Count It All Joy Eulogy For My Brother Desmond Robinson

COUNT IT ALL JOY

INTRODUCING JAMES

THE CENTRAL THEME OF THIS EPISTLE IS THAT OF FAITH AS SEEN BY JAMES, WHO WAS ONE OF THE TWELVE DISCIPLES AND SON OF ZEBEDEE, BROTHER OF JOHN ALSO SAID TO BE

THE HALF BROTHER OF JESUS, BEING THE OFFSPRING OF JOSEPH AND MARY AFTER THE BIRTH OF JESUS.

JAMES’S ADDRESS IS TO THE TWELVE TRIBES AND JEWISH BELIEVERS WHO WERE OFTEN TROUBLED WITH PROBLEMS THAT WERE TESTING THEIR FAITH, AND JAMES WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT THEY WERE GIVING INTO INPATIENCE, BITTERNESS, MATERIALISM, DISUNITY, AND SPIRITUAL APATHY.

AS A RESIDENT OF JERUSALEM AND A LEADER OF THE CHURCH,

JAMES NO DOUBT HAD FREQUENT CONTACT WITH JEWISH

CHRISTIANS FROM A NUMBER OF ROMAN PROVINCES.

HE THEREFORE FELT A RESPONSIBILITY TO EXHORT AND

ENCOURAGE THEM IN THEIR STRUGGLE OF FAITH; FURTHERMORE,

JAMES SEEKS TO CHALLENGE THESE BELIEVERS TO EXAMINE THE

QUALITY OF THEIR DAILY LIVES IN TERMS OF ATTITUDE AND

ACTIONS.

JOY IS DEFINED AS:

(1) A FEELING OF DELIGHT; HAPPINESS; GLADNESS.

(2) A SOURCE OF PLEASURE

WHEN WE THINK OF JOY WE THINK OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED DEFINITIONS, IN ESSENCE THIS IS A GREAT SENSE OF JOY BUT LET US TAKE THIS JOY TO THE THIRD POWER. THIS JOY JAMES SPEAKS ABOUT IS TRULY UNSPEAKABLE JOY, IT’S FIGURATIVE IN THE SENSE THAT YOU CAN’T HAVE IT UNLESS YOU HAVE JESUS.

LET ME TELL YOU THIS:

GINUINE FAITH WILL PRODUCE REAL CHANGES IN A PERSONS

CONDUCT AND CHARACTER, HOWEVER, THE ABSENCE OF CHANGE IS A SYMPTOM OF DEAD FAITH.

THE EQUASION IS WORKED OUT SIMPLY THIS WAY:

GOD - FAITH= NO JOY (DEAD FAITH) + GOD= NO JOY

NO CHRIST - NO JOY

COUNT IT ALL JOY :

WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE SHUT OFF AND THERE IS NO WAY TO PAY

COUNT IT ALL JOY

WHEN YOUR MORTGAGE IS DUE AND THEIR IS NO MONEY IN THE

BANK. COUNT IT ALL JOY

WHEN THE DOCTOR HAS DECLARED UPON YOU A LIFE THREATNING

AILMENT. COUNT IT ALL JOY

COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YOU FALL INTO VARIOUS TRIALS, KNOWING THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES PATIENCE.

WHEN EVERYTHING LOOKS IMPOSSIBLE.

WHEN YOU ARE SO FAR DOWN BELOW THE THE CURB AND IT

DOESN’T LOOK LIKE YOU CAN MAKE IT UP

WHEN YOUR FRIENDS HAVE LAUGHED AT YOU BECAUSE YOU’RE

AGAINST ALL ODDS.

COUNT IT ALL JOY KNOWING THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH

PRODUCES PATIENCE.

I HEARD IT SAID HEBREWS 13:8

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREEVER.

I SAY COUNT IT ALL JOY KNOWING THAT THE TEST OF FAITH

PRODUCES PATIENCE.

COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN THE ENEMY HAS SURROUNDED YOU AND

YOU SEE NO WAY OUT.

BIBLICALLY SPEAKING - WHO CAN WE SAY EXPLICATED THIS TYPE OF JOY.

MANY OF US REASON THAT IN THE CASE OF:

(1) DANIEL 3: 13 - 25 (SHADRACH,MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO)

WHEN KING NEBUCHADNEZZER THREW SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO IN THE FIREY FURNACE THEY RELIED ON THEIR FAITH IN GOD, THEY HAD AN INCLIATION THAT THE LORD WAS THERE IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL.

(2) DANIEL 6: 16 - 23 (DANIEL)

WHEN DANIEL WAS THROWN IN THE LIONS DEN, KNOWING THE FAITH THAT DANIEL HAD, GOD DISPATCHED AN ANGEL OF THE LORD AND CHANGED THE NATURE OF THE LION.

THEY WERE KNOCKED DOWN BUT THEY WERE NOT KNOCKED OUT

JUST BECAUSE THE ENEMY ENCAMPS AROUND YOU, YOU’RE DOWN BUT NOT OUT - COUNT IT ALL.

COUNT IT ALL JOY. KNOWING THAT THE TEST OF FAITH PRODUCES PATIENCE, ENDURANCE, AND PERSERVERANCE.

IN CLOSING I’D LIKE TO SAY.

GOD IS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN AND WOMEN TO FIGHT THIS FIGHT OF FAITH.

GOD IS LOOKING FOR MARATHON RUNNER NOT SPRINTERS IN THE RACE OF FAITH.

BECAUSE A SPRINTER PUTS ON A FAST BURST OF SPEED AND THEN HE IS FINISHED.

A MARATHON RUNNER ON THE OTHER HAND IS CHARACTERIZED ABOVE ALL BY HIS PERSISTANCE, PERSEVERANCE AND ENDURANCE.

THE MARATHON RUNNER KEEPS ON RUNNING EVEN WHEN THERE ARE OBSTACLES OR HURDALS IN HIS PATH. IN THE SAME WAY, THE LORD WANTS US TO RUN THIS SPIRITUAL RACE OF LIFE WITH AN ENDURANCE THAT PERSERVERES IN SPITE OF DELAYS, IN SPITE OF OBSTACLES, IN SPITE OF MISUNDERSTANDING, IN SPITE OF DISCOURAGEMENT.

IN PLAIN OLD COUNTRY ENGLISH.

ADVERSITY COMES TO US ALL. NO HUMAN IS EXEMPT FROM TOUGH TIMES.

MY MOTHER AS I WAS COMING UP WOULD ASK ME WHO ARE YOU THAT YOU CAN’T WITHSTAND TROUBLESOME TIMES ? CHRIST DID, ARE YOU BETTER THAN HE?

WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT CHRIST ENDURED SO MUCH

ADVERSITY AND THE FINALITY WAS THAT:

ISAIAH 53:5 - 7

HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TARNSGRESSION, BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES AND THE CHASTISEMENT FOR OUR PEACE WAS UPON HIM AND BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED, BUT WE ALL LIKE SHEEP HAVE GOWN ASTRA WE HAVE TURNED, EVERY ONE, TO HIS OWN WAY; AND THE LORD LAID UPON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.