WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.260 Hi, and welcome to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:00:22.780 --> 00:00:25.880 This is where you can find audio for our current and past sermons. 00:00:26.080 --> 00:00:30.420 We hope that you enjoy this week's installment, and be sure to check back next week to hear 00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:31.260 the latest message. 00:00:31.700 --> 00:00:32.440 Thanks for listening. 00:00:44.900 --> 00:00:45.700 Good morning. 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:48.120 Glad that you guys are with us today. 00:00:48.220 --> 00:00:52.160 If you've got your Bible, go on, open them up to James chapter 1 here in just a moment. 00:00:52.160 --> 00:00:54.520 We're going to start reading in verse 13. 00:00:54.760 --> 00:00:59.000 If you don't have a Bible and you would like one, at the end of the service, we've got 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:01.800 some free Bibles on the back table back here to my left. 00:01:02.120 --> 00:01:07.380 We'd love for you to come and grab one as our gift to you so that you can dive in and study 00:01:07.380 --> 00:01:11.560 God's Word with us each and every Sunday and apart from us. 00:01:11.620 --> 00:01:13.920 And so I want to encourage you to do that. 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:19.400 A lot of things that are going on around our church in the ministry, in our ministries that 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:21.260 are taking place here at Willow Ridge. 00:01:21.260 --> 00:01:24.420 We've got our women's ministry that's leading out and serving in missions. 00:01:24.860 --> 00:01:28.540 We've got a group of our men's ministry that's going to be doing man camp, just wonderful 00:01:28.540 --> 00:01:30.140 opportunities to connect. 00:01:30.220 --> 00:01:31.440 We've got our baptism class. 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:34.220 We've got our baby steps classes coming up. 00:01:34.380 --> 00:01:35.360 A lot of things. 00:01:35.480 --> 00:01:37.780 So I just want to encourage you with where you are. 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:41.400 If there's anything that kind of sparked your interest in that, if you've got any questions 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:42.980 about that, come by and see us. 00:01:43.020 --> 00:01:48.420 We would love to explain those, give you some more details as we continue to see all that 00:01:48.420 --> 00:01:49.820 God is doing. 00:01:50.260 --> 00:01:55.260 Well, so today I heard from a lot of people that didn't expect to see me here today, thought 00:01:55.260 --> 00:01:56.660 I was going to be in India right now. 00:01:56.880 --> 00:02:01.740 I'm not in India right now, obviously, unless we like upgraded our video system, right? 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:02.880 And I'm just a hologram, right? 00:02:02.900 --> 00:02:04.060 Is that where we're going today? 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:08.500 But we'll be leaving after church today to drive to Atlanta. 00:02:09.140 --> 00:02:15.820 I'll be leading a very small group of pastors in our state and a handful of lay leaders from 00:02:15.820 --> 00:02:18.920 some different congregations to go to India. 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:24.060 And so I want to encourage you this week to be praying for the work that's there. 00:02:24.420 --> 00:02:28.740 As much as we can, we're going to update about the things that are going on, but just be able 00:02:28.740 --> 00:02:30.320 to share some of the details. 00:02:30.620 --> 00:02:33.040 We're going to be leading a pastor's conference, number one. 00:02:33.140 --> 00:02:34.720 That's a lot of what we're going to be doing. 00:02:35.140 --> 00:02:39.920 So we're going there to teach through me and another pastor are going to be teaching through 00:02:39.920 --> 00:02:41.760 the book of 2 Timothy. 00:02:42.180 --> 00:02:45.440 And so looking forward to spending some time and doing that. 00:02:45.620 --> 00:02:47.760 A little less preaching, a lot more teaching. 00:02:47.940 --> 00:02:51.720 And so kind of like what we got to watch our professors do in seminary, we get to do there. 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:53.560 And so we're excited about that. 00:02:53.880 --> 00:02:57.780 This will be the second time that we'll be able to, that I'll be able to participate in 00:02:57.780 --> 00:02:59.100 a Bible college graduation. 00:02:59.480 --> 00:03:02.580 And so I just want to let you pray for that. 00:03:02.700 --> 00:03:04.060 It's a wonderful opportunity. 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:09.700 And the last time I was there, the weight of what was taking place hit me as we're sending 00:03:09.700 --> 00:03:14.960 out these men to go plant their churches and where God's called them to go and to plant. 00:03:15.240 --> 00:03:19.160 And if you're watching anything with what's happening within the church in India right 00:03:19.160 --> 00:03:24.400 now, as we talked about persecution last week, the persecution is getting stronger and 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:27.820 stronger, especially in Northern India where we are. 00:03:27.820 --> 00:03:36.520 And so we recognize that as we send these men out into the field, that oftentimes what awaits 00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:38.860 them is a high level of persecution. 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:44.100 And so it's both an honor and humbling to be able to participate with that. 00:03:44.640 --> 00:03:48.120 But then we're also going to be visiting some new potential ministry sites. 00:03:48.320 --> 00:03:55.000 And so the hope is to be able to see how we can mobilize more people into an area right now 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:57.540 that that's very difficult to do ministry. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:03:59.920 Just, you know, some questions that come up. 00:04:00.180 --> 00:04:03.460 Is it illegal to be in India and be a Christian? 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:07.120 No, it's not illegal to be a Christian in India. 00:04:07.860 --> 00:04:14.540 But it is illegal, all right, to share your faith and the goal of seeing someone come to 00:04:14.540 --> 00:04:15.360 know Christ. 00:04:16.040 --> 00:04:20.640 And in fact, one of the things that this is kind of shaken out in India right now is if 00:04:20.640 --> 00:04:25.840 a man and woman are married and they're both followers of Jesus Christ, the husband and 00:04:25.840 --> 00:04:32.300 the wife are, and they have a child, that child in the concept of the leadership who is there 00:04:32.300 --> 00:04:36.820 is born Hindu and not born anything else. 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:41.400 And so for them to bring their child to church, to share the gospel with them, even within their 00:04:41.400 --> 00:04:43.520 own home, is illegal, right? 00:04:43.580 --> 00:04:48.460 And so the goal is for this last generation of Christianity to end that. 00:04:48.520 --> 00:04:50.620 But we know and believe that God's got a greater plan. 00:04:50.760 --> 00:04:56.880 And so thank you guys as we support the ministries there financially and as we can support with 00:04:56.880 --> 00:04:57.560 mobilization. 00:04:57.780 --> 00:05:00.020 So thank you all for doing what you do. 00:05:00.020 --> 00:05:02.440 So just pray for the work that's being done. 00:05:02.580 --> 00:05:05.000 Pray for our families that don't get to go with us. 00:05:07.460 --> 00:05:10.860 I got to laugh to cut out the awkward moment of me getting choked up. 00:05:10.980 --> 00:05:16.620 But it's always hard when you leave your spouse and your kids behind and you know what they 00:05:16.620 --> 00:05:19.600 do so that you can go and do the work that God has you. 00:05:19.740 --> 00:05:24.960 So thank you, Aaron and Grayson, for letting me do what God calls us to do. 00:05:25.080 --> 00:05:26.620 So pray for our families as well. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:29.880 We're going to continue on in our series in James. 00:05:29.980 --> 00:05:31.980 So let's start reading James chapter one, verse 13. 00:05:33.260 --> 00:05:33.920 Continue on. 00:05:33.960 --> 00:05:40.400 It says, let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God for God cannot be 00:05:40.400 --> 00:05:41.720 tempted with evil. 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:47.780 And he himself tempts no one, but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his 00:05:47.780 --> 00:05:48.660 own desire. 00:05:48.960 --> 00:05:55.260 Then desire, when it is conceived, gives birth to sin and sin, when it is fully grown, brings 00:05:55.260 --> 00:05:56.120 forth death. 00:05:56.440 --> 00:05:59.200 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:04.600 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the father of lights 00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:07.800 with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 00:06:07.860 --> 00:06:14.220 Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first 00:06:14.220 --> 00:06:16.800 fruits of his creature. 00:06:16.960 --> 00:06:23.200 So last week we began our series in James and James letter begins with a super quick greeting, 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:23.620 right? 00:06:23.660 --> 00:06:24.680 It's just verse one. 00:06:24.760 --> 00:06:26.440 And then James jumps right into it. 00:06:26.640 --> 00:06:31.420 Sometimes when you're reading through, especially like Paul's letters and even like first Peter, 00:06:31.700 --> 00:06:33.240 you'll get this, this greeting. 00:06:33.240 --> 00:06:38.580 And then what comes after that is like a continuation of the greeting. 00:06:39.020 --> 00:06:41.420 And so sometimes it's a prayer that's listed there. 00:06:41.500 --> 00:06:46.320 There's a blessing that's listed there, but that's not what James does here. 00:06:46.680 --> 00:06:51.820 James says, all right, hey, here's who I am, who is who I represent in the Lord. 00:06:52.040 --> 00:06:55.920 And then this is who I'm sending this to, right? 00:06:55.980 --> 00:06:58.040 And then he goes right into it. 00:06:58.420 --> 00:07:05.340 And when we look at the book of James, James is a very practical book of the Bible, maybe 00:07:05.340 --> 00:07:07.380 the most practical in the New Testament, right? 00:07:07.400 --> 00:07:08.500 We talked about this last week. 00:07:08.500 --> 00:07:18.740 There's 108 verses in James and in those 108 verses, 59 of them are direct commandments 00:07:18.740 --> 00:07:21.920 from James to the church, right? 00:07:21.980 --> 00:07:23.340 And James starts big. 00:07:23.660 --> 00:07:29.500 So James is like, I'm not going to kind of go through and do prayers, do blessings in 00:07:29.500 --> 00:07:29.700 this. 00:07:29.880 --> 00:07:31.500 I'm going to say, here's who I am. 00:07:31.560 --> 00:07:34.100 And then boom, we're going to, we're going to get into this. 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:39.320 And then last week where he's, where he's meeting this church with what they're facing 00:07:39.320 --> 00:07:44.640 and what we're going through, he begins by encouraging them in their faith in trials. 00:07:44.880 --> 00:07:46.800 So, so this is what they're going through. 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:53.160 So James is writing largely to an audience who has been forced to flee their homes, right? 00:07:53.260 --> 00:07:55.680 Due to difficult persecution, right? 00:07:55.740 --> 00:07:58.780 There's, there's, there's, there's killings that are, that are happening. 00:07:58.900 --> 00:08:00.900 There's executions that are taking place. 00:08:00.980 --> 00:08:01.800 There's imprisonment. 00:08:01.900 --> 00:08:02.820 There's beatings. 00:08:02.980 --> 00:08:07.060 There's, there's men and women who have lost their businesses, lost their homes, lost their 00:08:07.060 --> 00:08:07.500 families. 00:08:07.640 --> 00:08:09.780 All of this is taking place. 00:08:09.780 --> 00:08:15.420 And James writes in that, in a bit of encouragement for them to, to persevere. 00:08:15.420 --> 00:08:20.780 And then what he does, like verse two, starting it right off, he says, count all of this joy, 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:22.740 count all of it joy. 00:08:23.460 --> 00:08:29.280 Like when you face these trials, like count it a blessing that you're facing what, what 00:08:29.280 --> 00:08:30.400 you're, you're facing. 00:08:30.400 --> 00:08:35.560 And he doesn't say, because we enjoy the pain, because we enjoy the misery, because we enjoy 00:08:35.560 --> 00:08:36.160 the suffering. 00:08:36.160 --> 00:08:39.920 He says, no, no, no, because God is working in it. 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:43.180 It's not that God is working apart from it, right? 00:08:43.300 --> 00:08:47.880 Like sometimes I think we think like, while we're going through this, this battle, like 00:08:47.880 --> 00:08:50.400 God has, has left us and forsaken us. 00:08:50.400 --> 00:08:54.480 And we know that God's working, but we, we think maybe, well, God's just working over 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:57.980 there where, where it's easier on them and, and they're not having to go through and they're 00:08:57.980 --> 00:08:59.080 not having to battle through this. 00:08:59.080 --> 00:09:00.520 And James is like, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:09:00.520 --> 00:09:08.600 God is working right in the, the trial and what he's doing as we persevere through that 00:09:08.600 --> 00:09:14.280 of what God is doing is that God's going to bring a particular blessing, right? 00:09:14.360 --> 00:09:19.940 For those who are going through it, he's going to build within us this type of perseverance, 00:09:19.940 --> 00:09:23.140 this type of endurance that would not be capable. 00:09:23.500 --> 00:09:29.340 He's, God's going to bring through it a strengthening of faith that would not be possible if spiritually 00:09:29.340 --> 00:09:33.160 speaking, we were like sitting on a couch, eating grapes, watching TV, right? 00:09:33.220 --> 00:09:34.660 Like that's, that's not what it's about. 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:41.880 He's like, no, no, no, it's going to be this grueling battle and God's working through 00:09:41.880 --> 00:09:42.080 that. 00:09:42.140 --> 00:09:44.360 So he begins with, with that. 00:09:44.440 --> 00:09:49.580 But then today what we're going to see in verse 13, what we just read is he's going 00:09:49.580 --> 00:09:51.100 to move from trials, right? 00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:57.340 To temptations and trials and temptations are both difficult seasons to go through, but 00:09:57.340 --> 00:10:00.120 they're also different seasons to go through. 00:10:00.820 --> 00:10:05.420 And so where we talk about faith and, and trials this, this weekend and, and honestly spilling 00:10:05.420 --> 00:10:12.520 over into next week, we're going to look at like obedience in temptation, obedience in temptation. 00:10:12.520 --> 00:10:13.200 So I'm excited. 00:10:13.780 --> 00:10:15.960 Next Sunday morning, I'll get to preach in India. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:20.720 And so I'm going to continue on with where we are as a church in James and preaching that. 00:10:20.900 --> 00:10:25.820 And, and, and we have a Dr. Shane Parker is going to be here and he's going to preach for 00:10:25.820 --> 00:10:27.520 us as, as our church. 00:10:27.560 --> 00:10:33.360 And he's going to continue on in this with us as well, as we see that this layer of obedience 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:35.140 that God calls us to. 00:10:35.860 --> 00:10:39.720 And so what I want us to get to this morning, as we think through trials last week, temptation 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:43.440 this week is, is what's the difference between a trial and temptation? 00:10:43.940 --> 00:10:49.120 What, what's the difference for, for what we have as we walk through this in our life? 00:10:49.160 --> 00:10:52.860 And so I read, uh, somebody else who, who talked about this all, and then this is a very good 00:10:52.860 --> 00:10:56.480 simple picture of what this looks like in our, in our life. 00:10:56.520 --> 00:11:00.400 And so this, this author, as he talked about this, said, you know, a trial is largely going 00:11:00.400 --> 00:11:06.160 to be seen as an outside force that that's beyond an individual's control. 00:11:06.700 --> 00:11:14.360 Something that happens outside of us that, that greatly impacts us and, and it can impact 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:16.320 us internally, right? 00:11:16.380 --> 00:11:21.140 But it's an outside force going through this trial that, that does this not, not always, 00:11:21.240 --> 00:11:22.100 but, but mostly. 00:11:22.100 --> 00:11:26.800 And so we can think of everything from like sickness and, and battles that we face through 00:11:26.800 --> 00:11:29.260 that to, to hostile criticism, right? 00:11:29.300 --> 00:11:34.620 Like unfair criticism or words being spoken about us that aren't true all the way to the 00:11:34.620 --> 00:11:37.420 deepest, hardest layers of persecution of our faith. 00:11:37.500 --> 00:11:43.420 Like these are the trials that we walk through, but then a temptation, what we're going to see 00:11:43.420 --> 00:11:48.600 is going to be more of an internal struggle that a person has, right? 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:56.980 Even if the temptation manifests itself in the physical world, as it often does, but it's 00:11:56.980 --> 00:12:01.400 going to come from an internal struggle that we face. 00:12:01.520 --> 00:12:06.680 Now, now here's what I've, I've just kind of noticed lots of times trials are obviously, 00:12:07.020 --> 00:12:09.720 are obvious for other people to see often. 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:18.260 Oftentimes it's, it's people can recognize the trials that we go through because they see 00:12:18.260 --> 00:12:27.500 those, but the internal temptations that we face can often be the ones that we face isolated 00:12:27.500 --> 00:12:30.840 and alone because they're not seen. 00:12:32.540 --> 00:12:37.580 And if we struggle with being transparent with what this looks like in our life, right? 00:12:38.520 --> 00:12:45.540 Then oftentimes that can even more so hide the, the battle of the temptations that we face. 00:12:45.540 --> 00:12:47.400 And so we're looking at temptations. 00:12:47.540 --> 00:12:51.660 And so the first part I want to see when we look at verse 13 is this, that temptation is 00:12:51.660 --> 00:12:53.220 part of the Christian life. 00:12:53.920 --> 00:12:55.220 Temptation is part of the Christian life. 00:12:55.420 --> 00:12:56.840 Look back at verse 13 with me. 00:12:58.420 --> 00:13:03.840 James writes and says, let no one say when he is tempted, I'm being tempted by God. 00:13:04.260 --> 00:13:10.780 For God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one. 00:13:11.620 --> 00:13:18.260 That first part of that sentence there, let no one say when, when. 00:13:18.940 --> 00:13:24.220 So if you're like me and you like to write in your Bible, like when is a word to underline 00:13:24.220 --> 00:13:27.360 right here as a moment for us, right? 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:31.020 When it's going to happen, it's going to take place. 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:36.780 Now, as we battle through, as we face temptations in our life, oftentimes you and I, when we face 00:13:36.780 --> 00:13:41.560 these temptations, we see them as huge moral failures to be ashamed of, right? 00:13:43.160 --> 00:13:44.080 Like, let's do this. 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:45.500 Like, let's go around the room right now. 00:13:46.140 --> 00:13:46.280 All right. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:46.600 One at a time. 00:13:46.640 --> 00:13:47.500 We got time, right? 00:13:47.500 --> 00:13:48.520 We got, I don't know why I looked at my wrist. 00:13:48.560 --> 00:13:49.180 I don't have a watch on. 00:13:49.340 --> 00:13:50.440 We got time, right? 00:13:50.920 --> 00:13:51.240 All right. 00:13:51.420 --> 00:13:53.460 What is your greatest temptation? 00:13:53.580 --> 00:13:54.860 And you have to be honest. 00:13:54.960 --> 00:13:57.240 If not, electroshock therapy is going to happen, right? 00:13:57.500 --> 00:13:58.580 Like, let's do that right now. 00:13:58.660 --> 00:13:58.740 All right. 00:13:58.940 --> 00:13:59.540 Chad Fry. 00:13:59.740 --> 00:14:00.780 What is, I'm just kidding, buddy. 00:14:00.880 --> 00:14:01.480 I'm just kidding. 00:14:02.880 --> 00:14:03.200 Right? 00:14:04.880 --> 00:14:05.200 Right? 00:14:05.280 --> 00:14:06.260 You're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. 00:14:06.400 --> 00:14:07.720 I'm not sure about that. 00:14:07.820 --> 00:14:10.480 And all the guests were like, we will not be here next week. 00:14:10.580 --> 00:14:10.740 You know? 00:14:12.100 --> 00:14:12.460 Right? 00:14:13.380 --> 00:14:17.120 We can feel that in that temptation, right? 00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:23.060 That there's this shame that is, that is there as we face these battles of, of temptation. 00:14:23.060 --> 00:14:25.540 And, and, and, and, and that's not the case. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:27.040 That's not the case. 00:14:27.100 --> 00:14:28.280 That's not what we're going to see from scripture. 00:14:28.660 --> 00:14:31.140 James is going to give a command here in verse 13. 00:14:31.300 --> 00:14:34.440 And his command is not don't be tempted. 00:14:35.760 --> 00:14:40.580 His command is when you're tempted, don't say this is from God. 00:14:41.700 --> 00:14:47.160 And the words that are used there is like this aggressive tone that's used, you know? 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:50.760 Like, like this, this deflecting aggressive. 00:14:50.980 --> 00:14:54.660 It's like when someone comes up to you at work and they're like, did you do this? 00:14:54.700 --> 00:14:55.520 You're like, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:14:55.520 --> 00:14:55.960 I didn't do this. 00:14:56.200 --> 00:14:56.960 Somebody else did it. 00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:57.180 Right? 00:14:57.700 --> 00:14:58.500 Under the bus right there. 00:14:59.260 --> 00:15:02.060 What James is saying here is you, you don't do that with God. 00:15:02.940 --> 00:15:07.220 When, when you're tempted, you do not say that this is from him. 00:15:07.280 --> 00:15:12.520 But, but how do we walk through the, the, the reality that, that when we face temptation, 00:15:12.520 --> 00:15:15.060 that is going to happen, that is part of the Christian life. 00:15:15.060 --> 00:15:18.240 Well, well, Matthew four, just several months ago, we will do this, right? 00:15:18.300 --> 00:15:18.420 Right. 00:15:18.500 --> 00:15:19.220 Jesus was tempted. 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:23.880 Jesus was tempted and what's remarkable about it. 00:15:23.880 --> 00:15:27.660 And we talked about this, uh, and I'm not going to re-preach through a message we've already 00:15:27.660 --> 00:15:30.200 done, but, but, but Jesus was tempted with good things. 00:15:31.080 --> 00:15:36.020 Jesus was tempted with food, with God's protection, the kingdom. 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:39.980 Jesus is tempted with these, with these good things. 00:15:40.640 --> 00:15:46.040 So, so the issue is not that you're going to be tempted or that you are being tempted. 00:15:46.220 --> 00:15:47.960 You will be, and you are. 00:15:48.300 --> 00:15:52.400 The, the issue is, right, and this is what we're going to get to is, is who do you blame 00:15:52.400 --> 00:15:54.140 for your temptation? 00:15:55.320 --> 00:15:59.740 When, when you're sitting there and you're, you're walking through these, these battles 00:15:59.740 --> 00:16:04.740 and these situations and these moments of both weakness and strength, like who do we look 00:16:04.740 --> 00:16:08.320 at and say, well, well, I gotta, I gotta point the finger at somebody. 00:16:08.740 --> 00:16:11.340 So, so who's it's going to be, right? 00:16:11.880 --> 00:16:13.140 But, but it's not from God. 00:16:14.360 --> 00:16:15.420 It's not from God. 00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:20.300 The, the, the goal of temptation is to bring you to sin. 00:16:21.100 --> 00:16:21.820 That's it. 00:16:22.740 --> 00:16:25.520 That's what temptation wants to do, right? 00:16:27.060 --> 00:16:36.640 Whether it's finances, whether it's food, whether it's sex, whether it's gossip, the goal of 00:16:36.640 --> 00:16:41.000 temptation is to bring you and I to sin. 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:43.300 And, and God never desires that for you. 00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:44.540 Never. 00:16:45.880 --> 00:16:55.260 I think sometimes we take our passive feelings on sin and we oppose, we, we, we, we, we put 00:16:55.260 --> 00:16:55.760 those on God. 00:16:56.760 --> 00:16:58.480 And, and, and let me say this. 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:03.240 God is not passive against your sin. 00:17:03.940 --> 00:17:07.060 God is not passive toward my sin. 00:17:07.840 --> 00:17:16.020 God desperately hates sin because it's sin that separates us from him. 00:17:17.380 --> 00:17:19.960 It's sin for why this world is broken. 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:23.920 It's sin that brings in the destruction. 00:17:24.260 --> 00:17:28.200 It's sin that brings in all of these battles that we face. 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:35.840 Like, like get on the internet, open up the newspaper, cut on the TV and look at all of the issues 00:17:35.840 --> 00:17:42.820 in all of the battles, in all of the death, in all of the destruction and everything that's 00:17:42.820 --> 00:17:48.900 going on in the world, whether it's the United States or India or anywhere between. 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:50.080 And here's the issue. 00:17:50.500 --> 00:17:54.420 Sin, sin, sin, sin, sin. 00:17:57.240 --> 00:18:01.800 God hates sin because sin separates God from people. 00:18:02.740 --> 00:18:05.420 And God hates sin so much, right? 00:18:06.060 --> 00:18:12.880 The payment of his sin, for sin, for our sin was not, was not me. 00:18:13.860 --> 00:18:15.160 It's not you. 00:18:16.360 --> 00:18:17.360 It's Jesus. 00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:19.480 It's Jesus. 00:18:20.760 --> 00:18:23.320 God's only son. 00:18:24.840 --> 00:18:32.640 Like, I don't know about you, but I'd be willing to bet that everyone in here that has someone 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:40.340 that they care about and that they love, and particularly if God has blessed you with a 00:18:40.340 --> 00:18:48.380 child, when all the people of this world that you can think of, that your relationship is 00:18:48.380 --> 00:18:55.120 broken with them because of a sin that they've committed against you, if that relationship 00:18:55.120 --> 00:19:00.640 could be restored, but it was going to cause the death of your child. 00:19:02.100 --> 00:19:07.140 I'd be willing to bet there's not a one of us that would sign up for it, but God sent 00:19:07.140 --> 00:19:11.400 his son, Jesus, to die because of sin. 00:19:12.180 --> 00:19:15.880 So we can't blame God for temptation. 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:23.800 So let's look at verse 14 and understand that your temptation is from your desire, right? 00:19:24.540 --> 00:19:26.340 Your temptation is from your desire. 00:19:26.340 --> 00:19:36.000 Verse 14, but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 00:19:36.220 --> 00:19:38.020 So here's what we get to come to this morning. 00:19:38.340 --> 00:19:45.540 Here's the not so feel good part of the message today, that you and I, we are the source of 00:19:45.540 --> 00:19:47.120 our own temptation, right? 00:19:47.220 --> 00:19:53.200 So as you and I got up this morning, my alarm somehow got massively way too loud this morning 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:54.220 at 515. 00:19:54.380 --> 00:19:55.220 I'm sorry, Aaron. 00:19:55.380 --> 00:19:56.660 Like it was way too loud. 00:19:56.780 --> 00:20:02.480 And I walked in with the sleep in my eye, my hair going everywhere and splashed some water 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:04.080 on my face in my sink. 00:20:04.080 --> 00:20:14.680 And that man that I looked at this morning is where the battle lies in my fight against temptation. 00:20:16.140 --> 00:20:18.080 I can't blame you. 00:20:18.900 --> 00:20:20.680 I can't blame anyone else. 00:20:21.500 --> 00:20:23.100 Definitely can't blame the Lord. 00:20:23.940 --> 00:20:29.060 I got to look at that guy, me, and so do you. 00:20:30.580 --> 00:20:32.200 And that's where the battle's going to lie. 00:20:33.580 --> 00:20:39.540 James writes and he says that our temptation, that it lures and entices us, or the words translated 00:20:39.540 --> 00:20:42.480 when they're put together, that it drags us away. 00:20:42.860 --> 00:20:43.940 It drags us away. 00:20:44.140 --> 00:20:48.480 So what James is writing to the church there is he says, here's what your temptation wants 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:54.260 to do as you're looking to Jesus, desiring God's will, living for the gospel, what temptation 00:20:54.260 --> 00:20:57.340 wants to do is drag you away from that. 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:03.660 And at first, if you've ever had to pull something away from something else, right? 00:21:04.320 --> 00:21:09.500 Let's say like you're walking a dog on a leash, you know, and there's the fence where the other 00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:11.680 dog is, they just want to bark and they want to fight, they want to yell. 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:16.320 You know that at first it's really hard to pull that dog away. 00:21:17.140 --> 00:21:23.280 But the farther you get from the fence, the less hard it is to pull that dog, right? 00:21:23.760 --> 00:21:26.920 And eventually that dog will just start trotting in that direction. 00:21:27.280 --> 00:21:32.340 That's what temptation will do, what temptation wants to do. 00:21:32.540 --> 00:21:37.560 That at that beginning, when we're fighting it, we're realizing it, and it's harder and harder. 00:21:37.560 --> 00:21:43.180 The temptation works in the way that the farther it can get from our eyes being focused on what 00:21:43.180 --> 00:21:46.320 God has for us, right? 00:21:46.800 --> 00:21:50.540 What God longs for us, the easier it is for us just to begin to wander. 00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:55.280 And that's how sin begins to build and build and build, right? 00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:57.200 And here's what happens. 00:21:57.260 --> 00:21:59.100 Here's what's scary, right? 00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:02.920 And we're going to look at different types of temptation and different things with it, right? 00:22:02.920 --> 00:22:09.220 But temptation often takes what is good, right, and turns it sinful. 00:22:10.680 --> 00:22:13.620 Takes what is good and turns it sinful, right? 00:22:13.660 --> 00:22:15.140 This was the attempt with Jesus, right? 00:22:15.420 --> 00:22:19.520 Jesus was tempted, his first temptation was tempted with food, right? 00:22:20.040 --> 00:22:21.020 He was tempted with food. 00:22:21.840 --> 00:22:26.360 And we're not talking about like mine and your temptation of food, right? 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:32.740 Like, if you want to know what temptation looks like for me concerning food, it's called the 00:22:32.740 --> 00:22:34.400 buffet at a cruise, right? 00:22:34.580 --> 00:22:40.660 Like 24 hours a day, the whole time while you're there, you want a quesadilla with a side of 00:22:40.660 --> 00:22:44.720 scrambled eggs, and you can go get it and then put a soft serve ice cream cone on top of it, 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:44.860 right? 00:22:44.940 --> 00:22:46.800 Like, that's real. 00:22:47.060 --> 00:22:48.520 That's my moment with you guys, right? 00:22:49.800 --> 00:22:57.040 But Jesus was tempted with food after 40 days of fasting, 40 days of this. 00:22:57.180 --> 00:23:02.000 And so it takes what should be right, what should be good, right? 00:23:02.120 --> 00:23:05.320 But temptation begins to oftentimes twist it into different ways. 00:23:05.420 --> 00:23:09.740 So I want to give an example of how this can play out in your life and mine. 00:23:09.840 --> 00:23:15.320 Now, I don't know whether y'all watch the news or not, but I know a lot of us do, or at 00:23:15.320 --> 00:23:18.840 least we have a coworker that feels like they need to inform us every day of what the news 00:23:18.840 --> 00:23:19.740 is talking about, right? 00:23:20.100 --> 00:23:24.440 And there's a word that's being talked about right now, and we're not, this is a hot button 00:23:24.440 --> 00:23:24.680 issue. 00:23:24.800 --> 00:23:28.040 We're not going to, after the service, we're not going to break into small groups and give 00:23:28.040 --> 00:23:31.660 our own opinions about this, but I do want to talk about it, and it's the word debt, and 00:23:31.660 --> 00:23:33.200 there's a certain kind of debt, all right? 00:23:33.280 --> 00:23:37.020 That's a big issue right now, and people can differ on this. 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:42.540 But what I have found, what I have noticed, right, in the life of debt is that there's so 00:23:42.540 --> 00:23:44.140 many of us, right? 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:48.660 And there's a very small percentage of people who live in the United States who are 00:23:48.660 --> 00:23:51.580 a wonderful description of what is known as debt-free, right? 00:23:51.620 --> 00:23:53.900 They have no debt, none whatsoever. 00:23:54.540 --> 00:24:00.340 And most people, right, they have a certain amount of debt that they have. 00:24:01.100 --> 00:24:07.280 And so, but we could all agree, everyone in here that has debt, financial debt, if you 00:24:07.280 --> 00:24:11.900 would like to no longer have financial debt, right, you'd be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's 00:24:11.900 --> 00:24:15.220 good, I'll sign me up, I'll take that, right? 00:24:15.280 --> 00:24:21.260 Like, if I won the lottery, which would have to be a miracle, because just looking at those 00:24:21.260 --> 00:24:23.880 scratch-off cards gives me anxiety, right? 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:25.860 Wouldn't know where to begin, right? 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:31.880 But if I won the whatever it is, billions of dollars, and said, right, I'll pay off your 00:24:31.880 --> 00:24:34.240 debt, we'd all, like, sign up for that, right? 00:24:34.860 --> 00:24:41.920 But if we are going to do that without the lottery, if we're going to do that in through 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:46.980 our own means, we have to acknowledge that being debt-free is hard work. 00:24:47.760 --> 00:24:52.560 It's something that Aaron and I continue to look at and evaluate each year, how can we 00:24:52.560 --> 00:24:54.920 get more and more financially independent? 00:24:55.360 --> 00:24:56.440 So let's play out a hypothetical. 00:24:56.600 --> 00:25:00.300 Let's say that you're someone that has debt, and you go to a Dave Ramsey conference, right? 00:25:00.380 --> 00:25:04.140 Dave Ramsey likes to talk about how to get people debt-free, the snowball, how that works, 00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:09.240 how that builds, it works, it's a fantastic, wonderful program, and you walk out of that 00:25:09.240 --> 00:25:11.120 conference, and you're like, you know what? 00:25:11.360 --> 00:25:12.860 I'm going to be debt-free. 00:25:13.640 --> 00:25:17.060 Me and my family are going to set these goals, and we're going to work to achieve them, and 00:25:17.060 --> 00:25:22.020 we're going to work hard and see this financial snowball build and build and build to wherever 00:25:22.020 --> 00:25:25.560 we're able to pay off things, and we're going to bless people, and we're going to go on 00:25:25.560 --> 00:25:29.780 mission trips, and we're going to support missionaries, and we're going to give to our local 00:25:29.780 --> 00:25:33.920 food pantry, and we're going to do all of these things because we are now debt-free. 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:40.320 And we can't do these things, right, because of how strapped we are to this financial burden. 00:25:41.320 --> 00:25:47.860 And then you go and you sit down behind your computer, and you get out your expenses and 00:25:47.860 --> 00:25:51.240 your bills, and you put them all out onto a spreadsheet. 00:25:52.540 --> 00:25:57.740 And at the end of that spreadsheet, when you hit the total on the number of money of what 00:25:57.740 --> 00:26:05.460 you live off of, you come to the end of that, and you say, well, I've got $50, and it's going 00:26:05.460 --> 00:26:11.140 to be really hard to pay off my $75,000 truck by adding $50 a month to the payment, right? 00:26:11.940 --> 00:26:16.660 So if it's not going to happen, it's going to be sacrifice. 00:26:17.740 --> 00:26:23.520 You're going to have to take things that you were doing that maybe were luxuries and cut 00:26:23.520 --> 00:26:26.080 them out and no longer do those things. 00:26:27.180 --> 00:26:30.300 Now, sacrifice is hard, right? 00:26:30.700 --> 00:26:34.380 Like, no one ever says, like, hey, here's your birthday present. 00:26:34.500 --> 00:26:36.140 It's sacrifice, yay, right? 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:39.600 Like, no, no one's usually, hey, sign me up for that, right? 00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:40.620 Right. 00:26:41.260 --> 00:26:51.540 So this desire to be debt-free in the reality of the work that it's going to take begins to settle. 00:26:52.920 --> 00:26:58.220 And when it begins to take over, it becomes a sinful desire. 00:26:59.200 --> 00:27:03.000 Yeah, I might tell you that my desire is to be debt-free, but really my desire is to be 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:03.840 financially lazy. 00:27:04.940 --> 00:27:10.800 I may say that my desire is to be debt-free, but really my desire is to be greedy, that 00:27:10.800 --> 00:27:12.800 I just want more and more that's for me. 00:27:13.720 --> 00:27:18.960 So I sit down over that spreadsheet, and instead of knocking out some of the other things that 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:22.580 I see that I don't need to be spending money on, instead, you know, I say, you know what? 00:27:22.620 --> 00:27:24.140 I'm going to stop giving. 00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:25.180 I'm going to stop tithing. 00:27:26.560 --> 00:27:33.020 Or maybe I'm going to just start tithing less and not honor God with my first fruits of 00:27:33.020 --> 00:27:33.680 my finances. 00:27:34.500 --> 00:27:41.160 Well, you know, tax season is coming up, and I got paid by cash with this, and there are 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:47.540 these things that I can mess around with and move, and you know, they've got enough money 00:27:47.540 --> 00:27:48.140 anyways, right? 00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:50.700 So I'm just going to cut corners. 00:27:51.560 --> 00:27:52.620 I'm going to just lie. 00:27:54.620 --> 00:28:01.060 You know, my wife and I, when we made this budget together, we decided that we needed marriage 00:28:01.060 --> 00:28:01.640 enrichment. 00:28:02.600 --> 00:28:08.620 And so we put this money in to go out on dates and to do things together, and God's really 00:28:08.620 --> 00:28:09.680 honored and blessed that. 00:28:09.760 --> 00:28:10.200 But you know what? 00:28:10.200 --> 00:28:14.240 I'm just going to cut that out, too. 00:28:15.360 --> 00:28:19.300 I'm going to move that or cut that in half. 00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:26.620 You know, instead of, at my business, instead of quoting people the price that is the price, 00:28:27.540 --> 00:28:30.380 I'm going to start quoting people a price that's not the price. 00:28:31.120 --> 00:28:35.340 And I'm going to start skimming off the top a little bit, because, right, all of this is 00:28:35.340 --> 00:28:37.340 just to be debt-free. 00:28:38.840 --> 00:28:43.540 You see, the desire that may have been good before was the desire to be debt-free, but the 00:28:43.540 --> 00:28:49.560 sinful desire that began to take over was greed that began to consume and consume and consume, 00:28:49.700 --> 00:28:49.880 right? 00:28:50.660 --> 00:28:53.480 And now our ultimate desire was not to be debt-free. 00:28:54.340 --> 00:28:57.780 Our ultimate desire was not to give more to God's work. 00:28:58.360 --> 00:29:00.400 Our ultimate desire was not to bless people. 00:29:01.180 --> 00:29:03.240 Our ultimate desire was, how could I have more? 00:29:03.360 --> 00:29:08.600 Our ultimate desire was, how can I live in the greed that I want? 00:29:09.360 --> 00:29:16.400 And so temptation comes from your and my desire of how do we take this? 00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:21.900 And so then what James gives us is he gives us what I've called the death cycle of temptation. 00:29:22.360 --> 00:29:23.320 We look at verse 15. 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:32.240 Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin. 00:29:33.360 --> 00:29:40.820 And sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. 00:29:41.560 --> 00:29:48.900 And so James writes in this verse is, here's how temptation works. 00:29:50.100 --> 00:29:58.800 And he uses, in the original language, a very vivid imagery of a husband and a wife conceiving 00:29:58.800 --> 00:30:02.620 a child and giving birth to that child. 00:30:03.500 --> 00:30:09.700 But what is born is not alive, but what is born is death. 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:16.960 And so this desire, it comes and it lures you and it seduces you. 00:30:17.600 --> 00:30:18.660 It's the picture. 00:30:19.580 --> 00:30:20.920 And then here's the decision. 00:30:22.340 --> 00:30:32.320 Do I resist and fight and lean into the Lord and lean into God as Jesus did, right? 00:30:33.120 --> 00:30:37.180 And I want you, when you think back about Matthew 4, and if you want to go read this afterwards, 00:30:37.280 --> 00:30:40.720 what Jesus did every single time in Matthew chapter 4, when he was tempted, 00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:50.060 he leaned in and he pressed in on the word of God through Jesus's intimate knowledge and relationship of the Father. 00:30:50.900 --> 00:30:52.100 And that's how he resisted. 00:30:53.140 --> 00:31:03.520 So the lure of this world came after him and Jesus pressed more, not into this false intimacy that sin wants to bring, 00:31:04.580 --> 00:31:06.840 but into the intimacy with the Father. 00:31:07.840 --> 00:31:13.020 So when sinful desires come, the question for us is, are you going to choose, 00:31:13.020 --> 00:31:19.720 am I going to choose sinful intimacy or spiritual intimacy with the Father? 00:31:21.280 --> 00:31:24.280 Well, what am I going to connect myself? 00:31:25.260 --> 00:31:28.120 What am I going to become interwoven with? 00:31:29.320 --> 00:31:30.640 Is it God? 00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:33.160 Is it sin? 00:31:34.160 --> 00:31:38.280 And so James says, when you choose the sinful way, 00:31:39.380 --> 00:31:44.660 it's as if you've laid down and conceived a child with it. 00:31:45.820 --> 00:31:49.620 Nothing more intimate, nothing more precious than that. 00:31:50.840 --> 00:31:53.580 And James says, this is what this becomes. 00:31:54.820 --> 00:31:56.340 And then the sinful desires, right? 00:31:56.680 --> 00:32:00.260 It promises what it will not fulfill. 00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:02.740 And it doesn't bring life. 00:32:03.740 --> 00:32:04.840 Instead, it brings death. 00:32:05.660 --> 00:32:06.500 It brings death. 00:32:07.580 --> 00:32:11.500 Church, God is so good to us. 00:32:12.500 --> 00:32:16.400 It amazes me every time that I open God's word. 00:32:17.160 --> 00:32:25.900 It amazes me to see how God lays out how we should live in a way that glorifies him 00:32:25.900 --> 00:32:31.120 and what it looks like for us to then be blessed in the relationship that we have. 00:32:31.120 --> 00:32:35.940 And in so many different aspects of our life, God is so good to us. 00:32:36.160 --> 00:32:39.560 We come to God and say, God, how do I manage my finances? 00:32:39.820 --> 00:32:43.160 And God says, well, do it my way and be blessed. 00:32:43.980 --> 00:32:48.300 We say, God, how do I live in a marriage that glorifies you? 00:32:48.440 --> 00:32:51.620 And God says, do it my way and be blessed. 00:32:52.580 --> 00:32:57.540 We have so many people that say, God, I'm fighting this battle in singleness right now, right? 00:32:57.660 --> 00:33:00.460 And if you've forgotten, if you've been married for a while, 00:33:00.600 --> 00:33:03.880 let me tell you, our brothers and sisters in Christ who are single, 00:33:04.060 --> 00:33:06.940 it is a battle that they face every day. 00:33:06.940 --> 00:33:11.660 It's not that they're not happy, but it creates its own set of circumstances for it. 00:33:11.720 --> 00:33:13.560 And God says, look, I've called you. 00:33:13.740 --> 00:33:17.180 I have right now in this season of life singleness for you. 00:33:17.540 --> 00:33:19.880 Do it my way and be blessed. 00:33:20.020 --> 00:33:21.120 God, I've got kids. 00:33:21.220 --> 00:33:22.140 What does that look like? 00:33:22.200 --> 00:33:22.900 What does that mean? 00:33:23.140 --> 00:33:25.720 God says, do it my way and be blessed. 00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:29.020 God gives us sex, husband, wife. 00:33:29.420 --> 00:33:31.200 That's it in those parameters. 00:33:31.560 --> 00:33:34.420 God says, do it my way and be blessed. 00:33:34.720 --> 00:33:40.500 God gives us a body that we have on this earth to carry us through this life. 00:33:40.720 --> 00:33:43.720 And God says, do it my way and be blessed. 00:33:43.940 --> 00:33:48.080 We have aspects with business and our jobs and how we're supposed to work 00:33:48.080 --> 00:33:50.060 and how we're supposed to submit to authorities 00:33:50.060 --> 00:33:52.600 and how we're supposed to lead those who are under us. 00:33:52.600 --> 00:33:56.260 And God says, do it my way and be blessed. 00:33:57.140 --> 00:33:58.160 That's what it means. 00:33:58.520 --> 00:34:01.640 The problem is, with you and with me, 00:34:02.120 --> 00:34:04.780 this isn't a message of pointing fingers at you. 00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:08.700 This is the message of what God's doing in my life as well. 00:34:08.880 --> 00:34:15.700 When trials come in those areas, and they will, and they will. 00:34:16.800 --> 00:34:18.580 Have I had a trial in my marriage? 00:34:18.780 --> 00:34:19.340 Absolutely. 00:34:20.560 --> 00:34:22.680 Have I had a trial with my kids? 00:34:23.220 --> 00:34:23.740 Absolutely. 00:34:24.940 --> 00:34:26.940 Have I had a trial in my finances? 00:34:27.620 --> 00:34:28.060 Absolutely. 00:34:28.520 --> 00:34:30.960 Have I had a trial in my career? 00:34:31.500 --> 00:34:32.100 Absolutely. 00:34:33.020 --> 00:34:35.860 When trials come, and they do, 00:34:37.040 --> 00:34:42.760 do we land in our definition of what it means to be blessed? 00:34:43.900 --> 00:34:51.500 Some U.S. Western culture version of what it means to succeed in life? 00:34:52.340 --> 00:34:58.840 Or do we rest in who God says it means to be blessed and to be blessed and found in him? 00:34:58.900 --> 00:35:05.400 But when we face this, we're going to be blessed. 00:35:05.400 --> 00:35:12.740 say, forget about God's way that leads to death. 00:35:12.740 --> 00:35:17.220 And when we choose it, that's where it leads. 00:35:17.280 --> 00:35:21.680 So when we face temptations, because they're going to come. 00:35:21.680 --> 00:35:34.320 When we face temptation, when we're in that season, and we're walking that line, and we begin to feel our neck being pulled to somewhere else, right? 00:35:34.860 --> 00:35:36.420 What do we, what do we remember? 00:35:36.420 --> 00:35:37.940 What do we cling to? 00:35:37.940 --> 00:35:38.820 What do we, what do we do? 00:35:39.580 --> 00:35:43.340 And I would say we remember God's good and perfect gifts. 00:35:44.200 --> 00:35:45.020 Let's start in verse 16. 00:35:48.380 --> 00:35:50.400 Do not be deceived, my fellow brothers. 00:35:51.680 --> 00:36:02.760 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 00:36:03.540 --> 00:36:13.060 Of his own will, he brought us forth by the truth of the word, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 00:36:13.660 --> 00:36:17.420 God says, James says, reminder here, don't, don't be deceived. 00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:23.200 Don't be deceived, because back at the beginning, the battle of temptation you were going through, this isn't God. 00:36:24.360 --> 00:36:36.240 When God is, when we think that God is our source of temptation, of trying to catch us in a moment of weakness, we run from him instead of running to him. 00:36:37.020 --> 00:36:43.000 We run from truth, and we run to shame. 00:36:43.120 --> 00:36:46.120 It's not God. 00:36:47.420 --> 00:36:56.600 That God doesn't send the temptation, but what he gives us is every good and perfect gift. 00:36:56.820 --> 00:37:00.940 He doesn't send that that we'll seek to kill and to destroy. 00:37:01.260 --> 00:37:12.180 Instead, he sends kindness and helpfulness and joy and purity, and God wants to see you and I grow, even if that means through difficulty. 00:37:12.540 --> 00:37:13.100 And so why? 00:37:13.240 --> 00:37:14.200 Why does God care? 00:37:15.200 --> 00:37:16.320 Why does God care? 00:37:16.380 --> 00:37:17.060 Look at verse 18. 00:37:17.560 --> 00:37:28.460 For of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 00:37:28.940 --> 00:37:29.120 Right? 00:37:29.560 --> 00:37:32.060 The beautiful choice of God. 00:37:33.160 --> 00:37:36.560 God chose to give us birth. 00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:39.980 God chose us. 00:37:40.980 --> 00:37:46.320 We were not a hand that he was dealt, that he was told to deal with. 00:37:47.160 --> 00:37:48.840 God chose us. 00:37:49.960 --> 00:37:55.500 And in choosing us, God chooses to bring us into his family. 00:37:56.920 --> 00:37:59.460 God chose to send his son. 00:38:00.760 --> 00:38:03.360 God chooses to save us. 00:38:04.020 --> 00:38:15.120 And he chooses to work in us, producing something in us that blesses us, that glorifies him, and that brings others to him. 00:38:15.180 --> 00:38:18.940 The word that is used, that we should be a kind of first fruits. 00:38:19.200 --> 00:38:23.640 Now, this concept of first fruits is used all throughout scripture, right? 00:38:23.780 --> 00:38:30.920 It was used as the first portion of the harvest, which God's people were to bring to him as sacrifice. 00:38:30.920 --> 00:38:36.620 But also the word first fruits would be the word that was used in the agricultural world. 00:38:36.720 --> 00:38:44.780 And so if you were there and you had a crop that was going to produce, when you begin to see fruit develop on the vine, 00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:50.820 when you begin to see fruit develop on the branches, those first handful of ones that were there, 00:38:51.160 --> 00:38:53.780 those were known as the first fruits. 00:38:53.960 --> 00:39:00.460 And they were supposed to be a representation of the fruit that was to come. 00:39:00.920 --> 00:39:04.560 Well, y'all know we got a garden. 00:39:05.520 --> 00:39:12.740 And I love when Aaron says that first tomato is coming off the vine today. 00:39:13.540 --> 00:39:15.960 Because here's what I know, because God loves me. 00:39:16.080 --> 00:39:18.040 God gives me two things to go with that tomato. 00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:24.700 He gives me toast and he gives me Duke's mayonnaise, right? 00:39:26.220 --> 00:39:26.620 Amen. 00:39:26.620 --> 00:39:26.780 Amen. 00:39:27.100 --> 00:39:27.340 Amen. 00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:30.900 And I'm sorry, I forgot and I didn't mean to. 00:39:31.220 --> 00:39:36.480 And a healthy, unhealthy portion of salt and pepper to go on it, right? 00:39:37.700 --> 00:39:46.140 And nothing is more exciting than sitting down on that Saturday morning and slicing up that tomato and having it on the piece of bread. 00:39:46.280 --> 00:39:49.360 And some of you who aren't from the South, you're like, but I don't know what you're talking about. 00:39:49.540 --> 00:39:51.840 Just walk with me and try it, right? 00:39:51.980 --> 00:39:53.160 And you'll understand. 00:39:53.460 --> 00:39:59.660 And what begins to happen and take place in my mind moving from that Saturday forward is, 00:39:59.840 --> 00:40:02.860 I now know what I'm going to be eating for lunch on Saturdays, right? 00:40:03.100 --> 00:40:04.960 Because it's a taste of what's to come. 00:40:06.040 --> 00:40:07.480 It's a taste of what's there. 00:40:08.280 --> 00:40:15.580 But I know that that tomato that came off is not going to be the one and only tomato, but there's going to be more and more tomatoes. 00:40:15.940 --> 00:40:23.360 And so what God says here, that we, that you and I, as we fight against the temptation and to keep our eyes locked on him, 00:40:23.360 --> 00:40:29.160 that we should be this kind of special, of first fruits that the world sees. 00:40:30.320 --> 00:40:31.660 That the world sees. 00:40:32.800 --> 00:40:39.660 And we point to what's to come, that we point to the kingdom, that we point to Jesus, 00:40:40.460 --> 00:40:46.360 that as they taste a little bit of the sweetness that is the gospel in our lives, 00:40:46.440 --> 00:40:50.440 it points them to what they don't have because they don't know Jesus. 00:40:50.440 --> 00:40:53.120 And it points us to him and who he is. 00:40:53.940 --> 00:40:59.860 And so God says that he sends these down for a purpose and for a reason for these first fruits. 00:41:00.120 --> 00:41:04.920 And so James has given us two pictures, two pictures in these handful of verses. 00:41:05.740 --> 00:41:08.420 And I want to ask you this this morning, and we'll close with this. 00:41:08.720 --> 00:41:11.800 Which one of these pictures does your life represent right now? 00:41:13.640 --> 00:41:15.440 The picture that we just talked about. 00:41:16.440 --> 00:41:21.020 Does your life in the battle of the trials and the temptations that you're going through, 00:41:21.860 --> 00:41:30.200 does it reflect a tangible experience, first fruit, that is so ripe and ready out of your relationship with the Lord? 00:41:32.060 --> 00:41:32.980 Oh, it's good. 00:41:33.880 --> 00:41:34.760 It's good. 00:41:36.000 --> 00:41:37.200 Or the other picture. 00:41:39.080 --> 00:41:40.580 It's the one that's more grim. 00:41:42.540 --> 00:41:44.180 It's the picture of intimacy. 00:41:45.540 --> 00:41:49.440 But intimacy of a person with sin. 00:41:51.100 --> 00:41:57.120 And what happens is that what's produced from that is not life. 00:41:58.140 --> 00:41:59.260 But it's death. 00:42:00.760 --> 00:42:03.860 It's death to those who are around them. 00:42:04.760 --> 00:42:08.780 It's death to the relationships that they face. 00:42:10.640 --> 00:42:15.640 And it's death eternally for the life not found in Christ. 00:42:17.580 --> 00:42:19.040 Which one marks your life? 00:42:20.160 --> 00:42:20.940 Would you pray with me? 00:42:24.500 --> 00:42:27.860 Lord, we thank you so much for this time that we could dive into your word. 00:42:31.200 --> 00:42:32.460 Lord, we thank you. 00:42:34.740 --> 00:42:35.940 We thank you. 00:42:36.860 --> 00:42:38.780 Lord, that you do not leave us. 00:42:39.940 --> 00:42:41.660 Lord, that you do not forsake us. 00:42:43.620 --> 00:42:47.880 Lord, I pray that as we face the battles and the temptations of this life, 00:42:49.400 --> 00:42:51.780 Lord, that we would do as Christ did. 00:42:53.340 --> 00:42:56.620 And cling to the truth of God's word. 00:42:58.420 --> 00:43:01.680 Cling to the intimacy of the relationship that we have. 00:43:03.680 --> 00:43:07.760 Lord, remind us of the desires that are in us. 00:43:08.760 --> 00:43:12.000 Lord, in the battle of the desires to do as your word said, 00:43:12.260 --> 00:43:13.900 to delight ourselves in you. 00:43:15.140 --> 00:43:16.600 Delight ourselves in you. 00:43:18.020 --> 00:43:20.180 And when we delight ourselves in you, 00:43:21.060 --> 00:43:22.500 Lord, you change us. 00:43:23.340 --> 00:43:25.420 And you give us new desires. 00:43:27.340 --> 00:43:28.680 And new goals. 00:43:30.420 --> 00:43:31.760 And new wants. 00:43:33.680 --> 00:43:34.760 And new perspectives. 00:43:38.060 --> 00:43:40.880 Lord, and keep that old self 00:43:40.880 --> 00:43:43.500 subdued. 00:43:44.900 --> 00:43:49.000 That wants to raise its head up so often in our life. 00:43:52.960 --> 00:43:54.340 And say, well, you want that? 00:43:56.280 --> 00:43:58.380 Then here's the sin that will get it for you. 00:43:59.980 --> 00:44:01.080 You want that? 00:44:02.120 --> 00:44:04.240 And here's to get it without sacrifice. 00:44:05.780 --> 00:44:27.840 Lord, I pray that we would be a people, a first fruit people marked and seen by the tangible relationship of Jesus Christ that is filled with the fruit of the spirit that you promise us, 00:44:28.060 --> 00:44:30.060 that you give us kindly and graciously. 00:44:30.060 --> 00:44:38.480 And Lord, may we not be a people of death, people of destruction. 00:44:38.480 --> 00:44:54.720 Or if there's anyone here this morning and they acknowledge what they see in their life is marked with intimacy of sin and not intimacy with you. 00:44:54.720 --> 00:45:00.780 Lord, I pray that today would be a time of confession and repentance for them. 00:45:01.840 --> 00:45:09.360 That it would either be a time of salvation for them or a time of them returning to you. 00:45:12.220 --> 00:45:15.480 All for your name and for your glory. 00:45:16.960 --> 00:45:18.160 And it's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:45:18.880 --> 00:45:19.320 Amen. 00:45:19.320 --> 00:45:19.440 Amen. 00:45:19.440 --> 00:45:19.460 Amen. 00:45:19.460 --> 00:45:19.480 Amen. 00:45:24.720 --> 00:45:35.100 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:45:35.760 --> 00:45:37.920 We hope that you enjoyed listening to this week's message. 00:45:38.540 --> 00:45:46.960 If you'd like to learn more about who we are or explore additional resources, visit us online at www.willowridgechurch.com 00:45:46.960 --> 00:45:50.500 or by searching for Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:50.500 --> 00:45:51.000 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:51.000 --> 00:45:51.000 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:51.000 --> 00:45:51.000 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:51.000 --> 00:45:51.500 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:51.500 --> 00:45:51.500 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook. 00:45:51.500 --> 00:45:51.500 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:51.500 --> 00:45:52.500 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:52.500 --> 00:45:53.500 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:53.500 --> 00:45:54.500 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:54.500 --> 00:45:55.500 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:55.500 --> 00:45:56.500 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:56.500 --> 00:45:57.500 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook. 00:45:57.500 --> 00:45:58.500 Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:45:58.500 --> 00:45:59.500 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram.