1 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:06,400 Good morning. My name is Steve. 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:12,600 I am one of the Elder candidates here at new life and I want to 3 00:00:13,900 --> 00:00:16,900 add my welcome to all the visitors that are here this 4 00:00:16,900 --> 00:00:22,200 morning and also like to, of course, welcome all of our home 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,000 folks. Thank you for being here today. 6 00:00:27,300 --> 00:00:32,500 This this beautiful Lord's day. Thank you. 7 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:40,300 This morning will continue in our study of James will be 8 00:00:40,300 --> 00:00:47,300 focusing on again in chapter 1 verses 12 through 18. so, if 9 00:00:47,300 --> 00:00:56,400 you'll start, Finding James and while you're turning there, I 10 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:02,100 can't. I can't not thank you for 11 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,200 allowing me. This opportunity. 12 00:01:08,700 --> 00:01:11,500 A church family like this. I've never had before. 13 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:17,700 My heart is full. As I step up here this morning, 14 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:20,800 folks. I'm going to tell you there's 15 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,100 there's not a whole lot of churches. 16 00:01:24,500 --> 00:01:26,400 We're before I could even get up here. 17 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,700 I've had two guys stop and pray over me before I get up here. 18 00:01:31,700 --> 00:01:38,600 And that just, that makes my heart joyous. 19 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,400 I thank you for your confidence in me. 20 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:50,700 I thank you for your support. I thank you for the opportunity, 21 00:01:50,900 --> 00:01:56,400 over the last Couple of years. Now during this candidacy 22 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:02,500 process, that I have had a chance to really get to know our 23 00:02:02,500 --> 00:02:08,000 elders here. So much better through Reading, 24 00:02:08,900 --> 00:02:17,500 and reading and reading and reading and reading, right Alan 25 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:26,100 My head sometimes wants to explode and I have to sit at 26 00:02:26,100 --> 00:02:28,800 home. A lot of times wondering, how 27 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,600 does kala keep up with all this? Because I know he's got more 28 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:33,900 than that. Then I read. 29 00:02:34,100 --> 00:02:37,700 And I just, I'll just blame it on my old mind. 30 00:02:37,900 --> 00:02:45,300 He has a younger mind, so I thank you for for allowing me to 31 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:54,200 get to know my Elder Brothers. Even though they are half my 32 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,900 age. But I do thank you for that 33 00:02:59,300 --> 00:03:04,300 this, this letter, written by James the half brother of Christ 34 00:03:04,900 --> 00:03:08,800 can have Rich. Meaning for us, as we are 35 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:14,100 reminded to put faith in action. It's easy to say, we have faith, 36 00:03:14,700 --> 00:03:18,900 but true faith will produce, loving actions toward others. 37 00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:25,500 Being a doer of the word and not a hearer only, if you're able, 38 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:29,800 would you please stand as we read God's work? 39 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:38,200 Again, we're in James, 1, beginning in verse 12, blessed 40 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,800 is the man who remained steadfast at our trial. 41 00:03:41,500 --> 00:03:45,000 For when he has stood the test, he will receive the Crown of 42 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,200 Life, which God has promised to those who love him. 43 00:03:49,100 --> 00:03:53,300 Let no one say when he is. Tempted, I am being tempted by 44 00:03:53,300 --> 00:03:59,000 God for God, cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself temps, 45 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,600 no one. But each person is tempted, when 46 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,200 he is Lord and enticed by his own desire. 47 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,100 The desire. When it has conceived, it gives 48 00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:15,600 birth to sin and sin. When it is fully grown brings 49 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:21,399 forth death, do not be deceived. My beloved Brothers, every good 50 00:04:21,399 --> 00:04:25,800 gift and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the 51 00:04:25,808 --> 00:04:30,600 Father of Lights with whom there is no variation, or Shadow do to 52 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:35,300 change Of his own. Will he brought us forth by the 53 00:04:35,300 --> 00:04:38,100 word of truth? That we should be a kind of 54 00:04:38,100 --> 00:04:41,600 firstfruits of his creatures. Amen. 55 00:04:42,100 --> 00:04:50,300 Like you may be seated. I've heard it said that good. 56 00:04:50,300 --> 00:04:54,700 Teachers provide information. People do not already have four. 57 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,300 If they already knew it, they wouldn't need the information. 58 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:04,500 I say that because those of you that attended home group on 59 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:09,000 Wednesday night have already looked at this passage So it's 60 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,900 my job. My duty this morning to try to 61 00:05:13,900 --> 00:05:17,900 expound on what you may have learned a Wednesday night. 62 00:05:18,900 --> 00:05:22,500 But this job is made much more difficult. 63 00:05:23,900 --> 00:05:26,500 The Men, We are blessed with his home group, leaders and 64 00:05:26,500 --> 00:05:31,000 teachers. But my, my desire is that, after 65 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:35,000 our time together this morning, we can all see how this passage 66 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,700 in James, glorifies Christ. Let's pray. 67 00:05:40,900 --> 00:05:45,000 Father, we thank you for this time. 68 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:53,100 We have together this morning. God, you are the god of Mercy, 69 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:57,600 the god of Grace, the god of strength. 70 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:04,100 And I pray. Father that as we look at this 71 00:06:04,100 --> 00:06:10,200 passage this morning, On how trials and temptations come in 72 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:14,400 our lives and how we should handle those trials and 73 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,900 temptations. I pray. 74 00:06:17,900 --> 00:06:22,700 Father that This congregation this morning. 75 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:29,700 Sees nothing, but your word. And your son. 76 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:36,800 I pray, father, that just is the Israelites were instructed to 77 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:40,400 remove all leaven from their house during Passover. 78 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:48,400 Every morsel, I pray, father that you remove every morsel of 79 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:54,300 me. In this sermon and that nothing 80 00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:01,800 comes through except your truth. Father, these things we ask in 81 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,000 The Most Holy Name of Christ, amen. 82 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:10,700 So how important is it for Christians to trust God? 83 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,200 It's so important James writes that we should call our worst 84 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:21,100 moments joyful because trials, help us trust God more. 85 00:07:22,500 --> 00:07:26,500 People who trust God, ask him for wisdom and then take what he 86 00:07:26,500 --> 00:07:30,000 gives. People who trust God, make a 87 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,800 bigger deal about their rewards in the next life. 88 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:37,100 Rather than their wealth and this one. 89 00:07:39,100 --> 00:07:42,100 People who trust God, don't blame him for their desire to 90 00:07:42,100 --> 00:07:46,200 sin, they give him credit for all that is good in their lives. 91 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:50,800 They look into his word and they act on what they see. 92 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:57,200 I wish I had written that but I didn't that comes from a 93 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:04,000 commentary at a website called Bobble ref.com. 94 00:08:06,500 --> 00:08:10,100 But I pray that we look at that last sentence. 95 00:08:11,300 --> 00:08:16,600 This morning. that says they look into his word and they act 96 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:21,600 on what they see they're I pray that as we go through this 97 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:27,800 passage this morning that you look deeply into the words of 98 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:34,700 there were words of James but more importantly that when we 99 00:08:34,700 --> 00:08:41,200 leave that we act on what we hear this morning not just 100 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:49,500 listen but be doers of the word. So as we begin to look at these 101 00:08:49,500 --> 00:08:55,300 verses, it's important to note that you will see the word trial 102 00:08:55,900 --> 00:09:00,300 used in verse 12. And then the word temptation is 103 00:09:00,300 --> 00:09:06,700 used in first 13. The reason for this is that even 104 00:09:06,700 --> 00:09:10,100 though these words are obviously different in our English 105 00:09:10,100 --> 00:09:14,300 language, they come from the same root word in the original 106 00:09:14,300 --> 00:09:17,500 Greek. I apologize. 107 00:09:17,500 --> 00:09:21,000 I'm not a Greek scholar. Nor do I really have any 108 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:25,200 business jumping into this, but I think it's important. 109 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:29,700 So we're going to give it a go. I practiced all week on this 110 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,600 Greek word. So, the Greek word, Pereira 111 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:42,800 spoke It's a good for a smoke. Can mean trial or Temptation can 112 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:47,600 mean either? The meaning of / aspo is rooted 113 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,500 in the Old Testament. Where several Hebrew words? 114 00:09:50,900 --> 00:09:54,700 Speak of difficult situations that are experienced by those 115 00:09:54,700 --> 00:09:59,200 chosen by God, as a test intended, to demonstrate the 116 00:09:59,208 --> 00:10:04,000 quality of an individual's Faith or to purify their character. 117 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:10,900 Obviously these two words have different meanings to us a trial 118 00:10:10,900 --> 00:10:19,500 is something we experience not necessarily by choice but a 119 00:10:19,500 --> 00:10:23,200 temptation is something that we do have a choice in. 120 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,300 So, whether we experience a trial or Temptation, we must 121 00:10:28,300 --> 00:10:32,000 remember that. If we persevere, the struggle 122 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,500 will contribute greatly to the development of our spiritual 123 00:10:35,500 --> 00:10:39,800 maturity. This happens to sign with our 124 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:45,400 muscles in our body. I'm again speaking without much 125 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:49,800 knowledge of this, just as I did with the Greek because you may 126 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:57,100 not know that I'm allergic to working out and gyms and such 127 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,400 When I'm around exercise, I break out in a sweat. 128 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:06,600 I get tired, I get sore and I get really grumpy. 129 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:12,000 So I don't think personally, it's a good thing for me. 130 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:20,400 However, my wife does not share that same idea, but in talking, 131 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:25,700 with some of you that participate in this form of I 132 00:11:25,708 --> 00:11:29,100 was trying to come up with a good word here and I came up 133 00:11:29,100 --> 00:11:34,300 with tenants because I think that's what exercise is penance. 134 00:11:36,300 --> 00:11:41,000 I have learned that as you exercise, Muscle tissue is 135 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:45,300 actually broken down. Its broken down and it's 136 00:11:45,300 --> 00:11:50,600 stretched. So it doesn't return to its 137 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:57,500 normal original size as long as the exercises continued, the 138 00:11:57,500 --> 00:12:01,100 same thing happens with trials and temptations as long as we 139 00:12:01,100 --> 00:12:04,800 persist in our pursuit of a Godly life. 140 00:12:05,900 --> 00:12:09,700 We may be broken and stretched their our faith will continue to 141 00:12:09,700 --> 00:12:14,000 grow. So, let's see how this happens. 142 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,300 It's look at verse 12. Blessed is the man who remain 143 00:12:19,300 --> 00:12:23,200 steadfast under trial for when he has stood the test, he will 144 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:27,700 receive the Crown of Life which God has promised to those who 145 00:12:27,700 --> 00:12:34,000 love him in verse 2 that Alan preached on last week. 146 00:12:34,500 --> 00:12:39,100 We're told to count the trials we encounter as joyful. 147 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,400 Joyful. Why? 148 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,700 Because our faith only grow stronger when tested by trials, 149 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,200 Trusting God through our trials, produces steadfastness 150 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:59,500 steadfastness is more christ-like maturity where we 151 00:12:59,500 --> 00:13:05,700 trust him more and with more resolved, the choice to keep 152 00:13:05,700 --> 00:13:08,400 trusting God. In the midst of the trial, 153 00:13:08,500 --> 00:13:13,100 brings his Blessing, our circumstances may be hard, but 154 00:13:13,100 --> 00:13:16,900 God is on the side of those who trust him through life's most 155 00:13:16,900 --> 00:13:23,000 difficult moments. Our reward for our dedication is 156 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:27,200 the Crown of Life. Not an award like he's given to 157 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:34,000 a winning athlete. Not a wreath out of metal, not a 158 00:13:34,008 --> 00:13:40,100 trophy. Nor the glory or honor. 159 00:13:41,900 --> 00:13:47,800 Here on Earth, but the ultimate reward that we receive is 160 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:52,300 eternal life. It is given to those faithful 161 00:13:52,300 --> 00:13:56,700 Christians who persevere through trials and Temptations in this 162 00:13:56,700 --> 00:14:02,000 life. Both Paul and Peter write about 163 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,000 crowns that are given to the faithful. 164 00:14:05,500 --> 00:14:10,900 First Corinthians 9 verses 24 through 27 says, do you know 165 00:14:10,900 --> 00:14:15,300 that in a race? All the runners run but only one 166 00:14:15,300 --> 00:14:20,900 receives the prize so run that you may obtain it every athlete 167 00:14:20,900 --> 00:14:24,200 exercises self-control in all things. 168 00:14:25,900 --> 00:14:29,900 They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we and 169 00:14:29,900 --> 00:14:34,500 imperishable. So, I do not run aimlessly, I do 170 00:14:34,500 --> 00:14:37,400 not box. His one, beating the air, but I 171 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:41,500 discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after 172 00:14:41,500 --> 00:14:47,000 preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified. and 173 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,500 Peter says, in First, Peter 5 verse 4, And when the chief 174 00:14:51,500 --> 00:14:55,400 Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading Crown of 175 00:14:55,400 --> 00:15:03,500 Glory. So James says, in verse 12, he 176 00:15:03,500 --> 00:15:06,800 says he makes the connection between our love, for God, and 177 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,400 our ability to remain faithful to him. 178 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:15,600 In hard times, those who truly love God trusting, and those who 179 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:23,100 truly trust him continue to obey even when life gets hard, Let's 180 00:15:23,100 --> 00:15:29,300 look at verse 13. 4:13, says let no one say when he is, tempted, 181 00:15:29,300 --> 00:15:32,000 I am being tempted by God for God. 182 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,700 Cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself temps. 183 00:15:35,700 --> 00:15:40,100 No one. So where does Temptation come 184 00:15:40,100 --> 00:15:45,200 from? Temptation develops from an evil 185 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:48,300 desire inside us. Not from God. 186 00:15:49,500 --> 00:15:54,400 It begins with an evil thought and becomes sin when we dwell on 187 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,600 it thought and allow it to become an action. 188 00:15:58,500 --> 00:16:02,700 Like a snowball rolling downhill, sin grows more 189 00:16:02,700 --> 00:16:06,300 destructive. The more we let it have its way. 190 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,700 The best time to stop a temptation is before it's too 191 00:16:10,700 --> 00:16:13,500 strong or moving too fast to control. 192 00:16:15,500 --> 00:16:21,200 First Corinthians, 10:13 says no temptation has overtaken. 193 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:27,600 You that is not common to man, God is faithful and he will not 194 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:32,300 let you be tempted, beyond your ability, but the Temptation, he 195 00:16:32,300 --> 00:16:37,300 will also provide the way of Escape that you may be able to 196 00:16:37,300 --> 00:16:42,100 endure it. People who live for God, often 197 00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:46,500 wonder why they still have temptations. 198 00:16:48,100 --> 00:16:54,100 This is God, tempt us. God tests people, but he does 199 00:16:54,100 --> 00:16:59,200 not tempt. God does not tempt us. 200 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:05,400 My trying to seduce us into sin. God does allow Satan to tempt 201 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:11,000 people but he does this in order to refine our faith and to help 202 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:15,700 us grow in our dependence on Christ, we could resist the 203 00:17:15,700 --> 00:17:20,700 temptation to send by turning to God for strength and choosing to 204 00:17:20,700 --> 00:17:26,800 obey his word. In his word, there are lots of 205 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:31,000 examples of God testing his Saints. 206 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:42,100 Abraham in Genesis 22. Abraham. when God required him 207 00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:50,200 to sacrifice his son, Isaac Israel in Exodus, specifically 208 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:55,200 Exodus 16 for where. It says, the Lord said to Moses 209 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:59,500 behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the 210 00:17:59,500 --> 00:18:03,500 people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day that I 211 00:18:03,508 --> 00:18:07,900 may test them whether they will walk in my law or not. 212 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:15,500 And of course, job. It was a man in the land of us 213 00:18:15,900 --> 00:18:18,600 whose name was job. And that man was blameless and 214 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:25,000 upright, one who fear God and turned away from evil. 215 00:18:26,700 --> 00:18:30,900 Then beginning a few verses later, God allows Satan to test 216 00:18:30,900 --> 00:18:39,500 joke. when I consider the testing and the trials of these 217 00:18:40,500 --> 00:18:47,300 Great, Men of God, I think, who am I to question? 218 00:18:47,300 --> 00:18:49,100 Why? I am being tempted. 219 00:18:50,900 --> 00:18:53,000 Why am I experiencing these trials? 220 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:58,600 How can I ask the question, when God ordained so many in the 221 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:03,100 Bible with much greater Faith than I to experience his trials? 222 00:19:05,900 --> 00:19:10,600 The ESV Study Bible says that. God tests us so that our 223 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:16,500 character is strengthened but he never temps or lures people into 224 00:19:16,500 --> 00:19:19,600 sin. Since God cannot be tempted with 225 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:22,300 evil. He is unreservedly good. 226 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:26,800 He would never entice human beings to sin or seek to harm 227 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:30,300 their faith. God brings trials in order to 228 00:19:30,300 --> 00:19:35,000 strengthen the Christians Faith. He never temps however, because 229 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:39,300 he never desires his people to sin, Christians should never 230 00:19:39,300 --> 00:19:46,100 blame God when they do wrong. It's easy to blame others and 231 00:19:46,100 --> 00:19:49,200 make excuses for evil thoughts and wrong actions. 232 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:53,300 We talked a little bit about this in Sunday school this 233 00:19:53,300 --> 00:19:59,300 morning when the Israelites changed their mind about leaving 234 00:19:59,300 --> 00:20:02,100 and going back. They wanted to go back to Egypt 235 00:20:02,100 --> 00:20:05,800 and pharaoh changed his mind about letting the Israelites. 236 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:13,100 Go and coming back. But my fault went to Adam. 237 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:19,400 Adam was the first to blame That woman. 238 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:24,100 You gave me tempted me. He's an in effect. 239 00:20:24,100 --> 00:20:30,800 He's Shifting the blame to God. Adam rationalizes just as we do. 240 00:20:31,900 --> 00:20:37,300 This thinking and Adam was thinking, I didn't even ask for 241 00:20:37,300 --> 00:20:40,400 a mate. That was God's idea. 242 00:20:42,100 --> 00:20:48,900 So God, it's your fault. No, no no. 243 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:55,000 We should never think this way. But we are quick to play. 244 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:57,100 Play that blame-shifting game, aren't we? 245 00:20:58,300 --> 00:21:01,800 It's their fault. I couldn't help it. 246 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,100 Everybody's doing it. It was just a mistake. 247 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:11,100 Nobody's Perfect. I was pressured into it. 248 00:21:12,700 --> 00:21:14,100 I didn't know. It was wrong. 249 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:22,400 Verses 14 and 15. But each person is tempted, when 250 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:27,100 he is Lord, and enticed by his own desire, the desire when it 251 00:21:27,100 --> 00:21:31,600 has conceived, it gives birth to sin and sin. 252 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:37,800 When it is fully grown brings forth, death is Satan our only 253 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:44,900 source of Temptation No. We have at least 2 Enemies. 254 00:21:46,100 --> 00:21:52,400 To fight Satan for sure. But we must also deal with our 255 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:58,500 fallen Human Nature. So you see Temptation leading to 256 00:21:58,500 --> 00:22:04,200 sin, brings with our selfish desires begins. 257 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:08,500 Excuse me with our selfish desires when we are lured and 258 00:22:08,500 --> 00:22:14,300 enticed, Just as fish is enticed away from its safety. 259 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:20,200 By the fisherman's bait in order to trap the fish with a deadly 260 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,200 hook. Here. 261 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:28,600 It's the person's evil desire that ensnares tempted by Satan. 262 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:38,300 As 1st Peter 5 says, it is Satan who seeks to Devour the very 263 00:22:38,300 --> 00:22:43,700 source of Temptation is a distrust in God. 264 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:51,100 In this course, I'm I'm talking about temptations. 265 00:22:51,100 --> 00:22:56,700 That we go the next step with we're tempted virtually every 266 00:22:56,700 --> 00:23:03,400 day in today's world frequently, where Innocently scrolling 267 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:07,100 through our favorite social media platform. 268 00:23:08,500 --> 00:23:13,000 And just out of nowhere, there pops an advertisement that we 269 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:20,600 shouldn't see. If we stop and take the time, 270 00:23:22,100 --> 00:23:26,000 make the attempt to make sure that that ad doesn't pop up 271 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:32,000 again, or we just quickly scroll by without taking a second, 272 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:39,400 look, or a second thought. In friend, we have won that 273 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:54,000 title. the winning of small battles every day is when we win 274 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:59,500 the war. Those small victories add up to 275 00:23:59,500 --> 00:24:02,100 winning. Add up to Victory. 276 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:06,800 The distrust of God develops. When we stop it. 277 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,400 Temptation and pursue it further. 278 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:14,200 The thought that God is withholding something from me 279 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,100 that I deserve gives birth to sin. 280 00:24:19,100 --> 00:24:22,200 Sin is then manifested. Brings forth, death. 281 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:30,700 I can't leave these verses without Sharing something with 282 00:24:30,700 --> 00:24:35,300 you from the book that the men are going over on Thursday 283 00:24:35,300 --> 00:24:38,000 night, disciplines of a Godly Man. 284 00:24:40,300 --> 00:24:44,200 As James said, we meet Thursday nights at 8:30. 285 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:50,600 Last week, we went over the chapter, entitled discipline of 286 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:54,300 purity. And it talked about, of course, 287 00:24:54,300 --> 00:25:01,400 the sins of King David. This is a process that they lay 288 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:06,800 out in this chapter that James Jones called last week at our 289 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:09,300 home group, he called it the sins cycle. 290 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:18,500 Now, I don't know whether this is in the ladies book that 291 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,100 they're covering called disciplines of a Godly woman, 292 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:25,800 they meet Sunday afternoons at 4:00. 293 00:25:26,500 --> 00:25:29,900 And by the way, that was an advertisement for biblical 294 00:25:29,900 --> 00:25:33,900 manhood and biblical Womanhood. Again, that is important. 295 00:25:33,900 --> 00:25:38,800 If you're not coming, you should be but moving on. 296 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,100 So we all know the story of David and Bathsheba, we've heard 297 00:25:43,100 --> 00:25:44,700 it. We know it. 298 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:52,900 But let's look at the look at the story again from this. 299 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:59,100 Send cycle perspective. This Story begins with David's 300 00:25:59,100 --> 00:26:04,600 life at the top, David was chosen by God to be king. 301 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,500 David was Brave. He was enthusiastic. 302 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:14,800 He was confident. He had charisma. 303 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:20,600 And under his leadership, all of Israel had been reunited. 304 00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:27,300 But David suffered from what can be called Progressive 305 00:26:27,300 --> 00:26:35,400 desensitizing to sin and that results in a loss of holiness. 306 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,500 one of the first things that David did when he became king, 307 00:26:41,700 --> 00:26:45,200 Was to take more wives and concubines from Jerusalem. 308 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:51,700 This Deuteronomy 17 had laid out that the standards for the 309 00:26:51,700 --> 00:26:55,200 Hebrew Kings. And one of the things that it 310 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:59,600 laid out was that they must refrain from taking many wives. 311 00:27:01,700 --> 00:27:07,300 David's sensual, Indulgence began the process of loading him 312 00:27:07,300 --> 00:27:09,800 into a place that made him easy prey. 313 00:27:10,900 --> 00:27:18,300 Four deadly sin today, long hours of indiscriminate TV 314 00:27:18,300 --> 00:27:21,500 watching video game playing or internet. 315 00:27:21,500 --> 00:27:28,400 Surfing is a massive culprit to the desensitizing of people 316 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:35,200 inside and outside of the church, The second flaw in 317 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:39,800 David's conduct was his relaxation that included his 318 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:49,100 moral life. if you'll remember, In this passage, David was still 319 00:27:49,100 --> 00:27:56,300 on the top of his. Temple or his his house. 320 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,600 When all of his armies went out to war. 321 00:28:00,300 --> 00:28:03,400 Usually the Kings went with their armies to war. 322 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,500 But David had decided, I'm going to sit this one out. 323 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:10,900 I'm going to stay home and relax. 324 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:18,000 And when he did that, he let that relaxation bleed over into 325 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:25,500 his moral life. David then, fixated in this 326 00:28:25,500 --> 00:28:31,100 case, he was consumed with Bathsheba However, that term 327 00:28:31,100 --> 00:28:36,600 fixation extends much further than just lustful desires. 328 00:28:37,900 --> 00:28:44,800 We can become fixated on a new car, a house, a boat on. 329 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:49,700 And on if it exists, we can become fixated on it. 330 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:57,300 As our fixation grows, the reality of God, Fades until he 331 00:28:57,300 --> 00:29:05,900 disappears from our Covetous eyes. after David fixated, then 332 00:29:05,900 --> 00:29:12,900 he rationalized The mind is controlled by greed, envy and 333 00:29:12,900 --> 00:29:17,300 lust and has an infinite capacity for rationalization. 334 00:29:19,100 --> 00:29:22,800 How can something I enjoy be so wrong. 335 00:29:24,500 --> 00:29:26,900 God wants me to be happy, doesn't he? 336 00:29:29,100 --> 00:29:33,000 My marriage was never God's will in the first place. 337 00:29:35,700 --> 00:29:42,200 David's Fall From Grace ends with degeneration, from many 338 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:48,000 things. That included adultery lying 339 00:29:48,100 --> 00:29:54,300 murder, the generation of his family and also National 340 00:29:54,300 --> 00:29:59,600 decline. Do you think David would have 341 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:04,000 taken that first step? If he could have seen the end 342 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:12,500 result? verses 16 and 17 do not be 343 00:30:12,500 --> 00:30:15,800 deceived my, beloved Brothers, every good gift and every 344 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:20,200 perfect gift is from above Coming down from the Father of 345 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:23,800 Lights with whom there is no variation, or Shadow do to 346 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:28,300 change God's intentions for us are always good. 347 00:30:28,300 --> 00:30:32,000 And there is nothing in this world that is truly good. 348 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:36,100 That has any other origin than from above. 349 00:30:37,300 --> 00:30:42,100 God is unchanging immutable in his character and therefore it 350 00:30:42,100 --> 00:30:46,500 is giving of good. It's important to hang on to the 351 00:30:46,500 --> 00:30:51,400 truth which is that every good thing in our lives is an 352 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:56,600 undeserved gift from God in the middle of our trials. 353 00:30:56,600 --> 00:31:01,300 We could be tempted to mistrust God Rather than doubting God, 354 00:31:01,300 --> 00:31:03,700 James is encouraging Believers to remember. 355 00:31:03,700 --> 00:31:06,700 That every good thing we have comes from God. 356 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:14,000 He doesn't go from being a good God, to a bad God, when our 357 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:20,800 trials begin God is the source of light at times. 358 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:25,900 Shadows may fall on us, but he is ever and always will be 359 00:31:26,100 --> 00:31:29,800 light. Turning away from God. 360 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:36,500 In order to escape hardship. Is as ridiculous as hiding from 361 00:31:36,500 --> 00:31:41,900 the Sun in an effort to escape darkness when we're faced with 362 00:31:41,900 --> 00:31:46,100 ordeals. We should seek the one who can 363 00:31:46,100 --> 00:31:52,600 make all things new. And verse 18. 364 00:31:54,700 --> 00:31:58,200 Of his own. Will he brought us forth by the 365 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:01,200 word of truth? That we should be a kind of 366 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:08,800 firstfruits of his creatures. First century, Christians were 367 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:12,500 the first generation to believe in Jesus Christ as Messiah. 368 00:32:13,900 --> 00:32:18,200 James called them, a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 369 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:23,400 The Jewish leaders would be well, aware of the practice of 370 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:27,000 offering the first crops to ripen, just prior to the 371 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:32,400 Harvest, as an act of worship. And also, as a blessing on the 372 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:38,800 rest of the Harvest, In 1st Corinthians, 15 verse chapter, 373 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:44,400 15 verse 20, Paul refers to Christ as the firstfruits of 374 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:48,900 those who have died. James completes the thought of 375 00:32:48,900 --> 00:32:51,100 God being The Giver of good gifts. 376 00:32:51,700 --> 00:32:55,600 With an example of God's greatest, good gift us. 377 00:32:56,700 --> 00:33:02,300 God gave us New Life In Christ. Look at the wording, a little 378 00:33:02,300 --> 00:33:05,200 closer of this verse. This verse is amazing. 379 00:33:06,100 --> 00:33:09,400 The verse says of his own. Will he brought us forth? 380 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:14,000 Meaning, because he loved us, he offered us salvation. 381 00:33:15,700 --> 00:33:18,500 The verse says, by the word of Truth. 382 00:33:20,300 --> 00:33:22,700 Which is salvation through the gospel. 383 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:29,400 The good news of Jesus Christ. The verse says that we should be 384 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:33,000 a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 385 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:39,400 We Christians. Are the first fruits, the 386 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:44,500 Pinnacle standing of Above the Rest of everything else that he 387 00:33:44,500 --> 00:33:48,200 is made. What more evidence do? 388 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:53,900 We need that our God is good and loving and powerful and faithful 389 00:33:53,900 --> 00:33:57,000 to us. No matter how dark our 390 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:02,700 circumstances in the moment. Nothing can change the enormous. 391 00:34:02,900 --> 00:34:06,900 Good gift that God has given us in Christ. 392 00:34:10,699 --> 00:34:14,300 Worship team, yell can begin making your way this way. 393 00:34:16,500 --> 00:34:21,500 My friends. In the Christian life, there are 394 00:34:21,500 --> 00:34:27,400 trials and temptations. Successfully overcoming these 395 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:32,300 adversities produces maturity and strong character. 396 00:34:34,100 --> 00:34:38,199 Don't resent troubles when they come pray for wisdom. 397 00:34:39,900 --> 00:34:45,100 God will supply all you need to face persecution or adversity. 398 00:34:46,300 --> 00:34:50,000 He will give you patience and strength in times of trial. 399 00:34:51,500 --> 00:34:58,100 And in our trials, God is Not tempting us to sin, rather the 400 00:34:58,100 --> 00:35:01,400 difficulties in life are intended to strengthen and 401 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:07,300 perfect us and make us more like him. one of the greatest 402 00:35:07,300 --> 00:35:12,100 blessings associated with, Persevering through trials and 403 00:35:12,100 --> 00:35:16,800 proving our faith to be genuine is the confidence that he'll 404 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:21,900 will not have to be endured. Instead there is the 405 00:35:21,900 --> 00:35:27,700 encouragement that comes from the word of Revelation 21:4 that 406 00:35:27,700 --> 00:35:30,800 says God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 407 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:35,700 There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. 408 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:39,000 There shall be no more pain. For the former things have 409 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:43,700 passed away. What does it mean to remain 410 00:35:43,700 --> 00:35:50,400 faithful in hard times? It means continuing to 411 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:55,400 acknowledge that God is the source of what is good in our 412 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:59,400 lives. And what will be good in our 413 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,700 future? Would you stand as we pray? 414 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:08,200 Father, thank you. For this time to look in your 415 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:15,200 word this morning. Father, I pray that your word 416 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:20,700 has made itself plain to do to these people. 417 00:36:22,900 --> 00:36:32,100 Father, I pray that it has pointed to nothing but the 418 00:36:32,100 --> 00:36:37,300 glories of Jesus Christ. Father, I pray that there's 419 00:36:37,300 --> 00:36:40,100 anyone here this morning that does not know you. 420 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:45,300 That they would see that through the trials and temptations that 421 00:36:45,300 --> 00:36:49,200 we face. You are still good. 422 00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:43,700 Amen. That they would see that through 423 00:36:43,700 --> 00:36:46,100 the trials and temptations that we face. 424 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:50,900 You are still good. Amen.