“‘GOD WON’T GIVE ME MORE THAN I CAN HANDLE’ – REALLY?” (James 1:9-18)

J.B. Stopford, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Earlville, NY

TODAY’S SPECIAL: “A Goat Funny”
Patient: Doctor, Doctor! I keep thinking I’m a goat!
Doctor: How long have you had this feeling?
Patient: Ever since I was a kid.

INTRODUCTION
(1) Written to “brothers/sisters” in the Lord – the letter was not written to a specific church but to God’s people, encouraging us how to live for God where He has wisely placed us.
(2) Written to spur contentment (vs. 9-11) – God calls both rich and poor for His glory. James begins here a repeated theme: life is brief, no matter how many years, no matter seeming success or failure.
What will we do with that breath of life God has given to us? In this section we continue the examination of “The Test of Faith”. We have looked at those “3 little words” (“count it all joy”!). Today we are going to look at…PAIN – through the eyes of 3 questions posed in our text. PRAYER

#1 The question of the heart: heart of the test is the fruit (v. 12)
We examined this verse several weeks ago when talking about the “crowns”. Let’s look at the companion passage, Rev. 2:11. The heart of this test in James is to see life through the eyes of eternity, not through the test!

#2 The question of the test (vs. 13-15)
(a). The Lord is not the source of this test! (v. 13). Nor can we say, “the devil made me do it!” as Flip Wilson used to say.
(b) The source of this test is one word: “desire”, which desire is further described with the previous word, “evil”. What on earth is “evil desire”?
Oswald Chambers, whose writings were transcribed by his wife and collected to form the wonderful devotional, “My Utmost for His Highest”, defines “desire” this way: “the need for companionship being met by loving only yourself.” (repeat!).
For Whom/whom have we been created for companionship? At least 2 answers: (1) The Lord (Gen. 3:8-9 shows that, as describing the fall, God was looking for the one with whom He had been enjoying sweet communion. And 1 John 1:5-7 God still hungers for our fellowship – with Him through His Word and prayer! How you doing here? (2) Others Gen. 2:19-29 shows that Adam could not find true companionship with the animals – God then created from him a wife with whom Adam could be “one flesh”. Again in 1 John 1:1-4 joy is made complete when believers enjoy fellowship with one another on a regular basis!  BUT when the “desire” for that companionship – either with the Lord, with one’s spouse, or with other believers – is directed elsewhere, the chain of events of James 1:13-15 becomes a royal test.
And what is the end of that test? DEATH (v. 15) – separation from the true companionship that God has provided. That death may be eternal – a physical death. OR it also may be being “dead while alive” – the life becomes routine, useless, and most empty.
Are you at this point today? Remember 1 John 1:9. Come back to where you left off – come back to the cross!

#3. The question of the source of the pain (vs. 16-18)
(a). Here is a tough question! What then is the source of the pain we often have on a regular basis? Once again, Oswald Chambers asks an interesting question: if you were God, would you create pain? Does pain have eternal purpose? Our text says that through our faith in the cross, we have both a new birth and we become His first-fruits – even in pain!
(b). So then how does God use pain for His glory? We need to be familiar with at least 3 passages:
(1). Psalm 11. The Lord allows tests to show that there is a wide distinction between those who are righteous and those who are wicked – with no foundation!
(2). Psalm 26:1-3. Those who are trusting in the Lord can lovingly say to God, “bring it on! Prove me! Show me by your test that I belong to you!”
(3). 1 Corinthians 10:13. Perhaps the most familiar of the 3. This verse has been translated loosely, “God won’t give me more than I can handle” – why? Because what I am experiencing is no different from what anyone else on this earth does – but with one HUGE DIFFERENCE: God is allowing this test to draw attention to Himself through us, through you and me. Cling to this verse – it’s a good one.

CONCLUSION
A number of years ago there was a young man named Rick. He had a wonderful wife, young daughter, good job. Everything was going so well with him – he just loved his family and loved to provide for them. But then the unthinkable happened, and the source of his loss of physical strength was ultimately given a name: non-hodgkins lymphoma. Over the course of many months he had many treatments of various kinds. Yet in the hospital, with seemingly “much time” on his hands, he realized that there was one thing he didn’t have: assurance of eternity. He asked for his pastor to call him – and in a tender conversation on the phone, Rick trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Finally, it became apparent that his time on earth would be brief. Yet both in life and in death, this test for Rick became a royal tribute to God’s glory on display.
That is the extreme test – yours maybe simply a splinter in your finger or a hangnail on your toe.

Ask yourself one question: in Whom is my trust? With my foundation, am I prepared to trust Him?

First Baptist Church, 9 West Main St. Earlville, NY 13332

“REMEMBER THESE 3 LITTLE WORDS” (James 1:2-8)
Series: JAMES, May 14, 2017 10:30 AM
Rev. Jeremy B. Stopford, Pastor

INTRODUCTION
“Today’s Special” #1 – Karyn’s Dad’s Joke: The physics teacher and the calculus teacher dated without success. They had no chemistry between them.

“Today’s Special” #2: You Know You’re a Mother IF…
~ You automatically double-knot everything you tie.
~ You hear a baby cry in the grocery store, and you start to gently sway back and forth, back and forth. However, your children are at school!
~ You actually start to like the smell of strained carrots mixed with applesauce.
~ You get soooo into crafts you contemplate writing a book called “101 Fun Crafts To Do with Dryer Lint and Eggshells.”
~ You spend a half hour searching for your sunglasses only to have your teenager say, “Mom, why don’t you wear the ones you pushed up on your head?”
~ You are out for a nice romantic meal with your husband, enjoying some real adult conversation, when suddenly you realize that you’ve reached over and started to cut up his steak.

Last week we began our new series in the Book of James. We learned an important point: the book of James is about a choice – do we live for Jesus as if we are Homeward Bound people, or do we live for the world and don’t make a difference with the brief life God has given us? This is believed to be the first written of the NT books -and it is pure practical theology! PRAYER

#1 The Growth-Life (vs. 2-4) Revolves around your choices:
a. “Pure joy” – just 3 little words tell God’s secret to spiritual growth
“Pure” = “all”; “full of”; “an opportunity for great joy” (NLT)
b. “Consider” = welcome! Phillips says, “don’t resent them [trials] as intruders, but welcome them as friends!”
c. “Trials” – those “tests and challenges [which] come at you from all sides” [Message]. Those cause your faith to show its true colors!
Illustration: Perhaps you saw this on our beloved Facebook this week:
From a CBS News Documentary, the words of Charleton Churchill: “Saying this was an epic and amazing trip is true. But I would be remiss if I didn’t share, it came with some suffering, doubt, fear, anxiety, and physical pain. Often times when striving for something great, there is usually a cost. There’s no glory without suffering.” The glory: a wedding! The trial: the location, which was the summit of Mt. Everest! And his job? He bills himself as an “Adventure Wedding Photographer”.
But your trials are not the uncertainties of the base camp of Mt. Everest! Your trials are, well, LIFE!
d. Progress of faith to maturity: the mindset [3 little words: “count it pure joy”], the test/trial of faith, the experience which develops perseverance, and the perseverance develops maturity. See Matthew 5:48 “be perfect [mature, complete] as your Heavenly Father is perfect”. See 1 Cor. 3:1ff “I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.” It’s possible to belong to Christ, to be a Christian, to be saved, but be immature. And trials are often the test to show outwardly what’s going on inwardly.
The “Growth-Life” revolves around those 3 little words, “count it pure joy”

“WAIT, PASTOR! That’s FOUR words!” Almost 30 years ago, my wife’s cousin’s family and us went camping for a week. During the Sunday of that week, we went to church where the guest speaker spoke on this passage. Repeatedly, he said, “now, just remember these 3 little words: count it all joy.” By the end of the sermon, the kids had all they could do to hold in their laughter. Yet almost 30 years later, that message is still remembered by our family members who heard it! Let’s remember these 3 little words – from our NIV: “count it pure joy”.

#2 The Grace-Life (vs. 5-8)
How do you know you lack wisdom? You might say: “I don’t know how I can do this!” Or, “I don’t know how I have the time!” Or, “I CAN’T DO THIS!” The Grace-Life revolves around 3 thoughts:
a. God is generous – He loves to hear from His children, OFTEN!
b. The prayer of faith stems from a relationship of trust: no doubts in God nor in His ability to do what He says He can!
c. The grace-life lives as if each day is dependent upon the wisdom of God and not upon the wiles of God’s child.
Illustration: the summer breezy day sail in the sunfish, and then there’s the day when the wind takes you to the other end of the lake. That is the life not lived in grace but in self-will. Wind swept. Can’t get back without retracing many steps. [sailing upwind can be done, but it is easier not to!].

CONCLUSION
Remember the growth-life. God hungers for mature children! Where are you today? Have you remembered those 3 little words: count it pure joy!
Remember the grace-life. God hungers for seeking children! Where are you today? Have you remembered to trust, to rest in the One Who brought you to the cross in the first place? Trust! Intimate trust! Hunger for that just as He hungers for that in us!

Message delivered May 8, 2017  by Rev. Jeremy B. Stopford, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Earlville, New York

“Today’s Special”: A Cow Funny
A farmer had been swindled several times by the local car dealer. One day, the car dealer informed the farmer that he was coming over to purchase a cow. The farmer priced his unit as follows:

Basic cow $499.95, plus Shipping and handling 35.75
Extra stomach 79.25
Two-tone exterior 142.10
Produce storage compartment 126.50
Heavy duty straw chopper 189.60
Four spigot/high output drain system 149.20
Automatic fly swatter 88.50
Genuine cowhide upholstery 179.90
Deluxe dual horns 59.25
Automatic fertilizer attachment 339.40
4 x 4 traction drive assembly 884.16
Pre-delivery wash and comb 69.80

FARMERS SUGGESTED LIST PRICE: $2843.36
Additional dealer adjustments: 300.00

TOTAL LIST PRICE (including options): $3143.36

INTRODUCTION
“Home, James” is a famous saying – but originally that was not the entire saying. Can’t you hear the one saying it, desiring that someone named “James” take him home? Tradition has it that in the 1840’s, Queen Victoria of England would often be chauffeured around London. And when she was ready to head back to Buckingham Palace, she would address her chauffeur by saying, “Home” and then his last name. But the chauffeur at this time was a fellow named “James Darling”. So rather than cause a public display, she simply – and wisely – said, “Home, James”. Some reports say the entire saying was “Home, James, and don’t spare the horses”. A movie line says, “Once around the park and home, James”.

So we begin a new series of messages in the book of James. Have you read the entire book yet? 15 minutes is all it takes a slow reader like me! And “Home, James” is an appropriate title for today’s introductory lesson, as well as for the series. For the book of James is about a choice – do we live for Jesus as if we are Homeward Bound people, or do we live for the world and don’t make a difference with the brief life God has given us?

#1. WHO JAMES WAS NOT
a. James, the brother of John (Matthew 10:1-4). What do we know about him?
(1). He was the son of Zebedee (Matt. 4:18-22) who, along with John, left their nets to follow Jesus
(2). He, along with his brother John, was given by Jesus the name “Boanerges”, which means “sons of thunder” – perhaps showing their violent personalities!
(3). He was part of the “inner circle” of ministry with Jesus, along with Peter and John
(4) Most importantly, he was “sold out” for Jesus. Along with John, he desired to sit at Jesus side in His kingdom. Jesus said that those positions were only for those who were willing to “drink the cup He was going to drink, and to be baptized with the baptism He was going to be baptized with.” (Mark 10:38ff). They both were willing to do that. And were they? John ultimately was exiled to the Isle of Patmos where he wrote the Book of Revelation.
(5). And James? Could he have been the author of this book? Look at Acts 12:1-3. This James – the brother of John – was put to death on the order of King Herod. So, no, this could not be the author.
b. James, son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:1-4) – the list of the first apostles is the only mention of this “James”. He is never identified again outside of the gospels.

#2 SO, WHO JAMES WAS!
It has been important to eliminate the choices as to the author of this book. We are left with one more James, and we are left with both a Biblical help and an historical insight:
a. Biblical help
(1). An half-brother to Jesus. (Matt. 13:53-56) – wouldn’t you like to study a book written by someone who grew up with our Savior?
(2). An unbelieving brother. (John 7:1-5) – wouldn’t you like to study a book written by someone who struggled with faith in Christ?
(3). An eyewitness to Jesus’ resurrection (1 Cor. 15:1-7) – wouldn’t you like to study a book written by someone who saw the resurrected Christ?
(4). An elder in the early church in Jerusalem. (Acts 15:12-21) – wouldn’t you like to study a book written by someone who became a church leader?
b. Extra-Biblical help
Tradition says that the elder James was known to be a prayer warrior. His knees were hard and calloused like camel’s knees. I’ve never seen camels’ knees, so I’m trusting my research on that one! And tradition says that before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70ad, Annas the High Priest brought him before the Sanhedrin, the ruling council in Jerusalem, and required him to recant his faith in Christ. He refused to deny Christ. He then was taken to the peak of the temple, the same place Jesus was taken by Satan. Again, he refused to deny Jesus. He then was thrown off the temple – and with his dying breath, on the ground once again he refused to deny his faith in the risen Savior – even to his death.

CONCLUSION
This book may bring you at the crossroads of your faith. You say you trust in the Lord Jesus as your Savior. That’s great! James will meet us there and give us the Christian behavior expected and the behavior not expected.
And then, in essence, he will ask each of us, “what are you going to do?”.
Let’s prayerfully look to God and commit each of us to Him for His using this book in our lives, for His glory in a most fresh and refreshing way!

Note from the website host, Frank Becker: “Today’s Funny” obviously needs work. Like most of our readers, I’ve never met a crooked car dealer, but I’ve had really bad luck buying second-hand cows, especially from farmers in two-tone shoes who are named James!