How Is A Godly Life The Answer To All Your Questions?

James Greer: [00:00:00] Well, good morning, Journey Church. Brenda, I see you up there. We're praying for you, sweet girl. She lost her sister this week. And Terri, it's going to be a long week for you. So we're praying for you, but we're glad you're here. Man, we're starting a new series. It's called the Pastor's Big Ask. Thank you for the help. Really what’s so exciting about this is you're going to have 14 questions. And the 14 in the Bible is for deliverance. That’s what that means. But see, really what I want to know is not so much what I'm asking. It's what God wants for you. Every time I ask a question, I want you to know that really what I want more than anything else is that God has an answer to that question, and I want you to find that. Really the purpose of the big ask is for you to know one, God does not lie, and He has a word and a promise for every one of these. And at the end of the 14 questions, it should make you want to know more of God's Word. I mean after 30, 40 years, it's usually y'all always ask the questions, and I try to preach on it. But today, I'm going to ask you some questions, but I want you to know the goal is this. I want you to know that every question I ask you, God has the answer for you, and it should make you want more of what God has for you. It's simple questions like this. Why are so many people still overloaded and overwhelmed today? Well, I can tell you next Sunday, I'll be preaching on that. God created us with a rhythm, and when we get out of that rhythm, we just get totally overwhelmed. And next Sunday, I'll be preaching on how you can get more in that rhythm. There's a lot of talk about algorithms today, but you need the rhythm that God has created you for. And I would be here, really and truly, next Sunday. I've never seen a time where so many people feel like they're just overwhelmed and overloaded. But the Bible says, come to me, all you that are tired and carry heavy loads, and I'll give you rest.

James Greer: [00:02:01] So maybe you're at that point that you need some rest. And He says, take my yoke and put it on me. He says, learn. Not try, not hope, not even pray. Learn from me. Why? Because I'm gentle, I have a humble spirit, and you can find rest. So in other words, God said, number one, I want you to know there is a way to handle the way you feel when you feel overwhelmed and overloaded. Number two, number two, why are so many Christians miserable? Well, that's the next thing we'll be preaching on. Why are so many Christian miserable? Really the truth is Christians should be the most joyful people in the world. Amen. But yet, lately they look like they're just as miserable as the rest of the world. Now I understand the rest of the world. They don't have the same hope we have. They don't have the same problems we have. But you as Christians shouldn't be so dadgum miserable. In fact, get that miserable look off your face right now. Amen? In fact, one of the reasons is people say, my people are destroyed by lack of knowledge. The more of God's Word you know, the more of God's will you know. So you should come to church, and you should learn God's Word because you know God's will. Third, third. You ready? I love this one. I love this one. We've going to skip right down to number three. And Jesus said, when two get married, the two become one. Amen? Well, why do you keep trying to be two? Amen? I mean but the truth is Ephesians 5:31 says this. For this reason, man shall leave his father and mother. Quit living with your mama and your daddy. Get out of the basement. To be joined to his wife, and the two should become one flesh. In other words, when you get married, the goal is for you to become one.

James Greer: [00:03:52] In other words, the other one helps the other one become a better person. When you get married, what happens is the other person, it doesn't mean you don't have problems. It means those problems help you become a better person. The other person sharpens you. There's nobody knows you like your mate. They know your weaknesses, and they know your strengths. And if you let them help you, they'll help you take your weakness and let them be your strength. But not when one continues to try to be two. Jesus said, number four, Jesus said, when you get married, men, love your own wife. Not everybody else's wife. Your wife. And wives, respect your husband. Did you know that you could end a lot of marriage problems, men, if you’d just love your wife? And wives, if you’d just respect your husbands? If you're here, girls, if you're not married, girls, if you're not married, if you can't respect the guy, if you don't respect him, release him. Just let him go. Because there's going to be a time, you'll get tired of him. You won't want to be with him. So if you can't respect him, release him. Find you somebody else. And men, listen, if you can't love them and that means you're going to put them before yourself, you're in the wrong relationship. That's why God commands a man to love his wife, and He's really commanding the woman to respect her husband. I can't stand it to be out in public, and when a woman disrespects her husband and runs him down in front of other people. I don't think it's funny, and I think it's disrespectful and it's unbiblical.

James Greer: [00:05:33] Amen, Brother James. Stop doing it. I don't think it's funny what a man does that either. Jesus said, when you get married, let nothing come between you. He says that. Don't let anything come between two of you. He said, listen, in Mark 10:7, He says, this I explain. He said, I'll explain it to you. Why a man leaves his father and mother and he joins to his wife. He tells you the two to become one. Amen? And the two were united two unto one since they are no longer two but they're one. He tells you over and over again. Then let no one split them apart what God's put together. What He said, let nobody put them apart. He puts it in Mark 10:9, He puts it in another translation. He says this. Don't let anyone or anything separate what God’s joined together. If God says don't let anything or anybody, why are so many couples letting so many things, so many people come between them? I'm talking about kids. I'm talking about hobbies. I'm talking about friends. I'm talking about work. God says, don't let anything come between you and your wife. Amen? Amen? Well, stop doing it. Next to God is who? Your mate. Man, y'all getting 14 messages in 28 minutes. You can't go too many places and get 14 messages in 28 minutes. And I'll tell you what else. God's going to speak to you because there's one of them where you messed up because this is a messed up church. And just key in on the one you messed up on and study it.

James Greer: [00:07:28] Listen to this. Number six. You ready? This is unbelievable. They don't believe this today. Children and young people, the Bible says if you'll submit and you'll obey your parents, you'll have a good and long life. Mama’s right. Listen to what Bible says. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. Not because I'm preaching it. Not because even Mama and Daddy tell you to. It says, obey your parents in the Lord for it's the right thing to do. I hear young people all the time. I wish I knew God's will. I wish I knew God's will. Obey your parents. Honor your father and mother. It's the first commandment, but it's got a promise to go with it. You know what the promise is? That it may be well with you, and you might live a long life. That's a pretty good promise. Amen? You want things to go better? You want to live a long life? Obey your mother and father and honor them. But today, that's almost a lost art. Even if you watch on TV, they're making fun of them. It's almost common knowledge just to make fun of them and be disrespectful. I see teenagers. I was out there today, teenagers in the grocery store. They're almost running over adults. It made me want to slap them. God’s saying this is for their good. Did you know one of the signs in the last time will the young people be disrespectful? Number seven, Jesus said simply, why don't you put me first in your life where I can meet every need in your life? Maybe you has some need that's not being met in your life. Maybe it's financial. Maybe it's emotional. Maybe it's spiritual. I don't know. I know one thing. Jesus said, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteous, and I'll add everything else to your life.

James Greer: [00:09:24] Do you know, that means be totally reliant upon me and let me meet every other need and every other thing in your life. It's just a conduit that God uses. He says, therefore, why do you worry about tomorrow? Do you know tomorrow has enough to worry about? Amen? Why don't you just let God take care of you today and quit worrying about yourself? You know what He said? So why are you worrying so much when Jesus said, put me first, I'll take care of every need in your life? Seventh. Why do you keep worrying? If God says, hey, if you’d put me first, did you know in 1 Peter 5:6 and 7, it says, if you're humble yourself. Did you know if you’ll humble under the mighty hand of God, He'll exalt you? And then He says, cast, in other words, throw it, cast all your cares on Him. I started to bring my rod and reel out here, and I was going to tie all the worries on it and I was going to cast it out there. But you know what the problem is? I’d reel it back up. He wants you to cast them out and leave them there. Amen? Cast all your cares on Him, and He will care for you. He wants you to do that. So if that's the case, why do we keep doing that? Number nine, number nine. Oh, I love this, but you won't. Y'all ready? Y'all ready? Yeah, yeah. Then how come so many Christians go to Walmart, go out to eat, send the kids to school, and they're worried about coming to church? Oh, precious, Jesus, I've been wanting to say that.

James Greer: [00:10:54] Why can't you come to church? Oh no, I'm not going to be around people. Did you go out to eat? Yep. Did you go to Walmart? Yep. Y’all got more people at Walmart than we do at church. I wish you didn’t. I wish we had more people here than at Walmart, but they're not. The devil loves isolation because isolation brings desolation. One of the greatest things the virus has done is caused people to isolate themselves. They isolate themselves. That's the reason we have more depression, more suicides, more problems today than we've had ever in the history of the country. And it's because the devil is bringing isolation. We don't want to bring isolation and desolation. We want to see what the Bible says. It says, don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together as in the manner of some of you, but come together where we can encourage each other. Amen? I'm telling you what. Listen, you ready? You'll send your kids to school, which is temporary, but you don't send them to Sunday school, which they can learn about eternal. It's true. Okay. Brother James, I'm loving this. I've been wanting to ask that question so long, so long. I believe in being careful. I believe if you don't feel comfortable, wear a mask. I don't have a problem. Listen, if you want to sit six feet apart, it's okay. If you want to sit in the corner by yourself, it's okay. But I'm telling you, the Bible says don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together. There's something about when we're together, the power and the presence of God is here in a special way. Number 10, number 10. Oh, I love this one too. Y'all not going to love it, but I love it.

James Greer: [00:12:31] Why do you not tithe and then complain about your finances? Don't complain about your finances if you don't tithe. At this church, this is unbelievable. Do you know if you're not tithing that this church gives you a 90-day guarantee to give your money back if you're not just as well as you were 90 days later? This is better than Walmart. And I'll say, why don't you don't tithe? I’m too scared I can't make it. If you don't make it, we give your money back. And then what? Did you know Malachi 3:8 says, why would you rob God? You rob God of your tithes? He said, then I'll curse you with a curse if you do that because you robbed me. And it says that you may bring food in the house. This church does not need your money, and I don't work on commission. I don't even get paid. But how do you think a church operates if you don't tithe? I mean I bet you go out to eat and you give at least 10%. Some of y'all go to eat in the restaurant and you give 10% to 15%, and you don't even tithe at church. Whoa. Go, Brother James. What's wrong with you? Hello, hello. It's my turn this time. I'm loving it. You know what He says? I want to open up the windows where I pour our blessings, but you don't have room. Don't be complaining about your finances if you're not tithing. Amen, Brother James. Number 11, I know y'all ready to go now. That's the first 10% of your income. Have y'all noticed when you go out to eat now, they had this little thing 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%? I'd love to hand that out at church. But anyway. Okay. I'm not.

James Greer: [00:14:19] I'm just saying. I hope when y'all come to church, y'all getting some food to eat, which is God's Word. Amen? Well, don't be a tipper, be a tither. Why do you let Satan still destroy your life when Jesus said I came that you could have life and have it more abundantly? He said in John 10:10, which one of my favorite verses, a thief, that's the devil, he's the one that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. That's what happens. You lose the love when you lose the story. There's addictions that are killing people. That's the devil doing that. He came to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus Christ came that you could have life and you could have it more abundantly. I mean we want our Christians to have an abundant life. Amen? He has it for you. Number 12, why don't more people choose to forgive even though they've been hurt where Jesus forgive them? I don't care how you hurt. He said, to forgive them. Matthew 6:11 says, for if you forgive them their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. Man, that ought to cause you to forgive no matter what. Amen? Number 13. Everybody wants influence of some type. You want to influence your kids? You want to influence somebody in your life? Learn to submit. Learn to serve. God says the real way to get influence, the real way to serve, the Bible says you shall not be among you, but whosoever desires to become great among you, let him be the servant. Isn’t that something? And whosoever desires to be first among you, let him be the slave. Did you know that Jesus Himself said, listen, the son of man, He didn't come to be served but to serve and gave His life as ransom for many. Okay?

James Greer: [00:16:06] This next one, I told y’all, 14 is the last one. Then I’m going to tell you. Fourteen’s the number for deliverance. Y'all could be delivered today. 14. I love, I love, I love, I love. When you come in for counseling, which you don't. Hey, I actually had a successful counseling session the other day. Amen? They're even coming to church today. They were going to divorce, and the third time they came, they said they decided to stay. I said, oh, praise God. I cannot believe it. But, you know, first I give them when they walk in the door? Those who are humble can be happy. Why do so many people decide to be prideful instead of happy? I mean some people just decided you just don't want to be happy. You just want to have your way rather than be happy. The Bible says the humble people are happy people, and you just make up your mind you going to be prideful rather than happy. I had it happen to me a few weeks ago. I hand it to them in their hand. I said to one of them, said, you'd be humble, you can be happy. The other one said, you'd be prideful, you'll fall. I said, look, we got to have some steps here. You've got to humble yourself. I ain't talking you anymore. I said, get in line like the rest of them. I told y'all don't come in here.

James Greer: [00:17:25] He ain't come back. But I did have one successful one. Praise God! I can't answer all those questions today, but they have a common denominator. One common denominator. You got to choose to trust God's Word or yourself in the world. Over and over and over, it's the world or the Word. when I say you're destroyed by lack of knowledge, it's God's wisdom. Sometimes you just decide you choose you. Are you ready? You want your way instead of God's way, and the biblical word for that is rebellion. It's rebellion. Rebellion always results in the ruin. Rebellion is, you ready? The devil’s representative. When you are rebelling, you are representing the devil because that's how the devil got thrown out of Heaven. Rebellion leads to hellion. That's good, Brother James. Rebellion and stubbornness really is a type of idolatry and worship. 1 Samuel 15:23 is a very important and a dangerous verse. For rebellion is a sin of witchcraft. When I say witchcraft, it's [inaudible] I put a spell on you. I've drugged you. It’s pharmaceuticals. It’s drugs. One of the worst things in history of America today is drugs, and rebellion can lead to drug use. And because you rebelled against God, you rebelled against your authorities, and so rebellion leads to witchcraft and stubbornness and iniquities and idolatry. And idolatry is wrong worship.

James Greer: [00:19:01] But you know what it says after that? Because you have rejected the Word, what I tell y’all? It’s word of the world. The Lord, He's rejected you from being king. You lose your kingship. You lose your relationship with God because of rebellion. You reject God. And it brings problems between those that are close to you. Rebellion is refusing to do what God tells you to do. It applies personally. It applies cooperatively. See, there's cooperative blessing, individual blessings. There’s cooperative curses and cooperative blessings. Just like the children of Israel. It’s because they feared, they've got a cooperative, they would’ve had a cooperative blessed if they'd gone to the Promised Land. But they had a cooperative rebellion so they had to wander around the wilderness. It's the same thing with churches, same thing with different organizations, same thing with your family. So don't rebel. Submit. Amen? That's what you do. When you when you rebel against God, when you rebel against your authority. Everybody has an authority. I have authority. You have authority. 80%, 90%, 95% of every problem we have going on in the United States, are you ready? If we'd quit rebelling, we wouldn't have those problems. They'd be cured if they’d just submit to their God given authorities, God and those He placed over you.

James Greer: [00:20:29] See, because of fear, people rebel because they want their pleasures, they want what their selfishness instead of sacrifice. Feelings and emotions, instead of fact. Pride instead of humility. Lack of a sense of urgency and a commitment. Rebellion is just the opposite of resisting your authorities. That's all it is. Rebellion is resisting your God given authorities in God. It’s resistant to obey them. It leads to sin. It's wanting your way more than God’s way. It's wanting credit for what somebody else has done. Rebellion is leads to hell and to sin. It does. Rebellion is dangerous. Kids rebel against their parents. You go to work and you rebel against your balls. You drive in the car and you're speeding and then the police stop and you rebel against the police. You come to church and you rebel against your pastor. See, you just rebel, rebel, rebel. Stop it. See, the cure to rebellion is surrender and submission. Surrender to God. God wins, we win. When you struggle, you're struggling and you’re in a wrestling match. The cure to that is surrender. When you surrender to God, you win too. You know what surrender really? It’s become preoccupied and completely dependent upon Christ. It then will reflect in your behavior. The problem with all 14 messages is you either got to rebel or you surrender.

James Greer: [00:22:12] The same thing. 2 Corinthians 10:6 says this. It says, listen, I will use those weapons against the very rebellion, those that rebel who remain after I have first used them on you yourself and you who will surrender to Christ. You want to surrender to Christ. Matthew 5:5 says, humble and be happy. James 4:6 says, God gives more grace. Therefore, He says, resist the [inaudible], but God gives grace to the humble. Grace gives you the power and the strength to do what God called you to do and do it the way God calls you to do it and do it with joy. Would you surrender? Everybody has to make a choice. You've got to make a choice. You can surrender your will, your worries, your frustration, your disappointment, your weakness. You choose today. You surrender to Christ or you live in chaos. The choice is yours. Everybody surrenders to something. You're surrendering. You're giving into something. You're surrendering to the world or the Word. This morning, you surrender or you continue to suffer. You surrender or you struggle. You take Christ or you live in chaos. See, it's all a choice, and you can make it today. All 14 messages in 20-something minutes. And you can surrender right now today, and you could have every one of them.

James Greer: [00:23:42] You've got to make choice. Did you know the choice doesn’t have anything to do with Brother James? It’s between you and God. So I’m fixing to pray for you in a minute, and you get to make the choice. You can rebel. You can surrender. And you can submit. I'm going to give you a free insight. This applies in every single area of your life. In your family life, you got the authorities. On your job, you got authorities. In your church, you got authorities. God set it up where we don't have chaos. God's not the author of confusion but of peace. And you can have it today if you want it. Would you stand and let me pray with you and pray for you? God, I thank you for your Word. I thank you for all 14 of them. They really weren't just messages. They were promises that, God, it’s not what you want from people. It’s what you want for people.

James Greer: [00:24:48] God, I pray a blessing upon our church. I pray the cooperative blessing. I pray our people will surrender. I pray they'll submit to you. God, you can change life radically in a moment. First of all, they got to know you as their Savior. For those who have not surrendered and given their heart to you as Lord and Savior, I pray they’d first do that. Just say something like, God, I know I've sinned. I believe Jesus died for my sins. I’d like Him to come into my heart and be my Lord and my Savior. Some of you came here with worry and frustrations and overwhelmed, and you need some rest. And He said, all that labor and heavy laden, come unto me. Surrender it, surrender it. He said you can find some rest today. He doesn't want you doing it. He wants to do it His way. He wants you to do it. He wants to go before you. He wants to be with you. Surrender it. Some of it’s financial. He's got a plan. You got to surrender. You do it your way or you do it His way. Maybe you've been visiting here and today's the day you want to join and make this your family home. Surrender. Maybe need to follow through in public baptism. Just surrender. Today’s the day. You're going to make that decision and follow through. Maybe you need somebody just to pray with you and to pray for you. Maybe you’re just hurting. That's the wonderful thing about coming to church. You got other people here that want to be with you and there for you and they don't care what it is going through your life. They're not going to judge you. They’re just going to love you and they’re going to pray with you and they're going to pray for you. Whatever God's laid upon your heart today, I pray you just surrender to Him. Let Him have His will and His way. It’s in the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Bruce Goulart: [00:26:34] On behalf Pastor James, I just want to say thank you for joining our online experience today. Man, what an amazing service as we started our new series, The Pastor's Big Ask. Man, we are continuing this series next week. So I hope to see y'all next week. But if you need someone to pray with you right now, we have people on standby that are willing to pray with you. So there's a link down in the description, and if you click on it, someone will get with you right away to pray with you. Thank you so much for joining us this morning, and I hope to see you next week.

Recorded in Pineville, Louisiana.