Albert Mutesa - Blessed is the Man Who Perseveres - James 1:1-17

Good morning.

It is a sweet gift and an honor to worship God and fellowship with you all today. Have you ever prayed for something good that turned out to be difficult. Have you ever had to neglect familiar Comforts and hope of something greater? I first experienced this when I chose to leave home as a fourteen-year-old. We're School renowned for academic excellence and Zambia where I'm from going to boarding school is the norm what was not normal is how God used it to strengthen my face and deepen my love for him. Today we read The Inspired words of James who left home for something greater like The Heroes of Faith before him he and his brothers and sisters and counted gray trial. He uses the 17vs. We're going to be from James chapter 1 to remind others of the work God is doing in them through their trials. The main idea of James chapter 11 through 17 is blessed is the man who remain steadfast under trial. today's sermon as soon as a round face wisdom and love will divide this passage into four sections and be encouraged from the truth of God's word. With that being said shall we read God's word together?

so where you from James chapter 1 1 through 17 James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes in the dispersion greetings. And before I continue this is from the English Standard Version. Verse to count it all joy my brothers when you meet Trials of various kinds for you know, that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given him but let him ask in faith with no doubting for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the lowly brother exalt or boast in his exaltation and the rich and his humiliation goes like a flower of the grass. He will pass away for the sun rises with the scorching heat and Withers. The grass is flower Falls and its beauty parishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his Pursuits. Blessed is the man who remain steadfast under trial Buena stood the test. He will receive the Crown of Life which God has promised to love to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted. I am being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted with evil. He himself tempts no one but it's person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin and sin when it is fully grown men Sports death. Do not be deceived my brother beloved Brothers every good gift and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of Lights. With whom there is no variation or Shadow due to change. God bless at the reading of his word.

So what are trials and temptations a trial is a time of hardship or Affliction? We suffer because of our faith. It is also the testing of our faith. A temptation is an enticement to sin and we're going to read a little bit more about that as we go further in the chapter and James chapter 1. For the first four verses we see the God's purpose for the trials in our lives is to make us home. He uses various kinds of Trials to perfect our faith in him. Without any hardship without any trials in our lives, we would not have an opportunity to trust God completely to lean on him for wisdom for strength will not have the option YouTube play. Obey God when the world is telling us to do otherwise James encourages us to consider all trials and he reminds us of the works that God could start out with Joe and he reminds us of the work that God is doing in us when we endure them. We see throughout scripture that God Wills for us to Rejoice always. 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 16 through 18 and I read from The New International Version says Rejoice always pray continually give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. The joy of the Lord is the strength of the people of God. consider Paul and Silas singing hymns to God while in prison The joy and the Lord helped them see and do the will of God. They were in a situation where their faithfulness to the truth of God's word got them imprisoned and many of us in our human thinking would be complaining in that moment of God. Why has my faithfulness resulted in trouble? Why is it resulted in suffering but these two men led by example and they began to sing hymns to the Lord and praise and because of that we see that the Jailer and his house experienced their Joy because of their endurance in the trouser are facing. Acts 16:25 through 34 has the whole story, but I'll just read the last verse which says the Jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them. He was filled with joy because he had come to believe and God he and his whole household and this is an encouragement for us today as Believers that no matter what we face because of our face if we remain joyful in the Lord and trust him he can use our joy, he can use our endurance to lead others to him when we are faithful to his word. God has said that he will make us mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. This is from Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 through 13, but why is it so important that we endure trials and God makes us whole or perfect in our faith in him. The first reason is so that we are steadfast. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 14 says so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of Doctrine by human cunning and by craftiness and deceitful schemes the whole idea of God making us hold in Christ making as mature as one body and him is so that we're not easily deceived by false truths. We're not usually toss whenever there's a new doctrine that comes that seems more contemporary than the truth of God's word that has stood the test of time. The second reason is so that he might present the church to himself and Splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be. Holy and without blemish and this is later on in the fusions 5:27. This gives us the Eternal perspective of whatever momentary Affliction we're suffering now pale in comparison to the glory that awaits us when we're fellowshipping with Christ as his body as his bride. God has given us assurance that this will be completed in Philippians 1:6 when he says he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. He is making us new everyday giving us a deeper desire for him. So we may become like him so that we may be his perfect Ambassador has his sons and daughters here on Earth that call other people to him. So all of this obviously is very encouraging and relevant, but I want to give you a little bit of how I learned this through my experience in boarding school. See when I was younger, I desire to go to boarding school because it seemed like a rite of passage not too different from what people do when they work in the mall as a teenager always fantasize about sharing a dorm with friends and girls and boys so they had their own dorms, but I look forward to some kind of Independence away from home because it's like wow I can focus on my studies and grow in. My knowledge is a student. So I was in junior high 8th and 9th grade and we had to pass this National exam to get to the next level of the senior high schools and by God's grace. He strengthened me enough to study and succeed in my studies to get to the point where I was admitted to a school that I wanted to go to. Now this school was known as one of the best schools in the country. It was government-owned, but it was also a little far away from home for me. It was my first experience where I didn't have Mom and Dad to go back to if somebody was bullying me or somebody was making life a little bit difficult, but I strongly believe that God was calling me to that school. For some reason. It wasn't just because of his reputation it seem like my faith was leading me there to to grow one but to also minister to those who are there who want believers? And thankfully the Lord open that door now it came with the challenges and I'm sure a little bit more about them as we read the next Force verses of James. So in James chapter 5 through 8, we see that James is encouraging us that when you do encounter a trial because of your faithfulness to the Lord when you do experience hardship God encourages us to ask him for wisdom. Many times when we Face a situation, it may not be boarding school. Like I had the first time I learned this lesson it may be with a family member. It may be in whatever situation you have been tested in your face. God says hey you may be at a loss as to what to do, but come to me in face and I'll remind you what my will is in that situation. If you recall a few moments ago, we read from festo selonian, which told us that hey in every season God wants us to give thanks and every season God wants us to rejoice and in every season God wants us to pray. So the wisdom that we're asking for is not a wisdom that just glorify ourselves and but makes us both full before men know that's a wisdom of the world the wisdom we ask for if that James is encouraging us to go before the Throne of God for is God's given and the Scots entered its discernment regarding the Practical issues of life. Wisdom comes from prayer for God's help and I just want to focus specifically on how it's given and is centered on him and how it comes through prayer. John says in John chapter 3 verse 27 when the disciples were a little bit intimidated by the fact that Jesus was getting more followers and they were losing some and he says to his disciples were worried about this, but hey a person can only receive what is given them from heaven. Wisdom is only from God's true wisdom. That is lovable. That is excellent. We see that is actually another scripture that Paul uses to encourage Timothy. I believe in one of the other books. It's not a wisdom that seeks to just find the best solution where you're not experiencing pain, but it shows you how to faithful endure as a good soldier of Christ.

Secondly, it is God send it. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is Insight Proverbs 9 verse 10. This is so important because obviously for us we're reading this in a time when we know who the Holy One is Jesus Christ the son of God and we know that when he comes into our lives and makes us repent for my sins when we when we lean to him for understanding for truth will strengthen our day-to-day lives. He's the one that gives us wisdom. He's the one that enables us to to carry out the will of God in the most difficult situations. And that's the kind of wisdom that we need when we're on trial in our faith. I was having conversations about some of the the modern issues are face faces today, obviously as children, we're experiencing so many different influences through media through through just contemporary culture where people are being drawn away from the Lord, but when we fear the lord just as Daniel did in his situation God gives us the wisdom to stand as faithful to him to not borrow or need to the idols of the day, but to truly endure Faithfully as a good soldier of the Lord and then lastly is prayer. Remember, nobody can receive anything good unless it comes from the Father of Lights. I'm going to read from Frisco 1st Kings chapter 3 verse 9 through 10 and this for context is where Solomon is asking the Lord for wisdom because he feels incapable of leading God's people. This is what he says in verse 9. Give your servant therefore and understanding mine to govern your people that I may discern between Good and Evil 4 who is able to govern this your great people verse 10 reminders it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. Solomon knew his understanding and wisdom was limited. He knew his limitations as a man and he confessed before the Lord that I am incapable of leading this your great people. If you do not give me the skills the tools the wisdom to judge their cases as you would judge them because ultimately you are their King. He had faith that God or he had faith in God and that God would provide this request and as we know from today with the benefit of Hebrews 11:6 that without faith. It is impossible to please the Lord. That's why our faith is always protected. That's why our faith is always refined because whenever we do get that day when we partake of the meal at the Throne of God that Christ is looking forward to we must have a whole heart belonging to him with no variation or shadow shadow of turning. We cannot discern between good and evil without believe in God's word. Sound Doctrine without steadfast and faith is meaningless. And the reason I say this is because we can hear the truth of God's word like my friend Jimmy D just said on the Sunday everyday, but if you don't believe it, if you're not steadfast to hold you to it, it'll lose its value to us. Cuz all it'll take is an intellectual on Monday to convince you that Jesus Christ is in Florida. All it would take is a hardship in your life on a Tuesday to be like are you really with me Lord, but we need to incorporate that sound Doctrine with steadfast Faith. Especially now where things are changing. Remember a fusions 4:14. We're so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of Doctrine but human cunning and back. Dennis and deceitful. It's very similar to what James says when we go to God and ask for wisdom and Faith. You can't go to the Lord and expect to receive some wisdom from him. If you think he's not going to give it to you and your hardship. You have to believe that he is there with you you have to believe that you can do all things through him who strengthens you even when your faith is being tested by the environment you are.

So coming back to my boarding school experience. We do a termly calendar. So three terms of three months with one-month breaks in between them and I successfully completed my first term at the school. It was difficult to say the least. I was the youngest in the school the lowest grade. So we're literally the Plankton people take the opportunity to attempt to try and he sees us as the freshmen coming in and I'm like Lord, why must we go through all this suffering like I just came from a Christian School where I could freely speak of my faith and not worry about people hating each other the way they do here. Is this where you really have me is this where you really want me to be? And I I go before my dad and my mom and I'm like Mom and Dad. I'm not so sure if I heard the Lord correctly concerning the school. I was having my doubts about where the Lord was calling me. And I thank God for my father. He he he wisely asked me and said son. I want you to go pray for 10 minutes. And if you still feel like you need to go back to the school that you were at before this. I have the principal's number right here will call and get you enrolled as soon as possible. So I stepped aside for my dad and I go to my room and I get on my knees and pray. I'm at my God. I don't like the fact that I have to have these cold showers in the morning. I don't like the fact that my bed is not as comfortable as the one at home. I don't like the fact that my I don't have snack time is a very rigid system. But in all of that the Lord just reassured me that you are exactly where I want YouTube and he gave me peace and it was one of those situations where you know when your parents right, but you don't want to admit that they were right. I had that epiphany of those. Like wow, my dad knew God was calling me here, but he didn't want to tell me that this is where God was calling me when I reach that conclusion. I returned to his room and I told him that I'm going to stay I might endure for this first year and he smiled and he looked at me and he said I knew you would son. You just need to arrive there on your own. So I go back and watch the displeasure of my mom has no mother likes to see that y'all go through her things but there's something beautiful that came out of that situation and I'ma leave it there before I share a little bit more about what happened next. Coming back to our scripture for first Jamie or James. We're going to look at nine through 12 and this portion. Is a little bit ambiguous to say the least because it at face value. It looks like it's saying hey as a wealthy person you must exhaust when you're humiliated and as a poor person you must both when your exalted but I think there's more to this verse than just celebrating the circumstances of your social economic status. I think it's alluding to the fact that our wealth or poverty do not give us any advantage Before the Throne Room of God. And what matters is our steadfast love for God over money and that's what makes us blessed after all trials. You don't Paul always speaks in the scriptures of how his weaknesses and limitations are opportunities for God to perfect his strength in him. And for those of us who've experienced both poverty and wealth we need to come at it from the perspective of Jesus's words where he says no one can serve two masters for either. He will love one and hate the other You will be devoted to one and despise the other you cannot serve God and money. This is from Matthew 6:24. What matters is that? Our love for God should be higher than the priority we place on our socio-economic status so that when we are humiliated and I will position of well, we can still stay blessed is the name of the Lord or the opposite when the Lord raise us up. We can still stay blessed be the name of the Lord because we know that we came into this world with nothing and we will leave it with nothing. And for this we have the perfect example of jove in the scriptures this man experience both he was humiliated when he lost his wealth his family when he lost everything. He also was exhausted at the end when he got a double portion for being faithful to God in the midst of his trials. He declared God as worthy of his praise in both of those situations are just read two verses from that book Joe 1:21 says and he said naked I came from my mother's womb and naked shall I return the lord gave and the Lord has taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. And this should be our hearts posture anytime. We're seeing hardship in our lives to be like I came with nothing everything that I have belongs to God and he's taking it away. He is still blessed. He is still worthy of my devotion and verse 42 or 42:5 rather you says and this is in response to your contacts. God has answered them. Finally when he was like I need to present my case before the Lord. And I really like the saying that he said where he says I had heard of You by hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. He beheld God in the new way in his tribulation a way that he would not have Otherwise Known. If you didn't know what it was like to be content with much or content with little The next verse talks about how he repented of even saying God. I I thought I was just before my case. But clearly I don't even understand what you're doing in my hardships. Therefore I Repent of the fact that I was even questioning you. And God blessed him. So the key principle, I want you to take away from the story of job is that we must behold God in our trials. How do you get through hard situations? It's by looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of your faith. Matthew 6 verse 22 says the eyes the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy your whole body will be full of light. We have to understand that in our difficult situations if we're always looking at the hardship itself. We rob ourselves of the opportunity for God to protect our faith in him. We just need to look up to the one who is with us in that very moment and remind ourselves of how faithful he is that he's the same God yesterday before the trial happened today while it is happening and tomorrow in eternity when all of this will be but a distant memory

When car is in the scriptures to not just the whole Jesus in our trials, but even outside of them the scripture that I was alluding to earlier is Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 through 2. It says therefore since we're surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and sin which clean so closely and let us run with endurance. The rest of the race that is set before us looking to Jesus the founder and Perfecter of our faith who for the joy that was set before him and do our the cross despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the Throne of God. So we have a great cloud of witnesses who are cheering us on we have the Father and Jesus was interceding for us in our difficult situations. When you have that kind of team in your corner, you can say like Paul these lights momentary Affliction in comparison to the glory that awaits us because do not be mistaken. My brothers and sisters trouble will come because of your face and as many of you already know trouble has come because of our faith, but in the midst of that the author and Perfecter of our faith is protecting our faith in him. He is praying to God saying Lord. I Know The Enemy desires to sift Hillsboro church, but Lord continue to let love abound in their hearts father. Let them continue to look to you and if Jesus himself, Was willing to do that for us. Then nothing in this life. No infirmity North licton, no poverty. No spiritual powers can separate us from the love of God.

Coming back to my boarding school story. I learned to fix my eyes on Jesus through this hardship in the multiple ways. But only loot two or three of them. The first one is like Jobe. I had a vision of what Lord was doing or God was doing in and through me there and what he was going to do after what did I mean by that? Well, I was in school much like the relationship I share with Jimmy Dee there people who came into my life who taught me the truth of God's word and there are there in my corner doing that hard first year of like, hey, it gets better. Hey, it'll be different with you just endure and minister to your classmates while you're going through this together. So my my prospective term to was totally different going in because I was like Lord, I am here to labor and love we may be doing difficult work. We may be sleeping in and comfortable beds, but I truly believe that there are people here who need to hear your word and that began to look like us ministering before study hall hours to classes preaching to people the truth of God's word it eventually led to me becoming a discipleship secretary and a good friend of mine being an evangelist secretary and we we took this assignment very seriously because we knew that not everybody in that school cared about who Jesus was. And we have the example of those who endure it like we did before us. to say hey, once you're done with this you can now speak to people and be like, hey God wants you to know him and the way that you would not otherwise know him if you don't surrender your life to

That Vision allowed me to know what the love of God was for me it gave me wisdom as to how to do indoor Faithfully to be respectful of authority even Authority that I do not necessarily agree with the people who abuse their Authority as this but the ones that still did it in a way that was honoring to the Lord. I honored them both cuz I like look you're not going to do anything. That'll make me turn away from my face, but I do understand that as a chain of authority. I do have to abide by was established and God gave me wisdom as to how to navigate that how to not compromise your face, but still engage in the present context that you're in. Thankfully those efforts that happened before class letter younger people getting saved and joining us in all of a sudden my friend and I could just sit back and gather with them and pray before classes and study halls and be like, hey, you just go to this class you go Minister this class and when you're done just come back and say what God has done and it's not too dissimilar from what happened when Jesus send out disciples two by two they would all come back smiling and be like Oh, somebody got saved. Somebody's coming to a fellowship this weekend. Oh God is doing something in their hearts are for me are like men imagine if I boarded this Mission just because the first term was difficult. I wouldn't even be seen this fruitfulness of Labor of Love because God was clearly having these people in mind when I came to this place.

Moving back to the scriptures verses 13 through 18 show us the god tests us to strengthen our character and our faith. He never desires his people to send a lot is the key difference because God is good. He's the Father of Lights. He cannot be tempted God literally makes it rain on both the righteous and the good And his desire for us is not to perish but that we may have everlasting life. Since the beginning his desire for man has been holy and righteous and good and we know from Romans 8 verse 28 that those who love God all for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. However, God's enemies cylinder desire to rule over us. And for this I want you to remember Cain in Genesis. specifically Genesis 4:7 Kane is very upset at the fact that God has blessed his brother Abel for being a pleasing offering before him. And he's very discontented at the fact that his offering was not deemed acceptable. God comes to him and says if you do well will you not be accepted? It if you're not and if you do not do well sin is crouching at the door. It's desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it. There he gave Cain the mandates to say don't let this momentary displeasure leads to send don't let your dissatisfaction rob you of the the pleasures enjoys a fellowship in with me. Obviously, he did not heed that wisdom. He lets sitting rain in his heart and much like Cain a lot of us. Let's send rain in our hearts today, ironically. I don't think it's a coincidence that this happened in the family context sometimes instead of doing well so that we may be accepted. We want others to fail. We want others to experience being pleasure or not being favored the way we were not favored favored by God says in 1st Peter chapter 5 verses 8 and 9 be sober-minded and Be watchful why because your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour resist him firm in your face knowing that the same kinds of sufferings are being experienced by your Brotherhood throughout the world First Peter chapter 5 verses 8 through 9. We have the perfect example of this in Christ Jesus himself and do it Temptations from the enemy and each time. He always had the word of God prepared to answer whatever Distortion or deceitful scheme the enemy had for him. It says man shall not live by bread alone. But by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord you shall Worship the Lord your God and only him shall you serve, this is very much. So the language of Psalm 119 where it says, how does a young man? Keep his way pure? By hiding the word of God in his heart. That's how you enjoy your trials Faithfully as a good soldier of the Lord. We have been given a promise that God will defeat sin and Satan. 1st Corinthians 15:54 through 58 remind us that when the perishable puts on the imperishable and the Mortal puts on the immortal then shall come to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in Victory The Sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ there for my beloved brothers and sisters be steadfast immovable. Always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

so Coming back to that story one of my biggest struggles when I was going through that school was Lord. Sometimes I feel like you don't see all that where we're trying to accomplish for the kingdom here. I know this is foolishness, but I'm speaking foolish lie for a reason because our hearts desire recognition the desired Comfort they desire things that may not necessarily be good for us. We know how did the heart is but scripture encourages us from the scripture. We just read that we must be a bounding always in the work of the Lord not as a way of saying I'm the one who did this. So therefore I should be recognized but doing so because you know that somebody else will come to the knowledge of the Holy One as somebody else will have access to the wisdom that you have access to when things get difficult and somebody else will know who Jesus Christ is because of it. And nobody wants to hear that when they're going through the trials in the moment. I didn't want to hear about it when somebody would send me off don't worry, but you'll be fine. I couldn't see your two. I couldn't see your 3, but my face and God allowed me to endure.

So we know that God created the lights and he does not change. We have Prime examples of his goodness in the scriptures Psalm 74 verse 16 and 136 verse 7 through 9 alluded to the fact earlier that he causes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good Matthew 5 verse 45 God does not change he is faithful in every season. I don't want you to have for takeaways from today's sermon the first one being God uses trials to spent The North Face.

The second being God gives us wisdom for our trials when we asked him in face. The third being our love for God should be greater than all socioeconomic status. And the last being God does not change. And if you forget everything else that I've just said think he's boarding school was too much of an for an example. Remember the fact that weather is in school or in work on family God is the same yesterday today and forever. He will strengthen you you will be able to do all things through Christ like Paul you be able to say in Philippians where he says what I have much or I have little I have learned the secret of being content. And he reminds us that godliness with contentment is of much game. When it comes to some patients anytime you endure them just remember 1st Corinthians 10 verse 13 that nothing you're facing isn't common to man. In other words. There's nothing new Under the Sun but with every Temptation God provides a way of Escape. So in your trial when you're tempted to say God, where are you? It's not wrong to think that but you have to leave your heart. You have to change its direction to being from I'm going to complain and murmur but why God is letting this happen to God. Where is the way of escaping this? How can I Faithfully reflect your light to those around me in the midst of this trial? It's easier said than done but there is a promise like we said at the beginning blessed is the man who is steadfast under trial. There is a Crown of Life. There is a reward for those who believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him and I encourage you my brothers and sisters to think about that every day and every trial. Thank you so much. God bless you.

Thank you, Albert. We stand and sing the duck solid you with us.