January 10, 2010
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

James 1: 5: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

MEETING LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor
150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ, 08553

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
Sunday 10 AM Bible Class
11 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7:00 PM Mid-week Service

WEB ADDRESSES
www.sovereign-grace.us/
www.sermonaudio.com/sgbcpnj
www.freegraceradio.com

MAILING ADDRESS
7 Birch Street
Pennington, New Jersey, 08534
Phone: 615-513-4464
Email: clay@sovereign-grace.us

Be sure to bookmark our website for daily articles, sermon notes and audio messages
www.sovereign-grace.us

DATES TO REMEMBER
Saturday, January 16, 6pm: Greg Elmquist is preaching in PA
Sunday, January 24, 4pm: your pastor is preaching in PA
Sunday, January 31: Scott Keller will bring one message to you at 11 am. I will be preaching to our brethren in Rocky Mount, VA where Brother Paul Mahan is pastor.

TRUST, WAIT AND ASK
James 1: 1-8

JAMES THE SERVANT (James 1: 1)
James does not mention the fact that he is the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ because salvation is not by blood, not by the will of man or the will of the flesh-not even if you are of the immediate family of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many in his own family did not believe because they were not his sheep. It was the grace of God which made James a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. As the servant James does not attempt to be the Master. Instead, he does what his Master tells him to do.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit James is declaring that God our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is able to save, to build up and to keep those he has called unto the inheritance in final glory through the word of his grace. No matter the trial, we are never to turn to our own understanding, our own wisdom of words or our own methods but to trust Christ, but to hold forth the word of life, waiting on Christ to save, as we ask God for wisdom.

TO THE TWELVE TRIBES (James 1: 1)
In order to better understand this epistle keep in mind what these early believers were enduring. Sinners saved by grace in our day face the same problems. First, they were learning that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe. They were learning that they are no longer under the law of Moses but under grace (Romans 14: 17.) Many of these babes in Christ were having great difficulty with this (Acts 21: 20.) Secondly, they were learning that God has an elect people, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles. God's grace has no respect of persons but is solely God's choice to save whom he will and pass by whom he will. James, along with many of these Jewish brethren, heard Paul correct Peter at Antioch declaring that a respect of persons is the opposite of salvation by grace. (Galatians 2: 11-15.) Thirdly, because they believed on Christ Jesus, they were being rejected by their own kinsman after the flesh and "scattered" abroad (Acts 11: 19.)

The gospel causes the believer to face many trials within and without-from our own fleshly understanding, as well as religious family and friends. But the trial that seems to be on James mind most is the trial we face personally as we wait on God to teach us, and our brethren, through his word, rather than being drawn away to our own wisdom and unbridled tongue as if we were the Master. This entire letter is reminding us that the cure for our own self-righteousness, as well as the edification of our brethren, comes by God alone through the word of God's grace alone.

COUNT THE VARIOIUS TRIALS A JOY (James 1: 2, 3.)
Rejoice in the trials because God works patience in the believer to take heed ourselves to the gospel of God's grace and to hold forth the word of life to those suffering around us. How did we begin trusting Christ alone? How will we be built up to continue trusting Christ alone? How will we be kept until the day we are delivered into the inheritance with all God's saints? It is by God's will through the word of his grace (James 1: 18; Acts 20:32.) Just as our rejoicing was Christ Jesus in the first our, so the rejoicing, the strength and the end of every trial is Christ Jesus in whom, and by whom, we are built up. (Ephesians 4: 14, 15; Romans 5: 1-5.)

WAIT ON THE LORD (James 1: 4.)
This is a word to each believer, personally. I, myself, get the full benefit of the trial when I patiently wait on the Lord to work this in me. In faithfulness toward me, God grows me in grace to know that in Christ I am complete and wanting nothing and so I shall be in every trial through faith in him. Secondly, this is a word to the church of God. The whole flock can only move as fast as the weakest sheep. But wait on the Lord to teach effectually in the heart of your brethren, so that the whole body is perfect, entire, wanting nothing. We are taught in this epistle that this is what it is to be a doer of the word and not a hearer only.

IF ANY LACK WISDOM LET HIM ASK OF GOD
In his sermon on the mount, after all the exhortation the Lord Jesus gave to believe him and to deal with one another as children of our Father who trust his Son then the Lord gave this word, "Judge not." (Matthew 7: 1.) This is an all important word because we fail greatly in all that our Lord teaches. Yet, most commonly we are more critical of our brother's shortcomings than of our own. When we turn from looking to Christ to discover a splinter in our brother's eye, when we begin thinking ourselves wise enough to pull the splinter out of their eye, our own self-exaltation and self-righteous is a much larger beam, blinding our own eye. Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch? (Luke 6: 39.) How are we freed from that self-exalting, self-dependent, self-righteous old man of our flesh? How did the Lord follow up that word? Ask God and it shall be given you. (Matthew 7: 7.) That is what James says here. (James 1: 5.)

The chief purpose of the trial is for God to make us realize our need for Christ our Wisdom. When God the Father draws us to Christ then patience has had her perfect work. God gives abundantly, and does not upbraid any who ask in faith. God renews the inner man to remember how Christ sowed peace into our own hearts in peace (James 3: 17, 18.) Doing so, he bridles our tongue, he works patience in us, making us willing to visit one another in peace and love with the gospel of Christ our Peace, as we wait on him to make the word effectual (James 4: 10-12.)

SERMONS
Clicking on the titles of the sermons below will take you to our website. You will arrive at a page with the written notes for these sermons. When you get to the website simply click on "listen" at the top of the page for the audio. We have provided options for your download capabilities such as 32 bites per second or 128 (CD quality.)

Trust, Wait, Ask
Death of Barabbas
Why Am I Doing?

ARTICLES
Predestination and Providence
Immutability
Heart
Doctrine of Grace
Doctrine and Doctrines
Divers Doctrines
Confession

ARTICLES FROM OTHERS
My Son Accepted Jesus
It Is Christ
As For Our Redeemer
An Ark Made of Gopher Wood
Praying in Public