We enjoyed a hike along the Carson River together.
Becky, Mandy and Becca enjoyed snow shoeing on Spooner Summitt with the rest of the gang.
Cheryl and I enjoyed so much having Ben and Becky in our home!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Fleming Family Christmas Photos
We enjoyed a hike along the Carson River together.
Becky, Mandy and Becca enjoyed snow shoeing on Spooner Summitt with the rest of the gang.Cheryl and I enjoyed so much having Ben and Becky in our home!
James #3
“A Living Faith”
James #3
December 28th
Pastor Ben Fleming
Open you bible to James chapter one. Two weeks ago we began this letter that James wrote to believers who were scattered abroad and being persecuted. He wrote the letter to encourage them and to equip them to have --- and experience a living, saving faith. In these first 12 verses James gives 5 keys that a believer must cultivate in their life to equip them to persevere. Please stand with me as God’s Word is read:
All of us are going to encounter trials in life --- some of you already have gone through severe trial even at a young age --- some of you have encountered trials of deep severity………….Everyone of you do not know what is going to happen to you in this New Year? You do not know the trials that God is going to allow in your life – bring to your life or permit in your life to make you become more pure and to bring Him glory. You can be sure that if you have a genuine saving faith, “He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” --- and God often uses trials to complete His good work in you and bring about His purposes in your life.
Watch this testimony with me: VIDEO
Five Keys to Persevere Through Trials
(SLIDE)
#1 Cultivate a joyful attitude in your life. Vs. 2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds”. (BLANK) Trials are going to come to your life but if you are a believer – James says that in that trial… you are to cultivate a joyful attitude in your life. We found that a joyful attitude for a believer…. is a confident knowing in your life that God is in control and that you can trust in the promises and goodness of God. The pure joy that James is talking about….. is a joy that God is in control and that He is going to use your trials for His glory. You cultivate joy by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit --- the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is love – joy – peace ----- so if you are going persevere as a believer through the trials that come your way in 2009 – you must cultivate a joyful attitude by pursuing a daily life of Spirit – filled living.
(SLIDE)
#2 Cultivate an understanding mind. Vs.3 “because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (BLANK) When James writes that you “know” --- he is saying that from experience you know that the testing of your faith is going to develop in you a character of perseverance……. You can only know that….. when you know personally the one who brings those trials into your life. You can know about God --- but James is talking about knowing God from personal intimate experience. The only way to know the God of the bible is to know His Son Jesus. If you do not genuinely know His Son Jesus – when a trial comes to your life --- you will not persevere. You will give up --- you will drift away --- you will become bitter – your character will not reflect more of God but your character will reflect more of the world. So ---- today ----- I challenge you to begin this new year by coming to God. Come to Him and receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. Make certain that you truly know Jesus and do not be content this coming year to have a religious or a demonic faith. ---- Every person in this room who has a saving faith has got to cultivate a joyful attitude and an understanding mind to persevere through trials…… That was a short review of the first two keys --- look with me at the next 3 keys to persevering through trials.
(SLIDE)
#3 Cultivate a submissive will in your life. vs.4 “Perseverance must finish it’s work so that you maybe mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (BLANK)
The only way out of a trial in your life is to go through it. God promises us no bypasses or escapes from a trial – He only promises us that we will suffer no spiritual harm from a trial. But God cannot do His perfect and complete work in us without us being willing and submissive to Him. I heard a preacher say once --- “do not waste the lessons from the test”. When a trial comes to our lives – we have to consciously decide to submit to God’s will. In the book of Job --- one of his friends wisely said to Job.
Job 5:8 “But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before Him. He performs miracles that cannot be counted.”
Perhaps those words encouraged Job to cultivate a submissive will to God. James writes that the work of a trial and perseverance through a trial…. produces in the life a believer maturity and completeness. He says that believer who goes through trial will lack nothing. Look with me at the choice of words that James chose in verse 4.
(SLIDE)
Teleios = means to be perfect, but does not mean moral or spiritual perfection, or sinlessness, but it refers to being fully developed.
This obviously is how the NIV translated the word and used the word mature instead of perfect.
A believer in Jesus Christ is expected to become mature. Age does not produce spiritual maturity. I know a teenager who I consider to be more spiritually mature than some 50 year olds I know. Going to church year after year after year does not produce spiritual maturity. As a believer – you have got to cultivate a submissive will in your life that makes you want to pursue and seek to be mature….. and you know that walking through the trials in your life will help to bring that about. Spiritual maturity is an expectation that God has about His children. The apostle Paul wrote in
(OUTLINE)
Philippians 3: 14 -15 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.”
Paul says that he presses on toward the goal that God has called him heavenward. He is not the only one who is pursuing spiritual maturity -- all of us who are mature should take such a view of things and those who are not pursuing maturity…….. God will make it clear to you that you must.
In Galatians 4:19…. Paul says to those believers, “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” I have heard it put this way before ---- “I was saved --- I am being saved and I will be saved.” So --- if you have saving faith --- you are in the pains of childbirth and Christ will be formed in you and you will be fully developed ----- so ---- you are going to either cultivate a submissive will in your life…… which will accelerate that maturity, or you will rebel against God and try to live an independent spiritual life. James makes the picture clearer with the use of another word in verse 4:
SLIDE
Holokleros = means to be complete, which carries the idea of being a whole, entire person. The prefix to this Greek word holo is the term from which we get the word holograph. It means the 360 degree depiction of an object. Right after this word --- to drive the point even further James writes “lacking in nothing.” So – what is the 360 degree picture of Christ in your life??? When a testing or a trial comes into your life ---- what picture of Christ is seen in you?? What picture of Christ is seen in you when no one else is around??? Are you only content to be 180 degree Christ like? Cultivate a submissive will in your life. Key #4
SLIDE
#4 Cultivate a heart that believes God. vs.5-8 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all he does.”
The 4th key that James gives to us when we go through a trial is a believing heart ---- believers need a special measure of understanding to help them through the trial and that need should drive them to ask God to supply them with understanding and wisdom. A strong – sound faith is not based on feelings but on a knowledge and understanding of the promises of God’s truth ------- which is spiritual wisdom.
When believers face times of testing --- physical testing as a result of an illness or a death --- emotional testing as a result of relationships or moral testing and spiritual testing --- they have a special need for wisdom from God. A believer needs to have a heart that truly believes in the words of King Solomon in Proverbs ---- on your outline:
Proverbs 3:5 – 7 “”Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” How do you demonstrate that trust that Solomon is writing about?
James tells us in verse 5. “If any of you lacks wisdom in the trial – he should ask God” – we demonstrate trust in God through prayer. Trials for the believer – should enhance their prayer life. It should cause one who has a saving faith to turn to the Lord for guidance – strength – patience and wisdom………… Our prayers should be prayers that ask God for His wisdom. A believing heart prays. The lack of prayer….. demonstrates unbelief. This is not a suggestion that James is giving to believers it is a command from God --- we are told to ask God. There is nothing wrong with believers coming together and asking God for help --- we should be the kind of church family that comes together and prays together about trials that we are going through. I have planned for us to have a week of fasting and prayer the third week of January and then on Friday the 23rd of January to join me in an evening of prayer. Prayer is an example of believers experiencing a living faith. When we come to God believing Him and asking Him for His wisdom in a trial ---- James says that God immediately and single mindedly gives it to us generously. Jesus put it this way about God and His generous giving in Matthew. OUTLINE
Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish will give him a snake? If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him? “ So --- if one of God’s children is going through a trial ----- do you not think that if that child of God asks God for wisdom and help --- will not God give it to him or her?
James now turns from God and God’s faithfulness to the child of God and discusses belief or unbelief of the person going through the trial. Vs. 6 “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” ………….Some Christians simply doubt that God will give them what they need, and rationalize their doubt in many ways. Some believe that they are unworthy as a child of God --- some believe that their need is irrelevant and there are other believers who wonder why God allow the calamity to come upon them in the first place. James tells us two things about this doubting person: A doubting person
* “They are driven and tossed by the wind.” …..This kind of a person really is not serious when they ask God for help --- they are immature --- James says they are driven and tossed by the wind……. That immaturity will show itself in other ways. Paul says in Ephesians 4:14 they can be “blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitfulscheming.” I have to say that in the past 14 years…. I have seen this happen in several individuals lives. I do not think – it is because they do not have a saving faith --- but it is because of immaturity in their life and when a trial or testing came into their life --- especially in the area of a relationship problem --- they easily believed anything and sound doctrine had no value in their life. 2nd characteristic of a doubter
* “They are double minded, unstable in all their ways.” This person claims to be a believer in Jesus Christ. They attend church faithfully – play on the worship team but when they go through a severe trail, they turn to human resources rather than trusting God for the answers and for help. They have become resentful and bitter…. and they act as if God does not exist. Do not get me wrong --- they can have some idea of God’s Word and His power…….. but when it comes down to it – they refuse to come to God for His resources. I have seen a man like James is describing going through a testing and that man failed – he ended up murdering another man because of his resentment and bitterness – he was a double minded man. As I look back on it now --- he had a demonic faith.
Cultivate a believing heart ------ cultivate a submissive will – cultivate an understanding mind --- cultivate a joyful attitude and #5
#5 Cultivate a humble spirit. Vs.9 -11 “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.”
James is writing to believers who were economically poor and persecuted. Some of them had been rich ----- but the persecution of believers, made most of them live in poverty. James is saying to them that when that happens they can and should consider their condition as a blessing. He contrasts the poor to the one who is rich ---- the rich person should take pride in being made low or humbled……. because if they do not they will be like a flower that is destroyed when a trial or testing comes to them…………..
When you lose a daughter or son ---- when you lose your husband or your wife or a loved one ---- wealth is no comfort. When you lose your health or you are betrayed --- money will not bring you peace of mind. Trials are the great equalizer ------------------- bringing all God’s genuine children to depend upon Him.
So – humility or a humble spirit is what James is saying that we must cultivate in our lives when a trial or a testing comes to us. Those who are poor have an easier time of being humble – those who are rich ---- when the scorching winds of life come ---- they will fade away if they do not glory in God in the trial that they are going through.
We have a hard time understanding the way James is writing this. Most of think of ourselves as humble. Humility is tough to cultivate in our lives when things are going well. Believers who have lost everything because of sin in their life or because of the sin of someone else…. have the choice to keep to themselves and walk through their trial alone ( which in my experience most believers try first) or they can choose to demonstrate humility and allow others in the family of God to help them and to receive instruction or encouragement or correction. Look at the last scripture on your outline in the book of Galatians.
Galatians 6:1-2 “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you may also be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Paul is talking about carrying the sins of another Christian. He is talking about encouraging that believer and pointing them to God’s Word. He is talking about holding them accountable and helping that believer to be restored. In verse 2 --- he says to carry their burden. In the context of the scripture ----- the reference is to sin. But ----if you are a believer … verse 2 can be easily applied to any area of your life. You can apply it to any trial or testing or temptation that comes your way.
I believe that for the believer in Jesus Christ ---- true humility is demonstrated and cultivated when that believer allows another believer or a family of believers to know and understand and walk with them through the trial. It could be addiction ----- anger and bitterness ----- financial hardship or poor decisions you have made ----- relationship problems or cancer or a death in your family. I have to say to you ------ Rhea and Carol Williams ---- you have been a demonstration of humility over the past 6 months as you have given us --- your church family ---- the privilege of walking with you through your trial. You have demonstrated and cultivated humility.
James closes this sections of keys but telling the believers what their reward will be. He says, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he or she has stood the test, they will receive the crow of life that God has promised to those who love him.” No all are going to persevere. Not all are going to stand the test. Are you?
Let us pray:
James #3
December 28th
Pastor Ben Fleming
Open you bible to James chapter one. Two weeks ago we began this letter that James wrote to believers who were scattered abroad and being persecuted. He wrote the letter to encourage them and to equip them to have --- and experience a living, saving faith. In these first 12 verses James gives 5 keys that a believer must cultivate in their life to equip them to persevere. Please stand with me as God’s Word is read:
All of us are going to encounter trials in life --- some of you already have gone through severe trial even at a young age --- some of you have encountered trials of deep severity………….Everyone of you do not know what is going to happen to you in this New Year? You do not know the trials that God is going to allow in your life – bring to your life or permit in your life to make you become more pure and to bring Him glory. You can be sure that if you have a genuine saving faith, “He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” --- and God often uses trials to complete His good work in you and bring about His purposes in your life.
Watch this testimony with me: VIDEO
Five Keys to Persevere Through Trials
(SLIDE)
#1 Cultivate a joyful attitude in your life. Vs. 2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds”. (BLANK) Trials are going to come to your life but if you are a believer – James says that in that trial… you are to cultivate a joyful attitude in your life. We found that a joyful attitude for a believer…. is a confident knowing in your life that God is in control and that you can trust in the promises and goodness of God. The pure joy that James is talking about….. is a joy that God is in control and that He is going to use your trials for His glory. You cultivate joy by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit --- the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is love – joy – peace ----- so if you are going persevere as a believer through the trials that come your way in 2009 – you must cultivate a joyful attitude by pursuing a daily life of Spirit – filled living.
(SLIDE)
#2 Cultivate an understanding mind. Vs.3 “because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (BLANK) When James writes that you “know” --- he is saying that from experience you know that the testing of your faith is going to develop in you a character of perseverance……. You can only know that….. when you know personally the one who brings those trials into your life. You can know about God --- but James is talking about knowing God from personal intimate experience. The only way to know the God of the bible is to know His Son Jesus. If you do not genuinely know His Son Jesus – when a trial comes to your life --- you will not persevere. You will give up --- you will drift away --- you will become bitter – your character will not reflect more of God but your character will reflect more of the world. So ---- today ----- I challenge you to begin this new year by coming to God. Come to Him and receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. Make certain that you truly know Jesus and do not be content this coming year to have a religious or a demonic faith. ---- Every person in this room who has a saving faith has got to cultivate a joyful attitude and an understanding mind to persevere through trials…… That was a short review of the first two keys --- look with me at the next 3 keys to persevering through trials.
(SLIDE)
#3 Cultivate a submissive will in your life. vs.4 “Perseverance must finish it’s work so that you maybe mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (BLANK)
The only way out of a trial in your life is to go through it. God promises us no bypasses or escapes from a trial – He only promises us that we will suffer no spiritual harm from a trial. But God cannot do His perfect and complete work in us without us being willing and submissive to Him. I heard a preacher say once --- “do not waste the lessons from the test”. When a trial comes to our lives – we have to consciously decide to submit to God’s will. In the book of Job --- one of his friends wisely said to Job.
Job 5:8 “But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before Him. He performs miracles that cannot be counted.”
Perhaps those words encouraged Job to cultivate a submissive will to God. James writes that the work of a trial and perseverance through a trial…. produces in the life a believer maturity and completeness. He says that believer who goes through trial will lack nothing. Look with me at the choice of words that James chose in verse 4.
(SLIDE)
Teleios = means to be perfect, but does not mean moral or spiritual perfection, or sinlessness, but it refers to being fully developed.
This obviously is how the NIV translated the word and used the word mature instead of perfect.
A believer in Jesus Christ is expected to become mature. Age does not produce spiritual maturity. I know a teenager who I consider to be more spiritually mature than some 50 year olds I know. Going to church year after year after year does not produce spiritual maturity. As a believer – you have got to cultivate a submissive will in your life that makes you want to pursue and seek to be mature….. and you know that walking through the trials in your life will help to bring that about. Spiritual maturity is an expectation that God has about His children. The apostle Paul wrote in
(OUTLINE)
Philippians 3: 14 -15 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.”
Paul says that he presses on toward the goal that God has called him heavenward. He is not the only one who is pursuing spiritual maturity -- all of us who are mature should take such a view of things and those who are not pursuing maturity…….. God will make it clear to you that you must.
In Galatians 4:19…. Paul says to those believers, “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” I have heard it put this way before ---- “I was saved --- I am being saved and I will be saved.” So --- if you have saving faith --- you are in the pains of childbirth and Christ will be formed in you and you will be fully developed ----- so ---- you are going to either cultivate a submissive will in your life…… which will accelerate that maturity, or you will rebel against God and try to live an independent spiritual life. James makes the picture clearer with the use of another word in verse 4:
SLIDE
Holokleros = means to be complete, which carries the idea of being a whole, entire person. The prefix to this Greek word holo is the term from which we get the word holograph. It means the 360 degree depiction of an object. Right after this word --- to drive the point even further James writes “lacking in nothing.” So – what is the 360 degree picture of Christ in your life??? When a testing or a trial comes into your life ---- what picture of Christ is seen in you?? What picture of Christ is seen in you when no one else is around??? Are you only content to be 180 degree Christ like? Cultivate a submissive will in your life. Key #4
SLIDE
#4 Cultivate a heart that believes God. vs.5-8 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all he does.”
The 4th key that James gives to us when we go through a trial is a believing heart ---- believers need a special measure of understanding to help them through the trial and that need should drive them to ask God to supply them with understanding and wisdom. A strong – sound faith is not based on feelings but on a knowledge and understanding of the promises of God’s truth ------- which is spiritual wisdom.
When believers face times of testing --- physical testing as a result of an illness or a death --- emotional testing as a result of relationships or moral testing and spiritual testing --- they have a special need for wisdom from God. A believer needs to have a heart that truly believes in the words of King Solomon in Proverbs ---- on your outline:
Proverbs 3:5 – 7 “”Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” How do you demonstrate that trust that Solomon is writing about?
James tells us in verse 5. “If any of you lacks wisdom in the trial – he should ask God” – we demonstrate trust in God through prayer. Trials for the believer – should enhance their prayer life. It should cause one who has a saving faith to turn to the Lord for guidance – strength – patience and wisdom………… Our prayers should be prayers that ask God for His wisdom. A believing heart prays. The lack of prayer….. demonstrates unbelief. This is not a suggestion that James is giving to believers it is a command from God --- we are told to ask God. There is nothing wrong with believers coming together and asking God for help --- we should be the kind of church family that comes together and prays together about trials that we are going through. I have planned for us to have a week of fasting and prayer the third week of January and then on Friday the 23rd of January to join me in an evening of prayer. Prayer is an example of believers experiencing a living faith. When we come to God believing Him and asking Him for His wisdom in a trial ---- James says that God immediately and single mindedly gives it to us generously. Jesus put it this way about God and His generous giving in Matthew. OUTLINE
Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish will give him a snake? If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him? “ So --- if one of God’s children is going through a trial ----- do you not think that if that child of God asks God for wisdom and help --- will not God give it to him or her?
James now turns from God and God’s faithfulness to the child of God and discusses belief or unbelief of the person going through the trial. Vs. 6 “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” ………….Some Christians simply doubt that God will give them what they need, and rationalize their doubt in many ways. Some believe that they are unworthy as a child of God --- some believe that their need is irrelevant and there are other believers who wonder why God allow the calamity to come upon them in the first place. James tells us two things about this doubting person: A doubting person
* “They are driven and tossed by the wind.” …..This kind of a person really is not serious when they ask God for help --- they are immature --- James says they are driven and tossed by the wind……. That immaturity will show itself in other ways. Paul says in Ephesians 4:14 they can be “blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitfulscheming.” I have to say that in the past 14 years…. I have seen this happen in several individuals lives. I do not think – it is because they do not have a saving faith --- but it is because of immaturity in their life and when a trial or testing came into their life --- especially in the area of a relationship problem --- they easily believed anything and sound doctrine had no value in their life. 2nd characteristic of a doubter
* “They are double minded, unstable in all their ways.” This person claims to be a believer in Jesus Christ. They attend church faithfully – play on the worship team but when they go through a severe trail, they turn to human resources rather than trusting God for the answers and for help. They have become resentful and bitter…. and they act as if God does not exist. Do not get me wrong --- they can have some idea of God’s Word and His power…….. but when it comes down to it – they refuse to come to God for His resources. I have seen a man like James is describing going through a testing and that man failed – he ended up murdering another man because of his resentment and bitterness – he was a double minded man. As I look back on it now --- he had a demonic faith.
Cultivate a believing heart ------ cultivate a submissive will – cultivate an understanding mind --- cultivate a joyful attitude and #5
#5 Cultivate a humble spirit. Vs.9 -11 “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.”
James is writing to believers who were economically poor and persecuted. Some of them had been rich ----- but the persecution of believers, made most of them live in poverty. James is saying to them that when that happens they can and should consider their condition as a blessing. He contrasts the poor to the one who is rich ---- the rich person should take pride in being made low or humbled……. because if they do not they will be like a flower that is destroyed when a trial or testing comes to them…………..
When you lose a daughter or son ---- when you lose your husband or your wife or a loved one ---- wealth is no comfort. When you lose your health or you are betrayed --- money will not bring you peace of mind. Trials are the great equalizer ------------------- bringing all God’s genuine children to depend upon Him.
So – humility or a humble spirit is what James is saying that we must cultivate in our lives when a trial or a testing comes to us. Those who are poor have an easier time of being humble – those who are rich ---- when the scorching winds of life come ---- they will fade away if they do not glory in God in the trial that they are going through.
We have a hard time understanding the way James is writing this. Most of think of ourselves as humble. Humility is tough to cultivate in our lives when things are going well. Believers who have lost everything because of sin in their life or because of the sin of someone else…. have the choice to keep to themselves and walk through their trial alone ( which in my experience most believers try first) or they can choose to demonstrate humility and allow others in the family of God to help them and to receive instruction or encouragement or correction. Look at the last scripture on your outline in the book of Galatians.
Galatians 6:1-2 “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you may also be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Paul is talking about carrying the sins of another Christian. He is talking about encouraging that believer and pointing them to God’s Word. He is talking about holding them accountable and helping that believer to be restored. In verse 2 --- he says to carry their burden. In the context of the scripture ----- the reference is to sin. But ----if you are a believer … verse 2 can be easily applied to any area of your life. You can apply it to any trial or testing or temptation that comes your way.
I believe that for the believer in Jesus Christ ---- true humility is demonstrated and cultivated when that believer allows another believer or a family of believers to know and understand and walk with them through the trial. It could be addiction ----- anger and bitterness ----- financial hardship or poor decisions you have made ----- relationship problems or cancer or a death in your family. I have to say to you ------ Rhea and Carol Williams ---- you have been a demonstration of humility over the past 6 months as you have given us --- your church family ---- the privilege of walking with you through your trial. You have demonstrated and cultivated humility.
James closes this sections of keys but telling the believers what their reward will be. He says, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he or she has stood the test, they will receive the crow of life that God has promised to those who love him.” No all are going to persevere. Not all are going to stand the test. Are you?
Let us pray:
James #2
“A Living Faith”
James #2
December 14th
Pastor Ben Fleming
Turn in your bibles to the book of James. We began this book last week. It is a letter that Pastor James wrote to the New Testament believers scattered abroad – he wrote it to you and me and he wrote to us so that we might know what it means to have and experience a living faith. Watch this testimony with me. VIDEO CLIP.
Please stand as we read James chapter one. READ. ET READS Pray about trials.
INTRODUCTION: When James wrote this letter – believers in Jerusalem were facing many trials – believers everywhere were facing many problems and challenges. You face them. The young man in the video faced the challenge of his mom and dad splitting up and forgiving his dad. Some of you have faced that same challenge in your life. You might be facing the trial of unemployment. You might be wondering how you are going to pay for your mortgage – rent - your cell phone bill or even a utility bill. How are you going to pay for school? You might have the challenge of an illness. You might have the challenge of a relationship problem. You are going to face trials. You cannot get out of them --- you cannot run from trials. They come in many different forms and in different levels of severity……. Many Christians have great confidence in their faith…… until it is severely tested by a hardship or a disappointment. How a believer handles their trails will reveal to them whether his or her faith is a living or a dead – a genuine or an imitation – a saving or a non saving faith……………..
Everyone who is born in this world will undergo a measure of trouble. Some of our troubles are a result of the fall of Adam and Eve in the beginning – in Job 5:7 it says, “for man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward.” David cried out to God in Ps.22:11 “Be not far from me, for trouble is near”…. and Isaiah said, “look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish.”……. Christians are not exempt from trouble. It is false teaching to say that if a Christian is in trouble it is always because of sin in their life……..You will even find trouble in the best of the things which God gives to His children – your marriage and your family – there will be trouble. Your church and relationships in the church – there will be trouble. Christians can also and should expect trouble because of their faith. Jesus said, “if they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you,” and Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12 “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
In this letter – James is pressing the point that if a person has a genuine faith – it will prove itself during times of trouble – whatever the nature of the trouble is or the source of the trouble. When trouble comes to a person who considers themselves a Christian - they will find out if they have a saving faith or a faith that is worth nothing at all…….. There are at least 8 reasons why God allows or causes or brings trouble to the life of His children. First – He does so to test the strength of our faith and then He allows trouble to humble us and remind us to put our trust in Him. Thirdly, God brings trouble to wean us of our dependence upon worldly things. The more we accumulate things – they more we depend upon those things ---- and then God allows trouble to call us to eternal and heavenly hope. The longer our trails last -- the more we look forward to being with the Lord. Fifth – God allows trouble to show us what we really love ---- and then He allows trouble to teach us to value His blessings. Troubles help us to be used more for God and they help us to better help others in their troubles.
In this section --- In chapter 1:1-12, James is focusing on the keys that a believer needs to persevere through trials. We are going to examine the first two keys today and then on the 28th we will examine the last three….. Since trials are used by God to produce in our lives godliness – we must understand what these keys are and how we should use them – purse them and love them.
Five Keys To Persevere Through Trials
1. Cultivate a joyful attitude in your life. Verse 2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” .. James says to the believers that they will encounter and go through many trials. The King James bible wrongly translated this when it said divers temptations – for trials of many kinds. Periasmos could be temptations but in this context it means a trial or testing that is directed towards an end…….. The end that it is talking about is that the one who is tested will emerge stronger and purer as a result of the trial. James says that the trial will have many colors to it. The death of our grandson – the cancer you go through Rhea and your MS Phil – unemployment – broken relationships – financial troubles --- those are are all trials of many kinds.
James says that we are to look upon or consider our trials as pure joy. I do not recall riding on the airplane to Seattle on June 9th as joy. I do not recall feeling joy when the starter motor went out or feeling joy when the stove would not work. What is this joy? HA HA look at all the money that I get to spend and all the hassles I get to go through………...? James is saying that pure joy is when God’s children willingly and un complainingly know that God is using the pain and the trouble they are going through for their benefit and for His glory. This joy is a sincere trust in the promise and goodness of God that we can welcome our troubles as friends……... it is a knowing like Joseph did that what may have been meant for evil against us – God meant for good. That is the joy that James is talking about….. Do you get it????
We are not just to act joyful, or pretend to be joyful – but to be…. genuinely joyful. It is a matter of the will and not our feelings – it should be and it can be a conscious – determined commitment of every faithful believer who wants to experience a living faith. Look on your outline at these scriptures:
Hebrews 12:1 - 2 “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” ------ circle the word joy on your outline.
Jesus demonstrated the joy that James is talking about here. Jesus did not go to the cross laughing and smiling – but His joy was deep within – joy that God was in control – joy that God was using this for His glory. You might say okay --- that was Jesus but what about a sinful man like you and me??
Philippians 2:17;3:7- 8 “But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you…whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.” ---- Paul wrote those words from prison. He says that he is glad and rejoices with all of you. He considered all that he was going through as joy. He was putting into practice what James is writing. Long time pastor Warren Wiersbe writes these words, “Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value material and physical more than spiritual, we will not be able to count it all joy. If we live only for the present and forget the future, our trials will make us bitter – not better.” How about you? What do you care about? Have you become bitter as a result of a trial or trouble in your life??
PHOTO – Amy Charmichael – longtime missionary to India writes “Hast thou no scar? No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand? I hear thee sung as mighty in the land, I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star, hast though no scar? …….. Hast thou no wound? Yes, I was wounded by the archers, spent, Leaned me against the tree to die; and rent by ravening beasts that compassed me, I swooned: Hast thou no wound?......... No wound? No scar? Yes, as the Master shall the servant be. And pierced are the feet that follow Me; But thine are whole: can he have followed far who has no wound nor scar?
So – how do you cultivate joy? You start by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. You start by being filled with the Holy Spirit and the bible tells us that the result of being filled with Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 “love – joy – peace – patience – kindness – gentleness – faithfulness - goodness and self control.” So – ask God to fill you – do not assume that you are filled with the Holy Spirit – you most likely are not. When a trial comes or a testing comes --- quote this verse out loud. Memorize it. The first Key to persevering through a trial is to cultivate joy in your life. If you are going to cultivate it that means that you have to actively do something to cause it to grow…… Key#2
2. Cultivate an understanding mind. (Verse 3) “Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” Ok – what does James mean here? Do you really know that when your faith is tested it will develop perseverance in you? What does the bible mean when this word know is used? Let’s try to understand it. On your outline:
To know = Ginosko – a full understanding that is beyond mere facts and only comes through personal experience. Jesus used the word ginosko in Mark 13:28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.” What does He mean? From experience you know that summer follows spring. In Romans 1 :19 “Since what may be known about God is plain to them and in verse 21 “for although they knew God”. Both words come from ginosko. A full understanding that is beyond facts but an understanding that comes from personal experience. So – here is the point:
Romans 1:19 – the ungodly have a level of knowing God through creation and conscience. Every person in this room knows murder and adultery is wrong and immoral but not every person in this room knows God as their savior from experience. If you do not know God from personal experience – from knowing His Son Jesus through receiving Him --- you cannot cultivate an understanding mind. You cannot have joy in the midst of trails – but you can have a level of knowing God because He has revealed Himself to you through nature and your conscience – He gives you enough knowledge of Him to come to Him and be saved……… And some of us today that is the need that you have and that is the response that God is asking of you today. Stop being content in the knowledge of God that you have of Him through your conscience and nature……. and come to Him and receive His Son Jesus. Jesus said in John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” So --- Christian --- you can cultivate an understanding mind – to do that you have to know from experience God’s Word. The believer has the mind of Christ --- do you think with the mind of Christ? If you think you do --- do you know the mind of Christ? Why is this important? The rest of the verse tells you --- “You know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
How Does Perseverance Happen In The Life Of The Believer?
Words mean a lot – especially in the bible. So – perseverance or as some translate it endurance does not mean patience as some bibles translate what James wrote.
Perseverance = the product of patience. In the context of our study --- the second key James writes about is patiently enduring trials while trusting God produces perseverance. Patience is only needed in the trial but perseverance is a permanent inner quality of strength which increases every time a trial is patiently endured. Look with me on your outline at two examples of this:
Psalm 40: 1 -2 “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on the rock and me a firm place to stand.”
Do you think David is writing about a trial that he went through? Yes – He sure is. He waited patiently for the Lord – God lifted Him out of His trial – God brought Him through it and in the end perseverance was built into David’s character. What is your character like? Are you known as one who endures and trusts God when you go through a trial? The apostle Paul assures the believer in
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation (trial) has seized you except that is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He also will provide a way of escape.” The bible makes it perfectly clear that no person who comes to God in saving faith will ever be separated from the Savior. If you have a genuine faith in Christ you cannot loose that faith. You cannot become a Christian and then decide one day that you are not a Christian. When a trial comes into your life and you decide “enough is enough” I am dumping this God and Jesus thing --- you never were a real believer in the first place. This is a doctrine or teaching all through out the New Testament. Perseverance to the end is the destiny of a believer. It is called the perseverance of the saints or believers. How does it happen? Is it on the shoulders of the person??????? If you are a believer you can count on three facts for your perseverance.
You Will Persevere Because Of:
1. The Power of God – Jesus said these words to His disciples in John 10:28 - 29 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, no one can snatch them out of My hand.” My father who has given to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” The hand of Jesus is powerful enough to keep His disciples or it is not . John 6:39 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up on the last day.” The power of God is real or it is not and when Jesus says that He will not loose any that God has given to Him and He will raise them up on the last day ---- you either believe Him or you do not. Cultivate a joyful attitude and an understanding mind as you walk through the trials in your life. A genuine believer will endure because of the power of God. You will persevere because of:
2. The promises and prayers of Christ. Before Jesus was arrested He prayed a prayer in John 17:12 “While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name You gave Me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that the Scripture might be fulfilled”. Jesus says all of His disciples except Judas persevered. We saw last week that Judas did not persevere because He has a demonic faith. Jesus said to Peter in Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that you might not fail”. Jesus lives today – seated at the right hand of the God interceding for His children.
Jesus is praying for those who are His. He is praying for believers that they may persevere. When a trial comes upon them --- Jesus is speaking to God for them and about them. You will make it through what you are going through. God hears and answers the requests of His Son. Do not give up ---- God answers His Sons prayer’s. I have no idea how one can believe that they can loose their salvation if they have been truly born again. It does not matter how terrible your trial is or will be ---- you will persevere. 1 John 2:1 “ Our Great High Priest, who “is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him.” It does not say that God saves everybody does it??? It says that Jesus saves those who draw near to God through Jesus. There are not many ways to God. If Jesus is able to save ---- then He is able to save forever those who He is given by God. You will persevere because of the prayers and promises of Jesus and #3 you will persevere because of
3. The presence of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 -14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.” Look what Paul says: you were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth and having believed. Someone who hears the word of Christ and does not believe is not included in Christ. Someone who believes – who has a saving living faith – is marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit who guarantees your perseverance.
Warning:
Perseverance is inseparable from holiness. A life that is consistently immoral and unspiritual cannot persevere because it does not belong to God. It has no desire to persevere in the faith. Someone who does not live for Christ and reflect Christ must be warned to not assume they have salvation. Someone who consistently and presumptuously sins must be warned. You cannot nor will you persevere. You do not have a saving faith. Closing…….. When trials and testing comes to your life --- cultivate a joyful attitude in your life and cultivate an understanding mind.
Watch this Testimony with me:
Let us pray………….. Heavenly Father – thank you for the trials and testings of life. Thank you that we can consider them joy. We can have a joy knowing that You are in control and that you are using all that we go through for our good and Your glory. Lord – help us to endure – Help us not to give up and drift away. Help us to persevere. Thank you. In Jesus Name -Amen
James #2
December 14th
Pastor Ben Fleming
Turn in your bibles to the book of James. We began this book last week. It is a letter that Pastor James wrote to the New Testament believers scattered abroad – he wrote it to you and me and he wrote to us so that we might know what it means to have and experience a living faith. Watch this testimony with me. VIDEO CLIP.
Please stand as we read James chapter one. READ. ET READS Pray about trials.
INTRODUCTION: When James wrote this letter – believers in Jerusalem were facing many trials – believers everywhere were facing many problems and challenges. You face them. The young man in the video faced the challenge of his mom and dad splitting up and forgiving his dad. Some of you have faced that same challenge in your life. You might be facing the trial of unemployment. You might be wondering how you are going to pay for your mortgage – rent - your cell phone bill or even a utility bill. How are you going to pay for school? You might have the challenge of an illness. You might have the challenge of a relationship problem. You are going to face trials. You cannot get out of them --- you cannot run from trials. They come in many different forms and in different levels of severity……. Many Christians have great confidence in their faith…… until it is severely tested by a hardship or a disappointment. How a believer handles their trails will reveal to them whether his or her faith is a living or a dead – a genuine or an imitation – a saving or a non saving faith……………..
Everyone who is born in this world will undergo a measure of trouble. Some of our troubles are a result of the fall of Adam and Eve in the beginning – in Job 5:7 it says, “for man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward.” David cried out to God in Ps.22:11 “Be not far from me, for trouble is near”…. and Isaiah said, “look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish.”……. Christians are not exempt from trouble. It is false teaching to say that if a Christian is in trouble it is always because of sin in their life……..You will even find trouble in the best of the things which God gives to His children – your marriage and your family – there will be trouble. Your church and relationships in the church – there will be trouble. Christians can also and should expect trouble because of their faith. Jesus said, “if they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you,” and Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12 “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
In this letter – James is pressing the point that if a person has a genuine faith – it will prove itself during times of trouble – whatever the nature of the trouble is or the source of the trouble. When trouble comes to a person who considers themselves a Christian - they will find out if they have a saving faith or a faith that is worth nothing at all…….. There are at least 8 reasons why God allows or causes or brings trouble to the life of His children. First – He does so to test the strength of our faith and then He allows trouble to humble us and remind us to put our trust in Him. Thirdly, God brings trouble to wean us of our dependence upon worldly things. The more we accumulate things – they more we depend upon those things ---- and then God allows trouble to call us to eternal and heavenly hope. The longer our trails last -- the more we look forward to being with the Lord. Fifth – God allows trouble to show us what we really love ---- and then He allows trouble to teach us to value His blessings. Troubles help us to be used more for God and they help us to better help others in their troubles.
In this section --- In chapter 1:1-12, James is focusing on the keys that a believer needs to persevere through trials. We are going to examine the first two keys today and then on the 28th we will examine the last three….. Since trials are used by God to produce in our lives godliness – we must understand what these keys are and how we should use them – purse them and love them.
Five Keys To Persevere Through Trials
1. Cultivate a joyful attitude in your life. Verse 2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” .. James says to the believers that they will encounter and go through many trials. The King James bible wrongly translated this when it said divers temptations – for trials of many kinds. Periasmos could be temptations but in this context it means a trial or testing that is directed towards an end…….. The end that it is talking about is that the one who is tested will emerge stronger and purer as a result of the trial. James says that the trial will have many colors to it. The death of our grandson – the cancer you go through Rhea and your MS Phil – unemployment – broken relationships – financial troubles --- those are are all trials of many kinds.
James says that we are to look upon or consider our trials as pure joy. I do not recall riding on the airplane to Seattle on June 9th as joy. I do not recall feeling joy when the starter motor went out or feeling joy when the stove would not work. What is this joy? HA HA look at all the money that I get to spend and all the hassles I get to go through………...? James is saying that pure joy is when God’s children willingly and un complainingly know that God is using the pain and the trouble they are going through for their benefit and for His glory. This joy is a sincere trust in the promise and goodness of God that we can welcome our troubles as friends……... it is a knowing like Joseph did that what may have been meant for evil against us – God meant for good. That is the joy that James is talking about….. Do you get it????
We are not just to act joyful, or pretend to be joyful – but to be…. genuinely joyful. It is a matter of the will and not our feelings – it should be and it can be a conscious – determined commitment of every faithful believer who wants to experience a living faith. Look on your outline at these scriptures:
Hebrews 12:1 - 2 “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” ------ circle the word joy on your outline.
Jesus demonstrated the joy that James is talking about here. Jesus did not go to the cross laughing and smiling – but His joy was deep within – joy that God was in control – joy that God was using this for His glory. You might say okay --- that was Jesus but what about a sinful man like you and me??
Philippians 2:17;3:7- 8 “But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you…whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.” ---- Paul wrote those words from prison. He says that he is glad and rejoices with all of you. He considered all that he was going through as joy. He was putting into practice what James is writing. Long time pastor Warren Wiersbe writes these words, “Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value material and physical more than spiritual, we will not be able to count it all joy. If we live only for the present and forget the future, our trials will make us bitter – not better.” How about you? What do you care about? Have you become bitter as a result of a trial or trouble in your life??
PHOTO – Amy Charmichael – longtime missionary to India writes “Hast thou no scar? No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand? I hear thee sung as mighty in the land, I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star, hast though no scar? …….. Hast thou no wound? Yes, I was wounded by the archers, spent, Leaned me against the tree to die; and rent by ravening beasts that compassed me, I swooned: Hast thou no wound?......... No wound? No scar? Yes, as the Master shall the servant be. And pierced are the feet that follow Me; But thine are whole: can he have followed far who has no wound nor scar?
So – how do you cultivate joy? You start by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. You start by being filled with the Holy Spirit and the bible tells us that the result of being filled with Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 “love – joy – peace – patience – kindness – gentleness – faithfulness - goodness and self control.” So – ask God to fill you – do not assume that you are filled with the Holy Spirit – you most likely are not. When a trial comes or a testing comes --- quote this verse out loud. Memorize it. The first Key to persevering through a trial is to cultivate joy in your life. If you are going to cultivate it that means that you have to actively do something to cause it to grow…… Key#2
2. Cultivate an understanding mind. (Verse 3) “Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” Ok – what does James mean here? Do you really know that when your faith is tested it will develop perseverance in you? What does the bible mean when this word know is used? Let’s try to understand it. On your outline:
To know = Ginosko – a full understanding that is beyond mere facts and only comes through personal experience. Jesus used the word ginosko in Mark 13:28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.” What does He mean? From experience you know that summer follows spring. In Romans 1 :19 “Since what may be known about God is plain to them and in verse 21 “for although they knew God”. Both words come from ginosko. A full understanding that is beyond facts but an understanding that comes from personal experience. So – here is the point:
Romans 1:19 – the ungodly have a level of knowing God through creation and conscience. Every person in this room knows murder and adultery is wrong and immoral but not every person in this room knows God as their savior from experience. If you do not know God from personal experience – from knowing His Son Jesus through receiving Him --- you cannot cultivate an understanding mind. You cannot have joy in the midst of trails – but you can have a level of knowing God because He has revealed Himself to you through nature and your conscience – He gives you enough knowledge of Him to come to Him and be saved……… And some of us today that is the need that you have and that is the response that God is asking of you today. Stop being content in the knowledge of God that you have of Him through your conscience and nature……. and come to Him and receive His Son Jesus. Jesus said in John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” So --- Christian --- you can cultivate an understanding mind – to do that you have to know from experience God’s Word. The believer has the mind of Christ --- do you think with the mind of Christ? If you think you do --- do you know the mind of Christ? Why is this important? The rest of the verse tells you --- “You know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
How Does Perseverance Happen In The Life Of The Believer?
Words mean a lot – especially in the bible. So – perseverance or as some translate it endurance does not mean patience as some bibles translate what James wrote.
Perseverance = the product of patience. In the context of our study --- the second key James writes about is patiently enduring trials while trusting God produces perseverance. Patience is only needed in the trial but perseverance is a permanent inner quality of strength which increases every time a trial is patiently endured. Look with me on your outline at two examples of this:
Psalm 40: 1 -2 “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on the rock and me a firm place to stand.”
Do you think David is writing about a trial that he went through? Yes – He sure is. He waited patiently for the Lord – God lifted Him out of His trial – God brought Him through it and in the end perseverance was built into David’s character. What is your character like? Are you known as one who endures and trusts God when you go through a trial? The apostle Paul assures the believer in
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation (trial) has seized you except that is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He also will provide a way of escape.” The bible makes it perfectly clear that no person who comes to God in saving faith will ever be separated from the Savior. If you have a genuine faith in Christ you cannot loose that faith. You cannot become a Christian and then decide one day that you are not a Christian. When a trial comes into your life and you decide “enough is enough” I am dumping this God and Jesus thing --- you never were a real believer in the first place. This is a doctrine or teaching all through out the New Testament. Perseverance to the end is the destiny of a believer. It is called the perseverance of the saints or believers. How does it happen? Is it on the shoulders of the person??????? If you are a believer you can count on three facts for your perseverance.
You Will Persevere Because Of:
1. The Power of God – Jesus said these words to His disciples in John 10:28 - 29 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, no one can snatch them out of My hand.” My father who has given to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” The hand of Jesus is powerful enough to keep His disciples or it is not . John 6:39 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up on the last day.” The power of God is real or it is not and when Jesus says that He will not loose any that God has given to Him and He will raise them up on the last day ---- you either believe Him or you do not. Cultivate a joyful attitude and an understanding mind as you walk through the trials in your life. A genuine believer will endure because of the power of God. You will persevere because of:
2. The promises and prayers of Christ. Before Jesus was arrested He prayed a prayer in John 17:12 “While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name You gave Me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that the Scripture might be fulfilled”. Jesus says all of His disciples except Judas persevered. We saw last week that Judas did not persevere because He has a demonic faith. Jesus said to Peter in Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that you might not fail”. Jesus lives today – seated at the right hand of the God interceding for His children.
Jesus is praying for those who are His. He is praying for believers that they may persevere. When a trial comes upon them --- Jesus is speaking to God for them and about them. You will make it through what you are going through. God hears and answers the requests of His Son. Do not give up ---- God answers His Sons prayer’s. I have no idea how one can believe that they can loose their salvation if they have been truly born again. It does not matter how terrible your trial is or will be ---- you will persevere. 1 John 2:1 “ Our Great High Priest, who “is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him.” It does not say that God saves everybody does it??? It says that Jesus saves those who draw near to God through Jesus. There are not many ways to God. If Jesus is able to save ---- then He is able to save forever those who He is given by God. You will persevere because of the prayers and promises of Jesus and #3 you will persevere because of
3. The presence of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 -14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.” Look what Paul says: you were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth and having believed. Someone who hears the word of Christ and does not believe is not included in Christ. Someone who believes – who has a saving living faith – is marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit who guarantees your perseverance.
Warning:
Perseverance is inseparable from holiness. A life that is consistently immoral and unspiritual cannot persevere because it does not belong to God. It has no desire to persevere in the faith. Someone who does not live for Christ and reflect Christ must be warned to not assume they have salvation. Someone who consistently and presumptuously sins must be warned. You cannot nor will you persevere. You do not have a saving faith. Closing…….. When trials and testing comes to your life --- cultivate a joyful attitude in your life and cultivate an understanding mind.
Watch this Testimony with me:
Let us pray………….. Heavenly Father – thank you for the trials and testings of life. Thank you that we can consider them joy. We can have a joy knowing that You are in control and that you are using all that we go through for our good and Your glory. Lord – help us to endure – Help us not to give up and drift away. Help us to persevere. Thank you. In Jesus Name -Amen
James #1
A Living Faith
James #1
December 7
Pastor Ben Fleming
Video Clip: The woman in this video knew what a real faith in Jesus Christ was all about. She knew what it meant to have a living faith – even in the face of the loss of her husband and child. Every believer in this room can have a living faith. We want to become a church family that is biblically healthy and the way for that to happen is for everyone to know and understand and experience a real living faith. Notice I say ---- know ---- understand and experience a real living faith. That is what James is writing about. For some of us, we do not have a living, saving faith. For some of us, having a living faith is brand new to us and for some of us it has been going on for some time….. We are starting a new series and I am giving it the name “A living faith”. Rebecca Brady --- God wants you to have a living faith. Marcella – God wants you to have a living faith. Andrew Thomas – God wants you to have and experience a living faith. Tiegen --- you can have a living faith. This is the name of the series because that is the theme of the book that we are going study – the book of James. Turn to the book would you. It comes right after the book of Hebrews and before the book of 1 Peter. Today is an introduction message.
Author: There were several named James in the New Testament. Mark 1:19 says, James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John – he was the James of the inner circle of John and Peter but he was executed by Herod in AD 44. and then there was James, the son of Alphaeus – one of the original disciples. And then there was James the father of Judas, ….but none of these men are considered the James who authored this letter. This James, was someone well known with a position, and authority in the early church. James – the brother of Jesus is the obvious choice. Most sound bible scholars agree. What changed the skeptical younger brother of Jesus into being a committed follower of Jesus and an outspoken leader of the early church? (John 7:5) Says that even his own brothers did not believe in Him. But then we know that later, James saw his brother dead on the cross and then he saw his brother alive. Something had happened --- He experienced a living faith.
Place: James most likely wrote this letter while he was in the city of Jerusalem – at that time it looked something like these photos – PHOTO 1 and then the second one is a real PHOTO 2 of a part of old Jerusalem. (BLANK) The Temple was there and the early church was there. When James wrote these words the city was in religious turmoil – the Pharisees and the Saducees and the hate filled high priest – was still on the move. Christians would have been persecuted. Remember also that Jerusalem would have been under Roman domination and (PHOTO 3) Herod the Great had been appointed King of the Jews by Augustus in 40A.D. (PHOTO 4) This was the temple that he built and James and the new Christians would have met for worship outside of this temple in the collonades or porches.
Setting: Acts 11:28 tells us that Jerusalem was very poor. It had become that way because of the Roman greed, the heavy taxes and the famine that was in the area. The Christians in this city were very poor. James had to write the letter sometime before AD 62 when he was martyrded.
Audience: James wrote the book “to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” Even before Christ – the Jewish nation had been scattered across the face of the earth three times. I knew this, but I was personally surprised to read about a Jewish center in the city of Mombai India – a Hindu and Muslim nation today. The diaspora or dispersion is what the scattering of the Jews is known as and each year those who could make the journey back to Jerusalem for the Passover would do so – this is why so many from many nations were in Jerusalem at Pentecost in the beginning of the book of Acts…….. Christianity is Jewish. Mary was Jewish. Joseph was Jewish – Jesus lived in Jewish home for 30 years and His first public ministry was to the Jews. As God’s chosen nation --- God called them to repent and put their faith in Jesus. James is writing to all Jews every where who had put their faith in Jesus and especially he is writing to you and me….. he is writing so that we can have a living faith. Please stand as we read James chapter one. Phil
Counterfeiting is a major problem in our country. We even have a new name for it – knockoffs. My sister was excited to go to New York with her husband to see the Yankees play because she knew that he would take her after the game into the back streets of New York to get a designer knockoff handbag. Forged money, credit cards, jewelry, perfume, works of art and everything of value is passed off as the genuine to deceive those unaware. Something that you think is valuable must be examined to determine if it is genuine. This is what James writes about --- having a living faith – having a saving faith and what does it look like.
The most valuable possession that you can have is a saving faith. Every parent in this room wants their child to have a saving faith. A right relationship to a living God who promises those who truly put their faith in Him ----- is the most valuable possession that you can every have in your life. There is no relationship in your life --- there is no job --- there is no house or status that you can ever have or obtain that is any more valuable than having a saving living faith. Time and time again in the bible we are told to examine our lives and test our faith and see if it is genuine. You can be sincere in your faith and be sincerely wrong and deceived. Satan is the master counterfeiter of saving faith. 2 Cor 11: 14 -15 says that He and his angels of light deceive the unwary. James writes this letter to make certain that God’s people are not deceived. He writes the letter to encourage them to examine their lives. James wants the people to have a saving living faith.
What kinds of faith are there?
1. Religious faith. This is someone who believes that their concept of salvation is the right one and their concept actually is taking them on the way to eternal damnation. I know someone who attends church every Wednesday night and yet they do not believe that Jesus is the only way to God. A religious faith is also someone who believes they are a good person and that there is some good in them and that God accepts them because of their goodness. They say to themselves, “ I attend church – I take communion – I give money – I have been baptized – I am a member of the church and I teach Sunday school – all this must make me acceptable in God’s sight.” John puts it very clear about those who had a religious faith in the gospel of John.
John 12:42 – 43 “… the Pharisees would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise from men more than praise from God.” Do you have a religious faith? I know a woman who attends church every Sunday and takes communion every Sunday and yet she does not own a bible or read a bible – but she claims that she knows God.
2. Demonic faith. Satan and his angels are the masters of a demonic deception of faith. They can even make spiritual people heal people – they can delude people into doing things that seem godly. Acts chapter 5. Ananias and Sapphira were deceived by a demonic faith. Vs. 3 “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and kept for yourself some money you received for the land.” A church going husband and wife were deceived by Satan – their faith was demonic. In Matthew 4:10 Jesus said to Satan “away from me, Satan. For it is written :Worship the Lord your God; and serve Him only.” Worship of anything other than Jesus is a demonic faith. My brother Bill attends church – he goes to please his wife and his father in law but my brother goes to meet people who could be future customers and he goes to increase his status in the business world – he does not worship Jesus. John records a shocking example of demonic faith in John 13:2 “The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.” Think about it: A man who walked and talked with Jesus for 3 years had demonic faith. Judas did not have saving faith. He did not have a living faith.
So --- let’s look at the third one --- a saving faith. What does it really mean to have a saving faith? The apostle Paul tells us to examine ourselves and see if we are in the faith. Not all of us have a saving faith. Some of us have a religious faith and some of us have a demonic faith…… We are going close today with communion ---- if you do not examine yourself and you go ahead and take communion the bible says you are bringing judgment upon yourself. In the book of Haggi – the prophet tells us to “Consider your ways”. Paul says to “examine yourself” --- so what does it mean to have a saving faith?
3. Saving Faith. Ask yourself some questions. I have six questions for you. Be serious and sober and honest with God and with yourself.
* Can you identify any change in your life. Acts 26:20 “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” Can you identify any changes in your life? Paul said that you prove to yourself that you have saving faith by looking at the changed deeds in your life. The most obvious is your actions and your attitudes. It does not mean that you are perfect and that you have tons and tons of changes in your life – but if you have saving faith, can you identify any sin that you have stopped or it is getting less in your life? Are you convicted over sin and do you respond to that conviction? Second question………..
* Can you identify any good works that you do or have done? We are going to get into saving faith and good works in James chapter 2. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” If you are one of the we that Paul is writing about – you are God’s workmanship and He created you in Christ to do good works and it is God who prepared the good works for you to do. So – do you know the good works that God has prepared for you? You can do good works and many people do…. but are you doing the ones that God has prepared? James says that if you have saving faith --- the good works that God has prepared for you to do is going to be a result of that saving faith. 3rd question
* Can you identify obedience to the commands of God in your life? Saving faith means obedience to God. It means a righteous life. Loving other believers 1 John 2:3 “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands” Saving faith means that I obey the commands of God. Do I really care about obeying God?? Ask yourself…… 1John 2: 5- 6 “If anyone obey His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him. Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” Saving faith means that I want to obey God and there are times of obedience that I can identify in my life. Saving faith means that I care about knowing God’s Word so that I can obey it --- and this leads us into the next question. #4
* Do you have a genuine commitment to the Word of God. Jesus put it this way in the sermon on the mountain in Matthew 5:17 -20 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tells you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Does that not tell you that what God has given us in the Bible is vital to have a living faith. You cannot have a living faith and care nothing about the bible. You cannot have a living faith and have no interest or desire for the bible. We are all busy and I know that the discipline of bible reading is hard to do --- but that is no excuse. If you have no interest or desire for the Word of God you ought to question if you have real saving faith. #5
* Do you have a biblical view of money and possessions. You cannot have saving faith and have a worldly view of money and possessions. Matthew 6:19 - 24 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy - no one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” We have spent the last 7 weeks studying the issue of money and possessions in our lives – if you think you have a living faith….. then that has to be shown in your finances. What are you doing to get your finances in shape? What areas of how you deal with your finances are you repenting of? November was our healthiest giving month in 6 months – so obviously many of you are getting serious about this area of your life. But let me ask you…… how much are you going to go into debt this Christmas so that you can buy presents? Are you really serious about budgeting and doing without and cutting the wants out of your life? A living faith has and experiences a biblical view of money and possessions in ones life. #6
* Do you have a biblical view of relationships. Matthew 7:1 – 5 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” As we prepare to take communion --- Is there someone in this room that you have a plank in your eye against? Is there a relationship in your life that you have cut that person off and if they came into this room you could not give them a hug? Saving faith forgives others. A living faith does not wall off people in ones life. It does not mean that you sometimes have challenges with relationships but saving faith reaches out and loves those who are un -loveable - you love those you do not like being around….. That is a living faith. Saving faith means that you have real relationships in a local church family ----I rejoiced when I found out that Steve and Sandy Taylor left SHCC in June and by November they had found a church home and got involved in a small group BS. A living saving faith means that you have a biblical view of relationships and you see how vital they are for your life.
James knew all these points and that is what He is teaching in this letter that he wrote to the 12 tribes scattered abroad. As you prepare to worship God through remembering the death and ressurectoin of His Son Jesus Christ look with me briefly at the opening words of James.
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” James does not call himself a brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls himself a servant.
The word servant is found many many times in the New Testament. It is the word in the Greek language doulos. This is what James calls himself. If you have a saving faith or a living faith you should be able to call yourself and think of yourself in the same way that James wrote about himself.
The Greek word that James used for servant implies 4 things:
A Servant of God
1. It implies absolute obedience. A servant knows no law but their masters word. They know they have no rights of their own. They have given their rights up to their master. Have you given your rights up to your master Jesus?
2. It implies absolute humility. Being a servant is someone who thinks not of privileges’ but duties.
Their faith in Jesus causes them to serve Him and obey Him out of a humble love and attitude for Him.
3. It implies absolute loyalty. Personal gain and preference does not enter into the calculations. Their loyalty as a slave of Jesus causes them to set aside their own preferences – wants and desires.
When a person who has saving faith and demonstrates the character of a servant in a church family they put others first – they put aside their own preferences. #4 being a servant……….
4. It implies a certain pride. The one greatness to which a Christian can aspire is to that of being a slave of God. If you are a slave of Christ then you are not ashamed of your master. You will stand up for your master – you talk about your master and you are proud to be called His.
James #1
December 7
Pastor Ben Fleming
Video Clip: The woman in this video knew what a real faith in Jesus Christ was all about. She knew what it meant to have a living faith – even in the face of the loss of her husband and child. Every believer in this room can have a living faith. We want to become a church family that is biblically healthy and the way for that to happen is for everyone to know and understand and experience a real living faith. Notice I say ---- know ---- understand and experience a real living faith. That is what James is writing about. For some of us, we do not have a living, saving faith. For some of us, having a living faith is brand new to us and for some of us it has been going on for some time….. We are starting a new series and I am giving it the name “A living faith”. Rebecca Brady --- God wants you to have a living faith. Marcella – God wants you to have a living faith. Andrew Thomas – God wants you to have and experience a living faith. Tiegen --- you can have a living faith. This is the name of the series because that is the theme of the book that we are going study – the book of James. Turn to the book would you. It comes right after the book of Hebrews and before the book of 1 Peter. Today is an introduction message.
Author: There were several named James in the New Testament. Mark 1:19 says, James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John – he was the James of the inner circle of John and Peter but he was executed by Herod in AD 44. and then there was James, the son of Alphaeus – one of the original disciples. And then there was James the father of Judas, ….but none of these men are considered the James who authored this letter. This James, was someone well known with a position, and authority in the early church. James – the brother of Jesus is the obvious choice. Most sound bible scholars agree. What changed the skeptical younger brother of Jesus into being a committed follower of Jesus and an outspoken leader of the early church? (John 7:5) Says that even his own brothers did not believe in Him. But then we know that later, James saw his brother dead on the cross and then he saw his brother alive. Something had happened --- He experienced a living faith.
Place: James most likely wrote this letter while he was in the city of Jerusalem – at that time it looked something like these photos – PHOTO 1 and then the second one is a real PHOTO 2 of a part of old Jerusalem. (BLANK) The Temple was there and the early church was there. When James wrote these words the city was in religious turmoil – the Pharisees and the Saducees and the hate filled high priest – was still on the move. Christians would have been persecuted. Remember also that Jerusalem would have been under Roman domination and (PHOTO 3) Herod the Great had been appointed King of the Jews by Augustus in 40A.D. (PHOTO 4) This was the temple that he built and James and the new Christians would have met for worship outside of this temple in the collonades or porches.
Setting: Acts 11:28 tells us that Jerusalem was very poor. It had become that way because of the Roman greed, the heavy taxes and the famine that was in the area. The Christians in this city were very poor. James had to write the letter sometime before AD 62 when he was martyrded.
Audience: James wrote the book “to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” Even before Christ – the Jewish nation had been scattered across the face of the earth three times. I knew this, but I was personally surprised to read about a Jewish center in the city of Mombai India – a Hindu and Muslim nation today. The diaspora or dispersion is what the scattering of the Jews is known as and each year those who could make the journey back to Jerusalem for the Passover would do so – this is why so many from many nations were in Jerusalem at Pentecost in the beginning of the book of Acts…….. Christianity is Jewish. Mary was Jewish. Joseph was Jewish – Jesus lived in Jewish home for 30 years and His first public ministry was to the Jews. As God’s chosen nation --- God called them to repent and put their faith in Jesus. James is writing to all Jews every where who had put their faith in Jesus and especially he is writing to you and me….. he is writing so that we can have a living faith. Please stand as we read James chapter one. Phil
Counterfeiting is a major problem in our country. We even have a new name for it – knockoffs. My sister was excited to go to New York with her husband to see the Yankees play because she knew that he would take her after the game into the back streets of New York to get a designer knockoff handbag. Forged money, credit cards, jewelry, perfume, works of art and everything of value is passed off as the genuine to deceive those unaware. Something that you think is valuable must be examined to determine if it is genuine. This is what James writes about --- having a living faith – having a saving faith and what does it look like.
The most valuable possession that you can have is a saving faith. Every parent in this room wants their child to have a saving faith. A right relationship to a living God who promises those who truly put their faith in Him ----- is the most valuable possession that you can every have in your life. There is no relationship in your life --- there is no job --- there is no house or status that you can ever have or obtain that is any more valuable than having a saving living faith. Time and time again in the bible we are told to examine our lives and test our faith and see if it is genuine. You can be sincere in your faith and be sincerely wrong and deceived. Satan is the master counterfeiter of saving faith. 2 Cor 11: 14 -15 says that He and his angels of light deceive the unwary. James writes this letter to make certain that God’s people are not deceived. He writes the letter to encourage them to examine their lives. James wants the people to have a saving living faith.
What kinds of faith are there?
1. Religious faith. This is someone who believes that their concept of salvation is the right one and their concept actually is taking them on the way to eternal damnation. I know someone who attends church every Wednesday night and yet they do not believe that Jesus is the only way to God. A religious faith is also someone who believes they are a good person and that there is some good in them and that God accepts them because of their goodness. They say to themselves, “ I attend church – I take communion – I give money – I have been baptized – I am a member of the church and I teach Sunday school – all this must make me acceptable in God’s sight.” John puts it very clear about those who had a religious faith in the gospel of John.
John 12:42 – 43 “… the Pharisees would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise from men more than praise from God.” Do you have a religious faith? I know a woman who attends church every Sunday and takes communion every Sunday and yet she does not own a bible or read a bible – but she claims that she knows God.
2. Demonic faith. Satan and his angels are the masters of a demonic deception of faith. They can even make spiritual people heal people – they can delude people into doing things that seem godly. Acts chapter 5. Ananias and Sapphira were deceived by a demonic faith. Vs. 3 “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and kept for yourself some money you received for the land.” A church going husband and wife were deceived by Satan – their faith was demonic. In Matthew 4:10 Jesus said to Satan “away from me, Satan. For it is written :Worship the Lord your God; and serve Him only.” Worship of anything other than Jesus is a demonic faith. My brother Bill attends church – he goes to please his wife and his father in law but my brother goes to meet people who could be future customers and he goes to increase his status in the business world – he does not worship Jesus. John records a shocking example of demonic faith in John 13:2 “The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.” Think about it: A man who walked and talked with Jesus for 3 years had demonic faith. Judas did not have saving faith. He did not have a living faith.
So --- let’s look at the third one --- a saving faith. What does it really mean to have a saving faith? The apostle Paul tells us to examine ourselves and see if we are in the faith. Not all of us have a saving faith. Some of us have a religious faith and some of us have a demonic faith…… We are going close today with communion ---- if you do not examine yourself and you go ahead and take communion the bible says you are bringing judgment upon yourself. In the book of Haggi – the prophet tells us to “Consider your ways”. Paul says to “examine yourself” --- so what does it mean to have a saving faith?
3. Saving Faith. Ask yourself some questions. I have six questions for you. Be serious and sober and honest with God and with yourself.
* Can you identify any change in your life. Acts 26:20 “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” Can you identify any changes in your life? Paul said that you prove to yourself that you have saving faith by looking at the changed deeds in your life. The most obvious is your actions and your attitudes. It does not mean that you are perfect and that you have tons and tons of changes in your life – but if you have saving faith, can you identify any sin that you have stopped or it is getting less in your life? Are you convicted over sin and do you respond to that conviction? Second question………..
* Can you identify any good works that you do or have done? We are going to get into saving faith and good works in James chapter 2. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” If you are one of the we that Paul is writing about – you are God’s workmanship and He created you in Christ to do good works and it is God who prepared the good works for you to do. So – do you know the good works that God has prepared for you? You can do good works and many people do…. but are you doing the ones that God has prepared? James says that if you have saving faith --- the good works that God has prepared for you to do is going to be a result of that saving faith. 3rd question
* Can you identify obedience to the commands of God in your life? Saving faith means obedience to God. It means a righteous life. Loving other believers 1 John 2:3 “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands” Saving faith means that I obey the commands of God. Do I really care about obeying God?? Ask yourself…… 1John 2: 5- 6 “If anyone obey His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him. Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” Saving faith means that I want to obey God and there are times of obedience that I can identify in my life. Saving faith means that I care about knowing God’s Word so that I can obey it --- and this leads us into the next question. #4
* Do you have a genuine commitment to the Word of God. Jesus put it this way in the sermon on the mountain in Matthew 5:17 -20 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tells you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Does that not tell you that what God has given us in the Bible is vital to have a living faith. You cannot have a living faith and care nothing about the bible. You cannot have a living faith and have no interest or desire for the bible. We are all busy and I know that the discipline of bible reading is hard to do --- but that is no excuse. If you have no interest or desire for the Word of God you ought to question if you have real saving faith. #5
* Do you have a biblical view of money and possessions. You cannot have saving faith and have a worldly view of money and possessions. Matthew 6:19 - 24 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy - no one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” We have spent the last 7 weeks studying the issue of money and possessions in our lives – if you think you have a living faith….. then that has to be shown in your finances. What are you doing to get your finances in shape? What areas of how you deal with your finances are you repenting of? November was our healthiest giving month in 6 months – so obviously many of you are getting serious about this area of your life. But let me ask you…… how much are you going to go into debt this Christmas so that you can buy presents? Are you really serious about budgeting and doing without and cutting the wants out of your life? A living faith has and experiences a biblical view of money and possessions in ones life. #6
* Do you have a biblical view of relationships. Matthew 7:1 – 5 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” As we prepare to take communion --- Is there someone in this room that you have a plank in your eye against? Is there a relationship in your life that you have cut that person off and if they came into this room you could not give them a hug? Saving faith forgives others. A living faith does not wall off people in ones life. It does not mean that you sometimes have challenges with relationships but saving faith reaches out and loves those who are un -loveable - you love those you do not like being around….. That is a living faith. Saving faith means that you have real relationships in a local church family ----I rejoiced when I found out that Steve and Sandy Taylor left SHCC in June and by November they had found a church home and got involved in a small group BS. A living saving faith means that you have a biblical view of relationships and you see how vital they are for your life.
James knew all these points and that is what He is teaching in this letter that he wrote to the 12 tribes scattered abroad. As you prepare to worship God through remembering the death and ressurectoin of His Son Jesus Christ look with me briefly at the opening words of James.
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” James does not call himself a brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls himself a servant.
The word servant is found many many times in the New Testament. It is the word in the Greek language doulos. This is what James calls himself. If you have a saving faith or a living faith you should be able to call yourself and think of yourself in the same way that James wrote about himself.
The Greek word that James used for servant implies 4 things:
A Servant of God
1. It implies absolute obedience. A servant knows no law but their masters word. They know they have no rights of their own. They have given their rights up to their master. Have you given your rights up to your master Jesus?
2. It implies absolute humility. Being a servant is someone who thinks not of privileges’ but duties.
Their faith in Jesus causes them to serve Him and obey Him out of a humble love and attitude for Him.
3. It implies absolute loyalty. Personal gain and preference does not enter into the calculations. Their loyalty as a slave of Jesus causes them to set aside their own preferences – wants and desires.
When a person who has saving faith and demonstrates the character of a servant in a church family they put others first – they put aside their own preferences. #4 being a servant……….
4. It implies a certain pride. The one greatness to which a Christian can aspire is to that of being a slave of God. If you are a slave of Christ then you are not ashamed of your master. You will stand up for your master – you talk about your master and you are proud to be called His.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Giving #7
Joyful Giving
Stewardship #7
November 30, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
Turn with me to the last book in the Old Testament – the book of Malachi. For the past 7 weeks we have been studying Joyful Giving or stewardship. Next week we begin our study of the book of James . I have passed out a challenge card called the Ten Percent Challenge. I did not ask you to turn in your response to it but I also passed out a sheet called My Estimate for 2009. It is in your program again today. This Estimate Card is to help your deacons prepare a budget for 2009 – only _____ have been turned in. .
Pastor John MacArthur has said that you and I spend 50 percent of our time thinking about money – how to get it, how to spend it, how to save it, and how much we need to pay for different things. If we spend that much time thinking about money, money is very important to us… You would think with all the time and thought that we put into acquiring money, we would be good at managing our finances – but the truth is – we are terrible at it… Because we spend so much of our time and energy thinking about money – earning it – spending it – fighting over it and because we handle our money so poorly God talks a lot about money in the bible. I could speak to you every Sunday on stewardship but today is our 7th and final message this year. God wants us to be joyful and victorious with the money and possessions that He gives to us. He does not wants us burdened down with debt --- He does not want us to be slaves to lenders. He does not want us to be thieves.
God wants our character to reflect Jesus Christ and His principles. The message in our text today that God gives to us can be summed up in one verse – Malachi chap 3:7. On your outline write in the words.
Key Principle: When you return to God with obedient giving. He will return to you with financial blessing. Write in the two words.
Everyone wants the promise of God – financial blessing --- but most find it easy to overlook and rationalize disobedience to God and His commands. We must remember that this key principle is only true when you put into practice the Six financial wisdom principles we found in God’s Word last week in the book of Proverbs. Please stand as we read God’s Word.
Malachi 3:6 - 12 6“I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ 8“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. 12“Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
We just read a portion of the last book in the OT. It was written by the prophet Malachi only 400 years before Jesus Christ. The people of God were not giving God their best. God demanded then their best and He demands from His children their best today. In this passage that we read – the Holy Spirit took the hand of this prophet and wrote down these words. They are words that confront us as a believer and they are words that challenge us. Bringing these messages to you has been a challenge to me – I have not wanted to come across as a preacher telling people they just ought to give money and when they do not they are bad….
It grieves me when a child of God is a poor manger of the money God gives to them -- and I personally hurt for them when they rob themselves of the joy and blessings that God brings when His children are obedient to His Word. I cannot image the weight of guilt and condemnation that many live under. I hope you have seen that attitude in me from these messages. There are two challenges in our text today that God gives to us.
Challenge One. We are robbing God when we are disobedient in our giving. (vs.8 - 9) “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, How do we rob You? In tithes and offerings.” God begins this section by reminding His people who He is. He does not change. His laws do not change. His principles do not change. His holiness does not change. This first challenge contains five truths that we must pay attention to.
1. Robbing God is a terrible act. Vs.8a “Will a man rob God”? The prophet writes this kind of like a shocking statement or question.” It is almost like he is saying – you got to be kidding me – you are going to rob God? You are content to be a thief and the one you are stealing from is God? What planet are you from?????? A mere man – who owes his entire existence and every good gift from God thinks that he is able to get away with robbing God. If you are or have been robbing God then you are committing a terrible sin. Truth #2
2. Many of God’s people are regularly robbing God. Vs. 8b. “Yet you are robbing Me” This is what God spoke through the prophet --- the prophet was not writing about himself – he was writing about God. The Jewish nation was regularly not bringing to God their best. Turn back to Malachi chap 1: 13 -14 ………the prophet wrote in the beginning of his writing what was happening “When you bring injured, crippled and diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands says the Lord? Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord.” God’s people were not bringing to God their best. They did not do this on just one occasion but they were regularly doing it time and time again. Christian Magazine World reports that in 2006 American believers gave less per capita than believers in churches during the Great Depression. The truth that was happening during Malachi’s time was nothing new --- what is sad is how much believers were not only robbing God but themselves of the blessings of God. We cannot expect the promises of God when we care little about the conditions that go with the promises of God. Truth #3
3. It is possible to rob God without being aware of it. Vs.8c “How have we robbed you” When Malachi told the people what they were doing they ignorantly and perhaps rebelliously sneered at him…… I am thankful that no one has sneered at me this month – at least not to my face……. The spiritual insensitivity and rebellion of the people caused them to deliberately forget God’s commands. You may be robbing God and you are not even aware of it – but God still holds His children responsible to the commands in His Word. However – when a believer hears instruction and teaching about giving and yet they continue to disobey --- the guilt upon that person is greater. The Word of God always has an affect on your life one way or another. During this series I gave you the Ten Percent Challenge card and I challenged you to give for 90 days and if you can not meet your financial needs during that time we promised to give the money that you gave back to you. I have not had one person tell me that they have accepted that challenge but if you look at our giving this month it has not been this high in the past 6 months. You all can be givers and obey Him. Comment about 90 days and faithfulness--- When you begin to sow – do not stop --- often you do not see the return on your sowing until some time has passed where you have shown your self faithful. I keep a prayer journal and I regularly record God’s blessings in my life --- spiritual ones ---- physical ones and financial ones. Truth #4
4. Believers rob God when they disobey His commands. Vs.8d “In tithes and offerings”. God patiently explained through Malachi to the people something they already knew - God expected His people to give regularly a tithe or 10% and offerings when they are needed. We are not under the Old Testament law today we are under the grace of Jesus in the New Testament ,so therefore – it is spiritually healthy for a believer to learn to give to the point where they are giving over 10% of their income. I know of a family who has increased their giving by 1 % a year for the past 15 years. If you want to grow in your hunger for the bible – then learn to give. If you want to grow in your prayer life and see God answer you prayers – learn to give. If husbands and wives want to grow in their love for each other - then learn to give. If you want to get out of debt and break the grip of materialism on your life --- learn to give.
The apostle James writes “every good gift and perfect gift is from above.” God’s good gifts are perfect. God is the source of good gifts and He is the source of giving impulse. The ability to give is one aspect of God’s image in us. So, if you are a real believer you are able to examine yourself and see God in you as you grow in your giving. You cannot grow in trusting God and not become a giver – you cannot grow in your faith and not grow in the discipline of giving.
5. There is always a result in the life of the believer when they rob God. Vs.9 “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you.” God says that He is cursing the nation of Israel because they are thieves. God not only disciplines His children individually He disciplines a nation corporately. Could we be seeing this happening nationally today in our country? Could our countries current economic crises be as a result of God’s hand upon us? The IRS says that in 2006 – 3% of the people who itemized on their taxes claimed that they gave 10% or more to their churches and that included the Mormans. I have never met or known anyone who did not give to God who was spiritually healthy. It is impossible to be spiritually healthy and not be a growing giver. I have never encountered a believer in 35 years who loved to pray --- who loved to read the Word of God, who did not obey God when it came to giving. I have heard story after story of believer who began to obey God when it comes to giving and it affects the rest of their lives and it especially affects their financial health. They become believers who learn to budget. They learn to do without --- they do not go deep deep in debt. Givers care about others in the family of God --- they become other centered people. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Many believers are financially and spiritually poor because they continue to rob God.” Think about it:
If you found that your bank manager stole your money after you made a deposit in his bank and he refused to give it back – would you continue to make deposits in his bank? Well, God would not either. That is Challenge #1, now for #2
Challenge Two We can trust God to bless us financially when we are obedient in our giving.
Malachi 3:”10 – 12 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it.” Notice with me three facets of this second challenge.
1. Followers of God are commanded to be completely obedient to the law.
(vs. 10a) Malachi is commanding the followers of God to bring all their tithe to the place of worship. He says – bring it all the time and every time – give God your best every month – be fully obedient to His command. This does not mean that a believer cannot support other spiritual missions and activities. Many of you give to other mission works – some of you support Compassion International – some of you support KNIS radio – but that support is an offering, it is not your tithe according to Malachi. 2nd facet
2. Followers of God are commanded by God to test Him and see if He will not keep His promise. (vs. 10b). This is the only place in the bible where God challenges His people to put Him to the test in anything. I believe that He does this because God knows that giving is the hardest area in which to trust Him. Christian financial teacher Larry Burkett said, “if I had not learned to trust God with giving, I know I would not have trusted Him with my cancer.”
Think about it: If takes faith to believe that you’ll be better off financially by giving your money away than by keeping it. I think about that every year when I do our taxes and I look at our personal giving report from the previous year – I see if we have been faithful and I am able to see how much we did give --------- I confess to you that I have wondered what we could have done with all that money, but I find myself having a healthy fear of what our lives would have been like if were not givers. God says, Put Me to the test, try me, accept my challenge and see if I will break My promise. Some of you have done that and you know that God keeps His Word. You have grown to trust God in this area and you would not think of stopping to trust Him. Look at number three – the promise of God’s blessing.
3. God promises His children blessing. (vs.10c -12) God says that He will pour out so much blessing on His children until it overflowed. He would give them more crops than they could eat and then look at verse 11 – He promises to remove His financial discipline that He has put upon them. They were suffering from locusts and poor grape harvests because they were not giving as they should have. This could be why getting out and staying out of debt and giving go together. And then in verse 12 God says that He would bless them to such a degree that all heathen nations would see their prosperity. These promises were given to the Jewish nation as a whole but as followers of the Jesus Christ they apply to you and me today. People will see our prosperity. People know who givers are. People are attracked to those who give --- not because they think they can get something from them but givers are people persons who care about others. God says put Me to the test. If you test God – then you can believe God for three promises:
Promise #1 God will meet all your financial needs.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness: and all these things shall be added to you.” Are you seeking the first the Kingdom of God in your life? What do you think about the most? What is the top priority with your time?
2 Corinthians 9:6 “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.”
Slide: Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Remember that verse and address.
Promise #2 God promises to provide you with more money than you need. 2 Corinthians 9:6 “Now this I say; he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully.” There is nothing wrong with a believer enjoying the things of life. Someone recently told me they felt guilty eating all the food at a buffet when there are so many people in need. I told them to eat with joy but make sure to stop at the store and bring some food for our food pantry. There is nothing sinful when a giving believer enjoys extra things in life. God says He will cause you to reap more than you need.
2 Corinthians 9:11 “You will be enriched in everything for all liberality.”
Promise #3 He will provide you with an abundance to give to His work.
2 Corinthians 9:8 -10 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything , you may have an abundance for every good deed…. Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” I personally believe that our response to this third promise is the key to the first two. When God gives us excess – what do we do with it?
Do we first spend it on ourselves or do we look for opportunities to give and invest in God’s kingdom.
Key Principle: When you return to God with obedient giving, He will return to you with financial blessing.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father – we thank you for being a God who gives. You want us to become more and more like you. Teach us to give. Teach us to manage what you give us in a way that brings you glory and honor. We thank you – In Jesus name amen
Stewardship #7
November 30, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming
Turn with me to the last book in the Old Testament – the book of Malachi. For the past 7 weeks we have been studying Joyful Giving or stewardship. Next week we begin our study of the book of James . I have passed out a challenge card called the Ten Percent Challenge. I did not ask you to turn in your response to it but I also passed out a sheet called My Estimate for 2009. It is in your program again today. This Estimate Card is to help your deacons prepare a budget for 2009 – only _____ have been turned in. .
Pastor John MacArthur has said that you and I spend 50 percent of our time thinking about money – how to get it, how to spend it, how to save it, and how much we need to pay for different things. If we spend that much time thinking about money, money is very important to us… You would think with all the time and thought that we put into acquiring money, we would be good at managing our finances – but the truth is – we are terrible at it… Because we spend so much of our time and energy thinking about money – earning it – spending it – fighting over it and because we handle our money so poorly God talks a lot about money in the bible. I could speak to you every Sunday on stewardship but today is our 7th and final message this year. God wants us to be joyful and victorious with the money and possessions that He gives to us. He does not wants us burdened down with debt --- He does not want us to be slaves to lenders. He does not want us to be thieves.
God wants our character to reflect Jesus Christ and His principles. The message in our text today that God gives to us can be summed up in one verse – Malachi chap 3:7. On your outline write in the words.
Key Principle: When you return to God with obedient giving. He will return to you with financial blessing. Write in the two words.
Everyone wants the promise of God – financial blessing --- but most find it easy to overlook and rationalize disobedience to God and His commands. We must remember that this key principle is only true when you put into practice the Six financial wisdom principles we found in God’s Word last week in the book of Proverbs. Please stand as we read God’s Word.
Malachi 3:6 - 12 6“I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ 8“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. 12“Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
We just read a portion of the last book in the OT. It was written by the prophet Malachi only 400 years before Jesus Christ. The people of God were not giving God their best. God demanded then their best and He demands from His children their best today. In this passage that we read – the Holy Spirit took the hand of this prophet and wrote down these words. They are words that confront us as a believer and they are words that challenge us. Bringing these messages to you has been a challenge to me – I have not wanted to come across as a preacher telling people they just ought to give money and when they do not they are bad….
It grieves me when a child of God is a poor manger of the money God gives to them -- and I personally hurt for them when they rob themselves of the joy and blessings that God brings when His children are obedient to His Word. I cannot image the weight of guilt and condemnation that many live under. I hope you have seen that attitude in me from these messages. There are two challenges in our text today that God gives to us.
Challenge One. We are robbing God when we are disobedient in our giving. (vs.8 - 9) “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, How do we rob You? In tithes and offerings.” God begins this section by reminding His people who He is. He does not change. His laws do not change. His principles do not change. His holiness does not change. This first challenge contains five truths that we must pay attention to.
1. Robbing God is a terrible act. Vs.8a “Will a man rob God”? The prophet writes this kind of like a shocking statement or question.” It is almost like he is saying – you got to be kidding me – you are going to rob God? You are content to be a thief and the one you are stealing from is God? What planet are you from?????? A mere man – who owes his entire existence and every good gift from God thinks that he is able to get away with robbing God. If you are or have been robbing God then you are committing a terrible sin. Truth #2
2. Many of God’s people are regularly robbing God. Vs. 8b. “Yet you are robbing Me” This is what God spoke through the prophet --- the prophet was not writing about himself – he was writing about God. The Jewish nation was regularly not bringing to God their best. Turn back to Malachi chap 1: 13 -14 ………the prophet wrote in the beginning of his writing what was happening “When you bring injured, crippled and diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands says the Lord? Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord.” God’s people were not bringing to God their best. They did not do this on just one occasion but they were regularly doing it time and time again. Christian Magazine World reports that in 2006 American believers gave less per capita than believers in churches during the Great Depression. The truth that was happening during Malachi’s time was nothing new --- what is sad is how much believers were not only robbing God but themselves of the blessings of God. We cannot expect the promises of God when we care little about the conditions that go with the promises of God. Truth #3
3. It is possible to rob God without being aware of it. Vs.8c “How have we robbed you” When Malachi told the people what they were doing they ignorantly and perhaps rebelliously sneered at him…… I am thankful that no one has sneered at me this month – at least not to my face……. The spiritual insensitivity and rebellion of the people caused them to deliberately forget God’s commands. You may be robbing God and you are not even aware of it – but God still holds His children responsible to the commands in His Word. However – when a believer hears instruction and teaching about giving and yet they continue to disobey --- the guilt upon that person is greater. The Word of God always has an affect on your life one way or another. During this series I gave you the Ten Percent Challenge card and I challenged you to give for 90 days and if you can not meet your financial needs during that time we promised to give the money that you gave back to you. I have not had one person tell me that they have accepted that challenge but if you look at our giving this month it has not been this high in the past 6 months. You all can be givers and obey Him. Comment about 90 days and faithfulness--- When you begin to sow – do not stop --- often you do not see the return on your sowing until some time has passed where you have shown your self faithful. I keep a prayer journal and I regularly record God’s blessings in my life --- spiritual ones ---- physical ones and financial ones. Truth #4
4. Believers rob God when they disobey His commands. Vs.8d “In tithes and offerings”. God patiently explained through Malachi to the people something they already knew - God expected His people to give regularly a tithe or 10% and offerings when they are needed. We are not under the Old Testament law today we are under the grace of Jesus in the New Testament ,so therefore – it is spiritually healthy for a believer to learn to give to the point where they are giving over 10% of their income. I know of a family who has increased their giving by 1 % a year for the past 15 years. If you want to grow in your hunger for the bible – then learn to give. If you want to grow in your prayer life and see God answer you prayers – learn to give. If husbands and wives want to grow in their love for each other - then learn to give. If you want to get out of debt and break the grip of materialism on your life --- learn to give.
The apostle James writes “every good gift and perfect gift is from above.” God’s good gifts are perfect. God is the source of good gifts and He is the source of giving impulse. The ability to give is one aspect of God’s image in us. So, if you are a real believer you are able to examine yourself and see God in you as you grow in your giving. You cannot grow in trusting God and not become a giver – you cannot grow in your faith and not grow in the discipline of giving.
5. There is always a result in the life of the believer when they rob God. Vs.9 “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you.” God says that He is cursing the nation of Israel because they are thieves. God not only disciplines His children individually He disciplines a nation corporately. Could we be seeing this happening nationally today in our country? Could our countries current economic crises be as a result of God’s hand upon us? The IRS says that in 2006 – 3% of the people who itemized on their taxes claimed that they gave 10% or more to their churches and that included the Mormans. I have never met or known anyone who did not give to God who was spiritually healthy. It is impossible to be spiritually healthy and not be a growing giver. I have never encountered a believer in 35 years who loved to pray --- who loved to read the Word of God, who did not obey God when it came to giving. I have heard story after story of believer who began to obey God when it comes to giving and it affects the rest of their lives and it especially affects their financial health. They become believers who learn to budget. They learn to do without --- they do not go deep deep in debt. Givers care about others in the family of God --- they become other centered people. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Many believers are financially and spiritually poor because they continue to rob God.” Think about it:
If you found that your bank manager stole your money after you made a deposit in his bank and he refused to give it back – would you continue to make deposits in his bank? Well, God would not either. That is Challenge #1, now for #2
Challenge Two We can trust God to bless us financially when we are obedient in our giving.
Malachi 3:”10 – 12 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it.” Notice with me three facets of this second challenge.
1. Followers of God are commanded to be completely obedient to the law.
(vs. 10a) Malachi is commanding the followers of God to bring all their tithe to the place of worship. He says – bring it all the time and every time – give God your best every month – be fully obedient to His command. This does not mean that a believer cannot support other spiritual missions and activities. Many of you give to other mission works – some of you support Compassion International – some of you support KNIS radio – but that support is an offering, it is not your tithe according to Malachi. 2nd facet
2. Followers of God are commanded by God to test Him and see if He will not keep His promise. (vs. 10b). This is the only place in the bible where God challenges His people to put Him to the test in anything. I believe that He does this because God knows that giving is the hardest area in which to trust Him. Christian financial teacher Larry Burkett said, “if I had not learned to trust God with giving, I know I would not have trusted Him with my cancer.”
Think about it: If takes faith to believe that you’ll be better off financially by giving your money away than by keeping it. I think about that every year when I do our taxes and I look at our personal giving report from the previous year – I see if we have been faithful and I am able to see how much we did give --------- I confess to you that I have wondered what we could have done with all that money, but I find myself having a healthy fear of what our lives would have been like if were not givers. God says, Put Me to the test, try me, accept my challenge and see if I will break My promise. Some of you have done that and you know that God keeps His Word. You have grown to trust God in this area and you would not think of stopping to trust Him. Look at number three – the promise of God’s blessing.
3. God promises His children blessing. (vs.10c -12) God says that He will pour out so much blessing on His children until it overflowed. He would give them more crops than they could eat and then look at verse 11 – He promises to remove His financial discipline that He has put upon them. They were suffering from locusts and poor grape harvests because they were not giving as they should have. This could be why getting out and staying out of debt and giving go together. And then in verse 12 God says that He would bless them to such a degree that all heathen nations would see their prosperity. These promises were given to the Jewish nation as a whole but as followers of the Jesus Christ they apply to you and me today. People will see our prosperity. People know who givers are. People are attracked to those who give --- not because they think they can get something from them but givers are people persons who care about others. God says put Me to the test. If you test God – then you can believe God for three promises:
Promise #1 God will meet all your financial needs.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness: and all these things shall be added to you.” Are you seeking the first the Kingdom of God in your life? What do you think about the most? What is the top priority with your time?
2 Corinthians 9:6 “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.”
Slide: Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Remember that verse and address.
Promise #2 God promises to provide you with more money than you need. 2 Corinthians 9:6 “Now this I say; he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully.” There is nothing wrong with a believer enjoying the things of life. Someone recently told me they felt guilty eating all the food at a buffet when there are so many people in need. I told them to eat with joy but make sure to stop at the store and bring some food for our food pantry. There is nothing sinful when a giving believer enjoys extra things in life. God says He will cause you to reap more than you need.
2 Corinthians 9:11 “You will be enriched in everything for all liberality.”
Promise #3 He will provide you with an abundance to give to His work.
2 Corinthians 9:8 -10 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything , you may have an abundance for every good deed…. Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” I personally believe that our response to this third promise is the key to the first two. When God gives us excess – what do we do with it?
Do we first spend it on ourselves or do we look for opportunities to give and invest in God’s kingdom.
Key Principle: When you return to God with obedient giving, He will return to you with financial blessing.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father – we thank you for being a God who gives. You want us to become more and more like you. Teach us to give. Teach us to manage what you give us in a way that brings you glory and honor. We thank you – In Jesus name amen
Giving #6
Joyous Giving
Stewardship #6
November 23rd
Pastor Ben Fleming
The first week of December your deacons must begin to work on the budget for this church family for 2009. To help them do so – there is a pledge sheet in your program. It was given out last week. If this is your church family would you let them know how you plan to give in 2009. You do not have to give them your name –just the top portion…two turned in. SHOW
Some of us are wise with our money and some of us are foolish but all of us want to be good stewards with our money – I know you do. If you are a believer --- deep down you want to please God. Some of us are able to stretch a dollar and hold on to a dollar and some of us – it just goes right through our hands and when we get a chance to borrow and put something on credit we go right ahead and get into debt. It is so easy to go in debt. (slide) Best Buy will give you 18 months to pay for anything over $400 – can you believe it --- (slide) I can get that Dell Laptop and pay for it over 18 months or (slide) shoot do you know how long I have been waiting to get a spa outback – they are interest free for 18 months as well. Last year they only gave you 12 months free interest – man times are getting better…. Getting into debt is so easy but getting out is hard. Being debt free is not a New Year’s Resolution – you must make it a new life resolution and commit to living debt free as your most important goal. To do so – will require that you change your lifestyle. I do not know your situation but God does. God cares and He cares about you and He wants you to be a manager of your money in a way that brings Him pleasure.
When it comes to teaching on money in the Christian world, there are two extremes. The first is the prosperity theology which teaches that it is God’s will that you be rich. One TV preacher said that Jesus was rich – he wore designer clothes and lived in a big house another said, “go buy a Lexus and trust God for the payments.” The second extreme in the church is ignoring money and teaching about money all together in the church.
Turn with me to 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17. ……. When it comes to money – most of need rebuking. Rebuke is the word the bible used for bringing truth to where change is needed ---- and we are not talking about the political change that we have been hearing about. Political change is not going to change our stewardship of money. Political change is not going cause the believer to bring glory to God by the way he or she handles money. Believers must repent. Believers must begin to obey God’s Word and begin to put into practice what God’s Word teaches. Please stand with me as we read God’s Word: “All Scripture is God breathed – and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Be seated………. PRAYER
A pastor should preach to his people all the scriptures about money. He should never be afraid of being accused of being a prosperity preacher – if God talks about money a pastor must talk about what God talks about. Paul said in Acts 20:20 “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable.” If you study the scriptures – “I believe that you will find in the scriptures the truth that it is God’s will that a believer be financially prosperous” -………………. but what does that mean when we use the word prosperous?? Have anything you want – buy what you want when you want it? Have everything everybody else has? Travel anywhere you want when you want to? That is not what the bible teaches. I believe the bible teaches us 3 things about financial prosperity.
Financial Prosperity
A. You never worry about money.
Matthew 6:31- 32 “So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? Or What shall we drink? Or What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father know that you need them.”……. If you know you are prosperous you do not lie awake at night thinking about money – you do not constantly fight with your spouse about money – you are not fearful of the credit collectors -- money worries do not distract you------ but prosperity does not mean that you are able to spend spend spend. It is possible to spend spend spend and not be biblically prosperous. Prosperity means that you are not consumed in your thoughts and focus in life about money. Money is not your master. You are master of your money. Never think that people who have money do not worry about money. #2 financial prosperity
B. You always have all the money you need.
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” The bible never says that God will meet all your wants. Most of what we think we need as Americans is a want. Paul said to Timothy – if we have food and clothing we will be content with that. God knows that you need food – clothing and housing. God says that you are financially prosperous when you pay your bills on time and all your needs are met. Some of you do not believe that --- you can think of bills right now that you cannot pay – another view of prosperity means #3
C. You always have extra money to give to His work.
2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” You know you are prosperous when you have extra money to give to God’s work. ---- comment--- if you are experiencing biblical financial prosperity you see opportunities to give and you do so.
Many of us perhaps do not think of ourselves or see ourselves as prosperous – we think “how come these promises are not happening my life? What am I doing wrong?” There are two conditions that go with the promises of God.
Conditions for Prosperity
1. Total surrender. You and I must totally surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. God does not bless and reward a rebellious believer with financial prosperity. Surrender means that you surrender your time – your talents and your troubles. It means that you place yourself under a spiritual authority,….. it that means you reach out for help when you find yourself unable to make it --- you lay out on the table all your affairs – it means you hold yourself accountable and few are wiling to do that……………. But I a have a joy this month because three families have asked for help in being accountable with their finances.
2. Manage your money as a wise steward. Christian Financial teachers Ron Blue and Bruce Cook report that at age 65 ….. 45% of Americans are dependant on relatives, 30% are dependant on charity and 23% are still working and only 2% are financially independent.
80% of all Americans owe more than they own and 25% of all income goes to repay debt. Not only does America not manage its money – the American believer does not……. God gives us much wisdom in His Word when it comes to money. This morning I want you to walk with me through the book of Proverbs – the wisdom book that God used Solomon to write – I want to give you Six principles of wise money management. These are very simple but direct.
Wisdom Principle #1 Use a budget. Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” The verse does not tell you to use a budget but it does imply diligent planning. If you aim at nothing you hit it every time. A budget is a simple way of planning your financial life. Christian financial founder Larry Burket wrote, “a budget is nothing more than a short range plan for how you will spend your money during the year. It should not restrict your freedom to enjoy life – it should expand it. How – you say – can living on a budget expand your freedom? By helping you live within your means and not go into debt. If you are in debt a budget will help you get out of it” ---- This is the purpose of the insert in your program for us as a church family --- we are asking you to tell us what you intend to do in 2009 to support this church family ---- what you tell us will help us make a budget. If it is wisdom for God’s people then the church must do the same thing.
Wisdom Principle #2 Have a savings plan. Proverbs 21:20 “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” A foolish man spends all he has. A wise man saves and puts away. When he puts away …when the starter motor breaks – he can get it repaired without going into debt. When the stove goes on the blink – he can repair it….. A wise prosperous believer saves for emergencies. Biblical wisdom tells you to save something in short term savings out of every paycheck. Some of you put money into a savings account – some of you put money in a money market account – some of you stuff it under a mattress but most of us do not save……
Story: I will always remember Linda Sugg who had three kids – her husband at the time was a truck driver and she would take his paycheck – cash it and put the money in envelopes for different needs and one was savings and she was diligent to do that over the months and years and as we were helping her load up her family to move her daughter hit her front tooth and broke it – Linda looked into the savings envelope and counted the money and there was enough to have that tooth fixed. My sister in law does the same thing and she has taken her family on a vacation to Europe that she saved every month for by putting the money in her sock drawer. Prosperous believers save.
Wisdom Principle #3 Do not cosign for someone else’s loan. Proverbs 17:18 “A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.” Solomon seemed to write this one five times – I think he wanted to drive the point home. Do not every cosign a loan for a neighbor --- Christian or non Christian. The bible is clear on this.
Proverbs 22:26-27, 6:1-5, 11:15, 20:16. If you cosign a loan the bible says that you lack good judgment. Striking hands with someone signifies that you are pledging yourself as collateral in a business arrangement. It is similar to our handshake. God says that you are foolish to cosign for someone else’s loan. Proverbs 22:26-27 “ Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.” You could be ruined for cosigning on a loan. It can ruin and hinder a relationship. Now I realize that in this church family there are those of you who have done such. You have cosigned and you have asked others to cosign for you. What do you do? Proverbs 6 says “Go and humble yourself and press your plea and allow no slumber to your eyes.” --- in other words you get out of it as fast as possible.
Story: I know what it feels like to get into debt…… I know what it feels like to think that a debt is going to be paid for by someone else or a family member. In 2000 my father told me to go down and lease a car and he would pay for the lease. I guess I wanted to please my father and not offend him – so I did it. Every month we had to wait for the check to pay that lease which was in our name. After a year –my father got sick and he said he could not pay for the lease. We were stuck – it was not cosigning on a loan but for us it was the same thing --- and then #3 and #4 go together.
Wisdom # 4 Stay out of debt. Seems impossible but the bible teaches this. Proverbs 22:7 “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” Larry Burkett and ever godly Christian financial teacher says that the only debt a believer should ever consider is a home but in the past 2 years that has been false. Believers and non believers are loosing their homes because they went into too much debt. When you are in debt you loose a degree of freedom because you must pay the lender a certain amount of money on a regular basis. I still remember the believer who told me – “Pastor Ben, I pay as much as I can on my credit card bill first and then I give what’s left to God” – “you would not want me to not pay my bills would you”? …………… Consumer debt robs a believer of being a prosperous Christian.
(slide) Do you know what those are? These are the worst slave that our culture has been sucked into. People who use credit cards spend 33% more than if they did not own them. College kids easily get credit cards and I think our kids got applications in the mail as early as 16 years old. Most do not think they can get by without a credit card and even many young people say I got a credit card so that I could build my credit and they are 5k in debt by the time they are 24 years old. Pastor Ben I have to have a credit card so I can buy things off the internet – a debt card works fine. Really the only solution for credit cards is this (SLIDE)
How do you know you know if credit cards are robbing you of prosperity? You frequently worry about money. Your family has arguments over money. You have no short term savings for emergencies. You borrow to pay non routine bills such as taxes and insurance. You use credit to pay for groceries and clothing. You pay the minimum due and you take cash advances to pay off bills on another one. You are near the borrowing limits on the card. You get letters from creditors and you do not know how much you owe. How do you get out of debt? Never spend more money than you make. Learn to live within your means. $10 an hour does not allow you to have an ipod or a cell phone. Those are luxuries that will kill you of prosperity. I have never met a believer who was in debt and they got out of debt without becoming a giver. Giving breaks the grip of the demon of debt in the life of a believer. The key to living within your means is what we spent our entire message on last week – contentment. Contentment is the key to financial prosperity. Contentment is the key to being debt free and staying debt free. Look on your outline and the overhead: SLIDE
Hebrews 13:5 “Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said; “I will never desert you, nor will I forsake you.”
Wisdom #5 Avoid Get-Rich –Quick Schemes. Proverbs 28:19 -20 “He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” Vs. 19 says that a person who works at his job will have all his needs, while the one who chases after empty and worthless goals will have plenty of poverty. Our state is the founder of that in gambling. Getting rich from no effort and no labor is what drives gambling. Any scheme that you hear of or that anyone tries to convince you to get involved in that does not require hard work is foolishness. Vs. 20 says that a faithful person will have lots of blessings while the person who hurries to get rich will not avoid being punished by God. Stay away from any scheme there is that promises you quick money – it is demonic and believer after believer has readily fallen for it. Over the years --- I can think of several that have come to the doorstep of the church offering a quick way for the church to tap into money without any effort.
Wisdom #6 Do not buy on impulse Proverbs 21:5b “Everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.” Hasty and quick spending decisions will lead you to poverty. When you buy – do so with caution and a diligent study of the consequences. It is common for Christians today to foolishly mismanage their money ---- make spending decisions and spiritualize them and then blame God for not blessing them financially. We must not fall to the trap of the devil and blame God when we do not obey the biblical financial principles God gives us. Ask yourself these
SPENDING QUESTIONS
Spending Questions
1. Do I have any doubt about purchasing the item? Romans 14:23 “But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
2. Have I given God an opportunity to supply it? That means have you waited? Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”.
3. Will it aid or hinder my spiritual growth? 1 Corinthians 6:12 “Everything is permissible for me but not everything is beneficial” You might be able to afford something but what is that item going to do when it comes to your spiritual growth? How much time is going to take and is it going to consume your focus and thinking?
4. Does it put me into debt? Proverbs 22:7 “ The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a servant to the lender.” Any purchase that puts you into debt making payments is not God’s will? It is against the principles of God.
5. Is it meaningful for my family? 1 Timothy 5:8 “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than a non believer”. Ask yourself, “Is what you are going to buy taking you away from your family?” Is what you plan to buy taking money that should be used to support and provide for your family?
6. Why do you really want it and do you really need it? 1 Timothy 6:9 “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” Are you making your purchase foolishly and because of selfish desires?
God wants to bless you but He has laid out His principles and His conditions. God does not bend His principles because of the decisions that we make. God does not cease to be good and giving because we do obey Him. When you follow His principles – you can confidently trust Him to bless you with biblical prosperity.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father – I pray for Your people. I pray that in all respects they may prosper and be in good health, just as their soul prospers. Teach them to be content. Teach them to be wise in the management of the possessions that you give to them. Help them to please You in how they handle their money. Lord I pray that their character would be free from the love of money and be content with what they have. Lord may we be a church family that lives our lives debt free and in slavery to no one. Help us to obey and to follow the financial principles that You have given to us in Your Word. IN JESUS NAME AMEN
Stewardship #6
November 23rd
Pastor Ben Fleming
The first week of December your deacons must begin to work on the budget for this church family for 2009. To help them do so – there is a pledge sheet in your program. It was given out last week. If this is your church family would you let them know how you plan to give in 2009. You do not have to give them your name –just the top portion…two turned in. SHOW
Some of us are wise with our money and some of us are foolish but all of us want to be good stewards with our money – I know you do. If you are a believer --- deep down you want to please God. Some of us are able to stretch a dollar and hold on to a dollar and some of us – it just goes right through our hands and when we get a chance to borrow and put something on credit we go right ahead and get into debt. It is so easy to go in debt. (slide) Best Buy will give you 18 months to pay for anything over $400 – can you believe it --- (slide) I can get that Dell Laptop and pay for it over 18 months or (slide) shoot do you know how long I have been waiting to get a spa outback – they are interest free for 18 months as well. Last year they only gave you 12 months free interest – man times are getting better…. Getting into debt is so easy but getting out is hard. Being debt free is not a New Year’s Resolution – you must make it a new life resolution and commit to living debt free as your most important goal. To do so – will require that you change your lifestyle. I do not know your situation but God does. God cares and He cares about you and He wants you to be a manager of your money in a way that brings Him pleasure.
When it comes to teaching on money in the Christian world, there are two extremes. The first is the prosperity theology which teaches that it is God’s will that you be rich. One TV preacher said that Jesus was rich – he wore designer clothes and lived in a big house another said, “go buy a Lexus and trust God for the payments.” The second extreme in the church is ignoring money and teaching about money all together in the church.
Turn with me to 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17. ……. When it comes to money – most of need rebuking. Rebuke is the word the bible used for bringing truth to where change is needed ---- and we are not talking about the political change that we have been hearing about. Political change is not going to change our stewardship of money. Political change is not going cause the believer to bring glory to God by the way he or she handles money. Believers must repent. Believers must begin to obey God’s Word and begin to put into practice what God’s Word teaches. Please stand with me as we read God’s Word: “All Scripture is God breathed – and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Be seated………. PRAYER
A pastor should preach to his people all the scriptures about money. He should never be afraid of being accused of being a prosperity preacher – if God talks about money a pastor must talk about what God talks about. Paul said in Acts 20:20 “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable.” If you study the scriptures – “I believe that you will find in the scriptures the truth that it is God’s will that a believer be financially prosperous” -………………. but what does that mean when we use the word prosperous?? Have anything you want – buy what you want when you want it? Have everything everybody else has? Travel anywhere you want when you want to? That is not what the bible teaches. I believe the bible teaches us 3 things about financial prosperity.
Financial Prosperity
A. You never worry about money.
Matthew 6:31- 32 “So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? Or What shall we drink? Or What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father know that you need them.”……. If you know you are prosperous you do not lie awake at night thinking about money – you do not constantly fight with your spouse about money – you are not fearful of the credit collectors -- money worries do not distract you------ but prosperity does not mean that you are able to spend spend spend. It is possible to spend spend spend and not be biblically prosperous. Prosperity means that you are not consumed in your thoughts and focus in life about money. Money is not your master. You are master of your money. Never think that people who have money do not worry about money. #2 financial prosperity
B. You always have all the money you need.
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” The bible never says that God will meet all your wants. Most of what we think we need as Americans is a want. Paul said to Timothy – if we have food and clothing we will be content with that. God knows that you need food – clothing and housing. God says that you are financially prosperous when you pay your bills on time and all your needs are met. Some of you do not believe that --- you can think of bills right now that you cannot pay – another view of prosperity means #3
C. You always have extra money to give to His work.
2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” You know you are prosperous when you have extra money to give to God’s work. ---- comment--- if you are experiencing biblical financial prosperity you see opportunities to give and you do so.
Many of us perhaps do not think of ourselves or see ourselves as prosperous – we think “how come these promises are not happening my life? What am I doing wrong?” There are two conditions that go with the promises of God.
Conditions for Prosperity
1. Total surrender. You and I must totally surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. God does not bless and reward a rebellious believer with financial prosperity. Surrender means that you surrender your time – your talents and your troubles. It means that you place yourself under a spiritual authority,….. it that means you reach out for help when you find yourself unable to make it --- you lay out on the table all your affairs – it means you hold yourself accountable and few are wiling to do that……………. But I a have a joy this month because three families have asked for help in being accountable with their finances.
2. Manage your money as a wise steward. Christian Financial teachers Ron Blue and Bruce Cook report that at age 65 ….. 45% of Americans are dependant on relatives, 30% are dependant on charity and 23% are still working and only 2% are financially independent.
80% of all Americans owe more than they own and 25% of all income goes to repay debt. Not only does America not manage its money – the American believer does not……. God gives us much wisdom in His Word when it comes to money. This morning I want you to walk with me through the book of Proverbs – the wisdom book that God used Solomon to write – I want to give you Six principles of wise money management. These are very simple but direct.
Wisdom Principle #1 Use a budget. Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” The verse does not tell you to use a budget but it does imply diligent planning. If you aim at nothing you hit it every time. A budget is a simple way of planning your financial life. Christian financial founder Larry Burket wrote, “a budget is nothing more than a short range plan for how you will spend your money during the year. It should not restrict your freedom to enjoy life – it should expand it. How – you say – can living on a budget expand your freedom? By helping you live within your means and not go into debt. If you are in debt a budget will help you get out of it” ---- This is the purpose of the insert in your program for us as a church family --- we are asking you to tell us what you intend to do in 2009 to support this church family ---- what you tell us will help us make a budget. If it is wisdom for God’s people then the church must do the same thing.
Wisdom Principle #2 Have a savings plan. Proverbs 21:20 “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” A foolish man spends all he has. A wise man saves and puts away. When he puts away …when the starter motor breaks – he can get it repaired without going into debt. When the stove goes on the blink – he can repair it….. A wise prosperous believer saves for emergencies. Biblical wisdom tells you to save something in short term savings out of every paycheck. Some of you put money into a savings account – some of you put money in a money market account – some of you stuff it under a mattress but most of us do not save……
Story: I will always remember Linda Sugg who had three kids – her husband at the time was a truck driver and she would take his paycheck – cash it and put the money in envelopes for different needs and one was savings and she was diligent to do that over the months and years and as we were helping her load up her family to move her daughter hit her front tooth and broke it – Linda looked into the savings envelope and counted the money and there was enough to have that tooth fixed. My sister in law does the same thing and she has taken her family on a vacation to Europe that she saved every month for by putting the money in her sock drawer. Prosperous believers save.
Wisdom Principle #3 Do not cosign for someone else’s loan. Proverbs 17:18 “A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.” Solomon seemed to write this one five times – I think he wanted to drive the point home. Do not every cosign a loan for a neighbor --- Christian or non Christian. The bible is clear on this.
Proverbs 22:26-27, 6:1-5, 11:15, 20:16. If you cosign a loan the bible says that you lack good judgment. Striking hands with someone signifies that you are pledging yourself as collateral in a business arrangement. It is similar to our handshake. God says that you are foolish to cosign for someone else’s loan. Proverbs 22:26-27 “ Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.” You could be ruined for cosigning on a loan. It can ruin and hinder a relationship. Now I realize that in this church family there are those of you who have done such. You have cosigned and you have asked others to cosign for you. What do you do? Proverbs 6 says “Go and humble yourself and press your plea and allow no slumber to your eyes.” --- in other words you get out of it as fast as possible.
Story: I know what it feels like to get into debt…… I know what it feels like to think that a debt is going to be paid for by someone else or a family member. In 2000 my father told me to go down and lease a car and he would pay for the lease. I guess I wanted to please my father and not offend him – so I did it. Every month we had to wait for the check to pay that lease which was in our name. After a year –my father got sick and he said he could not pay for the lease. We were stuck – it was not cosigning on a loan but for us it was the same thing --- and then #3 and #4 go together.
Wisdom # 4 Stay out of debt. Seems impossible but the bible teaches this. Proverbs 22:7 “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” Larry Burkett and ever godly Christian financial teacher says that the only debt a believer should ever consider is a home but in the past 2 years that has been false. Believers and non believers are loosing their homes because they went into too much debt. When you are in debt you loose a degree of freedom because you must pay the lender a certain amount of money on a regular basis. I still remember the believer who told me – “Pastor Ben, I pay as much as I can on my credit card bill first and then I give what’s left to God” – “you would not want me to not pay my bills would you”? …………… Consumer debt robs a believer of being a prosperous Christian.
(slide) Do you know what those are? These are the worst slave that our culture has been sucked into. People who use credit cards spend 33% more than if they did not own them. College kids easily get credit cards and I think our kids got applications in the mail as early as 16 years old. Most do not think they can get by without a credit card and even many young people say I got a credit card so that I could build my credit and they are 5k in debt by the time they are 24 years old. Pastor Ben I have to have a credit card so I can buy things off the internet – a debt card works fine. Really the only solution for credit cards is this (SLIDE)
How do you know you know if credit cards are robbing you of prosperity? You frequently worry about money. Your family has arguments over money. You have no short term savings for emergencies. You borrow to pay non routine bills such as taxes and insurance. You use credit to pay for groceries and clothing. You pay the minimum due and you take cash advances to pay off bills on another one. You are near the borrowing limits on the card. You get letters from creditors and you do not know how much you owe. How do you get out of debt? Never spend more money than you make. Learn to live within your means. $10 an hour does not allow you to have an ipod or a cell phone. Those are luxuries that will kill you of prosperity. I have never met a believer who was in debt and they got out of debt without becoming a giver. Giving breaks the grip of the demon of debt in the life of a believer. The key to living within your means is what we spent our entire message on last week – contentment. Contentment is the key to financial prosperity. Contentment is the key to being debt free and staying debt free. Look on your outline and the overhead: SLIDE
Hebrews 13:5 “Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said; “I will never desert you, nor will I forsake you.”
Wisdom #5 Avoid Get-Rich –Quick Schemes. Proverbs 28:19 -20 “He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” Vs. 19 says that a person who works at his job will have all his needs, while the one who chases after empty and worthless goals will have plenty of poverty. Our state is the founder of that in gambling. Getting rich from no effort and no labor is what drives gambling. Any scheme that you hear of or that anyone tries to convince you to get involved in that does not require hard work is foolishness. Vs. 20 says that a faithful person will have lots of blessings while the person who hurries to get rich will not avoid being punished by God. Stay away from any scheme there is that promises you quick money – it is demonic and believer after believer has readily fallen for it. Over the years --- I can think of several that have come to the doorstep of the church offering a quick way for the church to tap into money without any effort.
Wisdom #6 Do not buy on impulse Proverbs 21:5b “Everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.” Hasty and quick spending decisions will lead you to poverty. When you buy – do so with caution and a diligent study of the consequences. It is common for Christians today to foolishly mismanage their money ---- make spending decisions and spiritualize them and then blame God for not blessing them financially. We must not fall to the trap of the devil and blame God when we do not obey the biblical financial principles God gives us. Ask yourself these
SPENDING QUESTIONS
Spending Questions
1. Do I have any doubt about purchasing the item? Romans 14:23 “But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
2. Have I given God an opportunity to supply it? That means have you waited? Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”.
3. Will it aid or hinder my spiritual growth? 1 Corinthians 6:12 “Everything is permissible for me but not everything is beneficial” You might be able to afford something but what is that item going to do when it comes to your spiritual growth? How much time is going to take and is it going to consume your focus and thinking?
4. Does it put me into debt? Proverbs 22:7 “ The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a servant to the lender.” Any purchase that puts you into debt making payments is not God’s will? It is against the principles of God.
5. Is it meaningful for my family? 1 Timothy 5:8 “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than a non believer”. Ask yourself, “Is what you are going to buy taking you away from your family?” Is what you plan to buy taking money that should be used to support and provide for your family?
6. Why do you really want it and do you really need it? 1 Timothy 6:9 “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” Are you making your purchase foolishly and because of selfish desires?
God wants to bless you but He has laid out His principles and His conditions. God does not bend His principles because of the decisions that we make. God does not cease to be good and giving because we do obey Him. When you follow His principles – you can confidently trust Him to bless you with biblical prosperity.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father – I pray for Your people. I pray that in all respects they may prosper and be in good health, just as their soul prospers. Teach them to be content. Teach them to be wise in the management of the possessions that you give to them. Help them to please You in how they handle their money. Lord I pray that their character would be free from the love of money and be content with what they have. Lord may we be a church family that lives our lives debt free and in slavery to no one. Help us to obey and to follow the financial principles that You have given to us in Your Word. IN JESUS NAME AMEN
Friday, November 14, 2008
Giving #5
Joyous Giving
Stewardship #5
November 16th
Pastor Ben Fleming
Turn in your bible to the book of Philippians chapter 4. A mother and her son lived in a forest. One day when they were out walking a tornado surprised them. The mother clung to a tree and tried to hold her son but the winds tore him out of her hands and into the sky. He was gone. The woman began to weep and pray: Please, O Lord, bring back my boy – He is all I have. I’d do anything not to lose him. If you’ll bring him back, I’ll serve you all my days. Suddenly the boy toppled form the sky right in front of her feet – a bit mussed up, but safe and sound. Mom happily brushed him off and then she stopped and looked into the sky and said – “he had a hat, Lord”………….. Does this story not illustrate our attitudes that we battle with towards God – even when God blesses us greatly – we still want more -------------especially when it comes to money and possessions. We want more stuff and better stuff and we want to do anything and everything there is – regardless of how much it costs.
When it comes to finances – most of God’s people are in a constant state of dissatisfaction with what they have. We are sinners and by nature materialists --- we tell ourselves that we have to have more or get the newer version that everybody else has. Materialism is a constant temptation to God’s people. On your outline look at Webster’s Definition:
Materialism = the theory or doctrine that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life…. If you are a Christian, you would deny that you believe in materialism but many believers who are not materialists in theory are materialists in practice…..In his book Worldliness, C.J. Maheny says “coveting is desiring stuff too much or desiring too much stuff.” Stuff is not evil but how is your stuff used for God. In the 18th century – the countess of Huntington - who was one of the richest women in the British Empire at that time – used her wealth and properties for the evangelical revival of that day. Her stuff - was constantly at the disposal of the ministry of evangelist George Whitefield. Recently --- Texas oilman Bunker Hunt used his millions to pay for the making and distribution of the Jesus Film which has reached millions with the Good News of Jesus. Write in another definition on your outline:
Covetousness = is a glutton for stuff. We are a nation of gluttons – look at the storage shed business – yard sales – thrift stores and pawn shops. The attraction of stuff is a distraction to our hearts. Stuff takes on a meaning in our lives far beyond what God intends. You know you have been trapped and are a practicing materialists when you think there is a certain amount of money you must have or there is something that you must buy before you can be happy. When you get that new car, when you get a faster computer, when you get that newer house or those new clothes, when you get the 80 gig ipod or the Mac Laptop – then you will be satisfied….. Financial discontentment will ruin you. It is one of the reasons (but not the only) why you are in debt. It is one of the reasons why you pay overdraft charges which are going up more and more. Discontentment robs you of joy and it causes the work of God to go without adequate financial support around the world…….. Contentment is what we need. When you learn to be content – you will find that you have more money. When you learn to be content you will find your marriage stronger. Jerry Bridges in Respectable Sins says that discontentment is a sin we tolerate. So – how can we find contentment? How can you stop being deceived and taken in by materialism? Please stand as we read our text this morning in Phillippians and we are going to find in Paul’s words principles for financial contentment. Philippians 4:10 -14
Principles of Financial Contentment
1. Financial contentment comes when you are satisfied in plenty or poverty. The Philippians believers had sent a financial gift with Epahproditus to Paul when he was in prison. Paul says that he knew that they had always been concerned for him but they lacked the opportunity to express their concern for Paul practically. The phrase “Lacking the opportunity” – perhaps meant that they lacked any money whatsoever to send to Paul or they lacked a messenger to take the money to Paul but now Epaphroditus was bringing the gift to Paul and he was very pleased. In verse 11 and 12 Paul says that he had learned to be content in plenty or in poverty. He knew what it meant to have plenty and he knew what it meant to be without. On your outline write it in:
Content = autarkes, self – sufficient and emotionally independent of changing financial circumstances. The Greek philosophers used this word to describe a person who had an inner strength to face whatever happened to him, good or bad, with neither joy nor sorrow…. The Greeks considered this achievement the ultimate goal in life……. When Paul said that he was content, he meant that he was not dependent on money for satisfaction in life. He did not need new furniture, he was thankful for his yard sale furniture – the camel that he used to get around was slow, but it got him there…. How do you battle for contentment in your life and how to battle against materialism??? Two answers: Begin to be a giver and give to the point where you notice how much you gave……. and as you give….. be a saver. Refuse to live from paycheck to paycheck --- every person in here should be able to afford to put aside $5 a week in savings and leave it alone. Force yourself to live on a margin and if you cannot…. then ask someone to help you and hold you accountable. Your money is going to continue to control you or you are going to learn to control it. Every two weeks I write two checks – the first one is our giving check and the second one is to savings ---- 2nd principle
2. Financial contentment is possible in your life. Look at verse 11 and 12. Paul says he does not speak from want: He was not expressing his appreciation for the gift because he was dissatisfied with his circumstances. He had learned to be content. He had learned to be content with plenty and with poverty. Think about it: If the apostle Paul had to learn to be content - what makes you and me think that we do not have to learn the same?????? What did it take for Paul to learn contentment? What is it going to take for you? We still have not caught it as a nation ---- we believe we to have a new rescue plan --- we believe we need the government to send us another stimulus check to spend so that things will be better. I realize there a many people unemployed, but : when God is writing these words to us through the apostle Paul --- Paul is in prison in Rome and he is chained to a guard. He was unemployed and did not receive an unemployed check. God had Paul confined in prison for 4 years – he had no privacy day or night. When he went to the bathroom the guard was with him. Paul claims that he was satisfied – content and joyful…. and listen to me --- he had the same Holy Spirit that you and I have today. You can learn to be content today: You can be content with thrift store clothes. You can be content with a small house. You can be content shopping at Grocery Outlet. You can be content without internet and cable TV. You can be content with no vacation – stay put for Thanksgiving and Christmas – do not spend money you do not have on gas. Stop eating out ----I know to some that is tough but did you know that you can buy a Healthy Choice dinner at Grocery Outlet for $1.29 and microwaves are everywhere. Let’s examine this learning contentment more. 3d principle…
3. Financial contentment is a secret to be learned. Look what Paul writes: vs 11. “I have learned to be content” and in verse 12, “I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry.” Paul uses in this sentence two different Greek words when he wrote this letter.
Verse 11. “Learned” meaning: Learn through experience.
Verse 12. “Learned” meaning: Learn a secret not known to everybody. This second word that Paul used means that he had learned a secret not known to everyone. He had been initiated into a secret which he had permanently mastered……. God must have taken Paul through many difficult circumstances, we do not know if he had filed for bankruptcy or if his wages were garnished. We do not know if he visited a food closet or he had to pay off medical bills. We do know that he went hungry at times and we know that he made money as a tentmaker – God took him through so many circumstances that he had learned to permanently be financially satisfied in any circumstance. Contentment is not natural. When cell phones came out I remember how many people were so excited when they came out with a camera in them and could not wait till they got one. God will take you through financial discontentment to teach you many lessons: ---3 lessons
* Money will never satisfy you.
Eccles 5:10 “ He who loves money never had money enough, whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.”
A wise man once wrote: “Money will buy a bed but not sleep; books but not brains; food but not appetite; finery but not beauty; a house but not a home; medicine but not health; luxuries but not culture; amusements but not happiness, religion but not salvation – a passport to everywhere but heaven.” --- #2 lesson
* The love of money will produce misery. Many many Americans are finding that out this year. Some of you know that misery. You know what it feels like. You know the trouble and worry that it is causing you.
1 Timothy 6: 6 -10 “ But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into may foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s.” America’s oil founder J. Paul Getty said, “I find all this money a considerable burden” and Henry Ford said, “I was happier when I was doing a mechanics job”. I put this one on your outline:
“if we believe that heaven is our country, it is better for us to transmit our wealth, than to retain it here, where we may lose it by sudden removal” - John Calvin LESSON #3
* Money provides a false sense of security.
1 Timothy 6:17 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” C.S. Lewis has written that “He who has God and everything has no more than he who has God alone.” 4TH PRINCIPLE OF FINANCIAL CONTENTMENT
4. Financial contentment comes with a grateful spirit. Look what Paul wrote in verse 10 “I rejoiced greatly…” and then in verse 14 “You have done well… meaning you did a great thing by sending me a gift.” Paul did not assume that these believers knew he was thankful – he made sure that they knew it and that they knew how appreciative he was…. Paul was financially content and that contentment made him deeply grateful for anything he received.
A discontented person is usually an ungrateful person. Discontented believers are filled with self pity because they do not have more or what they did get the have an entitlement attitude ---- they believe they deserve to have more. You find this killing our culture today and even in the church where someone does not even think to send a thank you card for a gift that was given to them. If you have a grateful spirit because of contentment that will provoke a believer today to go out of their way to communicate in any way possible thanks giving for a gift from someone – especially a believer.
It has been said that “the things we take for granted are a dream to many people.” You and I are richer than 95% of the world’s population.
Let me ask you? Are you a grateful person? Do you freely express thanks when someone gives you a gift . Do you expect people to assume you are thankful? Or do you act and think as if you had it coming??????
5. Financial contentment is required by God. In verses 11 -12 there is a sense that Paul is giving believers a command to be content. He had learned to be content in poverty and with plenty. Hebrews 13:5 “Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have.” He is relating contentment with ones possessions and money to ones character. It is the will of God that you and I learn to be content with Jesus Christ whether we are rich or poor. The Greeks were stoics. Stoicism taught that you could reach contentment by denying your emotions and desires. They said that you could only get contentment by killing all your longings and feelings.
To them – contentment could only be attained by never looking at a commercial --- stop looking at the best buy ads. Danny – a stoic would never speak to an advertising man for fear that you might infect them.
God commands the believer to have a joyful satisfaction than is independent of his or her financial circumstances. Joyful satisfaction is humanly impossible. True satisfaction can only come when you find Jesus Christ as your savior and Lord. You might have gotten yourself in the situation you are in through many foolish decisions. You bought this and you bought that. You took that loan thinking you could easily pay it back. Perhaps your health has got you in debt with medical bills? How can you get to the point where you are independent of money for happiness?
6. Financial contentment is achieved by the power of Christ in your life. (vs.13) “I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” Believer – Jesus Christ can give you the power to get out of debt and stay out. He will give you the power to begin to be a joyful giver.You do not wait until you arrive at contentment to give --- giving is the fire to find contentment and it is only in knowing Jesus that you will have find true lasting contentment. Comment and expound
Phil’s Testimony
Let us pray: Would you pray that prayer to God if it communicates your heart? Lord Jesus Christ I confess that I have sinned against You by my discontentment with money and possessions You have given to me. I now surrender to your will for me, whether it means financial plenty or poverty. By faith I ask you to empower me so that I can be satisfied with my financial condition. In Your name Jesus I ask You. Amen
Stewardship #5
November 16th
Pastor Ben Fleming
Turn in your bible to the book of Philippians chapter 4. A mother and her son lived in a forest. One day when they were out walking a tornado surprised them. The mother clung to a tree and tried to hold her son but the winds tore him out of her hands and into the sky. He was gone. The woman began to weep and pray: Please, O Lord, bring back my boy – He is all I have. I’d do anything not to lose him. If you’ll bring him back, I’ll serve you all my days. Suddenly the boy toppled form the sky right in front of her feet – a bit mussed up, but safe and sound. Mom happily brushed him off and then she stopped and looked into the sky and said – “he had a hat, Lord”………….. Does this story not illustrate our attitudes that we battle with towards God – even when God blesses us greatly – we still want more -------------especially when it comes to money and possessions. We want more stuff and better stuff and we want to do anything and everything there is – regardless of how much it costs.
When it comes to finances – most of God’s people are in a constant state of dissatisfaction with what they have. We are sinners and by nature materialists --- we tell ourselves that we have to have more or get the newer version that everybody else has. Materialism is a constant temptation to God’s people. On your outline look at Webster’s Definition:
Materialism = the theory or doctrine that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life…. If you are a Christian, you would deny that you believe in materialism but many believers who are not materialists in theory are materialists in practice…..In his book Worldliness, C.J. Maheny says “coveting is desiring stuff too much or desiring too much stuff.” Stuff is not evil but how is your stuff used for God. In the 18th century – the countess of Huntington - who was one of the richest women in the British Empire at that time – used her wealth and properties for the evangelical revival of that day. Her stuff - was constantly at the disposal of the ministry of evangelist George Whitefield. Recently --- Texas oilman Bunker Hunt used his millions to pay for the making and distribution of the Jesus Film which has reached millions with the Good News of Jesus. Write in another definition on your outline:
Covetousness = is a glutton for stuff. We are a nation of gluttons – look at the storage shed business – yard sales – thrift stores and pawn shops. The attraction of stuff is a distraction to our hearts. Stuff takes on a meaning in our lives far beyond what God intends. You know you have been trapped and are a practicing materialists when you think there is a certain amount of money you must have or there is something that you must buy before you can be happy. When you get that new car, when you get a faster computer, when you get that newer house or those new clothes, when you get the 80 gig ipod or the Mac Laptop – then you will be satisfied….. Financial discontentment will ruin you. It is one of the reasons (but not the only) why you are in debt. It is one of the reasons why you pay overdraft charges which are going up more and more. Discontentment robs you of joy and it causes the work of God to go without adequate financial support around the world…….. Contentment is what we need. When you learn to be content – you will find that you have more money. When you learn to be content you will find your marriage stronger. Jerry Bridges in Respectable Sins says that discontentment is a sin we tolerate. So – how can we find contentment? How can you stop being deceived and taken in by materialism? Please stand as we read our text this morning in Phillippians and we are going to find in Paul’s words principles for financial contentment. Philippians 4:10 -14
Principles of Financial Contentment
1. Financial contentment comes when you are satisfied in plenty or poverty. The Philippians believers had sent a financial gift with Epahproditus to Paul when he was in prison. Paul says that he knew that they had always been concerned for him but they lacked the opportunity to express their concern for Paul practically. The phrase “Lacking the opportunity” – perhaps meant that they lacked any money whatsoever to send to Paul or they lacked a messenger to take the money to Paul but now Epaphroditus was bringing the gift to Paul and he was very pleased. In verse 11 and 12 Paul says that he had learned to be content in plenty or in poverty. He knew what it meant to have plenty and he knew what it meant to be without. On your outline write it in:
Content = autarkes, self – sufficient and emotionally independent of changing financial circumstances. The Greek philosophers used this word to describe a person who had an inner strength to face whatever happened to him, good or bad, with neither joy nor sorrow…. The Greeks considered this achievement the ultimate goal in life……. When Paul said that he was content, he meant that he was not dependent on money for satisfaction in life. He did not need new furniture, he was thankful for his yard sale furniture – the camel that he used to get around was slow, but it got him there…. How do you battle for contentment in your life and how to battle against materialism??? Two answers: Begin to be a giver and give to the point where you notice how much you gave……. and as you give….. be a saver. Refuse to live from paycheck to paycheck --- every person in here should be able to afford to put aside $5 a week in savings and leave it alone. Force yourself to live on a margin and if you cannot…. then ask someone to help you and hold you accountable. Your money is going to continue to control you or you are going to learn to control it. Every two weeks I write two checks – the first one is our giving check and the second one is to savings ---- 2nd principle
2. Financial contentment is possible in your life. Look at verse 11 and 12. Paul says he does not speak from want: He was not expressing his appreciation for the gift because he was dissatisfied with his circumstances. He had learned to be content. He had learned to be content with plenty and with poverty. Think about it: If the apostle Paul had to learn to be content - what makes you and me think that we do not have to learn the same?????? What did it take for Paul to learn contentment? What is it going to take for you? We still have not caught it as a nation ---- we believe we to have a new rescue plan --- we believe we need the government to send us another stimulus check to spend so that things will be better. I realize there a many people unemployed, but : when God is writing these words to us through the apostle Paul --- Paul is in prison in Rome and he is chained to a guard. He was unemployed and did not receive an unemployed check. God had Paul confined in prison for 4 years – he had no privacy day or night. When he went to the bathroom the guard was with him. Paul claims that he was satisfied – content and joyful…. and listen to me --- he had the same Holy Spirit that you and I have today. You can learn to be content today: You can be content with thrift store clothes. You can be content with a small house. You can be content shopping at Grocery Outlet. You can be content without internet and cable TV. You can be content with no vacation – stay put for Thanksgiving and Christmas – do not spend money you do not have on gas. Stop eating out ----I know to some that is tough but did you know that you can buy a Healthy Choice dinner at Grocery Outlet for $1.29 and microwaves are everywhere. Let’s examine this learning contentment more. 3d principle…
3. Financial contentment is a secret to be learned. Look what Paul writes: vs 11. “I have learned to be content” and in verse 12, “I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry.” Paul uses in this sentence two different Greek words when he wrote this letter.
Verse 11. “Learned” meaning: Learn through experience.
Verse 12. “Learned” meaning: Learn a secret not known to everybody. This second word that Paul used means that he had learned a secret not known to everyone. He had been initiated into a secret which he had permanently mastered……. God must have taken Paul through many difficult circumstances, we do not know if he had filed for bankruptcy or if his wages were garnished. We do not know if he visited a food closet or he had to pay off medical bills. We do know that he went hungry at times and we know that he made money as a tentmaker – God took him through so many circumstances that he had learned to permanently be financially satisfied in any circumstance. Contentment is not natural. When cell phones came out I remember how many people were so excited when they came out with a camera in them and could not wait till they got one. God will take you through financial discontentment to teach you many lessons: ---3 lessons
* Money will never satisfy you.
Eccles 5:10 “ He who loves money never had money enough, whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.”
A wise man once wrote: “Money will buy a bed but not sleep; books but not brains; food but not appetite; finery but not beauty; a house but not a home; medicine but not health; luxuries but not culture; amusements but not happiness, religion but not salvation – a passport to everywhere but heaven.” --- #2 lesson
* The love of money will produce misery. Many many Americans are finding that out this year. Some of you know that misery. You know what it feels like. You know the trouble and worry that it is causing you.
1 Timothy 6: 6 -10 “ But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into may foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s.” America’s oil founder J. Paul Getty said, “I find all this money a considerable burden” and Henry Ford said, “I was happier when I was doing a mechanics job”. I put this one on your outline:
“if we believe that heaven is our country, it is better for us to transmit our wealth, than to retain it here, where we may lose it by sudden removal” - John Calvin LESSON #3
* Money provides a false sense of security.
1 Timothy 6:17 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” C.S. Lewis has written that “He who has God and everything has no more than he who has God alone.” 4TH PRINCIPLE OF FINANCIAL CONTENTMENT
4. Financial contentment comes with a grateful spirit. Look what Paul wrote in verse 10 “I rejoiced greatly…” and then in verse 14 “You have done well… meaning you did a great thing by sending me a gift.” Paul did not assume that these believers knew he was thankful – he made sure that they knew it and that they knew how appreciative he was…. Paul was financially content and that contentment made him deeply grateful for anything he received.
A discontented person is usually an ungrateful person. Discontented believers are filled with self pity because they do not have more or what they did get the have an entitlement attitude ---- they believe they deserve to have more. You find this killing our culture today and even in the church where someone does not even think to send a thank you card for a gift that was given to them. If you have a grateful spirit because of contentment that will provoke a believer today to go out of their way to communicate in any way possible thanks giving for a gift from someone – especially a believer.
It has been said that “the things we take for granted are a dream to many people.” You and I are richer than 95% of the world’s population.
Let me ask you? Are you a grateful person? Do you freely express thanks when someone gives you a gift . Do you expect people to assume you are thankful? Or do you act and think as if you had it coming??????
5. Financial contentment is required by God. In verses 11 -12 there is a sense that Paul is giving believers a command to be content. He had learned to be content in poverty and with plenty. Hebrews 13:5 “Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have.” He is relating contentment with ones possessions and money to ones character. It is the will of God that you and I learn to be content with Jesus Christ whether we are rich or poor. The Greeks were stoics. Stoicism taught that you could reach contentment by denying your emotions and desires. They said that you could only get contentment by killing all your longings and feelings.
To them – contentment could only be attained by never looking at a commercial --- stop looking at the best buy ads. Danny – a stoic would never speak to an advertising man for fear that you might infect them.
God commands the believer to have a joyful satisfaction than is independent of his or her financial circumstances. Joyful satisfaction is humanly impossible. True satisfaction can only come when you find Jesus Christ as your savior and Lord. You might have gotten yourself in the situation you are in through many foolish decisions. You bought this and you bought that. You took that loan thinking you could easily pay it back. Perhaps your health has got you in debt with medical bills? How can you get to the point where you are independent of money for happiness?
6. Financial contentment is achieved by the power of Christ in your life. (vs.13) “I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” Believer – Jesus Christ can give you the power to get out of debt and stay out. He will give you the power to begin to be a joyful giver.You do not wait until you arrive at contentment to give --- giving is the fire to find contentment and it is only in knowing Jesus that you will have find true lasting contentment. Comment and expound
Phil’s Testimony
Let us pray: Would you pray that prayer to God if it communicates your heart? Lord Jesus Christ I confess that I have sinned against You by my discontentment with money and possessions You have given to me. I now surrender to your will for me, whether it means financial plenty or poverty. By faith I ask you to empower me so that I can be satisfied with my financial condition. In Your name Jesus I ask You. Amen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
