WEBVTT - Seeing Purpose in Your Problems and Pain, Part 2 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:04.800 James is saying, you're going through something right now, but 0:00:04.800 --> 0:00:09.120 you need to be more committed to Jesus purpose than 0:00:09.119 --> 0:00:11.600 you are in getting out of your pain. 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:21.840 You're listening to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James 0:00:21.840 --> 0:00:24.880 Ford Jr, senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago. 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:27.440 I'm Steve Hillard. Glad you're with us today as we 0:00:27.480 --> 0:00:31.240 continue our message from James chapter one, seeing purpose in 0:00:31.240 --> 0:00:35.000 your problems and pain. And as we began to look 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:39.360 at in yesterday's broadcast, we all go through pain and 0:00:39.360 --> 0:00:42.920 we all go through problems. And as we're walking through that, 0:00:42.920 --> 0:00:46.919 it can be hard to grow spiritually. It can be 0:00:46.920 --> 0:00:49.400 hard to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus because I 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:51.400 get it. We want the easy way out. We want 0:00:51.400 --> 0:00:54.520 the pain to stop. We want the problem solved immediately. 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:58.760 But sometimes in doing that, we shortcut what God is 0:00:58.760 --> 0:01:02.480 wanting to do in our lives. Very often he may 0:01:02.520 --> 0:01:04.800 be trying to teach us something by allowing us to 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:08.640 be in that problem or in that pain for a season. 0:01:09.000 --> 0:01:12.759 And when we shortcut that, we're not growing like he 0:01:12.760 --> 0:01:16.320 wants us to grow. So I think it can be helpful, 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:19.280 as we're in a season like that, to not only 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:21.720 be looking for the way out, but to keep in 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:26.400 mind that our goal really ought to be honoring Jesus 0:01:26.440 --> 0:01:29.200 in the midst of that pain. And as we do so, 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:33.320 we're bound to grow in spiritual maturity. We're going to 0:01:33.319 --> 0:01:35.720 continue to look at that today from James chapter one. 0:01:35.720 --> 0:01:37.840 So if you can open your Bible and join us 0:01:37.840 --> 0:01:41.160 there as we continue the message seeing purpose in your 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.840 problems and pain. Here is Pastor Ford. 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:49.680 Don't ever write anybody off because you don't know what 0:01:49.720 --> 0:01:53.680 God can do when he gets Ahold of somebody. Look 0:01:53.680 --> 0:01:57.559 at me, look at me. Folk wrote me off. People 0:01:57.560 --> 0:02:00.280 would be out witnessing and wouldn't give me a track 0:02:00.280 --> 0:02:03.080 because I was pushing drugs. But look at me now. 0:02:03.240 --> 0:02:07.720 I'm preaching Christ. I went from pushing drugs to preaching Christ. 0:02:07.760 --> 0:02:11.480 I went from LSD. Try to get a PhD. I mean, 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:14.560 you know, God is doing the thing. Somebody would say, 0:02:14.560 --> 0:02:18.119 look at him, poor little welfare boy. Family of ten. 0:02:18.200 --> 0:02:21.640 You know, mama went third grade education. Well, I earned 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:29.360 all my degrees except the one I was given. Yeah. 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:34.520 Don't ever write anybody off. She was fired from her job. Uh, and, uh, 0:02:34.560 --> 0:02:38.120 she was told you are unfit for television. So the 0:02:38.120 --> 0:02:41.560 first job she had, uh, as a TV announcer, she 0:02:41.560 --> 0:02:48.680 was fired. Now she owns her own. And she is 0:02:48.680 --> 0:02:54.560 the richest African-American in America, worth over $3 billion. What's 0:02:54.560 --> 0:03:00.790 her name? Everybody. Same time Oprah. Now, I don't agree 0:03:00.790 --> 0:03:03.950 with her philosophy, but I sure wouldn't mind having some 0:03:03.950 --> 0:03:11.150 of her money. I. Will say I would too. And 0:03:11.150 --> 0:03:14.630 so what's going on here? Listen, he's saying listen, let 0:03:14.630 --> 0:03:18.470 me tell you about my identification. Uh, my name is James. 0:03:18.630 --> 0:03:21.430 But then look at his dedication. There are seven words 0:03:21.430 --> 0:03:26.950 in the New Testament translated servant or minister. And this 0:03:26.950 --> 0:03:30.630 is the one. Dulas. Dulas. Guess where it fits. Come on, 0:03:30.630 --> 0:03:32.870 holler out a number from 1 to 7. Holler out 0:03:32.870 --> 0:03:38.110 a number from 1 to 7. Seven. It's the worst term. 0:03:38.110 --> 0:03:43.230 It's the most abject term that one could use for slavery. 0:03:44.550 --> 0:03:47.070 And that's what he uses. Now you say wait wait 0:03:47.070 --> 0:03:49.470 wait wait wait. See? He's saying, look, am I suffering? 0:03:49.590 --> 0:03:54.430 I submit to the regal sovereignty of God. He could 0:03:54.470 --> 0:03:58.710 have said, God, my brother. He could have said, James, 0:03:58.710 --> 0:04:01.230 if I'd have wrote it. So you think he would 0:04:01.230 --> 0:04:05.510 have said James, a servant of Jesus Christ? James, half 0:04:05.510 --> 0:04:11.470 brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know what I'm saying? 0:04:13.950 --> 0:04:16.590 Ate at the same table with him. You know what 0:04:16.589 --> 0:04:21.670 I'm saying? In the same crib. You know what I'm saying? 0:04:22.070 --> 0:04:27.670 I am somebody. But he doesn't say that. He puts 0:04:27.710 --> 0:04:29.950 none of the relationship. He says, let me tell you 0:04:29.950 --> 0:04:34.950 who I am. A slave to Jesus Christ. That's why 0:04:34.990 --> 0:04:37.830 he could do anything he wants. Because I'm a slave 0:04:38.710 --> 0:04:43.789 to Jesus Christ, man. He's saying, listen, this word is 0:04:43.790 --> 0:04:48.550 really powerful. You know what it means? It means absolute conformity, 0:04:48.910 --> 0:04:53.710 abject humility and undivided loyalty. Let me say it again. 0:04:53.710 --> 0:05:00.310 It means absolute conformity. It means abject humility. And it 0:05:00.470 --> 0:05:06.710 means undivided loyalty. When you wanted to be a dulos 0:05:06.710 --> 0:05:08.190 and you were set free, guess what you have to do. 0:05:08.230 --> 0:05:11.430 You had to get in all h.w.l. I spell it 0:05:11.430 --> 0:05:14.110 because I can't pronounce it real well. And you had 0:05:14.110 --> 0:05:15.910 to put it through your ear so everybody would see 0:05:15.910 --> 0:05:21.510 the whole and know that you voluntarily became a slave 0:05:21.750 --> 0:05:24.910 even though you were free. And so Christ set us 0:05:24.910 --> 0:05:27.630 free from the slave market of sin. And he wants 0:05:27.630 --> 0:05:36.470 us to volunteer to become his slave. Here's what he's saying. 0:05:36.790 --> 0:05:42.789 Your will is all that matters. Not my wants. Not 0:05:42.790 --> 0:05:45.390 my pain. Not my problems. Not my trials. Not my tests. 0:05:45.430 --> 0:05:48.190 No no no no, I'm not saying that you don't 0:05:48.190 --> 0:05:50.310 feel the pain. I'm not saying that. And he won't 0:05:50.310 --> 0:05:53.030 say that. I'm not saying that you have to like it. No, 0:05:53.029 --> 0:05:56.950 I'm not saying that. I'm saying that you submit to 0:05:56.990 --> 0:06:01.549 what God has either authorized or allowed to happen in 0:06:01.550 --> 0:06:03.909 your life. In other words, he's saying your will is 0:06:03.910 --> 0:06:06.670 all that matters to me. James is saying, I'm not 0:06:06.670 --> 0:06:10.750 going to tip on Jesus because I'm telling you, there's 0:06:10.750 --> 0:06:13.470 a lot of Christians, man. We're the bride of Christ. 0:06:13.470 --> 0:06:17.110 We're married to Jesus. But the devil is our side piece. 0:06:19.750 --> 0:06:23.110 We're here with Jesus on Sunday and we shacking with 0:06:23.110 --> 0:06:26.350 the devil on Monday. And I already told you, you 0:06:26.350 --> 0:06:31.350 can't cast out a devil you sleeping with. We say devil, 0:06:31.350 --> 0:06:32.990 I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. He say, 0:06:32.990 --> 0:06:37.750 shut up and go and get in this bed. Mm 0:06:39.230 --> 0:06:44.110 mm mm. Yeah. You say, well, what did he say? 0:06:44.110 --> 0:06:47.270 He's saying, listen, I need you to understand this, that 0:06:47.270 --> 0:06:53.270 I submit in my person to the regal sovereignty of God. Listen, listen, I'm. 0:06:53.270 --> 0:06:54.630 I'm working on a message. I don't know if I'm 0:06:54.630 --> 0:06:56.390 going to get to it, because, you know, I have 0:06:56.390 --> 0:06:59.029 been all over the place here lately, you know, but, uh, 0:06:59.029 --> 0:07:01.110 I'm working on some messages, And one of the things 0:07:01.110 --> 0:07:03.550 I'm going to do is talk about what is the 0:07:03.550 --> 0:07:06.790 biblical basis, everything that we're going in. When I listen 0:07:06.790 --> 0:07:08.950 to the news, here's what I hear. I hear fruit, 0:07:08.950 --> 0:07:13.430 I hear, shoot, I hear nothing about fruit. Yeah, the 0:07:13.430 --> 0:07:17.550 problem is not with the world. The problem is with 0:07:17.550 --> 0:07:22.390 the church. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I'll go on record 0:07:22.390 --> 0:07:25.510 as saying. Why? Because. Thank you, Tony Evans. Because when 0:07:25.510 --> 0:07:28.070 you look at a football game, two teams on the field, 0:07:28.070 --> 0:07:30.710 they're both trying to make goals. But the most powerful 0:07:30.710 --> 0:07:33.270 people on the field are not part of the teams, 0:07:33.310 --> 0:07:36.190 the most powerful guys. There's five of them that's on 0:07:36.190 --> 0:07:38.910 the field. They're called the referees. Guess what? They don't 0:07:38.910 --> 0:07:42.990 have equipment on and they never pumped any iron. Most 0:07:42.990 --> 0:07:45.950 of them. And they never shot any steroids, but they 0:07:45.950 --> 0:07:50.070 got more power than everybody on that field. And their 0:07:50.070 --> 0:07:54.150 job is to make sure that what happens on that 0:07:54.150 --> 0:07:57.390 field is the instructions from the manual that came from 0:07:57.390 --> 0:08:01.350 New York. See, the NFL headquarters sent down a manual 0:08:01.350 --> 0:08:03.990 and said this is how the game ought to be played. 0:08:03.990 --> 0:08:07.310 And so the referees have the most power, because if 0:08:07.310 --> 0:08:13.190 that £350, uh, offensive tackle, uh, does something that's not 0:08:13.190 --> 0:08:15.830 in this book, he can throw that yellow flag and 0:08:15.830 --> 0:08:18.350 throw him out of the game. God has called us 0:08:18.350 --> 0:08:22.470 as the Church of Jesus Christ because we have a manual, 0:08:22.470 --> 0:08:25.710 and it didn't come from this world. It came from heaven. 0:08:25.750 --> 0:08:28.790 He gave us this manual, and we are the referees 0:08:28.790 --> 0:08:31.270 on this earth. And when the earth decides they're not 0:08:31.270 --> 0:08:33.830 going to listen to the manual, we throw out the 0:08:33.830 --> 0:08:37.189 flag of salvation, put them in check, and say, this 0:08:37.190 --> 0:08:40.230 is what thus saith the Lord. That's what we need 0:08:40.230 --> 0:08:43.550 to do. Amen. And it's time that the church be 0:08:43.550 --> 0:08:46.190 the church. So anyway, so what's happening? In other words, 0:08:46.190 --> 0:08:50.470 James is saying you're going through something right now, but 0:08:50.470 --> 0:08:54.829 you need to be more committed to Jesus purpose than 0:08:54.830 --> 0:08:58.550 you are in getting out of your pain. Amen. That's 0:08:58.550 --> 0:09:03.060 a hard message. Alexander the Great. He conquered the whole 0:09:03.100 --> 0:09:05.340 known world by the time he was 33. Same age 0:09:05.340 --> 0:09:09.100 as Jesus. But he died at 33, in an alcoholic stupor. 0:09:09.700 --> 0:09:12.819 Because a man who could control all those troops and 0:09:12.820 --> 0:09:16.460 all those nations all over the world couldn't control his 0:09:16.460 --> 0:09:20.780 own nature. Know anybody like that? So he wants the 0:09:20.780 --> 0:09:23.620 wealth of this city. He brings his troop. But the 0:09:23.620 --> 0:09:25.780 city is on a mountain. They made this city on 0:09:25.780 --> 0:09:30.100 a mountain, and it only has one way to approach it. 0:09:30.100 --> 0:09:33.699 And it has a wall that they built around. So 0:09:33.700 --> 0:09:36.020 if you could scale the mountain, you still have to 0:09:36.020 --> 0:09:40.220 scale the wall, which is about 30ft high. Alexander marched 0:09:40.220 --> 0:09:42.740 his troops up. Supposed to be true story marched his 0:09:42.740 --> 0:09:46.140 troops up and said to the king, who was on 0:09:46.140 --> 0:09:50.660 the wall, open the gates, open the gates, and let 0:09:50.660 --> 0:09:54.620 me in, and no one will lose their life. King said, 0:09:54.620 --> 0:09:56.420 you can't get up in here. You can't get all 0:09:56.420 --> 0:10:00.380 your men on on this narrow way, and you can't 0:10:00.380 --> 0:10:04.420 scale these walls. We have about three years worth of provisions, 0:10:04.420 --> 0:10:06.740 so go ahead and siege us because you ain't getting 0:10:06.740 --> 0:10:09.220 up in here. He said. Let me show you why 0:10:09.220 --> 0:10:11.579 you need to let me in. He called a division 0:10:11.580 --> 0:10:14.700 of his troops lined up in four, just like our military, 0:10:14.700 --> 0:10:20.100 and he said, forward. March 4x4 they came to the 0:10:20.100 --> 0:10:23.300 edge of the cliff, and without hesitation they kept marching. 0:10:23.300 --> 0:10:26.819 So four went over on down the mountain. Four more, 0:10:26.860 --> 0:10:31.179 four more, four more, four more, until the whole division 0:10:31.460 --> 0:10:36.900 marched off to their death off of that mountain. He 0:10:36.900 --> 0:10:39.140 looked up at that king. He said, you better have 0:10:39.140 --> 0:10:43.100 them open the gates. And the king said, open the gates, 0:10:43.100 --> 0:10:45.660 because there's no way we're going to be able to 0:10:45.660 --> 0:10:52.820 defeat a king who has followers who obey him like that. 0:10:54.540 --> 0:10:57.459 And that's what the world needs to know. People come 0:10:57.460 --> 0:11:01.140 in here now, pastor, pray for me. Pray for me. 0:11:01.179 --> 0:11:03.780 I need a job. Oh, God. I need a job. 0:11:03.820 --> 0:11:05.579 Then he come in. I don't care if you ain't 0:11:05.580 --> 0:11:07.500 having a testimony time. You gotta have a testimony time. 0:11:07.500 --> 0:11:12.620 I gotta tell this, Saints Friday I got my last 0:11:12.860 --> 0:11:15.380 unemployment check, but. 0:11:15.420 --> 0:11:20.060 Hallelujah. Oh, thank you, thank you. Monday I got my job. Wow. 0:11:21.540 --> 0:11:24.860 Two years later, y'all pray for me. I need to 0:11:24.860 --> 0:11:27.140 get another job. Because them people on that job, they 0:11:27.140 --> 0:11:30.300 ain't right. That boss. He ain't right. I'm the only 0:11:30.300 --> 0:11:34.660 Christian on. Why do you think God put you there 0:11:34.660 --> 0:11:40.260 in the first place? Yeah, you're taking the salt out 0:11:40.260 --> 0:11:42.980 and God got you the job. So you can show 0:11:42.980 --> 0:11:47.540 people that everybody that people who love the Lord aren't 0:11:47.540 --> 0:11:51.460 like everybody else. They don't do Facebook on company time. 0:11:51.620 --> 0:11:54.179 They don't take pens and paper. And what else do 0:11:54.220 --> 0:12:05.300 people steal from the job? Toilet tissue. Paper clips. Ink pens. 0:12:05.780 --> 0:12:11.820 Taking long lunches and stuff like that. A man so 0:12:11.820 --> 0:12:14.140 God can say. I have some people who don't talk 0:12:14.140 --> 0:12:18.100 about the boss because they realize ultimately he's just an agent. 0:12:18.100 --> 0:12:20.780 God is the source. I work for God. That's why 0:12:20.780 --> 0:12:25.100 I don't take extra breaks. Won't lift your head up. 0:12:25.100 --> 0:12:28.540 So I don't know. I'm talking to you. Got your 0:12:28.540 --> 0:12:31.100 head all down every time I say something. Stole something 0:12:31.100 --> 0:12:37.219 from the job. Taking extra breaks. Pretty soon you're going 0:12:37.220 --> 0:12:38.860 to be on the floor, I better stop. 0:12:43.179 --> 0:12:46.179 You're listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford, and he 0:12:46.179 --> 0:12:48.140 is going to stop for just a moment. But he'll 0:12:48.140 --> 0:12:50.220 be back in less than a minute as we continue 0:12:50.220 --> 0:12:53.940 the message. Seeing purpose in your problems and pain. You know, 0:12:53.980 --> 0:12:56.059 I know we can't always be listening to the radio 0:12:56.059 --> 0:12:58.380 for each and every broadcast, but you don't have to 0:12:58.420 --> 0:13:01.020 miss Pastor Ford's teaching a couple different ways that you 0:13:01.020 --> 0:13:03.059 can get that when you're on the. Go first, go 0:13:03.100 --> 0:13:05.940 ahead and subscribe to this podcast. And if you happen 0:13:05.940 --> 0:13:09.460 to use iTunes. For your podcasting, would you rate that? 0:13:09.460 --> 0:13:11.900 That will help us be found by even more people. 0:13:12.100 --> 0:13:15.300 You can also get the Moody Radio app. It's free 0:13:15.300 --> 0:13:18.780 and it's available for Apple products. And Android products. And 0:13:18.780 --> 0:13:20.820 it really makes it convenient for you to listen on 0:13:20.820 --> 0:13:23.100 the go as it fits your schedule. And not only 0:13:23.100 --> 0:13:25.660 can you listen to this program, but other Bible teaching 0:13:25.660 --> 0:13:29.300 programs produced by Moody Radio, you'll find the app at 0:13:29.300 --> 0:13:32.339 your favorite app store. Just look for Moody Radio. Well, 0:13:32.340 --> 0:13:35.380 let's get back to the message. Once again. Here's Pastor Ford. 0:13:36.340 --> 0:13:38.580 And so what is it? It is, it is. We 0:13:38.580 --> 0:13:43.220 understand that we are like the old children's game. Remember it, 0:13:43.260 --> 0:13:46.620 Simon says. Anybody old enough, old school like me, we 0:13:46.620 --> 0:13:49.020 used to play Simon Says, bunch of us. And we say, 0:13:49.020 --> 0:13:55.060 we say, Simon says, oh, run and you run. Simon says, stop, run! 0:13:55.059 --> 0:14:00.380 And you ran. Simon didn't say it. You out. Jesus 0:14:00.380 --> 0:14:10.579 said tithe. Jesus said witness. Jesus said serve. Jesus said, worship. 0:14:10.940 --> 0:14:14.300 Jesus said, be good stewards. Jesus said, love one another. 0:14:14.340 --> 0:14:15.820 Honor one another. Serve one. 0:14:15.820 --> 0:14:18.380 Another. Bear one another's. 0:14:18.380 --> 0:14:23.660 Burdens. Mm. Now notice with me. Notice with me. So then, 0:14:23.660 --> 0:14:27.020 not just the regal prerogative of God over your lives. 0:14:27.020 --> 0:14:29.700 Notice the regal prerogative of God in your problem. Say, 0:14:29.700 --> 0:14:31.580 where do you see that pastor? Right there. To the 0:14:31.580 --> 0:14:34.900 12 tribes which are scattered. He's he's writing to Jewish Christians. 0:14:35.140 --> 0:14:38.940 They are saved. But the Jews and he says they're scattered. 0:14:38.940 --> 0:14:41.780 Who remembers the word from from our Bible study. Uh, 0:14:41.820 --> 0:14:47.900 Wednesday Bible study. You remember it? Yeah. Diaspora or diaspora? 0:14:47.900 --> 0:14:51.420 Dia is a preposition. Spora means seed. So here's what 0:14:51.420 --> 0:14:54.780 it literally means. Seed sown. It's the word picture of 0:14:54.780 --> 0:14:57.380 a farmer who has weeded up where he's going to 0:14:57.380 --> 0:15:01.810 plant and then cultivated it, furrowed it, and then fertilized it, 0:15:01.810 --> 0:15:04.930 then dropped the seed in and put the soil on it. 0:15:04.970 --> 0:15:08.210 Here's what he said. God is sovereign in your problems. Why? 0:15:08.290 --> 0:15:14.370 Because like a farmer, he's strategically placed you where you are. 0:15:15.170 --> 0:15:20.290 And what he did was cover you with dirt. Now, 0:15:20.290 --> 0:15:23.450 what he wants you to do is when the sunshine 0:15:23.450 --> 0:15:27.610 of his promises and the water of his word hits you, 0:15:27.650 --> 0:15:30.050 he wants you to begin to grow in the grace 0:15:30.050 --> 0:15:32.570 and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 0:15:32.570 --> 0:15:36.290 and that whatever time he has you, he hasn't buried you. 0:15:36.330 --> 0:15:41.010 He just planted you. You are in incubation mode so 0:15:41.010 --> 0:15:44.130 so that once you begin to break free from the 0:15:44.130 --> 0:15:48.530 dirt that's on you, you will begin in your growth 0:15:48.530 --> 0:15:52.930 to lift your hands toward heaven. And you'll look down 0:15:52.930 --> 0:15:56.930 on what used to be over you, and you'll look 0:15:56.930 --> 0:16:06.890 up and blossom and give God some glory. I'm telling you, 0:16:08.610 --> 0:16:13.290 that's what it is. It's not an accident. It's providence. God, 0:16:13.290 --> 0:16:16.570 where am I? Right where I placed you. God, why 0:16:16.570 --> 0:16:18.930 am I still here? Because this is where I left you. 0:16:22.970 --> 0:16:27.290 Adelaide Pollard. Anybody ever heard her name? Okay, I bet 0:16:27.290 --> 0:16:31.010 you you sang her song because Adelaide Pollard wanted to 0:16:31.010 --> 0:16:33.370 go to Africa as a missionary. This was back in 0:16:33.370 --> 0:16:37.170 the time when women weren't doing that. And, uh, she 0:16:37.170 --> 0:16:39.490 knew God had called her to do this, so she 0:16:39.490 --> 0:16:44.930 tried to raise support from the church. Uh huh. Uh, 0:16:44.930 --> 0:16:46.890 you heard what I said. That's right. She tried to 0:16:46.890 --> 0:16:51.130 raise support from the church. Didn't get it. Here's what 0:16:51.130 --> 0:16:54.890 she said, and I quote, I went through a crisis 0:16:54.890 --> 0:16:58.090 of soul. What does she mean by that? I went 0:16:58.090 --> 0:17:03.010 through a crisis of soul. God, you called me to this, 0:17:04.010 --> 0:17:09.570 but you haven't provided for it. You called me to this. 0:17:10.890 --> 0:17:15.330 But there's an issue or a problem. Now you call 0:17:15.369 --> 0:17:19.770 me to this and I'm in pain because I don't 0:17:19.770 --> 0:17:24.929 see this happening the way you said it ought to be. 0:17:25.690 --> 0:17:27.369 So she went to a prayer meeting that night, and 0:17:27.369 --> 0:17:30.770 one of the teenagers, she said, that's a senior citizen. 0:17:30.770 --> 0:17:34.610 One of the teenagers just prayed a one line prayer. 0:17:35.130 --> 0:17:37.970 And she said, God minister to her in that one 0:17:37.970 --> 0:17:41.169 line prayer. She went home that night. And this is 0:17:41.170 --> 0:17:45.169 the song she wrote. Have thine own way, Lord. Have 0:17:45.170 --> 0:17:50.250 thine own way. Thou art the potter. I am the clay. 0:17:50.810 --> 0:17:55.050 Make me and mold me after your will. While I'm waiting. 0:17:55.090 --> 0:17:59.090 Yielded and still have your own way. Lord, have your 0:17:59.090 --> 0:18:05.610 own way. Wow, man. That's it. When are we going 0:18:05.609 --> 0:18:08.530 to realize that the Christian boat is a rowboat, not 0:18:08.530 --> 0:18:11.810 a motor boat? Because in a motor boat, you got 0:18:11.810 --> 0:18:14.490 all that power and you can see where you're going. 0:18:14.530 --> 0:18:19.050 But if you're in a rowboat, you can't see where 0:18:19.050 --> 0:18:23.570 you're going. It's the old coxwain. Remember that? That thing 0:18:23.570 --> 0:18:25.969 in the Olympics, the coxwain. They got the longboat with 0:18:25.970 --> 0:18:29.610 all the guys in it. They say stroke, stroke, stroke. 0:18:29.650 --> 0:18:32.010 This guy. Tell him to stroke. He ain't doing nothing. 0:18:33.690 --> 0:18:36.210 He's standing up there. He controlling the way they go. 0:18:36.250 --> 0:18:39.170 Stroke and the speed and everything. And you know what? 0:18:39.170 --> 0:18:44.930 That's Jesus. We rowing, supplying what's necessary to get things done. 0:18:45.090 --> 0:18:50.970 And what happens? Jesus is saying row row row row row. 0:18:52.530 --> 0:18:55.850 Notice secondly with me notice secondly with me the regal 0:18:55.850 --> 0:18:59.730 prerogative of God. You gotta be committed to it to 0:18:59.730 --> 0:19:02.050 have strength in your struggle. But then notice secondly, and 0:19:02.050 --> 0:19:03.690 this is where I'll stop. You got to have the 0:19:03.690 --> 0:19:06.610 right perspective about your struggle. Look at what it says, 0:19:06.609 --> 0:19:10.409 my brethren. Count it all joy when you fall into 0:19:10.410 --> 0:19:13.490 divers temptation. I want you to see something here, because 0:19:13.490 --> 0:19:15.730 what he's going to tell us two things he's going 0:19:15.770 --> 0:19:18.890 to say. There's an attitude towards suffering that demonstrates you 0:19:18.890 --> 0:19:21.889 have the right perspective. Here's what he said. When we 0:19:21.890 --> 0:19:23.690 go into trouble, let me just speak for myself, because 0:19:23.690 --> 0:19:26.530 I know ain't nobody going to relate to it. Going 0:19:26.530 --> 0:19:33.490 through something. Why? Why me? Why now? Why this? And 0:19:33.490 --> 0:19:36.250 James is saying that's not the right perspective. It's not 0:19:36.250 --> 0:19:41.650 the right question. Not why? What? See, God must work 0:19:41.650 --> 0:19:44.490 in you before he works for you so he can 0:19:44.490 --> 0:19:46.970 work through you. Let me say that again that God 0:19:46.970 --> 0:19:50.050 must work in you before he works for you, so 0:19:50.050 --> 0:19:52.649 he can work through you. The idea is he wants 0:19:52.650 --> 0:19:55.050 to work through you. So whenever you begin to think 0:19:55.050 --> 0:19:56.850 about it, we talked about this before. Some of you 0:19:56.850 --> 0:20:00.770 may remember there on the boat and the boats doing 0:20:00.770 --> 0:20:02.170 the Nae Nae. I don't know how to do it, but, 0:20:02.210 --> 0:20:04.570 you know. Stanky leg. Stanky leg. The boat. The boat. 0:20:04.609 --> 0:20:08.210 The boat is doing it, all right. It's doing it. 0:20:09.050 --> 0:20:11.889 And they're. They're afraid. Fishermen who fished on the Sea 0:20:11.930 --> 0:20:15.090 of Galilee all their life as little boys, as teens, 0:20:15.130 --> 0:20:19.050 as adolescents, as adults. And there's a storm that they 0:20:19.050 --> 0:20:22.690 ain't never seen before. And they say, man, Jesus, this storm. 0:20:22.690 --> 0:20:26.770 What you going to do? And Jesus says, don't be afraid. 0:20:26.890 --> 0:20:31.530 And then he says, storm, shut up. Now here's the question. 0:20:31.530 --> 0:20:34.530 Some of you may remember. Why did he tell them, 0:20:34.570 --> 0:20:38.570 don't be afraid before he stopped the storm. Because in 0:20:38.570 --> 0:20:40.889 my way of thinking, if he stopped the storm, they stopped. 0:20:40.890 --> 0:20:46.490 Be afraid. No. Jesus knew he must steal the storm 0:20:46.490 --> 0:20:50.770 on the inside before he steals the storm on the outside. 0:20:50.890 --> 0:20:54.210 Because often when he steals the storm on the outside, 0:20:54.210 --> 0:20:56.970 the storm is still raging on the inside. You don't 0:20:56.970 --> 0:21:00.720 believe it? Okay, then why are you still struggling with 0:21:00.720 --> 0:21:03.520 something that happened ten years ago? Why are you still 0:21:03.520 --> 0:21:06.199 struggling with. Why are you still tore up from the 0:21:06.200 --> 0:21:09.639 floor up about some stuff that was done to you 0:21:09.800 --> 0:21:14.000 that you ain't got over yet? Cuz you got a 0:21:14.000 --> 0:21:21.040 storm inside. And Jesus had to steal that storm. Why? 0:21:22.680 --> 0:21:28.320 Why not me? Why not now? Why not? This attitude 0:21:28.320 --> 0:21:31.040 determines action. That's what he's trying to get us to see. 0:21:31.080 --> 0:21:32.720 And he says, count it all joy. Now I'm talking 0:21:32.760 --> 0:21:34.840 about counting many. But wait a minute. What do you mean, joy? 0:21:35.359 --> 0:21:38.240 I'm glad he didn't say happiness. Wanna know why? Because 0:21:38.240 --> 0:21:43.239 happiness depends on what happens. But joy is independent of circumstances. 0:21:43.240 --> 0:21:45.600 So we know two things. Because he used the word joy. 0:21:45.640 --> 0:21:48.080 Number one, we know it's the fruit of the spirit. 0:21:48.119 --> 0:21:52.760 Number two, we know that it is joy that's independent 0:21:52.760 --> 0:21:54.280 of circumstances. That's what we know. 0:21:56.000 --> 0:21:58.920 That is Pastor James Ford junior, teaching us to have 0:21:59.040 --> 0:22:02.840 joy in the spirit despite our circumstances. You're listening to 0:22:02.880 --> 0:22:06.720 Treasured Truth and a message Pastor Ford calls seeing purpose 0:22:06.760 --> 0:22:10.680 in your problems and pain. Now, as Christians, God wants 0:22:10.680 --> 0:22:12.480 us to be people of the word. I mean, that's 0:22:12.480 --> 0:22:15.800 how we grow in our understanding and discover truths like 0:22:15.800 --> 0:22:19.600 we're hearing today about having joy in our suffering, but 0:22:19.640 --> 0:22:23.320 were surrounded by a worldly and secular system in which 0:22:23.320 --> 0:22:26.399 all truth we're told is relative and there are no absolutes. 0:22:27.119 --> 0:22:29.920 You know, the Bible isn't as openly attacked as much 0:22:29.920 --> 0:22:34.240 as it's generally undermined. And the result is that it's 0:22:34.240 --> 0:22:37.119 not just unbelievers who then begin to question God's Word. 0:22:37.320 --> 0:22:40.720 Many Christians are beginning to have doubts as well. To 0:22:40.760 --> 0:22:43.719 help you answer the pressing questions of our times, like 0:22:43.720 --> 0:22:46.560 how did God inspire the Bible? And what did Jesus 0:22:46.560 --> 0:22:48.840 think of God's Word? We'd like you to have a 0:22:48.840 --> 0:22:53.080 book by Doctor John MacArthur called Why Believe the Bible? Now, 0:22:53.080 --> 0:22:57.200 this helpful book provides timeless answers to timely questions, and 0:22:57.200 --> 0:22:59.080 you can request a copy when you give a gift 0:22:59.200 --> 0:23:02.000 of any amount to treasure truth, just call us at 0:23:02.000 --> 0:23:09.400 888644 7660 or go online to Treasure Truth Radio.com. And 0:23:09.400 --> 0:23:11.760 you know, there's another way to support this ministry, and 0:23:11.760 --> 0:23:15.280 that's by becoming a monthly partner. While we're grateful for 0:23:15.280 --> 0:23:18.720 every gift we receive, when you partner with us, it 0:23:18.720 --> 0:23:22.280 sustains our ability to broadcast God's Word every weekday on 0:23:22.280 --> 0:23:26.040 this station and 24 over seven on our internet podcast. 0:23:26.640 --> 0:23:29.000 Become a monthly partner when you call us at eight, 0:23:29.040 --> 0:23:36.560 88644 7660 or go online to Treasure Truth Radio.com. I'm 0:23:36.560 --> 0:23:39.480 Steve Hiller, our producer is Amy Rios. Join us Wednesday 0:23:39.480 --> 0:23:42.720 as we continue this message on seeing purpose in your 0:23:42.720 --> 0:23:46.600 problems and pain. That's here on Treasure Truth. A production 0:23:46.600 --> 0:23:50.440 of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.