Faith Tested By Trials

August 28, 2021 by Jace Kohen

We’re happy to have Dr. Sid Dyer preaching for us again this Sunday. Sid is a professor of Greek and Church New Testament at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

This Sunday Dr. Sid Dyer brings a message from the book of James, chapter 1, verses 2-8, entitled, “Faith Tested by Trials.” Suffering and troubles can be regarded as pure joy only when there is the understanding that they are conceived by God for His purpose. These are tests of faith given in order to develop perseverance, which in turn produces character in a mature Christian.

1,019

North Greenville Church

North Greenville Church is a Reformed and Presbyterian fellowship that seeks to establish a traditional church of Christ in northern Greenville County.

North Greenville Church

2 months ago

Come to North Greenville Church at 6:00 pm on Thursday, March 28 during Easter Week, for a worship service of preaching, scripture reading, prayer and congregational singing. Led by the Rev. Tim Leslie, we will remember Jesus’ ministry in the upper room during Passover Week, who ushered in the new commandment of remission of sins in His blood shed on the cross. Our observance of the Lord’s Supper during the service is open to all trusting in Christ alone for their salvation, and who are members in good standing in a Bible-believing church.The post Maundy Thursday Service: March 28 first appeared on North Greenville Church. ... See MoreSee Less

Maundy Thursday Service: March 28 - North Greenville Church

www.northgreenvillechurch.org

View on Facebook

North Greenville Church

2 months ago

Where do our influences about Christian doctrine come from? Internet scoffers, or the Bible? Scoffers are critical of orthodox doctrine. They sometimes find acceptable that God is love. Yet, they get uncomfortable if asked how He can punish sin. The Bible has many passages talking about sin and punishment. A good question is why someone would die in our place. Why is the cross necessary? What does it achieve? John Calvin says it accomplishes a wondrous exchange. The exchange is penal substitution. Christ accepts a legal judgment in our place. The judgment results from God's infinite holiness. It makes sense that the seriousness of the sin be judged by the position of the one sinned against. The natural man can't define what is just and unjust with any sense of agreement. We all tend to pursue our own rule. Sin is the greatest injustice against the holy God. In sin, we incur a great debt we can never repay. The punishment for this is torment in hell forever. But God placed our sin on Christ on the Cross for our sake, upon Him who knew no sin. He could not sin. He was the innocent Passover lamb. In this penal substitution, the debt of sin we owe is credited to the account of the Son, and the Son's righteousness is credited to us. We are then cloaked in the royal robes of righteousness. Christ was cursed for us, quelling God's wrath in propitiation. This is all of God's love for us. By this means, God provides us with reconciliation with Him, even though we did not ourselves pursue reconciliation with Him. God removes from us the offense of sins, brings us peace and friendship with God, and makes us a new creation. For the first time, we can love instead of hate in selfishness. We can now regard people created in the image of God, not according to the flesh. This work has just begun among God's people, and will only become fully complete when Christ returns. Until that time, we are ambassadors for Christ, testifying to the world about God's unmerited favor toward us. ... See MoreSee Less

Sermons - North Greenville Church

www.northgreenvillechurch.org

Sermons Subscribe to Podcast All sermonsiTunes • Other Sermons (399) Next page » What The Cross Achieves 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (Part of the Eastertide series). www.northgreenvillechurch.org...

View on Facebook

North Greenville Church

6 months ago

Why do we need to worry? God cares about all the things in our lives, even the little things in our lives. Whatever we eat or wear or need, God cares. God knows what he is doing. We must learn to trust in God and not our own possessions. We can never have enough possessions. Where is our security? Is it in our treasure? Is it here, or in heaven? God says, "Trust me." We can never store away enough things to meet the needs that we anticipate. Where is our security? Being thrifty is wise, but where is our security? Wealth will never bring about true happiness. When we trust things, we come up lacking. This is the health and wealth gospel which is false. These are the "thorny ground hearers" in the parable of the seeds (or the soils). Cares choke out the gospel in their lives. In Psalm 10, David writes, "those don't think of God. In all their thoughts, there is no God." Our practices much match our faithful testimonies. We must look to Jesus to provide for us. Worry is a moral problem. If we worry, our treasure is in the wrong place. How do I glorify God with my material things? If we concentrate on material things, we have the wrong master. Would we rather have Jesus than silver or gold? When we trust in Jesus, we become heavenly minded, applying our minds to things on earth and how we live, things such as witnessing, giving and so forth. These are heavenly treasures. You are united in Christ, and the Holy Spirit brings you understanding. In Romans 11, we see that the heavenly minded person thinks about these things--whatever is pure, just, lovely and honorable. We don't worry about what we should wear, eat, and so forth. We tend to follow our ancient parents; we try to be God. We must pray, "Teach us, O Lord, how not to worry." In verse 33 we see Jesus exhorting us to, "seek first the Kingdom of God." The Pharisees, on the other hand, were looking to their own righteousness. We need to seek the righteousness of Christ. ... See MoreSee Less

Sermons - North Greenville Church

www.northgreenvillechurch.org

Sermons Subscribe to Podcast All sermonsiTunes • Other Sermons (378) Next page » Before The Eyes Of Men To Be Seen Matthew 6:1-8 (Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series). htt...

View on Facebook

North Greenville Church

7 months ago

Jesus moves on here in His doctrine of the Kingdom to three themes: giving, prayer and fasting. He focuses not so much on the actions themselves, but on the motives behind the actions. In contrast, he describes the Pharisees' motives as evil and selfish. In their actions, they receive what they seek--the praise of men, which is shallow and empty. Jesus warns us about practicing righteousness before people to be seen. Under this motive, there is no reward from our Father in heaven. We are saved by grace, and good works follow salvation. These works bring heavenly rewards. All of this is from God. We must trust God to work in us. Experiencing His love brings gratitude and results in our good works. Regarding giving, the Pharisees sounded trumpets calling attention to themselves, likewise when they conspicuously clanged heavy coins in the offering containers in the temple. The essence of charity is not the amount of money but the attitude of the heart. Regarding prayer, the Pharisees were known as men of prayer, using complicated terminology, excessive length and usually in public. They sought praise from men for their high spirituality. Again, Jesus says they have already received the praise of men as their reward. Jesus teaches us to pray in private, in communion with God. In congregational prayers, we are to pray along with the person praying. We are not to use personal prayer as an excuse for neglecting our responsibilities. Regarding fasting, one motive could be to skip meals and give the money otherwise spent to missions. Our real motive for fasting should be because we are sinners. We fast because we have lost something and seek to enhance our relationship with God. Fasting can also involve relationships, sleep and certain enjoyable activities. The Pharisees, on the other hand, strove to look gloomy in an effort to demonstrate how pious they were, seeking the adulation of men. We however when we fast should look normal, to the glory of God. Sin is deceptive; we should seek to mortify it (put it to death) by obeying the law of God. ... See MoreSee Less

Sermons - North Greenville Church

www.northgreenvillechurch.org

Sermons Subscribe to Podcast All sermonsiTunes • Other Sermons (376) Next page » You Have Heard That It Was Said Matthew 5:21-32 (Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series). htt...

View on Facebook

North Greenville Church

7 months ago

To enter into a covenant, you take a vow before God. In His teaching on the mount, did Jesus mean never to take vows? He actually meant not to take vows like the Pharisees do. They would take vows on all sorts of things, but never on the name of God. Do we do the same thing? Do we make a promise with our fingers crossed behind our backs? Swear upon our mother's grave? Jesus taught that this is foolishness. Why would we make a vow that we never intend to keep? We must strive to be persons of integrity and always keep our word. We must think before we speak. If we take the Lord's name in vain, we are saying that His name has no meaning. The name of God encompasses what is true and what we believe. In Deuteronomy 19, the lesson is that we must make the punishment fit the crime. This is the meaning of the Law of the Talon, or claw. We are not to retaliate, get even or gain the upper hand. Jesus was speaking to people under oppression by Rome and by the Jewish religious leaders. By turning the other cheek, we are to let the insults come our way, because God will avenge. We are to love our enemies, and to be perfect as God is perfect. We are to obey God's law completely, not just when it fits our agenda. If we fail, we must confess, forgive and be cleansed. We must strive to be molded into His image. ... See MoreSee Less

Sermons - North Greenville Church

www.northgreenvillechurch.org

View on Facebook