S1: See, here's the question that James is bringing up. It's
S1: not how much of him I have, but how much
S1: of me does he have? That's what it is. Do
S1: you trust him? Yes. In a time of trouble.
S2: Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford.
S2: Junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago.
S2: I'm Steve Hillard. Glad you're with us today as we
S2: continue our study of James chapter one and a message
S2: called Seeing Purpose in Your Problems and Pain. And as
S2: we do go through life, we all encounter problems and pain.
S2: And those are very often the times or the seasons
S2: of life where our trust in Christ is really stretched
S2: and has the opportunity to grow immensely. You know, it's
S2: really easy to say that you trust Christ when things
S2: are going well in life, but when the problems come
S2: and you think you see an easy way out. But
S2: it wouldn't honor Christ. Are you going to take that
S2: easy way out, or are you going to trust him?
S2: I think that's the challenge and the question that all
S2: of us really need to be asking ourselves in the
S2: midst of those tough times. And as Pastor Ford points out,
S2: the question that he may have for us is, okay,
S2: how much of you do I have? Because that's what
S2: Christ ultimately wants, is he wants us to learn to
S2: trust him more and more for our faith to be
S2: developing and growing more and more. And that's what we're
S2: looking at in today's broadcast. Again, if you can join
S2: us in James chapter one as we continue the message
S2: seeing purpose in your problems and pain.
S1: Adelaide Pollard. Anybody ever heard of her name? Okay. I
S1: bet you you sang her song because Adelaide Pollard wanted
S1: to go to Africa as a missionary. This was back
S1: in the time when women weren't doing that. And, she
S1: knew God had called her to do this, so she
S1: tried to raise support from the church. Uh huh. You
S1: heard what I said. That's right. She tried to raise
S1: support from the church. Didn't get it. Here's what she said,
S1: and I quote, I went through a crisis of soul.
S1: What does she mean by that? I went through a
S1: crisis of soul. God, you called me to this, but
S1: you haven't provided for it. You called me to this.
S1: But there's an issue or a problem. Now, you call
S1: me to this, and I'm in pain because I don't
S1: see this happening the way you said it ought to be.
S1: So she went to a prayer meeting that night, and
S1: one of the teenagers, she said, that's a senior citizen.
S1: One of the teenagers just prayed a one line prayer
S1: and she said God ministered to her in that one
S1: line prayer. She went home that night and this is
S1: the song she wrote. Have thine own way, Lord. Have
S1: thine own way. Thou art the potter. I am the clay.
S1: Make me and mold me after your will. While I'm waiting.
S1: Yielded and still. Have your own way, Lord. Have your
S1: own way. Wow, man. That's it. When are we going
S1: to realize that the Christian boat is a rowboat, not
S1: a motor boat? Because in a motor boat, you got
S1: all that power and you can see where you're going.
S1: But if you're in a rowboat, you can't see where
S1: you're going. It's the old coxwain. Remember that? That thing
S1: in the Olympics, the coxwain. They got the longboat with
S1: all the guys in it. They say stroke, stroke, stroke.
S1: This guy. Tell him the stroke. He ain't doing nothing.
S1: He's standing up there, he controlling the way they go.
S1: Stroke and the speed and everything. And you know what?
S1: That's Jesus. We Rowan supplying what's necessary to get things done.
S1: And and what happens? Jesus is saying row, row row
S1: row row. Notice secondly with me notice secondly with me
S1: the regal prerogative of God. You gotta be committed to
S1: it to have strength in your struggle. But then notice. Secondly,
S1: and this is where I'll stop. You got to have
S1: the right perspective about your struggle. Look at what it says,
S1: my brethren. Count it all joy when you fall into
S1: divers temptation. I want you to see something here, because
S1: what he's going to tell us two things he's going
S1: to say. There's an attitude towards suffering that demonstrates you
S1: have the right perspective. Here's what he said. When we
S1: go into trouble, let me just speak for myself, because
S1: I know ain't nobody going to relate to it. Going
S1: through something. Why? Why me? Why now? Why this? And
S1: James is saying that's not the right perspective. It's not
S1: the right question. Not why? What? See, God must work
S1: in you before he works for you so he can
S1: work through you. Let me say that again. That God
S1: must work in you before he works for you, so
S1: he can work through you. The idea is he wants
S1: to work through you. So whenever you begin to think
S1: about it, we talked about this before. Some of you
S1: may remember there on the boat and the boat's doing
S1: the nay, nay. I don't know how to do it, but,
S1: you know, stanky legs, stanky leg, the boat, the boat,
S1: the boat is doing it all right. It's doing it.
S1: And they're they're afraid. Fishermen who fished on the Sea
S1: of Galilee all their life as little boys, as teens,
S1: as adolescents, as adults. And there's a storm that they
S1: ain't never seen before. And they say, man, Jesus, it's storm.
S1: What you going to do? And Jesus says, don't be afraid.
S1: And then he says, storm, shut up. Now, here's the question.
S1: Some of you may remember. Why did he tell them?
S1: Don't be afraid before he stopped the storm. Because in
S1: my way of thinking, he stopped the storm. They stopped.
S1: Be afraid. No. Jesus knew he must steal the storm
S1: on the inside before he steals the storm on the outside.
S1: Because often when he steals the storm on the outside,
S1: the storm is still raging on the inside. You don't
S1: believe it? Okay. Then why are you still struggling with
S1: something that happened ten years ago? Why are you still
S1: struggling with. Why are you still tore up from the
S1: floor up about some stuff that was done to you
S1: that you ain't got over yet? Because you got a
S1: storm inside. And Jesus had to steal that storm. Why?
S1: Why not me? Why not now? Why not? This attitude
S1: determines action. That's what he's trying to get us to see.
S1: And he says, count it all joy. Now I'm talking
S1: about counting money. But wait a minute. What do you mean, joy?
S1: I'm glad he didn't say happiness. Wanna know why? Because
S1: happiness depends on what happens. But joy is independent of circumstances.
S1: So we know two things. Because he used the word joy.
S1: Number one, we know it's the fruit of the spirit.
S1: Number two, we know that it is joy that's independent
S1: of circumstance. That's what we know. You say, what are
S1: you talking about? Joy is produced in the yielded life
S1: of a believer by the Holy Spirit. You have to
S1: be filled with the spirit to get joy. Ephesians 518.
S1: Now I'm not going to go through them, but if
S1: you're taking notes, you may want to write them down.
S1: Galatians chapter five 2223. Fruit of the spirit Romans five three. Tribulation. Work. Patience.
S1: Second Corinthians seven four. First Peter one six. David's running
S1: from Absalom, and he pens in Psalm five, the joy
S1: of the Lord is my strength. Wait a minute, David.
S1: They're trying to kill you! Ahithophel has betrayed you. Your
S1: own son is trying to kill you. Your armies turn
S1: against you. Your people don't like you. Why are you
S1: up there laughing and and praising him? Because the joy
S1: of the Lord is my strength. See, when you're baptized
S1: by the spirit, I hope y'all don't mind a little teaching.
S1: When you're baptized by the spirit, you belong to his body.
S1: But when you're filled with the spirit, your body belongs
S1: to him. See first Corinthians 1213 for by one spirit
S1: are you all baptized into one body? Have all been
S1: made to drink of that same spirit? I belong to
S1: his body, but now filled with the spirit. My body
S1: belongs to him. See, here's the question that James is
S1: bringing up. It's not how much of him I have,
S1: but how much of me does he have? That's what
S1: it is. Do you trust him? Yes. In a time
S1: of trouble. Count it all, Joy. It's a math term.
S1: Now to get this. It's commanded, it's imperative, yet it's compassionate.
S1: Notice compassion with command, my brethren, 15 times in the
S1: book of John, my brethren. Why? To kind of ease
S1: the punch. But it is a command. Count it all joy.
S1: I like how he does this. He's sensitive to their pain,
S1: yet straight to the point. He's speaking the truth in love.
S1: He's saying focus on the product that God has and
S1: not the pain that you had. Um. I don't know
S1: about you, but. But we can still have joy, can't we, um,
S1: see the same praise it took to get you up.
S1: It's the same praise it take to get you out.
S1: God is due the same praise in the good as
S1: well as in the bad. And so it doesn't matter.
S1: You had some good days and you had some bad days,
S1: but you still have joy. You had some ups and
S1: some downs almost level to the ground, but you still
S1: have joy. You had some setbacks, drawbacks, pay backs broke back,
S1: but you still have joy. And so I had joy
S1: this morning. I had joy because I got up and
S1: I was on top of the ground, and the ground
S1: wasn't on top of me. I got up because I
S1: went and got me some food and ate it myself.
S1: I put on my own clothes. I got in my hooptie,
S1: drove over to the church under my own power. I'm limping,
S1: but I'm still walking. None of my kids died last night.
S1: My house didn't catch fire last night. I still have joy.
S1: My wife is in the hospital three times in the
S1: last two weeks. But I still have joy. And so
S1: you ought to rejoice. Yeah, yeah. He woke you up
S1: this morning. Rejoice. He gave you health and strength. Rejoice.
S1: You're clothed in your right mind. Well, at least some
S1: of you. Rejoice. Eyes to see, ears to hear. Mouth
S1: to talk. Hands to touch. Feet to walk. Joy. Two churches. Smyrna. Philadelphia.
S1: Two best churches of the seven. Wonder why? Poverty and persecution.
S1: He said to them, you won't be persecuted for ten days.
S1: And you know, when I read that and I studied
S1: this with you, uh, we did revelation 20 years ago,
S1: and I remember studying for it. I said, oh, let
S1: me get my book on numerology because number ten. Mhm.
S1: Let's see what it means. Oh ten is the number
S1: for testing. Oh brother Vern I was getting ready man.
S1: I said that's nice. The Holy Spirit said that ain't
S1: the big deal. I said, what's the big deal? He said,
S1: you missed it right over your head. I said, well,
S1: you're the teacher. Teach me. He said, ten days. God
S1: knows when it's going to start. And God knows when
S1: it's going to stop. And it won't last forever. That's
S1: good news. I can't tell you when your trouble is
S1: going to be over. All I can tell you what
S1: the psalmist said. Weeping may endure for a night, but
S1: joy comes in the morning. Soon you will be done
S1: with the troubles of the world. Going home to be
S1: with God. He going to take you out or he
S1: going to take you up? Look at that. Both of
S1: them are good alternatives.
S2: Well, that is true, isn't it? You're listening to Treasure
S2: Truth with Pastor Ford. A message called seeing Purpose in
S2: your Problems and Pain. We'll get back to this teaching
S2: from Pastor Ford in just one moment. Maybe you joined
S2: us a little late, or, you know, you can't stay
S2: with us all the way to the end of the broadcast.
S2: You don't have to miss it. Come to our website.
S2: You can stream each and every program online. You can
S2: download MP3's or even order copies of this broadcast on CD.
S2: Just stop by Treasure truth radio. Back to the message.
S2: Here is Pastor Ford.
S1: When I was a little boy. Come on, help me,
S1: help me. We have some visitors. So you help me.
S1: Help me. My mom used to whoop my tail. Tell
S1: her rope like okra. She tell me she going to
S1: beat the black off of me. She told me she
S1: going to beat me in the next week. And then
S1: come in the next week and beat me back to today.
S1: And here's how I used to survive it. I'm telling you,
S1: I said, because, you know, my mama didn't play. She
S1: put welps on me. See, I told you she would
S1: go to jail today if she if she was ever
S1: with me today. Here's what I would be saying to myself.
S1: She can't whoop me forever. She can't whoop me forever.
S1: She can't whoop me forever. And sometimes I thought she
S1: was trying to make me out a liar. I thought
S1: she could read my mind. Any of y'all had them? Moments?
S1: Can do them all day. Whippings. Lord have mercy. Yeah.
S1: And it was over. Mm. Look, I'm telling you, he
S1: says we gotta count it all joy. What do you mean?
S1: That's what Paul did. Paul said, they said, Paul, we're
S1: going to kill you. He said, that's cool. To die
S1: is gain. They said, well, we'll let you live. He said, well,
S1: to live is Christ. They said, well, we'll make you suffer.
S1: He said, cool. Uh, for I reckon that the sufferings
S1: of this present time is not worthy to be compared
S1: with the glory which shall be revealed in us. He said,
S1: come on, bring it on. Because if you kill me,
S1: Imma be with Christ. If you let me live, I'm
S1: going to live for Christ. And if you make me suffer,
S1: I'm going to get a reward for Christ. So bring
S1: it on. It's all about Christ in Philippians 310. He said,
S1: I want to be like Jesus, to relate to him
S1: in Romans five two and three. He said, I want
S1: to look like Jesus and be a resource in Second
S1: Corinthians 417 and 18. He said, I want to be
S1: with Jesus. That's my reward. I can relate to him.
S1: I'll be a resource. I get a reward. Wow man,
S1: I gotta let you go. Cuz sometime I'm just like Pharaoh.
S1: Don't want to let God's people go. But I. I
S1: have to let you go. But but let me, let
S1: me summarize what he's saying. Let me summarize what what
S1: what he's trying to get us to understand. He wants
S1: us to know. Listen, you and I are are individuals
S1: who know what the Lord is able to do. Here's
S1: what he's saying. He's saying, listen, he's all we have,
S1: but he's all we need. Uh, yeah. See, he's our supplier.
S1: Philippians 419. But my God shall supply all your needs
S1: according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. If
S1: you need a little or you need a lot, uh,
S1: if you need a little, he's Jehovah Jireh. If you
S1: need a lot, he's El Shaddai. Shad, the Hebrew word
S1: for breast. Many breasted one I pluralizes it. In other words, listen,
S1: we have Jesus on our side. So then here's the
S1: principle that he tells us. Seek ye first the kingdom
S1: of God and His righteousness, and all these things and
S1: all these things. What things? All the things that everybody wants.
S1: He just gives them to us. We don't even have
S1: to ask for. Seek first his righteousness, his kingdom, his purity,
S1: and all these things will be. See if you want.
S1: If you want finances. He owns cattle on a thousand hills.
S1: He can slay some of em. Sell the beef and
S1: give you the money if you're sick. He's the Great physician.
S1: He's got northwestern and rush in the hem of his garment.
S1: You need food. John six says he's the manna, the
S1: bread that came down from heaven. If you need water,
S1: he's the living water, he said. Those who come to
S1: him out of their innermost being will flow rivers of
S1: living water. If you want beauty. He's the lily of
S1: the valley and the rose of Sharon. If you need sunshine,
S1: he's the bright and morning Star. If you need a friend,
S1: he's a friend that sticks closer than a brother. He's
S1: a friend that loves at all times. If you need
S1: the stability. He's the Rock of ages on Christ, the
S1: solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.
S1: If you need guidance. He's the great shepherd of the
S1: sheep who leads me in paths of righteousness for his
S1: name's sake. If you're tired, he said, come unto me,
S1: all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I
S1: will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Learn
S1: of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart,
S1: and you shall find rest unto your soul. If you
S1: need peace, he says, my peace I give unto you,
S1: not as the world giveth I unto you. And what
S1: I don't know what to do. You know what he
S1: tells me? He says, trust in me with all your heart.
S1: Lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways
S1: acknowledge me, and I will direct your path. And then
S1: you know what he says when I'm struggling. I was
S1: talking to my lovely wife and I'm feeling bad. I
S1: added them up. We've been in Chicago 35 years. My
S1: wife has had 17 major illnesses in 35 years. I'm
S1: not going to take time and name them all, but
S1: I'm telling you. 17 major. Now she's going to struggle
S1: for the rest of her life. Have to use an
S1: inhaler and nebulisers and all of that. And she was
S1: crying and she was saying, oh, I don't know why again.
S1: Why me? Why don't he get you sometime? And I said,
S1: I guess, baby, he just want me to be the strength.
S1: He just want me to stay by the stuff, you know?
S1: I guess he know. Just like having a baby. I
S1: can't handle all that. She said, I said so you
S1: know I can't help you, I can't. I can pray,
S1: you know, pray with me. I said, well, what you
S1: doing now, baby? Here's what she told me. She said,
S1: you know what I'm doing? I'm praying for strength in
S1: my struggle. Amen. Because it's obvious he ain't going to
S1: heal me. Because I done prayed and I know I
S1: got faith. So I'm praying for strength in my struggle.
S1: I said, okay, I'm going to pray for it too.
S1: She said, wait a minute, here's my verse. They that
S1: wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall
S1: mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and
S1: not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. She said,
S1: I'm going to take everything that he is for everything
S1: that I need, and I am going to glorify him.
S1: Then guess what she did? Brought me to tears, because
S1: in the midst of her pain and she could hardly breathe.
S1: But she had heard that, uh, my my secretary's father, uh,
S1: had been rushed to the hospital, and she got on
S1: the phone and she said, Miss Emma, I just called
S1: to tell you we love you. And we're. And she's
S1: doing this while she's wheezing. Miss Emma, just wanted to
S1: tell you we love you. And I want to pray
S1: for you. I want to pray for you, said Sister Ford.
S1: Get off the phone. You don't need to be on
S1: the phone. I need to pray for you. I need
S1: to pray for you and your father. And she prayed
S1: for her and her father. And I said, baby, why
S1: do you punish yourself? Herself. She said, I have purpose
S1: in my path. What about you today? Do you have
S1: purpose in your pain? Do you understand who he is
S1: and all that he's done? Do you know that even
S1: though he had no servants, they still called him master?
S1: Do you know that even though he had no degrees,
S1: they still called him teacher? And even though he had
S1: no medicines, he still was a healer. He had no armies.
S1: Yet kings feared him. He won no military battles, yet
S1: he conquered the world. He had no formal education, but
S1: he knew everything there was to know. He had no
S1: place to lay his head. But he said, Heaven is
S1: my throne. Earth is my footstool. He committed no crime,
S1: yet they crucified him and hung up the sun of glory.
S1: But guess what he said he in the Garden of Gethsemane.
S1: Let this cup pass, let this cup pass, let this
S1: cup pass. And his humanity. He didn't want to do it.
S1: He didn't want to drink the dregs of our sin.
S1: He didn't want to be separated from the father for
S1: the first time in all of eternity. God turning his
S1: back on God because of our sin. But yet the
S1: Bible says in Hebrews 12 two, who for the joy.
S1: Independent of the suffering, independent of the circumstances. Jesus had
S1: joy when he went to the cross. Why? Hebrews 211
S1: through 15. Because he saw you, and you, and you,
S1: and you and me and you. And it brought him
S1: joy that he would take us from hell to heaven.
S1: Take us from sinner to saint. Take us from rejects
S1: to redemption, from earth to glory for all of eternity.
S1: There was purpose in his problems and his pain, and
S1: so there is for you.
S2: This is a challenging message from Pastor Ford today. Finding
S2: joy despite our circumstances doesn't come naturally. It really does
S2: take the work of the Holy Spirit. You know you're
S2: listening to treasure Truth and a message called Seeing Purpose
S2: in Your Problems and Pain. You know, here at Treasure Truth,
S2: we believe that the Bible is inerrant. It's utterly trustworthy.
S2: It's the Word of God, and the only book with
S2: a message that can save a dying world and introduce
S2: humanity to Jesus Christ. And the fact that you're listening. Well,
S2: that's a good sign that you probably agree. But many
S2: people in our culture see the scriptures as just another
S2: book filled with wise sayings, genealogies, and maybe a few
S2: crazy visions. And then there are some people who fall
S2: somewhere in between. They know that the Bible is special,
S2: but they're not sure why. Or maybe they believe the Bible,
S2: but they don't really read it and so they can't
S2: explain their beliefs to someone. Maybe you feel like you
S2: fit into that category. I mean, can you answer or
S2: give good reasons for why you believe? Well, we'd like
S2: you to have a book by John MacArthur called Why
S2: Believe the Bible? This practical resource reveals the truth about
S2: the Bible, and it will help you grasp its meaning
S2: for your daily life. You can request a copy when
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S2: I'm Steve Hiller, our producer is Amy Rios. Join us
S2: again Thursday for more Bible teaching from Pastor Ford here
S2: on Treasure truth. A production of Moody Radio, a ministry
S2: of Moody Bible Institute.