INTRO.- Facts are facts, but not all of them are helpful to us in life.
ILL.- For example, consider this fact about fleas. A flea can jump well both vertically and horizontally. Some species can jump 150 times their own length. To match that record, a human would have to spring over the length of two and a quarter football fields—or the height of a 100-story building—in a single bound. The common flea has been known to jump 13 inches in length and 7.25 inches in height.
I know that you found this flea fact to be utterly fascinating and helpful. It’s nice to know some things, but knowing certain things won’t do much for us when we’re out of work, out of money, or are having serious problems in life. Facts are not facts, but not all facts are helpful in life.
Heb. 4:12 "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
II Tim. 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Since we believe that the Bible is the Word of God, living and active, we know that the words are not just a bunch of facts to be learned, but rather they are words of life. Words that give life and give meaning to our lives.
ILL.- It seems that famed scientist Albert Einstein had more trouble finding his way home from work than he did finding the key to atomic power. One evening as Einstein sat deep in thought aboard the train that brought him home each night, the porter approached to collect his ticket. Einstein rummaged around in his coat, through his pockets, in his shirt, and everywhere else he could think of, growing alarmed at his inability to find the ticket.
"That’s okay, Dr. Einstein," said the porter. "I know you ride this train every day. I can collect tomorrow." "That’s fine for you, young man," Einstein replied, "but how am I supposed to get off the train without my ticket?"
Albert Einstein could do many intelligent things, but he couldn’t figure how to get off a train. Likewise, there are many intelligent people in the world, but when it comes to spiritual matters or how to cope with life, they are lost.
ILL.- I’d love to know some of the things that Bill Gates knows about computers, but I’d put my spiritual knowledge up against his any day of the week. He may well be a spiritual man, but I haven’t seen any indication of it. And his knowledge of the computer may make him a ton of money, but that knowledge won’t help him when it comes to spiritual matters, such as life and death or how to cope with life’s difficulties and how to cope with a person’s death.
Facts are facts, but not all of them are helpful.
PROP.- In this message I want to share basic Biblical facts for life; facts that will actually help us in life.
1- Temptation is inevitable - be on your guard (13-15)
2- God is good - be grateful (16-18)
3- Anger is not good - be aware (19-21)
I. TEMPTATION IS INEVITABLE - BE ON YOUR GUARD
James 1:14 "But each one is tempted..."
Temptation is inevitable. It will come our way. It will knock on our door or the door of our hearts. It will pass down our street and pass by our eyes.
ILL.- Drew Anderson, in Reader’s Digest, wrote, "While my wife and I were shopping at a mall, a shapely young woman in a short, form-fitting dress strolled by. My eyes followed her. Without looking up from the item she was examining, my wife asked, ‘Was it worth the trouble you’re in?’"
ILL.- Mr. Toad baked some cookies. "These cookies smell very good," said Toad. He ate one. "And they taste even better," he said. Toad ran to Frog’s house. "Frog, Frog," cried Toad, "taste these cookies that I have made."
Frog ate one of the cookies, "These are the best cookies I have ever eaten!" said Frog. Frog and Toad ate many cookies, one after another. "You know, Toad," said Frog, with his mouth full, "I think we should stop eating. We will soon be sick."
"You are right," said Toad. "Let us eat one last cookie, and then we will stop." Frog and Toad ate one last cookie. There were many cookies left in the bowl.
"Frog," said Toad, "let us eat one very last cookie, and then we will stop." Frog and Toad ate one very last cookie. "We must stop eating!" cried Toad as he ate another. "Yes," said Frog, reaching for a cookie, "we need willpower." "What is willpower?" asked Toad.
"Willpower is trying hard not to do something you really want to do," said Frog. "You mean like trying hard not to eat all these cookies?" asked Toad. "Right," said Frog. Frog put the cookies in a box. "There," he said. "Now we will not eat any more cookies." "But we can open the box," said Toad. "That is true," said Frog.
Frog tied some string around the box. "There," he said. "Now we will not eat any more cookies." "But we can cut the string and open the box." said Toad. "That is true," said Frog. Frog got a ladder. He put the box up on a high shelf.
"There," said Frog. "Now we will not eat any more cookies." "But we can climb the ladder and take the box down from the shelf and cut the string and open the box," said Toad. "That is true," said Frog.
Frog climbed the ladder and took the box down from the shelf. He cut the string and opened the box. Frog took the box outside. He shouted in a loud voice. "Hey, birds, here are cookies!" Birds came from everywhere. They picked up all the cookies in their beaks and flew away.
"Now we have no more cookies to eat," said Toad sadly. "Not even one." "Yes," said Frog, "but we have lots and lots of willpower." "You may keep it all, Frog," said Toad. "I am going home now to bake a cake."
Brothers and sisters, be it cookies or cakes, temptation will come to each of us. Most of the time, however, it will come in other forms.
Why are we tempted to do wrong? To sin? Basically, I think the reason is because Satan is very real, very evil, and sin entered the world through him and because of him. And sin has infected every human being. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are all infected by sin. And temptation is not sin, but it can lead to sin.
James 1:14 "But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed."
BY HIS OWN EVIL DESIRE. We all need to recognize that we have our own evil desire. We all have a dark side. We are tempted to do evil, to do wrong at times. BE ON YOUR GUARD.
ILL.- When I was about eighteen years old I decided I wanted to box. I wanted to get involved in the Golden Gloves boxing world. The reason was because there were two guys in my graduating class who did the same and were fairly successful at it.
I went to the Joplin, MO, boy’s club and asked about boxing. The coach put me in the ring to spar with a two-time Golden Glove champion. I went after him with everything I had but I never hit him one time. But he was so fast that he hit me dozens of times. I came out of that ring with a busted nose and bleeding mouth. I DIDN’T KEEP MY GUARD UP. I knew he was coming at me, but I didn’t keep my guard up.
Temptation to do wrong will come your way. The evil one will come at you. Keep your guard up. Pray. Read God’s Word. Go to church. Go to Bible study. Call a Christian friend for support. Do whatever to keep your guard up.
II. GOD IS GOOD - BE GRATEFUL
James 1:16-18 "Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth..."
ILL.- Thomas Edison was concerned about the way visitors to his office helped themselves to his expensive Havana cigars. Since he wouldn’t lock them up, his secretary suggested he have cigars made from cabbage leaves and substitute them for the Havanas. Edison agreed, then forgot about it, and only remembered later when the Havanas started vanishing again.
When he asked his secretary why the bogus cigars hadn’t arrived, she told him they had arrived and had been given to his manager -- who, not knowing they were fakes, had packed them for Edison to take on a trip. "And do you know," Edison laughed, "I smoked every one of those cigars myself!"
It’s called deception. Edison smoked his own cabbage leave cigars, thinking they were expensive cigars and didn’t even know it. He was deceived into thinking that something bad or mediocre was really something good. That’s the deception of the world. The world says, "This is really good stuff." And we try it and find out it’s bad stuff. That’s so true with many things, like drugs and drinking.
The world is pretty good at deceiving people. The world sometimes says, "How can there be a God? Look at all the bad stuff that takes place in the world. If there is a God and He is love, how could He allow such stuff to happen? How could He allow 9/11 to happen?"
James is writing to counter this kind of thinking. God is good and we need to be grateful.
James 1:16-17 "Don’t be deceived...every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father...."
God is our Heavenly Father and He gives us nothing but good stuff! Have you looked around you lately?
ILL.- One of God’s faithful missionaries, Allen Gardiner, experienced many physical difficulties and hardships throughout his service to the Savior. Despite his troubles, he said, "While God gives me strength, failure will not daunt me."
In 1851, at the age of 57, he died of disease and starvation while serving on Picton Island at the southern tip of South America. When his body was found, his diary lay nearby. It bore the record of hunger, thirst, wounds, and loneliness. The last entry in his little book showed the struggle of his shaking hand as he tried to write legibly. It read, "I am overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness of God."
Brothers and sisters, if that poor missionary could see the goodness and blessing of God in the midst of his terrible existence, what about us? HAVE WE TAKEN A GOOD LOOK LATELY AT OUR BLESSINGS FROM GOD?
ILL.- My 1998 Ford Taurus has almost 111,000 miles on it. To some people, that’s a lot of miles and they wouldn’t dream of continuing to drive it if they had the ability to trade it off for a better car. To other people, that’s not a lot of miles.
I busted a taillight on it two and a half years ago when I backed into a pickup truck in the snow covered parking of a church in Southern Illinois. I patched the hole in the taillight with clear tape. Sometimes that tape waves in the wind. I’ve even heard some of you make comments like, "We know it’s Steve because his tail is waving."
Some months ago I pulled into the Odd Fellow-Rebekkah Nursing Home next to a concrete abutment or wall. I had never parked there before and I will never park there again! I pulled into the right but when I went to back out, I tried to back out to the left and I heard a big crunch. I knew then what I had done and what I had hit.
I crunched my lower right fender well and scraped it really good. It’s obvious that I tried to run over something or someone.
And again, I’ve heard a few people comment about my fender and/or my driving habits. And I know that some people wouldn’t want to drive a car with it scraped up like mine is. But it’s been dependable. I like the way it drives. It’s plenty fast. It’s comfortable. It’s smart-looking (for me) in spite of it’s scrapes and waving tail. I love the silver color and the spoiler on the trunk lid.
There are times when I would like to drive a better car, a newer car, a fancier car, a faster car. BUT I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT GOD IS GOOD AND I AM GRATEFUL! I have concluded that my car is a blessing from God and I’m grateful for it as well!
Again, James says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father."
Have you looked around lately? Have you taken a really good look at the "good" things that God has given you? Material things, physical things, fleshly things, etc. IF SO, THEN BE GRATEFUL TO HIM!
Stop complaining about everything. And stop wishing for more and more.
I Thess. 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
Phil. 4:12-13 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH." God is good - be grateful.
III. ANGER IS NOT GOOD - BE AWARE
James 1:19-20 "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."
ILL.- One lady said, "When I was working in the credit department of a jewelry store, an irate customer replied to a payment reminder with this line: ‘You have made me so think, I can’t mad straight.’" Of course, what she meant was "You have made me so mad, I can’t think straight."
And that’s what anger does. It fouls up our thinking and many other things.
ILL.- A lady once came to preacher Billy Sunday and tried to rationalize her angry outbursts. "There’s nothing wrong with losing my temper," she said. "I blow up, and then it’s all over." "So does a shotgun," Sunday replied, "and look at the damage it leaves behind!"
Brothers and sisters, there is something wrong when we lose our tempers. We generally do a tremendous amount of damage to the people around us, to ourselves and to our own relationship to God. Most anger is not pleasing to God because of the damage it does and because most anger is simply self-centered. We get angry simply because we don’t get our way.
ILL.- Someone said that getting angry can sometimes be like leaping into a wonderfully responsive sports car, gunning the motor, taking off at high speed and then discovering the brakes are out of order.
This means there is bound to be a colossal amount of damage as a result of our anger.
ILL.- Will Rogers once said, "People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing." I would say they would also crash as well.
ILL.- Someone said, "A good thing to remember is that you can’t save face if you lose your head." Getting angry and blowing up at people betrays you or portrays the person you really are.
ILL.- Benjamin Franklin once said, "Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one."
ILL.- William Penn said, "It is he who is in the wrong who first gets angry."
James is saying, anger is not good - be aware of this.
What can we do to conquer our anger? How can overcome it? How can we better our relationships with one another?
First, we must bring this problem to the Lord. The Lord is the only one who can help us conquer some things...especially, things are a detriment to us and dominate us. WE MUST PRAY AND PRAY AND PRAY! We must pray for forgiveness, for grace, for strength, for the strengthening of God’s Spirit within, etc.
And somehow, we must learn to deal with people in a kinder and more gentle manner.
I Pet. 3:8-9 "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."
God wants to bless us but He can’t or won’t if we go around with a bad attitude and an angry disposition, causing trouble all the time. We must look to the good in others and overlook the bad. We must be more compassionate and less dominate in our dealings with others. We must be more humble and less prideful. We must think more of them and less of us.
ILL.- Many years ago a senior executive of the then Standard Oil Company made a wrong decision that cost the company more than $2 million. John D. Rockefeller was then running the firm. On the day the news leaked out most of the executives of the company were finding various ingenious ways of avoiding Mr. Rockefeller, lest his wrath descend on their heads.
There was one exception, however; he was Edward T. Bedford, a partner in the company. Bedford was scheduled to see Rockefeller that day and he kept the appointment, even though he was prepared to listen to a long harangue against the man who made the error in judgment.
When he entered the office the powerful head of the gigantic Standard Oil empire was bent over his desk busily writing with a pencil on a pad of paper. Bedford stood silently, not wishing to interrupt. After a few minutes Rockefeller looked up. "Oh, it’s you, Bedford," he said calmly. "I suppose you’ve heard about our loss?" Bedford said that he had. "I’ve been thinking it over," Rockefeller said, "and before I ask the man in to discuss the matter, I’ve been making some notes."
Bedford later told the story this way: "Across the top of the page was written, ’Points in favor of Mr. _______.’ There followed a long list of the man’s virtues, including a brief description of how he had helped the company make the right decision on three separate occasions that had earned many times the cost of his recent error.
"I never forgot that lesson. In later years, whenever I was tempted to rip into anyone, I forced myself first to sit down and thoughtfully compile as long a list of good points as I possibly could. Invariably, by the time I finished my inventory, I would see the matter in its true perspective and keep my temper under control. There is no telling how many times this habit has prevented me from committing one of the costliest mistakes any executive can make -- losing his temper. I commend it to anyone who must deal with people."
Brothers and sisters, before we blow up at someone, let’s consider the good they’ve done which may well outweigh their evil. Let’s consider the person over the parting that could take place. Let’s consider others more than ourselves.
Anger is not good - be aware of this.
CONCLUSION-------------------------------------
ILL.- There was once a widow who kept a hen that laid an egg every morning. She thought to herself: "If I double my hen’s allowance of barley, she will lay twice each day." So she tried her plan, but the hen became so fat and lazy that she quit laying altogether.
Brothers and sisters, many times in life we think wrongly or have wrong ideas and come to wrong conclusions. Why is this? It’s because we’re not listening to the right person. Facts are facts, but not all of them come from the Lord.
After Jesus was transfigured on the mount, God said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. LISTEN TO HIM!" If we want to go right in life, we must go to the right source for help in life. When things go wrong in life (and they will), there is only One person who can tell us what is right and make things right.
