Untitled Sermon (6)

Starting this Series on James

The book of James is a wonderful companion piece to the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospels. The author of this book has a strong ethical emphasis that has a strong moral emphasis that is consistent with the moral teaching Jesus gave to His disciple. The author also mirrors the sometimes harsh denunciations that Jesus against religious hypocrisy. Like Jesus’ teachings, the book of Jame is both a source of exhortation and comfort reproof and encouragement. Finally, James is known for being extremely practical, yet it contains some of the most profound theological truths of the NT.

Author

James is named as the author in . There were several personalities in the New testament that were named James but only three are picked out to be the candidates for the authorship. The first, candidate is James the son of Zebedee, however dying in A.D. 44, it probable that he was too old to be the author. Next, there is James the Son of Alphaeus (), but since tradition doesn’t name him as the author, it unlikely him either. This leaves James the brother of Jesus to be the author of James as the more probable out of the three. Although he was not a follower of Jesus during his earthly ministry (), a post resurrection appearance left James convinced that Jesus Christ is indeed the Christ (; ). Further Concerning concerning the author James led the Jerusalem church (), exercising great influence their (; ; ; ; ; )

Audience

He references the “12 tribes of the dispersion” () and the reference to a synagogue (), and the oppression of rich land owner () so he most likely referring to Christian Jews around Palestine being oppressed by rich land owners.

The Overall Purpose and Message

(Read HCSB’s Message and purpose)

James Chapter 1

(V.1) Slave of Christ

First of all James opens this letter considering himself as a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He presents himself this way to show his humility, for his purpose it to do his Master’s bidding. It also shows his authority for it show that he does his Master’s wii and is his representative. In other words Jame’s letter to his audience should compel them to do exactly what he say because he wouldn’t of written the letter unless it was what God wanted.

In the Old Testament there were these terms given to people who revered God in certain way. A couple of them were...

Seer

Oracle

Prophet

Man of God

Man after God’s own heart

Slave

But among the highest term is slave because it gives that the recipient is owned by God. The term redeemed was commonly used when someone bought a slave, in that they are redeeming slaves. The same term is used in (Read).

In knowing that we are redeemed, as slaves of Christ, how does this make you feel.

You should feel like you have a big responsibility, I mean a lot of the American church is extremely unfaithful right not.

Why do you think that is?

I think it might be because we are in a time that is mostly plush. If suffering and real persecution went on over here then I believe it would weed out the church of those who were just playing the game and sharpen those who are actually apart of Christ. It would probably even kick the unfaithful-Christians in the butt to get them to do what they are suppose to do. Do you know for the average Christian this back in Jame’s day would see the American life as anomaly. You know I bet that such suffering would come back if the unfaithful-Christians would become faithful and consider themselves slaves of Christ!

Number One: Separate Yourself from a Faithless Life and Consider Yourself a Slave of Christ

(V.2) Count it All Joy

I want to bring all your attention to the phrase “Count it all joy.” The author says this in a very ironic instance, a variety pack of trials shouldn’t be joyous.

Who from you of you rejoices when you you’re going to wherever and your car breaks down, you get in a traffic, or when you go out to your car you forget your keys and when you go back inside to look for them they are no where to be found. Don’t you look up to God and say thank Lord for this trial that tests my patience, I am so grateful for this. It’s just a real treat when I lose my key/get stopped by traffic/stub my toe/break down/etc…

No, thanking God for that is not even make the bottom of the top 100 of our bucket list of responses! But what if we could see into the future what if God allowed us to be hindered because we would of been permanently injured in a car reck. Don you think you we would be joy in our situations that try our patience.

James, is looking into the future kinda and say tell them to count it all joy… Why? Because the testing of their faith will “produce steadfastness” and going further he gives that the full effect of steadfastness will make these Christians “perfect and completes, lacking nothing.”

Why do you think trials perfect us?

In the context, as stated before, these Christian Jews were oppressed by rich land owners. A lot of these Jew were poor and what’s more there was a big famine that was believed to have been going around this time. So not only were a lot of them them poor but a good number hungry. Their oppression made them only dependent on God as the source of their strength. When we start to trust God as the source of our strength, our meaning, and purpose we began to become more effective for His ministry because we start to not worry about world things and we start to get our minds off unimportant matters and put them on the things of God.

Number Two: Trials produce steadfastness and steadfastness produces a a perfect and complete effectiveness for God lacking in nothing.

(V.5-8) Ask God for Your Wisdom

Here is another section. Its simple and plain. If you feel like you lack wisdom in life ask God for wisdom. It says He’s generous to all who come to Him. However, sometimes we ask of God these things with doubt in our hearts, so we don’t receive anything because because we are looking at God’s infallible Word and saying something very contrary in our hearts, something like “I’ll as for it... but I probably wont receive it.” You know what with a heart and an attitude like that you might receive but only in a very different way then what you would have recieved it if you asked in complete faith. God might have you pummeled by trials till you have nothing left but to turn and trust Him. That’s when you’ll experience Proverbs “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But don’t get me wrong even when you are faithful to God a variety pack of trials will still fall on your head. That is because God is still molding and shaping you. And you know especially in the variety pack of trials we need to ask God for wisdom in complete faith, ironically in a time where says that the that are faith is tested.

Number Three: Ask God for wisdom but ask Him in complete faith.

Number Three: Asking God for Wisdom