http://bible.com/events/48779335

James and a Generous God

No trial is too great for His gift.

‭‭James‬ ‭1:13-18‬‬
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

If there is a question James 1:17-18 seeks to answer, it is this:
“God, who are you?”
Not just “where are you?” but even more, “who are you?”

THE GIVER
-James answers the question of “God, who are you?” within the framework of God as the one who gives.
-God is the giver. He gives good and perfect gifts.
-In the Old Testament, one of the names they would use for God was ‘Jehovah Jireh’, which means ‘God provides’.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:9-11‬‬
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

THE GIFT
-James is talking about all gifts, yes, but, in particular, the gift. (“He chose to give us birth through the word of truth” verse 18)
-If God didn’t do anything else for us, if we never receive any other gift or any other blessing, we have already been given Jesus. He is the greatest gift.
-James is saying ‘don’t let the present noise and disruption cause you to lose focus on what God has already given you: THE gift.’
-This is a free gift. it is not wages that have to be earned.

No trial is too great for His gift.

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY

http://bible.com/events/48774868

James and the Power of Perseverance

The power of perseverance is found in the posture of our surrendered hearts to the Lordship of Christ Jesus.

James 1:9-16NIV

9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

The power of perseverance is found in the posture of our surrendered hearts to the Lordship of Christ Jesus.

When we surrender to Christ, we declare that Christ sits on the throne of our lives and that we do not.

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Matthew 24:7-13NIV

7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

We are studying the Book of James. Today we are in Week 4:

· James and the Power of Perseverance.

· There are benefits in pressing on.

The Christian life is a like a marathon.

1992 Barcelona Olympics.

· After Derek Redmond tore his hamstring during the 400 meter semifinal his father came out of the stands to help him cross the finish line.

· Derek Redmond persevered. He finished the race well. · https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vab3nrtuw3o1dip/AACu19imcelX0PU_AzNsOn02a?dl=0&preview=Derek+Redmond+1992.mp4

There are Biblical benefits of perseverance:

· You will receive the Crown of Life

· Perseverance Produces Character

· Perseverance Brings God Glory

We have been going through an in depth study on the book of James. To refresh your memory…

· James was Jesus’ half-brother. He was an eye witness of Jesus.

· James was NOT a follower of Jesus while He was alive. Only AFTER watching Jesus die on the cross and then His resurrection did James believe.

· James refers to the Sermon on the Mount more than 20 times. He had heard the words of Jesus and he remembered them.

· James provides practical advice on how we should live the Christian life.

· James is often referred to as the “Proverbs of the New Testament”

The Central Theme of the Book of James is:

· Faith should be about action – action that transforms lives.

· James spurs the believer to have genuine faith during difficult times.

· He doesn’t say IF trouble comes your way BUT WHEN it does, that as Christians we will actually benefit from our troubles.

James:

· James was highly respected as a holy and righteous man.

· He was the leader of the Jerusalem church for thirty years, even though other apostles lived there.

· James was later martyred because of his faith in Jesus.

James is writing to:

· Jewish Christians, those who had been scattered throughout the Mediterranean world because of persecution.

· They were no longer Jews.

· They didn’t fit in with the Romans or Greeks.

· They were poverty stricken people, many were without jobs.

· They were without social status and times were hard.

A prayer for us: “Jesus You are welcome here. Help us Holy Spirit to hear the Word and apply it. When burdens seem unbearable help us to be stone cutters who continue to hammer away at the rocks in our lives. Without a single crack and then suddenly on the 101st blow the stone splits in two. Teacher, we know it wasn’t the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before. Please help us to persevere under trails when they come. Thank You Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.

The message is found in James 1:9-16.

9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.

10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.

11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;

14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

Today’s message is titled: Steadfast Hope.

We are going to dig deep into each verse.

9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.

10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.

11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

In these verses James is addressing two classes of people:

The lowly and the rich.

Class 1: The lowly brother. He is talking to a fellow believer. Christians would have been beaten or put in prison.

Class 2: A warning to the rich that put their trust in their wealth.

A man’s life is not found in his abundance of things.

· Riches will only last a short season

· Such as a flower will only last a short season.

It is the ‘flowering’ to the ‘fading’. Poor or rich trials come to every life.

Everything can be taken away in a trial. Our identity must be found in God.

How do we live in tune with the LORD so when trials come we persevere?

· We must be anchored, nailed to the floor.

Verse 12 says: 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

In verse 12 James is continuing his discussion from Verses 2-4:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Perseverance requires hard work.

Several names of people in the Bible who persevered:

Job: Through it all Job stayed true to God and his faith.

The Apostle Paul: No one has a better conversion story, going from killing Christians to becoming one.

· Paul faced many trials and persecutions because of his faith.

Jesus is the ultimate display of perseverance until death.

· Romans 5:8 says “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The poor or rich will face trials and when we do, we are to rejoice.

Some of you would say you’re under a trial right at this moment.

· The Word of the Lord is “hang in there,” persevere.

Think about the battles you’re in right now.

· Now think about what it will look like to persevere, empowered by Jesus.

James tells us that blessed is the one who perseveres under trials.

We battle with an “I”. The “I” deserve this, “I” deserve that.

Persevering faith. The LORD is the author of our faith.

· He desires for us to ‘bear up’ under trials,

· To never abandon our trust in the LORD

· Even if in a state of confusion, we are to hang on to the LORD.

I want to tell you a personal story about Persevering faith.

I was my mother’s primary care-giver for 13 years.

· Mom recently died.

· She had Advanced COPD

· Advanced Congestive Heart failure

· A Fib

· Aflutter

· And she was blind the last 5 years of her life.

It is easy for us to talk and to theorize about faith. But faith has to be lived.

· Mom suffered much physical pain and often experienced the inability to get her breath.

Through the trials, mom persevered. She proved her faith in the raging storms of her life:

· During Doctor visits

· Hospital visits and then extended stays

· Especially when friends called her on the phone or visited.

· Jesus was precious to mom BECAUSE of the raging storms.

· LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN… Jesus was precious to mom BECAUSE of the raging storms.

· She weathered the storms, and she finished strong.

· She never complained about her life circumstances.

· Mom LIVED her faith. She PERSERVERED.

Always hold on to Verse 12: 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial BECAUSE, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Verses 13, 14, and 15:

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;

14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

These verses are telling us:

· Temptation does not come from God.

· The stresses of moral choice bring a “crown of life” when one faces them steadfastly,

o But they can also raise questions in the mind.

James tells us “Let no man who feels an impulse to commit sin say, I am tempted of God”.

· God permits trials to make us strong, but He never entices us to do evil.

· God is a holy God; His whole plan of redemption was designed to destroy sin.

The world will say “The devil made me do it.”

· But verse 14 says my ‘own’ desires have tempted me.

· It is a man’s personal involvement and responsibility for sins committed.

The issue is this:

· We get to choose…perseverance or quitting. That’s free will.

· Here’s the question: “Would I rather be free to have free will, tempted, and have the possibility of victory, or be a “good” robot?

· The robot is without temptation and also does not know freedom or the challenges of conflict.

· The robot knows nothing of the VICTORY of battles won.

· The robot never knows love.

Verse 15 tells us that Sin begins with a wrong thought.

· Then action is taken to follow-through and grants consent of the will to act upon the sin.

Verse 16: 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

This verse is saying: Do not wander so far in your thinking as to believe that any trial or any temptation comes from an evil purpose on God’s part.

James teaches that:

· Paradoxical gifts of: Sufferings, trials and hardships CAN PRODUCE endurance and shape our character.

God does not want us to be like:

· Greenhouse plants, which are sheltered from tough weather,

· BUT like storm-beaten oaks’

· NOT like sand dunes that are driven back and forth by every gust of wind

· BUT like Granite Mountains that withstand the fiercest storms.

· Yet to accomplish this, He must take us into His testing room of suffering.

God wants to use the trials in our lives to make us more like Jesus.

· In fact they WILL make us more like Jesus – when we are steadfast in our faith.

When you have made it through, you will get the crown of eternal life.

Don’t Limit God. Never Give Up. Nick Vujicic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_-HDkl_VWY

Everyone please Close your eyes. Focus on God’s love for you.

Give him your trials, ask Him for strength. Claim Victory for your life.

Let us Pray: When it hurts so much. Don’t give up. Philippians 4:13 says: I can do all things through who strengthens me. God knows all things for each person in the congregation. We are facing all kinds of trials: Out of work, Relationship Problems, Sickness, You NAME IT and we got it. Ask God to help you persevere and choose to TRUST Jesus. Claim God’s word: Jeremiah 29, 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jesus has good plans for your life. CHOOSE JESUS. TRUST Jesus! Great is His faithfulness today and forever.

https://bible.com/events/48769165

James and the Dangers of Doubt

James 1:5-8NIV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

-The wisdom James is talking about (verse 5) is not just some vague sense of needing direction. This is in direct response to the words that precede it (verses 2-4).

-James knows there will be believers who cannot understand how to see God at work in their trial.

-We don’t have a wisdom problem, we have a doubt problem. God has promised to give us wisdom if we ask. Our part is not to doubt Him.

-Doubt festers when we believe this lie: God cannot be trusted

The question is not if you doubt, but rather, what do you do with your doubt?

Mark 9:20-24NIV

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 11:22-24NIV

22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

There’s only one place for your doubt – at the foot of the cross.

Other resources for further study:

Proverbs 3:5-8

Matthew 14:31

Jude 1:22

Mark 9:24

James and the Dangers of Doubt
God is with us on this journey. We believe, for such a time as this, He has called us.

James 1:5-8
James and the Dangers of Doubt

‭‭James‬ ‭1:5-8‬‬
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

The secret to persevering under trials is not to try harder, it’s not that we grin and bear it until we get through.

Here’s the truth: On your own you CANNOT BE TOUGH ENOUGH.

The secret, is really no secret at all. If we want a new perspective amidst the challenges of life, we have only to ask and believe our heavenly father, and he will provide, just what we need, but we must ask with the right heart.

‭‭James‬ ‭1:5‬‬
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

“Hey guys, if you are struggling to see your trials this way, its ok, we all do, but you need to ask God to help you see it differently, He is always happy to help you in this way”

“Knowledge is knowing that a Tomato is a fruit- Wisdom is knowing not to put it in fruit salad.”

Wisdom in a sense is the ability of a believer to discern and live out the will of God.

Proverbs 8:35 claims that finding wisdom, means finding life and receiving favor from the Lord.

‭‭James‬ ‭1:6‬‬
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Just as God is sincere and focused on what is best for us, so we must ask with a sincere and undivided heart.

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt…”
When we pray, we must pray with a singular, sincere focus. That’s the essence of faith- a resolute trust and dependency on God.

If we are praying in the morning, then toiling and worrying all day about how we are going to deal with the problem- that’s doubting God.

‭‭James‬ ‭1:7-8‬‬
That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

The word double minded here again carries the idea of unbelief, lacking faith, or of wavering loyalty.

It speaks of a person who won’t take a stand when it comes to moral choices.

But, as strong as James finishes this text, we need to remember where we started, with an invitation to ask God for what we need.

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:21-25‬‬
Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

Everything is possible for one who believes-

Our prayer today in the midst of the trials of life:
Lord, I do believe; Help me overcome my unbelief!

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY