You are listening to Radical with David Platte, a weekly podcast with sermons and messages from pastor, author and teacher David Platte.

Well, if you have a Bible and I hope you do let me invite you to open with me to James chapter 4.

I mentioned in the 9 o'clock gathering that the choir has ruined me today.

My voice is still not 100% and I told myself I could sit in here and just be quiet and just listen during the music but not possible.

This morning a lot of the choir.

We come this morning to our last Sunday and this series on the book of James brother told me the other day.

I'm just for sharing how thankful he was for how this book is spoken into his life and life of a church or the last couple of months and then he closely said, but what I'm most thankful for is that James only has five chapters.

So today we're going to be the end of chapter 4 then in chapter 5 and yes, James has pretty much messed us up.

But for good, the good of God's people for the glory of God's name, just think about what the word has done to affect people around the world over the last couple of months to the glory of God's name.

Word is good. Now if you look at your notes that you receive when you came in that you can tell that I've also been preparing for secret church.

I went a little fill in the blank happy on the notes there and so got a lot of ground to cover and to be honest this this sermon is going to be all over the place because this text is all over the place.

Now I understand preaching is that our study the words sermon on the words should reflect the text and so the sermon is going to be all over the place but it is totally James's fault.

This whole series is James's fault for that matter and I say that kind of kidding, but this is good. It's good news that the word of God directs our study as a community face.

We go week by week, months by month, year by year and let the word do the work and different books in this word are going to do different things, books like Ruth are going to come for us.

And books like James are going to challenge us. They're going to keep us in balance so that we're focused on what God has said is most important. God is going to take his word and he's going to form our lives and our families and this faith family.

And to what is best for us what is best for people around us who don't know Christ and ultimate what is best for his glory in the world so thankfully the word does the work unfortunately this morning that means we're going to be all over the place.

So if I had one unifying thought they really persist throughout this text it's a picture of faith that perseveres faith that lasts and so what I want us to do is I want us to read this text and I want us to think about seven characteristics of faith that perseveres to the end faith that lasts for all of eternity and let that lead us to conclude our study in James.

So look with me at James chapter 4 verse 13 James writes now listen you who say today or tomorrow we will go to this for that city spend a year there carry on business and make money.

Well you do not even know what will happen tomorrow what is your life you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Instead you ought to say if it is the Lord's will we will live and do this for that as it is you boast and brag all such boasting is evil anyone then who knows the good ought to do and doesn't do it since.

Now listen you rich people weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you your wealth has rotted and mods have eaten your clothes your gold and silver are corroded their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire.

You have thwarted wealth in the last days look the wages you failed to pay the workmen who mode your fields are crying out against you the cries for the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.

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