How to Avoid Arguments

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 10

“How to Avoid Arguments”

Pastor Jerry

James 4:1-10

 

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

Let me ask you a personal question. Do any of you ever argue with anyone?

We’re going to be looking at what James has to say on “How to Avoid Arguments.” James talks about that in the scripture reading and he gives us both the causes and the cures — the reason for argument and the remedy.

Now, at the very start of this message, I want you to think of the person that causes the most conflict in your life.

I. The Cause for Arguments: DESIRES.

James had some profound insights on the cause of conflict. 4:1 “What causes fights and quarrels among you. Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” James says that the cause of arguments is conflicting desires.

What are those desires? The Bible makes very clear here and other places in Scripture that there are three basic desires we have that cause conflict. These desires are legitimate desires unless they’re out of control. They will cause conflict. What are they?

  1. THE DESIRE TO HAVE

We want to have things. To buy things! v. 2 “You want what you don’t have … you long for what others have.” God created things to be used and to enjoy. The problem is when we start loving things and using people – when things become more important in your life.

It’s very easy to fall in love with things these days –commercials promise you more fun, more satisfaction, that will make you more desirable. The reality is that we discover that it actually doesn’t live up to its promise – we don’t feel satisfied – that we feel empty inside. There’s a great tragedy today with the emptiness of people trying to fill their lives with things. It causes all kinds of conflict.

Another desire we have that causes conflict…

  1. THE DESIRE TO FEEL

I want to feel good. v. 3 “You want only what will give you pleasure” It’s not wrong to enjoy life. 1 Timothy 6:17 “God made everything for our enjoyment.” But when pleasure becomes the number one goal in your life you’re asking for conflict. The fact is, if I’m more interested in my comfort than I am in yours, and my desire is opposed, resentment builds up. My desire to feel good creates conflict.

The third desire we have that causes conflict…

  1. THE DESIRE TO BE

This is pride, power, prominence, popularity. I want to be number one. It’s the desire for “me first”. We walk around saying “Watch me”– Watch me by the way I dress- by the kind of car I drive- by the kind of house I own. It’s a desire to impress.

Proverbs 13:10 “Pride leads to arguments.” Why? I’m too proud to compromise and that causes conflict. Have you ever been in an argument where you knew you were wrong but you wouldn’t admit it? Pride causes arguments.

James tells us that pride — when we think we can do things on our own — causes two problems. v. 2-3 “You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.” Here James tells us two reasons why our desires aren’t fulfilled. Number one: We don’t pray. We don’t ask God. We look to the wrong source. However, when we do pray, we usually pray with the wrong motive. That’s the second reason why our desires aren’t fulfilled: We ask things in a selfish way.

The Bible has said that everything I need God has promised to provide. He’ll meet our desires to have, to be, to feel — if we’ll ask in prayer. But, we’d rather try to work it out ourselves. Prayerlessness in itself is an evidence of pride. Why don’t I pray? If I really thought I was more dependent upon God and I needed Him more I’d pray more.  James says we’d have a lot more peace – lot less to worry about – a lot less to argue about -a lot less to fight over if we just prayed more, and trusted God.

In the next verses, James talks about conflict with God. Pride not only causes conflict with other people but it causes conflict with God. v. 6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” To be in opposition to God is a dangerous place to be. It’s a dead end. There’s no way you’re going to win.

If pride is the cause of arguments — and that’s the case James is making — What’s the cure

II. The Cure for Arguments: Humility.

vs. 6 & 10 “God … gives grace to the humble. Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” What is grace? Grace is God’s power to change. You can’t change on your own. You need God’s power and that’s called grace. There is only one way you get grace. You humble yourself. God doesn’t give grace to people who are full of pride and think “I can do this on my own.” He gives it when we come and say, “God, I need your help.”

James gives four specific actions that need to be taken in order to stop the conflicts, to stop the arguments …stop the fighting. Here’s how you diffuse a conflict, no matter who it’s between. You do four things to diffuse a conflict: 

  1. GIVE IN TO GOD

“Submit yourself then to God.” v. 7. Let God be God in your life. Give Him control. Put Him in charge. Yield yourself to Him. This is the starting point. It’s because you have conflict on the inside. This is the real issue. The starting point is getting peace inside before you can have peace outside. Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.” The starting point of getting along with others, to avoid arguments, is get peace in your heart through the rule of Christ. You stop praying, “Lord, change them” and start praying, “Lord, change me.” This means you learn to pray “Thy will be done” instead of praying “My will be done”. That’s the difference. When you can say “Lord, whatever You want that’s what I want” then the peace process starts.

  1.  GET WISE TO SATAN

Realize what the devil’s doing. Realize where the conflict comes from and that he’s the source behind it. Don’t be ignorant. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The devil wants to destroy your relationships with others. Why? Because he loves conflict, arguments. James says you’ve got to give into God, let Him have control. Then resist the devil and realize what he’s doing, be prepared.  How does the devil operate? He plays on our pride. Particularly wounded pride. He gives us little thoughts, suggestions, ideas. He whispers in your ear, things like “You don’t have to take this kind of stuff. Show ’em who’s boss.” He tells you all the things your pride loves to hear. You need to resist him.

How do you resist the devil? Same way Jesus did it. He quoted Scripture. Memorize Proverbs 13:10 “Pride leads to arguments.” The scripture says, “Resist the devil and he will flee.” Be prepared, give in to God and get wise to Satan.

  1. GROW CLOSER TO GOD

How do you grow closer to God? By reading the Bible, going to church, listening to Christian music — all of these kinds of things help you grow closer to God. “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” (v 8a)  I have made an amazing discovery that the more time I spend alone with God, the better I get along with other people. Count on it! Grow closer to God and have less arguments with others.

Often we only draw close to God when we’re in trouble? We need to spend time with God every day; a daily devotional time. The more you spend time with the Lord, the more you’re going to enjoy the rest of your time. You’ll get along better with others because you’re spending time with God. I challenge you to do that. When you move toward God, God moves toward you.

You give in to God, get wise to Satan, draw close to God and then…

  1. BE WILLING TO ASK FORGIVENESS

If you want to stop the conflicts in your life, if you want to get along with other people, avoid arguments, learn to ask forgiveness from God and from those you hurt. v. 8 “Wash your hands … purify your hearts…” Our hands represent our conduct and hearts represent attitudes. James’ saying, clean up your act. v. 9 (LB) “Let there be tears for the wrong you’ve done.” Don’t minimize what’s happened. Take it seriously. Be sorry for your self-centeredness. If someone says you’ve hurt them, you’ve hurt them. Be willing to ask forgiveness.

Now… go back to that person I asked you to think about when we began this message. Would you like to begin to resolve the conflict with that person? How do you do it? Are you willing to go and apologize for your part? “I know we’ve had our differences and I know I haven’t always been thoughtful. A lot of times I’ve thought more about myself than your needs.” How humbling that would be! Right! Because God gives grace to the humble! If you want to change, the only way you’re going to change is to be humble, and the only way to be humble is to go and ask forgiveness.

v. 10 “Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.” The Bible says that God lifts up the humble and the more honest we are about our weaknesses and our faults, the more God honors us. If you want to be honored, it means humility.

In the first three verses of this chapter, four times it says you’re unsatisfied — “you want but you don’t get”, “you strive for but you can’t have”. You’re unsatisfied. Many people in life are unsatisfied with the way they are living. The secret of satisfaction is in Jesus Christ. Give yourself to Him and find your needs met in Him rather than in things or other people. . Jesus is all you will ever need.

 

How to Relate Wisely to Others

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Sermon Series

How to Face Our Future! – Part 9

“How to Relate Wisely to Others”

Pastor Jerry

James 3:13-18

 

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

Every day you encounter many different kinds of people. Some are very delightful. Some are very difficult. Some of them are inspiring. Some of them are irritating. Some are fascinating, some are intimidating. And the fact is, a lot of the problems we have in life are because of personality conflicts; because we don’t get along with people. When your relationships are bad, life stinks. Life is miserable. And even if you may have lots of money, lots good looks, and lots of education, but if your relationships are bad, you’re miserable. It’s very important that we learn how to get along with other people.

James gives some practical advice. Today we’re going to look at what he has to say about, “How do we relate wisely to other people.” (v18)  is the key verse, “And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.“ James says, every day in every relationship, you’re planting seeds. Seeds of anger, jealousy, peace, confidence, insecurity, many different kinds of seeds. So, what you sow is what you will reap. You will inevitable reap what you sow in your relationships. And the important questions we must answer is, How can I plant seeds of peace? How can I be a peacemaker? How can I have peaceful relationships?

James answers that in (v13): it’s by Wisdom. We need to learn how to be wise in the way we act toward people. Often we treat people in very foolish ways and we provoke the exact opposite behavior of what we would normally like to see in them. Common sense is not so common sometimes. A lot of smart people are not so wise sometimes. They may be educated but they don’t have wisdom. James, in this passage, does three things: (1) he defines real wisdom, then he shows (2) how it differs from human wisdom, then he details (3) how it operates.

The first thing he says in (v13), is that * wisdom is a lifestyle. It has nothing to do with your intelligence. It has everything to do with your character. “Who is wise and understanding among you. Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom.” Imagine James coming into the Boones Mill Church and asking, “May I see the hands of those who are wise?” If you’re naive enough to raise your hand he would say, “Prove it! Show me. Show me your wisdom by your lifestyle.” It’s not a matter of what you say with your lips but a matter of what you live with your life. Not so much your education, but your disposition that really shows how wise you are. How do you get along with other people? That shows how wise you really are. It’s a lifestyle.

Wisdom has more to do with character in relationships than it has to do with education and intelligence. Wisdom creates humility. Knowledge causes pride, but wisdom causes humility.

(vs14-16) James says * lack of wisdom causes problems — all kinds of problems. (v14) “If you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart don’t boast about it and deny the truth. Such `wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, even of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition there you find disorder and every evil practice.” Lack of wisdom causes all kinds of disorder and problems, chaos and confusion. Do you have confusion in your life? Selfishness causes all kinds of problems in our lives.

How can I know if I’m wise in how I relate toward people? Today, we’re going to take a wisdom test. We’re going to test your wisdom — see how wise you really are. James in (v17) lists the characteristics of wise people. “…wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy & good fruit, impartial & sincere.” 

  1. IF I’M WISE I WILL NOT COMPROMISE MY INTEGRITY.

“The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure…” Pure means uncorrupted, authentic. In 1 John 3:3 this word is used to refer to Christ’s character. Integrity! If I’m really genuine, if I’m wise, I’m not going to lie to you, I’m not going to cheat you, I’m not going to manipulate you, I’m not going to be deceitful. I’ll be a person of integrity; because all relationships are built on trust and respect. If you don’t have honesty who’s going to trust you? If you don’t have honesty who’s going to respect you? You have to have integrity in your life. Dr. Leonard Keeler, the man who invented the lie detector, tested 25,000 people and came to the conclusion that people are basically dishonest. So, if I am wise I will not compromise my integrity.

  1. IF I AM WISE I WILL NOT ANTAGONIZE YOUR ANGER.

I won’t try to make you angry. Wise people work at maintaining harmony. They’re not always looking for a fight. “Wisdom is peace loving.” Have you ever met someone who is always arguing, always looking for a fight? If you’re smart you don’t antagonize people’s anger. Proverbs 20:3 “Any fool can start arguments. The wise thing is to stay out of them.” Proverbs 14:29 “A wise man controls his temper. He knows that anger causes mistakes.” How many of you have ever done something stupid in anger? Anger causes mistakes. If I’m smart, if I’m wise in relationships, I won’t compromise my integrity and I won’t antagonize your anger.

  1. I WON’T MINIMIZE YOUR FEELINGS.

“Wisdom is considerate” and “considerate” means “mindful of the feelings of others”. There is a common mistake that if I don’t feel the way you feel then your feelings must be invalid or illogical or irrational or silly. Proverbs 15:4 “Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit.” Typically when we react to people’s emotions we say things that hurt. We put people down. James says if I’m wise in relationships I’ll be considerate.

Do you ever play this game: My day was worse than your day. Husband comes home worn out and starts complaining, “The traffic was bad – late getting home, my boss got upset – took out on me, the air conditioning went out – I suffocated.” Wife says, “Oh, yeah? Junior dunked the cat down the toilet – overflowed, locked keys in car – no groceries, the beans burned – that’s supper…” The fact is they both had a tough day. Wisdom is considerate. Allow your spouse to be tired without having to say, “I’m more tired that you are.” The fact is, you’re both tired. If you care you’ll be aware. If I’m wise in relationships, I won’t compromise my integrity and I won’t antagonize your anger and I won’t minimize your feelings.

  1. I WON’T CRITICIZE YOUR DECISIONS/SUGGESTIONS.

A wise person can learn from anybody. He’s not defensive. He’s open to reason. He’s not stubborn. He’s willing to listen and learn. Are you a reasonable person? Can your family members reason with you? The Bible says if you’re wise, you’re reasonable. Most of us are too oversensitive. If somebody makes a suggestion we take it as a personal criticism and we’re defensive. James says that’s not smart. A wise person can learn from anybody. A pastor preaches and when it’s over a guy walks out and says, “Pastor, that sermon stunk.” Pastor is trying to be real open about it, reasonable, wise, “What didn’t you like about it?” The man says “In the first place you read it. In the second place you read it poorly. In the third place it wasn’t worth reading in the first place.” Another guy walks out right behind him and says, “Don’t listen to old Jim. He just repeats what he hears everybody else say.” Humm…If you’re wise you’ll be open to suggestions. Don’t get defensive. Proverbs 12:15 “A fool thinks he needs no advice. A wise man listens to others.” If it’s true, listen and learn from it. If it’s false, ignore it and forget it. A wise person will not compromise one’s integrity, nor antagonize your anger, does not minimize your feelings, and does not criticize your suggestions.

  1. IF I’M WISE I WON’T EMPHASIZE YOUR MISTAKES.

“Wisdom is full of mercy and good fruit.” Do you jump on people every time they blunder, every time they make a fault and fumble it? Why? Wisdom is full of mercy. I won’t emphasize your mistakes. Do you ever let people go, or do you keep hounding them about their past mistakes? If I’m wise, I won’t emphasize your mistake. I’ll be full of mercy. I’ll give you what you need, not what you deserve. Proverbs 17:9 “Love forgets mistakes. Nagging about them parts even the best of friends.” If you’re wise you don’t rub it in, you rub it out. You don’t hold it over their heads. You forget it. When somebody stumbles, you don’t judge them. You encourage them. We don’t need judgment. We need encouragement when we stumble. Are you that way with people? The wise thing is to not emphasize the mistake. James says, “If I’m wise in relationships, I won’t compromise my integrity, antagonize your anger, minimize your feelings, won’t criticize your suggestions, won’t emphasize your mistakes.”

  1. IF I’M WISE, I WON’T DISGUISE MY OWN WEAKNESSES.

A mark of a wise person is they don’t try to hide and disguise their own weaknesses. “Wisdom is impartial and sincere.” James says if you’re smart and wise, you’re not phony. You don’t pretend to be something you’re not. I’ve said before, if you’re perfect this is not the church for you. This is for real people, with real sins, real hang ups, real faults, real emotional problems, real family problems. Real wise people are honest and open. They’re not phony. They’re genuine. They don’t attain or pretend perfection. If I’m wise I’m not going to disguise my weaknesses.

Proverbs 28:13 “You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins.” It’s dumb to pretend that you’re perfect, that you’ve got it all together because nobody does. If I’m wise I won’t disguise my weaknesses. People appreciate honesty. James says, “If I’m wise in relationships, I won’t compromise my integrity, antagonize your anger, minimize your feelings, won’t criticize your suggestions, won’t emphasize your mistakes, and I won’t disguise my weaknesses.”

How do you rate on the wisdom test?

(1) Is Your Wisdom Pure?        Are you honest and can you be trusted?

(2) Is Your Wisdom Peace Loving?       Do you offer ways to reduce anger?

(3) Is Your Wisdom Considerate?        Do you show kindness and caring?

(4) Is Your Wisdom Willing to Listen & Learn?        Do you accept suggestions from others?

(5) Is Your Wisdom Full of Mercy & Good Fruit?       Do you forgive peoples their mistakes?

(6) Is Your Wisdom Impartial and Sincere?       Do you pretend to be more than you are?

How do I get wisdom? How do I become one of those wise people in relationships so that I have that peace that that I need! There’s a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge comes from education. Wisdom comes from God. To get knowledge you look around. To get wisdom you look up. Knowledge comes from reason. Wisdom comes from revelation. Knowledge is something you learn. Wisdom is a gift.

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.” Wisdom is a gift from God.

Colossians 2:3 “The secret is Christ Himself. In Him lie hidden all God’s treasures of wisdom.” It’s all wrapped up in a person, Jesus Christ. If you want God’s wisdom get Jesus in your life. You invite Him into you life and say, “Christ, let me think Your thoughts through my mind and say Your words through my mouth. Lord You help people through my hands. Love people with my heart. And put Your wisdom in my mind.” The wisest thing I ever did was give my life to Jesus Christ. Why didn’t I do it sooner? That’s where wisdom comes from. If only I trust Him. When you get God’s wisdom in your life, day by day, as you allow Him into your life and Trust Him and let Him develop your character, you’ll find your relationships getting better and better. Even if the person on the other end isn’t making an improvement, things will get better because Jesus will make them better. Trust Jesus to make it so. Will you TRUST JESUS TODAY!

How to Manage Your Mouth

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 8

“How to Manage Your Mouth”

Pastor Jerry

James 3:1-12

 

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Last week in my message about “How to Have Real Faith,” I said “Talk is Cheap.” It is easy to tell people things; but to prove it, that is a different matter. The point I was making was “You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk”? To help understand what I am asking, let me give you a quiz: Five frogs are sitting on a log that is floating in a pond. The five frogs have a committee meeting and decide that they are going to jump into the water. So, now, how many frogs are there on the log? The answer is five because talking about a jump into the pond is not the same as actually doing it.

Today, there is a huge disparity between what we say, and what we actually do. The present day politicians lure their voters with their manifestos which they promise to perform if they are elected to that important position. But most often they fail miserably because they have promised more than they can fulfill. “They talk the talk but don’t walk the walk”!

Let me ask you a question: “How many of you like to talk?”  With the pandemic this past year demanding that we stay at home, isolate, social distance and wear masks, all these have made actual talking very limited. But, here’s maybe a more important question to ask when we do get to talk: “How many of you when you talk say only good things?”

Today we’re going to look at what James has to say about “How to Manage Your Mouth”. We love to talk. Everybody seems to have something to say. Before the pandemic the average person would have 30 conversations a day; and did you know that you’ll spend a 5th of your life talking? If you’re a man, you speak an average of 20,000 words a day. If you’re a woman, you speak an average of 30,000 words a day. (Does that surprise you?) Which explains why when we men are done talking, our wives still have 10,000 words to go! I don’t know if that is accurate, but at least, I think my wife always gets to have the last word!

Our mouths get us into a lot of trouble. We seem to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Sometimes it doesn’t take but a few words to really get yourself in trouble! James talks more about the tongue than anybody else in the New Testament. Every chapter in the book of James says something about managing your mouth. (v 2) “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” James says, if you can control your mouth, you’re perfect. When you go to the doctor, he often says, “Stick out your tongue.” Your tongue reveals what’s going on inside of you, …and that’s not just physically but spiritually. James says that you’ve got to learn to manage your mouth. You’ve got to get your tongue under control.

I. Why Must I Watch What I Say?

Three reasons we have to learn to manage our mouth.

  1. MY TONGUE DIRECTS WHERE I GO

It has tremendous influence and control over my life. Where are you headed in life? Look at your conversation. What do you like to talk about? What do you talk about the most? James says, “The tongue is small, it’s tiny.” And because it’s tiny we think it’s insignificant. But it has tremendous power. (v 3) Consider a bit in a horse’s mouth. Vonda loves horseback riding (we ride whenever we can on vacation). Imagine, you’ve got little people like Vonda & me sitting on the backs of a huge horse, 2,000-3,000 pounds. We can control these tremendous mighty horses by a little piece of metal stuck strategically over their tongues.  Likewise your tongue controls the direction of your life wherever you want to go; and a little bit of a word or a phrase can influence the total direction of your life James says.

Then James says, Consider a ship. Have you ever been on a cruise? Cruise ships are of gigantic size. Yet a relatively small rudder directs the huge ocean liner out in the middle of the waves and winds and seas. A little rudder keeps it on course. Our tongue is like that. Our tongue is like a rudder that steers us. Your tongue is the steering wheel of your life. It is the guidance system. If you don’t like the way you’re headed right now, change the way you talk. James says that my tongue directs where I go, so I’ve got to learn to control it. (1 reason to manage mouth)

  1. MY TONGUE CAN DESTROY WHAT I HAVE

(v 5) James gives another illustration. Imagine a beautiful forest – tall beautiful trees everywhere. Now imagine it completely destroyed instantly with a little tiny match. It only takes a spark to get a fire going. You remember seeing pictures on the news of the fires in California this past year, each started from a single spark. James says that your tongue can destroy like that. You can lose it all. A careless camper with a match can destroy an entire national forest overnight. A careless word can destroy a life overnight. Thousands of lives. Gossip is like fire. It spreads quickly and it wreaks havoc. I wonder how many people because of a careless word have destroyed their marriage, or their career, or reputation, or the reputation of another, or their church, or a friendship. The tongue not only has the power to direct where you go but also to destroy what you have if you don’t learn to control it. It’s like a fire.

James says our mouth can cause a chain reaction, the course of events from hell. James says, “Set on fire by hell” itself. James says you’ve got to learn to manage your mouth, not only because it can direct where you go but it can destroy what you have. You can lose everything simply by what you say. It’s like a fire.

Proverbs 21:23 “If you want to stay out of trouble be careful what you say!” What your mouth says can be like poison. The word in Greek is literally “snake venom”. Just a few drops can kill. You can assassinate somebody with your words. Assassinate their character. The tongue is a deadly weapon. (1) Tongue has the power to direct where you (2) destroy what have

  1. MY TONGUE DISPLAYS WHO I AM

It reveals my real character. It tells what’s really inside of me. First James points out how inconsistent we are in our speech. (vs 9-10) “The tongue we praise our Lord and Father and with the same tongue we curse men who’ve been made in God’s likeness. From the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” We say these things out of the same mouth. We come to church on Sunday. The highest use of your mouth is to use it praising God. Then we walk out, get into the car and on the way home we argue or say hurtful things to our loved ones. One minute we’re praising God and the next we’re cursing other people. Cursing here doesn’t necessarily mean profanity. It means any kind of put down. Any kind of put down is a curse. He says, “Why curse men? They’re made in God’s image.” How is it possible to be talking in love and kindness one minute and then in hate the next minute?

James gives the answer in (vs 11-12). He says consider the source. “Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.” The point is, whatever is in the well comes out in the water. Whatever is in the tree, comes out in the fruit. My problem is not really my tongue. My problem is my heart. What’s inside is what comes out. My mouth eventually betrays what is really on the inside of me. I can fool you and pretend but eventually my tongue is going to catch me. It’s going to let you know what’s really inside.

If you’ve got a problem with your tongue, it’s much more serious that you think. You have a heart problem. A person with a harsh tongue has an angry heart. A person with a negative tongue has a fearful heart. A person with an overactive tongue has an unsettled heart. A person with a boasting tongue has an insecure heart. A person with a filthy tongue has an impure heart. A person who is critical all the time has a bitter heart.

On the other hand, a person who is always encouraging has a happy heart. A person who speaks gently has a loving heart. A person who speaks truthfully has an honest heart.

II. WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

Get a new heart

 You’ve got to get a new heart, that’s the problem. Ezekiel 18:31 “Rid yourself of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit!” Painting the outside of the pump doesn’t make any difference if there is poison in the well. I can change the outside, I can turn over a new leaf, but what I really need is a new life. What I need is a fresh start. I need to let go of all the past and be born again and start over. I need to get a new heart.

How do I get a new heart? 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new person. The old has passed away. Behold all things have become new.” New life, new heart, new spirit. When you come to Jesus Christ, He wipes out everything you’ve done in the past. He says You’re starting over.

We need to pray like David prayed in Psalm 51 “Create in me a clean heart, O God” because what’s in my heart is going to come out in my mouth.

You need divine power to change your heart. You need supernatural power to control your tongue. You can’t do it on your own. We need to ask God to help us. Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Great verse to quote every morning. “God, put a muzzle on my mouth. Guard my lips. Don’t let me be critical today. Don’t let me be judgmental. Don’t let me say things off the cuff that I then regret.” You need to ask God for help daily because you need His power in your life.  Getting into God’s word is a part of asking God for help. As you ask Him for help you need to read His word. What goes into your mind, goes into your heart, and what goes into your heart, comes out of your mouth. Fill your mind with the word of God.

What does your tongue say about you? What does it reveal about you? What’s in your heart is going to come out in your mouth. Let Christ change your heart today!

How to Have Real Faith

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 7

“How to Have Real Faith”

Pastor Jerry

James 2:14-26

 

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

Today, our culture is literally overrun with fake products. Almost anything real can now be faked and purchased at a much cheaper price.

We have been overwhelmed with fake news during a period of great upheaval in politics and during a critical crisis with a pandemic! And both have literally been killing us!

Now, there are some areas in life where fake works just fine, just as well as the real thing. But there is one area where you have to have the real thing. And it is this, you have to have real faith, not fake faith or it doesn’t work.

So, in the book of James, in Chapter 2, we have help for you to know the difference between real faith and fake faith. James talks about the difference between real and counterfeit Christians. He talks about how you have a real faith.

The Apostle Paul teaches that we are saved by faith alone. “By grace, through faith, we are saved.” James comes along and says, “It’s not just faith but faith and works.”

Paul was fighting the problem of legalism. James is fighting laxity. They are fighting two different enemies. Paul focuses on the root of salvation. James focuses on the fruit of salvation. Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them.” Paul is talking about, “How to know you’re a Christian.” James is talking about, “How to show you’re a Christian.” Paul is talking about how to become a believer. James talks about, how to behave like a believer. It’s summed up in Ephesians 2:8-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, for a life of good works that God has already prepared for us to do.”  

How do I show I am a believer? James says there’s five ways you can know you’ve got the real thing. He gives us five steps or principles.

  1. REAL FAITH IS NOT JUST SOMETHING YOU SAY

(v. 14) Real faith is not just something you talk about. “What good is it my brother if a man claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such `faith’ save him?” It doesn’t say he, actually has faith, he just claims to have it. He talks about it. It’s more than just talk that is involved in real faith. Jesus said, “Not everybody who says to me `Lord, Lord’ is going to enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Anybody that claims to be a Christian, you’ll see evidence of that in their life. Real faith is not just something you say.

  1. REAL FAITH IS NOT JUST SOMETHING YOU FEEL

It’s more than emotions. A lot of people confuse emotions and sentiment with faith. James gives an illustration. (v. 15) “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him `Go, I wish you well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” He’s saying real faith is more than just sympathy. You do something about it. You act on it. Christians are a lot better at verbalizing faith than practicing it. James is saying that if my faith doesn’t lead me to share with others something’s wrong. (v. 17) “In the same way, faith by itself if it’s not accompanied by actions is dead.” James is laying it on the line. He says, “Do you want real faith? It’s more than just something you say and it’s more than just something you feel.”

  1. REAL FAITH IS NOT JUST SOME SOMETHING YOU THINK

For some people, faith is an intellectual trip. James says faith is not something to simply debate over. Real faith is visible. You can see it. If you claim to be a Christian, people will be able to see it. If I think my health is very important. But I don’t eat right, I don’t exercise, I don’t get proper rest. It doesn’t matter what I think. What counts are my actions. You can prove it. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Any time a person becomes a Christian he becomes a new person inside, the old things have passed away. All things become new.” James says, if God doesn’t change you there’s a question whether He’s really in your life. How do you know you’re a believer? You’ll see some changes in your life. Real faith always produces change. Real faith is not just something you say. It’s not just something you feel. It’s not just something you think.

  1. REAL FAITH IS NOT JUST SOMETHING YOU BELIEVE

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder!” There are a lot of people who have strong beliefs in God, the Bible, about Christ. They can quote bible verses. James says, “big deal!” Just saying I believe in God is not enough to get you to heaven. Even the devil believes that. The devil believes in God! The devil knows a lot more about the Bible than you do and he trembles. Real faith is not just saying “I believe”. It is easy to believe. You can believe without practicing faith. If it’s not just something you say or think or feel or believe, what is real faith? 

  1. REAL FAITH IS SOMETHING YOU DO

In the next couple of verses James gives two illustrations that say real faith is something you do. It’s a commitment. Two illustrations of two very different people, Abraham and Rahab — exact opposite extremes. Abraham is a man. Rahab is a woman. Abraham is Jewish. Rahab is a Gentile. Abraham is a patriarch. Rahab is a prostitute. Abraham is a somebody. Rahab is a nobody. They only had one thing in common — their faith in God. Their faith in God led them to an action.

v. 20 “You foolish men. Do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. His faith and his actions were working together. His faith was made complete by what he did. Scripture was fulfilled when it said, `Abraham believed God.'” How do we know it? We saw it. He behaved in a way that his belief came out visibly. It was just to show how much he believed. Abraham obeyed God. His works proved his faith. He held nothing back from God.

The story about Rahab is in Joshua 2. It’s the story how a prostitute helped a couple of spies when they were coming into Jericho. Rahab ends up in the family line of Jesus. She risks her life to save the spies. She obeyed the Word from God. Our faith is not determined by what we do, it is demonstrated by what we do. Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. Our behavior shows what we really believe. 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.” So, let’s check ourselves out. Let’s see if we’re really a believer or not.

Let me ask you a couple of questions: In the light of what James says, he’s gives us some insight into what kinds of questions to ask to determine if I am really a Christian?

(1) Is my lifestyle any different at all from unbelievers?

(2) Do you know for sure you have a relationship with Christ?

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, for a life of good works God has already prepared for us to do.” God’s grace. God reaches down. He says, “I want to have a relationship with you.” That’s grace. And you look up and say “I want to know You, Lord. I want to have a relationship with You.” That’s faith.

 When God’s hand of grace comes down and your hand of faith goes up, and you surrender — that’s called salvation. That’s what it means to be a believer. Surrendered! Saved by grace, through faith to do exactly what God made you to do and to be. He has a plan for your life. Jesus is calling. What is your answer?

How to Treat People Right

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 6

“How to Treat People Right”

Pastor Jerry

James 2:1-13

 

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How many of you get along with other people?

I want us to look at what James has to say about “How to Treat People Right.” James talks about how to get along with people and he gives us a method on how: the principle, the problem, and the application.

I. The Principle: Don’t show Favoritism.

(v 1) “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.”

 James is saying don’t discriminate. Don’t be someone who thinks they’re better than others. This morning, in order to deal with this principle of not showing favoritism, we need to look at some common areas of discrimination.

Appearance — We discriminate often because of appearance. We judge people on their appearance — how they look, how they dress.

Ancestry — We judge people according to their race, their nationality, their ethnic background. Some people can’t get in some churches because of their nationality.

Age — You’re too young or too old.

Achievement — Our society gushes over winners and forgets the losers.  Success and status are keywords. We have our superstar Christians — mostly on TV.

Affluence – is the most common distinction. We judge people by their wealth — whether they’re rich or poor — their economic status.

This is the area that James picks out of all the areas we can discriminate in. He talks about economic distinction. (v 2) “Suppose a man comes to your meeting wearing gold rings and fine clothes and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say `Here’s a good seat for you’ but say to the poor man `You stand over there’ or `Sit on the floor at my feet’, have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

 James doesn’t criticize the guy for being wealthy; he criticizes the members for being partial to him. And criticizes for the people being less caring for the poor guy.

II. The Problem:

James says there are three problems with favoritism.

  1. Favoritism is unchristian. If you want to be like Jesus you can’t play favorites. Faith and favoritism are incompatible — we’re a family. Romans 2:11 “God does not show favoritism…” Jesus treated everybody with dignity. God loves everybody. If there is one place in the world where there shouldn’t be any kind of discrimination it ought to be the church.
  1. Favoritism is unreasonable. In (vs 5-7) James says it’s illogical, it doesn’t make sense. “Has not God chosen the poor to be rich in faith and inherit the kingdom?” He’s not saying that it’s good to be poor and bad to be rich. He’s not saying that only the poor will be saved. Don’t confuse your net worth with your self-worth. God chooses the poor. James says, “Don’t show favoritism. It’s unchristian, and unreasonable.
  1. Favoritism is unloving.  That’s why you shouldn’t do it.  “…`Love your neighbor as yourself…’.” Why is it called the royal law? Because if we obeyed that one we wouldn’t need all of the rest. Galatians 5:14 “All the law is summed up in one sentence, `Love your neighbor as yourself’.” If I play favorites I’m being unloving.

The Bible says that “how we treat other people” shows how much we really love God.         I John 4:20 “If a man says he loves God and hates his brother he’s lying. How can you love God whom you haven’t seen if you don’t love your brother whom you have seen?” How I relate to you proves how much I love God. Favoritism is unloving.

(v 9) “If you show favoritism you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” How many laws do you have to break to be a sinner? One. James is saying that people think favoritism is such a small sin. Be careful it’s serious business.  Love treats people without discrimination. Love gives people what they need, not what they deserve.

That’s the problem. It’s unchristian, it’s unreasonable, it’s unloving to show favoritism.

How do you treat people?

III. THE PRESCRIPTION: HOW TO TREAT PEOPLE RIGHT

How do you have a loving church? Did you know there’s a connection between a loving church and church growth? It’s reported that growing churches are more loving to each other and to visitors than declining churches. It’s love that reaches people. You don’t convince or argue people into the kingdom of heaven. You love them into the kingdom of heaven. How do you do that? Three steps:

  1. Accept everybody.

Have you ever been in a church where you felt not welcomed? Do you know why people have a hard time accepting others? They confuse acceptance with approval. You can accept somebody without approving of their lifestyle. “Accept one another just as Christ accepted you.” Romans 15:7. At Boones Mill Church we need to cultivate an attitude of acceptance. The church is a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been. It matters where you are now and if you are looking to know Jesus. Jesus is Lord. The Bible is God’s word. Acceptance is the key. Accept everybody as Christ does1.

  1. Appreciate everybody.

This goes a little bit further than acceptance. Philippians 2:35 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself. Each of you should look not only to your own interest but also the interest of others.” Appreciate everybody. Find something you can like, not just accept. Tell them so.

  1. Affirm everybody.

Give everybody a lift whenever you can. I Thess. 5:11 “Encourage one another and build each other up.” Be an encourager not a complainer, not a condemner, not a judger. You can encourage people just by smiling at them. Let people know that you are glad that they are here and that we want them to come again.

What is God saying in James in relationship to this message? The church that accepts, appreciates and affirms people is the church that God blesses. Absolutely nothing can stop the church that’s filled with love. It doesn’t happen accidentally. It requires an all-out effort by each of us. Everybody needs to contribute to the atmosphere of the church. Love draws outside people in. I want our church to have a reputation for love. Whether you’re a visitor or a member of this church, you are welcome here.

It was said of the New Testament church, “See how they love one another.” “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples that you love each other.” You accept, affirm, appreciate. Jesus Christ breaks down all barriers and the ground is level at the foot of the cross. We are all equal in God’s eyes. There are no favorites! What do you need to do today? Surrender your life to Jesus—give him your all! When you do – you’ll love God; and you’ll love one another!

How to be Blessed by the Bible

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 5

“How to be Blessed by the Bible”

Pastor Jerry

James 1:19-25

 

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How many of you own a Bible?

In America, Bibles are everywhere. You can find them in grocery stores, bookstores, hospitals, motel rooms, everywhere. They’re available in all sizes, shapes and translations. Last year there were 500 million Bibles published in the world in 18,000 different languages. In America we are presented with the word of God on airways, radio, TV, books, magazines.

Yet …millions of people in our own country still miss the blessing of the Bible.

Why? Because it’s not automatic. Just because you have a Bible doesn’t mean you’re going to get the benefit from it. James, being his practical self, gives us three steps on how to be blessed by the Bible.

25 is the key verse, “The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does.” The Bible is called the perfect law because it’s exactly what I need. It promises freedom and it promises blessing. James gives us three steps to be blessed:

I. I MUST RECEIVE GOD’S WORD

(v 21) “Accept the word planted in you.” If we’re going to be blessed by the word of God, first we must welcome the word into our lives. We must be receptive. James gives an illustration. He says it’s planted in you. The Bible, all through Scripture, compares itself to seed. Jesus told the parable of the sower and said, “The word of God is a seed and it’s planted in our hearts.” How is it that you can take two people and put them in the same worship service, with the same message, and one person gets blessed by it and the other person says he didn’t get anything out of it. One heart was prepared and one wasn’t. James says we must receive the word of God with the right attitude.

James gives us four attitudes you need — to be blessed by God’s word.

  1. Be careful. v. 19 “Be quick to listen…” Give it your full attention. Be alert. Don’t miss it. “… slow to speak …” Many of us don’t hear God speaking because we’re quick to speak rather than being quick to listen. Be ready to receive God’s word. Be careful.
  1. Be calm. Be calm if you’re going to receive God’s word and be blessed by it. v. 19b “… and slow to become angry …” A relaxed attitude increases receptivity. Bitterness is a barrier, an emotional block that keeps us from hearing God’s word. What is your emotional state, normally, when you come to church on Sunday morning? In many homes on Sunday morning it’s kind of hectic. Come prepared! You need to be calm.
  1. Be clean. v. 21 “Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent…” The word “filth” that James says you’ve got to get rid of is actually the Greek word that means “earwax”. When you have a sin in your life it blocks your hearing. It prevents God’s word from getting into your heart. How can we be clean? By confession. 
  1. Be compliant. Teachable, yielded, humble, willing to be changed. He says “humbly accept the word of God planted in you…” Don’t act like you know it all. If you know it all, God’s word can’t get through to you. Pray, “God, do what You need to do in my life.”

God says if you want to be blessed, first you have to receive it. Reception is first but it is not enough. James says we not only need to receive the word of God, but…

II. I MUST REFLECT ON THE WORD OF GOD

(V. 23) “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself immediately goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” James uses an illustration here. God’s word is like a mirror. The purpose of a mirror is to evaluate us. We look in a mirror to see what’s wrong with our looks. Then we do something about it. A mirror reflects what we’re like on the outside. God’s word reflects what we’re like on the inside.

Have you ever seen yourself in the Bible? Hebrews says, “God’s word detects the thoughts, intents, motives and desires of the heart.” Have you looked lately in the mirror of God’s word?

James gives us three practical ways to reflect on the word of God,

  1. Read it.

(v. 25a) “the man who looks intently into the perfect law”. He’s actually talking more about research that he is reading. Investigating. Focus your attention on the word of God. You can’t just give God five minutes in devotions. God says that He wants us to gaze at the word. Look at it intently in detail. James says we need to receive the word of God and then reflect on it, first by reading it and second by reviewing it.

  1. Review it

(v. 25b) “…and continues to do so…” That means over and over and over. The Bible calls this meditation. When you think about something over and over, it’s meditation. The Bible says, “Meditate on God’s word”. Jesus said, “…if you continue in My word, then you’re truly My disciples.” Read it and review it. James says, “You want to be blessed? Reflect on the word. Think about it by reading it and further by reviewing it.”

  1. Remembering it.

(v. 25c) “… not forgetting what he has heard.” Nothing will benefit your personal spiritual life more than developing the habit of remembering Scripture. “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” Remember God’s word if you want to be blessed by it. We remember what’s important to us. James says, “Receive God’s word with the right attitude, reflect on God’s word by reading it, review God’s Word, by remembering it.” But even that’s not enough.

III.    I MUST RESPOND TO THE WORD OF GOD

I must do something about it, act on it, live it, practice it. vs. 22 “Do not merely listen to what the word says and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Practice. What good is a mirror if you look at it and don’t do anything about it? Many come to church, hear the word of God, walk out with no intention of ever being changed. We must respond to God’s word, let it change us if we’re going to be blessed by it. A lot of people have great Bible knowledge but they are spiritual weaklings. The key is to practice it, apply it, put it in my life. And James said, “To him who knows to do good and doesn’t do it, it’s sin.”

Illustration: Let’s say you folks as a church decide to get concerned about your pastor’s health — so you take up an offering and buy me a gift: Arnold Schwartzeneger’s Bodybuilding Book. You say, “this book can change your life. It’s fantastic. I say, “Great!” I go away for a while and then come back and I’m the same guy. You say, “What happened? Didn’t you read the book?” Oh yes, “I read the book. I enjoyed it. Every night I would spend a couple hours studying it.” I did everything except exercise.

How often do we do that with the word of God? I read but don’t apply! I deceived myself in thinking that because I had knowledge that I would be mature. Having knowledge of a bodybuilding book doesn’t produce muscles. James would say, “They are hearers but not doers.”

What James is saying, “If you want to be blessed, you’ve got to live the word of God, not just hear it. Not just know it.”  The best translation of Scripture is when you translate it into your life and let it change you. Be a doer of the word. James is saying that the blessing of the Bible comes when we start living it.  Pray. Confess your sins. Love God. Love one another. Take up your cross daily and follow Jesus!

How to Win Over Temptation

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 4

“How to Win Over Temptation”

Pastor Jerry

James 1:12-11-18

 

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I want us to look today at what God has to say about man’s oldest problem, temptation.  The Bible talks about two different kinds of testing. A test can be both a trial and a temptation. But to distinguish them — trials are situations used by God in order to help us grow. Temptations are used by the devil in order to cause us to sin.

  1. (v.12) “Blessed is the man who endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him.” There is a prize, a reward, for enduring temptation. “Blessed” comes from having your life under control. When you know how to say “no” to temptation it produces happiness in your life. James says, when you understand temptation, when you overcome it, when you learn to say “no” then you begin to really live. It is a crown which is life — abundant life.

The question is, “How? How do I win over temptation? How do I say no when I want to say yes?”  James, being the practical apostle that he is, gives us five principles:

  1. Be Realistic

 Face the fact: You will be tempted. (Even Christians are tempted). All of us are tempted. And its “When tempted … ”  not “if  tempted…” Temptations are inevitable. Everybody’s tempted. You’re tempted. I’m tempted. Every day we’re tempted. You never overcome it by getting too spiritual. There’s a misconception that says, once you’re a Christian, once born again, you don’t have to worry about temptation. I Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” —that means we’re all in the same boat. It is not a sin to be tempted. It is a sin to give in to temptation. Hebrew 4:15 “Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are yet he sinned not.”  He was tempted but He never gave in. Temptation proves you’re human, not that you’re evil. The more committed you are …the more you’re going to be tempted.

  1. Be responsible

 Accept responsibility. Don’t blame other people for your problems. We love to blame people, even God. V. 13 “When tempted, no one should say, `God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.” We are in a society of irresponsibility. Blame society, blame the government, blame your parents, blame your spouse, blame the devil, even blame God. Don’t make your bad choices and then blame them on God. Be responsible. The fact is I bring most of my problems onto myself. So do you. If I am going to “win over temptation,” first I have to be realistic: (realize) I am tempted. Then number two, I’ve got to be responsible. I quit passing the buck and making excuses.

  1. Be ready

 When temptation comes, be ready. Be prepared for it. Peter says, “Be on your guard.” Jesus said, “Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation.” Paul said, “Put on the whole armor of God”. Be ready. Be prepared. Temptation does not warn you in advance. It catches you by surprise. You’ve got to be on your guard. We are most vulnerable after a tremendous success. The Bible says, “Let him who thinks he standeth, take heed lest he fall.” I think of Bobby Leach who went over Niagara Falls in a barrel and came out unharmed. A couple of days later he slipped on an orange peel and broke his leg. It’s the little things the unexpected things in life that kill us. James is saying, “Be ready, don’t be deceived.”

How do you prepare for temptation? How do you get ready for it? By understanding how it operates. II Corinthians 2:11 “ to keep from being outsmarted by Satan, for we know what he is trying to do.” God wants you to know how the devil operates, how he tempts. He’s been using the same old bag of tricks for 2000 years and longer. It’s very easy to discover his process. Temptation is a process, never just a one-time act.

James outlines the four steps that the devil uses in order to tempt you:

  1. (v. 14) “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desires …” — the first step of temptation is desire. Most desires are OK. You couldn’t live without desires: a desire to eat, to drink, to sleep, to work, to accomplish. God gives us these desires. Those are good desires. But any desire out of control becomes destructive. Satan loves to take routine desires and turn them into runaway desires. You become consumed, obsessed by it: food, work, having fun, money. Legitimate desires are good, but when they are out of control they become a problem. The fulfillment of a legitimate desire in the wrong way is dangerous. It always starts with the desire.
  1. The second step is deception. “He is dragged away and enticed …” The word “dragged away” is a hunter’s term which literally means “lead into a trap”. “Enticed” is a fisherman’s term which means “lured by bait”. How many fish will you catch with a bare hook? You’ve got to put bait on it. What kind of bait does the devil use on you? He knows your weakness. He knows what you will fall for. He hides his hook in his bait and the bait appeals to your weakness. The crazy thing is that often we see the hook and we know it’s a temptation but we keep right on nibbling…until we’re deceived. Then we’ve gone to step two — from desire to deception.

It always starts with the desire. Then Satan moves it to deception. Desire turns to deception and then, …deception turns to 3rd step: disobedience.

  1. Disobedience. “Then after desire has conceived it gives birth to sin.” It starts in your imagination. The battle starts with your thoughts. It moves from your thoughts into actions. The devil knows if he can get your attention he will eventually get you to commit the action. What you flirt with, you will fall for. That’s the whole purpose behind advertising. They try to get you to imagine something. If they can get it in your imagination with a desire they’ve got you. If that didn’t work nobody would advertise. You might think you haven’t done anything by your thinking but you have. The Bible says what starts in your mind eventually comes out in your actions. Desire leads to deception, deception leads to disobedience. Then …Disobedience leads to the fourth step — death.
  1. Death. “Sin, when full grown gives birth to death.” That’s the tragic consequence of giving in– devastation. What is death? The exact opposite of what you long for. If you overcome temptation you get the crown of life, but the wages of sin are death – spiritual separation from God. James says we are free to choose any way we want to live. I could choose any way I want to live and so can you. God gives us the freedom of choice. I could choose to live any way I want to. But I am not free to choose the consequences of the choices.

In order to win over temptation, first I’ve got to be realistic, and admit I have a problem. Then I’ve got to be responsible and not blame anybody else and quit making excuses. Then I get prepared by understanding what happens during temptation so I can learn how to avoid it.

(Look what happens next in text) All of a sudden in verse 17, James switches gears. He starts talking about the goodness of God.  “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows.”

 James is talking about temptation then all of a sudden he redirects our thoughts to the goodness of God. He’s refocusing our attention. Why? Because that’s the next step in overcoming temptation. Be realistic, be responsible, be ready, then fourth, be refocused.

  1. Be refocused

 If temptation begins with our inner thoughts then changing what we think about is the key to overcoming it. The key is to change your attention. Refocus. Philippians 4:8 says “Think on these things, things that are good, positive, just, honest.” Focus your mind on the goodness of God. Why? Don’t focus on what you don’t want. Focus on what you do want. Whatever gets your attention, gets you. Focus on what you want. Get God’s word in your mind and refocus.

Don’t try to argue with the devil. He’s a lot better at it than you are. When you refocus, it may mean physically removing yourself from the situation. Maybe you need to change the channel on the TV. Maybe you need to find new friends. Maybe you need to change your entertainment activities. Joseph was in a tempting situation and he left his coat and ran. If you have to leave your coat, leave your coat. Run out. I Corinthians 15:33 “Bad company corrupts good character.” You know your weakness and God does too. Maybe you need to be redirected.

Be realistic, be responsible, be ready, be refocused, and finally …be reborn.

  1. Be reborn

 The single most important principle in overcoming temptation and getting control of your life is to let God have control of it. You don’t have enough power in your own willpower. That’s why you fall. You need help from supernatural power. You need Jesus Christ in your life. That’s what it means to be reborn. You will not be able to say no to temptation until you first learn to say yes to God. You need His power in your life.

I Cor. 10:13, “God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it.”

 What a great promise! God says, “I will make a way out if you trust Me.” The fact is there is hope and you can change if you want to and if you’ll let Christ change you from the inside out. There is a way out if you trust in Him. You cannot live in a temptation free world. It’s all around you. It’s not a sin to be tempted. It is a sin when you begin to let it take form in your life and heart. “Blessed (happy) is the man who endures temptation... (it’s that good feeling of knowing the Lord is fighting the battle with you) … when he is tried he shall receive the crown which is life… (begin to enjoy the abundant life) ..which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.”

How to Make Up Your Mind

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 3

“How to Make Up Your Mind”

Pastor Jerry

James 1:5-11

 

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We are constantly bombarded with advertising messages. It’s everywhere. We are inundated by a flood of extravagant claims. We hear things like: MRACULOUS!” …“Revolutionary!” …“Greatest ever!” The product assures that they are capable of changing our lives. For only a few dollars we are guaranteed these items will bring happiness, friends, and the good life. But talk is cheap, and we soon realize that the claims were far from the truth.

Christians also make great claims: “Jesus is the answer.” Our Christian claims are often guilty of being devoid of our actions. Professing to trust God and to be His people, we cling tightly to the world and its values. Possessing all the right answers, we contradict the gospel with the way we live.

Life is full of decisions and life is basically a series of choices we make every day. The quality of your life will be determined by the kind of decisions you make in life. Some of them we regret, some of them we feel good about.

The fact is, because we are human we all have a great possibility for error. Some of you are facing difficult decisions this very day. Some of you don’t know it yet but you’ll have a major decision tomorrow. Life is full of choices.  Will you be happy with your decision …or will you regret it?

 James talks about how to make decisions. How do you make up your mind? He gives us the problem, then he gives us the prescription, then he gives us the promise from God.

  1. THE PROBLEM of INDECISION

 (v 8) “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” In Greek, the word “double-minded” literally means pulled apart in different directions, — when you’re trying to do two things at the same time. Double-mindedness is devastating, debilitating. It makes you unstable. The word is translated “confused” in many parts of the Bible.

Three ways indecision makes you unstable:

(1) Unstable emotions. It’s a strain when you can’t decide. You worry and you’re confused. You can’t sleep and can’t eat. It creates emotional instability.

(2) Indecision causes: Unstable relationships. Lack of commitment destroys marriages. Do I want in or do I want out? What am I going to do? Indecision causes instability in relationships. Causes unstablity on the job and switching back and forth between careers.

(3) Indecision causes: Unstable spiritual life. (V 7) “That [person] will not think that they’ll receive anything from the Lord.” It blocks your prayers. Indecision keeps God from giving and you from receiving what God has to offer. Double-mindedness produces a double life, an unstable life.

The problem is indecision: emotionally, relationally, spiritually. What’s the solution?

  1. THE PRESCRIPTION is to GET WISDOM

James says, “Get wisdom”. (v 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 him.” James gives three practical steps TO GET WISDOM. You admit, you ask, you anticipate.

  1. Admit your need. (v 5) “If any of you lacks wisdom…” We all lack wisdom. It is universal. Wisdom is different from knowledge. Wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view. Wisdom is making decisions the way God would make decisions. We need WISDOM …we need to admit that!
  1. Ask for wisdom. (v 5) “If any man lack wisdom he should ask God.” How do you get wisdom? You ask by praying to God. The reason we don’t have wisdom is we don’t ask. James 4:2 “You have not because you ask not.” Twenty times in the New Testament it says, “Ask, and it shall be given.” We need WISDOM …we need to ask God for it!
  1. Anticipate it. Expect an answer in faith. (vs 5-6) “When you pray, if any of you lacks wisdom he should ask of God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him. But when he asks he must believe and not doubt.” The key to wisdom is humility, the door to wisdom is prayer, the condition is faith. Doubt hinders God from working in your life.

If you want to walk on water you’ve got to get out of the boat. You’ve got to take risks in life if you’re going to live by faith. When Peter starts walking across the water. He’s got his eyes on the Lord. All of a sudden he looks away and instantly sinks. The moment you get your eyes off the Lord and onto the circumstance, you’re going down!

Some of you may face a major problem this week and have to make a decision. Get your eyes on the Lord. You must believe God is able and not doubt.  Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God. Anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” If you want to receive anything from God you’ve got to believe He wills it. That’s faith.

III. THE PROMISE is to know that GOD WILL GIVE IT!

 (v 5) “If any man lacks wisdom he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” God wants to give you wisdom. He is eager. It pleases God when we come to Him. Ask God. God is a giving God. God loves to give. And we are instructed to be like God. To be like God we need to become giving people. God wants us to give continually, generously, and cheerfully.

Of all the areas that James could have chosen to give as an example, he chose money. Why? More people are double-minded and unstable when it comes to dollars than any other area. Jesus said you can’t serve two masters. You can’t love God and money at the same time. We need to decide.

God’s wisdom is found in God’s word. If I want wisdom I’ve got to get into His book. The Bible says in Psalm 119:105 “God’s word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” It shows the way. He lights the path. That’s why you’ve got to pray in faith, not doubting but believing.

What is James saying? The quality of your life is determined by the decisions and choices you make and the wisdom that is behind those decisions and choices. James is saying that when we do not trust God it produces a lifestyle of instability in our lives. A deeper issue is my inability to trust God and lay it all in His hands and ask for wisdom. Where are you double-minded?

I want to talk to you about life’s greatest decision. The greatest decision you’ll ever make in life is this: Who’s going to be number one in your life? There is only one thing that will produce stability in your life. That’s when God is number one in your life. No man can serve two masters, Jesus said. You’ll hate one and love the other.

The most important decision you can ever make is to make Jesus Christ number one in your life. “Lord, you guide my life.  The smartest decision you’ll ever make is to put Jesus Christ number one in your life. Who’s going to be number one? You decide!

 

How to Profit from Your Problems

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 2

“How to Profit from Your Problems”

Pastor Jerry

James 1:2-6

 

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I want to ask you a personal question this morning? Do any of you ever have problems?

Even if you don’t have any personal problems right now, you have the social problems of the pandemic. Yes! We have problems, both personal and socially.

So, today, we’re going to look at “How to Profit From Your Problems”. James is the most practical book in the New Testament. It is the “How To” manual for the Christian life.

How can you be happy if you have problems? The key is the phrase “because you know“. Your attitude is determined by your understanding.

Actually, there are 4 facts of life from James that will help you with the problems you go thru:

I. HERE’S FOUR “FACTS OF LIFE” YOU NEED TO KNOW

  1. Problems are inevitable

Scripture doesn’t say, “If you encounter problems consider it joy” but whenever — count on it, you’re going to have problems. Jesus said “In the world you will have tribulation.” Count on it.

The second fact of life from James that you need to know…

  1. Problems are unpredictable.

James says, “…whenever you face problems …” – it is unexpected. Trials are not planned. We seldom can anticipate the problems we’re going to experience in life.

The third fact of life from James that you need to know…

  1. Problems are of many kinds

They come in all shapes and sizes. There are a wide variety of them. They vary in intensity, they vary in variety, they vary in duration. Some are minor inconveniences. Some are major crises.

The fourth fact of life from James that you need to know…

  1. Problems are purposeful

YES problems have a purpose. Problems can be a warning light that something wrong. Pain can produce change. It has value in our lives. What value?

Three purposes of problems in your life:

     1) Problems purify my faith.

James uses the word “testing.” Job said “God has tested me through the refining fire and I have come out as pure gold.” The first things trials do is test our faith. They purify us. You don’t know what’s inside until you face problems. God is much more interested in what’s inside you, in building faith, than He is in building bodies, or homes, or things.

A second purpose of problems in your life:

     2) Problems fortify our patience.

“…the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”  James is talking about staying power, not a passive patience, endurance. We don’t like pressure and we do everything we can to avoid it. People run from it. But God uses problems in our lives to teach us how to handle pressure, how to never give up. Endurance, patience today, is a rare quality.

A third purpose of problems in your life:

     3) Problems sanctify my character.

They make me like Jesus. They help me to grow. “The testing of your faith produces perseverance that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” That’s God’s long range goal. His ultimate purpose is He wants you to mature. In the Christian life, character is the bottom line. God’s number one purpose in your life is to make you like Jesus Christ.

The Bible says there are two ways that God makes us like Jesus:

(1) Through the word of God. John 17:17 “Sanctify them through Thy truth. Thy word is truth.” James 1:22-25 “The word makes us like Jesus” it builds our character, matures us. Reading the Bible, the Word of God, letting it guide us is being like Jesus.

But, God demands even more in the second way.

(2) Through the circumstances of life. So many Christians say, “Everything was going great when I first became a believer. Then all of these problems came. Maybe God doesn’t love me. Maybe I’m not a Christian.” You are exactly where God wants you. You’re in a character course. He’s making you like Jesus. Romans 8:28 “We know that all things work together for good” if we love God and are called according to His purpose.” The secret of Romans 8:28 is 8:29 “For whom he did foreknow He did predestine to become conformed to the image of the Son of God.“ Why do all things work together for good? In order to make me like Christ.

Ephesians says “We are God’s workmanship” — God wants to make a mature person out of you. He wants us to be kind, caring, faithful. That is a picture of Jesus Christ. That’s what He wants you to be like.

These are four facts you needed to know!

  1. Problems are are inevitable
  2. Problems are unpredictable.
  3. Problems are of many kinds
  4. Problems are purposeful

 And then there are three things you need to do.

II. HERE’S HOW TO HANDLE YOUR PROBLEMS

  1. Rejoice “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials …” (v2). Don’t misunderstand what he’s saying. He’s not saying “Fake it. God never asks you to deny reality. We don’t rejoice for the problem, we rejoice in the problem. We don’t thank God for the situation. One of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible is I Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus.” If you want to know God’s will for your life it’s simple. “In everything give thanks.” It does not say, “For everything give thanks.”

Why? It means we can thank God because we know that He can even take the bad in our lives and turn it around and bring good out of it. I don’t care where your problems come from. God can use them all for your growth and His glory. What makes a difference? Your attitude!  Although I cannot control the circumstances that happen to me in life, I can control how I will respond to them. You can choose to rejoice in any situation. The Bible says choose to rejoice.

The second thing you need to do (to handle your problems):

  1. Request Pray. Of all times to pray, pray when you’ve got problems. What do you pray about? v. 5 “If any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him.” Wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view. Pray for wisdom to understand the problem and see what your part in it can be. Request.

The third thing you need to do (to handle your problems):

  1. Relax Trust God to know what’s best for your life. Co-operate with His purpose so you don’t short circuit the process. That’s what’s called faith. “When he asks he must believe and not doubt.” Let Go! Relax. Let God work.

 These are four facts you needed to know!        These are three things you need to do!

  1. Problems are inevitable                                1. Rejoice
  2. Problems are unpredictable.                      2. Request
  3. Problems are of many kinds                       3. Relax
  4. Problems are purposeful

 My heart breaks when I think about the heartache and pain many people in our church and in the community feel during this pandemic. It’s not always easy to have a joyful heart in the middle of problems. The Bible says the devil wants to use problems to defeat you, but God wants to use those problems to develop you. Which will it be?

God cares. He cares about you very much. God sees everything you’re going through. God has the power to do something about that problem. He could change it in a snap. Why doesn’t He? Because there’s a greater purpose.  

God wants you to profit from your problems:

The greater purpose is what He wants to do in you. God is more interested in building your character than in making life comfortable. Once you’ve learned those qualities, He may be free to remove that situation. But, nothing comes into your life without the Heavenly Father’s permission.  Come to Jesus, “cast all your cares upon Him.”…it will be well with your soul!

How to Develop Spiritual Maturity

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How to Face Our Future! – Part 1

“How to Develop Spiritually Maturity”

Pastor Jerry

Select Verses from the Book of James

 

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As we enter this New Year, 2021, our country is hurting. Pandemics, racial inequalities, economical losses, and political division have caused great suffering.

How are we going to face this year? with hope – believing that things will change. Or face the year with a sense of dread?–that nothing will change this year. The choice is ours. To make that choice we will need help! We need God to show us the way. That’s why I am preaching this series of messages on the book of James.

We are called to be salt and light on the earth. But we can’t do that simply by words itself, but with a faith that produces spiritual maturity. It will come thru the grace of God, come thru truth of the Word of God, come thru the teaching of God’s ways for action.

From the beginning of time, the human race has been in a spiritual battle. Today, we have witnessed a falling away from God’s biblical principles. Our nation has been experiencing a spiritual decline. There appears to be no absolutes, no moral standards, no respect for the life of others. In our society anything goes: we call good evil, and evil good. We believe lies and deny the truth. We are selfish with little concern for others.

What happens when the leaders of our nation does not honor God’s commands? What happens when Christians stay silent? Doesn’t this sound like the world we live in today? The light that is needed is one that holds firm to the word of God and confronts sin. That’s why I believe one thing that we can do to change our course is to develop spiritual maturity. We need to humble ourselves before a Holy God. We need to seek His goodness.

If America ceases to be good it will cease to be great.

How are we to be good? How are we to face our future? By developing a Spiritual maturity! Hebrews 6:1, “Let us go on to maturity.” That’s why the purposes of our church at Boones Mill needs to be to help everybody grow spiritually, emotionally, mentally, in every way.

What is spiritual maturity? God says it’s your attitude that determines whether you’re mature or not. God wants you to grow up and have Christ-like qualities. How do you measure spiritual maturity? By comparing yourself to the word of God. In the book of James we have a manual on maturity.

James gives us five goals for developing spiritual maturity.

I. SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS BEING POSITIVE UNDER PRESSURE

 James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance and perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything.”

 So, how do you handle trials? The first test of maturity is how do you react to problems? Do you grumble and gripe? Christianity is a life. It’s not a religion as Jesus said, “I’ve come that you might have life. Life means problems, and part of life means solving problems and facing them with the right attitude.

What is your natural attitude, your natural bent when things don’t go right and you’re irritated? Is your life filled with gratitude or grumbling? Are you affirmative or are you angry most of the time?

James (1:12) says, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” Are you positive under pressure?

 A second goal for developing spiritual maturity:

II. SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS BEING SENSITIVE TO PEOPLE

 “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, `Love your neighbor as yourself’ you are doing right.” James 2:8

A spiritually mature person is sensitive to people. He doesn’t just see his own needs, he sees other people’s needs. He understands their hurts. He’s not just interested in himself. God says that love, being interested in others, is a mark of maturity.

James gets very specific. James 2:1-6: Don’t be a snob, don’t look down on people, don’t judge by appearance, don’t insult people, don’t exploit people. A test of spiritual maturity is love: how do you treat other people? Matthew 25, Jesus says, “At that judgment they will stand before the Lord and they’ll say, `I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and in prison and you visited me.’ We’ll say, ‘When, Lord, when did we do that? When were you sick and we visited you? When were you in prison and when were you thirsty and we gave you drink?’ Jesus said, ‘Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto Me.’” It’s interesting to me that in the Matthew 25– judgment — the one thing we’ll be judged for is how we treated other people.

A third goal for developing spiritual maturity:

III. SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS ONE WHO HAS MASTERED HIS MOUTH

 James 3:2 “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.”

 A doctor will say, “Stick out your tongue.” He uses your tongue to check your health. God does that spiritually, too. Loose lips destroy lives. They hurt! We get ourselves into so much trouble at what we say and how we say it. James 3 gives several illustrations. He says that you put a little bit in a horse’s mouth and that little bit can control the direction of the horse. A little rudder on a boat can control the direction of the boat. Your tongue controls your life. Your tongue is a powerful force for good or for evil.

The mark of spiritual maturity is that a person manages his mouth. James 1:26 “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” I can pray, and read the Bible every day, and go to church and never miss a service, but if I’m a gossip, my religion is worthless. If I spread false claims, my faith is worthless. A test of spiritual maturity is to manage your mouth so that no corrupt communication, no negative talk comes out of your mouth.

  “Speak the truth in love” means the right attitude, the right information, the right motive. The Bible is very practical. It doesn’t matter how much you know about the Bible, if your attitude isn’t like Christ’s you’re missing the point.

A fourth goal for developing spiritual maturity:

IV. SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS A PEACEMAKER NOT A TROUBLEMAKER

 James 4:1 “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” He’s talking about conflict. He says there are inner quarrels and fights and they come from our own inner desires. You want something and you don’t get it. You quarrel and fight and you do not have because you are not of God.

Are you a peacemaker? Are you a troublemaker? Do you like to argue? Do you easily get your feelings hurt if you don’t get your way? Do you hurt other people’s feelings?

The mark of a spiritually mature person is the lack of conflict in his own life. Paul told the Corinthian church, “You guys are a bunch of babies”. They argued about everything. Why is there so much conflict in our world? Why is there conflict in our government, in marriages, between friends, between Christians? Why is there conflict between us and God? Why is there conflict?

James says there are two reasons for conflict. James 4:3 “When you ask you do not receive. But you ask with the wrong motives that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” The first cause of conflict is selfishness. The other source of conflict is judging others unfairly. All of us are guilty of judging others unfairly. If you do this you will judged that way. You’re always finding fault, always stirring up strife, always spreading false claims. Don’t judge unfairly!

A fifth goal for developing spiritual maturity:

V. SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS BEING PATIENT AND PRAYERFUL

 5:7,11 “Be patient then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming… be patient …As you know, we consider blessed those who persevere.” (v16) “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” God says the mark of a mature person is, he is patient and prayerful. Those two go together. They express an attitude of dependence upon God.

To explain patience, James gives the illustration of the farmer. If anybody has to have patience it’s a farmer. He does a lot of waiting. There are no overnight crops. Just like a farmer has to wait, sometimes we have to wait. We have to wait on God in answer to prayer. We have to wait on God for a miracle. Patience is a mark of spiritual maturity. The only way you learn patience is by waiting.

Many times God will say to you, “Not yet.” He doesn’t mean “No”. He just saying, “You’ve got to be patient …and wait, …and pray”.

I will close by giving you a test for your spiritual maturity.

  1. How do you handle problems?
  2. Are you sensitive to other people?
  3. Can you manage your mouth?
  4. Are you a peacemaker?
  5. How long can you wait for an answer to prayer without giving up?

How do you rate? Do we have work to do? OK…let’s grow this year with God’s help!