Author: Wungmathing Zimik

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James Sermon

Managing God’s wealth: James 5:1-6

Introduction

Good morning church, good to see all of you, hope all of you are doing well, Today we are gonna meditate a very interesting topic James 5, Remember we are going through a book series from James under the theme “Faith in action” and we have come to the last chapter.

Today we shall meditate James 5:1-6.

and I would like to entitle my sermon as “Managing God’s wealth”

What does it mean managing God’s wealth? well….

Life is a gift from God, our talent our skill, everything we got belong to God, our possession, your money, your wealth, your property, your job, your business, all belong to God. how we manage them matters to God.

Colossians 1:16

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him.

God want us to be a good manager of our own life, He want us to take good care of everything He has given us,

everything He has bless us, and we know

Someday we will give account to God for the life we have lived.

Today we shall meditate on just one part, that is “Managing God’s wealth” this is very important subject, you know out of 29 Jesus parable 13 parables are talking about money.

There are over 700 direct references to money in the Bible. Why is money such a popular subject in the Bible?

Because money is a window into the heart.

How we handle money exposes the values and priorities of our hearts.

Today many people wrongly believe that the Bible teaches that it’s wrong to be wealthy. They think that the Bible says: “Money is the root of all evil”.

But Bible does not teach this. What Bible says is: 1 Tim 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

God is not opposed to wealth. In fact, many people in the Bible were extremely wealthy.

Abraham was probably a millionaire if it was valued according to today’s standards.

David and Solomon were both wealthy men of their time. Job was also wealthy and the list could go on and on.

It is not wealth that is evil.

Look at First Timothy again, “The love of money”. You see that is where the real problem arises. It is the misuse of money, the love of money that causes all kinds of problems.

James lashes out at the wrong use of money by the wealthy.

He gives a rebuke probably one of the most negative passages in the Bible against the misuse of money.

He looks at 3 specific areas we need to be aware of when it comes to money. James gives his listeners a healthy warning of how they should handle their wealth. In other words – How to be Wise with Money.

Let’s look how God wants us to handle our money in three areas:

  1. Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.
  2. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.

3Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment.

  • For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
  • You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.
  • You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.
  1. Don’t treasure greedily but manage wisely. (1-3)
  2. Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.
  3. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.

3Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment.

In the first century Middle Eastern culture, wealth was measured in three ways: grain, garments and gold.

The rich had so much food that it was rotting in their barns.

They had a lot of fancy clothing that was filled with holes caused by moths. And their gold and silver, the most durable forms of wealth, had lost its luster because it was hidden under piles of other stuff that they had too much of.

James tells the wealthy that they better get ready to weep and wail, not because they had money but because they hoarded (accumulate) it and took advantage of those who had less.

Wealth is not the problem; the misuse of it is.

Even in our present days many people save their wealth in many forms,

In other words, what you have stored away believing it to be good and something you can rely upon to save you at a future time.

All of that is useless and will leave you helpless.

He was telling these rich people that they could NOT rely upon their wealth for sustenance or for shelter clothing.

They could not take shelter from this world or from their sin in their wealth. It would fail them in the end.

James’s attention is on the day of God’s judgment against these wealthy oppressors. The misuse of their gold and silver will testify against them.

Instead of using their stockpiles of precious metals to help the poor, they just hoarded the money until it began to waste away.

When God rules against them, their own flesh will be eaten away by fire in the same way the corrosion has eaten away their gold and silver.

Without doubt, this is a harsh and cutting pronouncement. James offers no grace from God for these unrepentant unbelievers.

They will be condemned for their greed and selfishness. They are guilty of laying up earthly treasure for themselves in the last days instead of spending it to help those in need.

James echoes Jesus’ own teaching:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

In Luke 12:13-21,

Jesus narrates the Parable of the Rich Fool

  1. Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
  2. Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
  3. Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
  1. And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.
  2. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
  3. “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.
  4. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
  5. “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
  6. “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.

Everyone around the world is so busy with their life, running for money, when we see Mumbai city, it is always busy, people rush to office, business place, working so hard to earn money for living,

But money should not become our heart idol,

Lets us always remember that we are here in this world for temporary, we will take nothing out of this world, rather

We should focus on what God want us to do with our life and with our wealth and money.

1 Tim 6:17-19.

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they

will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

How do I Manage my wealth wisely

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what He cannot lose. Jim Elliot (missionary to AUCA) @ 28 he was killed by Auca tribe in south America.

Giving up everything it can be money, time, life, family for God’s great work, for His glory.

I think what Jim elliot says is the “wise management”

If we are misusing our wealth we should come to Jesus like Zeccchaius, the tax collector, if i have taken which i am not suppose I will pay back double. because of his sincere repentance Jesus forgive him.

Application:

Church how are you managing your money or wealth God has given you? Are you investing your wealth on earth or

Investing your treasures in Heaven? We should be wise church.

We should not be like heathens who invest possessions in this world.

Colossians 3:1-3 says.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

  • Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
  • For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

2.       Don’t cheat anyone, but manage with integrity. (4)

  • For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Here, James charges these abusive rich men not just with neglect and selfishness, but with outright fraud. These wealthy businessmen cheated their own employees out of the wages they had earned working in the fields.

In the Old Testament Law, employers were commanded to pay their laborers at the end of the work day, because the workers needed the money and they might cry out to the Lord if cheated by their employer (Deuteronomy 24:15).

James describes the unpaid money itself as crying out against the oppressive landowners, along with the voices of the workers.

The landowners should be sure of this: Those voices have reached the Lord of Hosts. That name, “Lord of Hosts”, is one often used throughout Scripture in association with God’s judgment.

The Lord commands powerful armies, and He is coming for you, James is saying.

Church lets be careful if we cheat people we will be without excuse, God is looking down He sees, knows all things.

How people cheat each other this days. (my first job was cheating job)

It was a scam company, I work there for more than a year, I was innocent at first but at the end I came to know that it was scam company.

Everyday I have to dial around 400 people every night, I usually talk to 200 people. We sale a product which does not exist.

At the end of the work i feel guilty of cheating and lying many people, charging their credit card with the products that will never reach them.

at last i was so guilty and depressed i give up and repent of my sins. This scam things are going on all over the world.

We also see fraud in many private and public sectors.

Demanding money for job,

My wife Phila was asked 7 lakh for nurse job in Manipur, we denied coz we don’t believe in fraud.

Cheating can be in many ways

Betraying someone, not keeping promises, false promises, unfaithful to spouse. unfaithful to friends and family, unfaithful at work, unfaithful to God.

Illustration:

Judas was cashier among the twelve, he cheat and work without integrity at the end he felt in sin and end up his life is misery.

As Christians, we know that the Bible has many warnings against the dangers of pursuing wealth. In 1 Timothy 6:9-10, the apostle Paul warns,

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

“Doom to him who builds palaces but bullies people, who makes a fine house but destroys lives, Who cheats his workers and won’t pay them for their work.” Jeremiah 22:13 (MSG)

When we look the live of Joseph in OT ….

Illustration: Joseph was an excellent manger with integrity.

Doing the right things even when no one is watching that is integrity.

He was the incharge of potiphar house he manage with integrity, he did the right things even no one was watching, His faith and integrity was tested many times, but His faith and his integrity didn’t change as a result God raise him higher and higher in his position at the end he was next to his king Pharaoh in Egypt.

Application: Remember church

Colossians 3:9-10 Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old nature with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new nature, which is being renewed in full knowledge, consistent with the image of the one who created it.

Proverbs 10:9 People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.

3.        Don’t live selfishly but share generously. (5-6)

  • You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.
  • You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

The way we spend our money is very important. James tells his readers that they are spending their money in a wrong way.

“You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.” James 5:5

We are not to waste our wealth. We are not to be overly self indulgent.

The more money you make the easier it is to waste it. We tend to say, “I deserve it. I’m worth it       I might as well enjoy myself.”

Just because you can afford something does not mean you should buy it. The Bible tells us not to waste our money.

There are millions of ways to spend and squander your money on yourself. But we should always ask, Is that pleasing to God?

The Bible tells us that we are to spend our money wisely. We are to plan how we spend our money. Look at what it says in Proverbs:

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5

The Bible clearly teaches that God is concerned with how we get our money, How we save our money and how we spend our money.

God is concerned with every aspect of our lives and that includes our finances. Are you using them in a way that is pleasing to God?

Are you including God in your financial planning?

He wants to be the center of your life and that includes how you handle your money.

Place God at the center of your life. Make Him Lord of your life. Ask Him to be the center of all that you do to include your finances.

Sharing generously-

Illustration: one of the example is first century believers.

They have deep love for one another, they share whatever they have, they take care of one another, Some even sale their property and use it for God’s ministry.

We need to remember the faith of first century believers and follow their exemplary life, they know all their belongings are from God, and they use it for God glory, we have to learn their generosity and glorify God with our resources God has bless us.

Conclusion: Remember church

We are created in God beautiful image, we are created to worship Him, to serve Him, to live this life for him.

We know because of our sins we were living without hope, we were dead in our sins, we were slave to sin.

But because of God great mercy and great loves, He send His only son to die for our sin, to redeem us from slavery of sins, as we repent our sins and accept Jesus as our Lord and saviour,

He purchased us from eternal condemnation, from slavery of sins and gave us new life.

2 Cor. 5:17 says.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

We are new creation in christ.

1 Cor 6:19-20.

  1. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
  2. you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Cor 10:31.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Church our life, our wealth, our possession, our everything belongs to Christ. We are here to serve Him, to live for His glory.

Lets use our finance, our wealth wisely for His glory.

  1. let us not treasure greedily but manage wisely. (1-3)
  2. Let not cheat anyone, but manage everything with integrity. (4)
  3. Lets not live selfishly but share generously to all people. (5-6)

May God grant heavenly wisdom to all of you, may God’s name be glorify in your financial life.

May you be the light and salt to the people around you.

May God bless you and keep you and make His face shine on you and give you peace. Amen

Categories
James Sermon

Dangers of Worldly Wisdom : James 4:1-4

Good morning church, so good to see all of you again, hope all of you are doing well. Last Sunday we have meditated on a topic: “Wisdom from above” from pastor Jinson,  Today we shall continue our book study from James 4:1-4. 

I would like to entitle my sermon as “Dangers of worldly wisdom”  

I would like to start with a story from the Old Testament bible,  

There was a king named Solomon, God greatly bless him with abundant wisdom,  He ruled his kingdom with the wisdom given by God, as a result, there were peace, prosperity and justice in his kingdom, He wrote famous books that are in the bible, i.e. proverb, ecclesiastic and Song of Solomon. He was the wisest man in human history but during his later age he was controlled by worldly wisdom and by the end of his life he was miserable. His kingdom was divided into two part. He ends up worshipping his wife’s idols.  

Had he stuck with the wisdom given from above his life would have ended well.  But his life ended up in a disastrous way.  

His life shows us that worldly wisdom is dangerous and can destroy our family, our life and reputation and break God’s heart.  

Keeping this story in mind lets turn to our text.  

James 4:1-4.  

1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  

2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.  

3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  

4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity  against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 

I would like to give 3 vital points from the above verses. 

1) Worldly wisdom leads to fighting, quarrelling and killing. (1-2)  1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires  that battle within you?  

2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want,  so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.

You know church,  

There were fights and quarrels and even killing in James days because of worldly desires that battle within their heart. These worldly desires are from our heart idols. 

Worldly wisdom or worldly idols leads to all kind of life problem, such as fighting, quarrelling and killing. 

I will like to bring a story of King David from Old testament to understand our point better.

David was the second king of Israel,  we know most of Psalm in the bible was written by him, he was a musician, song composer, poet,  Shepherd, He was a giant slayer, God said, He is the man after God’s own heart, King David have weakness too.  

I wanna bring the dark story of David so that we will learn a lesson from him. 

The story is in 2 Samuel 11. “The story of David and Bathsheba” 

The story of David and Bathsheba reminds us of how great men who are called by God are still humans and struggle with sin.  

The events begin with King David choosing to stay home in Jerusalem while he sent the rest of the Israelite army to fight other nations and kings. David is relaxing and walking on the palace roof when he sees a beautiful woman bathing on her roof. David was immediately drawn to her and sent messengers to find out who she was. The messengers returned and told David that her name was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah.  Despite David knowing that she was married, he sent for her and slept with her.  Bathsheba later sends word to David that she was pregnant.  

David was nervous that his sin of adultery would now be found out. The King called for  Uriah to come home so that he could spend a night with his wife, Bathsheba, and cover up the sin that Bathsheba was pregnant with David’s child.  

However, Uriah refused to sleep with his wife while his fellow men were off fighting.  David was filled with anger that his plan did not work.  

When Uriah went back to war, King David sent a note to the army commander with instructions to have Uriah put at the frontline and to withdraw so that he would die.   Bathsheba mourned her husband’s death and was then brought to King David to be his wife.  The prophet Nathan visited King David and told him of the Lord’s disapproval and displeasure with David. Even though David repented of his sin, Nathan told David that the son Bathsheba was expecting would die.  

Let us see David heart idols that bring quarrelling and fighting and even killing.

1) Laziness

When the nation is at risk fighting battle with the enemy, when many people are risking their life, sacrificing life to protect their family, their people and their nation, he was enjoying and relaxing at home.

He was neglecting his duty as a leader of the nation. Example, What would you think if China attacks India and our prime minister simply stay home,  sleeping and relaxing and enjoying life at home.  

Do you think opposition party will leave him, do you think citizen of India will keep silent, not at all right. David was neglecting his duty and responsibility. 

2) He commits adultery by sleeping with Uriah wife

3) Not only committing adultery with Bathsheba he killed her husband Uriah.

The result of David sins bring great chaos in his family and the nation Israel, there was fighting among David household, his son Absolom fight back his father David to take the throne. as a result, Absolom was killed. Bathsheba son died. 

This a sad story from the life of King David.

We know David was driven by worldly wisdom, driven by his heart idols which bring pain and misery in his life. 

In the same way, if we are not driven by wisdom from above we will end up our life in pain and misery because outside God we cant find peace and joy and satisfaction. 

Last Sunday sermon reminds us that we should focus on wisdom from above, wisdom from God. 

We know we have our own heart idols, it can be laziness, lust, comfort, covetousness, pride, good things, money, fame, dream, career, family, job, fashion, sports, social media. If these things are controlling your heart and driving your life, we will end up our life in a miserable way.

The bible clearly says in the first commandment that is, You shall have no other God before me. 

What are your heart idols? What are the things that are pulling you down? 

Church lets identify our heart idols like those of King David. What I really like about David is, He literally cries out  to God for forgiveness, He repents his sins to God. 

Let’s see how David repent his sins in Psalm 51. 

1.Have mercy on me, O God,  

 according to your unfailing love;  

according to your great compassion  

 blot out my transgressions.  

2.Wash away all my iniquity  

 and cleanse me from my sin.  

3. For I know my transgressions,  

 and my sin is always before me.  

4. Against you, you only, have I sinned  

 and done what is evil in your sight;  

10. Create in me a pure heart, O God,  

 and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  

11. Do not cast me from your presence  

 or take your Holy Spirit from me.  

12. Restore to me the joy of your salvation  

 and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  

14. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,  

 you who are God my Savior,  

 and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 

Application:  

Church let us come before God and surrender all our heart idols before God and receive God’s forgiveness and grace like David. 

So that we will live a life that pleases God, a life that glorifies God.

2) Worldly wisdom approaches God with the wrong motives.

(3) “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 

James find out their root problem that is, they didn’t even ask God for their needs,  Here in this verse, James reveals that when they did ask God for what they wanted,  They were simply trying to manipulate Him.  

Many a time we all approach God with wrong motives, just to satisfy our heart desires.  Many prayers were not really requests, we just make an effort to make God serve our selfish desires.  

Many people approach with wrong motives in prayer. (How)  

Not only wrong motives many people are prayerless and many people don’t know what they are praying in the middle of their prayer,  Some people pray like reciting a poem, some people pray without believing.  

What does it mean to pray with wrong motives? What is a wrong prayer? Scripture tells us,  because of these reasons our prayers are so often not answered,  

Because we ask for things so that we gratify our lust and pleasure.  

We ask for the wrong reasons, with the wrong motives. For instance, we ask for:  Good health and long life so we can be more comfortable in life. 

We ask Money just to serve our desires and not Gods purpose. 

We ask Success so that we can be recognized,

We ask Position so we can be in authority and power.

We ask for blessed family, so we can enjoy their presence.  

At first, glance, asking for these things doesn’t seem to be wrong, but when we ask for these things simply to gratify our own desires then we are asking with the wrong motive.  

What is the right motive for prayer?  

How can we pray and know that God will give the desires of our heart? 

Our heart motive should be, asking for blessings so that we glorify God.  When a person wants something from God, he must want it so that he can glorify God.

1. If we want good health, long blessed life, it must be, so that we can glorify God. 

2. If we want to bear fruit in our lives and in our work, or in our church and in our community, it must be, so that we can glorify God.  

3. If we want the basic necessities of life food, clothing, shelter, or a purpose in life, or meaning in life, and significance, or assurance, and confidence and security or if we want a  position of authority or money, it must be, so that we can glorify God in our lives and with our testimony.  

Paul said, “don’t worry about everything, but pray about everything.” 

If you lack anything, church, pray!

If you have difficulties in your life, pray! 

If you are overwhelmed, pray! If you are confused pray!  

If you are hopeless pray, If you are stuck in between pray!  

If you are happy, pray!

If you are blessed, pray!

Bible says

“Pray without ceasing.”  

How is your prayer life?

Church are you really living a prayerful life? 

James 4:2 says You didn’t receive because you didn’t ask.  

James 4:3 says You didn’t receive because you ask with wrong motives.  

Application:  

Church God is ready to bless us, He wants all of us to ask,  

But we have to ask with the right motives in order to receive His blessings.  

Romans 8:31 says.  

32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also,  along with him, graciously give us all things? 

John 14:14 says.  

“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. 

With that lets come to our last point.  

3) Worldly wisdom leads to friendship with the world.
(4) Friendship with the world is dangerous, 

4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 

James uses strong language. He calls them adulterous people 

1. Being adulterous means that a person is guilty of spiritual adultery.  The relationship between a believer and Christ is like that of a marriage.  That is why the church is called the bride of Christ.  

Our bond with Christ is so close that when we turn away from Him to the world,  It is like committing spiritual adultery.  

Spiritual adultery means that we turn away from God to the world that we break our commitment to God and turn to other things of this world. 

The picture of spiritual adultery shows us just how meaningful God counts our  relationship with Christ:  

It’s a relationship of love, a bond of love that can be the closest bond in all the world.  If we turn away from Christ to the world, it breaks his heart with the deepest pain. 

We should never forget that our Lord gave His life and died for us.  He has done everything He can to save us and to create a relationship with us.  So, we shouldn’t hurt Him anymore. We must not crucify Christ anymore.  We shouldn’t forsake Him for the world.  

We shouldn’t commit spiritual adultery against Him by turning to the world. 

What comprises spiritual adultery?  

– Spiritual adultery is not obeying the commandment of the Lord – It’s unclean deeds and sinful behaviour.  

– Spiritual adultery is giving oneself to sinful things and vile things, 

– It’s continually slapping God in the face by committing the same sin over and over again because the world says it’s OK. 

– It’s forgetting God and turning one’s back on Him. 

– It’s refusing to return to God and not acknowledging the Lord.  

– It’s forsaking God, disbelieving in Christ, being ashamed of Jesus and His Words.

Church we should never commit spiritual adultery.  

The question asked in verse 4 last part: “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is  hated toward God?” What does this mean? It means the person who is a friend of the world is the enemy of God.  

Everything in this world passes away. This world is physical and material so it has the seed of corruption and seed of sin in it.

Because of this, it stands against God. It’s not eternal nor holy and righteous like God. So, any person who is a friend of this world stands against God. 

Application:  

1 John 2:15-17.  

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.  

16 For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life come not from the Father but from the world.  

17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Church lets obey God’s command and be a true obedient Child of Our Father.  

Conclusion.  

Church, together we have to meditate on 3 vital points under the topic  

“Danger of worldly wisdom”  

1.Worldly wisdom leads to fighting, quarrelling and killing. (1-2)  

2.Worldly wisdom approach God with wrong motive.(3)  

3.Worldly wisdom leads to friendship with the world. (4)  

Don’t let worldly wisdom and idols of this world drive you, it is dangerous, it is deadly,  believers don’t have time for all these worldly things, we have learnt enough lessons from the life of King David.

Let the wisdom of God drive your life, let the will of God drive your life.  

Let the good news of God drive you,  

so that wherever you go you will be the light and salt of this world.  

Secondly, let us always approach God with right motives, let us keep asking God and receive all the amazing blessings from God and glorify God with all the good things we receive from Him.  

Thirdly, Let us not be a friend of this world but let us be a truly loyal friend of Christ.

Let us Pray.

Categories
James Sermon

The Power of Tongue: James 3:1-12

James 3:1-12. 

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know  that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 

2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is  perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.  

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the  whole animal.  

4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong  winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider  what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 

6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the  whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have  been tamed by mankind, 

8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings,  who have been made in God’s likeness. 

10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this  should not be.  

11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?  Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.  

Introduction:  

Good morning church hope all of you are doing well, today we have an interesting  topic to meditate together.  

Before I enter my sermon I wanna start with a beautiful story, i hope you all love  story, Once in a small village lion used to attacked villages and eat them, you know  there was one naughty boy, Who like to fool people all the time, one day, he shout  with a loud voice and said, lion is coming to eat all of us, All people were afraid and  they close the door and hide themselves. some big boys came running with gun to  help him but he laugh out and tell them that he was joking. they were all angry of the  little naughty boy. The following week a real blood thirsty lion was coming toward  the small village he shout aloud like last time “Lion is coming, people thought that he  was playing fool again, nobody came to rescue him so he became lion breakfast that  day.  

Moral lesson:  

1. Playing with tongue is dangerous. 

Hope you like the story, today we shall meditate together from James 3:1-12.  i would like to entitle my sermon as “ The power of tongue”  

I will like to give 8 very vital points. 

1.Teachers of word has huge tongue responsibility. (1)  

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know  that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 

James does not mean that nobody should become a teacher. It is a much needed role in the  church, and God empowers specific individuals with teaching gift (1 Corinthians 12:28;  Romans 12:7; Ephesians 4:11). In the church, teachers of words are meant to help people  make the Word of God easier to understand and follow.  

James makes clear, scripture”teacher” is not a role which should be taken lightly. Teachers  will face a stricter judgment. They will be held accountable to live by the truth they teach, as  well as being responsible not to lead people away from God’s Word with their own words.  The more a person claims the authority to teach, the more accountable they will be for how  they lead or mislead other people.  

2.Be mature in using your tongue. (2) 

2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is  perfect (Mature), able to keep their whole body in check. 

This verse makes it clear that James is not requiring perfection at all. Chapter 2 remind us  that genuine Christians will participate in genuine good works in obedience to God. And  yet, James is fully aware that fallible human beings will never do so without stumbling.  James includes himself in this statement: says “we all stumble in many ways”  However, James reveals that our goal is to stop stumbling, but to be in full control of  ourselves at all times. The sign of a believer who has arrived at full-faith maturation is one  who never stumbles in what they say or how they say it. Such a mature believer will never  say anything unkind, hurtful, selfish, proud, rude, or manipulative words. They will only  and ever say words motivated by faith in God and love for each other. Once we learn to  perfectly control our words, we will be in perfect control of every part of ourselves. 

Application: Church lets be mature in our every conversation.  

Colossians 4:6  

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know  how to answer everyone.  

Ephesian 4:29.  

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as  fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 

1 Timothy 4:12. 

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and  purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 

3. We should control our tongue. (3)  

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the  whole animal. 

Here in verse 3, James points to horses as a natural example. Horses are large, powerful  animals. And yet, they can be controlled with a small piece of metal and a few leather  straps. This is called a bit or bridle: a bar which is placed behind the horse’s teeth, This  gives the rider the ability to create pressure on the animal, and even pain, if used roughly.  With a bit in a horse’s mouth, a rider is able to control the whole animal, to make it obey, to  steer it wherever the rider wants to go.  

In the same way we should control our tongue like how we control horse with bridle.  Control tongue will keep you from falling into sinful trap.  

Control tongue will not let you regret in life.  

Controlling tongue will keep you in peace and harmony with people around.  Controlling tongue will prove that you are wise and mature believer.  

My story: My uncontrol tongue to baby catharine.  

1 Peter 3:10  

For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their  lips from deceitful speech. 

Proverb 21:23  

Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. Psalm 141:3.  

3 Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. 

4.Tongue can direct our life. (4)  

Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong  winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 

Here in verse 4, James points to huge ships at sea. The power behind those ships in James’s  era was the mighty wind, but nobody can control the wind. Wooden sailing ships full of  cargo could weigh thousands of kgs and yet, a pilot could alter the movement of the most  massive boat using just a relatively small piece of wood: A rudder is the paddle-like plank  used to steer a ship.  

If we learn to control our tongues meaning the words we say,  

we could control what we do with our entire bodies. The one who controls a bit controls the  entire horse. The one who controls the rudder steers control the entire ship. The man who  learns to control his tongue is one who has gained control over his entire self.  

Using our tongue in a right way will determine the direction of your life, a life that pleases  God, a life that glorifying God. 

5.Tongue can destroy our life. (5-6).  

5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider  what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 

6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the  whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  

The tongue is a very small organ in the body that boasts of great things.  Our tiny tongues have the capacity to effect massive results.  

The fact that the tongue is powerful doesn’t mean everything it does is positive. To  understand better, James uses a dramatic example. A tiny spark of fire can set a whole forest  ablaze. In this analogy, the fire is not something used to bring control. Instead, it’s a small  thing which impacts others around it. This leads to great chaos and destruction.  

Like the story I narrate earlier, because of his lie he was eaten by lion, likewise if we are not  careful how we use our tongue, our tongue can destroy our life our reputation like fire  destroy the forest.  

James says you have this little muscle that has a huge impact on our lives, this tongue.  # It can make you or break you.  

# It can open doors for you into the future. It can close doors for you.  # It can help other people. It can hurt other people.  

# It will determine the direction of your life. 

6.Remember tongue cannot be tame. (7-8).  

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have  been tamed by mankind, 

8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 

James pointed to an amazing human achievement: We can and have tamed every kind of  creature. But we can’t tame the tongue. More specifically, James writes that no human being  can tame his or her own tongue. We can’t control the words that come out of our mouths. It’s  not an ability that human beings possess in our own power. Our tongues are more powerful  than we are. They control us just as a bit guides a horse or a rudder steers a massive ship.  

According to James, the tongue our words and how we use them is not just untamable. It is  a restless evil. The Greek word James uses for “restless” means “unstable,” and is the same  root word used for the “unstable” man in James 1:8. Our tongues, the instrument of our  powerful words, striking without focus or clear intent. And when they strike, they are full of  deadly poison.  

Set your heart right so that graceful, loving words will come out of your heart.  Application: Let us be very careful how we use our tongue. 

7.Use your tongue for the right purpose. (9-10)  

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings,  who have been made in God’s likeness. 

10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this  should not be. 

First, we can use our words to bless or praise our Lord and Father. After James’s description  of evil, untamable, unstable tongues up to this point, it’s shocking to imagine such a person  use their words to bless God. 

James continues to make the case that our tongues the words we use which reveal our fallen  hearts are evil and uncontrollable. He wrote that we human beings use our tongues both to  praise God, the Creator, and to curse other people who are created in God’s likeness. It  shouldn’t be that way. Blessing and cursing shouldn’t originate from the same mouth.  

Application:  

Are we using our tongue for the right purpose?  

Psalm 63:3, Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. We are created to praise God, we are created for His glory.  

Let use our tongue to praise God that is the right purpose of tongue, lets use our tongue our  words for His glory.  

8. Our tongue will show who we are. (11-12).  

11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?  Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.  

James continues making his case that human beings including Christians are not naturally in  control of our tongues. If we were, how would it be possible for us to use our words both to  praise God and to curse people created in His image? James stated what seems obvious to us  now: It shouldn’t be that way.  

It’s not just that we “shouldn’t” use our words for both blessing and evil. It’s that it is  contradictory. It’s a conflict with the nature we’re supposed to be relying on as saved, born again believers. James illustrates this with the example of a spring. Nowhere in nature will  you find bubbling up from the ground a mixture of salt and fresh water. It just doesn’t  happen. Salt water and fresh water come from two completely different sources—just as  words of blessing and words of cursing come from two completely different natures.  

Application question:  

What kind of words are flowing out of your mouth?  

Your choice of words, will show who you are,  

if your hear is full of evil, evil words will come out of your mouth,  

if your heart is unkind, you will speak unkind words.  

Church let kind and blessings words flows out of your mouth which bring joy and healing. 

Conclusion:  

Church we have seen 8 points under the topic “The power of tongue”  1.Teachers of word have huge responsibility. (1)  

2.Be mature in using your tongue. (2)  

3. We should control our tongue. (3)  

4.Tongue can direct our life. (4)  

5.Tongue can destroy our life. (5-6)  

6.Remember tongue cannot be tame. (7-8)  

7.Use your tongue for the right purpose. (9-10)  

8.Our tongue will show who we are. (11-12)  

In our final conclusion i wanna remind with the words of Jesus  

Matthew 15:11,18-19. 

“That which enters into the mouth doesn’t defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the  mouth, this defiles the man, The things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the  heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders,  adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies” 

Here Jesus address the heart issue.  

How is your heart this morning?  

The most important question to ask when examining the heart is  

What is functionally ruling your heart?  

We know our hearts are always being ruled by someone or something,  and whatever controls our heart will control my responses to people and situations around.  

Would you please check what is controlling or ruling your heart?  

If our heart is not fill with the Spirit of God, If our heart is not control by the Spirit of God.  Nothing good will come out of your mouth, all kind of filthy, bad, dirty words will control  you, evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, false testimony and blasphemies will come out  our mouth, these sins will destroy our life and our reputation.  

Therefore my dear brothers and sisters lets check our heart this morning and Repent and  surrender all our heart idol to God.  

As we have Sang the song  

Change my heart O God, make it ever true, change my heart O God, may I be like you,  You are the potter, I am the clay, mould me and make me this is what I pray. 

Remember who you are in Christ. we are forgiven, Redeemed, adopted, we are the child of  the most high God.  

Romans 6: 12-14.  

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any  part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves  completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body  as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for  you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of  God’s grace. 

1 Cor 6:19-20.  

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom  you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your bodies. 

Romans 12:1-2.  

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a  living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not  conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then  you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

God Bless all of us 

Amen

Categories
James Sermon

Believers’ Daily Lifestyle: James 2:8-13

Introduction:

Good morning church, It’s a blessing to see all of you.

As we all know we are going through the book of James under the theme “Faith in action”

Last Sunday we have meditate together James 2:1-7, on Favouritism or Partiality.

Today we shall continue our study from James 2:8-13,

Before we enter to our text, let me remind you the purpose of writing this letter.

James wrote this letter to a believers in exile. They have been forced to leave their homes and settle among strangers. As followers of Jesus, they do not find their lives to be easy. Instead, they find themselves facing a variety of trials and these tempt them to doubt God’s faithfulness and ability to continue to bless them.

James wrote this letter to remind them of who God is and how He can enable them to rejoice when they encounter these trials because they test their trust in Him. And a trust that has been tested or purified leads in the end to one being “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.(1:2-4)”

In chapter 2 James has been dealing with behaviour towards our fellow men. He is condemning attitudes and behaviour based on worldly standards. In the first part of chapter 2 James tackles favouritism. Now he examines this behaviour in direct relationship to God’s law.

James 2:8-13.

  • Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
  • But if you favour some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
  1. For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
  2. For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
  3. So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.
  4. There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

I would like to entitle my sermon as “Believers daily lifestyle”  Under these topic I would like to give 4 vital Believers daily lifestyle to all of you.

I know many of us are conscious with our health, If you want to stay healthy and fit, you need to eat right kind of diet and exercise daily. In the same way James is offering us this morning four daily lifestyle which will help us to live out our purpose for God’s glory.

First lifestyle

1.  Love your neighbour as you love yourself (8-9)

  • Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
  • But if you favour some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

James is saying obeying royal law, i.e. loving your neighbour as yourself is good,

We know this is second greatest commandment given by Christ. “Love your neighbour as you love yourself”

Verse 9 reminds us, our last Sunday sermon that is, if we show favouritism or partiality it is sin and breaking the law.

Every one of us should be very careful with sin of favouritism, James reminds us that instead we should love our neighbour as ourselves.

Who are our neighbours?

Our neighbours are people who are around us, it can be family members, friends, coworkers, house neighbours, people whom you encounter in daily basis.

All people whom you meet in your life is your neighbour.

Loving our neighbour can be in many different ways, I will like to give few ways.

Loving your neighbour means.

  1. Loving them as Christ love us. (love one another as i have love you) 1.Showing grace as christ shown His grace to us.
  2. Acting with compassion
  3. Looking out for wellbeing, Philippians 2:4 it says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” 4.Serving the people around you. 5.Speaking kindly to your neighbour 6.Sharing in joys and sorrow. (Romans 12:15). “rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn”

7.Means forgiving them, 8.Showing no partiality,

  • Most importantly pointing them to our Redeemer, introducing to our Lord Jesus, and giving them a living hope.
  • Sharing your life story, sharing your identity in Christ, Hope in Christ
  • Inviting friends and neighbour to the church, the list can still go on and on…

Illustration:

It was in my 8 standard one of my neighbour invite me for a bible study which was conducted by evangelical union, My life was completely change as I start journeying with these beautiful godly friends. I was just one time invitation that change my life.

Within no time we form a small group in our own school, and start inviting students for prayer meeting and bible study.

Our number grew bigger and bigger, many young students join us, many received Christ as their Lord and saviour.

I believe this is the true example of loving our neighbour.

Just because of one friend invitation, my life was change, in the same manner we keep inviting friends over and over again, we continue doing this great work through out our high school days.

Church the greatest gift you can ever give to someone is leading your family or friends, neighbours, coworkers to Christ.

Showing them life meaning, life purpose and life destiny.

Application:

Are we loving our neighbours? How are we loving our neighbours? When was the last time you loved your neighbour?

Church lets make use of every moment to love our neighbour.

We know, practically loving our neighbour is not an easy steps,

But lets ask Holy Spirit to help us, so that God will change our heart and We can practically apply in our daily life.

Second lifestyle

2.      Repenting our sins daily (10-11),

  1. For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
  2. For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

If we have committed sin, small sin or big sin, it is Sin before God. This two verse remind me of mankind wickedness and sinful heart and our continual needs of repentance for our daily sins.

Church in some way or the other way we all have committed sins, we have broken the law.

We have deceive ourselves, we have sin against God, we have broke God’s heart.

All of us are equally guilty of sin, none are perfect. All of us are fully depending on God’s grace and mercy.

Romans 3:23.“All have sin and fall short of the glory of God”

Jeremiah 17:9.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Genesis 6:5.

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Seeing our heart conditioned we should repent our sins to God daily.

we have broken the law of God, -We have committed sin We desperately need God’s forgiveness all the time.

As one of the pastor of this church, I am not only telling you to repent but all pastors and leaders of this church should be the chief repenters.

A.W Pink says

“The christian who has stopped repenting has stooped growing”

Illustration: Church

We dispose Kitchen trash on a daily basis, right, What, if, we don’t throw the trash for a week or a month, someone like to try that, the whole room will stink and the stinking smell will make all of us sick right,

In the same way, we should repent our sin on daily basis,

Remember church Sin is like a cancer, it can destroy us and make our life miserable.

Let us repent our sins and wash with the blood of Christ daily.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

Application:

Are you repenting your sin on daily basis?

Isaac watts a hymn writer and Church minister says

“There is no repentance in the grave” Third lifestyle

3.      Be careful how you live, U will give your life account someday. (12).

12 So whatever you SAY or whatever you DO, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.

Be careful with your words you will give account someday. Proverbs 18:21

Life and death are in the power of the tongue. (let us use wisely)

Matthew 12:36

But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

Colossians 4:6.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Be careful of whatever you DO you will give account someday. 1 Cor. 15:58.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.

You will be judge by law of liberty, which is the law of Christ.

John MacArthur

“The gospel is the law of liberty because it frees those who place their faith in Jesus Christ from bondage, judgement, and punishment of sin and brings them ultimately to eternal freedom and glory”

In Romans 6:6-11, Apostle Paul clearly remind, How God will judge all of us.

  • God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”
  • To those who by persistence in doing good, seek glory, honour and immortality,

he will give eternal life.

  • But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
  • There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;
  • but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Illustration:

Apostle Paul after serving God his entire life just before he was beheaded by Romans soldier, he said to his spiritual son Timothy in 2 Tim.4:7-8.

  • I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
  • Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Application:

Church Our life is short on this earth, we are closer to death everyday. Are you ready to meet our Lord Jesus?

If you happen to die today, and if you are going to stand before our living God to give your life account, How will your story look like?

What have you done for the Lord so far? 2x Finally here is our fourth lifestyle-

4.      Be Merciful to all people. (13).

13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

Church being merciful to all people should be our character.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus proclaims, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt.5:7).

The good news for every child of God in Christ is that God’s mercy toward us will triumph over His judgment of us (Romans 8:1). Our sins may argue against us, but Christ is our loving Advocate who argues for us and prevents us from receiving the judgment we deserve. We, in turn, should display God’s type of mercy toward others.

Ephesian 2

1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

  • But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.

We are saved because of God’s mercy

Titus 3:5

  • He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.

1Peter 1:3

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Application:

Church lets be merciful to all people around us as our heavenly Father has shown mercy unto you.

Conclusion:

Church we have meditate together 4 very vital points under the topic

“Believers daily lifestyle” the first lifestyle is

  1. Love your neighbour as you love yourself.

Remember God love us with His unconditional love and send His only Son Jesus to die for our sin, and bible says if we confess our sin and place our faith in Christ Jesus, He will forgive all our sins and give us eternal life.

Church we have received Christ love in our heart,

This is the best time for us to share Christ love to our neighbour. Love your neighbours.

2.        Repenting our sins daily.

Remember church Sin is like a cancer, it can destroy us and make our life miserable.

Let us repent our sins and wash with the blood of Christ daily.

3.        Be careful how you live, you will give your life account someday.

Our life is very short, we are closer to death each day, let us make use of every opportunity to serve our living God,

One day He will reward us for all the good works we have done.

4.        Be merciful to all people around you.

Finally, let us be merciful to all people around us, God has shown abundant mercy in our life, its time for us to show God mercy to all people around us.

Let us be a channel of blessing to all people.

Final prayer.

Thank you everyone for your kind attention. God Bless You

Categories
James Sermon

Beware of Favouritism James 2:1-7

Introduction:

Good morning brothers and sisters, so good to see all of you. Hope all of you are doing well and bless.

Today we shall study from James 2:1-7. under the topic “Beware of Favouritism or Beware of Partiality.

Lets see what is favoritism

Personal favoritism: This word denotes partiality or biased judgment based on external circumstances, such as race, wealth, social rank, etc. It ignores the value of the individual as a person.

When we look back history

Indian society has a history of favouritism which is so evil. The caste system divides Hindus into four main categories – Brahmins, priest family, Kshatrias warrior, Vaishyas traders and the Shudras lowest workers we see high class people, low class people, schedule tribe, OBC the backward class. we see the impact even this days, how low class people are mistreated,

How Dalits are mistreated? How minority are mistreated? Just because they are from low class society. Even people from Northeast India, we are mistreated many many, time because of our looks.

Last year before we move to Mira road, i contacted one society for a rented house, I talk to the house owner she said, you don’t look like Indian, i say I am indian, a north east indian, she said, our society didn’t allow north east people. this is favouritism.

Once I was helping out my friend sister who was searching for college admission, the college has to refuse her because she was scheduled tribal community.

Few months ago some Northeast friends were not even allowed to purchase groceries because of their looks.

When we see around the world for instance.

American history, we see the story of how blacks and Indians are mistreated by white America.

We know 6 million Jew were killed by Nazis because of hatred. We see the story of Nepotism in Bollywood,

TYPES OF FAVORITISM

Nepotism: In business, hiring family members regardless of qualifications. Cryonism: In business, hiring friends regardless of qualifications.

Gender Bias: Believing that one gender is better than the other; treating the other gender poorly.

Age-ism: Treating someone different because of their age… usually the very young or the very old.

Racism: Treating one race different than others; usually preferring one’s own race to others.

Even in James days there was favouritism in the church. My question for all of us is,

What are believers role and responsibility on this subject Favouritism?

Okay, let’s see what James will teach us this morning on Favouritism, Open your bible with me to James 2:1-7.

James 2:1-7.

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.
3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”
4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?
7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

I would like to entitle my sermon as

“BEWARE OF FAVOURITISM”

I have two points to meditate together, lets come to our first point.

1.Showing favouritism is SIN.(1-4)

James 2:1 says,

“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism.

9 But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

James says as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, Remember your identity in Christ, you are redeem, adopted, beloved child of God, Holy spirit is living in your heart. He means as a believers and as a child of God We should not show favouritism to anyone.

If Christ does not condemn you, if God does not show you partiality, if God does not judge you, who are we to show partiality, who are we to condemn.

Thats why James we should not show partiality.

James uses the word “favoritism.” The word means “respecter of persons” or to “show partiality.” James is talking about the fault of giving judgment to the outward circumstances of man or woman and thinking them more worthy than others.

It is a fault or a sin to treat someone as more worthy because they are rich, a certain skin color, have political power, or are famous.

Its a fault or a sin to treat someone as less because they are poor, a certain skin color, have no political power, have a disability, or are in our estimation a ‘nobody.’ That is favoritism. That is sin. James identifies it specifically in verse 4 as “evil thoughts.

When we show favouritism #We break God’s command.

1. #We don’t follow His character.

2. #Showing partiality reveals evil thoughts. v.4

3. #Showing partiality discriminates against the poor and humble. v.5.

4. #Showing partiality shows a disgraceful attitude.v6

5. #Showing partiality shows foolish behaviour.v7.

That is why James is pointing out that showing partiality is sin.

Romans 2:11.

For God does not show favouritism.

Galatians 3:26-28.

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Deuteronomy 10:17

For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.

Acts 10:34 says

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality.

James 2:2-4

2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

When Mahatma Gandhi was a student, he considered becoming a Christian. He read the Gospels and was moved by them. It seemed to him that Christianity offered a solution to the caste system that plagued the people of India.

One Sunday, he went to a local church. He had decided to see the pastor and ask for instruction on the way of salvation. But when he entered the church, which consisted of white people, the ushers refused to give him a seat. They told him to go and worship with his own people.

He left and never went back “If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu” (from “Our Daily Bread,” [Feb., 1979]).

That tragic story illustrates the sin that James writes against in the text. His focus is on the sin of showing favoritism to the rich and despising the poor, but his words apply to all types of prejudice, whether it is based on economic status, race, or anything else.

To favor some people and to disregard others based on outward factors is a terrible sin that plagued the early church in James’ day. It has plagued the church in every generation, because it stems from pride, which is endemic to our fallen hearts.

James tells us that favoritism has no place in the Church and therefore no place in the heart of a believer in Christ.

How can God’s church navigate these challenges and bring hope to a world who has lost her way?

Application:

Church let us always remember showing favouritism in any way is sin.

Galatians 3:26-29.

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Jesus came and died for all of us on the cross of Calvary, He didn’t show favouritism to anyone, He died for all of us. He offered eternal life to all people who believe in him.

Let us all follow the example of our saviour, He show no partiality to the poor, needy, sick, blind, prostitute, tax collector. He loves everyone.

With that lets come to our second point.

2.Believers should treat everyone equally. (5-7).

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?
7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

In this passage we see.

1      God has chosen the poor (2:5,6b).

3      The rich oppress the believers (2:6b,7).

God has sovereignly chosen (elected) the poor. This does not mean every poor person will be saved or that every rich person will be lost. But generally speaking, it is the poor who respond to the salvation that is in Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 1:26-29).

Generally poor people are crazy about God.

God is everything to them, They have nothing in this world but they are happy people, because what they got is God and God’s favour is upon the poor.

Remember the story of Rich man and Lazarus. (Luke 15:19-31)

In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, the rich man does nothing while alive to help Lazarus, a poor beggar, and when he dies the rich man goes to Hell whereas Lazarus goes to Heaven………… This parable sends the message that worldly and earthly possessions are of no benefit in the afterlife.

This parable sits in the context of Jesus criticizing the Pharisees, whom Luke accuses of being “lovers of money” (16:14). But the parable speaks not only about them; it extends to Luke’s readers, warning them about the blinding, dangerous capacities of wealth.

The rich man and Lazarus lead two totally opposite forms of existence. Rich man was covered with wealth and riches; the poor man was covered in sores and hunger.

Rich man feasts daily with best foods; poor man looks for scraps to curb his hunger. Rich man lives inside a gated beautiful home; the poor man lies at the gate.

Rich man receives the dignity of burial according to custom; the poor man is carried off to be with Abraham. They live close to one another, perhaps even visible to one another through the gate. After death, their conditions are totally reversed.

Jesus never explicitly states why the rich man receives his torment, but the story makes some clear suggestions.

The man has disregarded the poor, even poor Lazarus who lived so nearby. This was done not out of ignorance but out of willful neglect. (It appears from v. 24, where the rich man knows Lazarus’s name, that they are not strangers to each other.) The man also is presumptuous, perhaps assuming that he deserves good things in life because of his wealth or status.

The ridiculous things were that even in torment of hell rich man is still trying to manipulate poor man Lazarus.

The rich man asked to let Lazarus come down from heaven and serve him to cool his tongue with a drop of water to reduce his “agony in this fire.”

The rich man additionally requested Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth as a warning to his brothers to atone for their sins, however, both requests were refused.

Application:

How are you treating people who are homeless and begging for food on the roadside, how did you react to them,

Are we committing the sin of favouritism?

We should never ever look down the poor and needy and weak people around us.

We should not look down another human base on their economic status, the colour of their skin, by their culture, by their educational qualification.

We should treat everyone equally.

Remember God is watching. God is watching.

Lets us see how God is telling us to live our life without showing favouritism to anyone.

Matthew 5:43-48.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

As a church our love should be put into action.

Romans 12:9 to following says.

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Conclusion:

Church we have seen two points under the topic “Beware of Favouritism

  1. Favouritism is sin. (we should stop the sin of favouritism)

The church should be the change in this world where there is favouritism everywhere. The change has to start from you and me, from your family, and bring change in our society, in our workplace.

2. Believers should treat all people equally.

Let us treat all people as Christ has treat us, as Christ has love us. Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you. Let your light so shine that people may see your good works and glorify our Father in heaven.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this blessed hour, we thank you for your words. We pray that if we have sin against you and against people coz of showing partiality to others, please forgive us. And help us not to repeat the same sin again,

Help us to treat all people equally like you treat to us, help us to love all the people like you love us. Bless all our brothers and sisters.

In Jesus name, we pray
Amen.

Categories
James Sermon

Doers and Hearers: James 1:22-25

Good morning church it’s blessing to see all of you in our online church service, we are going through the book of James under the theme “Faith in action”

I wanna start with a short story, In the month of April and May we see beautiful Gulmohar tree blooming all over our city, last year, I collect lots of seeds, so that someday I will plant the seeds somewhere, the seeds are still with me.

If I didn’t plant that seed I will never see beautiful Gulmohar flower. What I want to convey through this story is, God’s word is like a seed, we come to church hear great sermons and if we never apply those God’s word in our life, it’s like my story, you store those seeds and never plant we won’t harvest anything in our life.

This morning James is saying the same thing James 1:22-25, we shall meditate this text. l will like to read for all of us.

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Church, today we shall meditate together 4 very vital points under the topic DOERS and HEARERS. there are two kinds of people in every church, Doers – They heard the word and applied in their daily life.

Mere hearers – They heard the word but never applied in their life. We shall see both Doers and hearers character one after another. With that lets come to our first point.

1. BE DOERS OF THE WORD

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word. James wants all of us to be the doers of the word, The sentence Doers of the word is in imperative so, it is a command to every believer.

Every believer should be doers of the word. Why we be doers of the Word? because The Word of God calls us to action: Putting God’s word into action will change lives, Remember how God changes our lives, we believe the word of God and we allow God to process the word in our life and it brings life transformation.

Putting God’s word into action will change minds, As we process God’s word in our life, as we put the word of God into action, God’s word renew our mind daily and we are more and more like Jesus every day.

Putting God’s word into action will change hearts. As we put God’s word into action/practice, it makes our heart purer and closer before God. When we obey the word of God and when we put the word of God into practice, the word of God sanctify us and make us more like Him.

After preaching a sermon on the mount, Jesus said, we should be doers of the word. If we are not a doer of the word, we are building up our life in the wrong foundation, the wrong foundation that brings misery and destruction in our life.

Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus said,
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Anything we will build up apart from Christ will not last and will face great destruction. If you are a doer of the word that will prove that you love Christ. John 14:23. “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

Application

Are you doers of the word?

In Israel there is a sea called Dead sea, you know river water flows in the dead sea and never flows out, as a result, Its salt concentration is 8.6 times saltier than ocean water.

There are no plants, fish, or any other visible life in the sea. Many people are like Dead sea, they heard and received all they need from word of God but they didn’t put into practice, nothing grows in their heart, Don’t be like the dead sea, those people are physically alive but spiritual dead, Church Let’s be doers of the word and grow in the Lord daily. With that lets come to our second point.

2. MERE HEARERS ARE DECEIVERS

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. James is saying that we are to be “doers” of God’s word, “and not hearers only, hearers only deceive selves” (v. 22b).

People who only “hear” God’s word but who do not “do” what it says, are fooling and deceiving themselves.

They think that they are receiving a benefit from ‘hearing’, when in fact they are robbing themselves of the blessing of God. What exactly does this deception look like?

When we say we believe one thing but don’t act upon it, It is really like we don’t believe it at all. This is similar to the double-minded living that James speaks of in verse 8.

Remember, in verse 8 James says the double-minded person is the one who professes belief but doubts. Here, James says we are deceived if we say we believe but don’t act on the Word. Jer.17:19 Our own hearts are deceitful so much so that we easily fool ourselves.

I have deceived many myself times in my life, I was born in pastor family, heard thousands and thousands of sermon in my life, I can clearly remember how I have deceived myself and God many times knowingly and unknowingly.

This was my idol for so long, I was lazy, I was forgetful, never take the word of God seriously, my life was like a dead sea, nothing growing in my heart, I was living unproductive life.

Slowly God shows my heart idol when I come to know I was deceiving myself, and breaking God’s heart by my sinful behaviour I repent my sin and receive His grace.

Illustration:

Judas Iscariot had the best pastor, the best leader, the best advisor, the best counsellor he saw all wonders and miracles, yet he deceives himself, the problem is not the leadership of the church you go to.

If your attitude or character doesn’t change or your heart doesn’t transform, you will always be the same.

Application: How many times have you deceive yourself and God?

If you have deceived like me, let us repent our sins and received God’s forgiveness and grace. May we all be doers of the word in our everyday life.

3. MERE HEARER ARE NEGLECTORS. (23-24)

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

Mere hearers are neglecters of the word, James uses an analogy of a man looking into a mirror, once he looks at himself and gone away and he immediately forgot what kind of person he is.

That person is like hearing a sermon or read God’s Word and think, “I must do something about that.”

But then when he gets home and life just gets busy. He has got things to do, people to see, places to go. And just forget. Gods word is like a mirror, and the purpose of a mirror is self-examination;

you can see the flaws and hopefully fix them. We should use God’s word as our mirror. As a mirror, allow it to reflect an image of who you truly are. When it shows you your gifts, use them.

When it shows you what you are doing is sin, repent and change it. When it shows how you can live in the power of Christ, live in it. The word should be a tool for you to use to examine your life, but it must be done truthfully.

Let your time of daily devotion be an opportunity to examine yourselves in the mirror of God’s Word. James brings this up because there are many who sit beneath the preaching and are forgetful and neglect hearers.

Forgetful in this sense: they hear the preaching and even agree with it, but the moment Sunday is over, they forget the Word. They do not carry it with them into their lives. Church let’s not walk away from the mirror of God’s Word.

Application:

Our life priority should be God, if you are neglecting His word and His instruction, If you are not giving priority to His word. You are inviting all life troubles, idols in your heart will control your heart.

Consequences of neglecting God’s word is huge.

1.You will go wrong direction in life coz you are not guided by God’s words

2. Your life will be confused.

3. Nervous, Anxiety and fearful will control your life.

4. You will be easily deceive

5. You wont know the will of God.

6. You will make wrong choices in life.

All these above consequences will face by those people who neglect the word of God. 2 Tim.3:16-17,

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work

4.DOERS WILL BE BLESSED (25)

25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

James says if you do the Word; if you don’t neglect it; but if you look intently or look fully and deeply into the Word of God to see what it says for our lives.

Which he also calls the perfect law of freedom, you will be blessed. James lays out four steps that we can take to be blessed: Step One: “Look intently.” Gaze into the Word of God and keep looking until you find something. Step Two: “abides by it.”

Once you find something, keep looking. Find more. Step Three: “Not forgetting.” Don’t forget what you discover. Step Four: “But doing.” Do what you’ve learned. Let it change your life.

Just like in the mirror illustration: when we know what we’re supposed to look like, or what we want to look like, we look into the mirror to see if what we see matches how we want to look.

If it doesn’t, we adjust ourselves accordingly. So, also, we must look into the Word of God, see how our lives are supposed to look, and adjust our lives accordingly. We are to look into the “perfect law.”

This is the law that is found in Christ. This is the law of Christ; the law that gives freedom. The law in the Old Testament created burdens and expectations which we could not meet.

The law in the New Testament is fulfilled in Jesus and offers us freedom through Christ. Often we don’t think of a law as freedom. However, the law of Christ certainly does bring us freedom!

We are set free from the bondage of sin and death. We are set free to live for Jesus and live the lives that we were created to live. Jesus said in John chapter 8, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” (John 8:31b-32). Psalm 1:1-3.

1. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

3. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Application: Are you living a blessed life? If you are not living a blessed life?

What is stopping you to receive all the blessings from God. If there is anything to repent?

If there is any idol that is controlling you or stopping you to received God’s blessing, Surrender you heart to God and Let Him bless you so that you will live a blessed and fruitful life.

Conclusion.

Church we have meditate together 4 vital points together under the topic “DOERS AND MERE HEARERS” My final conclusion words will be.

1. Be Doers of the word, when God gave you this life make use of every opportunity and serve Him with all your heart and soul and life because this is the things that matters most.

2. Secondly, don’t deceived yourself like Judas Iscariot. Don’t be like dead sea.

3. Thirdly, don’t neglect God’s word, When God gave you this moment, use it wisely for His glory and fame.

4. Fourthly, You are a blessed child if you are doers of the word. You are like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever you do, you will prosper.

Categories
Sermon

The unchanging goodness of our Heavenly Father : James 1:16-18

Good morning church, it is truly a joy to see all of you face to face at this moment.

A. Heavenly Father is the Giver of all good and perfect gift.

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. (a).

Every (all, the whole, every kind of)

Good and Perfect gift- 

All Amazing blessings we received in our life are good and perfect gift.

Is from above (God). Our heavenly Father is a generous Giver. (Giving is one of His character). All uncountable and bountiful blessings we received in our life is from Him.

I want to categories in four ways.

1.Father greatest gift is His son Jesus

His only Son Jesus. John 3:16.

“For God so love the world that He Gave His only begotten Son whosoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.

Remember who we were. We were all dead in sin and trespasses; we were children of darkness, We were slave to sin; we were living in the lust of the flesh, We were enemy of God; we were separate from God, We were children of wrath; we were living without hope.

We were the most miserable, wretched people in the planet. We all have sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Romans 5:8 says, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The dead of Christ was substitution for sinners, He was punish in place of us, He was crushed for our iniquities. He redeem us from the slavery of sin and freed us from eternal condemnation, freed us from slavery of sin and dead.

Now we have living Hope in Christ, we are Gods beloved Child and we have eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:1 says. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2 Cor.5:17 says. Therefore, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Romans 8:38-39. Says.

38. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39. nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus Our Lord.

Church let us praise God for “Great Salvation” this is the greatest and the perfect gift from our heavenly father.

2. The fruit of Spirit in our life.

Gal. 5:22-23.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

God want us to bear this fruit in our life whoever life right life with God bear fruit of the Spirit

They have Christ love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

This fruit of spirit will give satisfaction to your heart. Many people around you will be blessed through the fruit of Spirit in you.

Most importantly God’s name will highly be exalted and glorified.

3. Heavenly wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

Proverb. 2:6.

“For the Lord gives wisdom;from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

We need God’s wisdom and knowledge and understanding in our daily life. King Solomon says God’s wisdom is like a tree of life. Proverb 3

All kind of blessings bears in that tree. It’s like you open a gift box and in the gift box you get all you need in life. When we open the gift in proverb 3 we can find lots of amazing blessings.

1.Long life, riches and honour.

2.It will bring healing to your body.

3.Peaceful life will be your

4.You will find favour before God.

5.You will walk securely and your foot will not stumble.

6.You will have a sweet sleep.

7.The Lord will be your confidence.

God is good

4. God’s unconditional blessings in life.

John 15:18 says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Matthew 6:  Jesus says, If He take cares of the birds in the air, lilies in the field, He has promise that He will take care of us.

Illustration:

When I look back my childhood life. I had lots of up and down, it was an excruciating journey,

 I am the eldest son of eight siblings, my father was a pastor in a small village near Myanmar border, my mom and dad work very hard to feed all their 8 children and they never give up to give an education to their children.

Those days my dad’s only income was to go to jungle kill animals and sell the animal’s meat and support us for education for our food.

They also have few chickens and pigs, they sale them and support us.

We walk 2 days by foot to reach a small town to get education and during, vacation we come home and help mom and dad. Our life was hard, many a time we were not allow to attend classes and the institution send us home because we did not pay school fees.

However, God never forsake us, His favour was in all of us.

He supplied all our needs at His perfect timing. We experience God’s unconditional love and His amazing blessings in all our ways.

I came to Mumbai after my 12 standard, I was admitted in Wilson college for Bachelor degree but I was not able to continue my study because there was no one to look after me and I was not able to support myself too, so I drop and start working in Hotel.

My heartbreak and my dream was all shatter. But one day I met one pastor, he told me if I want to study bible, I was not sure about my calling. I keep praying for many days and months

Finally, God open a door for me to go for theology studies, God supply all my seminary expenses and now I am here.God is so good, He is good all the time, I mean it; I have tasted His wonderful love and grace. Praise God.

After seminary, I came to Mumbai, and I was taking care of small church. I came to know I am not a boy anymore, you know It was time for me to get marry with my sweet high school classmate. However, the challenging part was, I was not getting any salary for my full time ministry in the church, things were pretty hard to plan for wedding.

I was not even able to maintain my minimum bank balance. Which is Rs.1000, when I check my bank balance I have only Rs 400.

I told Phila I had Rs.400 in my account, and I remind how God has supply our needs and how He has bless us with all good things in my family life and in my personal life.

We just knelt down and start praying, when the perfect time come all our needs are supplied and we are overjoyed with all the amazing blessings of our heavenly Father.

Jesus promises in

John 15:18 says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Matthew 6:  Jesus says, If He take cares of the birds in the air, lilies in the field, He has promise that He will take care of us.

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. (a).

Not only that, we have many uncountable good and perfect gifts from God.

# The fruit of Spirit that bears in our life is an amazing blessing from God.

Galatians 5:22-23.

# Wisdom and knowledge and understanding we received from God.

Application:

Psalm 103:1-2 says

Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;

There is a hymn “Count your blessing name them one by one.”

Let us not forget all the blessings we have received from our heavenly Father.

Let us praise God for, the great salvation, for the life we are living, family,

The food on the table, house, friends, for our country India, for the constitution for the freedom we have.

Let us praise God for all the bountiful blessings we received in our daily life.

Let us praise God for His unchanging Goodness.

B. Heavenly Father Goodness never change.

“Who does not change like shifting shadows?” (17b).

God does not change; this is one of His character.

Theologian and writer, Louis Berkhof define Unchangeableness  of God this way “God is unchanging in His Being, perfection, purpose, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels differently in response to different situation.”

Malachi 3:6 says, “For I the LORD do not change.”

Being – God does not change in His being; He is always the Yahweh,

the self-existence God.

Psalm 90:2b says. From everlasting to everlasting, you are God.

Yesterday today and forever Jesus is the same.

Perfection – Gods attributes or characters is perfect and does not change.

Eternity, holiness, love etc. does not change.

Purpose – God is unchanging in His purpose. Psalm 33:11 says, “The counsel (plan) of the LORD stands forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generation.”

Promises – God is unchanging in His promise, Once He has made promised something, He will not be unfaithful to that promise. Num.23:19.

He is a promise keeping God.

God did not change when Adam sinned.

In case of Nineveh. God says, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be destroyed, unless they repent.” Nineveh repent and was spared. It was humans who had changed, not God’s plan.

We live in the world that is changing all the time.

However, we have our heavenly Father who does not change. How thankful we ought to be that we have a God with whom is no variableness at all, neither the slightest shadow of turning, God is always the same, at all seasons of the year, and throughout all ages. There is not the slightest change in His character, in His mode of being, or in His plans. What He was millions of ages before the world was made, He is now, and what He is now, He will be countless millions of ages from now.

Conclusion:

Church we have meditate together two very important point under the topic.

“The unchanging goodness

of Heavenly Father.”

1.Heavenly Father is the giver of all good and perfect gift.

  1. Father greatest gift is His only son Jesus.
  2. Fruit of Spirit in our life.
  3. God’s wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
  4. His unconditional blessing in our life.

2.Heavenly Father Goodness never change.

May God continue to pour out His amazing goodness in your life.

May God’s name be exalted and glorify through you.

I want to conclude with this beautiful verse.

Psalm 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

May God goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life.

Categories
James Sermon

Seeking God’s Wisdom: James 1: 5-8

Good morning church, I am Awung Zimik, I am one of the pastors at Gathering community church, warm greetings to all of you in the worthiest name of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

It is truly a joy and delight to connect you at this beautiful moment.

Thank you so much for taking out your time, I pray that you all will be richly blessed as we spent time together in the presence of God.

I hope all of you are safe and bless out there.

For those of you who connect us for the first time, I wanna let you know that we are going through the book of James under the theme “FAITH IN ACTION”.

Last Sunday we heard a sermon from bro Elijah from James 1:2-4.

Focusing on “why does God allow trials.” The answer is in verse 3 and 4.

 3 Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be Mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Today we shall continue James 1:5-8

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 

6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 

7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 

8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

I want to entitle my sermon as “Seeking God’s wisdom”

What is wisdom?

The Bible teaches us that wisdom comes from above but it begins with the fear of the Lord,

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,(Prov 9:10).

The dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.” 

The Greek concept of wisdom centre’s around “knowledge,” Cleverness, and learnedness.

 In biblical usage, it is a practical, moral, and spiritual insight given by God.

(1 Kings 3:7-9, Pro.2:3-6, 10-19, 9:1-6).

It is the ability to discern right from wrong and good from evil. It is the power that enables a person to do and say the right thing at the right time.

“Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it. Wisdom is, in fact, the practical side of moral goodness. As such, it is found in its fullness only in God. He alone is naturally and entirely and invariable wise.”

J I Packers (Evangelical theologian)

Where do we find wisdom?

We won’t find wisdom in spiritual gurus teaching, books, internet, we won’t find in leaders of the world or favourite talk show host. There is only one source for wisdom.

Wisdom is from God alone. “Wisdom belongs to God”. Job 12:13.

Why do we need God’s wisdom in our life?

The purpose of wisdom is to give insight for our living, that our days may not be wasted and lived fully for an eternal purpose; avoiding regret and living without guilt from choices bathed in wisdom. Wisdom guides how we live and grants joy to those who live by it.

  • God’s wisdom will help you to make good and right choices in life.

Proverb 3:21- 23.

Keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they will be life to your soul, and adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely and your foot will not stumble.

We take lots and lots of decision in life, many a times we are confused which is the better and which is the will of God, God promise that in such difficulties His wisdom will help us to take right decision.

  • God’s wisdom will give you favour before God and man.

Pro.3:4. So you will find favour and good success in the sight of God and man.

Pro. 8:35. For those who find me (wisdom) find life and receive favour from the Lord.

If God favour is in your life, in your job, in your married life, in your business, and in your family, you will live a successful, peaceful and victorious life.

  • God’s wisdom will give you long days and years and peaceful life.

Proverb.3:2. For the length of days and years of life and peace, they will add to you.

When God’s wisdom leads you, you will live a long and peaceful life.

  • God’s wisdom brings abundant blessings in our life.

Proverb 8:18-21. Says.

18With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full.

  • God’s wisdom from above is perfect.

James 3:17 says

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favouritism and is always sincere.

Today we shall focus on two very important points under the topic: Seeking God’s wisdom

From James 1:5-8.

Here is our first point.

1. Seeking with genuine heart

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 

This means that even if you are an imperfect person, which we all are, He will give you wisdom if you ask for it. Moreover, not only will he give it to you. He will do so generously.

Church there are many Christians who are lacking wisdom, you know the problem doesn’t lie with God, we know that He gives generously to all, without finding fault.”

So the problem lies in us, that we are not asking for wisdom with an attitude that pleases God.

Proverbs 2:6 says.

“For the LORD gives wisdom and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding”.

Wisdom belongs to God, He created it, if we desire wisdom we must go to Him to get it.

Illustration:

When God offered king Solomon anything he wanted, what did Solomon ask for?

If God were to come to you and offer to give you anything you wanted, what would you ask for? Money, power, long healthy life on earth?

Solomon asked God for wisdom! Solomon knew he would need wisdom to carry out the task of ruling that he had been called to.

God was pleased with what he asked so, along with the gift of wisdom, God gave Solomon which he did not asked ie. Riches and all other blessings to go along with wisdom.

Beloved, God is eager to give this gift to you; you just need to ask.

God is a generous God: He is willing to give generously to everyone who ask.

Romans 8:31. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Matthew 7:7-11
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 

8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 

11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Let us always remember the goodness of our heavenly Father and ask His wisdom in our daily life, so that we will know His perfect will and live this life for His glory.

Beloved church the world we are living is a battlefield.

Life is very hard, every day we have to fight against sin; we have to fight against our enemy (devil), we face big giants every day; we face challenges and hardship at our workplace, at home and all around us.

In order to fight this tough life battle, we need Gods wisdom.

In this confusing and chaotic world, what we need most is God’s wisdom.

God’s wisdom is the only way to get through this life, we need the gift of wisdom to be able to navigate through the difficulties of life on this earth successfully. Let’s make it a priority to gain as much as we can.

  • Consequences of neglecting wisdom from God

When you do not know the value of wisdom, it will be easy for you to reject it.

Wisdom is the one thing that you should never reject.

When you reject Wisdom, you are subconsciously inviting pain to enter your life.

Proverbs 4:7 teaches us, “Wisdom is the principal thing.” Wisdom is the most important thing on the earth because without it you are unable to be productive, progressive, happy, healthy, contented and prosperous and so on.

Christian author Fountain Hendricks in one of his articles, explain the consequences of rejecting God’s wisdom in a profound way. He says,

If we reject wisdom.

  1. Failing is must: When you do not have the Wisdom about how to do things CORRECTLY, ACCURATELY and RIGHTEOUSLY you will constantly fail because you are not equipped to succeed. Wisdom empowers you to know the difference between right & wrong.
  2. Poverty will come to your life: The curse of rejecting Wisdom is poverty according to Proverbs 13:18. You cannot get around it and you cannot avoid it.
  3. We will live a Confusing Life: When you reject wisdom you will have a hard time figuring out what to do, where to go, who to trust and etc. because Wisdom gives you CLARITY and VISION.
  4. We waste PRECIOUS TIME: People who reject Wisdom will waste time doing things that do not matter, that is unimportant and that are irrelevant because they do not have the ability to DISCERN what is meaningful.
  5. Rejecting God’s wisdom will lead to Miserable life.

Wisdom brings happiness according to Ecclesiastes 8:1. When you reject Wisdom, misery will be your portion because you have refused to accept the key that unlocks everything that is good.

Do not ignore the voice of Wisdom. Take heed to the teachings! Apply them into your life so that you can avoid going through unnecessary pain. People who do not know about the consequences of rejecting Wisdom will always become a victim to the consequences.

Church let us not reject.

Application:

When is the last time you ask for God’s wisdom?

Are you navigating your life with God’s wisdom?

If God offers you to ask anything right now? Would you like to ask God like King Solomon? Lord give me wisdom.

Let us remember our text. James 1:5. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 

  • Seeking with genuine faith. (James 1:6,7,8).

6 But he must ask in faith, without doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 

7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 

8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

We have to ask God for wisdom in two ways,

  1. By faith
  2. By single-mindedness

Faith is essential in approaching God, because as Hebrew 11:6, says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

You must believe that He personally cares for you and He is able to give you the wisdom that you need to endure your trial with His joy.

Remember faith involves trust in God’s character, trust in God’s Word, and time. When it comes to faith, we are looking for something that we can’t see with our eyes just yet.

Hebrew 11:7-11 gives us some great examples of having faith in God.

7. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith.

8. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place, which he would afterward receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

9. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;

11.By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

All of those blessings came by faith. And James tells us that Godly wisdom comes by asking God in faith. Without faith, we are tossed back and forth. Without faith, we weave around in all directions. Without faith, we are two-faced and miserable.  A.T. Robertson said that without faith, “We are like the donkey that starved to death, because it couldn’t decide which stack of hay to eat.”

Matthew 17:20.

Truly, I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Remember Church,

The root of unbelief is because of double-mindedness. The person who doubts God is not committed to obeying God, His heart is not fully surrendered to do God’s will. He is curious about God’s wisdom. He is not committed to do if it involves suffering and inconveniences.

That person, James said, “Ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.”(1:7)

We know Jesus didn’t perform miracles in His home town Nazareth? Why? because of their doubt and unbelief.

In the same way, if you have doubt and unbelief in your heart you won’t receive anything from Him.

Verse 8 says they are double-minded and unstable in all their ways, this offers pictures of a person who is drunk and is staggering from side to side along the road.

Have you ever tried to give a drunk person some wisdom while they were drunk?

It doesn’t work well, and God will not impart wisdom to me if you and I are unstable in all our ways.

 Illustration: In Genesis 18 & 19, we find a story of the destruction of “Sodom and Gomorrah”

The angel of the Lord warn lot family to run and not to turn back but Lot wife love their wealth and she turns back and she was turned into a pillar of salt. Actually, God was rescuing them and taking them to better place but because of her double-minded act, she perish.

If we are double-minded we will get nothing, if we are double-minded we will be unstable in all our ways.

Conclusion:

Beloved, the wisest decision you will ever make in your life is to put your trust in Christ.

Because He is our saviour, He came and sacrifice His life for you and me, and when we Repent our sins to Him and receive Him as Lord and saviour, He will forgive all our sins and He will give us a brand new life.

Putting our trust in Christ Because Christ is the source of all wisdom.

Col.2: 3. says. “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”.

Let us Come to Jesus!” because in him “hid all the treasures of wisdom”.

To reject Christ is the most foolish thing a person could ever do.

Let us always remember that Jesus is the fullness of God’s wisdom.

Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God.

“To know and love and follow Jesus is to own the treasure of ultimate and eternal happiness.”

John Piper

Finally Beloved, let us use God’s given wisdom for the glory of God and for the good of others. If wisdom is not exercised then wisdom ceases to be. However, the very nature of wisdom instructs your heart to use your insights, your discernment, your discretion, your vision to fulfil God’s will and to demonstrate his marvellous work.

Church we have meditated together on 2 very important points under the topic

Seeking God’s wisdom.

  1. Seeking with genuine Heart. (Let us genuinely ask God’s wisdom, He has promise that He will generously give to all of us).
  2. Seeking with genuine Faith. (Let us ask God’s wisdom with genuine faith and not with double minded heart)

May God richly bless you with Heavenly wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

May you use God’s wisdom for His fame and Glory.

May the LORD bless you and keep you,

May the LORD make His face shine on you and give you peace.

 Amen.

Categories
1 Samuel Sermon

Facing the Giants- 1 Samuel 17

Good morning church, it is a joy and delight to connect all of you;

I hope you are safe and taking good care of yourself. and I believe you all have been blessed with the sermon series on “Abiding Faith” from 1 Thessalonians.

Today I will like to take all of you to a very interesting story. It is One of my favourite story in the bible, that is the story of  “David and Goliath.” From 1 Samuel 17.

I want to entitle my sermon as “Facing the Giant. 1 Samuel 17 is a long passage so I will like to summarize the story.

One of the favourite Bible stories for children is the story of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17. Children love this story since the hero is a young boy.

But the story of David and Goliath is not just for children. It is a fascinating story that never gets old to read. The chapter opens as Israel and the Philistines are facing off in battle. David’s older brothers were with the army of Israel.

While David was at home tending the sheep. David’s father, Jesse, sent him to the war zone to deliver some food to his brothers and find out news about the war. David quickly arranged for others to take care of the sheep while he took off for the battlefront.

David arrived at the battlefield to find his brothers and the rest of the Israeli army cowering in fear from the mocking of Goliath of Gath. Goliath was the champion of the Philistine army.

Though he was about 9 feet tall, he spoke words that angered David. Goliath was claiming the God of the Israelites was not able to help them in battle. Goliath had blasphemed David’s God and David aimed to stand up for what was right.


Ignoring the potential danger, David trusted in God to help him fight Goliath. David said that he would fight the giant. He was immediately taken before King Saul.

Though he was a young man, he had experienced enough danger in his life to know God was in control and would protect him through the battle. David told Saul as much and Saul offered David the royal armor.

David felt unworthy using Saul’s armor, he refused to accept the kind and generous offer.

More than likely David simply trusted in God he knew than in the armor he did not know.

 After leaving Saul, David ran towards Goliath prepared to fight. He gathered 5 smooth stones from the river and pocketed 4 of them. The 5th one went into the sling prepared for Goliath. They ran towards one another. Goliath mocked David and said that he was not afraid of a little boy.

David said that the Philistine came with a sword, shield and spear, but David came with confidence in the God of Israel.

David boldly replied that he had no fear of Goliath and that the birds would be picking the flesh off his giant body by the end of the day.

David let fly the stone in his sling. The stone hit the giant between the eyes and the stone sunk into his forehead.

Goliath fell forward while both armies watched. David then pulled the giant sword and chopped off the head of the Philistine champion.

This is the short summary of David and Goliath. Church we shall see three very important life lesson from the story of David and Goliath.

Under a topic: Facing the Giants.

We all are facing various giants in our life, we don’t want the giants to defeat us, no one want to be like Goliath but everyone wants to be like David, Let us see how David defeated the giants in his life.

If there is anything, we can learn today,

Let us learn it so that we all will be giant’s slayer like David.

If you want to be a giant slayer, you have to remember this 3 important principle David used to defeat 9 feet Goliath.

1. Remember whom you belong

As you face the giant in life, remember whom you belong,

1 Samuel 17:26.

“For who is this uncircumcised philistine, that he should taunt (mock) the armies of the living God.”

The sad things is Israelite forgot who God is. They forgot the power of God, they forgot how God has protected them in Egyptian, and they forgot the God who parted the Red sea.

“The most terrible tragedy of mankind is not remembering  the Creator.”

When Goliath challenge the Israelite, they run away with fear from the giant. But David remember whom he belong to, and said,

who is this uncircumcised giant that is mocking the armies of the living God.

David remembered that they were God’s Army and God is with them. However, Israelite forgot who they are. In our life, we will face great giants in many ways, in many forms but two things you need to remember.

Remember who you are in Christ and remember who God is.

Who you are?

1 Peter 2:9 says.

You are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

You are God’s beloved child; you are redeemed (God has purchased you from slavery of sin) and justified (God has declare you righteous.

You are new creation in Christ, You belong to God, and He is with you always. Always remember you are the son and daughter of the most High God. (David Knows who he is).

and

Remember who God is

#He is the God who protect His children from all harm and diseases.(He protected children of Israel in Egypt from all harm and disease)

#He is the God who make a way where there seems to be no way.

It remind me the children of Israel story, they were on their way to promise land but in one incident, they were stuck in Red sea. they have nowhere go, their hope their dream and their life was in danger and moreover the Egyptian were chasing behind they to kill and to destroy them but God parted the red sea and let children of Israel cross the red sea in dry land. He make a way where there seems to be no way. That’s our God.

#He is the God who supply all our needs according to His richest in glory.

#He is the God who feed 5000 with 2 fish and 5 loaves.

#He is the God who raise Lazarus from the dead.

#He is the God who do things, which are impossible in the sight of men.

#He is the God who save us from eternal condemnation and give us eternal life.

He is our loving heavenly Father; He is the only true and living God, The almighty God, the alpha and the omega,

We are His children and we belong to Him.

As we know the condition of world, including all of us are going through hard times because of covid-19 pandemic, because of losing job, because of pay cut, because of economic crisis, because of all horrible news around, because of natural calamities.

This is the time to pray harder, this is the time to turn to our living God; this is the time to remember whom we belong to.

David remember whom he belong to, and God gave him the victory.

In case if we did not remember who God is, we will be the most misery people in this planet, we will live a defeated, shameful life.

You know why children of Israel were in a slavery for many years in foreign Land; it is because they did not remember who God is and they did not remember whom they belong.

Church if you remember whom you belong to,

You will know the power of God in your life, moreover

God will take care of your life; He will be your shield,

He will be your protector, and He will be your provider,

He will be your joy and blessing all the days of your life.

Always remember whom you belong.

With that lets come to the second principle.

2. Depending on God’s deliverance. (1 Samuel 17:32-37)

32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.

David remember how God has deliver him from the hand of Lion and bear,

And share all his life testimony,

But even king Saul didn’t trust David, he say, you can’t beat him you are just a boy and he is a well-trained WARRIOR.

There will be time your own boss or your leader or your close family will not believe you. When you are about to do something for the Lord, something that might seem impossible to man,

don’t let anyone stop you. Oh yes, they will laugh at you, but don’t let them stop you. Oh yes, they will talk about you, but don’t let them stop you. David might have thought, yes you are my big brother, but there is a giant to face. He might have thought that there is a battle to be won, and he will not allow anything to stand in the way. When the Lord is on your side, you don’t have to be afraid, and you will be able to face the giant, and destroy the giant.

let us be like David, He didn’t depend on man wrong counsel, He didn’t depend in the sword and shield of army,

His only confidence and dependence is in living God. Israelite saw how big goliath was but David saw how Big God was. A giant slayer remember that with God all things are possible.

Many a time we tend to depend on ourselves, to our abilities and our knowledge, but God wants us to depend on Him,

He knows how fragile we are in this broken world, He knows we need him in every ways of our life, He knows we will mess up our life if we don’t depend on Him. He love us, He care for us, He want to protect us.

Proverb 3:5-6 says.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

When you depend on yourself, you are preparing yourself for destruction and defeat. When you build up your life, your career, business, your family, your future without depending on God,

Bible says you are like a foolish man who build his house on the sand; the house will not stand in the storm because the house is built in the wrong foundation.

Let our total dependence be God alone and let’s build up our life in the solid rock, which is Christ Jesus our Lord. Our part is surrendering our life totally in the hand of almighty God and totally depending on Hiss deliverance.

And God’s part is to protect us and fight the battle for us and give us victory for His glory.

Always remember

“The safest place for your life is in the hands of the living God, He knows you, he understand you, he will guard you and he will keep you.”

 Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Finally lets come to the last principle.

3. Facing the giant in the name of God. (45)

45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

          46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike           you down   and cut off your head. This very day I will give the       carcasses of the Philistine     army to the birds and the wild   animals, and the whole world will know that       there is a God in       Israel. 

          47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear          that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give       all of you into our hands.” 

          48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly        toward the battle line to meet him. 

          49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and    struck the   Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his           forehead, and he fell     facedown on the ground. 

          50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone;          without a     sword in his hand, he struck down the Philistine and       killed him. 

          51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off         his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their   hero was dead, they turned and ran. 

The Giants we are facing today can be just as intimidating to us, as Goliath was to the Israelites.

You see we face all kinds of giants.

Some of you may be facing emotional giants like worry, doubt, fear, or anxiety,

Some of you are facing mental giants like, stress, insecurity, or even depression.

Some of you may be facing physical giants like disease, pain, or even disability.

For some of your Goliath may be a bad habit, or an addiction.

For some of you it’s a problem at work, or a financial problem that not only won’t go away, but just keeps getting bigger.

We can defeat all these giants when face in the name of the Lord.

Goliath rely on himself, his skill, his experience, his shield and his sword.

But David come against Goliath in the name of Living God.

He could defeat Goliath because God was with Him, God was fighting the battle for David.

Church let us not worry of the giants we are facing today, when we face any life problems and challenges in the name of the Lord, we can easily defeat the giants because the Lord is on our side.

Remember battle belong to our God.

You know God was with David, God fight the battle for David so He could defeat the giant Goliath.

God will fight the battle for us,

Romans 8:31 says. If God be for us who can be against us.

Matthew 19:26. And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

          This same David who told king Saul not to worry, is the same           David who writes in Psalm 27 verses 1 and 2, “The Lord is my     light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the           strength     of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. When the           wicked even mine enemies and my foes, came upon      me to      eat up my flesh, they   stumbled and fell.       

Do you have the faith that it takes to stand up against a Giant?

Are you willing to Trust God instead of your own abilities?

Are you willing to walk by faith and not by sight?

Are you willing to fight every giants in the name of the Lord?

Always remember to face the giants in the name of the Lord.

Conclusion

We have meditate together 3 points under the topic “Facing the giants.”

Never ever forget whom you belong to, you are God’s special possession, you are son and daughter of the most high, living God. He will make a way where there seems to be no way.

Secondly, always depend on God’s Deliverance.

Remember, God is our refuge and strength, present help in days of trouble, He is our shield, He our protector, He is the good shepherd, when we totally depend on His deliverance, He will fight the battle for us and give us the victory.

Thirdly, always face the giants in the name of the Lord.

Remember there is power in the name of the Lord,

He is the God, who do the impossible,

Church we need to face every problems and every challenges in our life in the name of the Lord.

Let us live by faith and not by sight, let us not worry but let us take up courage like David and defeat every giants in our life in the name of the Lord and live victorious life.

May God bless you and keep you. May God face shine of you and give you peace.

Categories
1 Thessalonians Sermon

Do Not Quench the Spirit – 1 Thessalonian 5:19

Good morning Beloved church, it is truly a joy and privilege to see all of you. Thank you so much for taking out your time, I pray that God will truly bless all us as we spent time together worshipping God and listening to His words.


Today we shall continue our book study from Thessalonians, our text for today is 1 Thessalonian 5:19.


“Do not quench the Spirit” this is our text for this morning.


The root word for “quench” which means “to extinguish,” “to put out” or “to go out.” It also refer to putting out fires, sparks, or the putting out a lamp.


Church the day we repent our sins and received Christ as our Lord and saviour; The bible says Holy Spirit sealed us and He permanently dwells in us and He is working in our heart like a burning fire.


Knowing the works of Holy Spirit Apostle Paul Urge Thessalonian church that they should not Quench the Holy Spirit. This text is reminding all of us too that we should not quench the Holy Spirit.

To understand the text, “Do not quench the Spirit”, we shall ask four important questions.

  1. Who is the Holy Spirit?
  2. What are the works of the Holy Spirit?
  3. How believers may quench the Holy Spirit?
  4. What are the consequences of Quenching the Holy Spirit?
  5. Who is the Holy Spirit?

There are many misconceptions about the identity of the Holy Spirit. Some view the Holy Spirit as a mystical force or power.

Others understand the Holy Spirit as the impersonal power that God makes available to followers of Christ. These are wrong.

The truth is The Holy Spirit is co-equal with God the Father and God the Son and is of the same essence. Yet He is also distinct from them.

1. Who is the Holy Spirit?

  1. Holy Spirit is a person (He is the third person of Trinity).

Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, a being with a mind, emotions, and a will.

Holy Spirit thinks and knows (1 Cor.2:10).
Holy Spirit can be grieved (Ephesian 4:30)
Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27).
He makes decisions according to His will (1Cor 12:7-11).

2. Holy Spirit is God.

The Bible declares that the Holy Spirit is God. we know that the Holy Spirit is God because He possesses the characteristics of God.

For example, His omnipresence is seen in Psalm 139:7-8

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”

Isaiah 11:2, the prophet describes the Holy Spirit this way. He says,

“He is the Spirit of the Lord, He is the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”

2. What are the works of Holy Spirit?

a. Holy Spirit draws the unsaved sinner to Jesus.

Holy Spirit plays a primary role in transforming a person’s heart and bringing salvation to the individual.

It is the Spirit who brings conviction to the unbeliever and causes him to see the truth of the gospel in a clear light.

Those who respond to this conviction and place their faith in Jesus Christ receive eternal life and a new nature.

Holy Spirit unites the believer with Christ and places him in the body of Christ, the church.

He also unites the believer with Christ in His death, enabling him to live victoriously over sin.

Application:

As a church, our Primary role is to keep praying for the lost soul for their salvation and keep spreading the good news of Christ to all people around us.

b. Holy Spirit regenerates our human Spirits.

Regeneration which means The radical spiritual change in which God brings an individual from a condition of spiritual defeat and death to a renewed condition of holiness and life.


Titus 3: 5 says.
5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit moves an unbeliever and regenerate their heart to repentance and leads them into eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.

c. Holy Spirit Convict both unbelievers and believers.

John14:8.
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment


An unbeliever cannot get saved unless they are first convicted by the Holy Spirit. It is through the work of Holy Spirit our sins were convict and we repent and turn our heart to the Lord.

For born-again believers, we all need the conviction of the Holy Spirit. so we can be shown the errors of our ways.

d.Holy Spirit sanctifies us in the Lord.

2 Thess.2:13.
13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

Once you get saved and born again in the Lord, God starts to sanctify you and me, what He will do is consecrate and set us apart unto Himself. From there, He will want to transform us by the renewing of our mind, He will want to transform us into the image of His Son Jesus.

e. Holy Spirit helps us with our prayer life.

Romans 8:26.
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Another major powerful ministry that the Holy Spirit has with each born-again believer is to help us with our prayer life with the Lord.

f. Holy Spirit guides us into all truth.

John 16:13.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.


He is our guide


g. Holy Spirit teaches us all things.


John14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

He is our Teacher.

The Holy Spirit is doing an incredible by Illuminating the scriptures to all of us; bringing you and me into intimacy with God; showing all of us the glory of Jesus Christ, guiding you and me into God’s will; strengthening you and me for spiritual ministry, and service.

Holy Spirit purifies us, sanctifies us, cleanses us from all the pollution of sins toward the image of Jesus Christ.

3. How believers may quench the Holy Spirit?

By Neglecting the gift of Holy Spirit.

If we neglect the gift of Spirit, we will quench the Holy Spirit.


1 Timothy 4:14

Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

Illustration:
In Old testament there a prophet call Jonah, God told Jonah to go and warn and preach to the people of Nineveh for their wicked life.

But Jonah was afraid of Nineveh people and he ran away from his duty, God caught him in the middle of the sea, he was trying to escape to Tarsus, his sin was found, he was thrown in the ocean and the whale swallow him.

He was in a whale belly for 3 days God allowed him to live again. Remember church if we try to neglect our duty and responsibility and try to run away like Jonah, we will quench Holy Spirit. We should not stop the work of Holy Spirit in our life.


Application:
Let us not be like Jonah. (let us not run away from the task and the purpose God has given us in our life).


1 Cor.15:59 says,
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

By Disobedience to the word of God and living an unrepented life. How do we Disobey to the word of God?


by not reading the word of God,
by not applying the word of God, by living prayerless life,
by living an unfruitful life. By being worry and anxiety,
by not growing spiritually. by depending on our self and not God.
By being proud and not humble.

After living a sinful life, and when we do not repent our sins to God, our unrepented heart will quench the Holy Spirit.


Application:
Are you quenching the Holy Spirit by living a disobedient and unrepented life. If we are displeasing God lets repent our sinful behavior to God.


1 John 1:9 says,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

  1. By being worldliness and living a life devoted to self and selfish hopes.
    Bible directly confront us in 1 John 2:15-16.
    1 John 2:15-16
    Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-comes not from the Father but from the world.

    If your,
    1.vision in life,
    2. your wildest dream in life,
    3. your career and
    4. the things you are running after in life,

    if all these things are alien to God’s will. You are going toward the wrong direction in life, your selfish ambition and your hope and your self-desire will Quench the Holy Spirit.

Application:
How are you maintaining life?

Loving God, serving God, worshipping God is controlling your life or
Worldliness, living a life devoted to self-desires and self-hope is controlling your life.

You know exactly where your heart is.

Scriptures is warning you and me in Romans 12:1-2 saying,

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

4. What are the consequences of quenching the Holy Spirit?

First Consequence…
1.God will not use us anymore.
We have great lesson from the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-5. They Backslide from living God and God is warning them. Verse 2.

2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.


God will never use us if we are habitually living in sin, a warning to Ephesian church is a great warning for all of us, they are working hard for God, they have perseverance, they didn’t tolerate wicked people, they know the false teachers, they endure hardship and working so hard for God.

But they have forsaken the first love. Means Jesus is not no.1 in their life, some other things have replaced their priority in life.


God is warning them to come back, if not He will remove lampstand which the spiritual gift in their life.


If God take away His spiritual gift, we will not be useful for God’s Kingdom. Our life will be useless and inactive.

Your life will be like a nice smartphone. Looks cool outside but did not work. What you will do with that kind of phone.


2.We shall sin both against God and our own souls.

When we quench the Holy Spirit, we sin against God and we sin to our own soul.

3.We will not bear the fruit of Holy Spirit.


God want us to bear the fruit of Spirit in our life.

Galatian 5:22-23.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

4.We will make the Holy Spirit grieve.


Ephesians 4:30:

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Conclusion:


Church we have mediatated together four questions under the topic
“Do not quench the Holy Spirit”

  1. Who is the Holy Spirit? (remember Holy Spirit is a person and Holy Spirit is God).
  2. What are the Works of the Holy Spirit?
  3. How believers may Quench the Holy Spirit?
  4. What are the consequences of quenching the Holy Spirit?

Beloved church we should never quench the holy Spirit, this is a command from the scripture. Rather


1.We should lovingly allow the Holy Spirit to totally control our heart.
2.We should willingly allow the Holy Spirit to fill our heart.
3.We should bear fruits of Holy Spirit in our everyday life.
4.We should always walk in the Spirit.


May the Sweet Holy Spirit Guide you and teach you in every area of your life.


May the power of Holy Spirit be with you to fight and defeat all the power of Darkness.


May He empower you, equip you and use you to be a channel of blessing for all people.

May the fruit of Spirit, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control flow out of your life and bring glory to our heavenly Father.