF NEXT WEEK'S MEMORY PASSAGE

James 5:1-5

• James addresses those who are rich in life.
  • The rich hoard their riches and resources, only to have them waste away.
  • The rich are abusive, holding back wages from those who have fairly earned them.
  • The rich are self-indulgent, relentlessly pursuing pleasure without restraint, but having and end result in judgment.
  • The rich exploit their power and evade their own judgment on earth, but they cannot escape God's judgment.
• Hoarding
  • Saving for the future can be a good thing, but be on the guard against greed. We ought to be rich toward God unto good works, not saving them up selfishly for ourselves.
    • Luke 12:13-21
  • We can avoid being hoarders by making a habit of being generous, even if they are relatively small things.
  • Instead of hoarding, we can be diligent to address and take care of the needs of our households and those around us.
    • 1 Timothy 6:17-18 (in context of verses 6-19)

Men's workout #46 - May 26, 2018

Hymn: We started off our time singing hymn #129, "Crown Him with Many Crowns"

Memorization/Review: We then spent time reviewing/reciting our memory passage together, starting with James 4:11-12

James 4:11-12 Discussion

• It's one thing to confront someone about sin for the purpose of coming alongside one another to build one another up.
• However, this passage is talking about those who have no intent on helping them to grow but are pointing out one's sin for the purpose of  condemning them.
• James not only points out that we should not judge others, but points out that  there's serious audacity when we judge and condemn one another.
• Jesus's right to judge is a great and serious claim (John 5:21), and when we judge others we are trying to play God
• The bible clearly states that there is judgment for unbelievers, but as fellow believers, we should never speak out against one another, and this is something that we need to be very careful about
• As you read scripture and decide how to apply it into your life (conviction), we cannot start judging everyone else based on how you have decided or been convicted, to apply scripture in your life.
• Some can get legalistic about it (how much you read, how much you pray, how many people you evangelize to each week)
• While illustrations like "the wheel illustration" can be helpful, that should never be a standard to judge others - the only standard is the standard of God, which is to let the word of Christ richly dwell in you, and for us to set our minds on things above.
• It has to do with mentality, not quotas or made-up standards.
• What are some ways we can compare with others?
  • How we do church (style of music, how the service is conducted)
  • There is no need to judge other churches - we all want to be like Christ
  • However, we should not sweep the sins of cults under the rug.
•  How can you deal with people who are confrontational when you try to help them? What if someone asks why you're judging them?
  • First, don't come down hard on someone
  • It requires wisdom and tact, to say the right words and to express that you care about them and want to come alongside them.
  • If someone tells you that you have sin, be humble, don't get defensive but as the person who is bringing this to your attention to pray for you.
  • If you're pointing out people's sin, you need to be willing to invest in helping that person.
  • Before you say something to someone, ask how you'd feel if someone said the same words to you
  • Always be on the mode of thanking God for people
  • Point out how others are blessing you
• While we need to point out sin for what it is (don't be fuzzy about sin or sweep it under the rug), there is no need to condemn or speak against others

Then, we turned to James 4:13-17 and read it together.

James 4:13-17 Discussion

• What's a good Silicon Valley version of the statement in vv13?
  • I'll go work at a top tech company, progress in my career, life a comfortable life
  • I'll start working on an idea, make a company of it, go IPO, be an influential person
  • Stock portfolio - I'll create a financial model that will allow me to retire at such and such an age and life such and such a lifestyle
  • Real estate - will buy houses and create an empire
  • A version that we may relate to more - I will acquire this new skillset,  that will enable me to do this thing, then I'll use that as a building block, and in that way we chart out our future in that way
• The problem with this mindset is that you are living without the sovereign God as an Atheist
• Vv17, this is sin!
• While Vv17 talks about the sin of living without God's sovereignty, applies in the general sense
• This is not telling us to not plan, but submit your plans to the Lord (vv.15)
• We are a vapor, but a vapor with a great purpose - to bring glory to God
• One example of a boasting, or a pride, out of arrogance, "I'm not so concerned whether God wills, I'm going to do this!" - boasting is not only arrogant, but it's evil, it's sin
• While we may look at the example and think that we're not like that person in vv13, in many cases the manifestation is a lot more subtle/insidious than it initially seems.
• We need to take on the mindset of:
  • Praising God, even when what expires doesn’t happen according to our plans
  • Recognizing that whether we make profit or not, God is sovereign and God is all good.
  • When a project gets cancelled, we ought to look forward to what God has in store for you next, rather than being upset that it is cancelled.
  • If/when your spouse dies, we should focus on the truth that God has a purpose here.
• Even in the most dire of circumstances we should recognize that God has a great purpose for this
• God has given us the privilege of service, of work, so ask God to help us do the work that is before us
• There's so much frailty baked into life - if you do anything well, that's the grace of God
• Living like an atheist is not just foolish, but evil
• Some examples of God dealing with sinful, arrogant men in the bible
  • Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar bosting in himself; later is turned into a beast
  • Herod, struck down
  • Not just a figment, or nebulous theology, but a real God, who deals with real Sin
• Set plans, have a resolve, and trust your plans and will to God

Men's Workout #45 - May 19, 2018

Opening Hymn

We started off our time by singing hymn #407, "It is Well with My Soul"

Memory Verses

We then recited our memory verses (James 4:1-12) and discussed them together.

Memory Verse Discussion

• Looking at vv.7-8, the “therefore” in vv.7 connects these verses to the previous section.
  • We see God's promise of grace to the humble.
• We also see that this is in response to our becoming friends (chummy) with the world.
• God is never away from us, but is always ready to be near to us - the reason why God is not near you is that you are not near to God
• There's no such thing as a dry spell, if you're truly walking consistently in the Lord
• What does it mean to be miserable? It means to mourn over your sin, specifically friendliness with the world.
• When we confess our sin, we need to go to God with a contrite attitude, a lowliness, because we have committed sin against the almighty God.
• In what ways do we become friends of the world?
  • How we view our finances - some place too much emphasis on, find too much security on retirement
  • How we view our career - thinking that we need a job so much that we are willing to do anything to try to keep the job
  • Entertainment/comfort - prioritizing this
  • Family influences - Can't love father and mother more than me
• Be careful, else your love for the world will cause you to compromise and disobey God
• What are some forms of entertainment that can cause a believer to struggle?
  • Too much engagement in sports (cult-like following)
  • Wanting a comfortable life, that causes you to be anxious about losing a level of comfort
  • Over-emphasizing fitness or health, seeing it as the most important thing
  • Social media - can cause us to be envious of those who live for this world
• "Let your laughter" could be translated "stop laughing"
  • God wants to give you His grace, you need to actively humble yourself
  • When you offend someone, you can't glibly go to someone and say that you've sinned against that person - you need to come humbly
• Vv11-12 fits when you when you zoom out and see that James talks about interpersonal relationships throughout this letter.
  • Vv11, prohibits us from speaking about others behind their backs, which is slander
  • One subtle way that we need to be careful about is talking bad about someone when you're praying about them - we must never speak against anyone, and if we have an issue or concern we need to speak directly with that person.
  • Rom 14 - we are not the judge of anyone else

We then turned to our new passage for memorization this week - James 4:13-17