24-0121a - Detailed Summary

Preacher Jim announces that this morning’s topic is prayer. He notes that many people in the room, or their loved ones, have recently been taking their lumps, with some having gone on to their eternal destination. The Bible gives much comfort, as God is the God of all comfort through His word. When hurting, people naturally turn to God, to His word, and to Him in prayer.

Kevin brought the model prayer this morning. Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Lord, teach us how to pray," so Jesus gave what we call the Our Father. It is a beautiful prayer that we can recite ourselves. However, God wants genuine prayer from each individual’s heart. Jim is sure God would appreciate the Lord’s Prayer, as it is good and effective, but He would rather hear directly from us what is on our hearts.

Jesus gave the disciples a model to follow, and several lessons could be spent on the model prayer alone. However, because so many people are hurting in various ways, Jim’s focus this morning is on the kind of prayer said to God when we are hurting or when our loved ones are suffering.

As people go through hard times, sometimes in the thick of it, it is hard to see the forest through the trees and get the big picture of what is going on. It can be difficult to think of anything else besides the immediate matter at hand. This is like trying to prepare sermons; Jim mentions it is hard to concentrate when a loved one is suffering, and he is sure it is the same for Scott with his lessons and sermons. Scott can at least take solace knowing where his brother is. When Jim’s sister passed, he was not quite sure of her final destination. She claimed to believe, so they will trust in the grace of God, who is the great judge.

While she was in hospice, they received several calls saying this could be the end, so they prepared themselves, went to say goodbyes, and did that a couple of times. The last time was the final goodbye, and her expression showed she was not there. Jim does not know what the soul does as it prepares to go on, but the look was telling. All these thoughts run through the head while trying to prepare a lesson. As he has always said, you get what you pay for. He hopes this message will be somewhat helpful.

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote an excellent letter to the church and to Christians. It is an instructive letter that can help open our eyes and see the big picture when we or someone we know is going through tough times. His writing style is very unique and reveals much about him. His words are direct and frank; he is a man who does not mince words and lets people have it right between the eyes if needed. Jim imagines James was the annoying brother who kept pointing out what the other brothers and sisters in Jesus' family were doing, like the little policeman of the family.

James' words are very useful even today. His letter should be required reading for anyone going through difficult times because he gives reasons to Christians who may ask why this is happening to them or to their loved one. Jim strings together James 1:2-4 and verse 12, skipping the parentheticals in between: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

When any type of trial, test, trouble, tribulation, temptation, or any other T-word comes our way, Jesus tells us to first consider it pure joy. To consider a matter means giving it careful examination. We do not react; we respond to it. We exercise the fruit of the Spirit called self-control. When bad things happen, many times the first reaction is anger. God does not want that, as James also tells us in verses 19 through 26. James wants us to be different from nonbelievers who react to trouble. We are to respond to trouble with the attitude of joy. Consider it pure joy.

Even through life, when thinking of all the things that have happened, did we respond joyously to trials or temptations? For example, when a big semi-truck jumps in the lane in front of you, scaring you to death, what is the first reaction? Is it "It’s okay," or are you saying things you are embarrassed about or would be embarrassed about? Jim confesses that is where he does most of his sinning. If someone scares him to the point where his life might be taken on the highway, he speaks in tongues—not good ones, to his shame. God will keep testing us where He knows we are weak, giving another chance with the truck jumping in front while saying "It’s okay, I got you covered, I’m backing off."

We are to respond with the attitude of joy. Even though life may be hard for a period of time, we should be joyful and happy people. Paul commanded that: "Rejoice in the Lord always." He repeats it, showing the importance of the apostolic command. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice." That is not a helpful suggestion; it is a command. Paul said this to people being persecuted to the point of death, not just a mere traffic mishap, but those really facing death and having their faith tested. Tests come in big measures or small measures depending on one’s faith. God does not give us more than we can handle, as He says in the Corinthian letter, thankfully. Whatever He gives us, He knows we can handle. The test is on us to see if we will respond in a way that glorifies His name or makes Him sad that we did not pass the test.

By responding with the proper attitude and looking at a situation from every angle, considering it pure joy, we may figure out a solution to our problem by thinking carefully and avoid a lot of heartache. If there is no solution or it is out of our hands, know that at that very moment it may be God testing you. "How are you going to respond, son? How are you going to respond, daughter?" So be joyful about it. This is your moment to let your light shine. When we let our light shine, God is glorified. James gives the reason God permits us to be tested.

Jim has given previous lessons on the Greek word for test and the Greek word for tempt. God tests; Satan tempts. It is the same Greek word (pistos, he believes), and context determines its use. God is testing you, hoping you pass the test. Satan is tempting you, hoping you disgrace yourself and fail. James gives the reasons: to develop us, mature us, train us to rely on God’s strength, and develop perseverance.

Perseverance, besides being a hard word to say, is the result of overcoming adversity. We try overcoming our problems; we try and sometimes fail, but we keep at it. That is what perseverance is. We have to keep trying until we have success. That is the whole point of tests. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because God wants to develop perseverance in us. The result of perseverance is the crown of life we receive after we go on from this life. Jeff got a crown of life. Praise God. Sometimes success is just seeing the problem through to the end, even though it might not seem like a win.

What is important is that we exercise and maintain our Christian morals through whatever the test is or even through whatever temptation it may be. That is perseverance. It is the keep-on, keeping-on attitude we should have whether we win or lose. We get a lot of failures in life, but hopefully we mature, learn, and grow from those, being all the wiser the next time something comes up. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is, to Jim, stupidity. Some people even call that a form of insanity. That is not perseverance. When we persevere, we have learned the lesson. We have mastered a problem. We have weathered the storm and come out of it alive spiritually. We did not give up.

Perseverance develops patience in us as well and dependence upon God through prayer. We learn that God is in control, and at the end of this life we will receive that crown of life, eternal life with our Savior. That is why we can be joyful even through trials, tests, and temptations. It is something we should look forward to. This life is just a trial or a proving ground to prepare us for heaven. Unlike "old blue eyes" who sings "I did it my way," we go to God and do it His way. We learn that God is in control.

At times, God’s way may seem like the hard way, but God has a reason for it, and that is to turn us into little Christs. That is what Christian means. It was originally meant as a derogatory comment or epithet put upon believers to mock them: "Oh, look at the little Christ." But they realized that is the best thing someone can say about them, and so they started going around saying, "I’m a Christian."

I’m a little Christ. And that is what God wants. Doesn’t He want holy offspring, as Peter tells us? Yes. When we are little Christs, we reflect Jesus' image in our life. Jesus said that not only would He suffer for all mankind, but that His believers would also suffer for His name’s sake. Becoming a Christian is not a cakewalk. It is not a promise that life will suddenly become super easy. We are tested. Being on the winning team, God’s side, Satan then shifts from zone defense into full-court press, man-on-man. He tries to take the word that was just planted in your heart away. He comes at you hard. But do not fear him. Resist him.

Jesus showed us how through His temptation in the desert. Answer those temptations with Scripture. That is where Jesus replied, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." So to the sick and the suffering, James says your first order of business should be to pray. Listen to his words in James 5:13-16. "Is any one among you suffering misfortune? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praise. Is anyone sick among you? He should summon the elders of the church and they should pray over him, anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick. And the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."

Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much. James recognized the importance of prayer in the believer’s life and the importance of praying for each other. Have we not been faithful to this, to God, by praying for all of our sick? Every Sunday we come together, we mention people by name, what they are ailing from if we know it, and we pray for them. We trust in God that He will do His part, and that is to heal them.

God’s people in the Old Testament went through many trials that tested their faith and also tested their allegiance to God. In Exodus 20:20, Moses said to the Israelites, "Do not be afraid, for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." God knows that man is prone to sin. God loves us and knows that sin can enslave us and be our master. He is a jealous God, and He wants all of our devotion and all of our focus on Him, not on idols or false gods that we may create in our own lives. We are to have no other god except Him. As Moses said, God will test us to see if we will be obedient and not sin.

Today we may not bow before an actual image of wood or stone or gold or silver, but we create idols of other types in our lives that are sinful. Paul tells the Christians at Philippi in chapter 3, verses 18 and 19, "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now even tell you with weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who set their mind on earthly things." That phrase "whose God is their belly" is not talking about gluttony, although it could be in some instances. Some people make food their God. But what Paul is talking about is our carnal appetites. That is what that mode of thinking is in Greek. Our carnal appetites are our belly. Whatever people desire strongly becomes their God with a small g. You are giving that way too much attention, attention that belongs to the true God. God sees that. He is in us. How can He not see that? That is one of the ways He knows all things. He is in everything living, including all of us and all of the world who are so sure that He does not exist. He is in them too. That is what keeps them alive. It is the Spirit that generates this body of flesh to life. It animates us. Therefore it knows the thoughts of man.

Forgive me, God, for saying it. You are not neuter gender. You are a person. So forgive me for that. I hate to call God "it." Anyhow, if we are unrepentant of our idle worship, it can cause us to be eternally lost. Sin can so consume us, it literally can deceive us and blind us to the lost spiritual state that we are in.

Israel found that out the hard way. They rejected all the prophets that God sent them to warn them to repent of being evil, to repent of following false gods and idols. Their sin got so bad that God permitted the Assyrian king, whose name is funny—Tiglath-Pileser, just call me Tig—to come and utterly take away the ten northern tribes of Israel. They were gone for good. Many of them died. Many of them were assimilated into all kinds of Assyrian territory as slaves.

Judah too found itself in the same predicament sometime later. In 2 Chronicles 36:16 it says, "But they mocked the messengers of God and despised His words and scoffed at His prophets until Yahweh’s wrath arose against His people until there was no remedy." There is a point in which a person can get so separated from God, so lost, in such a state of apostasy, they cannot return. There is no remedy. It is like being told, "Your condition is terminal. There is nothing more we can do for you. You are going to die." These people were going to die spiritually because they rejected God’s warning. By rejecting the prophets, they rejected God. If we reject Christ’s teachings in the New Testament, we reject God. No remedy. Nothing could fix or heal them. They were in a spiritual hospice waiting to die. God had to destroy them as a nation in order to get some of them, the remnants, attention. Most of them were slaughtered and those who survived were taken into exile to Babylon as predicted by God for 70 years.

In his first letter to the church, John tells us that there is sin that leads to death and that we should not pray about that. That is a person who is almost at the point of no remedy. Jim believes that. He believes that a person who is unrepentant of the sin in their life, if it has become their idol, there is a rubber stamp: "Stamped upon you, no remedy." That is scary.

God is the God of all mercy and grace and forgiveness. To receive a "no remedy" from the great Physician? "I tried everything to heal you. I’m sorry, there is no remedy." John concluded his first letter to the church and he chose the phrase, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." Of all the things John could have written for his parting words to the church, he chose "keep yourselves from idols." Is it important? Oh, yeah.

We think today because we do not have some statue we bow before, "Oh, that’s an idol. I’m cool." Now, what do you put absolute attention to? What is it that controls you? Are you addicted to looking at the horoscope? "Oh, I just got to look and see what it says." Sin comes in so many ways. We make idols out of so many different things. We have to keep ourselves from idols. So there are some prayers that will not fix that. Consider this.

We know the essence of Yahweh’s name. He is the God who was and is and is to come. Yahweh has always been. Since He is eternal and time has no influence on Him whatsoever, that makes Him the same as He was and is and is to come. He does not change. The point being, what He felt about something during the time of the prophets thousands of years ago, He still feels today. He does not change. What was simple back then is still simple today. What was pleasing to Him long ago is still pleasing to Him today.

So if Yahweh is jealous for Judah and Israel and did not like them chasing after false gods, putting something before Him and making Him sort of an afterthought or worshiping something other than Him, what do you think Jesus feels about His bride? Do you think He might be jealous for His bride, us, the church? If we flirt with an idol that we have created in our lives and if we go off chasing after anything and put more value on that thing or that thought more than we value the Lord, do you not think He would be displeased with us? Prayer cannot help that if you are in a sinful state of no remedy. Jim believes with all his heart that the time of Christ’s return could be soon, anytime. But whether He returns tonight or a couple hundred years from now, long after we are gone, should we not always be in a state of readiness like the ten wise virgins who had extra oil in their lamps? Be ready.

Jesus said, "Be ready." No one knows the hour in which He will return. As Tom read for us, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. If you see someone drifting away, grab them. If you see someone drifting away, pray for them. This is the start of a new year, so let us be wise. Let us be ready. Let us pray for each other. If you need the prayers from the saints for any matter, for strength, or if you have sinned and blown it and you feel overwhelmed, we will pray for you. God will forgive you and give you strength. Now is the time, so please come forward. This is the invitation.