EM Worship Service (10/21/18)

[Summary]
The fool says in his heart that there is no God, but the wise knows God and admit his sovereignty. And the wise live under God's authority. James describes it in three ways. First, do not speak evil against one another nor judge them. Evil speaking is prohibited by the law. If someone think it's okay to break it, it means he is the judge of the law. But there's only one judge and lawmaker which is God. Everyone else is the doers. So we are not to speak evil against our neighbors.
Secondly, we are to seek the will of God. Everyone makes plans and often times forgets God's approval. Instead, we want to use God's power and mercy to achieve our goals and executes plans. This is arrogant boasting and James says this is evil. However, the wise know that we are like a mist. Therefore, they seek the will of God first, in all situations. 
Thirdly, the wise live under God's authority by doing the right thing. Our definition of sin is a sin of commission in most times. However, James talks about the sin of omission. If we know the right thing to do and don't do it, it is a sin. Jesus in this sermon on the mount, turned the negative prohibitions in the law to positive injunctions. It not enough not to speak evil against brothers. We should do more than that. We should love them. It's not enough to stop making our own plans, but we should make plans in accordance with the will of God. 
That's how to live a life under God's authority.

[Announcements]
1. Next Sunday, our EM service will be a church-wide praise worship service at 1:00pm.