Daily Archive for November 18 2013
Podcast – Sermon 11-17-2013
James 1:13-18
Intro: Me-Ma’s TeaKettle
TODAY’S TEXT: READ James 1:13-18 *********************************************
Background: James wants to counter the idea that since God allows trials and temptations that He must be the author of them.
A way to say, “The Devil made me do it!”
A way to excuse yourself of any responsibility concerning sin.
In your own strength you have no chance to overcome your enemy. No amount of religious ritual,stoic discipline; no amount of emotional fervor, will overcome what you face.
(Colossians 2:16-23)
But if you know Christ which is to be “born-again”, you receive a new nature and the Holy Spirit comes in to give all the power you need to endure trials (1:2, 12) and grow from them; and to resist temptations (1:13-14) that arise “within you,” from the old nature. Now you have a new nature that can overcome.
If not “born-again” the pattern of James 1:15 is inevitable. READ AGAIN
Romans 6;23 “For the wages of sin is death (spiritual), but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What you are up against? Satan (James 4:7)/the World (Romans 12:2)/ the “Flesh” (Romans 5:7)
Will focus today on what works “inside” you; the “flesh”. *********************************
It is shocking to realize the enemy has an avenue to you from the “inside.”
Ex. Movie where the call comes from inside the house!
Ex. Me and Rich decide that we can stop all vices. First time I realized sin had me as its own. I was a prisoner.
Romans 7:5 “For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were arounsed by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.”
James 1:13-14 READ
“carried away” = ( greek- exelkomenos) to be “subtly” drawn away
from a safe place.
“being lured” = ( greek= deleaxomevos) to entrap/to catch with bait
“Lust” = nothing wrong with this word “desire.” The context of the passage lets you know if it is good desire or bad desire. Two examples below of the good meaning of the word
Philippians 1:23 “I desire to depart”
Luke 22:15 “I desire to eat this meal with you.”
Ex. 1 John 2:15-17
Ex. The picture of a fish going in a straight course and then
led away as the lure passes by.
Ex. Oklahoma trout fishing
Water clear, and you can see the fish following the lure. If too slow they lose interest; if too fast it gets away from them.
James 1:15 READ
LUST brings about a birth, and the child grows up to become uncontrollable!
Ex. Dr. McGorman-rat trap- “Cleam the traps son – only one creature will return to the same bloody trap and walk over the bodies of fallen comrades to take his turn at death!”
James 1:17 READ
Far from being the one tempting you, God gives only good gifts and perfect gifts.
He gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. First happens when you become a Christian, then as you daily surrender to Him, you overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit already abiding inside of you.
“Father of lights (plural) “The star and the moon and sun. But they appear to come and go; whereas the Creator of light, God Himself, never cast a shadow.
Ex. Song – “Great is Thy Faithfulness”
“Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh God my Father. There is no shadow of turning with thee; Thou changeth not, Thy compassions they fail not; as Thou hast been Thou forever will be.”
James 1:18 READ This verse about the new birth in Christ that removes the judgment of sin that would have trapped and condemned you for eternity (Romans 8:1). And about a nature you have so that the Holy Spirit can work in you to overcome daily the effects of the old nature. It is a process that gives daily hope and victory. No more living in perpetual guilt or shame!
“word of truth” – gospel message (Romans 10:17)
“first fruits” – first in reference to the glorified resurrected body of Christ (1 Corinthians 15), but then referring here to us, and the same thing happens to us. (Philippians 3;20-21).
Final: You have to have a daily plan or you will continue to get lured away
by lust residing inside of you. “Just taking life as it comes”
will not work!
QUESTION: What is your daily plan?
Great Scripture to build your daily plan: Hide these in your heart!
Romans 12:1-2 Daily surrender
Romans 8;12-14 How the process works
I John 5:4-5 We overcome because He overcame
I John 4:4 Greater is He that is in you, than he (Satan) that is in the world
Hebrews 2:14-18 Draw near with confidence
I Corinthians 10:12-13 Nothing unusual happening;
God will give you power
Podcast – Sermon 11-10-2013
James 1:9-11 Feeling Good About Your High Position
Question: Would you walk away from a job paying 625,000 per year?
The John Moffitt Story
Text Intro: James has four passages on money.
16 of 38 parables about money
1 of 10 verses in the gospels; 288 total; deal directly about money
Entire Bible has; 500 verses on prayer / 500 on faith ;
but more than 2000 on money or possessions
George Barna reports,,,
50% of Christians consider money the primary indicator of success
19% of Christians believe you can tell how successful a person is by examining
WHAT they own.
TEXT: READ James 1:9-11 ************************
God really gives more than the poor man lacks; or the rich man possesses
Question: What do you think rich “feels” like?
(I did not ask what rich looks like; that’s easy; it is having more than
you can possibly use)
Rich looks like: ***********
Freedom to buy/ travel/ for leisure time
Power to get your way
Security and safety
Fame and being the envy of others
Respect and honor
Giving to charity = You are seen as generous; even when you may only be giving
from your excess
Do the rich always “feel” rich, and on top of the world ? Apparently not.
Think of all the magnates, actors, musicians, professional athletes, and politicians who cover the news every day who have miserable lives, and yet they lack nothing materially.
I feel most sorrow for those who are deceived;
The worst materialist the world has ever known? The super rich? NO!
The average person who thinks he can imagine that rich will make
him “feel” complete!
We continually get fooled on how a certain set of circumstances will feel
once we acquire them
Ex- Star Trek– Spock is to get married- Bride chosen since birth-
Another man manipulates to take her away with the bride’s blessing
Both men are fine men, but the wife is a horrible person,
Both men now realize how terrible it will be to be married to evil person
Spock, after he gives her up- speaking to soon-to-be husband ;
“You may find that the wanting is better than the having” (or words to that effect)
The problem with wanting to get rich is you imagine how it will make you feel; you dream about it; and all the while you are already rich in Christ but refuse to look into it because you may have to stand apart from your friends and family to live it out.
The problem with wanting to get rich is it infects your identity; your personality.
READ Matthew 6: 19-21
Your “heart” is the very core of your eternal being! It is all that remains after this life.
The real misery is you sell out your family time; your church; relationships; all for money. Even as you increase the money you make; it never feels like enough!
Example: Read or do verse 1, and chorus of
“In The Palm Of Your Hand”- Allison Krauss
Particularly the line- “ then life was torn from me
READ I Timothy 6: 7-10
About 35 years after Paul wrote this letter this happened,,,,,,,
Example: Show pictures of Pompeii-
Question: Do you know what these are?
These are plaster cast of real human bodies destroyed in a volcanic eruption in 79 A.D.
We saw the exhibit a few years ago and it was eerie walking around these bodies.
Mt. Vesuvius went off and the town of Pompeii was destroyed instantly!
The art work and frescos so nasty that you are not allowed to take children in. They adore Priapus; god of sex and fertility. 10,000 die that day
They were killed by the heat, as ash 13-20 feet thick covered the town. Heat of 482 degrees! (They used to think they choked from the dust, but the cast speak a different story.)
Story of woman grasping for a bag of pearls. Now frozen in time- all about money!
Feet toward freedom of the city gate to escape; her hands turned back toward a bag of pearls.
Final: How to “fee” really rich, and that wealth based on historical facts? Even when you are not rich, by this world’s standards?
“On This Day” Devotional book; December 17
READ: BORDEN STORY
Final thoughts:
Our great witness, in these hard economic times, is to walk among the disappointed- seekers- of- riches; and let them see what it means to be content by having and living within the riches of Christ.
Could they see and hear in you, that you are context? Could you desire for them that they FEEL like you do?
How do you FEEL about your life right at this moment?
If your body and mind and heart we frozen in time for all to see, would they say you were context and lived a rich life in Christ?
Do you FEEL rich or lacking?