Welcome to the Forge
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James 1
11-22-2020
Welcome to the Forge
Welcome to church
I am a bit nervous because for some of you this is your favorite Book of the Bible, and you probably know it better than me
As we begin this series this may actually take a bit longer than you would think for such a short book
In the very beginning of the Book of James you come to that very very famous verse that I am not so sure we always like
Still the Word of God is good for teaching and preaching and to be applying
It is the entire word of God that is good for teaching and preaching and applying, not just the parts that are comfortable
1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Well there is it we have to come through it
I have entitled this sermon Welcome to the Forge
I have been watching forged in fire so much that I am ready to buy a forge and start making things out of steel
And I believe this verse speaks to that so that is why we have entitled it welcome to the Forged
This book is written by the half brother of Jesus James not the disciple James
This James wasn’t one of the names apostles of Jesus but no doubt that the younger half brother of James would have listened to his older brothers teachers
So much so that he becomes a leader with in the early church and then desires to write to other believers who are scattered around
Then we get to the infamous verse
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
Wait What?
You mean to tell me I am supposed to count it joy when I go through different and difficult trials and temptations and times
Not me saying it but James the half brother of Jesus calls us to do it
After you let that settle in Yes it is true we are to be counting it joy when we go through difficult times
Now some of you may sitting there going that doesn’t make sense why would I be joyful when I am in the midst of difficult times
Because it is through those difficult times and struggles that God will use to refine you and make you into something that would bring Glory to Him
Just like in the show forged in the fire
They take this metal and really doesn’t serve any sort of purpose and they make it into something amazing
It has to be heated up to very hot, to around 2000 degrees F
That can’t be very comfortable but it must be done when you want to make something useful and awesome
In the show once you have forged the metals together then you can start to heat beat and repeat
You heat the metal up, then you bang on it to form it and then you do it again and again till it is in the shape you want it
By no means am I saying that God beats on you but I do believe that we will encounter difficult times usually by our means that God will use to form us
That is where we find our joy church
In knowing that God is good and will use this to form us into something that will bring Him glory
That is why James can call us to have joy when we encounter because James knows that God is good and will use it to grow us into something that will glorify Him
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James knows that when you are tested, when you encounter struggles
When you encounter difficulties in this life
And I am sure we have talked about them but when that happens because we know they are going to happen
We can rest in the truth of Gods word that He is at work
Sometimes that work is tough and we don’t like it but when we are through it we are something to be used by God and to bring Him glory
Just like when you start with a hunk of clay, or a piece of steel
God is constantly refining you and I and we should find joy in that
So know that you know you are to find joy in that we should say amen and go our separate ways
So good luck finding joy in the difficult times right
lets be honest this morning how do we find joy in the midst of trials, and struggles, and difficulties
How do we find joy when we it feels like we are being heated, beat and put on repeat
How do we find joy when it feels like we are constantly being worked over and over and over again
How do we find joy when we lose a loved one, how do we find joy when people are sick
How do we find joy when our nation and our churches are so divided right now
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.
It is all Jesus
It is what Jesus did on the cross
That is the Joy James is talking about
This should be the cry of our hearts right now
Restore to use the Joy of our salvation so that as we go through these various trials as James so elecquantly puts it we can have Joy
Because we know that God is good, God is in charge and God is going to make something that is useful and something that will bring Him glory
Again we could leave you here and you would leave this place going I just need to have more joy
But I think there is still more of an applicable answer something you can take away today and begin to o apply
First church I believe it is prayer
We have talked about it
But the way to stay focused on Jesus in the midst of many different struggles to is to talk with Him
Church we are to be a praying people
We are to stay in constant communication with Jesus
Communication is so important
In my job at the school I listen to my police radio
Usually Dispatch will call you on the radio, then they will call you a second time
If they have to call a third time, they send a loud tone and then call you
Then they find your location via GPS, or where you were last sent and they usually start sending officers lights and sirens to your location
More often than not it was because the officer didn’t hear them calling or him or had his radio turned way down
Communication is so important
Church we are to be in constant communication from Jesus
That is where we are encouraged, lifted up, told truth and given direction
With out that we are making everything up
17 pray without ceasing;
Church in order for you to have joy in various trials you must have constant communication
I want to encourage you today to jump start your prayer life
The final thing you can begin to apply to your life so that you have joy in your life during the many different trials you will encounter in this life is to read your Bible
See when we are emerged in the Word you are better off
When you put truth inside your Body you are healthier
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ”
You and I cannot survive without being in God’s word
If you expect to survive with all the many different trials you will encounter you must be emersed in the Word of God
This is where we received direction and wisdom
This is where we received the Joy of our salvation by reading through God’s word
I understand that not everyone is a reader to bad
It is a must!
Church if we refuse to spend time praying and spend time reading then we will never grow when we encounter those difficulties
We are to find joy knowing that God is good and doing a good work
Even though it may not be comfortable to go through
To struggle in those difficulties church
There is joy knowing that God is good, that God is at work in your life to create and mold you into something useable
This morning church there is Joy in Jesus
There is joy knowing that God is good and that God is seated on the through
THere is Joy knowing that God is doing a good work
There is joy knowing Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior
As the musicians come up
We want to invite you to the front if you are here today and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus
You can speak with someone who will show you through scripture how you can begin a relationship with Jesus today
How you can have joy this morning
Or maybe you already have a personal relationship with Jesus and have been in the fire lately
The struggle is real in your life
There is Joy
Maybe you need to jump start your prayer life this morning and jump start your Bible reading this morning
Or maybe you simply need to spend sometime in prayer at the altar
The altar is open