WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.260 Hi, and welcome to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:00:22.760 --> 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. 00:00:31.680 --> 00:00:32.440 Thanks for listening. 00:00:40.360 --> 00:00:45.780 This morning, as Dave was talking about, we've been doing a five-week series on discipleship, 00:00:46.080 --> 00:00:50.680 and then this week we're going to start, and we'll go all the way through until we do our 00:00:50.680 --> 00:00:53.980 Christmas series, working through the book of James together. 00:00:54.480 --> 00:00:58.840 Usually we intentionally do this in the fall, and we've got the opportunity, I know most 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:03.200 of our small groups are going to be walking through this book with us, and so hopefully 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:08.520 you're connected to one, and so this morning can kind of be that opportunity where we can 00:01:08.520 --> 00:01:13.760 dive in and begin to have a conversation, begin to think about some of those things, and then 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:19.360 tonight, as your small group, can gather together and dive into that that you can go through. 00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:24.020 Also want to throw this out there, we've got our right now media account that's there, and we are 00:01:24.020 --> 00:01:29.800 following the outline that is used in the James study by Francis Chan through that. 00:01:30.080 --> 00:01:34.440 So even on your personal time, if you want to go through in your personal life and walk through 00:01:34.440 --> 00:01:37.640 that, I would encourage you to do that with us. 00:01:37.780 --> 00:01:41.380 I want to throw out an opportunity to allow you guys to pray. 00:01:42.780 --> 00:01:46.920 For me and for a team that's going to be leaving here, actually next Sunday. 00:01:47.080 --> 00:01:50.600 So what's going to happen next Sunday is I'm going to come and I'm going to preach, say 00:01:50.600 --> 00:01:53.360 amen, grab some lunch, and then head to Atlanta, Georgia. 00:01:53.740 --> 00:01:58.920 And Atlanta, Georgia, catch a flight that is going to get us almost two days later to India. 00:01:59.340 --> 00:02:01.160 And so we're excited about this opportunity. 00:02:01.320 --> 00:02:08.040 I got invited to come back to India to partake in a Bible college's graduation, which will 00:02:08.040 --> 00:02:12.520 be the first graduation that this Bible college has been able to have since COVID. 00:02:12.860 --> 00:02:17.140 And so we're going to be doing a pastor's conference, Bible college graduation. 00:02:17.140 --> 00:02:22.640 We'll be working with these Indian church planners who will be graduating, and these pastors who 00:02:22.640 --> 00:02:28.700 are coming off the field for a time of rest, and then going back out onto the field where 00:02:28.700 --> 00:02:30.900 there is India's not like it is here. 00:02:31.220 --> 00:02:37.440 As we even talk about persecution this morning in the church, they are experiencing more of 00:02:37.440 --> 00:02:41.660 what the church at Acts experienced, and maybe a little less of the convenience that you and 00:02:41.660 --> 00:02:45.860 I have the opportunity to be a part of here in the United States. 00:02:46.120 --> 00:02:48.960 So I just want to encourage you to pray for me, pray for the team. 00:02:49.040 --> 00:02:53.200 There's a couple of guys from here, a couple of pastors from other churches that we're going 00:02:53.200 --> 00:02:58.240 to be going and just have an opportunity, kind of twofold, to be a part of this. 00:02:58.700 --> 00:03:04.600 Of this with this Bible college, but then also to have the opportunity to see other ministry 00:03:04.600 --> 00:03:09.480 opportunities that the Lord may provide for us as a congregation to be a part of in the 00:03:09.480 --> 00:03:09.740 future. 00:03:10.300 --> 00:03:12.460 So pray for that as we're going to do that. 00:03:12.780 --> 00:03:16.520 But then also, pray for these pastors and their wives that are going to be coming back 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:18.900 for this conference, for this time. 00:03:19.460 --> 00:03:24.580 Last time I was there, you hear story after story of what it means for these pastors to 00:03:24.580 --> 00:03:27.920 sometimes to be arrested, to face persecution. 00:03:28.340 --> 00:03:33.840 I actually literally had a conversation with a pastor that was there last time I was there, 00:03:33.980 --> 00:03:40.840 and two years before, he was brought out, drug out of his church, and they were going to kill him. 00:03:41.300 --> 00:03:44.480 And they brought him out into the middle of the village, and they began to pour gasoline 00:03:44.480 --> 00:03:45.920 all over him. 00:03:46.740 --> 00:03:50.880 And after they poured gasoline all over him, they brought out a lighter to set him on fire. 00:03:51.800 --> 00:03:57.320 And he said, in a way that only is the answer of God, the lighter would not light. 00:03:58.260 --> 00:03:59.060 Would not light. 00:04:00.040 --> 00:04:06.240 And so they told him that his life was spared, but to never come back to this village to preach 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:07.020 the gospel again. 00:04:08.780 --> 00:04:13.680 And one week later, he showed back up to his church and opened God's word and proclaimed 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:15.060 the truth of the gospel, right? 00:04:15.700 --> 00:04:21.400 And so to realize and to know that that's what these men and women face, I just want to encourage 00:04:21.400 --> 00:04:23.940 us to continue to lift them up in prayer. 00:04:24.640 --> 00:04:27.400 So let's go to God before we dive into James this morning. 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:32.580 Lord, I thank you so much for the wonderful privilege and opportunity it is, Lord, for us 00:04:32.580 --> 00:04:41.420 to gather in here today, Lord, to open your word, Lord, and to be taught by your spirit, Lord, 00:04:41.440 --> 00:04:42.400 the truth of scripture. 00:04:44.520 --> 00:04:53.560 Lord, I pray for all the men and women of faith all over the world this morning who woke up 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:59.680 and went to church with a fear that was set in them, but also a confidence that comes from 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:06.380 you, or they don't know what persecution they may face as a result of simply going to church 00:05:06.380 --> 00:05:12.000 this morning, but they will not let it deter them from being where you've called them to be 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:14.260 and to do what you've called them to do. 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:17.360 Lord, I pray for them and their boldness. 00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:19.680 Lord, I pray for their protection. 00:05:20.760 --> 00:05:23.980 Lord, I pray for an increase in faith in their life. 00:05:25.200 --> 00:05:26.480 And then, Lord, for us. 00:05:27.520 --> 00:05:33.340 Lord, may it remind us, may it convict us, may it encourage us of what it means to live 00:05:33.340 --> 00:05:35.140 boldly for Christ. 00:05:36.680 --> 00:05:40.880 Jesus, we thank you for who you are, that you died on the cross, that you saved us from our 00:05:40.880 --> 00:05:45.980 sins, that you were resurrected, and in you, and in you alone we find life. 00:05:47.440 --> 00:05:48.420 And it's in your name we pray. 00:05:48.980 --> 00:05:49.300 Amen. 00:05:50.300 --> 00:05:51.060 So let's dive in. 00:05:51.060 --> 00:05:56.500 And we're going to read James 1, starting in verse 1 and going through verse 12 this morning. 00:05:57.500 --> 00:05:57.820 It starts, 00:05:57.820 --> 00:05:58.200 James, 00:05:58.280 --> 00:06:03.720 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. 00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:04.500 Greetings. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:09.280 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. 00:06:09.740 --> 00:06:14.340 For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 00:06:14.760 --> 00:06:20.580 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in 00:06:20.580 --> 00:06:21.080 nothing. 00:06:21.280 --> 00:06:27.500 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, 00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:29.180 and it will be given to him. 00:06:29.640 --> 00:06:30.060 Verse 6, 00:06:30.140 --> 00:06:34.280 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting. 00:06:34.700 --> 00:06:40.400 For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 00:06:40.740 --> 00:06:44.760 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. 00:06:45.080 --> 00:06:48.520 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:49.540 Verse 9, 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:57.360 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation and the rich in his humiliation, because like 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:00.940 a flower of the grass he will pass away. 00:07:01.400 --> 00:07:05.680 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass. 00:07:06.020 --> 00:07:09.480 Its flower falls and its beauty perishes. 00:07:09.880 --> 00:07:14.120 So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:15.060 Verse 12, 00:07:15.060 --> 00:07:18.540 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:23.940 For when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised 00:07:23.940 --> 00:07:26.900 to those who love him. 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:32.400 So a little bit of information about James as we get into this, in this book, the letter 00:07:32.400 --> 00:07:32.980 of James. 00:07:33.220 --> 00:07:39.180 So the letter of James is written by James, not to James, right? 00:07:39.180 --> 00:07:40.940 Sometimes we can see that in scripture. 00:07:40.940 --> 00:07:46.540 1 Peter, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, written by Peter, where 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy are written by Paul. 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:49.380 But this is a letter written by James. 00:07:49.580 --> 00:07:51.000 He identifies himself. 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:58.720 And James is the half-brother of Jesus, the natural son of Joseph and of Mary. 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:03.280 Like, we could take a whole nother dive on that, right? 00:08:03.380 --> 00:08:04.900 Like, what it would mean. 00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:06.540 I mean, can you imagine, right? 00:08:06.580 --> 00:08:07.500 I've said this before. 00:08:07.500 --> 00:08:13.600 Like, if there's more than one kid in the family, there's always that kid, right? 00:08:13.700 --> 00:08:15.020 I was that kid. 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:18.060 And that's not always a positive that kid statement, right? 00:08:18.180 --> 00:08:21.740 Like, just imagine, like, you're Jesus's brother, right? 00:08:21.900 --> 00:08:24.860 Like, could create some moments for you growing up. 00:08:24.980 --> 00:08:27.480 And this is what we see in James. 00:08:27.580 --> 00:08:29.720 This is the half-brother of Jesus. 00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:37.040 And James would end up becoming one of the early church leaders in Jerusalem, all right? 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:43.680 You can read about him in Acts chapter 15 in a council that's there in the Jerusalem council 00:08:43.680 --> 00:08:45.020 where James speaks. 00:08:45.300 --> 00:08:48.960 That is the James that writes this letter that we see. 00:08:49.420 --> 00:08:54.500 Now, James is oftentimes referred to as the most practical book in the New Testament. 00:08:54.740 --> 00:09:01.780 And maybe other than Proverbs in the Old Testament, one of the most practical books that we see in the Bible. 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:03.460 And there's a reason for that. 00:09:03.760 --> 00:09:10.440 There's a reason that, like, for James, it feels like James' goal with everything he says is, like, 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:16.240 here's a practical application hits you in the face with the truth of God's word. 00:09:16.680 --> 00:09:20.820 And there's no, not that there's any fluff or anything light in the Bible, 00:09:20.980 --> 00:09:25.940 but James is driven onto this of just truth after truth after truth. 00:09:26.100 --> 00:09:27.260 And here's what I mean by that. 00:09:27.300 --> 00:09:31.840 There's 108 verses in this letter. 00:09:32.380 --> 00:09:33.380 108 verses. 00:09:33.380 --> 00:09:40.400 And contained in those 108 verses are 59 commandments that are given. 00:09:41.220 --> 00:09:46.600 So as James goes through, it's commandment, commandment, commandment, commandment, 00:09:46.860 --> 00:09:48.620 and James doesn't hold back. 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:50.300 James doesn't hold back. 00:09:50.980 --> 00:09:54.240 And what we see is we're going to read through this a little bit, 00:09:54.280 --> 00:09:55.300 and we're going to find out why, 00:09:55.600 --> 00:10:01.900 is that James is writing, helping people who are going through some difficult seasons. 00:10:02.640 --> 00:10:04.260 They're going through some difficult times. 00:10:04.460 --> 00:10:06.420 They're facing some persecutions. 00:10:06.620 --> 00:10:08.140 They're facing some trials. 00:10:08.280 --> 00:10:09.960 They're facing some temptations. 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:14.960 And so we're going to see all of that woven continually through the book of James, 00:10:15.160 --> 00:10:18.700 which is why, yes, James is a very practical book, 00:10:18.820 --> 00:10:25.460 but it's also dealing with an extremely serious matter in extremely serious circumstances. 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:31.680 And so from the very beginning, what we see here for the book of James is growing in your faith, 00:10:31.680 --> 00:10:36.880 growing in our faith, in and through difficult situations. 00:10:37.020 --> 00:10:38.260 Let's look back at verse 1 again. 00:10:38.860 --> 00:10:42.300 James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:10:42.620 --> 00:10:45.920 to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, right? 00:10:45.980 --> 00:10:47.200 So here's what's happening. 00:10:47.300 --> 00:10:49.720 So James writes, he introduces himself. 00:10:49.940 --> 00:10:51.480 He says, this is who I am. 00:10:51.620 --> 00:10:54.760 And then he addresses who he's writing to. 00:10:54.900 --> 00:10:58.760 And he says, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. 00:10:58.760 --> 00:11:01.160 Now, when we go back through and we look in Acts, right? 00:11:01.420 --> 00:11:03.760 So Christ is raised. 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:05.340 Christ appears. 00:11:05.700 --> 00:11:07.380 Christ is with his disciples. 00:11:07.700 --> 00:11:09.040 He's with them for some time. 00:11:09.260 --> 00:11:14.940 And then we see at the very beginning of Acts chapter 1 that he promises them the gifting of the Holy Spirit, 00:11:15.020 --> 00:11:18.480 the power of the Holy Spirit in each and every one of them. 00:11:18.700 --> 00:11:19.900 And then he ascends. 00:11:20.260 --> 00:11:23.840 And then the Spirit falls and inhabits all the believers. 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:28.500 And what we see is in the early on of the book of Acts, 00:11:28.820 --> 00:11:33.500 Christianity forms, it organizes, and then it begins to spread. 00:11:34.020 --> 00:11:35.740 And it begins to spread rapidly. 00:11:36.420 --> 00:11:42.140 We see in Acts chapter 2 and Acts chapter 4 where we're not talking about a few people are coming to the Lord. 00:11:42.300 --> 00:11:50.760 You see those, but you also begin to see where thousands of men and women and children come to faith in Jesus Christ. 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:51.880 Thousands. 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:57.120 And it spreads and it spreads and it spreads. 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:03.440 And in the spread of true, authentic Christianity in the book of Acts, 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:11.100 oftentimes it's not met with acceptance, but it's met instead with resistance. 00:12:11.640 --> 00:12:16.080 And especially from the political and religious leaders of the day. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:20.660 So when you begin looking, you begin to see some of this kind of playing out early on in the book of Acts. 00:12:20.860 --> 00:12:30.500 So in Acts chapter 4, we see that Peter and John stand before a Jewish council who threatens them to stop doing what they're doing, 00:12:30.640 --> 00:12:33.560 to no longer proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:12:33.560 --> 00:12:38.620 In Acts chapter 5, there's a story of where we see where apostles are arrested. 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:45.460 In Acts chapter 6, we see where Stephen, one of the first deacons who is chosen, is arrested. 00:12:45.820 --> 00:12:53.540 In Acts chapter 7, we see where Stephen is executed for his faith, brought out, and executed. 00:12:54.280 --> 00:12:57.520 And then in Acts chapter 8, we find out there's this man named Saul, 00:12:57.760 --> 00:13:03.880 who God's going to do a wonderful, magnificent work in his life and transform him into the apostle Paul. 00:13:03.880 --> 00:13:10.740 But as Saul, apart from knowing Christ, he's given permission to hunt, arrest, and kill Christians. 00:13:11.040 --> 00:13:16.600 And this is the culture, this is the setting in which the early church is forming. 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:23.540 And so what happens in Acts chapter 8, is many of the believers who were in Jerusalem at the time, 00:13:23.760 --> 00:13:26.920 where all of these arrests, all of this persecution has taken place, 00:13:27.180 --> 00:13:29.140 they begin to scatter. 00:13:30.220 --> 00:13:33.980 And they dispersed to the areas in the country. 00:13:34.900 --> 00:13:36.720 They dispersed to other towns. 00:13:36.860 --> 00:13:39.380 They dispersed to Judea and to Samaria. 00:13:39.680 --> 00:13:42.000 And so what James is doing in this, 00:13:42.180 --> 00:13:46.640 is he's writing out to all of those who have faced persecution, 00:13:47.020 --> 00:13:49.780 all of those who are facing difficulty. 00:13:49.780 --> 00:13:57.200 And so this letter that we are reading is not written in a time where things are easy, simple, and peaceful. 00:13:57.900 --> 00:14:04.040 Instead, it's written to an audience who are receiving this as they go through some of the most difficult, 00:14:04.700 --> 00:14:08.780 some of the most complicated, and some of the most frightening times of their lives. 00:14:09.580 --> 00:14:13.000 And it's hard for a lot of us to understand that. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:19.240 I was talking to someone this morning about what it means to minister to these individuals 00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:21.280 that are going to be at the Bible college that were there. 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:24.700 And they've got men and women who are both there earning their degrees. 00:14:25.060 --> 00:14:28.540 And the question was asked, you know, do a lot of those, 00:14:28.640 --> 00:14:32.580 do all of those who come to the Bible college then go into ministry? 00:14:32.880 --> 00:14:36.040 And I said, no, actually, that's not exactly what happens. 00:14:36.140 --> 00:14:40.740 It's not everybody goes to the Bible college and then becomes a pastor and goes out and starts a church. 00:14:40.740 --> 00:14:47.420 I said, a lot of times what can happen in countries like this is that when a man or a woman comes to faith in Jesus Christ, 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:51.700 not only do they walk away from the false religion that they've known, 00:14:51.860 --> 00:14:54.060 but their family then walks away from them as well. 00:14:55.040 --> 00:14:56.880 And so they're left without a support group. 00:14:56.980 --> 00:14:58.260 They're left without a place to stay. 00:14:58.540 --> 00:14:59.680 They're left without income. 00:14:59.920 --> 00:15:00.820 They're left without food. 00:15:01.060 --> 00:15:01.900 They're left with nothing. 00:15:03.340 --> 00:15:06.560 And so what the Bible college can provide is a place to stay, 00:15:07.820 --> 00:15:08.960 meals to eat, 00:15:10.220 --> 00:15:14.160 support and companionship from fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, 00:15:15.040 --> 00:15:16.340 and more importantly, 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:18.980 discipleship to take place. 00:15:19.960 --> 00:15:24.400 So imagine in being in this setting where things are difficult, 00:15:24.640 --> 00:15:25.600 things are complicated, 00:15:25.900 --> 00:15:26.860 things are frightening, 00:15:27.160 --> 00:15:27.980 and then James, 00:15:28.060 --> 00:15:31.040 what he's going to do is in 108 verses, 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:33.360 give them 59 commandments. 00:15:34.620 --> 00:15:35.140 Well, 00:15:35.140 --> 00:15:36.300 then I'm going to challenge you, 00:15:37.180 --> 00:15:37.780 James says, 00:15:38.340 --> 00:15:40.400 that in the midst of all of this, 00:15:40.620 --> 00:15:42.980 it's not about how to get that to go away, 00:15:43.920 --> 00:15:46.240 but it's how in the midst of the persecution, 00:15:46.800 --> 00:15:48.220 in the midst of the trials, 00:15:48.640 --> 00:15:50.100 in the midst of the temptations, 00:15:50.460 --> 00:15:53.280 in the midst of the terrible situations that you're facing, 00:15:53.520 --> 00:15:55.020 of how you can grow, 00:15:56.280 --> 00:15:58.320 how you can come to know Christ more, 00:15:59.140 --> 00:16:01.300 how you can deepen in your maturity, 00:16:02.140 --> 00:16:06.920 how you can proclaim him to those who do not know him, 00:16:07.660 --> 00:16:10.160 and how you can glorify the name of Christ in your life. 00:16:11.260 --> 00:16:11.420 You see, 00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:12.780 he's not writing them saying, 00:16:13.060 --> 00:16:14.280 this is how you run away. 00:16:15.040 --> 00:16:16.440 He's not writing them saying, 00:16:16.660 --> 00:16:18.180 this is how you make this go away. 00:16:18.460 --> 00:16:18.600 No, 00:16:18.620 --> 00:16:18.720 no, 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:18.820 no, 00:16:18.820 --> 00:16:21.260 James is writing them and saying, 00:16:21.700 --> 00:16:25.720 this is how you dig deeper in these moments. 00:16:26.880 --> 00:16:27.160 You know, 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:28.440 I was thinking about this this morning. 00:16:29.580 --> 00:16:32.240 When Satan wins in our life, 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:35.320 when Satan has these moments, 00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:36.640 he's already lost. 00:16:36.880 --> 00:16:38.220 He knows he's lost. 00:16:38.500 --> 00:16:40.320 He knows what Jesus has done, 00:16:40.460 --> 00:16:44.000 but what he loves to do is in these moments of our life, 00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:45.440 to take these situations, 00:16:45.740 --> 00:16:47.240 to take these pieces and say, 00:16:47.240 --> 00:16:49.120 I may lose the war, 00:16:49.340 --> 00:16:51.760 but here's the battle that I'm going to grab a hold of. 00:16:52.460 --> 00:16:54.480 And where Satan wins, 00:16:55.040 --> 00:16:56.980 is not when difficult, 00:16:57.340 --> 00:16:57.960 complicated, 00:16:58.520 --> 00:16:59.020 painful, 00:16:59.400 --> 00:17:02.020 frightening situations come at us, 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:05.620 but Satan wins when those difficult, 00:17:06.020 --> 00:17:06.600 complicated, 00:17:07.080 --> 00:17:07.440 painful, 00:17:07.780 --> 00:17:09.760 frightening situations drive us, 00:17:09.900 --> 00:17:10.320 number one, 00:17:10.560 --> 00:17:11.980 either into a spiritual hole, 00:17:12.360 --> 00:17:15.580 where we isolate ourselves away from the Lord 00:17:15.580 --> 00:17:16.700 and growing in him, 00:17:17.620 --> 00:17:18.640 or when we, 00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:22.540 when those situations drive us a wedge between us and God. 00:17:23.220 --> 00:17:24.840 That's when Satan wins. 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.400 When we face the difficulties of life, 00:17:28.560 --> 00:17:30.360 and instead of running to God, 00:17:30.500 --> 00:17:32.140 we run away God, 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:34.480 or we even oppose God. 00:17:35.540 --> 00:17:36.840 And that's when Satan wins. 00:17:38.180 --> 00:17:40.420 And so as James writes this, 00:17:40.760 --> 00:17:41.000 he's, 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:43.740 he's driving them in to a deeper, 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:45.020 more powerful, 00:17:45.340 --> 00:17:46.120 more authentic, 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:49.200 more growing relationship with God, 00:17:49.260 --> 00:17:49.440 right? 00:17:49.560 --> 00:17:49.800 So, 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:51.180 so when you think about this, 00:17:51.380 --> 00:17:53.420 the situation that you're facing right now, 00:17:53.620 --> 00:17:55.000 the situation that you face, 00:17:55.220 --> 00:17:55.780 the situation, 00:17:55.780 --> 00:17:57.920 situation that is awaiting you. 00:17:58.080 --> 00:17:59.080 And I want you to think about this, 00:17:59.260 --> 00:18:01.100 everything from criticism to cancer, 00:18:02.380 --> 00:18:02.660 right? 00:18:02.740 --> 00:18:07.240 Where Satan is going to win is when you push away from God. 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:10.460 And where God begins to see, 00:18:10.620 --> 00:18:12.900 where we begin to see the victory in God 00:18:12.900 --> 00:18:14.960 is when we begin to go through what we're seeing this morning 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:15.840 is when we're asking, 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:16.160 all right, 00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:16.360 God, 00:18:16.500 --> 00:18:18.120 how are you growing me in this? 00:18:18.620 --> 00:18:18.900 God, 00:18:18.940 --> 00:18:20.340 how are you growing me through this? 00:18:21.140 --> 00:18:22.180 And the situation is, 00:18:22.260 --> 00:18:23.720 what the situation is, 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:24.700 God, 00:18:24.780 --> 00:18:26.360 what are you doing in this? 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:27.220 God, 00:18:27.280 --> 00:18:31.440 what are you doing in me and through me in this, 00:18:31.480 --> 00:18:31.660 right? 00:18:32.540 --> 00:18:33.200 And so we, 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:33.480 we, 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:33.760 we, 00:18:33.760 --> 00:18:33.960 we, 00:18:33.960 --> 00:18:35.360 we understand and we believe, 00:18:35.360 --> 00:18:38.460 even it's the manifestation of remembering that God doesn't say 00:18:38.460 --> 00:18:41.040 that he may work in these seasons and times, 00:18:41.540 --> 00:18:41.660 right? 00:18:41.660 --> 00:18:42.600 That's not what God says. 00:18:43.140 --> 00:18:44.460 God doesn't say I may work in them. 00:18:44.700 --> 00:18:44.980 God says, 00:18:45.080 --> 00:18:45.840 I will work. 00:18:46.120 --> 00:18:47.920 I am working in them, 00:18:47.940 --> 00:18:48.080 right? 00:18:48.340 --> 00:18:49.560 And so we need to cling to that. 00:18:50.360 --> 00:18:51.340 So diving into, 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:52.020 looking at this, 00:18:52.080 --> 00:18:54.360 the first thing that we begin to see in three verses 00:18:54.360 --> 00:18:54.940 is, 00:18:54.940 --> 00:18:56.120 is maturing in faith. 00:18:58.620 --> 00:18:59.400 Maturing in faith. 00:19:00.320 --> 00:19:01.240 I want you to think about this. 00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:05.240 How would you define mature Christianity? 00:19:06.360 --> 00:19:07.080 Just, 00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:08.440 just think about it for a moment. 00:19:09.300 --> 00:19:10.040 How do you, 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:16.240 how do you define what it looks like to be a mature Christian? 00:19:16.760 --> 00:19:17.120 Now, 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:18.260 I think for all of us, 00:19:18.260 --> 00:19:19.900 we've got examples that we've, 00:19:20.140 --> 00:19:21.920 that God's given us in our lives. 00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:24.220 And we look at the different aspects of them. 00:19:24.340 --> 00:19:28.920 We maybe see where we are growing and what matters and values to us. 00:19:29.020 --> 00:19:30.380 We may see those things, 00:19:30.380 --> 00:19:30.820 but, 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:35.260 but think through it because what James is going to do is James is going to give 00:19:35.260 --> 00:19:39.140 us a definition here of what mature Christianity looks like. 00:19:39.180 --> 00:19:40.020 Look at verse two, 00:19:40.100 --> 00:19:40.200 three, 00:19:40.260 --> 00:19:40.460 four. 00:19:41.560 --> 00:19:44.080 Count it all joy. 00:19:45.420 --> 00:19:45.620 Okay. 00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:47.200 You've just ran for your life. 00:19:49.400 --> 00:19:52.000 You've just had to flee everything that you know. 00:19:53.380 --> 00:19:56.140 What awaits you could be imprisonment or death. 00:19:57.820 --> 00:19:59.940 Your family has disowned you. 00:20:01.540 --> 00:20:02.480 Count it all joy. 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:05.140 My brothers, 00:20:05.260 --> 00:20:08.080 when you meet trials of various kinds, 00:20:09.180 --> 00:20:16.840 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and let 00:20:16.840 --> 00:20:23.760 steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, 00:20:24.420 --> 00:20:26.760 lacking in nothing. 00:20:28.700 --> 00:20:33.460 How do we count trials as joy? 00:20:34.580 --> 00:20:40.640 How do we get to that mindset where we take this word trial and we say, 00:20:41.020 --> 00:20:42.280 what is going to come from this? 00:20:42.520 --> 00:20:43.880 What is going to be a part of this? 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:48.160 What it begins to stir up inside of me is not doubt, 00:20:48.300 --> 00:20:49.500 is not regret, 00:20:49.660 --> 00:20:50.740 is not fear, 00:20:50.900 --> 00:20:52.300 is not anxiety, 00:20:52.520 --> 00:20:53.820 but is joy. 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:55.380 Now in this, 00:20:55.480 --> 00:20:57.740 James is going to talk about two different kinds of trials. 00:20:57.740 --> 00:20:58.960 The one he's talking about right now, 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:00.740 I want to think it's like outside trials. 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:01.800 All right. 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:05.140 It's the trials and the circumstances of life. 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:10.180 It's the persecution and the difficulties that this world living in this fallen, 00:21:10.560 --> 00:21:11.800 broken world with fallen, 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:14.420 broken people bring about in our lives. 00:21:14.680 --> 00:21:15.580 And then next week, 00:21:15.600 --> 00:21:17.820 we're going to look at something different where this word is, 00:21:17.820 --> 00:21:21.180 is translated more into temptations or temptations for, 00:21:21.240 --> 00:21:22.000 for sin. 00:21:22.120 --> 00:21:23.200 But for this one, 00:21:23.280 --> 00:21:27.060 it's the persecution and the difficulties caused by others. 00:21:27.140 --> 00:21:31.880 Because I want to be careful that we're not confusing trials with the sinful acts 00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:35.580 and the sinful giving into temptation that we've brought on ourselves, 00:21:35.660 --> 00:21:35.840 right? 00:21:35.900 --> 00:21:38.120 That we all face the time and time again. 00:21:38.520 --> 00:21:39.440 It's not that, 00:21:40.020 --> 00:21:42.320 but it's the outside, 00:21:42.600 --> 00:21:43.300 the persecution, 00:21:43.780 --> 00:21:49.000 the living as a believer in the world that is broken. 00:21:50.280 --> 00:21:53.700 Now joy is not going to be found in the persecution. 00:21:54.580 --> 00:21:58.100 The joy is going to be found in the Bible, 00:21:58.680 --> 00:21:59.520 in the battle. 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:01.180 Because the battle, 00:22:01.420 --> 00:22:01.920 James says, 00:22:02.040 --> 00:22:03.740 will produce something. 00:22:04.120 --> 00:22:07.500 That trials will produce steadfastness. 00:22:08.220 --> 00:22:10.220 In one of my books that I was reading this week, 00:22:10.360 --> 00:22:11.920 there was quoted a theologian, 00:22:12.080 --> 00:22:12.840 William Barclay. 00:22:13.180 --> 00:22:14.260 And he says this, 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:15.240 he said, 00:22:15.340 --> 00:22:17.060 it is not the patience, 00:22:17.500 --> 00:22:22.440 or this is not the patience or steadfastness that passively endures. 00:22:22.820 --> 00:22:23.620 That's not what he's talking about. 00:22:23.620 --> 00:22:24.200 I'm going to give you a picture. 00:22:25.300 --> 00:22:25.640 Have you, 00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:26.740 anybody ever watched, 00:22:26.820 --> 00:22:27.800 watched boxing, 00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:28.340 all right? 00:22:28.340 --> 00:22:29.880 or MMA or something like that, 00:22:29.900 --> 00:22:30.060 right? 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:33.860 And you know that as the rounds are going on, 00:22:34.420 --> 00:22:37.980 there becomes a point in time where one person is winning, 00:22:38.620 --> 00:22:42.040 and it's really evident one person is losing. 00:22:42.800 --> 00:22:46.640 And the person who's losing isn't ready to tap out. 00:22:47.300 --> 00:22:48.960 And they're trying to figure out, 00:22:49.320 --> 00:22:53.680 how can I just endure the punches until the bell rings? 00:22:54.520 --> 00:22:55.880 So I'm going to run around. 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:57.040 I'm going to cover my face. 00:22:57.180 --> 00:22:57.880 I'm going to duck. 00:22:57.960 --> 00:22:58.520 I'm going to move. 00:22:58.520 --> 00:23:00.840 There's no offense that can come. 00:23:01.180 --> 00:23:03.420 I'm just simply in this, 00:23:03.740 --> 00:23:04.880 enduring this, 00:23:05.280 --> 00:23:08.580 hoping that this will end and end soon. 00:23:09.760 --> 00:23:10.940 And the truth is, 00:23:12.280 --> 00:23:13.800 when persecution, 00:23:14.680 --> 00:23:15.700 when trials, 00:23:16.040 --> 00:23:18.280 when suffering come to you and I, 00:23:18.560 --> 00:23:20.640 that's how most of us face it. 00:23:21.280 --> 00:23:22.360 I just got to get through it. 00:23:23.040 --> 00:23:24.300 I just got to get through it. 00:23:24.300 --> 00:23:27.320 I just got to have the strength to get through today. 00:23:28.020 --> 00:23:35.020 I've just got to have this moment where there's nothing I can do other than get beat down and beat down and beat down. 00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:36.660 And maybe tomorrow it will be gone. 00:23:36.660 --> 00:23:40.320 And that's not what James talks about. 00:23:40.320 --> 00:23:53.940 James instead says that this steadfastness is the strength that enables a person to stand on their own two feet while facing the storm. 00:23:53.940 --> 00:23:56.520 It's hurricane season. 00:23:56.520 --> 00:23:58.680 Hurricane season is coming. 00:23:59.400 --> 00:24:01.460 Watching on the weather channel, seeing all of them. 00:24:02.260 --> 00:24:04.400 And I don't love hurricane season. 00:24:05.280 --> 00:24:11.900 But what I do love are videos sometimes that people take of themselves during hurricanes. 00:24:12.220 --> 00:24:12.380 Right? 00:24:12.740 --> 00:24:17.140 And there's always that one guy who's out in the road. 00:24:17.520 --> 00:24:17.920 Right? 00:24:18.140 --> 00:24:22.680 With no shirt on and cut off shorts, holding a flag as the storm hits him in his face. 00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:22.900 Right? 00:24:23.100 --> 00:24:24.600 Yelling, woo, as it comes. 00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:24.760 Right? 00:24:24.900 --> 00:24:25.840 Y'all have seen those videos. 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:27.000 Y'all know who I'm talking about. 00:24:27.040 --> 00:24:27.200 Right? 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:32.120 They're standing in the face of the storm as it attacks them. 00:24:32.320 --> 00:24:33.680 And like, I'm not going to hide. 00:24:33.860 --> 00:24:35.700 I'm going to be right here in this moment. 00:24:35.840 --> 00:24:38.700 Now, I'm not encouraging that at all. 00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:45.000 Please let none of us find your video on YouTube or social media that that's you doing that. 00:24:45.120 --> 00:24:46.320 Especially you, Grayson. 00:24:46.460 --> 00:24:47.360 Like, don't do that. 00:24:47.400 --> 00:24:47.580 Right? 00:24:47.760 --> 00:24:49.160 That's not what this is about. 00:24:49.960 --> 00:24:51.320 But here's what it is about. 00:24:53.400 --> 00:24:55.120 What if you face tomorrow like that? 00:24:57.020 --> 00:24:58.500 What if you walked into work? 00:25:00.020 --> 00:25:08.700 What if you walked in to face your day with all that the world, with all that Satan wanted 00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:15.840 to throw at you, to cause you to put up your hands and just wait for the day to be over. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:25.240 But instead, you faced it head on, head up, eyes locked in on Jesus. 00:25:26.280 --> 00:25:27.140 We got this. 00:25:28.140 --> 00:25:29.040 We got this. 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:36.820 There's nothing that can hold me down because I'm with Christ. 00:25:37.760 --> 00:25:37.860 Right? 00:25:38.740 --> 00:25:44.140 This is the picture that James paints for us. 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:52.300 And that in developing this steadfastness within us, that steadfastness itself does a work. 00:25:53.100 --> 00:25:59.600 The word that is translated comes out perfect and complete, but it's where we get the word mature. 00:26:00.520 --> 00:26:00.940 Mature. 00:26:01.820 --> 00:26:03.080 And that's what it means. 00:26:03.080 --> 00:26:04.000 That's what it means. 00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:05.060 That's what it means. 00:26:06.280 --> 00:26:07.620 I'll give this reference. 00:26:08.540 --> 00:26:10.180 My favorite boxer of all time. 00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:12.220 I know it wasn't real. 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:14.080 It was Rocky. 00:26:14.820 --> 00:26:15.140 Right? 00:26:16.500 --> 00:26:17.420 Y'all are there. 00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:22.880 I cried when Apollo died. 00:26:23.300 --> 00:26:23.460 Right? 00:26:24.180 --> 00:26:27.760 This is where we're at in my life with Rocky. 00:26:28.760 --> 00:26:30.380 And what happens in that movie? 00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:38.620 When he's fighting Mr. T in Rocky III, theological moment for you, Mr. T's whooping on him. 00:26:39.020 --> 00:26:39.840 He's whooping on him. 00:26:40.180 --> 00:26:41.060 He's whooping on him. 00:26:41.320 --> 00:26:42.240 And then it flips. 00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:44.240 It flips. 00:26:45.520 --> 00:26:47.260 It's because he trained himself for that. 00:26:47.960 --> 00:26:48.660 And what does he do? 00:26:48.980 --> 00:26:49.920 I can take another one. 00:26:50.120 --> 00:26:51.060 I can take another one. 00:26:51.320 --> 00:26:52.340 I can take another one. 00:26:52.800 --> 00:26:53.040 Right? 00:26:53.540 --> 00:27:08.360 And in the silliness of a pastor using Rocky III as an illustration, right, what we see is what the steadfastness of trusting in the spirit of God, of working through this, 00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:12.160 of developing the maturity that comes through with this. 00:27:12.300 --> 00:27:12.460 Right? 00:27:13.420 --> 00:27:23.020 And so when we face these moments, right, we begin to have a different mindset of, Lord, not get me out of this. 00:27:23.600 --> 00:27:26.520 But what we're going to see is asking a question. 00:27:27.280 --> 00:27:29.520 Asking, why am I facing this? 00:27:31.020 --> 00:27:32.120 Look at verses 5 and 8. 00:27:32.220 --> 00:27:35.240 We're going to see James talks about asking in faith. 00:27:35.880 --> 00:27:36.840 Asking in faith. 00:27:37.220 --> 00:27:37.700 Verse 5. 00:27:38.040 --> 00:27:46.000 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. 00:27:46.500 --> 00:27:49.020 But let him ask in faith with no doubting. 00:27:49.260 --> 00:27:53.820 For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 00:27:53.960 --> 00:27:58.280 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. 00:27:58.280 --> 00:28:03.320 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:07.000 So he begins this with, if anyone lacks wisdom. 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:07.560 All right? 00:28:07.620 --> 00:28:12.600 So this is not like, I don't know what the right answer is on the test. 00:28:12.660 --> 00:28:13.740 That's not what we're talking about. 00:28:14.320 --> 00:28:19.160 This is in context of facing the trials and circumstances of life. 00:28:19.380 --> 00:28:29.460 And so when we're in those, we're asking God, God, give me the wisdom that I need to push through this. 00:28:29.980 --> 00:28:38.780 God, give me the wisdom of you to understand what you're doing in this and what you're doing through this. 00:28:38.780 --> 00:28:46.960 I find oftentimes that what we want is for God to remove us. 00:28:46.960 --> 00:29:00.560 But what we need is the wisdom of God to help us understand the nature and the purpose of the trial so that we can live victoriously in and through the trial. 00:29:01.960 --> 00:29:07.440 And so James says, ask, ask, ask, ask. 00:29:08.600 --> 00:29:17.600 Every morning, Joel Van Ham comes into my office to pray for me before I preach and before he goes upstairs with our youth. 00:29:17.820 --> 00:29:24.520 And I want to say 100% of the time, there ends up with the two of us being on a side conversation about something different, right? 00:29:24.660 --> 00:29:26.300 Like he comes and we do pray, right? 00:29:26.380 --> 00:29:30.180 But then there's this rabbit trail that we're going to chase, all right? 00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:41.360 And this morning, what we began to talk about as we chased this rabbit was the beauty of what it meant, right, when we were growing up to go to a toy store with your parents, all right? 00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:43.880 And so I was telling him what it was like for me. 00:29:43.880 --> 00:29:48.220 I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved G.I. Joe toys. 00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:55.240 And any time we would go to Roses, I would ask my mom, hey, can I go look at the toys, right? 00:29:55.580 --> 00:29:59.920 And then I would take off and I would go to the toy section at the North Augusta Roses. 00:30:00.180 --> 00:30:07.720 It was in the front of the store all the way to the far left and I would go through all of the rows of the G.I. Joe toys, right? 00:30:07.760 --> 00:30:12.540 Just going through one after another, one after another, one after another, got him, got him, got him, got him, got him, got him, don't got him, right? 00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:14.260 Got him, got him, got him, got him, got him, don't got him. 00:30:14.360 --> 00:30:23.040 And I would take the ones that I didn't have, I would take them down and then I'd go hide them at the My Little Pony section, right? 00:30:24.460 --> 00:30:29.000 If you're in the My Little Pony section, you're not in the G.I. Joe section, you're going to leave those alone, right? 00:30:29.140 --> 00:30:33.220 And then I would go to my mom, right? 00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:37.560 And I would ask, can I get a toy? 00:30:38.280 --> 00:30:39.660 And what do you think the answer was? 00:30:40.500 --> 00:30:41.440 No, no. 00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:43.100 But I had about 50 minutes. 00:30:43.940 --> 00:30:49.820 And I knew that over the course of 50 minutes, I could wear her down, right? 00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:53.480 And so the conversation would usually go something like this. 00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:55.300 Well, mom, there's three that I don't have. 00:30:55.360 --> 00:30:55.940 Can I get one? 00:30:56.040 --> 00:30:56.240 No. 00:30:56.440 --> 00:30:57.700 But mom, I don't have these three. 00:30:57.760 --> 00:30:58.140 Are you sure? 00:30:58.380 --> 00:30:59.140 Can I get one? 00:30:59.280 --> 00:31:00.420 Can I get all three of them? 00:31:00.500 --> 00:31:01.960 Mom, I need all three of them. 00:31:02.100 --> 00:31:03.120 I've got to have this. 00:31:03.240 --> 00:31:08.240 And for like 45 minutes, it was no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:31:08.380 --> 00:31:10.000 But then I would do this. 00:31:11.280 --> 00:31:12.420 What about just one? 00:31:13.940 --> 00:31:15.620 And my mom watches these. 00:31:16.460 --> 00:31:17.400 She's getting my secrets. 00:31:20.340 --> 00:31:21.720 But mom, what about just one? 00:31:22.820 --> 00:31:23.800 And she'd say, fine. 00:31:24.940 --> 00:31:32.540 Because my continual asking and asking and asking, finally she was like, good, just get the one. 00:31:32.720 --> 00:31:34.820 So I'd take off over there in my little pony section. 00:31:34.920 --> 00:31:37.260 I'd grab the one, head back, we're good to go, right? 00:31:37.660 --> 00:31:41.140 So what does anything have to do with this? 00:31:43.140 --> 00:31:51.960 When he says, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God. 00:31:53.520 --> 00:32:04.940 And the word for ask here is a continual, a continual asking and pleading with the Lord. 00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:07.660 I thought about this this morning. 00:32:09.540 --> 00:32:13.900 My wife miscarried in June of 2006. 00:32:16.380 --> 00:32:22.820 And when she miscarried, we began to ask the question, God, why? 00:32:24.200 --> 00:32:25.540 What are you doing in this? 00:32:26.660 --> 00:32:29.480 God, why are we walking through this season? 00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:33.440 God, what are you trying to build in us? 00:32:34.300 --> 00:32:34.900 God, why? 00:32:36.040 --> 00:32:42.600 And I would like to tell you that the first time that we asked the question, we got the answer. 00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:45.080 But that's not what happened. 00:32:46.080 --> 00:32:48.960 That's not what took place in our life. 00:32:49.160 --> 00:32:53.440 And I bet you, as you've walked through these situations, it's not what's taken place in your life. 00:32:53.540 --> 00:33:05.220 But I can tell you now that in September of 2022, God in his grace and God in his kindness is continually giving us moments where he's answering the question, why? 00:33:05.900 --> 00:33:16.500 He answered it the first time in 2007, and he's been answering it ever since in his grace and in his kindness and his compassion. 00:33:16.820 --> 00:33:19.280 He answers the question, why? 00:33:19.280 --> 00:33:39.720 And so in this, as what James is saying, as you're walking through these, be the person who continually comes to the Lord and asking in faith for God to generously give us the faith to persevere, the faith to push through and to ask. 00:33:39.880 --> 00:33:41.020 But here's what we have to do. 00:33:41.680 --> 00:33:45.100 We have to acknowledge that we're not God and that he is. 00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:52.820 And that we have to set aside our expectation of what we want the answer to be. 00:33:53.880 --> 00:33:59.820 And we also have to set aside our expectation of what we think the timeline should be. 00:34:00.780 --> 00:34:03.440 Because he's God and we're not. 00:34:05.240 --> 00:34:10.320 And so James says, as you're walking through this, as you're going through these battles, 00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:19.140 as you're living in the effects of this broken world that you're contingently asking God in faith, why? 00:34:20.420 --> 00:34:24.180 And God in his kindness will answer you. 00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:31.840 Maybe not in the time that you want, and maybe not with the answer that you hoped for. 00:34:32.600 --> 00:34:40.520 But God and his kindness will show you the beauty of what he is doing in it and through it. 00:34:42.280 --> 00:34:46.460 Also, we begin to see that trials remind us who we are in Christ. 00:34:47.460 --> 00:34:49.480 James 1, 9 through 11. 00:34:49.480 --> 00:34:56.400 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation and the rich in his humiliation. 00:34:57.260 --> 00:35:00.600 Because like a flower of the grass, he will pass away. 00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:06.000 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass. 00:35:06.720 --> 00:35:10.380 Its flower falls and its beauty perishes. 00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:16.460 So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 00:35:16.660 --> 00:35:21.620 So James here paints a picture of two men from two different circumstances. 00:35:22.620 --> 00:35:24.820 One man is rich, one man is poor. 00:35:25.700 --> 00:35:28.400 And the world defines them as different. 00:35:29.020 --> 00:35:30.780 But the trials await both. 00:35:31.460 --> 00:35:34.100 For one man, his trial is his poverty. 00:35:34.320 --> 00:35:37.020 For one man, a trial is his wealth. 00:35:37.860 --> 00:35:40.940 And what we see is the poor man finds God's grace, 00:35:41.200 --> 00:35:43.860 not in the fact that he wakes up every day hungry, 00:35:43.860 --> 00:35:46.940 that he wakes up every day poorly clothed, 00:35:47.020 --> 00:35:49.740 that he wakes up every day in poverty, 00:35:49.980 --> 00:35:54.120 but that his poverty reminds him that he's exalted in Christ. 00:35:54.700 --> 00:35:59.320 This poverty reminds him the trial that he faces every single day 00:35:59.320 --> 00:36:01.640 says that's not who your identity is. 00:36:01.820 --> 00:36:04.560 The trial reminds him that there's beauty 00:36:04.560 --> 00:36:08.680 and that there's riches that are found in Christ, in Christ alone. 00:36:08.680 --> 00:36:11.260 So that when he sees that he is poor, 00:36:11.440 --> 00:36:14.520 he is reminded that he is rich in Christ. 00:36:15.540 --> 00:36:17.540 With his trial, this is what it does for him. 00:36:18.120 --> 00:36:24.800 So in his poverty, he boasts in his exaltation. 00:36:25.680 --> 00:36:27.120 But then there's a rich man. 00:36:28.080 --> 00:36:31.560 And the rich man finds God's grace and is humbling. 00:36:32.040 --> 00:36:38.180 And he's reminded that his pursuits in himself are not where his identity is, 00:36:38.180 --> 00:36:41.040 but they will fade and they will wither. 00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:45.720 And so too will he, if he's not found in Christ. 00:36:46.580 --> 00:36:50.740 So every morning when he wakes up and he goes out to his field 00:36:50.740 --> 00:36:56.040 and he sees the crops that have become green in the coolness of the night, 00:36:56.820 --> 00:37:01.900 but he feels the dry heat of the morning that blows over him 00:37:01.900 --> 00:37:04.520 and instantly they begin to wither. 00:37:05.540 --> 00:37:07.260 It's the picture of his life, 00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:12.440 if not found in Christ and in Christ alone. 00:37:13.460 --> 00:37:16.880 So James says, let the poor boast in his exaltation. 00:37:17.240 --> 00:37:19.940 Let the rich boast in his humiliation 00:37:19.940 --> 00:37:24.380 as these trials teach them who they are in Jesus. 00:37:26.140 --> 00:37:28.820 Facing the trials that await us. 00:37:30.380 --> 00:37:31.360 They're there. 00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:37.360 It's about the manner and the mindset in which we face them. 00:37:38.160 --> 00:37:41.000 Three questions I want to give you and then we'll wrap up, right? 00:37:41.780 --> 00:37:45.240 As you face trials, question number one to ask yourself, 00:37:46.040 --> 00:37:48.240 what is God setting me free from? 00:37:49.540 --> 00:37:51.820 What is God trying to set me free from? 00:37:52.780 --> 00:37:59.020 What is it in my life that is holding me to the pursuits and the pleasures of this world? 00:37:59.020 --> 00:38:01.880 And what is God trying to set me free from? 00:38:01.880 --> 00:38:06.100 And then secondly, what is God pushing me to? 00:38:07.280 --> 00:38:08.620 What is God pushing me to? 00:38:09.920 --> 00:38:15.200 What experience, what person, what opportunity awaits me 00:38:15.200 --> 00:38:21.040 as I walk through this and as I grow in this? 00:38:21.500 --> 00:38:25.700 What is God setting me free from and what is God pushing me to? 00:38:26.040 --> 00:38:28.100 And then lastly, and probably the most important, 00:38:28.440 --> 00:38:30.620 what is God teaching me about himself? 00:38:31.920 --> 00:38:34.800 That in it, what is God teaching me about himself? 00:38:35.760 --> 00:38:37.720 It's so nice and it's so wonderful 00:38:37.720 --> 00:38:41.700 when we learn things about who we are when we go through difficulties. 00:38:42.160 --> 00:38:46.500 That's a beautiful picture and a beautiful piece of what God gives us. 00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:51.580 But if all we learn is more about ourselves, 00:38:51.880 --> 00:38:54.620 we become the idol that we were supposed to kill. 00:38:56.120 --> 00:38:57.960 And so as we walk through these, 00:38:59.120 --> 00:39:02.560 our eyes are not fixed on the mirror that reveals ourself, 00:39:03.100 --> 00:39:04.660 but it's fixed on God. 00:39:05.660 --> 00:39:09.060 What is God teaching us about him? 00:39:10.320 --> 00:39:12.240 And let's read this last verse, verse 12. 00:39:14.560 --> 00:39:19.640 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial. 00:39:21.140 --> 00:39:23.020 For when he has stood the test, 00:39:23.560 --> 00:39:25.740 he will receive the crown of life, 00:39:26.440 --> 00:39:31.200 which God promised to those who love him. 00:39:32.760 --> 00:39:34.740 Let's go back to Acts. 00:39:36.020 --> 00:39:37.120 Acts chapter 8. 00:39:39.700 --> 00:39:40.780 Persecution comes. 00:39:41.500 --> 00:39:43.380 People are losing their life. 00:39:44.320 --> 00:39:45.640 People are being imprisoned. 00:39:46.840 --> 00:39:49.000 People's families are walking away from them. 00:39:49.920 --> 00:39:50.760 And they flee. 00:39:51.860 --> 00:39:52.940 They scatter. 00:39:54.120 --> 00:39:55.200 They take off. 00:39:55.320 --> 00:39:55.820 They go. 00:39:57.680 --> 00:39:58.720 And in that, 00:39:59.760 --> 00:40:01.900 we can view that as defeat. 00:40:03.920 --> 00:40:05.200 Well, this church was there. 00:40:05.680 --> 00:40:06.920 This church was growing. 00:40:07.680 --> 00:40:11.080 Thousands of people were coming to know Christ. 00:40:12.260 --> 00:40:13.820 And then the fear of death, 00:40:14.120 --> 00:40:15.580 the fear of persecution, 00:40:16.040 --> 00:40:17.440 the fear of being arrested, 00:40:17.880 --> 00:40:18.820 overtook them, 00:40:19.460 --> 00:40:20.780 and they scattered. 00:40:23.900 --> 00:40:25.020 But what happened? 00:40:26.940 --> 00:40:28.260 How did God use it? 00:40:29.260 --> 00:40:30.400 What did God do? 00:40:30.600 --> 00:40:33.660 You see, the story in Acts chapter 8 00:40:33.660 --> 00:40:36.340 is not the story of the killing 00:40:36.340 --> 00:40:38.040 or the defeat of the church. 00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:43.580 But it's the story of the sending of missionaries. 00:40:44.420 --> 00:40:46.420 Men and women of faith 00:40:46.420 --> 00:40:49.480 who through the persecution, 00:40:50.200 --> 00:40:51.500 who through the pain, 00:40:51.840 --> 00:40:54.160 who through the suffering went. 00:40:54.960 --> 00:40:55.640 And you know what happened? 00:40:56.760 --> 00:40:57.820 The church grew. 00:40:59.380 --> 00:41:00.900 The people remained faithful. 00:41:02.240 --> 00:41:03.620 People came to know Jesus. 00:41:04.940 --> 00:41:07.960 And the gospel was taken to places 00:41:07.960 --> 00:41:10.100 it had never been before. 00:41:12.260 --> 00:41:12.580 And see, 00:41:13.120 --> 00:41:14.580 I believe on that day 00:41:14.580 --> 00:41:17.880 that Stephen was stoned 00:41:17.880 --> 00:41:20.500 and the church scattered. 00:41:22.020 --> 00:41:23.020 Satan said victory. 00:41:24.580 --> 00:41:25.060 Victory. 00:41:26.340 --> 00:41:26.780 Victory. 00:41:28.400 --> 00:41:29.480 And God said, 00:41:29.600 --> 00:41:29.820 no. 00:41:30.940 --> 00:41:31.820 Watch this. 00:41:33.380 --> 00:41:36.620 And men and women of faith 00:41:36.620 --> 00:41:38.460 took the gospel 00:41:38.460 --> 00:41:40.120 to Judea, 00:41:40.740 --> 00:41:41.700 to Samaria, 00:41:42.420 --> 00:41:43.540 and to the ends of the earth. 00:41:45.500 --> 00:41:45.980 How? 00:41:46.980 --> 00:41:48.480 Because they faced a trial 00:41:48.480 --> 00:41:50.820 and they kept their eyes on Jesus. 00:41:52.020 --> 00:41:55.960 How do you make it through 00:41:55.960 --> 00:41:58.200 the trials that you're facing? 00:41:59.280 --> 00:42:00.480 Do you isolate? 00:42:01.800 --> 00:42:03.700 Do you go and put yourself 00:42:03.700 --> 00:42:07.040 in a spiritual dark hole of sadness? 00:42:08.700 --> 00:42:10.120 Do you drive a wedge? 00:42:10.220 --> 00:42:10.920 Do you fight 00:42:10.920 --> 00:42:12.360 and what builds in you 00:42:12.360 --> 00:42:14.720 is anger and resistance to the Lord? 00:42:16.100 --> 00:42:19.080 Or do you ask in faith 00:42:19.080 --> 00:42:20.720 and persevere? 00:42:21.880 --> 00:42:23.820 And what God's word promises us 00:42:23.820 --> 00:42:25.980 is that when we do that, 00:42:26.620 --> 00:42:27.940 what we receive 00:42:27.940 --> 00:42:31.800 is joy and maturity in Christ. 00:42:33.080 --> 00:42:34.280 We've all got our trials. 00:42:35.720 --> 00:42:36.940 Some of us feel like the poor. 00:42:37.900 --> 00:42:39.180 Some of us feel like the rich. 00:42:40.320 --> 00:42:41.320 Wherever you're at, 00:42:42.200 --> 00:42:43.400 God's working in all of it. 00:42:44.120 --> 00:42:45.460 Keep your eyes focused on him. 00:42:46.140 --> 00:42:46.600 Let's pray. 00:42:50.320 --> 00:42:51.800 God, we thank you so much 00:42:51.800 --> 00:42:52.480 for your word. 00:42:53.760 --> 00:42:54.740 We thank you so much 00:42:54.740 --> 00:42:56.340 for the boldness of James. 00:42:59.260 --> 00:43:01.740 God, create within us 00:43:01.740 --> 00:43:03.660 the power of your spirit, 00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:07.760 a mindset that when trials come, 00:43:08.540 --> 00:43:09.480 it's not defeat. 00:43:10.760 --> 00:43:12.400 That when trials come, 00:43:12.980 --> 00:43:14.000 it's not sadness. 00:43:14.580 --> 00:43:15.860 That when trials come, 00:43:16.200 --> 00:43:17.160 it's not anger. 00:43:17.840 --> 00:43:19.080 But Lord, that we know 00:43:19.080 --> 00:43:20.020 that through it all 00:43:20.020 --> 00:43:20.920 you are working 00:43:20.920 --> 00:43:21.980 and you are moving 00:43:21.980 --> 00:43:23.080 and you promise us 00:43:23.080 --> 00:43:24.800 joy and maturity. 00:43:25.220 --> 00:43:27.320 Lord, you say that we can ask you 00:43:27.320 --> 00:43:28.700 and that you'll give us wisdom 00:43:28.700 --> 00:43:29.420 and clarity 00:43:29.420 --> 00:43:30.660 in the circumstances 00:43:30.660 --> 00:43:32.260 to see how you are working 00:43:32.260 --> 00:43:33.640 and to see how you're moving. 00:43:33.940 --> 00:43:35.380 Lord, you don't promise us 00:43:35.380 --> 00:43:36.100 that we're going to be 00:43:36.100 --> 00:43:37.400 immediately freed from it, 00:43:37.520 --> 00:43:38.760 but you promise us 00:43:38.760 --> 00:43:40.540 that you are there with us. 00:43:42.880 --> 00:43:44.180 And that through the power 00:43:44.180 --> 00:43:45.200 of your spirit, 00:43:45.500 --> 00:43:48.980 we are capable to persevere. 00:43:50.580 --> 00:43:51.860 And that through the power 00:43:51.860 --> 00:43:53.160 of your spirit, 00:43:53.700 --> 00:43:54.920 Lord, you're working in it 00:43:54.920 --> 00:43:56.300 and you're moving in it 00:43:56.300 --> 00:43:57.920 and you're mobilizing us 00:43:57.920 --> 00:43:59.120 to be missionaries 00:43:59.120 --> 00:44:02.820 and spreaders of the gospel, 00:44:04.680 --> 00:44:05.900 people of faith 00:44:05.900 --> 00:44:07.300 and of encouragement 00:44:07.300 --> 00:44:10.680 and reminders of hope 00:44:10.680 --> 00:44:12.560 and of joy 00:44:12.560 --> 00:44:15.480 so that when the chains 00:44:15.480 --> 00:44:16.460 of this world 00:44:16.460 --> 00:44:19.080 try to shackle us 00:44:19.080 --> 00:44:21.320 and throw us 00:44:21.320 --> 00:44:22.300 in the dungeon 00:44:22.300 --> 00:44:23.080 of the prison, 00:44:23.780 --> 00:44:27.000 Lord, that's our physical reality, 00:44:27.000 --> 00:44:29.000 but our spiritual reality 00:44:29.000 --> 00:44:30.320 does like Paul 00:44:30.320 --> 00:44:31.700 where we sing psalms 00:44:31.700 --> 00:44:32.440 of praise 00:44:32.440 --> 00:44:33.580 and prayer to you 00:44:33.580 --> 00:44:36.720 because we're not defined 00:44:36.720 --> 00:44:38.220 by the dungeon. 00:44:38.760 --> 00:44:40.080 We're not defined 00:44:40.080 --> 00:44:41.340 by the shackles. 00:44:41.600 --> 00:44:42.960 We're defined by Christ. 00:44:45.180 --> 00:44:45.980 And Lord, 00:44:46.040 --> 00:44:47.700 I pray for each 00:44:47.700 --> 00:44:49.360 and every one of us 00:44:49.360 --> 00:44:50.360 we would know 00:44:50.360 --> 00:44:51.360 that the spirit 00:44:51.360 --> 00:44:52.540 of God 00:44:52.540 --> 00:44:53.620 is working 00:44:53.620 --> 00:44:54.580 in us 00:44:54.580 --> 00:44:55.460 right now. 00:44:58.540 --> 00:44:59.500 Right now, 00:44:59.560 --> 00:44:59.860 we're through 00:44:59.860 --> 00:45:00.580 the difficult 00:45:00.580 --> 00:45:01.800 diagnosis, 00:45:02.800 --> 00:45:03.700 right now 00:45:03.700 --> 00:45:04.420 in the difficult 00:45:04.420 --> 00:45:05.120 marriage, 00:45:05.860 --> 00:45:06.860 right now 00:45:06.860 --> 00:45:07.480 with a difficult 00:45:07.480 --> 00:45:08.000 kid, 00:45:08.700 --> 00:45:09.460 right now 00:45:09.460 --> 00:45:10.060 with a difficult 00:45:10.060 --> 00:45:10.720 job, 00:45:11.720 --> 00:45:12.680 right now 00:45:12.680 --> 00:45:13.400 with a difficult 00:45:13.400 --> 00:45:13.920 neighbor, 00:45:15.000 --> 00:45:15.340 that Lord, 00:45:15.400 --> 00:45:16.200 that you're working 00:45:16.200 --> 00:45:16.560 in it 00:45:16.560 --> 00:45:18.200 and you're producing 00:45:18.200 --> 00:45:19.160 something in it. 00:45:20.600 --> 00:45:21.460 And Lord, 00:45:21.560 --> 00:45:22.580 may we stand 00:45:22.580 --> 00:45:24.500 in confidence 00:45:24.500 --> 00:45:26.040 as the storm 00:45:26.040 --> 00:45:26.640 approaches 00:45:26.640 --> 00:45:28.420 and not hide 00:45:28.420 --> 00:45:30.300 because we're not 00:45:30.300 --> 00:45:31.040 being held up 00:45:31.040 --> 00:45:32.100 by our own strength 00:45:32.100 --> 00:45:34.500 or we're being held up 00:45:34.500 --> 00:45:35.200 by the spirit 00:45:35.200 --> 00:45:36.260 of the Lord 00:45:36.260 --> 00:45:39.020 who is with us 00:45:39.020 --> 00:45:43.260 Jesus, 00:45:43.380 --> 00:45:43.840 I thank you 00:45:43.840 --> 00:45:44.300 that when you 00:45:44.300 --> 00:45:44.880 ascended, 00:45:45.280 --> 00:45:46.460 you did not leave 00:45:46.460 --> 00:45:47.060 but when you 00:45:47.060 --> 00:45:47.600 ascended, 00:45:47.980 --> 00:45:49.020 you sent your spirit 00:45:49.020 --> 00:45:51.700 and we live 00:45:51.700 --> 00:45:53.180 in the power 00:45:53.180 --> 00:45:54.380 of God. 00:45:57.680 --> 00:45:58.660 May we stop 00:45:58.660 --> 00:45:59.440 being passive 00:45:59.440 --> 00:46:00.060 Christians, 00:46:00.540 --> 00:46:01.660 covering our face 00:46:01.660 --> 00:46:03.720 from the blows 00:46:03.720 --> 00:46:04.380 of this world. 00:46:06.920 --> 00:46:07.980 May we stand 00:46:07.980 --> 00:46:08.820 in boldness 00:46:08.820 --> 00:46:10.660 of who Jesus 00:46:10.660 --> 00:46:11.060 is. 00:46:13.020 --> 00:46:13.760 In his name 00:46:13.760 --> 00:46:14.120 we pray. 00:46:14.860 --> 00:46:15.180 Amen. 00:46:15.180 --> 00:46:15.180 Amen. 00:46:15.180 --> 00:46:15.380 Amen. 00:46:26.560 --> 00:46:27.400 Thanks again 00:46:27.400 --> 00:46:27.920 for listening 00:46:27.920 --> 00:46:28.280 to the 00:46:28.280 --> 00:46:29.060 Willow Ridge Church 00:46:29.060 --> 00:46:29.840 weekly podcast. 00:46:30.360 --> 00:46:30.780 We hope 00:46:30.780 --> 00:46:31.360 that you enjoyed 00:46:31.360 --> 00:46:32.060 listening to this 00:46:32.060 --> 00:46:32.660 week's message. 00:46:33.140 --> 00:46:33.680 If you'd like 00:46:33.680 --> 00:46:34.220 to learn more 00:46:34.220 --> 00:46:35.060 about who we are 00:46:35.060 --> 00:46:35.720 or explore 00:46:35.720 --> 00:46:36.680 additional resources, 00:46:37.260 --> 00:46:38.160 visit us online 00:46:38.160 --> 00:46:41.720 at www.willowridgechurch.com 00:46:41.720 --> 00:46:42.940 or by searching 00:46:42.940 --> 00:46:43.940 for Willow Ridge Church 00:46:43.940 --> 00:46:44.580 on Facebook 00:46:44.580 --> 00:46:45.280 and Instagram.