Count It All Joy

Good morning and welcome to CCC. I would like to welcome each of you here with us in person as well as those watching live online on our website via live stream and those watching later on RightNow media or youtube.

To those watching on our website if you are in the Nevada Mo area I would like to personally invite you to come and join us in person. I praise God for technology and the ability to worship together wherever you may be but as it says in

Hebrews 10:19–25

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

You and I were created to worship God......once we are saved we are His workmanship in Christ created to do good works....not saved because of good works but created to do good works

We are also created for each other.......God desires that His family....His children regularly gather and worship Him together and regularly fellowship together and regularly serve each other

You cant do that at home.......you can only do that here in church

You do not come to church to check a box or seem to be holy or to make yourself feel better

You come to church to worship God.....serve each others…fellowship together....to grow in Christ!

Speaking of fellowship together.....I am not going to pound on this topic this morning but i must mention it

Tonight is our worship night and fellowship dinner. Worship night starts at 6 pm and fellowship dinner follows, soup theme

I also understand there is a football game that starts at 2 pm. Here is what I am going to say.....you know I love football....i coach football....God through football has help shape me into a man and the lessons I learned in playing and coaching again all through the Holy Spirit, have helped me grow and mature and know how to handle situations etc

I love to watch the Chiefs not because of football but because I watch with my bride

If I needed to be I would be here at 2 pm and not think twice about it if that is what God needed me to do

I could care less about that game in relation to Jesus Christ

Many people say they love Jesus but yet they can’t miss a game or some rest or whatever to come and worship Jesus

Worship night is a night that is set apart for one reason......to worship Jesus together corporately.

I have news for you, no matter what happens Sunday in a game it will have no impact on your eternity........what happens as God’s children gather and truly worship Him will have an eternal impact

I know for many Sunday evenings are the time you use to prepare for work.....I get that but worship is how you prepare for eternity......I would say beyond a shadow of a doubt that preparing for eternity is much more important than preparing for work

You know your heart and you know if you are using something as an excuse to not be here or to not worship as God has called you to worship

Make an excuse to be here

Make a sacrifice to be here

Whatever it is that you think you need to be doing instead of here worshiping King Jesus together as a family ask yourself......Is this truly honoring you Father

Should I be doing this instead of gathering to worship you and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ?

Lets Pray

START OBS

This morning we start our series in James. I have entitled the series

James: A Christian's Guide To Living From Jesus

James is a how to in terms of how to live as a Christian

I am so very excited about this series and what God is going to do through it.

I preached through the book of James about 2 and a half years ago but for the last several months I have felt God wanted me to go through it again.

About a month ago God showed me that James was next and I was so very excited and thankful.

In our last series That You May Know out of I John we dealt with many things

Sin

Love

God’s family

Truth

Lies

Assurance of salvation

That we may know!

God loves you so very much

Jesus willingly died in your place

Shed His blood to cover and pay for your sins and open a direct line and path to God the Father

You......as a Christian should know you are saved

I want to give you one more scripture to ensure that you know....are assured of your salvation

Romans 8:16

_________________________________________

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

It is an inside job

The Holy Spirit bears witness with your spirit

Stand on scripture and know!

Friends the world is changing

The world and satan and evil no longer need to hide in the shadows any more

The church as a whole has gone to sleep.......become apathetic to and accepting of sin

Life on earth, especially as a true Christian will continue to become harder and harder and more and more physically dangerous

God tells us that throughout the Bible

Jesus spoke about it often

You and I are living in the last days....we have been since Jesus returned to heaven

His second coming is imminent....now remember to God a day is a thousand years and a thousand year a day so His imminent and ours is quite different

Jesus could return tomorrow or in another 2000 years or longer

Only God knows the timing and plan

I say all of that to say this

Knowing you are saved is so very important

and

James is so important to us as true Christians

As times become harder

As true Christians are forced to decide to live from Jesus or walk away from the faith because of true persecution and trials and temptations

As all of that happens....you and I must decide who we live from and for

satan

or

Jesus

If you and I will allow the Holy Spirit to apply what He teaches us during this series

Nevada will be eternally changed and transformed!

That is how God works....through His Word......through His Holy Spirit.......through His children!

This series in the book of James will challenge you

You will be convicted

You will face things and truths that demand you change to conform to the Word of God!

You may be tempted to say this is too much....I am out…and go somewhere that you will get your ears tickled

2 Timothy 4:3–4

_________________________________________

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

I pray that is never you but that is an option because God gives us free will

We are going to walk through James verse by verse for however long it takes

I am so excited for what God has in store for each of us

The road will be difficult and painful but authentic and worth it!

James 1:1

_________________________________________

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.”

The book of James was written by James, Jesus’ half brother....

The book of James was written around 49 AD.....many theologians believe it was written prior to the Jerusalem council in 50 AD....this makes it one of the earliest New Testament letters

Jesus would have ascended about 16 or 17 years prior to James writing this letter

Stephen was stoned in about 36 AD and that marked a significant increase of persecution directed at true Christians and that resulted in the scattering of Christians throughout the world

They were facing persecution and death on a daily basis without the support of organized christian churches

James writes to Christian to encourage and edify and instruct them on true Christian living

That is something that you gain when you attend a Bible preaching, Bible believing, and Bible living church

Instruction on true Christian living.....that is why being here as often as you can is so important…Sunday morning…Monday evening Women’s discipleship group....Wednesday evening Bible study and Men’s discipleship group.....Friday at Noon ladies

One of the things about the Wednesday night discipleship group that just warms my heart and challenges me to grow is that it is a bible study......any and everything we do here is grounded in and upon the Bible.....but we look at how whatever it is we are studying applies to us as men.....as spiritual leaders in our marriages or future marriages if one is single......our homes.....our kids or grandkids.....our jobs.....our community

The grow that has taken place as we have committed to God and each other has been astronomical

Instruction in Christian living.....fellowship....iron sharpening iron.....

You must plug into one of the groups mentioned above not to be a part of a group....that is important and awesome…but to be instructed in true Christian living

You and I have never truly lived in a time where denying Jesus and loving the world was the easy and safe option

You and I have never been truly faced with the decision continue living this physical life by denying Jesus or lose this physical life because you refuse to deny Jesus

Here is what satan and evil don’t understand

True persecution reveals true faith

Persecution always draws people to Jesus when true Christians handle and respond to persecution God’s way

Why?

People want something authentic

something real

If one will willingly, peacefully, lovingly, face and endure persecution because of Jesus then Jesus must be real

We see that right now in Muslim run and controlled countries where Christianity is growing and spreading like wildfire

Everyday true Christians are being beheaded for their faith and every day people come to Jesus because of their true faith

The lack of true, evil persecution is one reason the American church is asleep.........the lack of persecution has allowed us to fall into a form of Christianity

That is why I say true Christian all the time....there are those who claim to be Christian but will bail a the first sign of true persecution and then there are true Christians who will willingly and joyfully face any persecution including being killed instead of walking away from Jesus!

That is one reason James is so important to us today

Another reason James is so important is in areas without true persecution like here in Nevada Mo people are looking for better

This world sucks and people want more than what the world has to offer

They are looking for Jesus and when you and I live as Jesus teaches us to live they are drawn to Jesus because of our authentic Christian lifestyle

James 1:2–4

_________________________________________

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

The first thing I want to look at here is

Count It All Joy vs 2

_________________________________________

count it comes from Greek verb hegeomai (hayg-eh'-om-ahee) it means command with official authority…to deem

joy comes from Greek noun chara means cheerfulness, calm, delight, gladness

divers comes from Greek adjective poikilos meaning of uncertain origin, various in character...

temptations come from Greek noun periasmos means putting to proof by experiment, experience, adversity

So let’s read vs 2 again

My brethren, command with official authority in calm delight that adversity of uncertain origin and various character is putting to proof by experiment and experience

Changes things doesn't it

Temptations here are God’s way of putting you to proof

testing your faith

Are you willing to be about faith or just talk about it?

When you understand this process

fall into divers temptations you know that this.....falling into divers temptations is trying your faith....that trying of your faith worketh or produces patience

Patience then works in you to mature you and leaves you wanting nothing

Fully mature

This is why you count it all joy!

I want to look at another scripture on this process

1 Peter 1:3–9

________________________

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

You are born....begotten into a lively hope

Lively comes from Greek verb zao (dzah-o) and means life…to live and breathe

Hope comes from Greek adjective elpis (el-pece) means expectation, faith, hope

born into a living breathing expectation…hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Our hope is our expectation that Jesus lives

Our hope is that Jesus right now is preparing a place for us and when God sends Him He will return for us

He won and in Him we are victors....more than conquerors!

That is the inheritance....incorruptible and undefiled....Jesus and eternal life!

You are kept there by God through faith

That faith which is more valuable than gold

Everyone of us must be asking ourselves and God if our faith is really more valuable to us than gold…money....things

Is your faith precious to you?

That faith must be tested and tried with fire

Temptations

Trials

Persecution

This life

Tries your faith by fire

some seasons the fire is much hotter than others yet ye rejoice because by God’s power you are held when you hold to faith!

If your faith is not tested it is not really faith

That is why the bible talks about finishing

2 Timothy 4:7–8

________________________

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Finish = Faith

Good fight.......keep the faith during the trial.....in the fire of testing....finish

So many will hear away from me I never knew you when they meet Jesus because they didn’t finish

They had a faith that they refuse to let be tested in the fire

When the fire of testing came they ran the other direction

They quit

They took their ball and went home to hell

That is what is at stake here....eternity

This process of temptations and testing that produces patience and patience that produces Christian maturity must happen in your life if you are a true Christian

When it comes.....it will come....there is no stopping God....

when it comes you have a choice

run......fight it......hate it....curse God and His people.....leave the faith....

or

Count it all joy

When you realize the process

the testing of fire

that this process proves and strengthens and tempers your faith

that it prepares you for the future

temptations and trials and persecutions prepare you to meet Jesus and hear well done my good and faithful servant

That is why you count it all joy

James 1:3–4

________________________

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

Now we must understand perfect here.

Perfect here comes from a Greek adjective teleios which means complete....mature

You become mature when you count your trials all joy because you realize it is the trials and tribulations and temptations and persecution that grow you

That build your faith

That mature you in Christ

That make you complete as a Christian

Praise God for the fire and testing of your faith in your life

If you are a true Christian you long to be holy as God is holy

He makes you holy in the fire of the testing of your faith

Perspective is everything my dear friends

Hebrews 12:2

________________________

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

For the joy that was set before Him endured the cross

Jesus endured the pain

the rejection

the horrible sights and sounds of the sin of the entire world being placed upon Him

Can you imagine.....I know how bad my own personal sins were and are

Can you imagine what Jesus saw

What He heard

What He felt

What He experienced by taking the sins of the entire world past, present, future?????

God turning away from Him for the first and only time in history because of that sin

He endured all of that for the joy of being with God

You and I must count it all joy when we are tested in the fire of temptations, trials, and persecutions because we understand the process and it is God growing us

maturing us

making us more like Him

making us holy as He is holy

and the reward for that is being with God for eternity in heaven

Count it all joy

The question is this morning do you count it all joy?

If not

come

pray

let God show you what you need to do or let go of

He will show you how to count it all joy in YOUR life

Won’t you come

STOP OBS

Invitation