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Sermon:
Her Perfect Work
– Part 2…practical
application
by Chris
Cumming
printer-friendly MP3
Part 1 of this sermon
Back in June of this year, I gave you Part 1 of this sermon. It was
primarily a deep immersion into James 1 and verse four.
James 1:4
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and
entire, wanting nothing.
We discussed and explored the meaning of each of the phrases of this
verse:
1] "let patience have her perfect work."
2] “that ye may be perfect and entire.”
3] “wanting nothing.”
My encouragement in that sermon was to let patience have her perfect
work.
Let patience have her perfect work.
What I will do now is give you some of the key statements from that
sermon to refresh your memory before looking at examples of putting this
Godly knowledge into practice. I will be pulling key phrases and
statement from scripture, from commentary and my specific statement
given in Part 1 of the sermon. In some cases, I will paraphrase and/or
compress, encapsulate and summarize what was said.
1] Let (patience—Godly principles)
be fairly developed. Let it produce its appropriate effects without
being hindered.
2] Godly principles work.
3] It is not enough to just know them, we must open them up, plant them,
start them up or put them into action to see, know and experience their
full potential.
4] Principles, fully invoked, conform us to the image of Jesus Christ (2
Corinthians 3:18).
5] Do not allow any negative element to stand between you and the full
potential of Godly principles.
6] Afflictions, perhaps more
than anything else, will do this (open
the potential), and we should
therefore allow them to do all that they are adapted to do in developing
what is good in us (that
good being Christ in us).
7] The trials we go through are more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7).
8] God has given us a number of processes that lead to salvation. We
cannot neglect them.
9] God has called us to salvation and after we have suffered a while, we
will be made perfect (1 Peter 5:10).
10] Spiritual things are more powerful than man.
11] God knows that we are weak in certain areas but He has given us the
Holy Spirit to overcome all of them (Romans 8:26).
12] Hold fast to the profession you were called to (Hebrews 4:14)
13] God says that if you want help in time of need, come boldly before
His throne (Hebrews 4:16).
14] We are to take pleasure in infirmities and in necessities, etc. for
God gives us strength (2 Corinthians 12:10).
15] Stablish your hearts by invoking all Godly principles and processes
He has set before us (James 5:8).
16] Giving all diligence add one Godly principle to another (2 Peter
1:5-7).
17] If one is abounding in the manifestation of God’s principles you
shall never be unfruitful (2 Peter 1:8).
18] Only by diligence can a firstfruit make his or her calling and
election sure (2 Peter 1:10).
19] If a firstfruit lets patience (and
all Godly principles) have her perfect work, they shall never
fail (2 Peter 1:10).
20] The more firstfruits invoke the power of the Holy Spirit, the
stronger they become (Job 17:9).
21] You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength
(Philippians 4:13).
22] Be ye perfect like your Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
23] To be perfect get wisdom (Proverbs 4:7-8).
24] To be an expert at letting Godly principles immerse yourself in the
Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
25] God will make you perfect in every good work and this a glory to God
forever (Hebrews 13:20-21)
26] If any firstfruit lacks wisdom in these matters, ask God for that
wisdom.
27] The path of the just is a shining light because of Holy Spirit
invoked and the more this is done the brighter that light gets leading
up to the return of Christ (Proverbs 4:18).
Now let us talk in practical and biblical terms in putting all this
wisdom into action. How do I let patience have her perfect work? How
do I invoke the various fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)?
We can talk about invoking fruits of the Spirit to a number of people
including our spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, brethren, children, family
members, neighbors, co-workers, acquaintances, strangers and enemies, as
well as God and Jesus Christ. I am going to give you a list for a
number of these fruits. Clearly some will be specific to some of the
people I just listed. Some will be more universal.
What I am about to give you is not an exhaustive concordance on
every possible good work that could be performed. What I am hoping is
that you will allow the list to inspire your mind to add to [create]
your own unique list. What I did here was to go to a number of web
sites dedicated to these subjects. I am not going to give you a verse
for each one, though verses are given. Your natural spiritual
understanding and wisdom will confirm to you that they are linked to
biblical principles. Most, if not all, will be self-evident.
As we discuss these works; these fruits of the Spirit, are all
manifested in us by the power of the Holy Spirit; Christ living in and
through us.
Expressing Love
--understand your partner’s needs.
--offer words of affirmation, compliments, stating your positive
feelings, saying “I love you.”
--give of your time. Spend time together.
--perform acts of service.
--gifts.
--physical touch.
--verbalize your feelings.
--show affection.
--express gratitude. Show your appreciation.
--be kind, even in arguments and contentions.
--share joy. Celebrate the other person’s blessings and good news.
--give five times more positive interactions than negative interactions.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily
provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth
all things.
John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 15:13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends.
Mark 12:31
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Invoking Honesty
--think before you speak.
--say what you mean and mean what you say.
--bend over backward to communicate in an open and honest fashion.
--understand there is no such thing as little white lies or lying for
the sake of Jesus.
--simplify your statements so that everyone clearly understands your
message.
--tell it like it is rather than sugarcoating it.
--present both sides of each issue to engender objectivity.
--if you have a personal bias or a conflict of interest, make it known.
--tell people the rationale behind your decisions so that your intent is
understood.
--if something is misinterpreted, quickly correct the record.
--don’t shoot the messenger when someone tells you the truth. Thank them
for their honesty and treat the information provided as a gift.
--willingly accept responsibility by admitting a mistake or an error in
judgment — in a timely fashion.
--hold people accountable when their words do not match their actions.
--never compromise your integrity and reputation by associating yourself
with people whose standards of integrity you mistrust.
1 John 3:18
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in
deed and in truth.
Proverbs 11:3
The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of
transgressors shall destroy them.
Proverbs 21:3
To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than
sacrifice.
James 1:26
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue,
but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Matthew 5:37
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is
more than these cometh of evil.
Invoking
Persistence
--Have an all-consuming vision. Persistent people have a goal or
vision in mind that motivates and drives them.
--Have a burning desire. Persistent people want it bad, really
bad and they never look for an excuse or way out.
Repeated failures, dead ends, and periods when it seems like no progress
is being made often come before any major breakthroughs happen.
Persistent people have the inner energy and intensity to keep them
motivated and going through these tough times.
--Have inner
confidence powered by the Holy Spirit.
People
who overcome the odds and achieve greatly are often described as
"marching to the beat of their own drummer." In our case that drummer [leader]
is Christ. They know what they want and are seldom swayed by the opinion
of the masses.
--Have highly developed habits. Highly persistent people have
strong self-discipline. They have strong and continual habits that
overcome obstacles. They move mountains.
--Have the ability to adjust and adapt. When their plan is not
working, they look for better ways and constantly improve their
opportunities of success.
--Have a
commitment to lifelong learning.
Any worthy goal from physical/financial success to that of ultimate
salvation takes time, process, effort and learning new skills and
thinking patterns. Ongoing learning is seen as part of a process
through which the highly persistent continually expand the range of
tools that they have to work with.
Note:
The whole idea and concept of the Sabbath day, Holy Days, the Feast of
Tabernacles and every Bible study and sermon is about continual
learning, education and the getting of knowledge, understanding and
wisdom.
--Have role models that act as guides and mentors. This begins
with following Christ and those leaders in the Body of Christ as they
follow Christ. Highly persistent people have mentors and confidantes in
their lives.
Galatians 6:9
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not.
Proverbs 24:16
For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked
shall fall into mischief.
Philippians 3:14
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.
1 Corinthians 11:1
…Paul speaking [See: "You
Are Following a Man ...a common accusation"]
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Invoking the
Edification of others
[see
your Edification Blog] 97 suggestions.
--lift others up. Do things that result in others saying, “You made my
day!”
--encourage others at every opportunity.
--tell others, especially those in service jobs, that you appreciate
them and their work.
--refuse to listen to gossip.
--use positive words, phrases, thoughts, stories, videos and news.
--smile.
--seek the prosperity and success of others.
--bail a buddy out of the blues. Get them off the couch. Get them
outside and into the sunlight.
--be all ears…listen.
--be an inspiration to others.
--be known as a good tipper. See sermonette: “The
Twenty-Dollar Tip”
--fast for others.
--pray for others.
Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which
is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the
hearers.
Romans 14:19
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and
things wherewith one may edify another.
Romans 15:2
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
1 Corinthians 14:26b
...Let all things be done unto edifying.
1 Timothy 1:4 [see
lesson]
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister
questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
Invoking Patience
Having patience creates fertile ground for the other fruits of the
Spirit to reside, such as peace, joy and love.
Unlike most all the principles we have discussed above where one could
apply all or most of the points at one time, the list for patience is
one in which you pick the best point to address the situation.
--identify what is causing stress in your life.
--write about it. Pour out your feelings in a personal journal.
--get on your knees in prayer. Put your journal at God’s feet.
--become an expert at spiritual meditation.
--practice “letting go and letting God.”
--talk to your confidant/mentor/counselor.
--have perspective on life. Remember what really matters.
--get busy and do something.
--remember that everything is process and takes time.
--prepare for any potential shock or incident. Expect the unexpected.
--give yourself a break. Rest. Sleep.
--have a pet cat or dog or make regular visits to pet shelters.
--do not blame others or yourself for your situation.
--do not waste energy seeking to control or change other people.
--relinquish the need to convince others that you are right.
--avoid arguments and debate.
--avoid negative people and influences.
--have a To Do list. Make plans daily.
--play calming music.
--employ calming essential oils, such as lavender.
--slow down. Free up your daily schedule.
--practice thinking before you speak.
Romans 12:12
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.
Romans 8:25
But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for
it.
Psalm 37:7-9
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because
of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked
devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to
do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD,
they shall inherit the earth.
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom
of fools.
James 1:19
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to
speak, slow to wrath:
Ephesians 4:2
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one
another in love;
Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Invoking
Forgiveness
--forgiveness is a command.
Colossians 3:13
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a
quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
--forgiveness is a gift that you give to the other person.
--forgiveness begins with prayer.
--forgiveness is a decision.
--forgiveness is a process and takes time.
Elements of action to forgiveness:
--recognize that forgiveness on your part is needed.
--confess your anger or offense to God.
--invoke a Matthew 18 process if needed.
--cleanse yourself. Release the situation.
--allow the healing of God.
--when forgiveness is needed, begin with self-examination.
--mediate on God forgiving you.
--conduct periodic self-examination. “Do I have anything against
anyone?”
Mark 11:25
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that
your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Matthew 6:14-15
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Matthew 18:15
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his
fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast
gained thy brother.
Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
Ephesians 4:32
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Invoking
Compassion
--be considerate to friends, family and strangers.
--have true outgoing for others and events, like disasters, victims of
crime, abused animals, etc.
--be affectionate. Your gestures of affection reduce stress in others.
This could be a hug, a pat on the hand or a warm smile.
--communicate in a warm way.
--show empathy…a showing that you understand/identify with another’s
feelings or emotions.
--be selfless. Take your needs out of the equation. Put your focus and
energy on the other person.
--practice acts of kindness. Examples would be a gift, a meal, humor or
offer to help with burdens.
--send a meaningful message. Let the person know you are there.
--show unconditional love. Don’t just hear, but listen without
judgment. Give sound advice. Be understanding.
1 Peter 3:8
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love
as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Psalm 145:8
The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of
great mercy.
The example of Jesus:
Mark 6:34
And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with
compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a
shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
Matthew 20:34
So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately
their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
Matthew 15:32
Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on
the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have
nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint
in the way.
Final admonition:
James 3:17
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy.
In Part One of this sermon, we learned the concept.
In this sermon we gain practical application.
So go now and let patience have her perfect work.
Homework:
Other fruits of the Spirit to study and invoke..
Courage
Encouragement
Faith
Fairness
Gentleness
Giving
Goodness
Growth
Human Dignity
Integrity
Joy
Longsuffering
Meekness
Nurturance
Peace
Potential
Process
Quality
Service
Temperance
Trust
Truth
Part
1 of this sermon
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