Jesus We Love You

Intro

I had planned on finishing up our New series this week, and this week we were going to talk about New Goals, focusing on Jesus calling the first disciples and telling them you will now be fishers of men.

However Im going to be honest with yall, my world got completely turned upside down this past Friday morning around 11 AM I got a text from my brother that a good friend of ours was involved in a plane crash. He was a friend to many, a father of five, a Pastor, a church planter, a Husband and so many more things to so many people.

I sat down and tried to figure out what to teach on today, and for days I just couldn’t bring myself to write. Staring at the computer screen, thinking about the hurt and pain that so many people are dealing with right now, including some of you.

Finally as I was listening to a message from another friend of mine, I was reminded of James 1 which is what our small group is going through.

James 1:2–5 (NIV)

Trials and Temptations

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Trials are going to come

We started studying James in our small group, a week ago, and I always joke around about how much I hate when I start studying this book, because I never know what is going to happen, and unfortunately this time is no different.

First we have to remember who is writing this book. This book was written by James the actual brother of Christ.

He would have watched his brother crucified on the cross, knowing that He never did anything wrong. Which probably would have been frustrating in its own knowing that your brother was completely perfect and never did anything wrong.

Why we face trials?

So many times we face difficulties and trials in life and so many times we ask why. Why me, why did this person have to die, Why Jesus.

ITS OK TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS

God is big enough to handle those questions.

James 1:3–5 (NIV)

3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James tells us that the purpose of this testing is to create perseverance. However that phrase is referencing a silver smith, testing the silver to make it pure. The silversmith continues to work on the silver until he can see his reflection from the top of the heated silver.

so we face trials so that we can become more like Jesus.

and I love what it says next, if we lack wisdom ask.

If you dont know why you are going through what you are just simply ask God and HE FINDS NO FAULT

Let me read that again.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

God does not fault you for asking questions. Now just because we ask God we may not truly know the answer for why we are going through this particular trial for years, or even to the point until Jesus comes back.

but we can have comfort in know that even when we are facing trials Jesus is with us.

John 11:35 NIV

Jesus wept.

If you have been around the church for long you probably know this is the shortest verse in the Bible, but over the past week this verse has come to mean so much more to me. In those two little words there is so much love, and compassion.

These two words came from the story of Lazarus, where he had just died, and Jesus was on His way to raise him from the dead, and yet knowing what Jesus was about to do, He stopped and wept with Mary and Martha sisters of Lazarus.

So we can see that even in our trials and difficulties Jesus is still with us, still cares for us, and even weeps with us as we are weeping. Even though He knows what is going to come next and we dont.

I want to leave yall with a phrase that my dear friend Clint would open every meeting with.

Jesus We Love You.

He would open all of the meetings with that phrase because no matter what happened in that meeting the goal was to show others the love of Jesus. So even in our difficulties, and trials remember this.

JESUS WE LOVE YOU!!!