Naming Rights

Things to Remember

Don’t forget the offering

Midweek Revival | September 25

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Sermon Text

James 1:2–3 NKJV

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

I want to preach to you for a few minutes today on this thought: Naming Rights

Pray

_________ Opening Story:

I’m OCD about my candy storage

Kit Kats start tasting fruity and Swedish Fish start tasting chocolatey

It matters where you put stuff.

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There are certain inevitabilities in life.

Benjamin Franklin said nothing is certain in life except for death and taxes

But I would say there is one other certainty…and that is the fact that trying circumstances will arise.

You will face the heartbreak of a breakup

You will go through the devastation of rejection

You will find yourself in a place of financial uncertainty.

Layoffs, health crisis, arguments, unforeseen weather patterns

Without a doubt there will be moments in life wherin we are facing something we would not have chosen.

__________ The opportunity in front of us

James tells us that when these moments arise we have an opportunity.

We get to determine which category these moments get accounted into.

We have naming rights over our circumstances.

He says when you have trying circumstances arise…COUNT IT ALL JOY

or name it a reason for gladness!

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Called to be a Namer

One of the primary responsibilities that God has used man for throughout history is for the purpose of naming things.

When God wills the birthing of an individual he doesn’t name them himself.

HE ISSUES A DECREE TO THEIR PARENTS TO NAME THEM.

Just a brief survey of the scriptures reveals moments in which God told people to act as His agents on earth by giving names to individuals.

He tells Abraham to issue a name

He tells Isaiah to issue a name

He tells Hosea to issue a name

He tells Joseph and Mary what to call Jesus.

While God has maintained sovereign control as to the happenings of the earth…He has granted naming rights to mankind.

________ It’s not if…it’s when

As I mentioned this is not a possiblity…this is a surety.

James says “when” you fall into various trials

I mention this because sometimes we walk in the errant belief that if I follow Jesus, I will not face any hard times.

It is worth noting that this encouragement from James is for those who are of the family of faith.

James 1:1 NKJV

1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

If you are following Jesus, you have the naming rights of your situaiton

James is writing to a group of believers and says “when” you face trying times.

Becoming a follower of Jesus does not mean life stops lifeing.

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We’re surrounded

The phrase fall into = peripipto = to be surrounded by

The word trials = Peirasmos = Testing circumstances

If you are in a season wherein you feel that you are surrounded by testing circumstances

James doesn’t tell us to beg God to get us out of it.

He doesn’t tell us to begin to evaluate our life to see what sins we have commited to get us into this situation.

He says do some accounting work.

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Itemized Accounting

My dad was a tax accountant for years.

The majority of Americans take the standard deduction because with various tax incentives it is more beneficial to them.

But when someone is successful in business and has a significant amount of financial gain it becomes more important for them to use what’s called “itemized deductions.”

The more successful you are…the more important it becomes that you carefully observe your accounting.

___________ As you grow in Christ it becomes important that we learn to itemize our seasons of trial.

We don’t get to choose what happens to us

But we do get to choose which category we place it in.

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Stay calm and be glad

Joy = chara = a calm sense of gladness.

In the middle of my trying circumstances, I am given a scripture invitation and mandate to have a calm sense of gladness.

Many of us have forfeited our naming rights in trying times and have given our trials naming rights over us.

I have trying circumstances and say “I’m anxious.”

I have hardships and say “I’m depressed”

I have financial struggles and say “I’m poor.”

Not understanding that my circumstances were not meant to name me, I was meant to name my circumstances.

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Govern my Life

The word count that precedes joy is the greek word: hegeomai = to command, lead, govern, or have rule over.

Not only am I told to name my circumstances…I am told to take authority over them and begin to govern them.

The body of Christ has forfeited our calling to take authority over our circumstances

We were destined to walk in dominion.

The naming rights granted to Adam and Eve were given to them in this word of dominion…the call to rule over the earth.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS EXPIRED TO THOSE WHO WALK IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!

It’s time that we take authority over our circumstances.

__________ It’s about production

The name that I give to my circumstances is not simply about what I am calling them but rather what i am calling out of them.

James 1:3 NKJV

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

The trial that I call joy is producing something.

What I call my circumstances is ultimately determining what my circumstances will produce.

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It all works together

Romans 8:28 NKJV

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

The word together is “synergeo”

Every aspect of our lives comes together to create a synergy and produce something.

My circumstances are not standalone instances.

Every circumstance is working together to produce something

But the product that comes out of my circumstantial synergeo is heavily dependent upon the naming rights that I practice. OR WHERE I PUT MY PROBLEMS

BOWL ILLUSTRATION

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Pastor, I don’t know how to put my frustrations into the joy bucket.

The simplest way I know to tell you is that when I keep them in the frustration bucket I’m retaining ownership of them.

The only way I can “count them all joy” is by releasing them out of my control.

1 Peter 5:7 NKJV

7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.