Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

Call me pessimistic, but have you ever felt that majority of the news that comes in your day is usually negative?

First off, if you turn on the TV to a news station, you’ll find a lot of bad things going on.

Or, if you are “old school” you read the newspaper (to the newer generation, it is like reading general news feeds and articles online, except on real paper); however, the newspaper rarely brings good news.

“But, that’s okay” you might say, “Because, most of that news doesn’t affect me personally, in my daily routine.”

Most of us read the bad news and then move on with our day with minimal to no lasting impact.

But what about when the bad news comes from our kids, our parents, our doctors?

What about when the bad news affects our whole day, our whole week, our remaining days?

Maybe for you, the news is you lost your job, or maybe you lost a family member to drugs, to death.

What if you’re only car broke down and was in the shop for a week (we all know that doesn’t happen!)?

Or, what if you walk out of the doctor’s office with the news that you have stage 4 cancer, then what?

James wrote to believers facing bad news.

Their troubles ranged from personal trials to doubts in our God; from persecution in their hometowns just for following Christ to the temptation and lure of prestige, peace, & safety in their own communities, if they’d only renounce Christianity.

James has the answer, the key to endurance, and so he wrote to encourage his brothers (and sisters) in their faith.

James 1:2-4

James’s approach illustrates the variety of forms that encouragement can take.

As we’ll see in the later weeks, there are times in his epistle where James confronts.

He’ll use language in a way that reminds us of his half brother, Jesus.

Sparks and forest fires, rudders and large ships in chapter 3 create mental pictures somewhat like Jesus created with his needles and camels—they both use hyperbole.

In other places, and starting here, James gently encourages.

He begins his letter looking directly at trials and charges fellow believers, us, with a near impossible challenge: “Meet the very worst that life presents you with joy.”

Grammatically speaking, the Greek syntax reveals that the two main points (which are the first two imperatives or commands in his epistle) James is communicating here in these three verses:

1) we are to count/consider EVERYTHING (every life situation) as joy &

2) that we are no to hinder “steadfastness” or patient endurance from within us.

And so my exegetical outline follows suite, two main points with the rest as sub-points.

James is stressing first that we must choose joy, then he says this is how.

And so to give this passage proper perspective (namely, James’ perspective), trials and the testing of our faith is secondary to the joy we have and choose!

We have to count every situation as joy, but how? Learn to count:

1. Learn to Count

1:2 How can a person consider trouble as an opportunity for joy?

This is a remarkable command—we are to choose to be joyful in situations where joy would naturally never be our first response.

This is because we have a tendency to link happiness and joy to our temporary, ever-changing situations; rather than linking it to something that never changes throughout eternity.

In contrast, most people are happy when they escape trials.

But James encourages us to have pure joy in the very face of trials.

James is not encouraging believers to pretend to be happy.

Rejoicing goes beyond happiness.

Happiness centers on worldly circumstances and how well things are going in this life.

Joy centers on God and his presence in our existance.

When certain circumstances make us angry and when we want to blame the Lord, James directs us to the healthier, accurate alternative—joy.

Those who trust in God ought to exhibit a dramatically different, positive response to the difficult events of life, because our joy transcends this life—our joy is rooted beyond this world!

The word “when” (v.2) can be translated whenever— so it doesn’t allow much room for doubt.

We are urged to be joyful not if we face trouble, but when/whenever.

Trials, problems, situations can be joy robbers if we lack the proper attitude.

Where does this trouble come from?

First off, sin! Sin is the root cause of suffering.

One of my professors from Northland gave 3 sources of suffering:

Sources of Suffering

Satan can cause suffering (i.e the book of Job),

The cursed earth, usually through natural disasters, can cause suffering,

and People! which could be others (i.e.

robbers, rapers, murderers) and/or yourself (sin of gambling could cause suffering through poverty)

Roger Ellsworth in his commentary on James notes 3 similar categories:

1. Persecution

A good part of what the Bible calls ‘suffering’ comes under the heading of persecution.

This is the hardship and pain inflicted on Christians by those who are opposed to Jesus.

This form of suffering was so prevalent in the early church that many Christians gave up their lives for their faith.

It was such a common threat that many of the New Testament writers found it necessary to warn their readers to be prepared for it.

Many Christians are even now suffering severe persecution in various places around the world.

2. Life-circumstances

Most of us today think of this type of thing when we hear the word ‘suffering’.

This was the type of suffering I stated in my introduction and that Job had to endure.

Roger Ellsworth makes a distinction here,

“Scripture would have us distinguish between suffering that we bring upon ourselves and suffering that the Lord [supposedly] brings upon us.”

The apostle Peter made this distinction when he addressed the matter of persecution.

He told his readers to make sure that the persecution that came their way was undeserved (1 Peter 4:15–16).

The same distinction may be applied to the type of suffering we are concerned with.

The law of sowing and reaping is still in effect.

Our choices lead to consequences.

If we make good choices, we can expect good consequences; but if we make evil choices, we can expect evil consequences.

If we abuse our bodies, our health will deteriorate and we may very well put ourselves in an early grave.

If we abuse those around us, our relationships are going to deteriorate.

If we fail to feed and nurture ourselves spiritually, our walk with God is going to deteriorate.

We all know these things are true, but when the consequences of evil choices begin to pour in, we tend to ignore the law of sowing and reaping and lament our circumstances by crying out, ‘Why is God doing this to me?’

But in this situation God is only letting us experience the consequences of what we ourselves have chosen!

The proper response to this type of suffering is to break with that pattern of behaviour that has brought the suffering upon us.

3. Suffering from God’s hand [supposedly]

But let’s go to that form of suffering that most troubles Christians, that suffering that comes, so far as we can tell, apart from us making evil choices, and apart from Satan.

How do we handle this type of suffering?

This is the diseases, the deaths, the utter destruction from natural disasters.

Most blame YHWH as the CAUSE of this type of suffering, but is that right or fare to blame YHWH?

God is the only one who controls these things (so the argument goes).

Is God the cause of this type suffering?

NO! Sin is! Sin wrought cursings to the Earth!

Sin brought in death and disease!

Genesis 3 and Romans 8 confirm this cause and source.

The crucial thing to walk away with is to remember that such suffering comes from God’s approval (Job 1 & 2) but sin is the source and cause.

Scripture (in its entirety) reveals that God allows trials and difficulties into the lives of his children because he has certain purposes to achieve, BUT He is NOT the author of sin.

(I think it more theologically accurate to say God allows suffering)

Why?

Why must we suffer like this?

Why does The All-powerful, Almighty YHWH allow such a horrible experience as suffering?

a. YHWH’s purpose (1:2–3):

To purify and strengthen us.

Our attitude is to be one of genuine rejoicing.

This is not joyful anticipation for trials.

Instead, it is joy during trials.

The joy is based on confidence in the outcome of the trial.

It is the startling realization that trials represent the possibility of growth.

We cannot really know our own depth until we see how we react under pressure.

Precious diamonds begin as coal, subjected to intense pressure over a period of time.