Persevere Better

ME (A hook):

It is still relatively early in the new year,

So, it is still resolution season,

Which is all about bettering ourselves.

And most people want to better themselves one way or another.

I think that is why self-help books, ted talks, and seminars like that are often very appealing to many people.

And it is not as if these things are bad,

But when we try to make church primarily about bettering ourselves,

We tend to pick and choose parts of the Bible,

We try tailor it to only what we want to hear,

And when we do,

We make up a fake gospel to put our hope in.

Because inevitably,

We ignore the hard parts of the Bible,

The parts that confront us,

That call us to change in ways we don’t want to,

To truly better ourselves.

Instead we twist the Bible out of context to fit our lifestyles,

And affirm the changes we want to make,

Rather than the changes we need to make.

So, if we truly want to better ourselves,

We need to be willing to trust the hard and uncomfortable parts of the Bible.

One of those hard and uncomfortable parts is the Book of James.

When it comes to bettering ourselves,

James teaches us about better choices, better habits, and better lives.

So, this morning, we are beginning this new series for the next seven weeks.

Slide

Today,

I will first introduce the background and context of James.

Then, we will go through the first 18 verses,

Slide

Where James teaches us how to Persevere Better.

Our outline for these verses is:

God is Sovereign (vs. 1-12)

We are Sinful (vs. 13-15)

Gods our Savior (vs. 16-18)

God uses trials and temptations to deepen our faith so we can persevere better.

WE Intro (Why does this matter to us?):

But before we get to the passage.

I want to dedicate a little time to introduce James.

So, we’ll start with a pop quiz!

Who is the author of James?

James,

The half-brother of Jesus.

He was a leader of the early church in Jerusalem.

In Acts 15, he led the council of Jerusalem.

And Gal. 2:9 explicitly says he was one of the pillars of the early church along with Peter and John.

Which is incredible,

Because James and his other biological brothers were skeptical of Jesus during His earthly ministry.

John 7:5 tells us that not even Jesus’ brothers believed in Him.

But 1 Cor. 15:7 says the resurrected Jesus...

1 Corinthians 15:7 (ESV)

appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

So, after seeing his brother risen from the dead,

James believed in Jesus.

Then, as a leader in the early church,

He was given the nickname by historians of “James the just.”

Because he became known for being extraordinarily godly,

Zealous for obedience,

And devoted to prayer.

They said his knees became so calloused from prayer that they looked like camel knees.

Records indicate he was martyred for his faith in AD 62.

He was beaten to death with a club after being thrown from the pinnacle of a temple.

So, James had to have written this letter before he died,

And sometime after AD 44,

Because that is when,

By God’s providence,

The church began to spread in response to persecution.

The fact that James doesn’t mention the controversy that led to the council of Jerusalem,

Has led most to believe he wrote this letter around AD 48.

Which could make it the earliest NT letter.

But it would also mean it is written in the thick of persecution for the early church.

Which makes a lot of sense,

Given the content of trials and suffering in the letter.

It is a unique letter.

It is written like a sermon meant to be read out loud in the early churches.

It is a form of wisdom literature,

With several moral exhortations.

He writes from a Jewish background,

And makes frequent OT references.

And actually writes in a similar style to the way his brother, Jesus, would teach.

James teaches about the importance of the crucial relationship between faith and active works of obedience.

Slide

This is the first of two key reasons to study James.

James refers to faith 14 different times in this short 5 chapter letter.

And in 108 verses,

He include 59 different commands.

Obedience, action, works,

All the product of genuine faith.

Many would argue this is legalism.

Many would say,

“Christianity is not about doing things.”

And while we understand this sentiment,

And many of us would agree,

James says,

In a sense,

Yes, Christianity is about doing things!

In the sense that we don’t just listen to God’s Word,

We do it!

It is the Nike book,

Just do it!

If we don’t,

James says,

Our faith is dead,

In fact,

He says we don’t even have faith.

It would be interesting to see James as a pastor today.

Because I wonder how many members he would actually have at his church,

With a message like this.

You see, there is this tension between faith and works we must live in.

That is what James challenges us to do.

That is his point,

To find that relationship between faith and works,

And live there.

If we separate these two,

James warns,

It is not only immature or shallow,

But, to be blunt,

It is condemning.

So, this is really serious stuff!

Slide

So, the second key reason builds off this first reason.

And that is that faith is effective in this world.

Our faith impacts life in this world.

Not only for ourselves,

But for others.

James addresses so many practical issues:

Trials, poverty, riches, materialism, favoritism, social justice, our speech, worldliness, boasting, planning, praying, sickness, and more.

James often moves quickly from one issue to the next,

Repeatedly emphasizing how our faith impacts these practical issues.

He teaches how faith moves us to talk about the Bible in our workplaces and community,

To repent of the idolatrous nature of addiction,

To serve those who have need,

To teach and care for orphans and widows,

To train and teach others,

Not only God’s Word,

But with practical skills,

And to be a help in so many other ways.

Faith, James teaches,

Is what compels believers to take steps of radical obedience to make the gospel known all around the world.

GOD God is Sovereign (Teach the text):

So, this is why it is good for us to study James.

Chapter one immediately introduces a variety of themes,

But the primary focus are trials and temptations.

Which raises a couple questions.

First, why do we face trials and temptations?

And second, how do we persevere better through them?

As I mentioned at the start,

Our summary this morning is...

God uses trials and temptations to deepen our faith so we can persevere better.

Sometimes, trials come at us from the outside.

Other times, temptations come from within us.

The way we understand them,

And the way we respond to them,

Says a lot about our faith.

Slide

So, let’s highlight the first truth in vs. 1-12 that affects this,

That God is Sovereign.

James opens his letter,

By introducing himself as a servant,

Or more accurately,

A slave of God,

And of Christ.

This is an intentional title,

Because slaves and bondservants were purchased and owned by a master or lord.

So, by doing this,

He is not only indicating his humility,

But from the start,

He is emphasizing the profound transformation that occurred in him.

He went from not believing in his half-brother,

To total devotion in service to his Lord.

Acknowledging Jesus as Lord is a confession that Jesus is God.

And as His servant,

James’ letter bears authority.

Slide

Then, vs. 2 begins his communal exhortation.

Beginning with the need to consider trials from the vantage point of confidence in God,

And His sovereignty.

James is teaching how trials are never out of God’s control,

And thus,

God accomplishes His purposes through every trial.

Now, if I am being honest,

There have been times where I wished that this passage was not in the Bible.

And I am willing to guess that I am not alone feeling this way.

But the reality is,

This is one of the most profound and crucial passages for mature and authentic faith.

You see, it is a lie that many claim today,

That God never wants you to get sick,

Or experience poverty.

They wrongly teach that if you have enough faith,

And you name and claim what you want;

Be it health, wealth, or prosperity,

Then God will give you those things you ask for.

But that is simply not true.

James is writing to hurting, poor, and persecuted Christians,

Telling them to consider these trials pure joy.

He acknowledges that they are a normal part of the Christian life.

2 Tim. 3:12 similarly says,

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

So, when James says to count it all joy,

He is addressing the way we think about these trials.

And this is important,

Because it is not about a feeling.

He is not saying, trials should bring a smile to our face,

And just pretend that everything is okay.

Sadly, this verse is often used like a sledgehammer against an already suffering believer amid a trial.

When someone’s life is falling apart,

Our first response should not be,

“Count it all joy!”

In the reading plan this week,

I included John 11.

Mary and Martha come up to Jesus after their brother, Lazarus dies.

Jesus’ first response was not to explain to them that God had a purpose in this,

Though He clearly knew God did.

Instead, He comforts them,

And even wept with them.

So, let that be our first movement,

All the while, remembering the truth that James teaches here regarding trials.

James says this joy is true for small trials and big trials,

For trials of various kinds.

But how?

How does James genuinely expect us to count our trials as joy?

Because the trials are not joyful in and of themselves.

Rather, we accomplish this,

When we understand that God is sovereign,

And He is using them for His purposes.

He is, in one sense, examining our faith.

Using the trial to solidify our hope of deliverance.

So, the joy with which we endure trials in the present,

Is a sign of the hope we have for the future.

Slide

James piles on this explanation,

Starting in vs. 3-4

And not really stopping until he gets to vs. 12.

Through James,

God encourages His children to embrace trials,

Not so much for the trial itself,

But for what He is sovereignly accomplishing through them.

First, James explains in vs. 3 how the knowledge of this testing of faith,

Develops perseverance.

And in turn,

Perseverance matures us,

Proving that our faith is not fake or counterfeit.

This is the basis for our joy,

And the ultimate purpose for trials as a whole.

The steadfastness James is talking about here,

Is the ability to persevere through increasing levels of testing and suffering.

And as long as we live in this world,

There is further work to be done,

To make us mature and complete,

Lacking nothing.

Romans 5:3-4 similarly says,

Romans 5:3–4 ESV

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

So, ultimately,

James is commanding us to rely on God.

Because God does not want us to be immature.

His goal is to produce maturity in Him,

And growth in His likeness.

One day, every person will have to stand before our perfect God.

So, God’s goal until then,

Is to prepare us for that day.

And this is so different from the way we tend to think.

Our goals tend to be some human form of success,

Climbing the ladder,

Achieving standing in the world,

Or even having a certain kind of family.

When we make these type of goals,

And trials hit our work, our plans, or our family,

We become devastated.

So, if our goal aligns with God,

To know Him,

To be conformed into His image,

And to be matured to completion,

Then,

And only then,

Are we able to count it all joy when we experience various trials.

Because no matter how difficult these trials might be,

We understand that they are moving us toward that goal.

It compels us to persevere better,

But it requires a radically God-centered perspective on life.

Think of a trial in your own life.

It could be a small trial or maybe something big going on in your life right now.

Whatever it is,

With that trial in mind,

What is your goal?

Is it to just make that trial end?

If so,

You are just setting yourself up for constant frustration.

Because if you haven’t already discovered,

You are not able to control that trial the way you want.

Even if it seems like you put an end to it,

Another trial will come,

Or you have this anxiety that it is somehow not over.

On the other hand,

If your ultimate goal is not to just end your trial,

But rather, to know God,

To grow in God,

And persevere better,

Then you can rejoice in trials of various kinds.

Because no matter the trial,

It is helping you achieve this goal.

That is what James is teaching,

That God is sovereign over trials for your growth and godliness.

We can consider trials a joy when God is our goal.

Malcolm Muggeridge explained this well when writing about his testimony,

Slide

He said,

“Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my seventy-five years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness.”

You see,

Nothing else in this world,

Cultivates this type of spiritual maturity in the same way trials do.

If your goal is a nice, easy, carefree life,

Or living your best life now,

Then this is not very good news,

Trials will not be a joy to you.

But when you set your mind on things that are above,

Fixing your eyes on God,

Then, and only then,

Can trials be a joy.

Because they teach you to know and trust God,

And to persevere better.

Slide

And vs. 5 implies that no one in this world has arrived yet.

We are lacking wisdom,

Which is,

A vital necessity when walking through trials.

The harsh treatment of the world will tempt us to withdraw,

And shy away from what is wise,

Out of fear of being shamed by others.

But being wise knows and understands what is godly.

Wisdom does what is pleasing to God.

And where does James say we get wisdom from?

From God!

He says, ask God for it!

Talk to God about it!

Because God is the source of wisdom!

He is wisdom Himself.

And He grants wisdom to those who sincerely seek it from Him.

God is not begrudging about giving out wisdom,

He generously gives it!

Slide

Proverbs 2:3-6 expands on this, saying,

Proverbs 2:3–6 ESV

yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

So, if you lack wisdom,

Ask God.

And practically speaking,

Our wisdom grows through three different factors:

Knowledge, perspective, and experience.

When going through trials,

We realize we don’t know all that is going on,

We don’t have the perspective to see our situation from every angle,

And we lack experience in what to do.

God, however,

Has all knowledge, and eternal perspective,

And Christ has experienced every kind of trial,

And prevailed!

So, this promise in vs. 5,

Is one of the most beautiful and encouraging promises in the entire Bible.

God generously, abundantly, and liberally gives wisdom.

He pours it out without discrimination or hesitation.

The God of the universe says,

“I will give you My wisdom.

All you must do is ask.”

And in the midst of trials,

God is saying,

“Don’t just look for the end,

Look for Me.”

Draw near to God.

Ask for His help to understand.

Ask Him to give you perspective.

Ask Him to walk alongside you as One Who can sympathize.

I have talked about losing my mom back in 2014 several times.

She was only 43 at the time.

And I have found myself,

Longing for her presence more in especially trying times.

Because I want her perspective on things,

I want to ask her questions based on what she knows and experienced.

And I know she would be a tremendous help and comfort in those moments.

And as much as I would love this,

The reality is I have something infinitely better available to me,

The sovereign God of the universe,

Who has all the wisdom in the world.

We all have that same access!

So, when you are going through trials,

James says,

Ask God to give you His wisdom,

And trust that He will give it to you.

Slide

Again in vs. 6,

James commands us to rely on God when asking for wisdom,

But he says to do so without doubting.

When life is not easy,

When life doesn’t make sense.

James says,

Trust that God is wise,

And that He is with you.

Consider this from your own experience with other people.

Think of someone who you have seen make wise decisions as they went through a trial.

It naturally develops a trust in that person the next time a trial comes, right?

This is the same idea in our relationship with God.

He is perfectly right and wise every time.

So, the more we walk through trials with Him,

The more we will trust Him.

This is the basis for our confidence.

Not the exercise of our faith,

But the object of our faith.

So, James warns that being double-minded means we should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Slide

Then, interestingly, in vs. 9-11,

James seems to take an odd detour to talk about the poor and the rich.

Why?

Why in the middle of talking about trials does James start talking about the poor and the rich?

Well, for one,

Most of James’ audience is poor,

But some were rich.

And secondly,

It is common for those who are rich to trust in their wealth.

So, James is reminding us how trials reach people on every end of the financial spectrum.

And when it comes to eternity,

Neither the poor nor the wealthy have anything to boast about,

Because God levels the playing field.

And trials give us this glimpse into God’s remarkable leveling power.

So, James is saying the poor person can only boast about being rich in spiritual treasure.

Because their trials are leading them to trust in God.

The lack of physical resources,

Drive a person to boast in their status as a child of God.

But on the flip side,

The rich must be careful.

Because trials serve as a reminder,

That money can’t solve every problem,

All the material possessions in the world cannot solve every trial.

So, in the face of trials,

The rich can also rejoice,

Because they learn where true treasure is found,

And it is not in their riches.

In the end,

James says in vs. 11,

All the material possessions of this world will be burnt up.

And when that time comes,

It will be important that you built your life on the spiritual resources provided by God,

Rather than the physical resources of this world.

The OT similarly says,

A rich person comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.

And all flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord remains forever.

If you pursue and hope in wealth in this world,

You will wither away.

Slide

In vs. 12,

James closes this first section on trials with a blessing.

This is one of many examples where James alludes to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

When James talks about the crown of life,

He is not talking about a physical, fancy, bedazzled crown that kings or queens wear.

He is picturing the wreath that an athlete would be given after winning a race.

So, the idea he is getting at,

Is this picture of running through the trials of life,

Emerging through the other side victoriously,

And being crowned with the victor’s wreath.

But instead of being a physical crown,

The glorious reward is eternal life.

So, James is saying,

At the end of these trials in this life,

God meets us,

Ready to crown us with eternal life.

Therefore, going all the way back to his opening statement in vs. 2,

You can count it all joy when you face trials of various kinds!

As 2 Cor. 4:17 similarly says,

2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

YOU We are Sinners (Response):

So, because God is sovereign,

We can consider joy in our trials.

Slide

But James also wants to protect us from something in vs. 13-15,

Namely, he wants to protect us from ourselves.

Because we are sinners.

Therefore, God, in His sovereignty,

Tests the faith of His people,

For our good.

This lesson isn’t specific to James,

It is all over the Bible.

But James warns that just because this is true,

Does not mean we can automatically take the next step in our minds,

And assume that God is the one tempting us.

Naturally, when trials come,

Temptations are sure to follow.

When finances get tight,

We are tempted to not trust God’s provision.

When we lose someone we love,

We are tempted to doubt God’s love.

When we experience unjust suffering,

We are tempted to question God’s justice.

In all these examples,

Though God does test us,

James says in vs. 13,

God does not, and in fact, cannot tempt us.

That temptation comes from us,

Because we are sinners.

But understanding this requires us to understand where sin comes from.

Because here, James makes God’s relationship to temptation clear.

God is not tempted, he says,

Therefore, God does not tempt.

God is perfectly sinless.

Everything in Him is resistant to sin,

Evilness is something foreign to Him.

Yes, He is aware of it,

But He is not tainted by it.

Therefore, in no way whatsoever can God be blamed for sin and temptation.

So, James emphatically denies that God leads people into temptation.

This marks an important distinction between testing and temptation.

The nature of testing is to ascertain our faith,

To check if there are any imperfections or faults.

But temptation is an enticement to sin.

For example,

In Matthew 4,

Jesus’ faith was tested by God in the wilderness,

But Satan was the one trying to tempt Him to sin.

Temptation comes internally,

Testing comes externally.

Because Jesus is free of sin,

He was not tempted,

But He was tested.

Slide

So, where does sin and temptation come from?

James clearly answers in vs. 14,

Saying,

Each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by what?

His own evil desire.

So, temptation does not come from God,

Nor does it ultimately come from the devil.

The bait that James says lures us in,

Comes from within us.

They are our own carnal desires that tempt us.

Now this doesn’t mean Satan is not involved at all.

Even in ch. 4, James acknowledges that Satan does play a part.

But ultimately,

The responsibility for sin and temptation ends with us.

In other words,

When we sin,

We can not blame anyone but ourselves.

This is so important for us to understand.

Because we live in a world that is constantly trying to absolve ourselves of personal responsibility.

We want to blame our upbringing or friends or family or government or anything or anyone else we can think of.

All of these things can absolutely be influences.

But the Bible is clear.

I am responsible for my own sin,

And you are responsible for your own sin.

There is a problem at the core of who we are.

As the Apostle Paul confess in Romans 7:18,

For I know that nothing good dwells in me.

Because we are sinners.

Slide

So, sin does not just happen out of the blue.

David Platt summarizes this four-step process that James introduces here of:

Deception, desire, disobedience, then death.

We see this same process play out with Adam and Eve in Genesis 3.

At the heart of deception is unbelief.

They did not believe God in the Garden.

And the same is true for us today.

When God says what is best for us and what isn’t,

We don’t believe Him.

We question Him.

Like the serpent in the Garden,

“Did God really say you can’t eat from any tree?”

This deception is where sin starts.

The second step is desire.

As James says here,

We are tempted when we are drawn away by our own desires.

This is the idea of bait on a hook.

If you were to take an empty hook and cast it into the water,

You won’t be catching many fish,

Because they don’t just bite an empty hook.

The point of the bait is to hide the hook.

That is how temptation works.

It appeals to our desires,

It drives us to it,

But it hides it deadly purpose.

It’s what drives people to lie, cheat, steal, and several other sins.

So, sin begins as a disordered thought,

Then it becomes a disordered desire,

And when we want that desire,

We want the very thing trying to kill us.

As James says it,

When desire conceives,

It gives birth to sin.

This is the third step, disobedience,

Which is simply acting on that desire.

And lastly, the fourth step is death.

This is the result of our disobedience.

It is vivid,

And it is terrifying,

We need to understand the horror that it truly is.

So, let me be clear here.

Brothers and sisters,

If there is a sin that you are flirting with.

Whatever it is,

It is deceiving you.

Whatever desires you are tempted by,

Don’t bite,

Run!

Run away,

The Bible says!

Because when you act on it,

It will kill you!

And this is so terrifying,

Because this is in us!

WE God’s Our Savior (Paint a picture of the future):

So, what do we do?

What hope do we have?

Because in the trials,

That is where we are most prone to look,

And completely miss what God has for us.

We are prone to be lured and hooked by the desires from within us,

And get dragged away to our death.

Slide

So, in those moments,

James says in vs. 16-18,

Remember that God is our Savior!

With God,

James says in vs. 17,

There is no variation or shadow due to change.

In other words.

When we are in the midst of trials or temptations,

Don’t be deceived,

Remember that God is a good, good Savior,

Who wants only good for you!

So, trust Him.

Trust Him to save you from your trials,

And turn to Him in your temptations.

He is the source of every good and every perfect gift.

His goodness does not change.

He is consistently good.

He is never just having a bad day.

He never worsens,

Nor does He get better,

Because He is already perfect,

He is already as good as it gets in every way.

You can’t get any better!

And we don’t deserve His goodness.

Slide

James says in vs. 18,

James 1:18 (ESV)

Of his own will [God] brought us forth by the word of truth.

The entire book of James teaches us a lot about our works.

But foundational to all these works,

Is God’s saving grace.

James is clear,

God chose to give us this new birth!

He chose to write His Word on our sinful hearts!

This Word of truth is none other than the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, any good works we do,

Is because of God’s undeserved goodness in saving us.

God is the source of every good thing in us.

Were it not for God,

Everything in us would still be bad.

This means we need His undeserved goodness to save us from ourselves.

This is what we put our faith in.

The last thing that James says in vs. 18 is that He does this so...

That we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Firstfruits symbolize a foretaste of what is to come.

So, what God has already done in our hearts is a preview of what is to come when He will make all things new.

By saving us into this new birth,

He has assured us that one day we will enter into the new heaven and new earth,

Where there will be no more trials or temptations.

Slide

But until that day comes,

We can take heart.

Because He has saved us from our sin.

And since He has saved us from our sin,

We can be certain that by His grace,

We will persevere better through trials and temptations.

God conquered sin and suffering,

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This is the foundation our works are built upon.

One of the works deeply connected to the gospel,

Is the Lord’s Supper.

So, this morning,

We are going to obey Him and participate in the Lord’s Supper.

Slide

In just a moment,

We will have some music playing.

Once it does,

The table will be open.

If you aren’t able to come to the table,

Someone will come to you with the bread and the cup.

But if you are able to come,

After you take the bread and the cup,

Return to your seat and pause for a moment of prayer and reflection.

Then, after a few moments,

I will come back up here and we will participate in the Lord’s Table together.

Pray.

The night Jesus was betrayed,

After supper,

He took the bread and He broke it,

And He said,

This is My Body broken for you,

Take, eat in remembrance of me.

So, together we eat.

After that, Jesus then took the cup,

And He said,

This is my blood,

Poured out for the new covenant,

As often as you drink of it,

Do so in remembrance of Me.

So, likewise, we drink.

Amen!

I would like to invite you to stand,

And we will close singing a song about God’s never ending goodness.