How Much You Matter to God

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“How Much You Matter to God”

Pastor Jerry

Luke 19:1-10

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Because of the devastating impact of the Pandemic for the past year and a half, people of the world are asking deeper questions about life and death.  We are witnesses to major changes in the world and weekly senseless mass shootings which leaves us in fear at what is happening to our world? And to make everything even more confusing, the conspiracy theories and lies in direct denial of the truth has made it all but impossible to know what is real & what is false?

Does all of this leave you with questions about the world? Where is God in all this? Does it matter what is happening in the world? “Do you matter to God?”

One of our greatest needs we have in life is to feel valuable and that our life matters. Because of this we’re constantly looking around and in our mind comparing and evaluating other people. In our society we tend to base our self-worth on four things.

Appearance. How do I look?  Achievement. What have I accomplished? Approval – How well am I liked? Affluence. What do I own?

The problem with these four standards is that none of them are stable. They can all change.  Beauty fades. Abilities deteriorate. Acquaintances are forgotten. Estates erode away. If you want to build your worth on something that lasts, you’ve got to build it on something that can’t change. And there’s only one thing that won’t change – what God thinks about you. 

The past year has caused much to be questioned about life. At times when all that we have put our faith in comes tumbling down…then we begin to search for what really matters…and it is often only when we have everything we thought was important removed that we can see the real truth …and the truth is the only thing that matters is knowing God.

We often see our greatest changes happen in us when God changes the way we see ourselves. A wonderful example of that principle is a man in the Bible named Zacchaeus. One day Zacchaeus had an encounter with Jesus – and that meeting changed his life forever. 

We see this in Luke 19. Zacchaeus didn’t seem to want to meet Jesus. He was just hoping to see what was it about this man called Jesus that everybody was talking about. But if there was ever a man who needed to meet Jesus, it was this guy – Zacchaeus. Because in the four ways we evaluate our worth, Zacchaeus struck out on the first three. So, he was wealthy…but not much else.

In the first place, Zacchaeus didn’t like his appearance. Not only that but this guy was hated by everyone in the city. It says he was the chief tax collector. What we have here is a guy who has a lot of money but doesn’t like himself; a man who is miserable. But this day everything changed. This encounter with Jesus turned his world upside down, and he was never the same again. Why? He discovered that he mattered – he mattered to God.

When you encounter Jesus’ love, you will never be the same. How do we know that we can change even when things are going wrong? Because we matter to God. And how do we know that we matter to God? The story about Zacchaeus gives us three fundamental truths on which you should base how you feel about yourself.

  1. No Matter How Insignificant you Feel, Jesus Notices you. Notice what happens. Luke 19, 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up…” Why did Jesus do that? Because Jesus knew Zacchaeus needed something.

Here’s the point: God knows when you need something. He’s got His eyes on you. There’s never been a moment when God didn’t see you. You may think your life doesn’t matter. But God says, oh yes, you matter. He knows it all; because He cares about you and because you matter!

The deepest expression of love is attention. When you give somebody your attention you’re giving them your love. All of us have a deep need to be noticed. God does notice. God sees us! God is watching over us with great interest.

  1. No matter what other people say about you, Jesus LOVES you. All of his life Zacchaeus had been ridiculed and rejected; first, by his appearance; second, by his actions. But look at what Jesus does. Jesus not only stopped at the tree and looked up at him, but notice, “Jesus …called him by name. ‘Zacchaeus,’…” Imagine that. God not only knows where you are, He cares about you as an individual. He’s got your name.

Before you were born God made you for a reason and a purpose. But most people get distracted and eventually get sidetracked. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 49:16 that God says “I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.” When Jesus Christ looks at the scars in His hands where He was nailed to the cross, He thinks of You! Because He died for you. That’s how much I love you!”

  1. No matter what You’ve done, Jesus wants you.

No matter what we’ve done God would want us and would want a relationship with us. Zacchaeus’ sins, his own lifestyle, his own choices made him feel guilty & ashamed without any self-worth.

So Jesus Christ didn’t just walk up to the tree & look up and notice him. And He didn’t just call him by name. But He invited Zacchaeus to come down to Him. Why? Why did Jesus walk all the way through town to find the biggest scoundrel in town and say, “Let’s hang out together?”

Zacchaeus had a lot of hidden guilt. (Like many of us do). He’s thinking, “I’m not good enough to be with Jesus. You don’t know the things that I’ve done.” And many of us have felt that way. We think, “I’m not good enough.” That’s wrong. It’s not based on our goodness. It’s based on God’s incredible love in spite of the fact of all that we’ve done, He still wants us.

Jesus is far more interested in changing you than He is in condemning you. So He looks at you today and He says, “I know you and I want you in spite of all that you’ve done because I love you. And I want you to know and love Me and have a relationship with Me.”

When Zacchaeus experienced Jesus’ love! And he was changed instantly and forever. God who loves you that much and is waiting with open arms. Luke 19:8-9 “Zacchaeus stood and he said to the Lord ‘I’ll give …’ Jesus responded, ‘Salvation has come to this home today.’” The moment he said that he would give, he was changed. I give my possessions, I give my heart, I give my life. Something extraordinary had happened in his life. What happened? He experienced how much he mattered to God!

Zacchaus’ life was messed up. He wanted something different. He couldn’t make himself different, but Jesus could. He realized that Jesus was what he needed! Zaccheaus asked for forgiveness! He was forgiven. He experienced how much he mattered to God! He was overwhelmed by Jesus’ love! Love changed him. Zacchaeus’ heart and life was changed forever.

Choosing Which Doors You’ll Walk Through

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“Choosing Which Doors You’ll Walk Through”

Pastor Jerry

Revelation 3:7-8

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Last weekend Vonda and I visited Historic Colonial Williamsburg and roamed the 18th century streets. As we meandered through buildings, we encountered many doors. Many doors with many different purposes.

In the Bible doors are metaphors for a lot of important things in your life. There’s so many implications to how doors are used in your life, but there are also many, many implications how they are used spiritually in your life.

The Bible itself is called a door. The Bible says, the Word is like a mirror. When we read the book of God, it’s not just telling us about God, it mirrors what we’re really like.

(Our Scripture Reading) Rev 3:7-8 …Jesus says, “I hold the Key …in my hand…Now I know everything you have done. So look! I am placing before you an open door…”  Now this is what’s called the door of opportunity. This has happened many times in my life, where God has opened doors for me that I would have no way been able to open on my own. God has been doing this for our church, here at the Boones Mill Church, over the past two years. There have many new doors of opportunity opened for us.

God wants us to understand about the implications of Him opening new doors for us in our lives. I’m going to give you Seven points.

First thing you need to learn about doors:

  1. Every door is a decision.

In the Bible, doors are metaphors for the choices that we make every day. Your choices determine your destiny more than anything else. Every time you see a door, you’ve got a decision. Will I go through it or not? Should I go through it or not?

The second thing you learn about doors concerning God.

  1. My destiny will be shaped by which doors I walk past and which doors I walk through.

Your destiny, your life will be determined by your choices. Now, the tough part is knowing the right door, because every time you walk through the door, there’s a cost. Some doors takes years to get back on track. If you want to make wise decisions and to choose the right doors and not the wrong ones; you have to have what the Bible calls discernment (wisdom).The Bible in Deuteronomy 30:15, God says, “Today, I’m giving you a choice. You can choose life and success, or you can choose death and disaster.”

The third thing you learn about doors concerning God.

  1. A door may be… different things. First, it may be
  • an opportunity from God

Those are the good doors you want to go through. When God gives you an opportunity. And if you walk through them in the right way, at the right time, and do the right thing, it’s going to be amazing in your life.

  • a distraction from others

Distraction, keeps you from doing what God wants you to do. That door ends up getting you off track. That’s why you need discernment. God has a wonderful plan for your life, but so does everybody else.

  • a trap from Satan

There are trapdoors in this world, and many of us have fallen into them. Matthew 16:23, Jesus says, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You’re looking at things merely from a human viewpoint, not from God’s.” Anytime I look at my life from a human viewpoint, instead of God’s, that’s a trap.

Here’s the fourth thing you need to know about doors concerning God.

  1. If an open door is truly from God, it will not contradict God’s Word.

If God says, “Don’t do this,” God’s not going to open a door for you to do it. That door is a trap. It’s not an opportunity. In Matthew 24:35, Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my Word will never pass away.” If it was true a thousand years ago, it’ll be true now and true a thousand years from today.

The fifth thing I’ve learned about doors concerning God.

  1. Sometimes God shuts a door for my protection.

God shuts the door sometimes for your protection. In Genesis 7:16, it says, once Noah’s has done everything God told him to do on the ark, he says, “God shut the door.” Why did God shut the door for Noah? To protect him from all the rain and the storm. God knows how to shut doors to protect you and God knows how to open doors to bless you.

Number six is a really important lesson you have to learn about doors concerning God.

  1. God will open doors for me if I open doors for others.

This is the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. God wants you to learn to be a giver. He wants you to learn to be generous. The Bible says in Proverbs 11:25, “Anyone who generously blesses others will be generously blessed. And when you refresh others, you will be refreshed yourself.” We are told in the Bible to be generous all the time with people, generous with our money, with our time, with our praises, generous with our possessions. This is called hospitality. It’s one of the key values of being a follower of Jesus Christ. The more you are generous, the more God will open doors for you.

Okay. Number seven. Let me give you one more thing you learn about doors concerning God.

  1. Sometimes God cracks open a door to give me a glimpse to inspire me to grow.

God has a destiny for your life. By the way, no one can destroy your destiny except you. God won’t. The devil can’t. Other people can’t. The person who can destroy it is you: wrong choices. The way God intends to fulfill our life is often the exact opposite of the way you think you should do it. And God can do more in five minutes on his timing, than you can do in 50 years on yours. He could flip things around in amazing ways. And He does.

Now, what you are going to need to develop to move forward in your life…you need 3 things.

  1. Learn discernment to know which doors to walk through…which not to.

My prayer for you as your pastor is the same prayer that Paul prayed in Philippians 1:9-10, “…that your love will keep growing more and more with knowledge and greater discernment,” why? “so that you will be able to make the right choices.” Notice what helps you make the right choices, love, knowledge and discernment.

  1. Learn courage to walk through the right doors

You may know the right thing to do, but you don’t have the faith to actually take the step. It’s not enough to just know it. You’ve got to have the courage to do it. Now, what is courage? Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is doing the right thing, even when you’re fearful. Courage is when you do the right thing, even when you’re scared to do it.

  1. Learn how to open doors for other people.

Start opening doors, being nice to people, being kind to people, being hospitable to people, just something that’s an act of love, and watch what God does. 1 Peter 4:9, “…show hospitality without grumbling about it. Each of you should use whatever gifts you have received from God to serve others.” So I want to open doors for you, I want God to open doors for you. This is not something you learn by listening, but by doing. Being hospitable, being loving.

 

Warning: Don’t Harden Your Heart!

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“Warning: Don’t Harden Your Heart!”

Pastor Jerry

Hebrews 3:7-19

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Why is it that we as human beings have so much trouble heeding warnings? Well: People don’t like to be told what to do! This past year of the pandemic has revealed how much this is true.

Whatever the reason, we do have much trouble in obeying warnings? Sometimes it is because we misunderstand the implication of the warning.

But most often the problem is not due to misunderstanding the implication but ignoring the warning. However, not paying attention to warnings is a dangerous thing!

Today we are going to look at a warning found in the letter to the Hebrews, the danger of turning away. It is so easy to begin to drift in living a godly life and end up living essentially no different than the unbelievers around us! Let’s not be guilty of ignoring the warning today!

First, A Warning to Hear (v. 7) 
“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice.”
God expects us to respond. The writer of Hebrews is reminding us that the human tendency is to delay …to procrastinate especially it seems with spiritual matters.

In (2 Cor. 6:2) the Apostle Paul stated, “… Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” The time to respond to God is always, now! The problem begins when we hear the word of God, feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit and tell ourselves that we need to take action. But then we do nothing! The heart gets harder every time we say “no” to Jesus or to any part of His truth or will or His call.

If we are tempted to put off our spiritual need …this scripture warns us of the danger of foolish choices. The first warning is to hear…

Secondly, A Warning to Heed (vv. 8-11)
“…do not harden your hearts…”   Hebrews 3:8–11 interprets Israel’s Exodus from Egypt. After being in slavery in Egypt for 430 years, God led them out with a mighty hand. They grumbled about everything. One after another the men rose to demand new leadership and a return to Egypt (14:4). When the people refused to obey the Lord, God pronounced his judgment upon them. 

Their unbelief cost them everything. As a result they missed out on the blessing of God. It’s a warning for us not to repeat their sin. They did not have the faith to trust God for the future.

Not Only are we being given a warning to Hear… and a warning to Heed but…

Third, A Warning To Heal (vv. 12-15)
Guard Your Heart – v12 says, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.”  The warning is to guard our hearts because there is the danger in each of our lives of turning away from what we know to be the truth. What is an “evil heart of unbelief”? It is a heart that does not believe God, a heart that will not trust God,  a heart that will not believe truth!

We are to encourage one another. Verse 13-14 warns “ exhort one another daily [and] …Do not harden your hearts…” If you do not think you need anyone else to live out the Christian life, you are arrogant, puffed up and in danger of a fall.  We need the encouragement of other believers because sin is deceitful. We need others to warn us when we are in trouble. 

Now…I want to ask an important question of you: “Why you are not a Christian?” Or, “Why you are not the Christian God wants to change your heart to be?”

If our heart has become hardened so that we don’t give ourselves to God when He calls, and we expect nothing from God when He calls, and when we attempt nothing for God when He calls, then our belief in Him is more in our heads than it is in our hearts.

The question today is, “Will you let God change your heart?” God is calling! Do not harden your heart!

 

How God Heals Broken Nations

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“How God Heals Broken Nations”

Pastor Jerry

Psalm 60:1-5, 2 Chronicles 7:14

 

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Did any of you watch any news this week? The world is facing a uniquely painful time. The earth is literally groaning with moral decay and arrogant hypocrisy! But God is not surprised by what is currently happening in the world. It’s not new!

But Why! What’s wrong? What needs to be done? What would your diagnosis be to solve these problems of our world? It’s crucial that we get a correct diagnosis if we want healing to come.

The current diagnosis in our culture is that man is basically good but he has been damaged through negative influences.

The problem with this diagnosis is that it is flat out wrong. Man is not basically good. This is a spiritual issue. We are self-obsessed individuals who hide the truth about ourselves and blame others for our flaws.

So, today, I’d like to speak to you about how God heals a brokenness. We live in a dark and sad day. But it’s not surprising because of the way we are willing to act and to live. We need personal healing. Our nation and many other nations need healing.

King David cries out to God in a national time of conflict in his day (Psalm 60:2): “You have shaken this nation and split it open. Now, Lord, heal the cracks before it completely collapses.” That is a verse for our time.

God’s word is filled with examples of how God heals hurts, heals brokenness, and heals a broken nation. And there’s a clear pattern and even a specific promise that God gives us. We’re going to look today, at how God heals any brokenness.

Three thousand years ago, God made a promise to Solomon at the dedication of the new temple in Jerusalem. It is a promise to God’s people anywhere. And it gives us a specific path to the healing of any nation. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is the verse I’m talking about. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land.”

Now, with every promise of God, there’s always conditions, are requirements. And that’s what we’re going to look at today. We need healing everywhere.

And the good news is that the wounds that we can see around us today, are not fatal, and, healing is available. So what’s it going to take? How does God heal a broken nation? Well, in 2 Chronicles 7:14, God gives us four prerequisites or conditions for national healing and for personal healing in your own life, too. So let’s look at them.

(1) Number one, first condition for healing. We must humbly confess our sins. If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves… This is a promise for followers of God, followers of Christ. If my people, called by my name will humble themselves.

The number one cause of all our problems is pride, arrogance, self-sufficiency, thinking we don’t need God. James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” And so we start with the humility of confessing our sins to God. We often try to take the focus off of our failures and our sins and our mistakes by pointing at everybody else.

So the first step to any kind of healing, is humble confession. Do you need to be healed? Confess your sins, pray for each other. We need others to help us change. You can’t change simply by yourself. Why? Because God has wired us in a way that we only change with the help of others. That’s why we need the support of the Boones Mill Church. Ask, “Lord, show me anything in my life, that’s unpleasing to you.” That’s the first step, we must humbly confess our sins.

(2) Number two, we must not only confess humbly. We must pray sincerely.  This is praying from the heart. It’s passionate praying. It’s even desperate praying. God, we need this healing now.

This was a problem back in Hosea’s days. Hosea 7:14 says this: “They do not cry out to me with sincere hearts. Instead they sit on their couches and they wail.” That word in Hebrew, wail, literally means complain loudly. How much has that complaining changed anything?

Ephesians 5:18 says this: “Pray in the spirit at all times, with all kinds of prayers asking for all you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up.” You’re always doing one of those two things. You’re either praying or you’re giving up. You look at the world right now, you feel like giving up on it. Well, you can pray or you can give up. So if you’re serious about healing, pray; if you are serious about seeing our nation heal, pray for it!

(3) Now we come to the third condition for national healing or for that matter, any other kinds of healing. It says if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves. That’s one: humbly confess; and two: pray sincerely. Then third — seek my face.

It must be a serious pursuit. It has to become your primary focus. Because in Hebrews 11:6 it says this: “God rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Earnestly. So let me ask you, what does God want from you? He wants that you intensely seek him. Not that you seek his blessing, but that you seek him. You have to want to seek God.

Psalm 14:2 says this: “The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race. And he looks to see if there is even one person with real understanding who seeks for God.” The truth is very few people really seriously make knowing God the goal of their life.

We spend more time seeking everything else. But God gives us a wonderful promise in Deuteronomy 4:29: “If you seek the Lord your God, you’ll find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul and when you’re in distress and all these things have happened to you, you will return to the Lord your God and you will obey him, for he is a merciful God. And he will not abandon or destroy you.” That’s a verse we need now. When you’re in distress, and things have happened to you, seek Him!

How do you seek God with intensity? By making to know him your first priority and daily passion. Reading His Word! Matthew 6:33, Jesus made this promise, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these other things will be given to you as well.” So what do we do? We confess our sins humbly. We pray, sincerely. We seek God intensely.

(4) Now we come to the fourth condition for healing. We must turn back to God completely. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,” He says, “then I’ll hear from heaven and I’ll forgive their sins and I’ll heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Now, he says, “Turn from their wicked ways.” Now, don’t condemn and criticize others as the wicked people. It is mistake. Listen, it’s a mistake to categorize people as either good or wicked. Why? Because the reality is we all have wicked ways. The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all need a savior. We’re all in the same boat on that one there. What sin is keeping you apart from God?

Here’s the problem: We just don’t see our own wicked ways. We can clearly see the wicked ways in other people. Oh, we could point them out quickly, but we don’t see our own wicked ways. In 2 Timothy 3:2 to 5, Paul gives us a laundry list of 19 specific wicked ways and he says people are going to be acting this way in the last days.

It says that in the last days, “People will be self-absorbed loving only themselves. They will be greedy for money. They will be boastful and arrogant, insulting to God, rude and disrespectful even to  parents. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unkind and unforgiving. They will enjoy slandering others. They will have no self-control. They will love violence and there’ll be cruel. They will be cynical, despising anyone and anything that’s good. They will betray those loyal to them. They will be reckless and rash. They will be inflated with self-conceit. They will love pleasure more than God. They’ll claim to be spiritual, but they will reject the true power that could make them godly.”

Honestly, as I look over that list that I just read (written 2,000 years ago), I am amazed at how accurately it describes our culture today, right now. There is only one solution. It’s not a political solution. It’s not an economic solution. It is a spiritual solution. Our hearts must be changed by God.

And God promises that if we do what he tells us to do, then he will do three things.

I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land.

This is a promise for you. It’s a promise to the church. But it has to start right here, it has to start right now. It has to start with me. It has to start with you. So, I ask you, will you join me? Will you join me and that we would confess our sins humbly, that we would pray sincerely, that we would seek God intensely right now. And that we would turn to God completely. Because if we do that, if we come just as we are, if we come and give our brokenness, …we can expect, then God will hear from heaven right here. God will forgive our sins right now, and God will heal our hearts! He will pardon our guilt by His Son, Jesus Christ… Our only hope is in Jesus.

From Overwhelming to Overflowing

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Mother’s Day Celebration

“From Overwhelming to Overflowing”

Pastor Jerry

Psalm 23

 

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In the past year we have been living in the midst of governmental mandates issued as a result of a Global Pandemic that has forced the confinement of countless numbers of people behind locked doors; and those who did come out were forced into the wearing of masks (which hid their facial expressions of pain and love); and for those who did get their expressions of emotions communicated, still, the mandatory social distancing caused the loss of physical contact that’s so important with friends and family. This past year has had a disastrous impact on the well-being of so many people throughout the world. With the closing down of businesses and schools, all this has caused a growing mental health epidemic that is at a crisis level in our society.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is now the number one leading cause of disability worldwide. The WHO projects that by 2030, the amount of disability and life lost from depression will surpass all of those combined from war, accidents, cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Heartbreaking!

Being a mother in 2021 is like no other time in our history. Being a parent is like no other time we have seen before. And yet, there are signs on the horizon that perhaps, we are on the brink of returning to some normalcy. We have reason to begin to be hopeful!

However, there is a concern than we are not just fighting the damage from last year’s pandemic. With this crazy past year of isolation, it has made many people feel like they have missed out. There’s a feeling of desperation to catch up. And in a desire to catch up people are overbooking their calendars, overspending their money, overdrawing their credit, overloading their emotions, overworking their bodies, overcrowding their days, and overvaluing the approval of other people.

As a result, many people are feeling overstressed, overanxious, and overwhelmed. Now, why are we doing this? It’s the fear of missing out. We don’t want to feel like we are inadequate or unloved or left out. And all this has left us feeling overwhelmed!

So today, I want us to look at the subject of moving from being overwhelmed to overflowing. This message is for mothers (but it is for all of us). I want to share with you an important message that really could change your life for the future if you’ll apply the points.

I want to begin by explaining two different fundamentally different approaches to life. You can approach life with a shortage mindset, or you can approach life with a surplus mindset. Big, big difference!  

  1. A SHORTAGE mindset means: I never have enough and I never will.

That’s going to leave you feeling overwhelmed. I don’t have enough time. I don’t have enough money. I don’t have enough energy. I don’t have enough opportunities, or whatever. It’s the feeling that you always come up short. That causes you to feel overwhelmed by life. In the Bible, words like lacking, wanting, needing are used for this lifestyle, this shortage mindset.

A good example is in the Bible. It was a famine in Israel, and Elisha had a discussion with his servant about this. 2 Kings 4:42-44 says, “A man brought Elisha, the prophet, some loaves of bread.” Now, remember, this is a famine going on in the land. “Elisha said, ‘Give it to the people so they can eat.’ Elisha’s servant said, ‘There’s not enough here for this many people.'” Not enough. That’s a shortage mindset. “‘Just give it to them,’ Elisha said. ‘The Lord has promised that there will be more than enough.'” That’s a surplus mindset. “So the servant gave the bread to the people.” And sure enough, it says “They ate until full and still had some left over, just as God had promised.”

Shortage lifestyle: I’m never going to have enough. Surplus lifestyle: I’ve got more than enough. The result of a shortage mindset is I focus on my limited resources. I look at all the things that I’m lacking: I don’t have enough money, I don’t have enough time, I don’t have enough energy. The result of a shortage mindset is an overwhelmed life.

When you have a shortage lifestyle, you think that life is like a pie. If somebody takes a bigger piece, that means a smaller piece for you. That there’s a limited number of resources, and if they get more, then you’re going to get resentful, or you’re going to get worried, or you’re going to get anxious because there’s only so much of the pie to go around. That’s a shortage mentality. That there’s not enough to go around, and you are missing out on life.

Now, instead, God wants you to have this other kind of lifestyle, which is the surplus mentality:

   2. A SURPLUS mindset means: God has more than I’ll ever need…

And God will never run out. God doesn’t give us just one piece of the pie. There will always be more pieces and more pies because God will keep creating them. In the Bible, we have words like abundance and plentiful and abounding and blessings. God has more than enough to meet all your needs and everybody else’s needs at the same time.

Now, the result of the focus of a surplus mindset is instead of focusing on my limited resources, I focus on God’s limitless resources. And the result is an overflowing life.

In Psalm 23 David says, “You fill my cup to overflowing.” Meaning “You give me more than I can hold.” He’s talking about the overflowing life rather than the overwhelmed life. In verse one David says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.” He gives me everything I need; I shall not want. In verse five he says, “My cup runs over.” God gives me more than I need.

Now, this is crucial to understand: what’s your cup? What’s my cup? Your cup is your life! My cup is my life. When David says, “My cup runs over,” he’s saying: my life is overflowing. I’m not overwhelmed because I don’t have enough time, energy, or whatever, but instead, I’m overflowing. My cup overflows. My life overflows with God’s provisions.

Did you know that God wants your life to be overflowing? Here’s the fundamental problem. God says, “If you would just do what I tell you to do, you’d succeed in life.” But we don’t listen! Anytime God says, “Do it this way,” and we go, “Well, I think I know what will make me happy, we are in trouble. In fact, anytime you think that way, you are making a fatal mistake; because God knows what’ll make you happy more than you do. When I think I know I’m going to make myself happy by doing something different than God says to do, it causes all kinds of problems in my life: stress and burdens and anxiety, and it  all becomes overwhelming. How can you experience an overflowing life? It’s letting God be God! It’s realizing that nothing is impossible with God.  It’s built on the supply mindset that says, “It’s not my weakness, it’s not my shortage, it’s God’s strength that’s going to get me through.”

Now how do I experience an overflowing life? Let me give you four daily habits. If you’ll do these, they will change your life. Here’s the first habit for living an overflowing life and stop living an overwhelmed life. Mothers, this is for you (and for the rest of us too) Number one:

  1. Stay connected to Jesus every day.

In John chapter 15:5, Jesus says: “I am the vine, and you are the branches…you can’t do anything without me!” If you try to go through life on your own power, you’re going to be overwhelmed. But if you’re connected to Jesus, you’re going to have power. How do you stay connected to Jesus on a daily basis? You spend some time with him every day. You read the Bible each day. Let God talk to you. You talk to God – that’s called prayer. You listen. You be quiet. You spend some time. If you want to have a relationship with anybody, you got to spend time with them. The way you stay connected is to have a daily time alone with God.

Now let me give you a 2nd habit. Mothers, here’s the second key to overflowing. (Each gets harder) The first is: stay connected on a daily basis to God, to Jesus. Here’s number two:

  1. Stop complaining and start being grateful.

Stop griping, stop grumbling, and start being grateful. Complaining is a very unhealthy emotion. It harms your body. You want to be healthy? Learn gratitude. When you are grateful, it is good for your body. Philippians 2:14 says: “In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing.” Let me ask you, what do you complain about? Do you complain about the way you look? Or is it money you don’t have? Or is it the way you feel? 1 Thess. 5:18, “No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Well, this is God’s will for you: that in everything, you give thanks. Are you being grateful in everything? Even during the hard times!

If I want to be living an overflowing life rather than an overwhelmed life, First stay connected to Jesus. Then number two: Stop complaining, and be grateful. All right Mothers, here’s the third thing the Bible says to do if you want to live an overflowing life:

  1. Stop comparing, and start being content.

Stop comparing yourself to other people. When you compare, you get envious, you get resentful. Now there’s two problems with comparing yourself to others. One, you’ll always find somebody in life who’s doing a better job than you, and you’re going to get full of discouragement. They got more money. They’ve got more talent. They’re better looking. Number two, you can always find somebody you’re doing a better job than they are, and you get full of pride. When you’re full of pride, or ego, or when you’re full of discouragement or resentment because of somebody else, you lose. Now, the Bible says stop comparing, and start being more contented, and you’ll live an overflowing life.

Everything you’ve got is a gift of God’s goodness. The air you’re breathing right now, the heart that is beating right now, is a gift of God’s goodness.  Proverbs 14:30 says, “It’s healthy to be content, but envy will eat you up.” In the New Testament, Paul says, “I’ve learned to be content.” It has to be learned. You see, by nature, I’m not a naturally contented person. And neither are you. But if you listen and do what God says, you learn to be content, that’s a good thing. You see, all those negative things that stress you out: worry, jealousy, resentment, anger, fear, insecurity, feeling unloved, feeling unworthy, feeling ashamed, feeling guilty, all those different things, guess what? They’re all learned. Now, anything you can learn, you can unlearn. The stuff you need to learn, like learn to be content, is what life’s all about. Learn to be unselfish. Learn to be grateful. Learn to connect to God every day of your life. He said that’s going to help you learn contentment. Get your eyes off other people. The wealthiest person in the world is not the one with the most money. The wealthiest person in the world is the one who’s most contented with what they’ve got.

Mothers, be connected to Jesus; don’t complain but be grateful; stop comparing and start being contented. Then there’s one more habit, and Mothers, this one’s the hardest of all:

  1. Stop being stingy and start being generous.

If you want to move from being overwhelmed all the time to being overflowing all the time, you must move from being stingy to being generous. I’m not just talking about money, I’m talking about your time, generous with your energy, generous with your compliments. Stinginess is evidence of a shortage mindset. I only have enough, and if I give it away, I’m not going to have enough for me. That’s a shortage mentality. It means you don’t trust the goodness of God. When you say, “I can’t afford to give money away to other people. I need it all for me,” you don’t understand God. Because God said this: the more you give away, the more you’re going to get. He said that because he wants you to become like him. God is a giver. Everything we have is the gift of God’s generosity. God wants you to learn to be like him. Now you can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. This really upsets some people. When you hit the stingy nerve in them, it just irritates them because they don’t understand the more generous I am, the more God is going to bless me. In every single area of life, you’re going to overflow.

God doesn’t need my money. God doesn’t need your money. He’s the source of all supply. He wants what it represents: your heart. He wants us to trust him.?

Today, many mothers, many people are feeling overstressed, overanxious, and overwhelmed. It’s the fear of missing out. As your pastor, I want you to move from being overwhelmed to overflowing.

A SHORTAGE mindset will leave you feeling overwhelmed.  It’s a feeling that you will never have enough and never will.

A SURPLUS mindset will leave you feeling overflowing. It’s a feeling that God will give you more than you’ll ever need.

Focus today on God’s limitless resources. And the result will be to experience an overflowing life. Jesus wants to fill your cup to overflowing.” Jesus wants “to give you more than you can hold.” Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Let Him fill you up today.

How to Pray about Your Problems

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 15

“How to Pray about Your Problems”

Pastor Jerry

James 5:13-20

 

————————————- Message Synopsis ————————————-

“Do you pray?” If so, “How much?”  James says prayer is so important! There is tremendous power in prayer. Yet, it’s probably our greatest failure in the Christian life.

Today we’re going to look at three aspects of prayer: (I.) When should I pray? … (II.) What kind of person prays? …and (III.) How can I pray effectively?  

  1. WHEN SHOULD I PRAY?
  2. When I am hurting emotionally.

(v13a) “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.”  What about you today, Do any of you have trouble? It may be financial, or relational, or stress…or anything where life gets hard. James continues the verse saying, (v13b) “Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” Have you noticed that life is a series of alternations between highs and lows, problems and joys? The Bible says, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” So when you’re happy, you should rejoice… But …when you’re down you should pray.

  1. When I’m hurting physically.

(v14-15) “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well…If he has sinned he will be forgiven.”

The word “sick” in Greek, literally means “without strength.” It’s when you are totally wasted, fatigued, bedridden. When you’re sick, you pray.

The Scripture teaches that there are three different kinds of sickness.

(1) Sickness for death. It’s covered in 1 John 5:16. That kind of sickness God allows to take us on home to be with Him.

(2) Sickness for discipline. It’s covered in 1 Corinthians 11:28- 32. Paul said, because they were abusing the Lord’s Supper that was the reason some of them were sick.

(3) Sickness for the glory of God. It’s a testimony to the world. John 11:4.  Of the three kinds of sickness: The last (3) is the kind God wants to heal.

God does heal people today, but He doesn’t heal everybody.

So what does James say to do when you are sick? James says you call the spiritual leaders of your church to pray for you. (v14) “Call for the elders of the church to pray over him …and anoint him with oil.” Oil is a symbol of the Holy spirit.The results: (v15) “… And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.” We do this in the Church of the Brethren. We pray for persons and anointed them with oil.

The third specific time to pray is…

  1. When I’m hurting spiritually.

(v16) “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” Jesus taught that a lot of the sickness we experience, we bring upon ourselves. If I don’t follow God’s principles, my body is going to find out about it. If I don’t listen to God’s word where it says “Don’t be anxious about anything, but pray about everything” and I worry, fret, get anxious and I get an ulcer, then I’m to blame for it. If I allow resentment to build up in my life… doctors say it’s not only what you eat but what’s eating you that makes the difference … resentment can take its toll in your life and it makes a big difference. If I don’t trust God and I allow these things to come into my life there will be sin.

What’s the condition for healing? Confess. Revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing. James says confess your sins, not broadcast them.

When should I pray? James says when I’m hurting emotionally when I’m down; and, when I’m hurting physically, I call for the spiritual leaders of the church; finally, when I’m hurting Siritually, confess and pray.

  1. WHO SHOULD PRAY?

Some people think you have to be a spiritual giant to pray. Many Christians feel inferior. James uses Elijah as an illustration. (v17) “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it wouldn’t rain and it didn’t rain on the land for three and a half years. He prayed again and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its crops.” I Kings 19. After this he runs to the other side of the desert and goes through a fit of depression and prays, “God, kill me. I’m so depressed.” “Elijah was a man just like us.” We have anger, fear, resentment, worry, depression, and loneliness.

The lesson of Elijah’s life is you don’t have to be a strong person to pray. Prayer is for ordinary people. I Kings 18, Elijah got alone with God and humbled himself praying for rain. It says he prayed seven times. He was persistent. He would not give up. He believed God would answer his prayer.

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things through prayer.

III. HOW CAN I PRAY EFFECTIVELY?

I want to review four conditions for praying effectively that James mentions in his book.

  1. I must ask. That sounds simple but in a lot of our prayers we never ask for anything. We never pray specifically. The more specific your prayers are the greater you’re going to be blessed in the answer. Jam 4:2 “You do not have because you do not ask.” Ask! The second conditions for praying effectively…
  2. I must have the right motive. (4:3) “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” If you’re going to ask in prayer, make sure your motives are right. Not for selfishness but genuine reason—motives for the glory of God. The third conditions for praying effectively…
  3. I must have a clean life. (James 5:16) “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” If you’re a Christian you are righteous. Righteousness is your standing before God when you became a believer. Psalm 66:18, David said, “If I hide … [sin] in my heart then the Lord will not hear.” If I am willfully and knowingly doing something I know is displeasing to God, He will not hear. We need to have a clean life before Him. The fourth conditions for praying effectively…
  4. I must ask in faith. Expect an answer. (James 1:6) “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt…” When you come to God, believe that He wants to answer your prayer. Trust Him. I talk to the Lord all the time, but I don’t really have the prayer life I want to have. I want to know Him in a deeper way.

Perhaps the way James ends his book is the most important thing I can do for you today. (v19) My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth… Is there anyone who is not following the truth of God for your life this morning? I want to pray for God to open the eyes of your heart…to see Jesus calling you to Him.  James says, “bring that person back,…” Jesus wants you back …Jesus wants to open the eyes of your heart. He wants you to surrender your life to Him.

I am going to ask you to pray this morning. And, this may be the most important prayer you will ever pray. I want you to pray that God will open eyes of your heart; and to come before Jesus today!  I want you to come before Him and pray to be forgiven, pray to get on the right path for your life, and pray to receive God’s Gift of Truth that will make you new again!

 

How to Develop Patience

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 14

“How to Develop Patience”

Pastor Jerry

James 5:7-12

 

————————————- Message Synopsis ————————————-

Today we are having Part 14 in our series “How to Face our Future” and the message today is “How to Develop Patience.”

Let me ask you a personal question, How many of you are waiting on something to happen in your life?

A lot of our life we spend waiting. There are many things in life that test our patience. We are the Now Generation. We do not like to wait. My wife will tell you that I am most of the time a very patient person (except when I get hungry).

Today we’re going to look at what James has to say on “How to Develop Patience.” You need patience in every area of your life. James uses three different illustrations to teach us …when to be patient …why to be patient, …and …how to be patient.

 I. WHEN SHOULD I BE PATIENT?

  1. When circumstances are uncontrollable

Have you figured out that a lot of life is beyond your control? James uses a farmer as an example of when circumstances are uncontrollable. (v7) “Be patient then brothers & sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop (and how patient he is) …” A farmer has to do a lot of waiting, yet, the farmer has no control over a lot of things. If you have a lot of faith you can be a farmer. Just so, in life if you have a lot of faith you can deal with a lot of uncontrollable factors— but you will need to be patient.

Have you noticed that even when we realize a situation is beyond our control, we still try to control it? How do we do that? By worrying. We need to have patience in uncontrollable circumstances.  Second you should be patient…

  1. When people are unchangeable

When people won’t change. James gives an example: (v10) “As an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” What was the duty of prophets? To help people change, bring them back to God.Have you noticed that people resist change? They are the people who only see their own way. And did you know they may never change. What are you going to do about it? James says to have patience. Third time to be patient is…

  1. When problems are unexplainable

The classic example he gives is in (v11), “You have heard of Job’s perseverance …” Job was a wealthy man. He had everything going for him. In a two-day period, everything fell apart. He lost his family, his friends, his finances. The worst part of Job’s suffering was that he had absolutely no idea why it was happening. God doesn’t even talk to him. Job didn’t understand. In all of those unexplained problems, Job maintained his faith. Sometimes we just can’t figure out our problems. You really need patience.  Why?

II. WHY BE PATIENT?

  1. Because God is in control

“Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” (v8). The Bible talks more about Jesus’ second coming — when He comes back to judge the world — than it does about His first coming.” God’s purpose for your life is greater than any problem you’re facing right now. God is in control. Although I can’t control everything that happens in my life, God can, so I ought to trust Him. Because God is in control and everything is working out, be patient.

  1. Because God rewards patience.

(v11a) “As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.” The second half of Job’s life was more blessed than the first half. God doubled everything he had. There are all kinds of rewards for being patient. God rewards it.  But not just on this side of eternity, but on the other side you’re going to be rewarded too. You need to be patient. Third reason to be patient…

  1. Because God is working things out

Often behind the scenes, things we don’t even see, God’s at work but we don’t see Him at work. (v11b) “You have heard of Job’s perseverance, and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” God was working, all the time that Job did not know what was going on. A delay does not mean a denial. We have to learn the difference between “no” and “not yet”. Big difference!

Philippians 2:13 “God is at work within you.” Maybe you can’t see it, but He is. Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things, God is working…” In every circumstance in your life, God is working. Be patient and trust Him.

III. HOW TO BE PATIENT?

James says consider these three illustrations: What must you do while waiting on God?

  1. Wait expectantly

That what a farmer must do. He must expect a harvest. You too! We must believe something fruitful will happen. We demonstrate our expectation by our preparation. We get ready for the answer in advance.

Psalm 130:5 (LB) “… I wait expectantly, trusting God … for He has promised.” What are you waiting for from God? Maybe to heal a long-term illness, or to help your marriage, or to reverse your financial problems or for God to heal your brokenness? Do you need something from God? The Bible says, “According to your faith it will be done unto you.” What are you doing to get ready for God’s answer? Waiting is a time to get ready. Isaiah 49:23 “The Lord says … No one who waits for my help will be disappointed.”

 Wait quietly

James points out the fact that we have a tendency to be irritated when things aren’t going our way and things aren’t under our control. (v9) “Don’t grumble against each other, brothers & sisters, or you will be judged.” Why? It’s hard to be quiet when you’re frustrated. Typically, we take it out on those closest to us. We displace our anger and focus it on those we love the most. James says don’t do that.

3.) Wait confidently

Job never lost his confidence in all that happened. When the outlook is bad, you look up. Micah 7:7 “I will wait confidently for God.” How do you do that? You have hope. Hope is Holding On! Praying! Expectantly waiting! BECAUSE GOD IS OUR HOPE!

When you’ve got a problem, then wait confidently. God is working. How do you wait confidently? Be still. You don’t take matters into your own hands & try to work it out. (Ps 37:7) “Be still before the Lord & wait patiently for Him to act.”

 Are you are waiting on something to happen in your life? Do you need patience? Remember what God has said in James. God is in control. It may be out of your control, but it’s not out of God’s control. Nothing is beyond His power and His purpose; for your life is greater than the problem you’re experiencing right now. God will reward your patience, if not in this life, He will in eternity. God is working behind the scenes for a purpose to give you an abundant life.

How to be Wise with Your Money

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 13

“How to be Wise with Our Money”

Pastor Jerry

James 5:1-6

 

————————————- Message Synopsis ————————————-

Today we’re going to look at “How to Be Wise With Your Wealth” as we continue in our series through the book of James.

Question? How many of you are wealthy?  By world standards, by the very fact that we live in America, we’re wealthy. And we need to hear what the scripture teaches about wealth.

Many people wrongly believe that the Bible teaches that it’s wrong to be wealthy. The Bible says that “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” God is not opposed to wealth; in fact, many of the people in the Bible were extremely wealthy. But, God is opposed to the misuse & abuse of wealth. He wants us to use wealth wisely, no matter how much/how little we have.

The people in the entire NT times were either very rich or very poor. The system caused the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. The rich tended to manipulate and oppress the poor people. James lashes out at non-Christian use of money by the wealthy. This passage is a healthy warning to us to make sure that no matter how much money we have, we use it wisely.

We’re going to look at the wrong and the right uses of wealth according to the scriptures.

James mentions four common abuses of wealth.

I. THE WRONG USES OF WEALTH

 The first key issue that James talks about is the ACCUMULATION OF WEALTH. He says, don’t hoard it.” (v3) “You have hoarded wealth in the last days.” James speaks about three results of wealth hording: (1) spoiled food, (2) moth eaten clothes, and (3) rusting gold and silver. The point he’s making here is that whatever you accumulate, deteriorates. God doesn’t want us to get wealth just for the sake of getting wealth. It’s to be used not hoarded.

There’s a second issue he talks about. This is the issue of the APPROPRIATION OF WEALTH. God is not only concerned with what we’ve got but also how we got it. Don’t steal it. Don’t use dishonest means to rip people off. There are a lot of different ways to make dishonest money. One way is to simply not pay your debts.

In the NT, you worked on a daily basis. You were hired at the beginning of the day, you worked all day, and at the end of the day you were given your pay. You could work all day and the boss come out and say, “I don’t like your work,” then you went home with no money. James is criticizing this practice: “The wages you have failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you.” (v4)

The third issue that James talks about is the ALLOCATION OF MONEY — how we spend it. (v5) “You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence.” In the allocation of money don’t waste it. One of the greatest temptations we have is we’re tempted to spend it selfishly on ourselves. The more money you make the easier it is to waste it. Just because I can afford it doesn’t mean I ought to buy it. James says don’t waste it.

The fourth key issue that James deals with is the APPLICATION OF WEALTH. He’s talking about how we use it’s influence. He says, don’t abuse it. Wealth gives us much more power than simply buying power. When you have money, it gives you influence, authority. James said, “You have condemned & ruined innocent men, & they are powerless to stop you.” Even today, a lot of people use money to manipulate others.

II. The right uses of wealth and things we ought to practice. Let’s see what God has to say about how to manage my money.

(1) RIGHT ACCUMULATION. Proverbs 21:20 “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.”  This is the principle that the Bible says, we ought to save money faithfully. God says the wise person saves and invests his money.

In order to develop the habit of saving you’ve got to do two things:

(1) You need to learn to live on a margin. That means live on less than you make.

(2) You learn contentment. You’ve got to learn contentment with what we have.

What is the purpose of saving? Here’s where the Bible differs from the world’s thinking in a major way. The world thinks you save money for security. In order to have security you’ve got to put your security in something that cannot be taken away from you. Everything that I have in life can be taken away from me. There is only one thing that cannot be taken away from me and that’s my relationship to Jesus Christ.  Why do we save? The Christian saves for stewardship reasons, not for security reasons. That’s the right accumulation according to scripture.

What about the (2) RIGHT APPROPRIATION. What matters to God is not so much how much money you make but how you make it. The Bible says in Proverbs 13:11 “Wealth from gambling quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows.” What is gambling? A get-rich-quick scheme. Over and over again in Scripture the Bible teaches the value of hard work. Make money honestly through work.

Scripture says you can make as much money as you can in your lifetime as long as you meet these four qualifications.

  1. As long as it doesn’t hurt your own health.
  2. As long as it doesn’t hurt my family
  3. As long as it doesn’t hurt other people.
  4. As long as it doesn’t hurt my spiritual life.

What does the Scripture say about the (3) RIGHT ALLOCATION? The Bible says we are to spend money wisely. The Scripture says, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as sure as haste leads to poverty.” He’s talking about planning your money and planning your spending. It is easier to get into debt than to get out of debt. The number one reason for financial pressure is not that we don’t make enough but we don’t spend wisely. What is the Key? Have a budget.

(4) THE RIGHT APPLICATION. How do we use the influence that money has? We are to give money generously. This principle is taught over and over again in Scripture. Give and it will be given unto you. There are more promises in the Bible related to giving than on any other subject. God wants us to learn to be givers because He is a giver. If we’re going to learn to become like God we’ve got to learn to be giving people. You’ve heard many people say, “You can’t take it with you.” That’s very true, but you can send it on ahead. “Store up for yourselves treasure in Heaven.” Matthew 6:20 “Where your treasure is your heart will be also.”

 How do you send it on ahead? The only way you can store up treasure in heaven is by investing it in people who are going there. There are only two things that are going to last forever: the word of God and people. Everything else is going to burn up at the judgment.

Jesus is saying that when you use money and invest it in people who come to know Christ, when you get to heaven, they’ll say they are there because of you. Jesus says, use your affluence for good influence. Then people will welcome you into eternal dwellings.

How about you? Who’s going to say in heaven, “I’m here because of you.” We should use the right application and give money generously. Everything we give on this side of eternity is being accredited to our account on the other side in eternity. God doesn’t need our money. He’s wealthy. But he wants us. He wants what money represents. He wants our lives.

How to Quit Playing God

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 12

“How to Quit Playing God”

Pastor Jerry

James 4:11-12

 

————————————- Message Synopsis ————————————-

Back in my college days I read a book written by Eric Burn called Games People Play. A couple of years later when I was in Bethany Theological Seminary in Chicago, another book came out, Games Christians Play. It was an interesting book that dealt with games Christians play in the name of the Lord. I want us to look at the deadliest game you as a Christian can ever play —the game of playing God.  

James says that the way we play God is by judging people.

Anytime I judge you, anytime you judge me, we’re playing God. It’s only God’s responsibility to judge people. I want us to look at (I) Why we judge other people, (II) Why we shouldn’t judge, (III) When is it wrong to judge other people, (IV) and, How do we break the habit of judging other people. You will be happier in your life if you learn how to deal with this issue.

I. WHY DO WE LIKE TO JUDGE OTHERS?

Paul says in Romans 2:3 that one of the reasons we tend to judge other people is to excuse our own faults. You think by pointing out how somebody else has fallen, then you don’t look so bad.

There is another reason, he says, that we tend to judge other people and that’s because it appeals to our pride.  Proverbs 26:22 (GN) “Gossip is so tasty. How we love to swallow it.” There is a natural innate ability of gossip or slander to capture our curiosity. It’s a self- righteous attitude of putting other people down. Everybody has this problem.

II. WHY SHOULD I NOT JUDGE OTHERS

James gives us three reasons why we shouldn’t judge other people.

  1. It’s unchristian

“Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law….” We shouldn’t judge one another because we’re all part of the same family. We’re brothers and sisters. Notice it says, “…do not slander“. The word “slander” and the word “devil” are the same word. The word “devil” means slander. The devil’s number one activity is going around and putting people down.We are most like the devil when we slander.

  1. It’s unloving

We shouldn’t judge others because it’s unloving. James says, “Whenever I judge you, I’m breaking the Law.” What law is it I’m breaking? James 2:8 …breaking the Royal Law — the law of love — “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  To judge is unchristian and unloving.

  1. It’s unjustified

“There’s only one lawgiver and one judge.” The word “lawgiver” is referring to God. Only God has the right to judge. One of the greatest weaknesses in people is we tend to generalize people by just one mistake. If they make one mistake we write off their whole personality.

III. WHEN IS IT WRONG TO JUDGE OTHERS?

There are seven places in Scripture where it says it is wrong to judge.

  1. Romans 2:1-3 “You therefore have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else. For at whatever point you judge others you’re condemning yourself for you who pass judgment do the same thing…do you think you’ll escape God’s judgment?” The time when it’s wrong to judge other people is when I’m practicing the same sin.
  1. Matthew 7:3-5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? …You hypocrite! First take the plank out of your own eye and then you can see clearly to remove the speck in your brother’s eye.” Jesus is talking here in His famous Sermon on the Mount. He’s saying it’s wrong to judge when it blinds me to my own faults.
  1. John 7:24 gives us the third time in scripture when it’s wrong to judge other people. “Jesus says, `Stop judging by mere appearance and (instead) make a right judgment.'” It’s wrong to judge others when you draw conclusions based on outward appearance.
  1. John 7:51 “Nicodemus who had gone to Jesus earlier and …asked (talking to the Sanhedrin) `Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?'” That’s a rhetorical question. The obvious answer is “NO!” It’s wrong to judge when you condemn somebody before you hear the facts.
  1. Colossians 2:16 “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat, drink, or regard to religious festivals, … or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the thing to come. Reality, however, is found in Christ.” Paul is saying it is wrong to judge people, their spirituality, on the basis of externals, religious observances.
  1. James 4:11 “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it.” It’s wrong to judge when it causes you to speak evil about another Christian. Anything that causes me to speak evil about another Christian, maybe which could ruin their reputation is wrong. We are to hate wrong but we’re to love people even when they are doing wrong.
  1. I Corinthians 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.” What is Paul talking here is about motives. He is saying we have no right to judge other people’s motives and question why they do what they do.

The Bible says that someday when the Lord comes back, “he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s heart.” One day it’s all going to be brought to light.

IV. HOW DO YOU BREAK THE HABIT OF JUDGING OTHERS

  1. Remember that I’ll be judged by the same standards that I use to judge other people.

If you want something to help you be a little more considerate, look at Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you, for God will judge you in the same way you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others.” The same measure we mete out is the same measure we get back.

  1. Remember that each of us is accountable to God.

“Every one of us, then, will have to give an account of himself to God. So then, let us stop judging one another.” (Romans 14:12-13). You’re not accountable to me in the ultimate sense of every area of your life. I don’t have to report to you. But one day we’re all going to stand before God and then God is going to know our motives. How’s God going to judge? He’s going to judge honestly, fairly, truthfully.

  1. Remember how much God has been merciful to me.

James 2:13 “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” There is a principle greater than criticism. It’s the principle of forgiveness. The principle of mercy. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful.” Matthew 18 is the story of the unforgiving servant.

The Bible says we’re to be merciful because God has given us so much mercy. That’s the way God is! None of us get what we deserve. If we did we wouldn’t be here. It’s all by God’s grace.

We take advantage of God’s grace. We forget how good it is. When you first become a Christian you understand how much you’re forgiven. It’s the most thrilling experience and you’re really grateful for it. It’s like the song we opened the service with: I’m gonna climb a mountain, Im gonna shout about it, I found a friend in Jesus! If God’s been gracious with us we need to be gracious with others. The most forgiving person is the most forgiven person. Once you’ve fallen, made mistakes, realized it and faced up to it, you’re a lot more understanding, more sympathetic, open and forgiving, kind and loving with other people.

I invite you to come this morning “Just as you are!” If you are broken as you come here today, come to be mended; if you are wounded, come to be healed; if you are desperate, come to be rescued; if you are empty, come to be filled; if you are guilty, come to be pardoned. Come, just as you are, to be welcomed into the loving arms of Jesus!

Easter-“Back to the Future”

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Sermon Series

How to Face Our Future! – Part 11

Easter-“Back to the Future”

Pastor Jerry

James 4:13-17

 

————————————- Message Synopsis ————————————-

Welcome to our Easter Celebration Service! I am so glad to be here to worship with you today and I am glad that you are here too!

In 1985, Stephen Spielberg produced a movie by the name, “Back to the Future.” (Did any of you see that film?)

The power and the premise of the movie is that everything we do affects the future…and that premise is actually true.

So, let’s travel back in time to about 30 a.d. on a Sunday morning in early Spring. Jesus, a miracle worker and teacher, who many had hoped would be the Messiah or Savior of the Jewish people, had just been crucified and was dead. Death, the final and ultimate end had come. The hopes and dreams of many were dashed. So everyone thought.

But, in the background, God was moving, He had a plan. Three days later an angel of God came down from heaven to tell the Good News of God’s plan. Jesus had risen. He invited the women to see where Jesus had been laid and to hurry and go tell the disciples what had happened. Jesus was risen and God’s plan was being revealed. This was the Easter Plan! Jesus to rise from the dead! He did! And He’s Alive!

And because of what Jesus did on that first Easter, the changes He made over death, has had an eternal impact on what we do today.

We understand that everything we do today will impact our future. Today…this Easter day…may be the most important day in your life! So, today, even as we look back to that first Easter, I want us more importantly to now focus our attention to the future…BACK TO OUR FUTURE.

So let me ask you a question. If you were suddenly thrown back in time and you were able to know what was going to happen before it happened, what would you do? If you could do your life all over again what would you do different?

In my opinion there are two areas where we are not supposed to live. One is the past and the other is the future. We have to learn to live in the now. And that is exactly what James is saying to us in this passage today. How do we live today so we will be ready to face our future?

In the scripture reading we find a story that deals with this issue and it tells the story of someone who was making plans for his future but he was going about it in the wrong way. So let’s try to learn from his mistakes.

  1. James says the first common mistake we make in living today is in leaving God out of our PLANNING FOR TOMMOROW.

Look at (v13): Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” So this person had done all of it without even asking God for His opinion. And that is pride at its highest level. There’s not a single mention of God in this entire set of plans. Now this person is not really rebellious; he’s not fighting against God. There’s nothing wrong with what he did. It’s what he forgot to do. He forgot to include God. His attitude was one of self-sufficiency.

You can be a believer and forget God in your daily life. You know it’s tragic to meet somebody who says, “I don’t believe in God. I don’t believe He exists.” But what’s more tragic is to find somebody who says, “I believe God exists,” but then acts like He doesn’t. Don’t leave God out of your life or leave Him out of your planning. That is mistake #1.

  1. The second mistake we make in living today is PRESUMING ABOUT TOMORROW.

That’s basically taking life for granted. (vs 14 &16) “Why you don’t even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes… As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.” There are a couple reasons we shouldn’t presume about the future and assume that we’ve got tomorrow.

1) Life is unpredictable: “you don’t even know”. None of us know what’s going to happen in future. Just last year who would have ever thought we would be going through a pandemic this past year? Life is so unpredictable. Don’t worry about it, but let it cause you to trust God more, to be more dependent on God.

2) Life is brief: “What is your life? You are a mist…” Who knows how long we’re going to live? None of us do. We’re only one heartbeat away from eternity. I don’t know how long I’m going to live (do you?) Don’t worry or be afraid. Live one day at a time.” You have been given today. Don’t presume you have another day to live. That is mistake #2.

  1. A third common mistake in living today is PUTTING OFF (until) TOMORROW DOING GOOD.

We delay what should be done today until tomorrow. We procrastinate. Here is how James words it (v 17) “If anyone…knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”  Sin is not only doing something wrong, it is the failure to do something right. Putting off what you need to do today by presuming you can do it tomorrow is a dangerous presumption. To think that “One of these days I’m going to get serious about God. God says why are you waiting? You don’t have any guarantee of tomorrow, none at all.

It is possible you can waste your life? Life is a gift. Never take it for granted. Don’t delay what should be done today until tomorrow. That is mistake #3.

Luke 12 – Jesus told a story that illustrates what James is teaching in this passage of Scripture. He tells the story about a man who is very successful in life but he made a very foolish decision. He made the same mistakes that James is talking about in our scripture lesson – actually, this man makes all three mistakes. He planned without God. He presumed he had plenty of time. He put off doing the right thing. (v 16) “Jesus told them a parable, (Luke 12).

This is the Easter question for you today: When your time is up, how will you face your future? There are three mistakes you could make with your answer. You could say, “I haven’t made any plans.” (First mistake is to not prepare with God in a decision). Then you could answer, “I want to think about it.” (The second mistake is thinking you have more time to decide). Finally you could respond, “I know it would be a good thing to do.” (Third mistake is to know to do the right thing, but not do it—to delay what should be done today until tomorrow-James says that’s a sin).

How would God react to such answers? Wouldn’t He say, “Fool!”

God has already given you the correct answers right here in this message: (1) First, Easter is God’s plan for you through His Son, Jesus for eternal life. (2) Second, God has given you today, the only day He’s guaranteed you have, to hear His Easter message. (3) Third, God says the right thing to do, is to receive His Easter’s Amazing Grace, TODAY, to delay would be a sin, that could cost you everything.

Back to the Future! Although there is no such thing as a time machine, you can look back into time and transform your present and future life. Because of what Jesus did at Easter, He has given you that chance. But it’s your choice, and the choice is today!

A person who has witnessed the Easter resurrection and has grasped its meaning will not settle for what the world offers, “simply…to eat, drink and be merry,” foolishly thinking there’s plenty of time. Instead, they will leap at the chance to live a changed life, a life of power, insight, and most of all, liberation from the world.

This message series has been to help us in “How to Face Our Future!”

Easter is about God’s Amazing Grace!

A couple of weeks ago, I was having lunch in an outdoor setting with a person and we were talking about issues of faith, and forgiveness, and God’s love. And after a period of time, a lady at another table called me over to her table (she had been listening to our discussion about God and problems we face) and she asked me, “Do you think God saves a person by love or by mercy?” I thought for a moment and said, “I don’t think God saves us by either, not love nor mercy, I believe God saves us by Grace.” She said, “What is Grace?” I said, “Grace is receiving something you don’t deserve (like being given salvation—salvation is God’s gift).” She then said, “Well, what is mercy?” I responded, “Mercy is not receiving something you do deserve (like not being punishment for your sin—forgiveness is God’s mercy).”

Just like in the movie Back to the Future – once you have taken part in the past your life will be radically changed today and forever. Look back today at Easter to see forward to your future. See the risen Christ – He is God’s Amazing Grace – and rejoice in the glorious future that awaits you today, tomorrow, and beyond all time – if you receive His Son –His Amazing Gift—His Amazing Grace!