James chapter 1 verse number 2 James chapter 1 verse number 2 the Bible says my brethren
Counting all joy when you fall into diverse
Temptations the title for the sermon tonight is diverse temptations
We are starting a new book of the Bible starting the book of James and I kind of calculated work at James
Got five chapters there
You know three Psalms after that and by then I should be able to be up there in Queensland with you all and we
Can start a brand new book? So that's why I decided go James just because the timing is right
You know everybody every book of the Bible is a good book to get through anyway
Now as we go through the book of James James is probably I would say it's probably it's up
There's as one of the hardest books to understand wrap your minds around of the New Testament
Not only are the challenging passages, but it's just chalk block of information
I mean if you look at chapter one, there is just so much there
You know, I kind of feel like I'm not gonna be able to give enough due diligence to to every verse
That's there tonight
I'll do my best to cover as much as I can
But I do want to think about this idea of diverse temptations, you know, the word temptations can also mean the word trial
They're very similar in nature and we can you know for our lives and go for different trials and afflictions and troubles
And you know what God wants to see us through those trials
God wants us to be victorious but also way to understand there are diverse temptations
There are different types of temptations that we can go through and this chapter really starts to open our minds as to what those
Temptations can be so let's start there in verse number one James chapter 1 and verse number 1
It says James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes
Which are scattered abroad greeting and so you can see that this epistle is from the Apostle James or you know
Well, actually some people believe what I won't go to that right now
But you can see that it's written to the 12 tribes, which are scattered abroad
Why the 12 tribes of these are scattered abroad?
Well, I'm just gonna quickly read you from Acts chapter 8 Acts chapter 8 verse number 1 Acts chapter 8 verse number 1
It says and so who eventually becomes what we know is Paul the Apostle it says and so was
Consenting unto his death and at that time there was a great persecution
Against the church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria
Accepts the Apostles so you can see that there was a persecution on the church in Jerusalem
So the Jews there the people of God there are being scattered abroad and I went to just notice that these are believers
These are people coming into a New Testament Church and believing on Christ and follow out the Christ ways
Because I've heard that when we reach into the one I've heard where it says to the twelve tribes
So, you know, this is not for the New Testament Gentile churches, you know, this is not for New Life Baptist Church
This is just something for the Jews just the Israelites
Well, no, if you look at what who are scattered abroad
It's the believers that made up the church in Jerusalem and I'll just prove to you that this is not about non believing Jews
It's about believers because when we get to verse number two, it says my brethren
Okay, my brethren my brothers and sisters in the Lord those that are saved my family in Christ is writing
So even even though it's targeting yes Israelites whole tribes that are scattered abroad, but it's to all the brethren
You know if you are part of the family of God, this isn't a pistol that we can learn from
We can't take this attitude. That's just for the top drives. It's not for us
No, if you're a brother of James and brethren speaking spiritually in the spiritual sense brethren. This is for us
This is for for us definitely about us
In fact, the church is mentioned in chapter 5 when we get to James of the five
But in verse number two, it says my brethren counting all joy when you fall into diverse temptations
So brethren when we go through diverse or different types of temptations we are to count it all joy be excited
Yes, I'm going for a trial. Yes. I'm going for a problem. Yes, I'm going through some affliction
Easier said than done though, isn't it when we go through temptations when we go through trials and difficulties
It's hard to rejoice about it
In fact many times we get cast down and upset but you know
We ought to have the heart of rejoicing when God allows us to fall into diverse temptations
Now the word diverse I just want to think about this for a moment, you know
when we think about I think when we commonly just read this passage and think about that we can fall into diverse temptations the
Thought is yeah
There are just we can go from many trials and problems and persecutions in this world
And I do believe you can apply that meaning but as we go through this chapter the term
Diverse is more about various types
Various types of temptations. There are different types of temptations that come away
It's not just that we go through many of them, but we go through different types of
Temptations and we'll keep going through that was we go through the chapter. I'll show you what those different types are
Now it says in verse number three
It says knowing this that the trying of your faith work of patience
So you can see that the temptations that are brought there are mentioned in verse number two is
Associated with the trying or the testing of your faith. Okay, this works patience now
This sounds very positive, doesn't it? You know, if God is trying our faith. He's trying to work patience
He's trying to do a work in us now
Keep your finger there and go to Genesis chapter 22, please go to Genesis chapter 22
Genesis 22, please in verse number 1 Genesis 22 in verse number 1
Because there are different types of temptations there are diverse
Temptations there's a trying of our faith and I wanted to notice here when God tried the faith of one in Genesis 22
Verse 1 Genesis 22 verse 1 it says and it came to pass
After these things that God did what tempt?
Abraham so can God tempt his people? Yes
This is the trying of faith. Okay and said unto him Abraham and he said behold
Here I am
Alright, and so this temptation that we're about to read is of course God's gonna ask Abraham to sacrifice his son
But I want you to notice first of all that God can tempt his people
Okay
And this is of course the trying of our faith
God is saying just how resilient and how faithful we are toward him now keep your finger there in Jane
It's sorry in Genesis 22
We are going to come back there and go back to James chapter 1 go back to James chapter 1 and look at verse
13 James chapter 1 drop down to verse number 13
It says this let no man say when he is tempted. I am tempted of God
For God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempt of he any man. You say pastor Kevin. This sounds like a contradiction
This is why the book of James is quite meaty
It does require a lot of reading a lot of study a lot of thought a lot of comparison of Scripture
Because if we read James chapter 1 verse 13
Alone it sounds like God will never tempt you but then we read Genesis 22 and God is tempting Abraham. So what's going on?
Well notice there in verse number 13 again, let no man say when he's tempted
I'm tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil. You see when God tempts us or God tries our faith
He doesn't do it for evil purposes. He doesn't do it to to cause us to sin
Okay
What he does is he's trying to strengthen us trying to try our faith because he's going to reward us
He's going to bless us if we're able to go through the temptation
That God gives us the temptation that God gives us is not one of evil
But if you are being tempted with evil, then that's not from God
Okay, so this is why I said to you at all the time for the same tonight is diverse temptations
There are different types of temptations we can go through
Sometimes God can tempt us or God can try our faith and other times there are temptations that we go through which is not
Originally sourced by God. Okay, and that's why it's various various types of temptations back to Genesis 22
Please Genesis 22 verse number 2
Genesis chapter 2 sorry 22 and verse number 2 and it says and he said take now thy son
Thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest so does Abraham love his son
Absolutely. Okay and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there a burnt offering upon one of the mountains
Which I tell thee of so God says offer your son Isaac. I know you love Isaac very much
I want you to offer him as a sacrifice
I want you to kill this son of yours to be a sacrifice now
Of course, if you know the story of the father, you know the God the father sent the son
He sent his only begotten son to die for the sins of this world
And so this is what this is picturing Abraham as a father offering his son Isaac for the sacrifice
Now if you just there in Genesis 22 drop down to verse number 11, so, you know the story right, you know
Abraham is obedient. Even though he loves his son. He prioritizes God first. He says God
I'll do what you've asked me to do
Even though it's so hard for me to do this and he sets it up to kill his own son
But then God stops him, of course in Genesis 22 verse 11
It says and the angel of the Lord caught it unto him out of heaven and said Abraham Abraham
And he said here am I verse number 12 and he said lay not thine hand upon the lad
Neither do thou anything unto him look at this for now, I know
That thou fearst God. So this is a trying of Abraham's faith
We're trying to see we're testing Abraham to see whether he fears God
You know
Is he going to put God first over his own son and then it says seeing that has not withheld thy son
Thine only son from me
So even Abraham was willing to put God even before his only son even before his own family
And so God was trying Abraham's faith to see whether he would prioritize God above everything in this world
And we wouldn't have time to go through it. But then God blesses Abraham for for the trying of his faith
He succeeded in that trial
He passed the test and this is something God wanted Abraham to go through that he would then receive the blessings to come
So again trying to show you that God is the one that can test us get us through temptations
Try now faith for the purpose of a blessing for the purpose of showing that we prioritize God
Above the other things that we might be going through the people that we have the people that we love
You know, where is your priority?
God may very well put you through that kind of trial and temptation back to James chapter 1
Please James chapter 1 and verse number 4
James chapter 1 verse number 4 it says but let patience
So when we go through this trial and God's trying to work patience in us
It says and let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire
Wanting nothing and so the purpose of going through trials that God allows us to go through
Is that we would be perfect in a time that would be whole that would be you know growing that we would show that
We're well-rounded Christians that we would go and like Abraham. He showed himself to be entire, you know
He showed himself to be mature well-grounded prioritizing the Lord as he went through that trial
Once in nothing and now, you know when you think about that idea there in verse number 4 let patience have a perfect work
Well, you know Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son as I said it was a trial but when God the Father
Sacrificed his son. He was not a trial, you know, it was a real deal
It was a real thing God the Father sacrificing his only begotten Son and the Bible says that this is a perfect work
Let patience have her perfect work
Praise God for salvation. Praise God for Jesus Christ because then we can receive
Perfect salvation through the perfect work that God put in place to save our souls
All right. Let's keep going there verse number five
Now it says if any of you lack wisdom
So let's not detach what we're about to read from what we've just read
Okay, so if we're going to go through trials going through temptations
Challenges, you know the Bible says that if you lack wisdom
All right, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him
Because many times we could be going for a trial that God wants us to go through
And we can be asking the question. I don't know why i'm going through this god
Why are you allowing me to go through this trial in my life?
You know, I can't see what god is trying to do in my life. Well, what are you trying to do god?
Why do you allow me to fall into this problem into these challenges?
Well, you know what when you don't know why what do you do you go to god, you know
If you like if you're lacking wisdom ask of god say god, I don't know why i'm going through this
Can you please reveal to me why i'm going for this lord? Can you show me what lesson you're trying to teach me?
Lord, can I see what you're trying to develop in my life?
And when you go to god with those questions asking for his wisdom through your trial through your diverse temptation
It says that god will giveth to all men liberally freely. God wants to give us the answer
You know, it just god just gives give us free wisdom to us, you know to help our understanding to help out our our
You know endurance through that trial and difficulty and then it says and upright if not
God will not operate if I say god will not rebuke you for going to him and asking questions
You know sometimes I think as christians we think that god may rebuke us
If we go to him too often or here upright us we go to him too often asking for questions
Oh god wants to give us the answers where we are his dear children if you're saved
And god wants to reveal his great truths to him and it shall be given him
God guarantees if you go and ask him during a triumph of difficulty and trials
Why are you going through this god promises you that he will reveal it to you
You will have the wisdom and you'll have the understanding of how to get through that trial that that period of trial
This is in verse number six, but let him ask in faith
Nothing wavering so don't waver. Okay god, I need your understanding wisdom lord. I need help to go through this trial
Don't waver, you know go to god in faith know that god can answer prayer know that god can feel
And help you through the through the trials and difficulties because says for he that waver is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed
For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the lord
So brethren if you uh cannot trust god enough that he will answer the prayers
Okay, uh that you bring toward him that you know
You lack whether god even cares to hear from you brethren
Then you're going to be wavering you're going to be tossed like a like the sea driven with the wind
And tossed about okay
And then it says let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the lord, you know
Don't expect god to come through and help you for a time of trial if you're lacking faith
You know when you talk about faith, you know, let him ask in faith
We're saying, you know believe that god will answer believe that god can answer
You know
The other word we use is trust don't we when we say believe in the lord jesus christ
We're saying you've got to trust on christ, but when you go to god in faith in prayer
We're basically trusting that god has the ability god is all powerful
And he can change the events of this world to answer our prayer. Do you believe that brethren? Do you believe that?
You know, I want to quickly read to you if you can keep your finger there go to mark chapter 9
Go to mark chapter 9 verse 23
Mark chapter 9 and verse number 23 just very quickly
Because we have a story here of the father that goes to jesus christ and his son is possessed with the devil
And the father goes to jesus asking that jesus christ would deliver his son from this difficulty
And it says there in mark 9 23 jesus said unto him if thou canst believe
All things are possible to him that believer. It's the same thing right if we go asking in faith
Nothing wavering if we believe that jesus christ can answer prayer then all things are possible to him that believer verse 24
And straight way look at this the father of the child cried out and said with tears
lord, I believe
Say well, that sounds awesome. This must be a man full of faith. But then he says this
Help thou mine unbelief
Because god I believe I know you can i'm trusting you lord, but there's some doubt in my heart
I don't know lord, but you gotta help me with my unbelief
What an answer, you know, what a request I should say what a request
You know, we should be people that trust jesus that trust god. No, we trust him for our salvation
Well, now let's trust him with all the other prayers that we bring before him
But again, we human beings sometimes we just lack the faith and you know what we should trust jesus
Even with our lack of faith jesus help thou mine unbelief help me to be more faithful
Help me to be more trusting toward the work and the power of god
Help me to have more trust in the prayers that I pray
Back to james chapter three verse number eight. Sorry james chapter one verse number eight james chapter one verse number eight
It says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Yeah, that's true
You know if you can't trust god for your necessities, then who are you going to trust?
Right, if you don't think that god can answer prayers and help you in life
Well, then who can help you on this earth, you know, if you can't trust god's word to be true
Then what are you going to turn to?
I mean if we don't have god who is our stability and our strength then what do we have reverend?
We're just a double-minded man unstable in all our ways
You know, you're going to be unstable in all that you do if you just can't trust god with your prayers
And god wants to hear our prayers. God wants to go to him seeking wisdom to help us through trials
You know, I take the attitude when I go to prayer that you know, god will answer my prayer
You know either number one. God will answer my prayer the way I want it that has happened
Okay, or god will answer my prayer in the way that I don't want but even if it's not the way that I want it
I know it's best for me because it's the way that god wants it. Okay, you know, god will hear me
God will answer me the way I want it or the way he wants it. Okay. It's always the way he wants it
It's always the way he wants it
Anyway, it's always his will that that comes into fruition and I know even if it's not what I wanted
It's still going to be the best answer that I could have possibly had
You know, we take the attitude to prayer and you're going to see god do amazing things in your life
You're going to see god answering your prayers in such an amazing way
You'll be surprised but reverend ask him in faith. Nothing wavering. All right, let's go back to james chapter one verse nine
James chapter one verse number nine
It says let the brother of low degree
Rejoice in that he is exalted
So the brother of low degree is you you'll soon see why but it's a poor person
It's someone that is lowly in society. Okay, so, you know if you don't have much if you're a poor person
You know, you're lower on the social rank. Okay, you're a nobody maybe in this world
It says rejoice in that he is exalted. Actually if you're saved reverend you are exalted
Even if you're poor on this earth, you know, the bible says in matthew chapter five verse three the words of jesus
Blessed are the poor in spirits for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
You know you can be
You know going through hardships going through financial difficulties, you know struggling to pay your bills struggling to pay your rent
You know just going without and being quite poor on this earth. God wants to remind us. Hey, just rejoice
You're exalted. You've got the kingdom of heaven. You know, you've got a place you've got a home in heaven
You've got riches you've got streets of gold that you're looking forward to
You know
Our mindset should not be upon our wealth on this earth
But our mindset should be upon the wealth to come the riches the glory
The great treasures that god has laid for us in heaven
And the reason we know that this is a the brother of law degree is a poor person is because we'll get to verse number
10 it says but the rich so you got the poor and now you got the rich. Okay now maybe
Brethren, maybe you're rich and in fact, I actually believe all australians are rich. I've said that i've said it many times
Okay, I know sometimes as aussies we think we're poor because we compare ourselves to the fellow men
But brevin again in australia, everyone's rich compared to the rest of this world and you travel this world
You'll see just how rich australians really are. Okay, but listen if you're considered to be someone of wealth of prosperity
But the rich in that he is made low, you know, if you are blessed if you you know, abraham
We looked at abraham earlier
He was blessed with riches by god and if you are blessed with possessions and wealth and riches and you've done well
Financially speaking, you know, what do you do boast about it?
You know thumb your nose and other people that are struggling financially
Maybe you look at others that make financial mistakes and you think oh man
They're not smart like I was and I invested in the right places, etc. Etc. No
Okay, if you're a fellow brother-in-law that is rich and wealthy. Hey, you should have a low attitude
You should have a humble attitude right that he's made low why?
Because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. Look you're gonna pass away just like anybody else
The rich man's going to close his eyes and die just as much as the poor person will okay
Verse 11 for the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat
That uh, but it wither of the grass and the flower there are full of and the grace of the fashion of it perisher
So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways forever and all our wealth
It's it's all going to perish
It's all you know, we're going to go to the next life and we can't take any of our wealth and possessions with us
Now i'm hoping that the sunshine coast is still a beautiful place
In the millennial reign of christ and I would like a portion of that if I can okay
I'm, not now. I don't care if the sunshine goes
Materially now but hey in christ kingdom. Hey, that would be an exciting kingdom
I'd like to have a great part in that kingdom right reverend, but here's the thing
You know, it doesn't matter what we have, you know, whether we're poor whether we're rich reverend
We're rich in christ, you know
We should make sure that we don't put all our attention and love on wealth and materialism today
Because we have an exciting future to come, you know be exalted understand your position before god, you know
You're one of his children. You're made kings and priests. You're going to rule and reign with christ on this earth for a thousand years
Uh, so it's better to be poor but to be rich in heaven. Amen because that will last forever
All right, james chapter 1 verse 12
It says blessed is the man that endureth temptation
Okay, so there it is again if we endure if we get through the trials we pass the test reverend then we we are blessed
Okay, we're going to be blessed. It says for when he is tried look at this. He shall receive the crown of life
Which the lord have promised to them that love him
So we learned a couple of interesting things here
You know, we often think about earning rewards and earning crowns for the good works that we do for jesus
And of course i'm not trying to downplay that, you know
We should serve the lord jesus christ of our lives, but now notice that there's also crowns and rewards for just overcoming temptation
Through going for a time of trials difficulties being tempted, you know to do that which is wrong
But coming through and passing through and just showing faithfulness toward god prioritizing god first in that process
Well, there's great riches great crowns
In heaven for that crown of life. Now. I want you to keep your finger there and please turn to revelation chapter 2
Turn to revelation chapter 2 because this crown of life is mentioned twice in the bible
Yes, there in james chapter 1 but also in revelation chapter 2
Let's have a look at what the bible says about the crown of life in revelation chapter 2 and verse number 8
revelation chapter 2 and verse number 8
It says and unto the angel of the church in smurner writes these things saith the first and the last
Which was dead and is alive
I know thy works and tribulation
And poverty but thou art rich. Hey, that's what we just read about, right?
You know, you might be going through poverty, but you're rich, right?
And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are jews and are not but are the synagogue of satan
But I want to notice there in verse number 10. It says fear none of those things which thou shall suffer
behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be
Tried that ye may be what you're trying of your faith
But notice who is the one that is casting believers here into prison the devil?
Okay, the devil that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation
10 days
Be thou faithful. Hey get through that trial be thou faithful unto death
You know, we should be willing to die for the cause of jesus christ
You know if we die for christ
It says that we can be faithful unto death
And if we are faithful unto death it says and I will give thee a crown of life
There's a crown of life mentioned again again going through trials going through
Temptations and as I said to you the title of the sermon tonight was diverse temptations
With the first temptation that we looked at was the temptation of abraham where god can tempt or try his own people
But not with evil. Okay, and now we see another temptation another trial
But this one's coming from the devil. The devil is the one casting believers into prison
And so as I said to you diverse different types of temptations different types of trials that we go through
Sometimes it's by the hand of god. Sometimes it's the persecution of the devil
Okay, nevertheless is the trying of our faith. We need to remain faithful to the lord and it's a great blessing
There's a great crown of rejoicing the crown of life
That the lord wants to give us if we endure and remain faithful for him
All right. So as I said to you, there's even rewards just for overcoming temptations going through trials remaining faithful to the lord
Even when you could even potentially lose your own life. All right back to james chapter 1 verse number 13
james chapter 1 verse number 13
Now we get to the other passage that we looked at let no man say when he is tempted
So now this is of course temptations of evil being tempted to sin
Because it says let no man say when he's tempted i'm tempted of god for god cannot be tempted with evil neither tempt of he any man
But then it says this in verse number 14. This is really interesting
But every man is tempted every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his
own lust
wow
and enticed
Then when lust have conceived it bringeth forth sin
So if you give into that temptation of evil, you're going to sin
And sin when it is finished bring a fourth death, you know all sin ultimately leads to death
This is why we quote, you know romans 323 for the wages of sin is death
You know all sin will lead to death. This is why this fleshly body which has a sinful nature has to die one day
It's the consequences. It's the it's the wages of sin that we do in our bodies, but notice this there's another temptation here
Okay, it's not from god
It's not from the devil. Where's it come from? It says
Uh drawn away of his own luster in verse number 14
You know what our own hearts can cause us to be tempted as well our own hearts can cause us to sin
Again, but every man when he is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust I want you to remember this
I really want you to remember this
Because people love to blame the devil when they sin. Oh the devil made me do it
Well as we saw that in revelation the devil can put us through trials
Okay
But the temptations that come brethren that the lust to do and give into that temptation comes from our own hearts
The devil cannot introduce lust into you. You've already got it in your own hearts. The reason you sin is because of yourself
This is why it says in verse number 16
James of the one verse 16 do not err my beloved brethren. Don't make a mistake. Don't misunderstand
Don't make an error in this judgment
You know when you're being tempted when you go for trials you can't just and you you know
It's causing you to sin and you know, you've you've you've corrupted yourself, you know, you've given into temptation
You know, you failed for god. You can't go around just blaming the devil and go around just blaming god
Do not err my brethren. This is from your own hearts
You know, uh, i've heard people say, uh, you know
And these people aren't safe because they believe you've got to turn from your sins to be saved
They believe you've got to repent from your sins to be saved
I've heard preachers say basically
Those that teach you gotta repent of your sin because some of them are honest to admit I still would sin
And so when you ask them but hold on did you repent from your sins or did you not?
I say yeah, but when I do sin, I didn't really sin
It wasn't me. It was the devil that you know caused me and I just fell no
No, every sin every temptation comes from your own heart
It's your own lust and the devil can sometimes step in and play to those lusts, but it's your lust
It's your temptation you gave into it you failed do not
My beloved brethren and sometimes we develop a christianity where we're just blaming everyone else for the sins that we commit ourselves
Reverend, we're all sinners. This pastor is a sinner. Okay, this pastor has lusts of his own heart as well
Just like you, you know when this is part of the trial when we go through that temptation, you know
It's not it's not a sin to be tempted
Okay, because we've got that sinful nature but when you give into that temptation, that's when you sin
That's when you transgress the commandments of god. And so when you go through temptation for everyone seek the lord, you know
You know, you got to find this is my opportunity to overcome this so I don't give in to that sin
You know, this reminds me of adam and eve again, right when god goes to adam
What does he do about his sin? He blames eve and then god goes to eve who does she go to?
Oh the devil made me do it, you know adam my wife the wife you gave me god god you gave me this wife
She made me sin and and eve. I was a devil
Do not err my beloved reverend. It's you. It's your lusts. It's your sin. You're the one that has transgressed the laws of god
And i'm not saying that to just like make you feel horrible
Well, you should feel a bit horrible sometimes right when we do sin, you know
Just just a reminder though how much god loves us that he sent his son to to take on the sins
Instead of being blamed for our sins. It's put on christ christ suffered for us
He's our substitute and I think when you understand just how wicked your heart really is
Then you can also appreciate just how much god does love you
How hard would it be to give his son to die for sinners that break the laws of god?
And yet that's what god has done for us and so brevin when you sin take ownership of it
Stop trying to find excuses. It's your own lustful sinful heart. It's your own
Inability to not overcome that temptation when you sin look at yourself and then go to god ask him for wisdom
Ask god for the power to help you overcome the sins that you struggle with on that daily basis
Now verse number 17 in contrast instead of saying that god is the one that tempted me with evil
Instead of saying god is the one that made me sin in contrast verse number 17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above
So when god is putting us through trials like he put abraham in trial guess what? That was a good and perfect gift
That god allowed abraham to go through the trial of his faith to show that you know
To help him develop be that perfect an entire person wanting nothing to be perfect in the eyes of god to have you know
Prioritize god above his son. Hey, these are wonderful gifts because then god blesses us when we go through that trial
So every good and perfect and every perfect gift is from above so brevin, whatever you have that is great
You know, whatever whatever material wealth you have on this earth, even though you may be poor, you know
Anything that is wonderful your family your children, you know your jobs, you know the things everything that is wonderful perfect
And good has actually been given to you by god the father
It says and cometh down from the father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning
Verse number 17 is so deep, you know god the father is also known as the father of lights
And this reminds me of first john chapter 1 verse 5
Which says this then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that god is light
And in him is no darkness at all
God is light. So another name for god
The father is the father of lights and then it says with whom is no variableness
So the idea there is that god never changes and we know that jesus christ the same today
Yesterday today and forever. Okay. God does not change but also like the rest of it says neither shadow of turning
So the idea of a shadow, I don't know if you can see a shadow on the wall here
I'm, not sure the way the lighting is
But the public space is saying here not only does god not change
But you won't even see god's shadow even move
Like once god has established some some some truth who god is god's nature, you know, what is right and wrong?
Just god does not change brethren. God does not change. You're not even going to see his shadow move a little bit
In fact, god does not even have a shadow because god is light and light has no shadow. Amen
Light has no shadow. So there is no darkness in the lord. God cannot tempt you with evil. God does not tempt you with sin
Okay. God is the one that gives you every perfect every good and perfect gift which is sends to you from above
verse number 18
Of his own will begat he asks with the word of truth
That we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures
As well says that we've been begotten begotten of god or begat begat us or being born again
All right with the word of truth the word of truth, of course
Other scriptures it's the bible and again, it's just proving to us
Once again that you cannot be saved you cannot be born again without the words of god
Right when we go and preach the gospel to people we must preach the words of god
We must quote scripture. We must show people scripture because this is how people are born again
We cannot uh lead someone to salvation by just the wisdom of our words
We must use the bible and if you you don't use the bible brethren and you get someone to say a prayer
They are not saved. They must have the word of god. All right that we should be a kind of first fruits
Of his creatures
So the idea there is when we receive the truth the word of truth and receive scriptures the gospel
That we come into fruition through that process right that we are these first fruits to god right from a lost state
To salvation and we're kind of that first harvest that that god will bring for himself. All right verse number 19
Wherefore my beloved brethren let every man be swift to hear slow to speak
Slow to wrath for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of god just very quickly
Why was very, you know tell us here that when someone speaks be swift to hear be quick to hear
Listen to what other people have to say, you know be be generous with your time
You don't have to cut off people every time they speak or try, you know
Don't try to misrepresent what someone is saying pay attention very closely to what they're saying
It says be slow to speak again. Don't respond too quickly
Let people talk before you respond and slow to wrath be slow to anger
Does it say to not have any wrath?
No, just as to be slow to rap why verse 20 for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of god
So there is we are called to be slow to wrath
But if you're quick to wrath if we have a quick temper you get overly emotional overly upset
Very quickly brethren. This is not
What what that is is the wrath of man and this does not work the righteousness of god
So if you're going for a trial you're going for a temptation
You're going for the trial or your faith and you start to get angry about it
Brethren, you're not going to work the righteousness of god, you know, this is the wrath of man
This is not the wrath of god. This is not you know
You're being quick to rap rather than being slow to rap
And so when you're going for a trial you're going for a hardship brethren. Don't get angry
Don't get angry at god, you know be slow to rap stop be swift to hear god
Why am I going for this again go to him in prayer?
Listen to what god is saying. Listen to what how god is guiding you why god is allowing us to go through this
Okay
Then understand and work yourself through that process rather than getting overly emotional and upset that you're going through some hardship verse 21
wherefore
So this is how we overcome the trials and temptations wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness
And receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls
Now I know verse number 21
You know some people are going to take that and i'm sure people have I can't recall ever anyone anyone doing this
But i'm sure they have so let's say this well
You know to save your souls in order to have salvation
Eternal security in order to have a home in heaven. What do you have to do?
You've got to lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of loneliness
You gotta put aside all your sins and receive with meekness the engrafted word and that's how you get saved
Reverend there is a salvation of your soul here
But don't forget that quite often when the bible uses the word soul. It just means your life
Okay, don't rip this out of context. Okay. What are we learning here? We're learning about people god's people
believe as brethren
Going through trials going through temptations. Okay, and when you find yourself going through trials and temptations
Okay, you want to deliver you want to save yourself you want to save your life
You don't better get through this trial. You want to show yourself to remain faithful to god
What do you have to do? You've got to lay aside the sin, you know, you you got a young man
I'm going for some difficulty trial right now. Why am I going for this? Well, you know what first of all
I'm, just going to look at my own life. What sins am I struggling with?
You know, what sins have I not uh confessed to god what sins am I not trying to overcome?
What sins am I enjoying in fact, and I want to do them, you know
I've got to get rid of all this stuff and not only that that's number one number two
Receive with meekness in graft the word you've got to get your head in the bible get your head in the scriptures
You know start looking upon god's word and that will help you to save your soul
Help you to save your life through that temptation to show yourself to remain faithful toward the end
So that god will bless you with great riches and rewards
And uh, you know the idea here of laying apart all feelfulness and superfluity laying apart
That reminds me a lot too of what I preach about on sunday, you know, just very quickly hebrews 12 verse 1
It says we're foreseen. We are also compassed about we've so great a cloud of witnesses
Then it says let us lay aside every weight and the sin which stops so easily beset us
Okay, and that's what it's basically saying there in verse number 21 lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness
So we can run that race so we can be uh, uh be
Endure the trial and temptation and get through to the other side
So we must overcome the sins in our life brethren as we walk in god's ways
And get our heads our minds in the engrafted word the bible verse number 22
This is this but be ye doers of the word. Yeah, so once you put your head in the engrafted word
All right
Listen learn now do it right and be doers of the word not hearers only deceiving your own selves
For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer
He is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass
I've preached on this not longer. So i'm not going to go to any great death
But again, this is a man that looks into a mirror. You've seen all the defects
You see your hair is out of order
You're seeing the wrinkles you're seeing you know pimples whatever it is that you have in your face brethren
When you when you read god's word, what do you notice you notice all your sins you notice all your problems
You notice your failings. Okay, it's like a mirror a spiritual mirror to your life
It says in verse 24 and he beholdeth himself and go with his way and straightway forget of what manner of man
He was so if you look at god's word as a mirror, you know
You don't want to make a mistake of walking away and forgetting about all the things you've read about
Okay, you need to be a doer of god's word. You notice a pimple you got to fix that pimple
You notice your hair's all messed up. You got to fix the hair. You notice the wrinkles
I don't know what you can do with wrinkles
But anyway, you're going to try to fix yourself to be presentable in the mirror, right?
It's the same thing with our spiritual life
We compare ourselves to god's word that shows us that we're sinners that we come short
Then we need to fix up our lives. We need to do what god's word says that we are to do verse 25
But who so looketh looketh into the perfect law of liberty
I love that the law of liberty, you know
sometimes people think of the bible as this book of rules and restrictions and oh being a christian must be
So, you know such such a hard life to live and you can't enjoy life and you can't have fun
The bible says no, it's the perfect law of liberty. There's freedom, you know, god shows us that he he you know
He gives us so many ways to live our life so long as we are not transgressing
His laws so long as we are not sinning which brings forth death. God wants us to have an abundant life
God wants to have a happy as to have a happy life that is filled with the blessings of god
This is why it's it's a it's a perfect law of liberty. It's a book of freedom. It helps us walk
freely in accordance to god's steps in our life
And continue if they're in
He be he be not a forgetful hero, but a doer of the work
This man shall be blessed in his deed. There it is again, you know going for the trials going for the difficulties
Understand god's perfect work that he's trying to do in your life when you get through to the other side
You'll see the blessings the rewards the crown of life, etc. Etc that god has for us
Yes, when we apply god's word
We overcome the sins we we look at the god's word as a mirror
And change what we need to change about ourselves brethren
There is a great blessing to be had god's going to reward you greatly on this earth and in the earth in the world to come
verse number 26
If any man among you seem to be religious
And bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart. This man's religion is vain
Okay, so if a man seems to be all proper in church, look at him. All right, he's all religious, you know
Glory to god hallelujah. He's got all the right words, right?
He's got the perfect hairstyle, you know, every part of his clothes is ironed perfectly and is just the greatest christian of all
But if you're bright off not his tongue, he does not control his mouth. Okay instead of edifying believers
He's shooting people down instead of being swift to hear. Hey, he's swift to speak, you know, he's always got an opinion
He's always got to have his word. He's always got to tear other people down
He's always got to be critical right this kind of person. It says that his religion is in vain. It's empty. It's worthless
It's all outside. It's all look at me. I'm so great
But he has no real religion. He has no real love for god verse 27
Pure religion and undefiled before god and the father is this
Reverend if you want pure religion in your life, if you want to be undefiled before god
Then what are we to do to visit the fatherless?
people without fathers
and widows in their affliction
And to keep himself unspotted
From the world there are a few things here, you know to to be merciful to be loving toward those in our church our brethren
That are fatherless people that are widows
In fact, we have that in our church. Don't we we have a widow we have a child that is fatherless
You know where to show extra love to all these people extra mercy a child that grows up without a father, you know
As church people we also encourage that individual, you know
They're going to go through some challenges that you know
Other others of us that grew up with fathers that we're not going to have
You know if they feel that they may be rejected by an earthly father, you know
Let them let us show these people that hey, you know
You've got brethren that are saved that love you that want to see you serve the lord, you know
We're here to help our the fatherless the widow show them love show them that we care about them
And if they're going through affliction to help them for their trials and difficulties
And to keep himself unspotted from the world. So this world also brings temptations, don't we?
The world, you know the looking at the world and everything that people are enjoying sometimes this brings temptations in our hearts
And remember when that temptation comes, you know diverse temptations, right?
We have to overcome that temptation that comes from the world
We've noticed a few things here as we're going through this chapter diverse temptations
Temptations that can be given sent to us by god the trying of our faith that we may be perfect and entire wanting nothing
We have also seen temptation that comes from the devil when he persecutes us for for uh
Standing up for the name of god and standing up for the word of god
We've seen the temptation that just comes from out the last of our hearts, you know
And ultimately when you give in to sin, you can't blame anyone else but yourself
And then you have a look at the temptation that comes from the world keeping us unspotted from the world
Sometimes we see what the what the ungodly are doing and we might think oh man
It'd be so good if I could do that. I know it's wrong
I know it's not what god wants in my life
But if I could just have a part of that then I could also enjoy the world know
Pure and undefiled religion is that you remain unspotted from the world
You know god's gonna bless you if you are different from the rest of this world
You know, sometimes i've heard people say, uh, you know christianity. It's not a religion. It's a relationship
You know that word relationship is not in the bible
Now here's the truth is yes christianity is both
A religion and a relationship. It's a relationship because when you're born again, you now become related to the father
You're a child of god. There is a relationship in that sense, isn't there?
There's also religion, you know, god wants us to do good works
God wants us to keep ourselves clean clean and holy and pure separated from this world overcoming temptations. That's the religion
You know, let it never be said by any of us that we don't think christianity is a religion
And there's definitely religion loving those that are widows loving those that are fatherless and keeping yourself unspotted from this world
Forever we go through diverse temptations, don't we and they're hard they're challenging
And I hope you know, this chapter is giving you some thoughts
You know if you fail when you go through temptations and you know, you find yourself sin more than really, you know
I guess we can all say that right we sin more than we really should be
Um, then, you know, I hope you know, this is giving some things to think about go to god ask for his wisdom
Ask god to help you overcome that trial
You know god is a father of lights if you're starting to walk in past darkness get close in fellowship
Confess your sins be close to the father of lights because if you're close to the father of lights brethren
There's no shadow. There's no shadow, you know, there's no darkness. There's no evil
You know the closer you are to god the more your head is in the word of god
The greater ability you're going to have to be overcome sins better overcome temptations as they come into your life
No matter what source they come from. All right brethren diverse temptations. Let's pray