Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.
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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - When Mr. Goldfinger Comes To Church | September 10, 2025
- ♪♪
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- Male announcer: from the pulpit
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- Of the first baptist church of dallas, texas,
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- This is "pathway to victory" with dr. robert jeffress.
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- Dr. robert jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress, and welcome
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- Again to "pathway to victory."
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- In restaurants, shops, and sadly, even churches, we often
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- See preferential treatment given to those who seem wealthy
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- Or important.
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- The well dressed get the best tables.
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- The poorly dressed get pushed to the side.
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- But god's house should be different.
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- Today we're going to learn that how we treat those
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- Who are less fortunate is a test of genuine faith.
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- My message is titled "when mr. goldfinger comes to church" on
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- Today's edition of "pathway to victory."
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- ♪♪
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- Male announcer: where there's genuine faith, there will always
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- Be visible fruit.
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- In his brand new book "how to know if you're really saved,"
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- Dr. robert jeffress helps you take stock of the evidence of
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- Your faith, the spiritual fruit in your daily life.
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- This outstanding verse by verse walk through the book of james
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- Will help you cultivate the spiritual fruit that reflects
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- Genuine faith.
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- Request "how to know if you're really saved" when you give a
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- Generous gift to support the ministry of pathway to victory.
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- ♪♪
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- Jeffress: pastor kent hughes tells a story about a woman who
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- Came from the other side of the tracks, as we used to say.
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- She was economically disadvantaged, but she started
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- Attending a wealthy church.
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- She liked the singing, she liked the preaching, and decided she
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- Wanted to join, so she made an appointment with the pastor and
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- The pastor gave her the once over, decided this wasn't gonna
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- Be a match, so he tried to be diplomatic and said, "you know,
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- Church membership is very important.
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- Why don't you go home and think about it a little bit more?"
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- So she did and she came back the next week, determined to join
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- And said she wanted to join and the pastor said, "well, you
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- Know, in our church we prioritize the word of god and
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- We think the bible has a lot to say.
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- I want you to go home and every day of the week, read a chapter
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- Of the bible and see if god has something to say to you."
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- She was getting annoyed, but she wanted to join, so she did that.
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- She came back assured that she wanted to join and the pastor
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- Said, "you know, in our church we believe in the power
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- Of prayer.
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- We believe that god leads through prayer, so i want you to
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- Go back home and every day pray if god really wants you to join
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- To show you."
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- Where she left and never came back.
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- About six months later, the pastor found her on the sidewalk
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- And ran into her and said, "did you ever do what i said?
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- Did you ever pray about joining our church?"
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- She said, "oh yes, i prayed about joining it, and the lord
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- Spoke to me and said, 'don't worry about not getting into
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- That church.
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- I haven't been able to get into it for the last 20 years.'"
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- How do we deal with those less fortunate than we
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- Are economically?
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- Turn in your bibles to james chapter 2.
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- Beginning with verse 1, james begins with the exhortation.
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- Look at what the text says: "my brethren, do not hold your faith
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- In our glorious lord jesus christ with an attitude of
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- Personal favoritism."
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- That phrase, my brethren, is rich.
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- It comes from a single greek word adelphoi, adelphos.
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- The word adelphos is sometimes translated brotherly.
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- We call philadelphia, the city of brotherly adelphos, love,
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- Phileo, but the word adelphos actually means literally, "from
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- The same womb."
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- Brothers are brothers because they have a common mother.
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- It's the same way with christian brothers and sisters.
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- James says, remember what it is that unites us in the church of
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- Jesus christ.
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- It's not our economic status.
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- It's not some superficial criterion.
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- It is our love for jesus christ and his love for us.
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- So he says, "my brethren, don't hold your faith in jesus with an
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- Attitude of personal faith favoritism," literally, "to
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- Receive by face," to judge by face value alone.
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- If you have a king james version that says, "don't be a respecter
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- Of persons."
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- That phrase was immediately recognizable to james's
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- Jewish audience.
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- For throughout the old testament, there was a
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- Prohibition against being a respecter of persons.
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- Because god is not a respecter of persons.
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- He doesn't judge people according to superficial values
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- That they have little control over.
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- Look at this situation in verse 2: "for if a man comes into
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- Your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and
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- There also comes a poor man in dirty clothes..."
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- Now this hypothetical situation, james says if somebody comes
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- Into your church in greek, that's in the third class
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- Condition meaning it's a theoretical situation that
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- Probably isn't going to happen.
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- It was unlikely that unbelievers would ever come into a church.
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- That rarely happened, by the way, it really rarely
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- Happens today.
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- There's some, but they're not that many unbelievers that come
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- To church.
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- He said, but if by chance a man comes into your assembly with a
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- Gold ring and dressed in fine clothes.
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- Now that word translated gold ring literally means he's
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- "gold fingered."
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- That's where my sermon title came not from the "james bond"
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- Movie, but from the gold fingered man, and he doesn't
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- Just have one ring on, he has a ring for each one of the fingers
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- On his left hand.
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- You see, the rings you have, the number and the quality was a
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- Measure of your wealth.
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- In fact, in james's day there were stores you could go to to
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- Rent rings, rent a ring.
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- Notice the two responses.
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- You say to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, verse
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- 3, "you sit here in a good place.
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- I want you to have the best seats in the house."
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- Now in a baptist church, the best seats in the house are
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- Back there.
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- That's where most people fight to get in the back row or on the
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- Mezzanine, but it wasn't that way in biblical times.
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- The best seats were down front.
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- They were the chief seats.
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- They were a row of seats that faced the congregation and
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- Behind those seats would be the ark that would carry your copies
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- Of the scroll or the scrolls themselves that would be read
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- Of scripture.
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- So a person would be paraded down to the front.
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- And the usher would say, "you sit here."
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- It's the same kind of seat that jesus talked about in matthew
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- 23:6, the chief seats.
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- But the second visitor, what does he say?
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- The usher says, "we don't have room for you, or at least go
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- Stand over there.
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- If you really have to sit down, sit not on the footstool of
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- Somebody else, sit by the footstool."
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- To the congregation, this man in soiled clothing was an
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- Inconvenience to be quickly dealt with and gotten rid of.
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- What's not right is to honor somebody and mistreat another
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- Person at the same time.
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- You should never favor anybody in the church when it results in
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- Disfavoring somebody else.
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- Now the explanation, here's what's wrong with that.
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- James says, "have you not made distinctions among yourselves,
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- Or become judges with evil motives?"
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- This is a common theme in the letter of james, being a
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- Double-minded person.
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- A double-minded person is somebody who professes to
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- Believe one thing but acts in a way completely contrary to what
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- He or she professes.
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- In james 1:7-8, james says, "for that man ought not to expect
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- That he will receive anything from the lord, being a
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- Double-minded man unstabled in all his ways."
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- To favor the rich subjugates the plan of god.
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- It subjugates, it contradicts, it undermines the plan of god
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- When we favor the rich.
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- What plan am i talking about?
- 00:09:13.676 --> 00:09:15.745
- Well, james goes on to say, you need to remember that when that
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- Poor man enters your church, he is not poor because of some
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- Deficiency on his part.
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- Most of the time the reason a person is poor and the reason a
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- Person is rich is because of the sovereignty of god.
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- God controls every aspect of our life.
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- He has a plan for us that was written before the foundation of
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- The world, psalm 139 says.
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- And part of god's plan includes the size of our bank account.
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- Now some of you are just arguing already in your heart
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- About that.
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- Listen to what james says in james 2:5: listen, my beloved
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- Brethren: did god not choose the poor of this world to be rich in
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- Faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who
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- Love him?
- 00:10:13.969 --> 00:10:15.337
- God had a plan for the poor, and that way they would be rich in
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- The kingdom doesn't mean being poor, makes you a christian, but
- 00:10:19.775 --> 00:10:22.912
- It gives you a better shot at it.
- 00:10:22.912 --> 00:10:26.282
- It's a lot easier for poor people to become saved than rich
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- People, jesus said.
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- The rich are self-sufficient many times, not all the times,
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- But many times, but the poor have an awareness of their need.
- 00:10:35.558 --> 00:10:40.029
- If you don't believe that, listen to job 34, verse 19
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- Talking about god it says,
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- "he shows no partiality to the princes, nor
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- Regards the rich above the poor, for they are all the," what,
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- "the work of his hands."
- 00:10:55.444 --> 00:10:57.847
- Both the poor and the rich are the work of god's hands.
- 00:10:57.847 --> 00:11:02.017
- In 1 corinthians 1, verses 26
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- To 29, listen to what paul said.
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- He said, "for consider your calling, brethren, that there
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- Are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not
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- Many noble."
- 00:11:14.930 --> 00:11:16.265
- He's saying do a look around your congregation, corinthians.
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- Have you noticed there are not that many wise people there, at
- 00:11:19.101 --> 00:11:23.205
- Least according to the flesh?
- 00:11:23.205 --> 00:11:25.474
- They don't have earthly credentials.
- 00:11:25.474 --> 00:11:28.043
- You know, it used to bother me to death--
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- When i read a statistic that the overwhelming number of
- 00:11:30.980 --> 00:11:34.683
- Scientists are atheists, did you know that?
- 00:11:34.683 --> 00:11:38.487
- The vast majority of scientists are atheists, and that used to
- 00:11:38.487 --> 00:11:42.024
- Bother me because i thought, you know, what is it about the study
- 00:11:42.024 --> 00:11:45.494
- Of science that made them atheist?
- 00:11:45.494 --> 00:11:47.830
- Have they discovered some secret about the nonexistence of god?
- 00:11:47.830 --> 00:11:53.169
- And then it came to me one day.
- 00:11:53.169 --> 00:11:56.071
- It's not that scientists become atheists, it's that atheists who
- 00:11:56.071 --> 00:12:00.976
- Have disavowed a belief in god tend to become scientists.
- 00:12:00.976 --> 00:12:05.981
- If they want to find an alternate system that explains
- 00:12:05.981 --> 00:12:09.585
- Why everything around this exists.
- 00:12:09.585 --> 00:12:13.322
- That's why you don't find a lot of people with certain degrees
- 00:12:13.322 --> 00:12:18.394
- In the church of jesus christ.
- 00:12:18.394 --> 00:12:20.429
- They're not that many noble.
- 00:12:20.429 --> 00:12:22.431
- They're not that many wealthy either, paul said.
- 00:12:22.431 --> 00:12:27.002
- I mean if i were to ask all of the millionaires and
- 00:12:27.002 --> 00:12:31.106
- Billionaires to stand up, there'd be some, but not many,
- 00:12:31.106 --> 00:12:35.144
- Because that's not god's plan.
- 00:12:35.144 --> 00:12:37.513
- No, god has chosen "the base things of the world," paul said,
- 00:12:37.513 --> 00:12:42.318
- "and the despised god has chosen, the things that are not,
- 00:12:42.318 --> 00:12:46.722
- That he may nullify the things that are."
- 00:12:46.722 --> 00:12:49.892
- To favor the rich contradicts the plan of god.
- 00:12:49.892 --> 00:12:53.462
- Secondly, to favor the rich violates logic.
- 00:12:53.462 --> 00:12:57.233
- Listen to verse 6 and 7, james said: "is it not the rich who
- 00:12:57.233 --> 00:13:01.036
- Oppress you and personally drag you into court?
- 00:13:01.036 --> 00:13:04.607
- Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have
- 00:13:04.607 --> 00:13:07.576
- Been called?"
- 00:13:07.576 --> 00:13:08.944
- James is saying, why do you want
- 00:13:08.944 --> 00:13:10.279
- To favor those people who oppress you?
- 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:13.115
- Well we'll see in this third reason, to favor the rich
- 00:13:13.115 --> 00:13:18.120
- Demonstrates a lack of faith.
- 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:19.588
- Verse 8: "if, however, you are fulfilling the royal law
- 00:13:19.588 --> 00:13:24.093
- According to scripture, 'you shall love your neighbor
- 00:13:24.093 --> 00:13:26.762
- As yourself.'
- 00:13:26.762 --> 00:13:28.097
- You are doing well."
- 00:13:28.097 --> 00:13:29.465
- All of the scriptures about how we treat others could be summed
- 00:13:29.465 --> 00:13:33.435
- Up with that phrase: love other people the same way you
- 00:13:33.435 --> 00:13:37.139
- Love yourself.
- 00:13:37.139 --> 00:13:38.507
- Why do we have trouble with that?
- 00:13:38.507 --> 00:13:40.276
- Why do we naturally gravitate toward favoring the powerful and
- 00:13:40.276 --> 00:13:44.813
- The wealthy?
- 00:13:44.813 --> 00:13:46.181
- We think they're gonna protect us.
- 00:13:46.181 --> 00:13:48.050
- They don't determine your future.
- 00:13:48.050 --> 00:13:50.252
- God determines your future.
- 00:13:50.252 --> 00:13:52.888
- That's why jesus said in matthew 10:28: "do not fear those who
- 00:13:52.888 --> 00:13:57.059
- Kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul, but rather fear
- 00:13:57.059 --> 00:14:01.597
- Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
- 00:14:01.597 --> 00:14:06.902
- Focus on god, not other people.
- 00:14:06.902 --> 00:14:10.639
- And that leads to the application for us today.
- 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:13.742
- What's the application of this passage?
- 00:14:13.742 --> 00:14:16.745
- Some of you are tempted to think, "man, showing favoritism.
- 00:14:16.745 --> 00:14:21.784
- Why a whole sermon on this?
- 00:14:21.784 --> 00:14:23.585
- This is much ado about nothing."
- 00:14:23.585 --> 00:14:27.957
- When i was growing up, my father had a hobby.
- 00:14:27.957 --> 00:14:31.393
- He rebuilt volkswagens and our backyard was strewn with
- 00:14:31.393 --> 00:14:36.298
- Volkswagens half-finished, but every now and then he would
- 00:14:36.298 --> 00:14:40.436
- Finish one and he had his newest volkswagen parked out in front
- 00:14:40.436 --> 00:14:45.741
- Of our house in richardson.
- 00:14:45.741 --> 00:14:47.543
- And one day he heard a knock at the door, he opened the door and
- 00:14:47.543 --> 00:14:51.547
- It was a richardson policeman and the policeman asked,
- 00:14:51.547 --> 00:14:55.617
- "who owns that volkswagen out front?"
- 00:14:55.617 --> 00:14:58.754
- And my dad got excited thinking he had a potential customer on
- 00:14:58.754 --> 00:15:02.424
- The hook, said, "well, it belongs to me."
- 00:15:02.424 --> 00:15:04.293
- He said, "fine," and he wrote him out a ticket.
- 00:15:04.293 --> 00:15:07.596
- You know what the ticket was for?
- 00:15:07.596 --> 00:15:09.531
- My dad in his repainting of the volkswagen got a little bit of
- 00:15:09.531 --> 00:15:13.369
- Paint on the license plate and he got a ticket for his efforts.
- 00:15:13.369 --> 00:15:18.173
- My dad was furious.
- 00:15:18.173 --> 00:15:20.776
- I'll never forget, he went into a rant about why can't the
- 00:15:20.776 --> 00:15:24.480
- Police spend time hunting down the murderers and the rapists
- 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:27.616
- And the bank thieves instead of giving tickets to people because
- 00:15:27.616 --> 00:15:30.419
- Of paint on a license plate?
- 00:15:30.419 --> 00:15:32.321
- What a small thing.
- 00:15:32.321 --> 00:15:33.689
- Well, we kind of think that way about this sin of favoritism.
- 00:15:33.689 --> 00:15:37.626
- Why the big deal?
- 00:15:37.626 --> 00:15:38.961
- Why not james talk about really big sins instead of little sins?
- 00:15:38.961 --> 00:15:44.767
- The answer, he says in verses 9 and
- 00:15:44.767 --> 00:15:47.036
- 10, is because there is no such thing as a little sin.
- 00:15:47.036 --> 00:15:51.707
- Look at this: "if you show partiality, you're committing
- 00:15:51.707 --> 00:15:55.244
- Sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
- 00:15:55.244 --> 00:15:59.948
- For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point,
- 00:15:59.948 --> 00:16:06.822
- He has become guilty of all."
- 00:16:06.822 --> 00:16:10.259
- Pop quiz.
- 00:16:10.259 --> 00:16:12.027
- Anybody know how many laws moses had in the old testament?
- 00:16:12.027 --> 00:16:18.500
- Six hundred and thirteen.
- 00:16:18.500 --> 00:16:21.070
- There are 613 laws.
- 00:16:21.070 --> 00:16:23.038
- I want you to imagine a giant chain with 613 links in it, a
- 00:16:23.038 --> 00:16:30.145
- Chain that is used to keep a luxury ocean liner harbored at
- 00:16:30.145 --> 00:16:35.284
- A pier.
- 00:16:35.284 --> 00:16:36.618
- It's held there by these 613 chains in a chain--links in
- 00:16:36.618 --> 00:16:42.724
- A chain.
- 00:16:42.724 --> 00:16:44.059
- How many links would you have to break to set that entire
- 00:16:44.059 --> 00:16:47.563
- Ship adrift?
- 00:16:47.563 --> 00:16:49.164
- Only one.
- 00:16:49.164 --> 00:16:51.200
- One link broken and the ship is lost.
- 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:55.904
- It's the same way with god's law.
- 00:16:55.904 --> 00:16:58.540
- All you have to do, james says, is stumble in one point of the
- 00:16:58.540 --> 00:17:02.544
- Law and before god you're guilty.
- 00:17:02.544 --> 00:17:06.048
- You see, god doesn't grade us on the curve.
- 00:17:06.048 --> 00:17:09.451
- He doesn't say you may not be perfect, but you're better than
- 00:17:09.451 --> 00:17:11.954
- This person.
- 00:17:11.954 --> 00:17:13.322
- We don't get graded on a curve.
- 00:17:13.322 --> 00:17:15.257
- It is an absolute standard.
- 00:17:15.257 --> 00:17:17.693
- It's a standard that paul mentions in galatians 3:10.
- 00:17:17.693 --> 00:17:20.996
- He says, "for as many as are the works of the law are under a
- 00:17:20.996 --> 00:17:24.967
- Curse: for it is written, 'cursed is everyone who does not
- 00:17:24.967 --> 00:17:28.937
- Abide by,' some, "'things written in the book'"?
- 00:17:28.937 --> 00:17:31.507
- No.
- 00:17:31.507 --> 00:17:33.108
- Most things written in the book?
- 00:17:33.108 --> 00:17:34.810
- No.
- 00:17:34.810 --> 00:17:36.178
- "'cursed is the person who does not abide by all things written
- 00:17:36.178 --> 00:17:41.984
- In the law to perform them.'"
- 00:17:41.984 --> 00:17:45.187
- You have to be absolutely perfect to go to heaven when
- 00:17:45.187 --> 00:17:50.792
- You die.
- 00:17:50.792 --> 00:17:52.761
- Never a wrong action, never a wrong attitude, never a wrong
- 00:17:52.761 --> 00:17:57.599
- Word, never a wrong thought.
- 00:17:57.599 --> 00:17:59.501
- Cursed is you and me if we do not keep all things in the book.
- 00:17:59.501 --> 00:18:04.940
- Well, who in the world can meet that standard?
- 00:18:04.940 --> 00:18:09.478
- No one, and that's the point.
- 00:18:09.478 --> 00:18:13.115
- All of us have sinned, some more than others, but it
- 00:18:13.115 --> 00:18:16.218
- Doesn't matter.
- 00:18:16.218 --> 00:18:17.586
- All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of god, and
- 00:18:17.586 --> 00:18:21.089
- That's why we all need a savior, the lord jesus christ.
- 00:18:21.089 --> 00:18:25.594
- When christ came and died on the cross, he came to offer
- 00:18:25.594 --> 00:18:29.798
- Forgiveness from all of our sins.
- 00:18:29.798 --> 00:18:34.403
- To draw favor to one person over another, to judge somebody based
- 00:18:34.403 --> 00:18:41.043
- On external circumstances like their net worth over which they
- 00:18:41.043 --> 00:18:45.581
- Have no control is a complete violation of what james is
- 00:18:45.581 --> 00:18:50.752
- Telling us.
- 00:18:50.752 --> 00:18:52.154
- Three principles i want to share with you.
- 00:18:52.154 --> 00:18:55.123
- First of all, to show preference to others is contrary to the
- 00:18:55.123 --> 00:18:59.561
- Nature of god.
- 00:18:59.561 --> 00:19:01.196
- You know, we call the church the body of christ.
- 00:19:01.196 --> 00:19:05.934
- The head, jesus is in heaven, but we are his body, paul said.
- 00:19:05.934 --> 00:19:12.274
- And that means what unbelievers see is not jesus the head, they
- 00:19:12.274 --> 00:19:16.812
- Can only see his body that's you and me in the church and how
- 00:19:16.812 --> 00:19:22.251
- They feel about god is largely determined by what they think
- 00:19:22.251 --> 00:19:26.288
- About us.
- 00:19:26.288 --> 00:19:27.756
- If we act with partiality, they think god is partial to
- 00:19:27.756 --> 00:19:32.694
- Superficial criterion.
- 00:19:32.694 --> 00:19:36.365
- Secondly, to show preference toward the rich prioritizes the
- 00:19:36.365 --> 00:19:40.936
- Material over the spiritual.
- 00:19:40.936 --> 00:19:43.238
- When we in the church show preference toward the rich, it
- 00:19:43.238 --> 00:19:47.142
- Prioritizes the material over the spiritual.
- 00:19:47.142 --> 00:19:51.546
- The great theologian madonna said it this way: "we live in a
- 00:19:51.546 --> 00:20:00.589
- Material world."
- 00:20:00.589 --> 00:20:03.558
- I shouldn't have said that.
- 00:20:03.558 --> 00:20:04.893
- That's all you're going to think about now is--
- 00:20:04.893 --> 00:20:08.063
- But isn't that true?
- 00:20:08.063 --> 00:20:09.398
- We live in a material world.
- 00:20:09.398 --> 00:20:11.933
- We live in a material world, and we get it crammed down our
- 00:20:11.933 --> 00:20:14.870
- Throats six days a week.
- 00:20:14.870 --> 00:20:17.773
- People ought to have a day of the week they come and see the
- 00:20:17.773 --> 00:20:21.777
- World as god sees it.
- 00:20:21.777 --> 00:20:23.812
- It's not about the material.
- 00:20:23.812 --> 00:20:25.247
- It's not about keeping up with the joneses.
- 00:20:25.247 --> 00:20:27.716
- It's about our relationship with god.
- 00:20:27.716 --> 00:20:31.420
- Finally, to show preference to the rich prioritizes the
- 00:20:31.420 --> 00:20:36.091
- Temporal over the eternal.
- 00:20:36.091 --> 00:20:39.094
- One of the constant themes in the letter of james is how
- 00:20:39.094 --> 00:20:43.065
- Fleeting riches really are.
- 00:20:43.065 --> 00:20:46.001
- In verses 10 to 11 of chapter 1, james says, "and the rich man is
- 00:20:46.001 --> 00:20:50.539
- The glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass, he
- 00:20:50.539 --> 00:20:56.445
- Will pass away.
- 00:20:56.445 --> 00:20:58.113
- For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the
- 00:20:58.113 --> 00:21:01.350
- Grass; and its flowers fall off and the beauty of its appearance
- 00:21:01.350 --> 00:21:05.520
- Is destroyed, so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits
- 00:21:05.520 --> 00:21:11.426
- Will fade away."
- 00:21:11.426 --> 00:21:13.729
- An old southern preacher said it this way, "our lives is
- 00:21:13.729 --> 00:21:17.065
- Like grass.
- 00:21:17.065 --> 00:21:18.867
- It is sown, it is grown, it is mown, and then it's gon'."
- 00:21:18.867 --> 00:21:27.409
- That's not just grass, that's us.
- 00:21:27.409 --> 00:21:30.912
- If you're rich today, don't get too excited about your wealth.
- 00:21:30.912 --> 00:21:36.251
- If you're poor today, don't despair over your poverty
- 00:21:36.251 --> 00:21:39.821
- Because your economic status, whether rich or poor, is
- 00:21:39.821 --> 00:21:43.392
- Very temporary.
- 00:21:43.392 --> 00:21:45.427
- It's all going to be left behind and the church's responsibility
- 00:21:45.427 --> 00:21:51.299
- Is to show people, to help people prioritize that which is
- 00:21:51.299 --> 00:21:55.404
- Eternal over that which is temporal.
- 00:21:55.404 --> 00:21:58.640
- Paul said it this way in 1 timothy 6:17.
- 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:01.376
- He said, "instruct those who are rich in this present world not
- 00:22:01.376 --> 00:22:06.748
- To be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of
- 00:22:06.748 --> 00:22:11.219
- Riches, but on god who richly supplies us with all things
- 00:22:11.219 --> 00:22:16.525
- To enjoy."
- 00:22:16.525 --> 00:22:18.960
- D.l. moody, the great evangelist
- 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:20.595
- Said it this way, "trust in yourself,
- 00:22:20.595 --> 00:22:24.266
- And you're doomed to disappointment.
- 00:22:24.266 --> 00:22:27.436
- Trust in your friends, and they may leave you or die.
- 00:22:27.436 --> 00:22:32.040
- Trust in your riches, and they may be taken from you.
- 00:22:32.040 --> 00:22:36.812
- Trust in your reputation, and some slanderous tongue may
- 00:22:36.812 --> 00:22:40.682
- Destroy it.
- 00:22:40.682 --> 00:22:42.617
- But trust in god, and you'll never be confounded in time
- 00:22:42.617 --> 00:22:47.589
- Or eternity."
- 00:22:47.589 --> 00:22:50.392
- James says, "if you have authentic saving faith, you
- 00:22:50.392 --> 00:22:56.097
- Will prioritize the spiritual over the material; the eternal
- 00:22:56.097 --> 00:23:01.903
- Over the temporal."
- 00:23:01.903 --> 00:23:03.705
- ♪♪
- 00:23:03.939 --> 00:23:08.810
- Jeffress: james reminds us that authentic faith doesn't
- 00:23:08.810 --> 00:23:11.780
- Play favorites.
- 00:23:11.780 --> 00:23:13.148
- When we truly understand god's impartial love, we'll treat
- 00:23:13.148 --> 00:23:17.352
- Everyone who enters our church with equal dignity and respect.
- 00:23:17.352 --> 00:23:21.723
- I want to thank those of you who support pathway to victory
- 00:23:21.723 --> 00:23:24.526
- Through your faithful giving, especially our pathway partners.
- 00:23:24.526 --> 00:23:28.864
- Your generosity enables us to broadcast the unchanging truth
- 00:23:28.864 --> 00:23:32.767
- Of god's word to millions of people every week.
- 00:23:32.767 --> 00:23:36.371
- Through television, radio, and digital streaming, we're
- 00:23:36.371 --> 00:23:39.508
- Reaching into homes, automobiles, and workplaces with
- 00:23:39.508 --> 00:23:43.111
- The transforming power of the gospel.
- 00:23:43.111 --> 00:23:46.414
- Every day we receive testimonies from viewers whose lives have
- 00:23:46.414 --> 00:23:50.252
- Been touched by this ministry and it's all possible because of
- 00:23:50.252 --> 00:23:54.256
- Partners like you.
- 00:23:54.256 --> 00:23:56.324
- Thank you for helping us pierce the darkness with the light of
- 00:23:56.324 --> 00:23:59.794
- God's word.
- 00:23:59.794 --> 00:24:01.196
- Stay right there, i'll be back with more "pathway to victory"
- 00:24:01.196 --> 00:24:04.332
- In just a moment.
- 00:24:04.332 --> 00:24:06.768
- Male announcer: every believer wants to see clear evidence of
- 00:24:07.969 --> 00:24:10.572
- Their spiritual growth and discover the fruit that god is
- 00:24:10.572 --> 00:24:13.842
- Producing in their lives.
- 00:24:13.842 --> 00:24:15.777
- Dr. robert jeffress shows you exactly how to recognize that
- 00:24:15.777 --> 00:24:19.314
- Fruit in his brand new book "how to know if you're really saved."
- 00:24:19.314 --> 00:24:23.485
- Jeffress: the book of james teaches us that the christian
- 00:24:23.485 --> 00:24:25.854
- Life is about more than just knowing god's word, it's about
- 00:24:25.854 --> 00:24:30.025
- Living it out.
- 00:24:30.025 --> 00:24:31.359
- In my new book "how to know if you're really saved," i'll walk
- 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:34.329
- You through what it truly means to be a doer of the word,
- 00:24:34.329 --> 00:24:38.133
- Showing you how to respond to trials, control your speech,
- 00:24:38.133 --> 00:24:41.903
- Endure hardships, resist temptation, and so much more.
- 00:24:41.903 --> 00:24:46.942
- Male announcer: this outstanding 232-page book will help you
- 00:24:46.942 --> 00:24:49.911
- Examine the evidence of your faith and see the spiritual
- 00:24:49.911 --> 00:24:53.281
- Fruit that should be growing in your daily life.
- 00:24:53.281 --> 00:24:56.318
- Request your copy of "how to know if you're really saved"
- 00:24:56.318 --> 00:24:59.387
- When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of pathway
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- To victory.
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- With your ministry gift of $75 or more, we'll send you not just
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- The book but also the personal and group study guide and the
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- Complete message series on dvd video and mp3 format audio disc set.
- 00:25:11.333 --> 00:25:17.005
- Jeffress: if you are truly saved, there's gonna be evidence
- 00:25:17.005 --> 00:25:20.442
- Of it.
- 00:25:20.442 --> 00:25:21.776
- There's some tests that you need to apply to your life.
- 00:25:21.776 --> 00:25:25.013
- Male announcer: thank you for your generous support of pathway
- 00:25:25.013 --> 00:25:27.282
- To victory.
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- Your partnership helps us bring bold biblical and practical
- 00:25:28.617 --> 00:25:31.886
- Teaching into homes across the nation and around the world.
- 00:25:31.886 --> 00:25:37.425
- Jeffress: we often judge people by their appearance, their bank
- 00:25:38.627 --> 00:25:41.896
- Account, or their social status, even in the church, but god's
- 00:25:41.896 --> 00:25:46.301
- Kingdom operates by different standards.
- 00:25:46.301 --> 00:25:49.337
- God chose the poor to be rich in faith, reminding us that eternal
- 00:25:49.337 --> 00:25:53.975
- Treasures matter more than temporary wealth.
- 00:25:53.975 --> 00:25:57.979
- Well, next time we'll tackle what many call the biggest
- 00:25:57.979 --> 00:26:01.449
- Contradiction in the bible.
- 00:26:01.449 --> 00:26:03.685
- Paul says we're saved by faith alone.
- 00:26:03.685 --> 00:26:06.955
- James seems to say faith without works is dead.
- 00:26:06.955 --> 00:26:10.725
- So which one is it, or can it be both?
- 00:26:10.725 --> 00:26:13.895
- Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next in our
- 00:26:13.895 --> 00:26:16.398
- Series "how to know if you're really saved."
- 00:26:16.398 --> 00:26:20.669
- Jeffress: but if we're honest, we would have to say that there
- 00:26:20.669 --> 00:26:23.371
- Are some passages that seem, at least at face value, to
- 00:26:23.371 --> 00:26:27.942
- Contradict one another.
- 00:26:27.942 --> 00:26:30.211
- And that is true of the passage we're going to look at today.
- 00:26:30.211 --> 00:26:34.282
- I call it the biggest contradiction in the bible.
- 00:26:34.282 --> 00:26:39.154
- Male announcer: set your dvr and
- 00:26:39.154 --> 00:26:40.455
- Join us next time for
- 00:26:40.455 --> 00:26:41.790
- The message
- 00:26:41.790 --> 00:26:43.124
- "the biggest contradiction in
- 00:26:43.124 --> 00:26:44.459
- The bible" here on "pathway
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- To victory."
- 00:26:45.794 --> 00:26:48.830
- Take a journey through alaska's awe-inspiring wilderness
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- On the 2026 pathway to victory cruise to alaska
- 00:26:53.168 --> 00:26:56.271
- With dr. robert jeffress aboard holland,
- 00:26:56.271 --> 00:26:58.373
- America's magnificent koningsdam.
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- Share laughter with dennis swanberg.
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- Be inspired by award-winning musician michael o'brien's,
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- Powerful worship.
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- Make plans to set sail
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- For an unforgettable week of adventure.
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- June 13-20, 2026.
- 00:27:11.319 --> 00:27:13.988
- Call 888-280-6747
- 00:27:13.988 --> 00:27:17.192
- Or visit ptv.org.
- 00:27:17.192 --> 00:27:17.192