Speaker: Pastor Emeritus Peter Unruh

                                             SERMON TEXT

Compassion

James 1:27- Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep themselves from being polluted by the world.

James 2:18b – Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you mine by what it has done for me.

James 1:26 – (The Message) Anyone who set himself up as ‘religious’ by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Pure religion must pass muster before God the Father.

Holiness

Romans 12:1 – (New Living Testament) Be holy as I am holy. I plead with you…be a living and holy sacrifice…This is truly the way to worship”

1 John 5:21 – (New Living Testament) Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

                                          SCRIPTURE READING                                                                                           

James  4:13-16

13- Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise.

14– Is anyone of you sick? He should call the Elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

15– And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

16- Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

                                                  SERMON TEXT

1. A praying church practices secluded praying:

Matthew 6: 5,6 –And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward. But when you pray go to your closet, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your farther who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

2. A praying church practices serious praying:

Matthew 6:7 – And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their man words. Ephesians 6:10- Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:18,19 – And pray in the Spirit at all times and on all occasions. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere and pray for me too…”                                                     

Psalm 66:18-If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

3. A praying church practices substantial praying:

James 4:7,8 & 5:16- Submit yourselves to God. Come near to God and He will come near to you. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 
 

SERMON TEXT

1. Stand Firm     2. Focus On The Lord’s Return    3. Draw Upon God’s Love   

James 4:7 – Be patient then, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop; and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.    

James 4:8 – You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.  

Philippians 4:1 – Stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.  

I Thessalonians 3:8 – Now we really live if you stand firm in the Lord.      

2 Thessalonians 2:15 – Stand firm, hold on to the teaching.

James 4:10 – Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

James 4:11 – As you know, we count as blessed, those who have persevered. You have heard of Jobs perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Job 13:14 – Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.   

Job 19:25 – I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will stand upon the earth and after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God.  

Lamentations 3:22,23 – Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 

Ephesians 3:19 – and to know this love that passes knowledge

James 1:1– James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

James 1:2 – Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kind.

James 1:3 – Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

James 1:4 –Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Matthew 28:19,20 – Go and teach (mathetes – disciple) all nations, teaching (discipling) them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.

2 Timothy 2:2– The things which you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

I Peter 2:2 – Like new born babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.

James 1:3,4 -You know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance, 4. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete lacking nothing.

I Corinthians 10:23- No testing has taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tested above what you are able bear but will with the testing also make a way to escape.

James 1:3 – You know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance – (endurance.)

James 2:14- What good is it, my brothers if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?

James 2:26 – As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.

Ephesians 2:8,9 – For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and that is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

Principle 1: The Bible cannot contradict itself.

2 Timothy 3:16- All Scripture is God-breathed.

Principle 2: We must know the author’s reason for his writing and to whom he is writing.

James 2:18 – You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do.

Principle 3: We cannot isolate a text from the context.

Ephesians 2:10 – We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.

1 Peter 2:12 – Live such good lives among unbelievers that they may see your good deeds and glorify God.

           GOD’S CONDITIONAL PROMISE TO BLESS AMERICA

1.    To bless us and America means to “commend,” to “favor.”

Mark 10:16 – “Jesus took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and
blessed them”

2.    To bless us and America means to “prosper.”

Ephesians 1:3 – “How we praise God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed (prospered) us with every spiritual blessing (prosperity) in heaven
because we belong to Christ.”

3.    To bless us and America means “happiness.”

Matthew 5:6 – “Blessed (happy) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed (happy) are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. Blessed (happy) are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”

2 Chronicles 7:13,14 – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

1 Peter 4:8 New International Version (NIV)

⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 1:15 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;

James 5:19-20 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

James 1:13 – When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.

James 1:14 – but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.

Where did evil originate?

a. Evil does not exist.                                                                                                       

b. Evil has always existed.                                                                      

c. Evil originated with God.

d. None of the above.

Ephesians 6:12 – We are not fighting flesh and blood enemies but evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:13 – Therefore, put on every piece of armor so that you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle, you will be standing firm.

Matthew 16:15 -18 – (Jesus) asked: “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied: “You are Peter and upon this rock (Peter’s confession) I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”

Luke 24:50-51
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

Luke 24:52-53
52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Hebrews 4:14
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

Hebrews 4:15-16
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 7:23-25
23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Acts 1:8 New International Version (NIV)
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:9
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.