Sunday Service
Good morning church. That's supposed to be here with you this morning. He'll open your Bibles to James chapter. 1, James chapter 1 and I will join you there shortly. So as many of you know, I used to be a paramedic long time ago and South taxes and I worked as a paramedic in South Texas until one day. I had this faithful discussion life-giving conversation with a preacher. Y'all might go by the name of that. Then he showed up at where I work showed up at my work site and we started having a Bible study, and it was a Bible study because the next day I got baptized and my entire world turned upside down. Immediately had all sorts of questions and I was constantly calling Matt on the phone because you know preachers only work on Sundays. If you didn't know it's all I was eating up all of his time. And finally he looked at me and he said, look dude you need to go to Sunset. And so I was baptized in November. My wife was baptized in December and by April, the next year, we were at Sunset getting ready for the school year to pick up in August. I don't do anything by half. I want to say that everything just worked out great. You know, I had a great plan, I don't know if you're aware of this or not. There's a national shortage of paramedics as a paramedic anywhere in this country, get a job and make a decent living and take care of my family. As I had done my entire adult life. Since I got out of military and do, I knew exactly what needed to happen. We were going to go up to Lubbock, we trade some support, but I'm going to work, I'm going to work shifts and I was going to work as a paramedic and I was going to take care of it and me working, as a paramedic. Hey man, I had I got this I know you. National shortage of paramedics. I had probably 10 or views lined up and I couldn't find a job. I don't know if you know this or not moving across the state is an expensive, Endeavor uprooting, a family at that time, we were a family of 5 cost.
So, we are going through our savings and the support we have raised Quinn. And I could not find a job that I was going through and everything was great, and I was literally told asked me, how much do you want to make? And I literally told them he had heard that they had told me prior to the interview, this position pays $5 and so when they ask me, how much do you want to make you do yours? That's really the only thing we need to know how much you want to wait, I gave them the answers.
I need locked me out of the road. It was the most bizarre experience.
The monks were going by and I couldn't find a job. And I was watching us go through our savings. I was watching us go through our support very quickly and as a husband and as a father it wrecked me. I was terrified, I'd never been in this situation, my life where I had started to do something and the plant I put together, was it Not only was not working, but it was not working in such a spectacular fashion that I didn't know if we're going to be able to make ends meet. Next one. so, I take it, the phone and I called Matt I'ma leave that story right there. Okay. Lourd willing, I won't forget, we'll come back to it here at the end, but this morning were starting this study in the Book of James about. I'd love to say, I'm just so smart, I came up with that title. They already had that title in. The Book of James is really about. If you look at James 1:1, we see him begin. He says, look, this is James a bondservant of God. End of the Lord. Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes who are dispersed abroad. Greetings, James is writing this letter.
Movement. All over Palestine. Remembered.
My Witnesses hearings. In Judah, in Samaria and all the way to the ends of the Earth in the book of Acts of the Apostles doing that, James is writing a letter to all of those. Jesus. Propped up all over the area and he's writing this letter to encourage them because why? He's writing. Teresa from run the race, giving them
Single. Lyrics to sweater in. Verse 26, look up a bondservant. I'm a slave of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ. I'm running to be 12 tribes to the church is gorgeous first abroad, greeting, and he starts out very thing. He begins with
What's Dak or NSYNC?
Because the second verse to consider it all joy. Consider it all. Joy, my brethren when you win the lottery. Right, that's a text us back there.
And then all the doctor.
Consider it all. Joy Brothers, right? Just like to take us. He'll be sought when Jesus said, blessed are the poor and understand what. That really mean when he says blessed are the poor in Loop or blessed are the poor in spirit in Matthew where Jesus says those things. The blessings of the gods are on those.
About the wisdom that Christ gave the church. That's the wisdom that he offers in James picking up on that thread. This upside down kingdom that we live in and he says, considered All Join a to my brethren. When you encounter various trials,
Somebody. Jesus consider that joint. Maybe we have a problem with that. I do. I struggle with that considered, all might and consider it all. Joy, my brother and when you encounter various trials, why? Because knowing that the testing of your faith, produces endurance, And what endurance have its perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing. James isn't saying. Tragedy calamity. When your plans fall apart and you struggle Jason saying that's joyful. He's not saying, oh, you got cancer. You should go dancing. Be happy.
Sisters. cigarette, Joi count it all joy for the opportunity that you are given. What opportunity? the opportunity to grow in our faith, to grow Independence on our father, Cigarettes all joy brothers and sisters that you stand in the Hall of the same. when you suffer through try,
we can go back to the Gospels. Jesus, in The Garden of Gethsemane before his passion for his crucifixion, he walked in the garden. Pray to God G. Thank you so much. I'm about to be brutally murdered and crucified by the Romans just straight. I'm so excited. That's what Jesus prayed, right. That's what he pray. No.
Open grabbing me here. Don't let you walk around.
Right? I don't want to do this. I don't want to go through this. I don't want to suffer let this cup pass from me, but Right, what are they? Not my.
There's an elder of the church in Smyrna named polycarp church history. He was an elder in the congregation, he sat at the Sea of John the Apostle, so he will learn how to follow Christ from John, the Apostle. I need a story about polycarp. The Romans come out to arrest him. He's been accused of being a Christian, the Romans are coming out to arrest him to drive to the arena to burn him at the stake.
And so he runs away. Waiting for. And when they show up, you've not only brings them into the house and sits them at his table, he makes sure, he makes sure they are said and then he prays blessings over them.
Do you know what do you want to know why Christianity spread throughout the ancient Roman Empire? Because when Christians were persecuted, that's how they respond. not only did he pray for those Roman, but when he was dragged into the Coliseum, he prayed for the governor and he prayed for the people who are about to burn him alive,
Polycarp. Call Joy. Not for the trial itself. He knew what a waiting. Having kept endurance, having kept the faith James, this endurance, God wants to use all of these trials. Strengthen our endurance. So they can endurance may have its perfect response in solidifying, our faith in God. I think about we all just watch my son leave singing, right? Did he look excited to be up there? Maybe not so much this time, right? I think the first time he lets thing and he did a phenomenal job keeping that smile on his face face. I think this time
And so what should I tell him? As he deals with this trial? This struggle but having to leave thing, is anybody ever let singing in here on the gym, myself? Okay, is it easy? Is it easy getting up in front of people and leaving sing who wants to come and look if you think I do like listening to that smile sit down and you can come up and preach right now.
This, what you call a joke?
In front of people, do you know if you may not have noticed but people are more afraid of public speaking Vin death. Did you know that?
It's a trial. We live in a culture today that says, you shouldn't have to go through trials. You shouldn't have to struggle. Modern-day our society looks at my son and said, he don't want to do it. That's okay. You don't need to struggle. That's not how it works church. That's not what God expects, Justice gone tested, the ancient Israelites and they wander the desert. So to church, we are wandering through the desert. And God wants to test us. Not to see us. Fail to see the 16. He wants to grow us up to learn how to depend on him. There's a man that up. an older man who's been walking with God for very long time and he was asked to pray over a gathering and his prayer just
This man at the end. Where did?
How did you learn to depend on? God like that.
My teacher with the Devil.
My teacher with the devil in scriptures that the name for the devil, one of the nation's the adversary. The one who really taught me how to pray depend on. Free trial that came through the iPhone.
The enemy hopes that we fail to see sea trials. Knows that we're home. Knows that in this world, there's many things is going to cry.
They're going to cause us to ask God to go to him and go.
God's hope is that you passed the test and you remain faithful not that. You don't struggle with it, struggling with it. You trust him. The enemies hope is that you reject and that you give up. Can we turn away from the past that he has called us to walk that we refuse to run the race? That's why James says in verse five wisdom but he must ask in faith without any doubting for. The one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven by the wind receive anything from the Lord being a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. The best picture to understand what what James is talking about is in the wilderness wandering. Over and over and over again. Throughout the Exodus. God told the Israelites I'm going to save you. I'm going to redeem you. I'm going to deliver you from slavery. I'm going to take care of. I'm going to leave early due to a land of milk and honey, just trust me. In every step of the way, the Israelites rejected. Not because
And they're hungry or they're thirsty. How difficult is that to into you? Have you ever been on the road trip? And your kids are like, I'm hungry. I'm ready to eat. I've got seven kids were stopping and eating immediately.
The problem in the wilderness was not in the people took their complaints to God. The problem is Do you really want to kill? You really? We don't trust you. Brought us into the Wilderness, you brought in the desert to Bay Area.
Angels Church.
In the garden. Jesus said that we was talking about the various persecutions in the book of Acts that he struggled with or rather that we see the book about it. But he's talking about, in 2nd Corinthians, Paul said it. Look, we were pressed all the way to the point of death. We sure we thought we were going to die.
Hope you learned in that struggle to rely on God. We weren't in that. We're lying on the couch. Father of Life, the one who has saved.
James isn't saying that we can't go to God in the midst of the trailer, the midst of the struggle and we can't go to God and ask God why with Joe righteous, man?
Did you read in the book where he complained God, b, a b b. Got to change the destination of Joe. Went the person, he was supposed to. And it didn't make sense. I don't know why I'm going through this. Help me. Understand. Did God help him understand? Oh yeah, not showed up. Dogs that hate, you need to check yourself song. But by the end of the book, it was the three friends that God considered unrighteous the three friends who are sitting there saying, all these things that weren't true about God, and all these things that weren't true about even though he had complained said the sun right here, I have him. Pray for you, have him sacrifice and offering. we're not talking about going to God in prayer and struggling with the trials that come into our James is talking about those who would look at the work of our God. Who would look at the work of our father and doubt his honesty or his sincerity or his ability to bring us through this truck? Change the saying that man, that man, who is double-minded, who would look at the Lord? Like the Israelites in the wilderness and say you're trying to tell me, You're trying to end me. That man is double-minded and not and not to expect anything. From the Lord.
That's being a double-minded man, is unstable in all of his ways, right? That man ought not to expect anything but he reversed nine.
We get this example of this very situation, right? But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation because like flowering, grass. He will pass away to James holds up this exam. The upside.
in the ancient world like today, right, we consider those who are blessed to have money. That's right by Earthly standards. Turn off notice. I believe it's confirmed but the world has produced her first trillionaire. Did you hear this over there? Yeah. The first trillionaire. Yes, ma'am.
His company went public. He is now a trillion. So he's the most successful man in the world. The most blessed man in the world, right? the world was that it
but I don't know if you noticed something about mr. Mus. Got a whole lot of kids. Not really involved in our lives.
You got a whole lot of money. But I don't see a lot of stability.
Change the saying look the one who is truly got left just like Jesus would say The Sermon on the Mount for just like Jesus would say in the Gospel of Luke the real
The really blessed people are those who are poor in spirit. Hunger, and thirst after righteousness, the truly blessed. People are those who pursue and make peace.
Who are persecuted for righteousness.
There is a heaven. It's not about Rich's. It's not about success judge from an Earthly standpoint. If it was church, I don't know what I'm doing here. I come from a congregation that had 250 members salary and I moved I lived in the promised land of Texas.
Kinder and I moved my family. All across this country. The concrete's to 40 people. I don't really even reach it. That's the preacher. I'm kind of hanging out. I get to go through my own Wilderness again.
A success. If we judge success, we judge
What's brother? Humble circumstances, it's the brother who is
trouble.
During this time, that was 99.
Population.
We've done a study on the Roman Empire, the population of the Roman Empire. During this time Something like 90% of the people were at the living below. Living below Subs. that means that from day-to-day, they didn't know if they were
He said, you should Glory.
Why? Because it's fun. Not have food.
Because it's those who don't have to learn how to do. How to learn how to look to God to provide. Meanwhile the rich man is to glory in his humiliation. Why for the sun rises with the scorching wind for the sun rises Withers, the grass and its flowers falls off in the beauty of its appearance is destroyed. So to the rich man, in the midst of his Pursuits will fade away.
You can't take any of this stuff with you. all of this money, all of the fame, all of the We work our entire lives to have all of these things.
How are you going to respond when Fortune changes when the trial comes and all of the things that you thought were your strength, and your power and your success and all of them?
You get sick. When you least expect, it would have been a member passes at the most inopportune time. when your job decides that you're just a number and you need to be
How are you going to respond? For those who have lived their entire lives. Learning how to extend on God. the trial is just another hurdle that they're going, but for those who are rich at James Wood, How are they going to respond when they are riches and their Fame and their success?
Are they going to work? Are they going to respond and learn how to stand with God? Or will they fall away verse 12? First 12 rates blessed is a man who perseveres under trial for once he has been approved. He will receive the Crown of Life which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
This is why working. We run this race. When you learn how to manage your, we suffer the trials because in the end of the day, we know we serve a God who has done everything necessary save us. That he didn't stay away from The Trial, but rather took on human flesh into this Earth and suffered the penalty suffer the punishment, all of us deserve. Am I going to nap cross? And he's heard he has asked us now just as he bore the cross for us to Bear. Our own cross, not to live in such a way for our own glory for us, not to live in such a doing whatever it is. We want but joked that he gave up everything for us, he has asked us to give up everything.
Run this race.
When we live our lives in such a way, in during the trials that come holding on to him, double braiding, the Calamity truly standing with him, depending on him. You can look forward to the Crown of Life. Living tourniquet. Who is God? Church.
This is what it means. This is what God is working towards in our lives. This is how God wants us to learn to endear. I can grow in our faith. So consider it all joy. My brothers and sisters when You Face, various trials. Because, you know, that the testing of your faith produces endurance and endurance will have its perfect work. And solidifying and growing, and establishing your face. And after a life of faith, we have the Crown of Life waiting for us.
Evening in Lubbock, Texas, that I picked up the phone and called, Matt at my wonderful licenses. I would rather. I couldn't believe that. The paramedic I couldn't find a job. I couldn't believe that all of those interviews didn't pan. I couldn't, believe I was just so, so shop. And I'll never forget what Matt said in that moment. Set alarm. God is faithful. And you didn't go to Lubbock be a paramedic. You went to Lubbock to learn the word of God and how to preach
Maybe you need to stop. Trying to do this yourself. And wait to see what God
And I'd love to say that I walked away from that conversation. I went. I'm on it man, I got it. No, I suffer for weeks. I couldn't sleep and my insides not at me. And I watched my bank account verify. But I also prayed everyday. And I watched my wife who at the time had no education. I know certificates. No stand nothing. Get a job that she would have the next three years that would become a vital part of our support while we were outside. I got a job, Matt sent me to a local congregation and I went to work for them as a youth Minister and they made up another third of our support and the entire time is sunset. We only have two thirds of our support established. We got to watch God, work over and over again. Every month as we never went hungry, we never starved and we met
I'd love to say that, that's how God's going to get you through your trial.
Christ died. Brutal. Holley carb was burned at the stake Brew. God does not spare us from every trial from every tribulation. But those men are named Faith, and I'm still standing here with you today. And I want you to take a look around for a second because you're all here to I don't know what you've gone through. I don't know what you personally struggled with. But whatever has happened in the past, you can't change it. And the enemy is very good at getting us. One getting us to focus on things in the past for things in the future.
Need and want you living in the car? Huawei over the past or he wants you. So focus on the
L'Oreal.
At the church, we need to be a people who are willing to look at our brothers and sisters. An offer sincere in. No matter where they're at.
This morning Wherever You Are.
If you need to come this morning and maybe you need to repent, maybe you need to see struggling. I've been going through trials, but I'm going to I am going to lead a life that brings glory and honor to God no matter how much I struggle. Whatever it is or maybe you're here.
Whatever it is. You replace your new congregation. So this morning, if any of that is you, if you are in need of any help, I ask that you come as we stand and as we sing,
