YOU Matter!

SERIES: James – Faith That Works

Week 3: “YOU Matter!”

James 1:9-11

INTRO 

There’s a question most people don’t ask out loud… but they live their entire life trying to answer:

“What makes me matter?”

For some people, it’s money.

For others, it’s reputation.

For some, it’s what they’ve built…

For others, it’s what they’ve lost.

And here’s the problem—

If your answer to that question can be taken from you…

then your identity is fragile.

James doesn’t ease into this.

He doesn’t warm us up.

He comes right at it—and he flips everything upside down.

James 1:9-11“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away…”

James 1:9–11 ESV

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

BIG IDEA

God will dismantle every false identity so that your only secure identity is in Christ.

1. The Low Are Lifted (v.9)

“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation…”

This is shocking.

James tells the lowly—the poor, overlooked, forgotten—

to boast.

That word “lowly” (tapeinos) isn’t just humility—it’s status.

It’s the guy nobody notices.

The one society writes off.

And James says:

“You—boast.”

Why?

Because the world’s scoreboard is broken.

Preach This:

The world says:

You are what you earn

You are what you own

You are what people think of you

But the Kingdom says:

You are who Christ says you are

Bring It Home:

Some people walk into church feeling:

behind

less than

overlooked

And James says:

If you are in Christ—you are not low.

You are:

chosen

redeemed

seated with Christ (Ephesians 2)

As a Chaplain-

I’ve seen men with nothing—no money, no freedom, no reputation—

stand taller spiritually than men who have everything.

Because when everything else is stripped away…

you find out what’s real.

2. The High are Humbled (v.10)

“…and the rich in his humiliation…”

Now James flips it again.

He tells the rich to boast too—but not in what they expect.

“Boast in your humiliation.”

That’s not natural.

Emphasize:

God is not attacking wealth.

He’s exposing false security.

Because money lies to you.

It tells you:

you’re safe

you’re in control

you don’t need help

Push Them (Don’t soften this):

If your peace rises and falls with your bank account…

If your confidence is tied to your success…

If your identity is built on what you’ve built…

God will shake it.

Not to destroy you—

but to free you.

Because anything you can lose…

you were never meant to stand on.

3. Everything Fades (v.10b–11)

“…like a flower of the grass he will pass away…”

James paints a picture his audience knew well:

A field of grass

A scorching wind blows through

By the end of the day—it’s gone

Emphasize:

That’s life.

That’s wealth.

That’s status.

That’s everything we build outside of God.

Object Moment (Pause here if you use it):

Hold up a flower.

Talk about how strong it looks… how alive…

Then crush it.

“James says this is what your life looks like without an eternal foundation.”

Let It Sink:

This isn’t being pessimistic.

This is clarity.

James is trying to wake people up before it’s too late.

SERIES CONNECTION

I’ve already taught:

* Trials (1:2–4) → Life is hard

* Wisdom (1:5–8) → You need God

Now James adds:

Identity (1:9–11) → You are not what you think you are

And next week?

Temptation (1:12–15)

You see the progression?

Pressure exposes you

Wisdom guides you

Identity grounds you

Then temptation tests what you really believe

GOSPEL

Here’s the truth:

Every one of us fits somewhere in this passage.

* Some feel low

* Some feel secure

* All of us are more fragile than we think

And the gospel does something powerful:

It lifts the low…

and humbles the high…

at the exact same time.

Bring It to Jesus:

At the cross:

* The low are given worth

* The proud are brought low

* And everyone stands equal before God

FINAL CHALLENGE

Ask-

“If everything in your life was stripped away… would you still know who you are?”

Because one day—it will be.

Not to punish you…

But to reveal whether your life is built on Christ…

or something that fades.

CLOSING

“In Christ, the low are lifted, the high are humbled, and the only identity that remains… is the one that lasts forever.”