GENUINE: Submission to God

Read James 4:1-10.
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” James 4:7.

There are battles within us. Most often, they are rooted in our personal desires. The devil is a strategist who entices our flesh by tempting us. He wants us to fall into the temptations he presents to us.

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" Matthew 26:41.

Temptation is not yet sin, it is in the split-second decision that we can sin if we give in. Our desires are not sin either, it is when we cannot detach ourselves from it and see it as our source of fulfillment that it becomes a sin. It hinders our relationship from God. Sin is an illegitimate means to our legitimate needs. What do we do when we are faced with temptation?

WHAT TO DO WHEN FACING TEMPTATION:
1. Submit to God.
2. Resist the Devil.

WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN FACING TEMPTATION: Resist first.
Resisting is not the first step. Resisting first makes us fail. We need the grace of God when we resist. When we resist first, we focus more on “resisting” and in the things that we’re missing out on. The devil is an expert in this area. It is not our battle!

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Ephesians 6:12 .

“So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty” Zechariah 4:6.

The grace of God comes to us as we resist when we humble ourselves and submit ourselves to God.

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” James 4:6.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5.

SUBMISSION TO GOD STARTS WITH A DECISION.
The world offers temptation as an instant solution to our needs, but in the long run, it will not be good for us. When we decide to submit to God, we face Him and turn our backs on the things that we seem to be “missing out” on.

SUBMISSION TO GOD IS LIVING A LIFE OF SURRENDER.
“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” James 4:8.

Living a life of surrender to God is allowing God to take the driver’s seat.

LIVE A SURRENDERED LIFE
Are we living a life of surrender? What do we do when temptation hits us?

GENUINE: Small yet Powerful

Read James 3:1-12.

“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark” James 3:5.

There is power in the spoken word. Someone once referred to our tongue as a “concealed weapon” that each of us has. All we need to do is open our mouths and it can do damage.

A good gauge to measure the spiritual maturity of a person is by how he uses his tongue.

The words of a person can give you a clue of what kind of individual he is.

James says that the one who can control his tongue is considered perfect.

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. James 3:2.

The bible says that the tongue cannot be tamed (James 3:8). It is the most exercised and least controlled muscle in our body. With it, we can either build people up or tear them down.

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise”
Proverbs 10:19.

There is a direct relationship between the heart and the tongue.

“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart,
and these make a man ‘unclean’”
Matthew 15:18.

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality,
theft, false testimony, slander”
Matthew 15:19.

NATURE OF THE TONGUE:

Sets Direction of your Life.

“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn
the whole animal” James 3:3.

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” Proverbs 18:21.

Even the smallest of words set big directions. When we accepted Jesus into our lives, we declared that “He is LORD.” When we get married, we say “I do.” What we speak to our children also sets them to a direction. The words that we speak become reality. Words set a direction in the heart.


Can bring Destruction.
“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark” James 3:5.

“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts” Proverbs 26:22.

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be” James 3: 9-10.

What are our motives when we open our mouths to speak? A few, seemingly insignificant words can destroy friendships, marriages, ministries or the church.

3. It needs Dependence on God.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be” James 3:7-10.

No man can tame the tongue, but it does not mean that it is untamable. Only the Spirit of God can tame the tongue. In order for our tongue to be tamed, the spiritual heart must be changed. A changed heart leads to a changed language. A new heart produces a new tongue. Only God can change a person’s heart.

“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” Luke 6:45.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” Proverbs 4:23.

Our salvation does not automatically change the way we live. Discipleship and dependence on the Holy Spirit is needed. When we depend on the Holy Spirit on our Christian walk, we bear the fruit of the Spirit.

GODLY SPEECH REVEALS GENUINE FAITH.
“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” Luke 6:45.

GENUINE: Evidence of Faith

Read James 2: 14-26.

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” James 2:26.

A genuine Christian can be recognized, not by how much of the Bible he knows, but by how much of the Word of God he applies in his life. Faith and works are meant to go together.
The apostle Paul wrote that the righteous will live by faith (Hebrews 10:38). He made it clear, once and for all, that salvation is by the grace of God and that we have done absolutely nothing to gain it.

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

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” Hebrews 11:6.

But what kind of faith pleases God?
Paul’s letters complement the epistles of James in stating that evidence of faith must be shown in our actions.

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

3 KINDS OF FAITH:

Dead Faith.
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:20 (KJV).
People with dead faith are those without any lifestyle change. If there is no lifestyle change, there is probably no heart change. We need to be able to express our faith in what we do.

Head Faith.

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that –and shudder”
James 2:19.

Demons believe that there is only one God. They believe in the Trinity. They believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. They believe that Jesus Christ died and was risen from the dead and through which we are saved. But Demons are NOT saved! Coming to church and knowing the bible does not make one a Christian. There must be internal change that lead to external change.

Genuine & Saving Faith.

“You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made by what he did” James 2:22.

“You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone” James 2:24.

Are we really working out our faith? Is being a Christian a statement or a reality in your life? Our faith must be seen in the way we treat our spouses and in the way we lead our homes. Our faith must be able to withstand temptations and our tongues must be used to glorify God.

The moment we declare that we are Christians, we put ourselves under the scrutiny of other people. Are we living the Word? Do we use our lives to make an impact on people and our community?

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:16.

FOR GOD’S GLORY, NOT OUR GLORY.

GENUINE: Hearing and Doing

Evidence of Faith – “How we live.”

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at this face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does” James 1:22-25.

Nowadays, buying fake items is prevalent for different reasons. For some, they have been deceived into buying them while others choose to do so because they don’t want to spend for the original which usually costs so much more.
Some people can immediately tell the real from the fake. Bank tellers can immediately identify fake bills because they are so used to handling real bills.
Only God can tell if our faith is genuine or not. It is impossible for anyone to be saved apart from God, this is why we must show others that we are saved in the way we live our lives so that we can lead them to Jesus Christ.

FAITH IS PROVEN BY OUR RESPONSE TO THE WORD

BENEFITS OF THE WORD OF GOD:

1.The Word saves us.

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you”
James 1:21.

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” Romans 10:17.

It is important that we fill our minds with the Word of God because what we fill our minds with is what we will live by. It takes a while to fill our reserves that’s why we must make it a habit to get into the Word. The Word of God is effective in getting rid of all the filth and temptation.

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you”
Psalm 119:11.

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word”
Psalm 119:9.

Faith is more than just knowing the Word. Faith is how much of the Word has been applied in our lives.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says”
James 1:22.

2. The Word gives freedom.

“But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does”
James 1:25.

Many people are trapped in the cycle of sin such as drug addiction, drunkenness, lying, gambling, stealing and immorality. Knowing the Truth of God’s Word frees us from the bondages of these sins.

“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts”
Psalm 119:45.

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”
John 8:31a-32.

3. The Word gives blessings.

“But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does”
James 1:25.

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” Joshua 1:8.

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers”
Psalm 1:3.

It is important that we meditate on the Word of God and apply it in our lives because the bible says that it is through obedience that we prosper. Prosperity is not limited to finances. It also pertains to family, church, friends and health. Prosperity is the ability to enjoy life to the fullest and the key to living an abundant life is when we let the Word of God affect our lives.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”
John 1:1.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” John 1:14.

WWW.VICTORY SERIES: Multi-generational

“…what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands”
Psalm 78:3-7.

We honor God when we obey his command to go and make disciples. But who are we supposed to reach out to? The bible tells us that we are to reach the multi-generation. Not just one generation but thousands of generations before us.

“This is my name forever. The name you shall call me from generation to generation”
Exodus 15b.

Illustration:
Our forefathers ->Their children->Next Generation ->Children yet to be born->their children->so forth.

Read Joshua 2:7-12.

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel”
Joshua 2:10.

Joshua and his generation succeeded in everything during their lifetime but failed to teach the next generation about the LORD, whereas, in the New Testament, the apostle Paul stressed the importance of passing on sincere faith to multi-generation in his letter to his disciple, Timothy as he reminded him of the faith that his grandmother had passed on to his mother and then to him.

“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also”
2 Timothy 1:5.

Paul referred to grandmother Eunice’s sincere faith. What is sincere faith? Sincere faith is having a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul, then, urged Timothy to continue to pass on the faith to the generations after him. If your faith is not sincere, you cannot pass it on.

“and the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others”
2 Timothy 2:2.

ESTABLISHED GENERATION or the NOW-GEN.
The NOW-GEN refers to the present generation of Christians who know, love and obey God. There are three types of people in the NOW-GEN: The Spectators, the Commentators and the Coaches. The Spectators watch the action happen, the Commentators express their opinions on the action happening in front of them and the coaches are the ones who pass on the baton to the EMERGING GENERATION or the NEXT-GEN.

EMERGING GENERATION or the NEXT-GEN.
These are the people who will remember God’s deeds.

“so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children”
Psalm 78:6.

LET GOD BE HONORED IN EVERY GENERATION IN EVERY NATION

“Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands” Psalm 78:7.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me . Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”
Matthew 28:18-20.

WWW.VICTORY SERIES: Make Disciples

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always,
to the very end of the age”
Matthew 28:19-20.

A person’s final words are the most important words that he will say. Jesus’ last words before he joined the Father were to go and make disciples and baptizing them. Jesus came to bring salvation to all those who believe. This gift is not just for us; It is meant to be shared. Everywhere, people are searching for the truth and the world offers so many cures to what people are going through. As Christians, we know the real Truth. We must rise up and tell the world the real gospel because the only way that people can be cured is to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO:

1. Follow God.

“Come, follow me, “ Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men”
Matthew 4:19.

“And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple”
Luke 14:27.

Before we can make disciples, we must first have a relationship with God. We cannot give what we do not have. Following Christ means that there will be difficulties ahead. Do you still want to follow Christ?

“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it”
Matthew 7:14.

2. Fellowship with fellow Believers.
Fellowship means “life shared.” God wants us to have genuine relationship with the people of God. This can happen in small groups where we can be more intimate and personal with each other. Our gifts can operate within small group settings where we can pray for one another and encourage each other (Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:25). In small groups, we will encounter people who are as imperfect as we are. Jesus started his small group of 12 imperfect men who later on made a difference in the world.

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid”
Proverbs 12:1.

3. Fish for men.
Jesus’ heart is for the lost. We must obey when God says go. We honor God whenever we follow His great commission.

FOLLOW JESUS AND HELP OTHERS TO FOLLOW HIM.

WWW.VICTORY SERIES: Honor God

Values dictate our behavior. Every family has a set of values they live by. Every church have their own set of values. Where do we get these values?

“Jesus replied: `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and commandments hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40.

(Also read Colossians 1:9-10).

Most Christian churches, including Victory Church Philippines base their values on this verse found in the book of Matthew. To “honor God” is the fundamental value of our church.
Why do we honor God? We honor God because He is worthy.

“Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom”
Psalm 145:3.

“Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy”
Psalm 99:5

What does it mean to honor God?

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”
Matthew 15:8.

To honor God is more than just a lip service, it is more than just coming to church and doing religious routines. Honoring God is a heart issue. We make a decision to honor God in everything that we do beforehand.

“`If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name, says the LORD Almighty, I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me’”
Malachi 2:2.

HOW TO HONOR GOD:

1.Honor God in church.

We value honoring God even above our relationships.

2. Honor God in the Family

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” Ephesians 5:25-26.

3. Honor God in work.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” Colossians 3:23.

4. Honor God in our finances/wealth.

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops”
Proverbs 3:9.

We honor God with our wealth through giving and in stewardship.

“A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous” Proverbs 13:22.

5. Honor God by honoring our parents.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you”
Exodus 20:12.

WE HONOR GOD IN EVERYTHING WE DO.
We are all called by God to honor him. He is pleased when our only desire is to honor Him.