Because you Know - James 1
Notes
Transcript
This morning we are beginning a new series in the Book of James. If you have a Bible please find and mark this book - we are going to be here for a little while.
James appears to be written by the half-brother to Jesus. One who would have shared his home with Jesus as a child.
5 (For not even his brothers believed in him.)
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
By the time Luke is writing Acts, James has gone through a whole process and is now a prominent leader in the church in Jerusalem. And yet, introduces himself, very quietly, not as the Brother of Jesus, not as the church leader, not even as the brother of Jesus, but as a Servant.
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings.
Remember that our very best title - especially in a world where everyone wants to be important, is to be a Servant of Jesus the most High.
My biggest deal is to serve my king.
James refers to Jesus as YHWY Jesus. Giving him the designation as The Lord - referencing the old testament. That carries with it the understanding that Jesus is God incarnate. That he is God with us. That he fills the references of Scripture throughout the old testament. That he has covenant relationship with Jesus beyond his personal relationship with his brother. This is the Lord.
As we begin to study this book together, I believe that God has planned to do a work in this church. If we can apply the instructions given here - I believe that our lives will be changed.
If we can wrestle through the truths that are presented here, and be obedient to the instructions given to us here, I believe everything about us will change. I believe that God will be Glorified. I believe that we will be equipped. I believe that we will share the Gospel..
The incredible thing about this book, is that if we do take heed of it, it will cause a measurable difference in who we are as a church. We will be able to see and feel the difference. Because this book is very practical. And there is a lot of instruction. 108 verses. 60 instructions.
James leans very heavily into two source texts for the wisdom that he shares - The book of proverbs and the Sermon on the mount, and both of those are as well, very practical.
The point of this book seems to be how do we actually do thins thing called life. How do we actually behave. What should we really be doing.
Pray.
James wastes no time before getting into what he has to share. He jumps right into it.
It reminds me of those old long distance calling commercials
“bobhadababyitsaboy”
No time wasted. No flowery anything. Just this is who it is and this is what you need to know.
As we begin to study the word together, we should be reminded that while there are things that are difficult for us to hear, God speaks these words into our lives, gently, knowing the situations that we are in, knowing where we find ourselves this morning. He knows. He loves. He cares.
And so He says.
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings.
2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
So I want to be careful in how we look at this passage. It is important that we understand it well. I have broken this down into three sections.
The instruction.
Consider it great joy, whenever you experience various trials.
So what are we experiencing? Trials. All sizes - all kinds.
Tripped up the stairs. Cut off in traffic. Small stuff.
Lost your job, your loved one… Big stuff.
Most of our lives we work towards having no trials. We are in a constant state of trying to fix the things.
And yet we live in a fallen world which has huge implications on the existence that we experience, AND The creator of the universe has a desire that we would grow to be more like Him.
It is blasphemous to say that the only thing God has for us in this life is what the world would consider good.
God’s great plan for many of the apostles was a painful death, so that we might have faith in the words they spoke in their life.
Jesus promised us suffering in this life.
John 16:33
33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
There will be trials. Those trials will come from Lord, they will come from the world, and sometimes they just come from ourselves. Play stupid games - win stupid prizes.
God did not mean this passage in James to become a hammer with witch we bludgeon one another. When we see someone hurting, our response to them cannot be “well consider it joy!” We have to know that we are created with such depth of emotion and being. We are meant to feel the things that we feel.
In fact, the trials themselves aren’t meant to produce joy. The joy comes in ourselves as we consider the things that we have been through and are going through.
There is no joy in trials.
We just worked through several chapters in the book of Psalms where David wrestled with trials in his own life. It wasn’t pretty. He really struggled.
When Lazarus died, Jesus didn’t immediately say “Well, consider it joy! God’s got a purpose for this! What a terrible thing that would have been.
33 When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled.
34 “Where have you put him?” he asked. “Lord,” they told him, “come and see.”
35 Jesus wept.
There was no rejoicing in that moment.
Because we are created with such depth, such an incredible well of emotion.
6 I am deeply depressed; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your billows have swept over me.
I tell people all the time when they are distressed - there is no right way to go through what you are going through. There is not a right answer. There aren’t words.
And yet, as we work through this stuff, as we process, when we get to a place where we can look at the things that we are experiencing, in that almost out of body moment - see it for what it really is.
Consider it Joy.
To consider means to think about - it. So in this moment, when we can get to this place, we put our thoughts over our feelings.
We dictate how we are going to feel. We dictate what we are going to think about this stuff. When we are in it - as we experience it, understand what it is and consider it JOY.
Joy is closely related to happiness and gladness, but it is a result of choice. It is a state of being - spiritually and emotionally. I’ve got joy joy joy joy down in my heart!
The explanation.
Because you know. The explanation comes right there in verse 3.
The key to being able to get to joy is this.
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Because you know.
We talk about making things concrete in your heart here. This is why.
So that when you get to that place, when you are going through the stuff, you can consider it joy.
Consider it joy - BECAUSE?
You know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
You know - in the end - this is good for you.
And its hard to see that. And we don’t know the details. And it doesn’t seem fair. And it isn’t right. And the timing is off.
But when we can look back.
3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance,
4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.
5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
We know how it works.
The result.
4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
When I get to the end of my life, where ever that is, I want to be as closely resembling my Lord as I can.
If I live a long life, that will mean that God had been working on me for a long time.
Along the way, I want to mature. I want to be more useful. I want to be complete. I want to lack nothing.
We learn from struggle.
We grow from strife.
Spurgeon, to his congregation in February of 1883, picks up the picture from the sea and from sailors. He said this:
You look at the weather-beaten sailor, the man who is at home on the sea: he has a bronzed face and mahogany-coloured [skin], he looks … tough as … oak. … He [would] not have become a hardy [sailor] by [staying] on [the] shore. Now,
he says,
trial[s work] in … [God’s people] that spiritual hardi[ness] which cannot be learned in ease.
Trials work in God’s people that spiritual hardiness, toughness, that cannot be learned in ease. He goes on:
You may go to school for ever, but you cannot learn endurance there: you may colour your [face] with paint, but you cannot give it that ingrained brown which comes of stormy seas and howling winds. Strong faith and [perseverance] come [by trials] …. To reach that condition of firm endurance and sacred hardi[ness] is worth all the expense of all the heaped-up troubles that ever come upon us from above or from beneath.[19]
Do you believe
Here’s the reality.
If we cannot get to a place where James 1:2. is real in our lives, when the trial is too big - we will walk away from our faith.
We are not yet in Heaven.
We are a church who lives quiet desperation.
Consider it joy = because you know.
Our feelings have to come subject to our knowings.
Faith becomes significant under stress.