SAFE GUIDELINES FOR LIFE
James 1:5-21
INTRO.- ILL.- George W. Bush, in an airport lobby, noticed a man in a long flowing white robe with a long flowing white beard and flowing white hair. The man had a staff in one hand and some stone tablets under the other arm. George W. approached the man and inquired, "Aren’t you Moses?" The man ignored George W. and stared at the ceiling. George W. positioned himself more directly in the man’s view and asked again, "Aren’t you Moses?" The man continued to look at the ceiling. George W. tugged at the man’s sleeve and asked once again, "Aren’t you Moses?" The man finally responded in an irritated voice, "Yes I am". George W. asked him why he was so unfriendly and Moses replied, "The last time I spoke to a Bush I had to spend forty years in the desert.
Young people, I am not a Moses nor a burning bush, nor a George W. Bush, but I do want to help you and give you some direction in life. Everybody needs help in life and everybody needs some direction.
ILL.- 36-year-old Robert Downey Jr. has done it again! He’s in trouble with the law again and it’s because of the same old problem: drugs. He won’t leave drugs alone!
The news item reads: CULVER CITY, Calif., April 24 — Robert Downey Jr., in another brush with the law over drug use, was arrested Tuesday and booked for investigation of being under the influence of a controlled substance, police said.
Spokesman Alan Nierob said the actor voluntarily checked himself into an undisclosed rehabilitation facility shortly after his release from jail. Hours after Downey’s latest arrest, he was fired from the TV show “Ally McBeal.”
Young people, what do you think of Robert Downey Jr.? What’s your honest opinion of him? And what do you think is going to happen to him? AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE IN HIS SHOES?
One thing we all should realize about Robert Downey Jr. is this: MONEY AND FAME DON’T MAKE LIFE WONDERFUL!
The only way I know to have a better life, a more fulfilling life is by following the Lord.
John 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have to the full.” Jesus offers a full life, a fulfilling life.
PROP.- I would like for us to consider some safe guidelines for life from the book of James which hopefully will help lead us to a better life in the Lord.
1- The place of wisdom
2- The pain of trials
3- The power of temptation
4- The plurality of gifts
5- The pitfall of anger
I. THE PLACE OF WISDOM
V. 5 “If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
ILL.- Intelligence is not the same as wisdom. A minister, a Boy Scout, and a computer expert were the only passengers on a small plane. The pilot came back to the cabin and said that the plane was going down but there were only three parachutes and four people. The pilot added, “I should have one of he parachutes because I have a wife and three small children.” So he took one and jumped.
The computer whiz said, “I should have one of the parachutes because I am the smartest man in the world and everyone needs me.” So he took one and jumped. The minister turned to the Boy Scout and with a sad smile said, “You are young and I have lived a rich life, so you take the remaining parachute, and I’ll go down with the plane.” The boy Scout said, “Relax, Reverend, the smartest man in the world just picked up my knapsack and jumped out!
That computer whiz wasn’t so smart after all or as smart as he thought he was!
If any of you lack wisdom. I say, who doesn’t lack wisdom? Some people don’t think they do. The first step in getting wisdom is to realize you don’t always have it!
ILL.- One time when I was pretty young my older brother talked me into stealing a watermelon from my neighbor’s garden, which was directly across the street from our front yard. And not only did I steal that watermelon, I stole it in broad daylight!
Needless to say, my neighbor caught me red-handed and marched me right across the street into my house and into my Dad’s presence for me to confess what I did.
I was not very smart for several reasons! I should never have let my older brother talk me into doing his dirty work.
DID YOU EVER DO ANYTHING DUMB OR STUPID? Tell me about it! No, don’t tell me about it. We all do dumb things. Some people just won’t admit to it.
If any of you lacks wisdom. We all lack wisdom at times in life. The important thing is to realize this and then figure out where to get it.
Young people, you may get your intelligence from your mom and dad, and some of it from your schooling, BUT TRUE WISDOM COMES FROM GOD!
Do you want be smart or get smarter? Seek the Lord’s wisdom. And it’s found in the book! And let me encourage you to start by reading the book of Proverbs. There’s a whole lot of God’s wisdom in that book that will help you in life! Read it! Listen to it! Practice it! It’s wisdom at it’s best!
II. THE PAIN OF TRIALS
V. 12 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
ILL.- There was once a golfer who was having a perfectly horrible day on the golf course. When he didn’t hook the ball he sliced it, and when he didn’t slice the ball he hooked it. On each hole things got worse and worse.
Finally on the 11th hole after missing his third putt, he failed to hole the ball from eight inches. That was it! He took all his balls and threw them in the water. He broke three of his best clubs over his knee. There he sat on the edge of the 11th green crying like a baby, a perfect picture of frustration. I’ve got to give it up! I’ve got to give it up! he muttered over and over again. "Golf?" his caddie asked. "No, the preaching ministry".
In life, you will have troubles. No matter who you are: preacher, plumber, painter or politician.
Ask any adult here and they’ll tell you the same thing. Our problem is not knowing what to do when we face them.
ILL.- One day Linus and Charlie Brown were walking along and chatting with one another. Linus said, "I don’t like to face problems head on. I think the best way to solve problems is to avoid them. In fact, this is a distinct philosophy of mine. No problem is so big or so complicated that it can’t be run away from!"
Running away from problems and pain in life sounds good. And it may be true that some things can be faced better by running from them. But most of the time, we have to face our problems and pain and deal with them.
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial.” How do we learn to persevere when we face the trials of this life? We can do the “Nike” thing. JUST DO IT!
But there’s a better way to persevere when faced with trials in life. We can do the “David” thing. The “Paul” thing. The “Job” thing.
We can look up to the Lord and ask Him for mercy and grace. We can ask for mercy in the midst of the trials and for the grace to be able to keep going, to endure, and to overcome!
David said in Ps. 40:1 “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” The “David thing” is to cry out to the Lord and He will hear us and rescue us.
Job fell down before the Lord and worshipped. He said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:20-21 The “Job thing” is to worship the Lord in the midst of our trials.
Paul said in II Cor. 12:9 “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” The “Paul thing” is to humble ourselves before the Lord in order to receive His power.
The best way to face any and all trials in life is to look to the Lord. To keep on praying. Keep on asking for mercy, grace, help, and strength. HIS STRENGTH IS THE BEST THERE IS!
ILL.- I have read that when they first manufactured golf balls, they made the covers smooth. Then they discovered that after a ball had been roughed up a golfer could get more distance out of it. So they started manufacturing them with dimpled covers.
In life you will get “roughed up!” But it is through this roughness that God will take you to greater heights in life!
1- The place of wisdom
2- The pain of trials
III. THE POWER OF TEMPTATION
V. 13-14 “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.....’ But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”
ILL.- A 4 year old was caught by her mom standing in a chair eating cookies, after she had been told not to, here is how she explained the situation, "Mom it’s not my fault, I just climbed up to smell them, and my tooth got caught."
ILL.- A poor country pastor was livid when he confronted his wife with the receipt for a $250 dress she had bought. "How could you do this!" he exclaimed. "I don’t know," she wailed, "I was standing in the store looking at the dress. Then I found myself trying it on. It was like the Devil was whispering to me, "Gee, you look great in that dress. You should buy it."
"Well," the pastor persisted, "You know how to deal with him! Just tell him, "Get behind me, Satan!" "I did," replied his wife, "but then he said "It looks great from back here, too."
V. 14 “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”
ILL.- An overweight businessman decided that it was time to lose weight. He took his new diet seriously, even changing his driving route to avoid his favorite bakery. One morning, however he arrived at work carrying a big gigantic coffee cake.
"This is a very special coffee cake," he explained. "I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and there in the window were a host of warm goodies. I felt this was no accident so I prayed, `Lord if you want me to have on of those delicious coffee cakes, let me find a parking place directly in front of the bakery.’
"And sure enough," he continued, "the 8th time around the block, there it was!"
The temptation to do evil will happen to everyone. I only know of one person who said he was never tempted to sin. When asked why, he replied, “Never have any temptations. Don’t have time.”
That is why being very busy can be a real blessing. Most of us know that the busier we are, the less time we have for getting into trouble. So don’t complain when someone asks you to do something. They may well be doing you a favor!
Carry out the trash! Mow the yard! Do the dishes! Clean up your room! Dust the furniture! Clean out the garage! Wait on the preacher!
There is only one answer to the power of temptation: LOOK TO THE LORD!
James 4:7-8 “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.”
1- The place of wisdom
2- The pain of trials
3- The power of temptation
IV. THE PLURALITY OF GIFTS
V. 17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father...”
By plurality of gifts, I mean many gifts. We have received many good gifts from the Father above.
ILL.- A barber in a small town was busy cutting hair one day when the local cop walked in to get a haircut. And the barber was feeling a bit generous that day, so he said to the cop... "Since you do such a good job protecting us, and watching over us... today’s haircut is free." The cop said he appreciated that, and the next day when the barber showed up at his shop, there were a dozen donuts waiting for him.
In walks a local florist. The barber tells him how much he appreciates all the work that he has done around town, planting bushes and flowers and making the town look real nice, so he gives him a free haircut. The next day, the barber shows up at his shop and there are a dozen flowers waiting for him.
In walks the local preacher, the barber tells him how he is feeling generous that day, and how much he appreciates all his hard work with the children and taking care of the needs of the people, so the preacher gets a free haircut. The next day the barber shows up at his shop, and there are a dozen preachers waiting there for him.
We need to think of all the blessings that we have received from the Lord! The dozens and dozens of preachers! Ha! No, but we all have received dozens and dozens of good gifts from the Lord!
ILL.- One time I asked a group of high schoolers in Sunday School what it was that they just couldn’t live without. One high school girl said, “My pretty clothes.” A boy said, “I couldn’t live without my music. My boom box, my CD’s.” Another boy said, “I couldn’t live without my truck.”
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT? Whatever it is, you need to consider it a blessing from the Lord! If it’s something really good, it’s a blessing from the Lord!
Have you taken a look at what you have lately? Have you gone into your room counted all your blessings? Have you looked around the house and thought about all the good things that you enjoy in life? Food, clothing, nice home to live in, TV, computer, boom box, parents who love you, sports to enjoy, friends, on and on.
Mom and dad have done a pretty job of providing for you. BUT GOD HAS DONE AN EVEN BETTER JOB! Because all good gifts come from Him! And you need to be thankful! You need to tell Him “thank you” and live like you are thankful.
1- The place of wisdom
2- The pain of trials
3- The power of temptation
4- The plurality of gifts
V. THE PITFALL OF ANGER
V. 19-20 “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak AND SLOW TO BECOME ANGRY, for man’s anger (your anger) does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”
God is saying to you, “Cool it!” “Calm down!” “Take it easy!” “Don’t get so upset!” And He may be saying, “You’re cruising for a bruisin!” Because that’s exactly what anger can do to you! It’ll cause you to get bruised up, one way or the other.
The way of anger is not good. The result of anger is not good.
ILL.- Some American soldiers during the Korean War rented a house and hired a local Korean boy to do their housekeeping and cooking. This little Korean fellow had an unbelievably positive attitude about things. He was always smiling and looked for the best in everything. So they decided to play some tricks on him.
One day they nailed his shoes to the floor. He’d get up the morning and try to put on his shoes and couldn’t. But he didn’t get upset or angry, he would just pull out the nails, put his shoes on and say nothing.
Another time, they put grease on the cooking stove handles. He would just wipe it off, smile and keep on cooking. Another day, they put a bucket of water over the door, and he walked through it, the bucket came down and spilled the water all over him.
Finally, these American soldiers started to feel bad about all the dirty tricks they’d pulled on their little friend. They said, “We’re sorry about all these tricks we’ve pulled on you. We’re never going to do it again.”
The little Korean boy said, “You mean no more naily my shoes to the floor? You mean no more putty sticky on the stove knobs? And not more putty water bucket over the door?” “NO MORE,” they said.
The Korean boy replied, “OKAY, THEN I SPITTY IN THE SOUP NO MORE!”
Those American soldier’s weren’t mad at that little Korean boy, but the principle of what happened holds for true anger.
When we show our anger, fly off the handle, blow up, especially show our anger in an ungodly way, which is most of the time, it will always come back to get us! Somebody, somewhere is going to spit our soup! Or something similar.
Ungodly outbursts of anger do a lot of damage and not all of it to the person to whom it is aimed! Sometimes it backfires in a big way.
James 1:20 “For man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”
A hard lesson to learn in life is to control our anger. We can vent it. We can stuff it, that is, on the inside. Or we can work to prevent it. And that’s the important thing to do.
One way to do that is not to expect too much out of people. If you expect people to be perfect or to do everything your way, you are going to be sadly disappointed and possibly, very angry most of the time. DON’T DO IT!
God knows that we are not perfect. Far from it, but He is very patient and we have to learn to be that way with others. WE MUST ALWAYS LOOK TO HIM! He is our source of strength, and patience! He can enable us to overcome our anger and we must let Him!
CONCLUSION------------------------------------
Isaiah 40:31 “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” SOARING ON WINGS LIKE EAGLES. Sounds good.
ILL.- A man told about a TV program which showed an eagle that was chained to a rock. It had some 20 or 30 feet of chain attached to its legs which in turn was attached to an iron bolt in a rock.
There it was, the king of birds, meant to soar into Heaven, but it was chained to earth. That is exactly what has happened to so many people in life. God wants us to soar to the heights of glory, but so often, we are chained to this life.
Young people, it is only in the Lord that you will be able to soar to the heights of glory! Please don’t allow the world to chain you to it’s gloom and doom. Break free! Look up to the Lord! Live in Him! Lean on Him! Live for Him! And you will soar higher than you ever thought possible!
