Good evening, everybody. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for those who attended this evening to hear the Word of God. Father, may we be led to victory by joy as we study your Word, the details of your thinking, the categories of truth that you presented in the Word of God. Father, bless the study of James, a very important book of the New Testament, as important as any other. since all of them are inspired, God-breathed, and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness that the man of God might be mature, thoroughly outfitted unto all divinely good deeds. That is, the deeds or works of faith, labors of love, and the production of hope as a steady product. Father, bless the word, magnify the person of Jesus Christ, give us grace concentration, which we desperately require. Augment our understanding by this increment of truth that we're about to receive in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. I've entitled the message, Led to Victory by Joy. It's Tuesday, December 18th, 2012. And let's start by looking at some joy verses. Some verses from the Old and New Testament on joy. Because they're very joyful. They should make you happy. And the essence of true spirituality is joy. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink. That's eating and not eating certain foods, drinking or not drinking certain beverages. Rather, it's righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The believer, the true believer, isn't holier than thou, but happier than thou. Jesus Christ is the happiest man of all because he loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore, God, his God, anointed him with the oil of joy, of gladness, above all his contemporaries, in Hebrews 1.8, Psalm 47. So, let's try Psalm 51.12. You don't have to turn there, because I'm going to go through a bunch of them. David says, Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, of your salvation. Not of my salvation, but of your salvation. Because true salvation should produce joy, great joy, great happiness. Happy is the man to whom the Lord cannot impute sin. In Romans 4, 4, David discovered that. That's why David was a happy believer. And a man after God's own heart. Sharing God's happiness, that is, in his stream of consciousness. That's what the heart is, the stream of consciousness, the volitional consciousness of man. He says, restore to me the joy of thy salvation. Could anybody pray that prayer? Could anybody produce that request or psalm to the Lord? Do you have the joy of His salvation? Or is your life misery dipped in stuff? Because so many people are so unhappy because God has held us over for the best kind of happiness, which is spiritual happiness, which is His happiness, that He imparts through the Word. like Jeremiah 15 16 I found his word and I ate it and it became unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart and so that's Psalm 51 12 restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit in other words just make me willing when I'm not willing or make me willing because I'm not willing and it's him and it's his job to will and work inside of us according to his own good purpose and pleasure in Philippians 2.12.13 so sustain me keep me pressing on keep me staying true keep me staying on course on a straight path with a willing spirit Psalm 63.7 for you have been my help that's the truth the Lord is my helper what can man do to me in Hebrews 13 6 he says you have been my help and in the shadow of your wings under your protection that is drawn close to you and under your pinions under your Sponsorship under your blessing under your grace. I Sing for joy Do you ever sing for joy? While you're riding down the road not just in the shower but in the car When you're by yourself people would think I'm there's something wrong with me Because I'm singing I'm singing the Rolling Stones. I mean I'm putting the Word of God lyrics in it. And that's just me. And he says, so under your wings, the shadow of your wings, I sing for joy. Job 38.7. You know, when God created the earth and unveiled it, his masterpiece, the place where he would execute his righteousness and justice and redemption, glorify his name, by sending the Son to be our substitute and to take on the form of Abraham, that is, to become a man, so that he might be our kinsman, redeemer. And the earth that he created for the existence of man, which will always be the home of man, was unveiled before man ever existed before God ever created man. In Job 38.7, when the morning stars, those are angels, sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. I think that's amazing. We should do the same thing. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. His signature is upon everything that he has created that exists in the material continuum. And we should recognize it more and more as we go on in life. Things just aren't here and we don't take anything for granted because everything has its spiritual meaning and the spiritual lesson in it. So we need to recognize those things and grow in our astute recognition of those truths and the essence of God programmed, clearly programmed into every material object. Psalm 1611, you will make known to me the path of life. That is, how to live this life. How to walk in life. How to make the most of life. How to enjoy life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand There are pleasures for evermore. Jesus said in John 10.10, the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but I have come that they might have life and have it in all abundance. Perissuo, which means overflowingly. So do you have an overflowing life? Well, see, the only acts or works that count, the only deeds that count are the overflow of your spiritual life. That is not what you determine you're going to do, but that which flows out from you in the manifestation of Christ, the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Faith, hope, and love, that is. The greatest of which is love, which God sheds abroad or pours out lavishly into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Romans 5.5. So, Psalm 20, verse 5, on no particular order here. it says we will sing for joy over your victory and in the name of our God we will set up our banners may the Lord fulfill all your prayer requests all your petitions or Psalm 35 it says for his anger or his wrath last a little while is but for a moment but his favor is for a lifetime, his grace is for a lifetime. That is a lifetime well-lived for those who start out well and for those who finish well because the whole idea is to finish well. Weeping may last for the evening or the night but a shout of joy comes in the morning. Ever experience that one? You could go to bed dead depressed and in the morning the burden has been lifted. You know why? In Psalm 127.3, he knows how to give to his beloved even in his sleep. That is, he ministers to you in your sleep. Gives you rest, renews and refreshes your soul. You know, he restoreth my soul as often as it needs restored. So who do I look to? Man? Now, I look to the Lord. He's the only one who can restore my soul. He does it with His word, by His word. He saves me in time, by His word. Rescues me from harm, by His word. And will see me safely through to His heavenly kingdom, till I arrive in His heavenly kingdom. and that is by his word, like Jesus said on the cross when he said, into your hands I commit my spirit, O God of truth. So he's exalting the word of God, even upon the cross, which is an indescribable time of testing and suffering that he endured as the wrath of God was poured out upon him, that which he did not deserve, but voluntarily endured with joy on our behalf." Hebrews 12. So, we will sing for joy over your victory. That's a good verse, isn't it? Now his anger, that's it, Psalm 30. For his anger is but for a moment, his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. Psalm 45, 7. I said Psalm 47, I meant 45, 7. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy above all your contemporaries above your fellows. So what does that have to do with us? Well, if you love what God loves and hate what he hates, and your life is characterized by not only the gift of righteousness, but the fruit of righteousness, the pleasant fruit of righteousness, then your life will be characterized, although it will be marked by sorrow, it will be characterized by joy. That will be the character of your life and people say you're one happy dude or dudette as the case may be. And nothing seems to bother you. Unless you haven't seen me in private moments when the little things bother me. It's the little foxes that spoil the vine. So if that fits, please wear it. And the big things don't move me. It's the little things that do so often, which shouldn't be. And cause reaction and cause what James calls the tongue to undo what has been done in us by speaking against the Word of God. And as a result, receiving the discipline of the Lord which always results in the end in what the peaceable fruit of righteousness right that is joyful and righteous living joyous and righteous living as we behold the one who we have not seen but love and though we do not see him now we believe in him and what do we do rejoice with inexpressible joy and full of glory. So, if you're not experiencing joy, the joy of the Lord, which is your strength, then it's because you're not beholding the One who loves you and the One who rejoices over you in love. Enter into the joy. He says, well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your father and my father. Enter into the joy. What's heaven going to be? Joy! For those who overcome the trends of temporal life, the viewpoint of human and satanic circulation that circulates in the atmosphere around the earth, sucked into the souls of believers without truth, without a firewall, goes right through, and without the, what do you call those programs that keep you from getting viruses on your computer? Huh? What are they called? Antivirus! That's it! So you've got to have an antivirus program. That's the Word of God that filters out all the harmful and false notions that are pumped into the atmosphere circulated around the world and that make up most people's psychological profile and the content of their thinking. You love righteousness. That's God speaking to God. God the Father speaking to God the Son. Psalm 48, 12. Speaking of the New Jerusalem, it's beautiful in its elevation, its situation, that is its elevation. It's the joy of the whole earth. In other words, the whole earth will find their joy in the New Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ rules and reigns. That is, during the Millennial Kingdom, as it hovers above the earth, and in the Eternal State, where the New Jerusalem is the capital of the New Universe. Some will dwell there at different layers, levels, and even in the lofts, and others will inhabit the earth and the nations of the earth. They won't get to eat the fruit of the tree of life, the twelve fruits of the tree of life, but they'll only eat the leaves which are for the wellness and wholeness of the nations. So there's going to be nations forever. That is, there's a new heaven and a new earth, so there's going to be some living on the earth. See, the Jehovah Witnesses were right in that regard. They said, some will be the elect and live in heaven and others will populate the earth. Only they believe that you can't, that God would never destroy somebody in hell. And they just believe in annihilation. Like some others who followed suit in doing and teaching. And I don't buy it because the Bible is very clear. on what becomes of the unbeliever. It's almost unthinkable. And so, so many don't want to think that God could do such a thing. Just like the people don't want to think that God would kill children. And he's always done it. In his mercy, he's done it. Harvest them from the earth. Saves them in a state, in a status of innocence. so that they might be to the praise of the glory of His grace for all eternity, and be the objects of Christ's sacrifice for the sins of innocents. and those who were born condemned by no fault of their own justified by doing nothing at all in their case and us the same thing little more than nothing at all when believing in Christ that's all that's the good news it should make you rejoice so in beautiful in its elevation and the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion in the far north, which is the city of the great king. Psalm 51.8, make me to hear joy and gladness instead of gloom and doom. That's all I hear is gloom and doom. I'm just sure that everything's going to turn to scubala. And it's like a self-fulfilling prophecy. And instead, you know, lift up your eyes and let God be the lifter of your head, which means that you could see things from the right perspective in hope, that is, hope to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. And hang on to hope for dear life. And so he says, make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which you have broken rejoice. You know, the one who leaves the 99, the good shepherd who leaves the 99 and goes and seeks the one straying lamb, the one that strays all the time, you know what he does to him? He breaks his leg and holds him near and bonds with him. And that one never leaves again because he's bonded to the heart of the shepherd. He says, you've broken my leg. Now let me rejoice because you have drawn me to yourself and held me close and brought me near. And I was straying like a lost sheep. All we like sheep have gone astray, each to his own way. But the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. In Isaiah 53. So, Psalm 90, 14. Oh, satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness. That is, your grace, your goodness, your kindness, your blessing, your favor, that we may sing for joy and be glad all day long. All day long. and for the rest of our lives. Psalm 119, 111. I have inherited your testimonies forever. They exist as the joy of my heart. Psalm 126, 6. He who goes to and fro weeping, like we did on Sunday, That is, those sown abroad and those taken out of their familiar surroundings, those put in situations where they don't really care for the surroundings. Maybe they're taken away from. a familiar place away from their home or hometown, made to live somewhere else, separated from others, maybe from relatives, loved ones, and having to depend completely on the Lord. And He will, if you trust Him, open doors of opportunity that no man can shut, that is, in sowing the seed, bringing the good news, living a testimony, whether you speak one or not. Living one's more important than speaking one. You know that, don't you? Oh yeah, but you have to. Well, go ahead. You do that. You show me your faith by your words, and I'll show you my faith by my deeds. That is, I'll be a doer of the word and not a hearer of it. So, that's important. James makes a big deal out of that. He's the only one that does. I mean, he really nails that one and really lays that one out so that we might understand that it's about reality. The kingdom of God is not in word only. It's in power or demonstration. Paul says, I determined to know nothing while I was among you, except Christ and Him crucified. He said, and we did not depend on words of wisdom taught by men, but on the Spirit's power and demonstration. He says, that's what commends us to you, to your conscience, not words of wisdom, not eloquence, not human eloquence, but reality, the manifestation of Christ, faith, hope, and love. He's the perfecter of faith. He's the author finisher of it. Faith becomes hope and hope becomes love. And the only things that count are the things of faith that work through to love. You know that, don't you? You see that happening all the time in your own soul, don't you? Well, if you don't, we see it happening in you. As you take in the word and as the word resides and circulates and What comes out is what went in. And that's the importance of taking in the Word, because you can't use it unless it's in there. And you can't apply what you don't have. So let the Word of Christ richly dwell in your hearts, resulting in all wisdom, discernment, understanding, and knowledge. Knowledge is the expansion of faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. Without faith, it's impossible to please Him. So, I've inherited your testimonies. They are the joy of my heart. Psalm 126, he who goes forth, goes to and fro, weeping, that is, being sown into the world, being removed from familiar surroundings, carrying his bag of seed. Do you have a bag of seed? That's your soul. You bag of seed. and should be full. So full that it starts spilling out and getting planted all over. You know? Just sowing seed. Sowing seed. Sowing seed. Like Johnny Appleseed. Planting apple trees all over the world. Whether or not that's true, I know it's a legend. But Dan tells me it's true. Just like, who was it? George Washington said, didn't cut down a cherry tree or I did? Oh yeah, I cannot lie. That's why he had wooden teeth to commemorate his cutting down a cherry tree. I digress into silliness. So, they shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, that's what happens, bringing the sheaves with him. In other words, you know Billy Graham will have a lot of sheaves that He'll bring with Him. And He's not a remarkable person, but God in Jesus Christ is a remarkable Savior and Shepherd and the Pastor and the Evangelist. The Pastor of all Pastors, the Evangelist of all Evangelists. And if someone just submits to Him and opens his mouth and lets the Lord fill it, amazing things can happen and the Holy Spirit then acts as a filter and takes out all the non-essentials and leaves the essentials in place and those people believe in Christ in a moment, a sudden, an unexpected moment of recognition that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that He's God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, that God raised Him, that God that God delivered him up for our sins and raised him for our justification. So there's no question about our acceptance. And so you bring your sheaves with you. How many sheaves are you going to bring? I know some people in here have all kinds of sheaves and others of us, we don't know the sheaves that we have, but those sheaves will come. And God did it. See, you didn't do it. Although you get credit and the imputation of righteousness to faith, that's all. Which always happens. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him, reckoned to him as righteousness. That happens every time you believe God. So keep on believing God. And you'll get the crown of righteousness because your love is appearing and look for and love and hasten is appearing Those who have this hope Purify themselves that is to see him and be like him purify themselves even as he is pure John 1 John 3 3 So he says then They will break oh, no here it is What was that 126? Oh, yeah Come again with a shout of joy bringing his sheaves with him. Isaiah! We'll go to Isaiah. I love Isaiah more than ever. Isaiah is fantastic. And, Eddie taught Isaiah for the last, oh, how long was it, a year? No, not Isaiah, you taught all the kings. Was it two? In Isaiah? Oh my gosh, time flies when you're having fun. Anyway, Isaiah 55, I think that's where you ended, didn't you? 55? 58. See, that's how good I am at remembering. He says, you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace. Thus my title, led to victory by joy. That is the peace, win the peace. You have to win the war and win the peace. And the mountains and hills will break forth into shouts of joy. Did you ever hear the mountains and hills shouting joyously? You will then. That's in the millennial kingdom. And spiritually now, if you'll only listen. And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. See it? I love that. I love that image. The trees clapping their hands. Their branches, ba-boom, ba-boom. I love it. It's good. The trees of the field will clap their hands. Jeremiah 15, 16. I found your words and I ate them. Comfort food. Some people are depressed so they eat ice cream. I eat ice cream not because I'm depressed because I like ice cream. I have a giant bowl of ice cream almost every night before I go to bed. Helps me to sleep. and dream of ice cream. But they eat comfort food. Here's the comfort food. The real comfort food. Comfort means strength. Comfort means drawing alongside. It's the comfort. The Holy Spirit is the comforter. Which means He draws alongside to strengthen us. Comforte. That means with to comfort. to strengthen. He's the strengthener. Without Him, you have no strength. He says, Your words became to me the joy and the delight of my heart. Here we have two aspects of joy. One is inner. And the other one is the outer expression of joy. You have the delight of the heart that results in the expression of joy, in praise and rejoicing that is unto the Lord. in private and in public. I will sing my praises to the Lord in the assembly, in the General Assembly, like so many of you do. You don't hesitate to extol the name of the Lord among the congregation of his people. And he loves that, if you're free to do that. And you'll never be criticized for it here. Although some places people are criticized for it and they hesitate to do so because... The ones who are there don't do such things. It's not dignified. Or, if the truth be known, they're ashamed, and will be ashamed when they stand before Him. When all of humanity and all of the angelic realm genuflect and bow and fall down, on their face in worship and praise before him for all eternity. Then what will you do? Oh, you won't be there. You'll be on the earth, some remote country. Because, he said, those who are ashamed of me and my words, when I come in the glory of my father with his holy angels, I will be ashamed of them. Therefore, some will step forward with confidence at the evaluation, and some will shrink back in shame. And the writer of Hebrews says, we are not of those who shrink back. The Lord says, those who shrink back, my soul has no pleasure in them. So you don't want to shrink back. You want to go all the way in grace. And respond in positive willingness to the Word of God. Take it in. Believe it. Believe it all before you die. Don't leave with reservations. That means being reserved in terms of believing the Word of God. No, there are no reservations. Unfettered and bold. and extreme faith. The most difficult sayings and passages of scripture, just believe them. That's all. And sometimes, often, most often, understanding follows believing. It's not like the word. It's not like the world. The word is not like the world. It's the word that's understood by believing it. And in the academic world it is understanding precedes believing, not so with the word because it's empowered in its reception and it's quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. So he says, it's the joy and rejoicing of my heart. I have been called by your name, O Lord God of hosts, or of the armies. In other words, I have friends in high places. Yes, indeed, that makes me very secure and very happy. Matthew 13, we made it all the way to the New Testament. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again. And from joy over it, he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field. That's what Jesus Christ did for each and every one of us. In the parables of Matthew 25, 23, about his slaves that are waiting for him, looking for him, his master says to him, that is the slave that obeyed his master's will, Well done good and faithful slave you were faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things enter into the joy of your master Luke 2 8 Here we go. This is Christmas. See this is a Predecessor to our Christmas message, which I may or may not do on Sunday Jesus was born in October or thereabouts. I don't know if that's true. Some people said, somebody said April. Somebody said November. Somebody said October. I don't think anybody knows. God didn't even show us that because guess what? Oh, he may have, but we just haven't understood it from the scriptures because he didn't want us to set one day aside as a religious holiday that every day is supposed to be the same. That's why there's no Sabbath carried forward into the Church Age, because every day is a Sabbath. It's a moment-by-moment Sabbath of cessation from our works, to enter into His rest. If anyone will enter His rest, he must cease from his own works, even as God did from His in the restoration creation of the earth. Everything was prepared for man. Everything was ready. He stepped into a complete provision. And that's the provision that we have. Don't give any thought for tomorrow. Oh, I don't believe that one. That's a little too... that's... Of course you have to plan for tomorrow, for the New Year, for... make New Year's resolutions and plan ahead. Have a five-year plan. Oh, have a retirement plan in place. Because if you don't, you know you're gonna perish. Right? Uh-uh. God will always provide. everything that you need. You say, well, that's foolish to think that. Don't you have to start socking money away? Well, if you can, you probably should. But if you can't, what are you going to do? Is God not going to be faithful? Is God not going to be your portion and provision? The only one that you have? Sure he is. He's glorified by doing so. So don't give too much thought for that. Give no thought for tomorrow. what you'll wear, what you'll eat, what you'll drink. Tomorrow means tomorrow and years ahead. So many people do. I have a really hard time as a financial planner advising Christians because I'd have to say to them, give it away and God will return it to you, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing. That's what the word says. But who takes him at his word? Who dares to take him at his word? Seriously. Only a few people. And the ones that do, they're just remarkable. Man, they're just like, they're like Fort Knox. what people do they withhold what should be given away and then you know what God does he shrinks their capacity and their finances so they don't have enough because he doesn't go against his own principles his own precepts and his own absolutes, the absolute truth of his word. So, the same reason there were some shepherds, this is the Christmas link, who were staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, don't be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which shall be for all people, all the people, that's Jews and Gentiles alike. For today, this very day in the city of David, Bethlehem, there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you. you will find a baby wrapped in Egyptian burial cloths and lying in an eating trough. And suddenly there appeared to the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest. and on earth peace among men of goodwill that is those favorably disposed to the message of good news that is the joyous message announced a great joy bringing good news of great joy which shall be for all people those who have received it have that joy in seed form, but it can sprout and turn into that great joy and abundant life that Jesus came to give us all. And don't settle for something less than that. Get happy. Be happy. Don't worry. Be happy. And go to John 15, 11. I like this one. Oh, this is really good. These things I've spoken to you that my joy, yours isn't good enough. You need his. my joy may be in you and that your joy which was my joy now your joy may be made complete or full the fullness of joy and John 16 11 therefore you too now have sorrow he's talking to his disciples but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice And no one takes your joy away from you. That's if it's his joy. Nobody takes it from you. And in that day you ask me no question. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, he will give it to you in my name. That is, for my sake. Until now, he says, you've asked for nothing in my name. You don't have because you haven't asked. And you ask and don't receive because you ask and miss. You might spend it on your own loss. That's what James tells us. He says, ask and you will receive that your joy may be made full. And Jesus said that often in the Gospels. Acts 13.52. Here's the disciples. And that is in Antioch, which became the Gentile headquarters for the church and outreach and evangelism to the Gentile nations in the Asia Minor and Europe. And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, joy, long-suffering, patience, gentleness, goodness, kindness, meekness, faith, and self-mastery. Against such things there is no law that can produce them or limit their production. That's the Holy Spirit. In Romans 14, 17, the kingdom of God isn't eating and drinking, but righteousness imputed and imparted along with peace and joy. But joy leads you to victory in the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5, 22, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. I just did that. That's Galatians 5, 22 and 23. Hebrews 12, turn there. And we're going to hit James for the last 11 minutes. It's all set up for James. Which I exegeted. I mean, exegeted. How do you say that? Exegeted. I broke it down. Translated it myself. Anybody can do it. It's not hard. If Terry Gump and I can do it, anybody can. Fix your eyes on Jesus for peace, for joy. Jesus, others, and yourself. You know, J-O-Y? There's truth in that. You know, the most miserable people are the people occupied with self. and have Christ in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th, 10th, or no place at all, giving him no place and having no place in them for his word. Fixing your eyes on Jesus, the author, starter, and finisher of faith's marathon race, who for the joy set before him patiently and cheerfully endured the cross. hanging on the word as he hung upon the cross, hanging on every word of God, reciting Psalm 22, which is the doctrine of his own crucifixion and resurrection. He says, for I will declare to a people yet to be born that it is finished. Psalm 22, 31. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from my groaning? In the daytime and in the nighttime, the bulls of passion have surrounded me. They pierced my hands and my feet. My heart's melted like wax and I'm completely poured out. And you shall deliver me. from the pit, and allow me once again to proclaim in the congregation your praises, and to declare to a people yet to be born that you have done it, that is, it is finished. Asah, A-S-A-H, in the Hebrew, which is the equivalent of tetelestai in the Greek, which means is finished, dramatic perfect tense. So, for the joy set before him, he endured, cheerfully endured, and went through all the suffering necessary of the cross. And the spiritual death went to hell on the cross for those who would end up there if he hadn't come and stood in for them as their substitute. who for the joy set before him endured the cross thinking little of the shame despising the shame doesn't mean he was ashamed it means he didn't care about the shame he gave little thought to it because it wasn't about his will it was about his father's he says nevertheless not my will but yours be done And He didn't rail and lash out against those who were crucifying Him. Rather, He said, Father, forgive them, for they don't even know what they're doing. That included us, because we didn't even know what we were doing. And God made a way where no way existed. That is, if it depended on us. But He saved us by His grace, called us by His grace to manifest His Son. even as he did the Apostle Paul. We're all on an equal basis, on first-name basis. There is no hierarchy in the church. There are pastors that teach, and there are believers who listen. There are believers who serve. There are believers who are the objects of service. There are believers who give, and there are believers that receive. There's pastors that speak and believers that listen. We all need each other. Otherwise, I'm not necessary and neither are you. You've got nobody to speak to you. And vice versa. And the least one is indispensable. That's why the Holy Spirit arranges each local assembly and gives all the gifts. It takes a while for some people to discover there. It takes a lot of the word inside their soul and suddenly they recognize what their spiritual proclivity is. And it's usually the opposite of what they naturally would do. It's not natural like me. I'm not a natural teacher. I'm a natural idiot. And so he chooses somebody who's a fool in terms of the world and somebody that the world deems pitiable to be rich in faith and an heir of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him and I do love him because he loved me first so he says then he is sat down now having been raised from the dead at the right hand of the throne of God the majesty on high for consider him who has endured such hostility by sinners against themselves as that you may not faint or grow weary and lose heart you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood In your striving against sin, have you? That's a question. And of course the answer is, no, not hardly. So, James. Let's go. James 1, 2. I said all that to say this. It says, Passan, P-A-S-S-A-N. Which means, all or everything. And then we have karan, which is joy, but it means that which causes joy, or it means to greet or welcome as a joyous occasion. That is, reckon it to be grace. See, kara, which is joy, is the same root that is for the term or word karas, karin, which is grace, and karitsima, which is forgiveness, and eucharistos, which is thanksgiving. All those things are included in the term. Kara, which is the root, which is joy. And that's the cause for joy. And then he says, Hageomai. Hageomai means let joy lead your mind. That's what Hageomai means. It's a type of thinking. It means to lead the mind. And it's translated regard or consider, but it means to lead the mind, literally to lead the mind to conclude. to be fully persuaded, convinced, or sure. That is, submitting by faith in principle and practice, both. In other words, just let it be and believe it. Just say amen to God. He says, my brothers, this is common to all, that is the brotherhood of believers, which includes sisters, And he says, when or whenever is often as, then we have the word parasmois. Now, parasmois means testing, temptation and trouble of all kinds, adversity, trouble, difficulties of many kinds. But it also means opponents. So he says, I'll recap it, he says, consider or let the mind be led or lead the mind to conclude that it's all a cause for joy. My brothers, whenever as often as, and it says, you encounter, it's parapipto, encounter means fall under, literally, multiple opponents. So you've got to face off with multiple opponents surrounding you. Count it all joy, because there's no chance that you're going to overcome them. But the Lord will take your cause. If you trust Him, if you learn to trust Him, if you're growing in your faith, which means you're believing Him more and more, in areas that you didn't believe in before, hearing His word and believing parts of the word you never believed before, concluding that it's all true, that God's true. Let every man be a liar, including yourself or starting with yourself. And just acknowledge his word. Only acknowledge his word. Just like he says, only acknowledge your sin. Well, guess what? Homo Egeo is most important, not in terms of acknowledging your sin, but in acknowledging the truth. And it could be the truth regarding your sin. It was paid for on the cross. You're rehearsing the court case of the cross. You say, I sin, Father, but I know Christ paid for that sin. So, he says, like David says, he says, purge me of guilt. So I don't live in the guilt of sin, which is a sin in itself. It's not regarding the death of Christ as a guilt offering as well as a sin offering. So then he says, count it all joy, a cause for great joy. Welcome the circumstances when you face many or multiple opponents. That's palopokilos, which means many types or multiple opponents. Abraham is an example. In Genesis 14, 14, what did he do? He took his 300 men and went and defeated the kings to release Lot and his relatives. Abraham, and what's that about? He's facing multiple opponents. He's got kingdoms that he's going to kill with with 300 marauders. He's going to wipe them out and defeat them with 300 marauders. Then the king of Sodom is going to come and offer him peace, offer him money, and Abraham says, I won't take even a shoe latchet from you, lest you say you made Abraham rich. And then who comes on the scene? Why, Melchizedek. And offers him bread and wine. He's from the new order of priesthood. He's Christ. in the alchemy pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. I'm sure because who else is like him? You can come up with your own speculations on who he is but I've heard them all and I don't buy any of them. It's Christ. That's all. Thou art a priest after the order of Melchizedek in Psalm 2. And Hebrews chapter 6, 7, 8. That's what Hebrews is about. Melchizedek. Jesus is Melchizedek. So why is he called Melchizedek? Well, he's Melchizedek. It means he's righteousness and truth. Truth and righteousness. Truth and righteousness. That's his name, Melchizedek. Truth and righteousness. Who else is named that? I'm the way, the truth, and the life. And the truth is embodied in Jesus. So he says, count it all joy when you face multiple opponents, like Abraham did with his 300 marauders. Very interesting stuff. You can read about that in Genesis 14, 14 to 16. And Matthew 5, 11. See, it's in these situations that victory comes and you're led to victory by joy. That is, as the Lord delivers you time and again As He never leaves you or forsakes you. As He never leaves you in the lurch. As He never hangs you out to dry. If you trust in Him, He will, in every instance, deliver you. How many can testify to that being true in your life? Absolutely. Did we earn it or deserve it? Or do anything to get it? It was grace. But He reduced us to having dependence on him like a small child has upon his parents. And even when we haven't, he's corrected us with appropriate discipline and caused an attitude adjustment to occur by a swat or two or whatever means was necessary to get us back under the blessing and the tap of blessing. So, blessed are you when men as happy, makarios, as happy as the gods on Mount Olympus, drinking ambrosia. That's what makarios meant in the original Greek. They're just happy. They're content. They're resting in power. You're resting in God's power. You're not depending on your own power, your own ability, your own intellect. Your own ability to solve problems? No, you're relying on Him for all of that and more. He says, blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you. You're blessed. Count it all joy when that happens. Do we? No, we're going to go get a lawyer. and follow a defamation claim. Christians have rights too. There are so many ministries based on Christian rights. They're going to fight for Christian rights in court. That's what they're going to do. That's what they do. You say, that's good. No, it isn't. Jesus never committed himself to man or to man's courts. He didn't even open his mouth in court. He says, how dare you Herod, how dare you not speak to me? How dare you not answer me? And to Pontius Pilate, he was polite, and he said, are you a king? And Jesus said, you said it, brother. In the vernacular, the Terry Dump translation would be, yeah, man. Yeah, dude. Yin's disciples come with me. We're going to the Mount of Transfiguration. Yin's guys. Going down pantsing at. That's the Pittsburghese translation of the Bible. There's always room for new translations. Make sure they're good ones. Not like the TGV, the Terry Gump version of the Bible. So when men persecute you and say every kind of evil thing against you falsely on account of me, rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great. That should make you happy right there. I want people to insult you and to say evil against you. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. So you're in good company. Luke 6.26, Woe to you when all men speak well of you. Now that's the problem. For in the same way their fathers used to flatter the false prophets. That's what you are, false prophet then. Jesus said in Matthew 7.15, Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Don't entrust yourself to men. 1st Peter 1 6 in this view greatly rejoice even though now for a little while if necessary You've been distressed by various trials. Do you really said? Rejoice in facing multiple opponents encountering multiple opponents 1st Peter 1 7 says that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire is may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the appearing of Jesus Christ. That's what it's all about. Looking ahead to the Bema and not fussing and fuming and arguing and debating with people, rather just committing them to God and the situation to God and saying, see you at the Bema because everything will be unraveled there. Some will be richly rewarded and others will be unrichly unrewarded. And it's what they chose for themselves. 1 Peter 4.14, if you're reviled, that means hated and spoken evil of for the name of Christ, how happy you should be because the spirit of glory of God rests upon you. 1 Peter 4.16, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. But in that name, let him glorify God. James 1.12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under assault, that is, parasmos, under trials, temptations, troubles, multiple opponents. For once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 5.11 Behold, we count those blessed, that is, happy, who endured. You've heard of the endurance of Job, haven't you? And have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. Hebrews 11.26, considering the reproach of Christ, greater riches, that's what Moses did, than the treasures of Egypt. for he was looking to the reward." Beautiful. So he says in verse 4 of James 1, knowing, it's gnoskos, gnoskontes, which means knowing at all times, being continually aware. It's a imperative. It's a present active nominative masculine participle that acts as imperative it means know at all times or knowing at all times continue being continually aware then we have Hoti which introduces the purpose clause not the purpose clause but the explanatory clause that then he says to the and he says dokimun which means proving testing or trying of your faith Then he says, katergesetai, which means works down into you. That which is spiritual, works it down. Like work down your own salvation, same word. Work it down into practice, into personal reality. Let God work it into you as he wills and works inside of you. down into you. Then he says, hupomone, abiding under, staying, giving you staying power, patient and cheerful endurance, the same kind that Christ had, it's his, and he gives it to you. And then he says, but let, which is also imperative. He says, let endurance, patient endurance, or overcoming under, assault, or abiding under, that's what hupo means. Hupo means under and meno means to continue or abide. It means to abide under various circumstances, difficulties of all kinds, testings of all kinds, temptations of all kinds. He says, let that become patient endurance, result, in teleon, that is the final result. That's what it means. Teleon means the final result, like tetelestai means it's finished, the finished product or final result. Then he says exeto, which means so that you might have as a permanent possession or result in order that you may be in a consistent or permanent state of being. Finishing well. That's teleos. Finishing well. And, Kai, be and be complete. That's where we get to the word holo-kleros, which we get the word holocaust. That means being complete, like a burnt offering. And being complete and Lipomenoi, which means lacking or having need or not having what is needed in no situation. You always have what you need. That's what he's saying. Be complete and lack nothing that you need. Ecclesiastes 9-11, I saw into the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors. And neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability for time and chance overtake them all. You can't make it happen. You can build all the security systems around schools that you want and it ain't going to do nothing. You can rebuild the Liberty Towers where the World Trade Towers once stood and it ain't going to do nothing. Because if God allows it and orders it as a necessary measure to bring his people to their knees from their ivory palaces of arrogance to humility and repentance, nobody's going to stop him. Who can stop him? You know, the Lord says, if something good occurs, I'm the cause of it, and if something evil happens, I'm the cause of it. Nothing happens apart from His will. That could be His permissive will. And certainly He judges evil one with evil two, evil two with evil three, evil three with evil four. And that's the way he works. His justice is effectual in every way. And it's all to the end of righteousness, which is to the praise of his glory, so that men might fear him and bring glory to his name. It's not to the swift. not to the smart, not to the wealthy, not to the discerning, not to the well thought of, but to the least among you. Amos 2.14, flight will perish from the swift, and the stalwart will not strengthen his power, nor the mighty man save his life. He can't do anything if God has put a contract out on you. So this is a martial arts analogy. And James, and as part of your training for reigning, that is reigning with Christ, reigning as a victor over circumstances, not running as a victim of circumstances. Do you hear what I said? Reigning as a victor over circumstances, not running as a victim of circumstances. taking on multiple opponents. That takes capacity for adversity. Realizing the importance of difficulty in your life, in one's life. Not liking it, I didn't say you have to like it, but highly valuing the final result. Knowing it's necessary. That is one aspect of God's finishing school. so that you may be entire and lack nothing that you need, that is, in terms of capacity and ability to trust Him. See, this is only possible for one who is under continuous training, one who learns eventually, finally, to look unto Jesus, and only then Will he be able to view first, and then learn, and then acquire, and then hone the skills of Jesus Christ? Leaning skills, living skills, and loving skills, patient and cheerful endurance, the very cheerful endurance of Christ himself, in Hebrews chapter 12, 1 and 2, and we are done Except I want to read the benediction. Here's Jude. This is a famous benediction. Many pastors use it, but it's loaded with truth. So let's bow our heads now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy. To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen. If I could have my ushers, please, Father, bless the