Walking Through James (2)
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The Crown of Life...
The Crown of Life...
Warren Wiersbe said, “Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to count it all joy! If we live only for the present and forget about the future, the trials will make us bitter, not better.” (Family Times)
This evening, I’d like to share about how God sees us and the promise that is waiting for us when we meet Him.
Let’s read
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.
But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild 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 will fade away even while they go about their business.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
God has a different socio-economic standard than many in society have.
It can be so easy to make judgment calls on what people have. It might be money, possessions, abilities, and the list can go on and on, but your value to God is not based on your net worth, it is based on the Blood of Jesus.
An item is only worth what someone is willing to pay. If you go to the store, and you see a jug of milk priced at $6.59, it’s worth that to you if you are willing to pay that for it.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Often we see our value based on the things that we have, but your value is not based on who you are, it is based on whose you are.
In 1st century Christianity, it was very common for people to be persecuted for their faith whether they are rich or poor. The religious leaders of the day wanted to stamp out this Christianity which was called the way, and later, Nero used Christians as a scape goat for the fire of Rome, so he persecuted them.
There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
What this means is that God doesn’t pick favorites. He loves each person that He has created equally. When we become children of God, one nationality isn’t better than another. Our economic status doesn’t matter anymore, and even if we are males or females.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
You are special to God. You are chosen by God.
and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Because of God’s great love for us, we can declare His praises, because He has called us out of darkness, out of the pattern that the world is moulded into, and we have been shown His wonderful light.
What happens to people that only live for this world?
What happens to people that only live for this world?
But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild 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 will fade away even while they go about their business.
When it refers to rich, it’s referring to those that aren’t rich towards God. Jesus said that it’s hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. It’s like a camel trying to go through the eye of a needle.
It’s not impossible. With God all things are possible. Money is neither good or bad, but if it has our hearts it can be very destructive. It can be used to do wonderful things and do great things for God’s kingdom if a person has surrendered to the LORD Jesus Christ.
if we live for temporary things, it’s like a flower.
In the Middle East there were beautiful desert flowers that would grow up over night but once the hot scorching sun came, they were gone. (LANTC) That’s what this life is like if we don’t trust in God.
This week, I preached a funeral for a 34 year old lady. She had a stroke. When I worked with her a month ago, she was full of life, but this life is uncertain.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
We have been promised eternal life. Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but we can only go there because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Do we believe that Jesus died on the cross? Do we believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and for me? We need to acknowledge that we are sinners. Believe that Jesus died for us, and Confess with our mouth that we believe Jesus is our Lord and Saviour.
We will receive a
Crown of Life
Crown of Life
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
I believe that Jesus Christ is coming back to earth. We are told this in many places in Scripture. Let’s hold on tightly to the hope we have and encourage each other to persevere. You are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us.
We can try to make it on our own, but there is only one way to get to Heaven and that is through Jesus Christ.
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Dr Fred W. Penney tells this story as follows:
On Sunday, October 16, 2022 my daughter, aged 25, ran her first marathon – the Toronto Waterfront marathon. Though I’m currently living 3000 kms away in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada – I was there at the race to cheer her on.
I was not prepared for the emotional intensity of the experience.
Thousands of runners. 42 kilometers or 26 miles. It’s not for the faint of heart – or body.
A few surprises confronted me: the runners were all shapes and sizes and ages. Big and small; young and old; male and female. Their faces were focussed and sometimes smiling; and they were always looking forward.
You have to sign up for the race – it costs $200 per runner.
You have to run the course as it's marked out for you.
Disciplined training is a must if you want to finish.
One runner literally carried an ironing board and an iron – I guess he was an “iron-man” – and he wanted everyone to know it! We saw him at the 10 KM marker and again at the finish line. Still running with ironing board and iron in his grip.
The most emotional scene was at the finish line. The crowd was cheering and ringing cow bells as they looked for their favourite runner – a friend or like me a - family member.
It was more endurance and perseverance than competition – everyone seemed to be rooting for everyone. Everyone who finished got a medal! That’s the prize – finish the race.
The next day my daughter said this: “I can’t imagine running that race without someone there at the finish line to meet me and celebrate the accomplishment."
Hebrews 12:1-2: Therefore, 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, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
“Run in such a way as to win the prize.”
My prayer is that on that day when we are going to see Jesus we will be able to say
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Let’s pray!