How to be Real in Negative Circumstances

“How to be Real in Negative Circumstances”

James 1:1-8

1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

INTRODUCTION:

A- Background

1- Authorship

a. James is named as the author in 1:1.

(1) A number of NT personalities were named James, but only three are candidates for the authorship of this book.

(a) James the son of Zebedee died in AD 44, too early to have been the author.

(b) No tradition names James the son of Alphaeus (Mk 3:18) as the author.

(c) This leaves James the brother of Jesus, also called James the Just (Mk 6:3; Ac 1:14; 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; 1Co 15:7; Gl 2:9, 12), as the most likely candidate.

This James is identified as the brother of Jesus in Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3; and Galatians 1:19.

Though he was not a follower of Christ during his earthly ministry (Jn 7:3–5), a post-resurrection appearance convinced James that Jesus is indeed the Christ (Ac 1:14; 1Co 15:7).

James later led the Jerusalem church (Gl 2:9, 12), exercising great influence there (Ac 1:14; 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; 1Co 15:7; Gl 2:9, 12).

2- Date of authorship

a. James was probably written between AD 48 and 52, though nothing in the epistle suggests a more precise date.

James’s death in AD 62 or 66 means the epistle was written before this time. Similarities to Gospel traditions and Pauline themes are suggestive.

If Mark was written around AD 65 and time is allowed for the events of Acts 15 and 21 to have occurred between Paul’s first and second missionary journeys, a date between AD 48 and 52 seems most likely.

3- circumstances of authorship

James led the Jerusalem church.

The reference to “the twelve tribes dispersed abroad” (1:1) suggests the letter was written to Jewish Christians living outside of Israel.

The reference to a synagogue in 2:2 also suggests that his audience were Jewish Christians.

References to their circumstances (e.g., oppression by wealthy landowners; 5:1–6) could refer to congregations anywhere in the Roman Empire. However, Semitic word order, quotations from the Septuagint, and the overall dependence of the epistle on the Jewish wisdom tradition suggest a specifically Jewish Christian audience.

TS: This letter specifically deals with Christian living in negative circumstances.

I- SURRENDER YOUR ALL UNDER THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST

(James 1:1). This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!

A- Allow Him to use your individual personality.

(James 1:1). This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!

1- God made you who you are.

(Psa. 100:3) Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

(139:14) Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

a- With unique abilities and gifts.(1 Cor. 12:4-7)

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.

5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.

6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

b- With a unique personality.

c- With unique physical traits.

2- He can and will use you as you are.

* He used James, Peter, John, and Paul, etc.

B- Allow Him to be Lord of your life.

(James 1:1). This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!

1-Allowing Jesus to be Lord of your life means accepting your rightful role.

a- A bondservant: you don’t belong to yourself.

1) All areas of life belong to Him.

2- Allowing Jesus to be Lord of your life means accepting His rightful role in your life.

a- He is Lord.

1) Must ask Him before acting.

2) Must obey His commands.

II- APPROACH YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES WITH A JOYFUL OUTLOOK (James 1:2-4).

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

A- Approach your negative circumstances with an attitude of joy.

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

1- Joy is the product of living a Spirit-Filled life.

(Galatians 5:22-23)

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in

our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

2- Joy is not hinged to circumstances.(Jn. 15:11; 16:21-22)

(John 15:11)

I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

(John 16:21-22)

21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world.

22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.

* The disciples (Acts 13:50-52)

50 Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. 51 So they shook the dust from their feet as a sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconium. 52 And the believersn were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

a. It is possible to have joy in negative circumstances because of the

presence of the Holy Spirit.

b. He promised never to leave you (Heb. 13:5)

“God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

B- Recognize the process that is at work in the difficult circumstances.

3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

1- God is always at work in you and in your circumstances.

(2 Cor. 4:17) For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet

they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

(Phil. 2:13) For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power

to do what pleases him.

2- Note how He works:

a- Testing (negative circumstances) produces patience (endurance).

b- Enduring negative circumstances while walking in the Spirit produces

c- maturity (perfect work) = completeness (Christlikeness).

III- SEEK GOD’S WISDOM IN YOUR DEALING WITH YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES (James 1:5-8).

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

A- God’s wisdom is available to you.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

1- Sometimes we don’t know how to handle negative circumstances.

* The early church

2- God stands ready to impart His wisdom to us.

a- Gives it liberally.

b- Does not reproach us for our lack of wisdom.

1) God’s wisdom is not earthly wisdom. (1 Cor. 3:19)

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.”

B- God’s wisdom must be appropriated by faith.

6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

1- Ask God in faith.

2- Don’t doubt what God says will work.

3- Don’t vascillate...OBEY!

a- To vascillate produces an unstable life.

b- If we ask, and don’t obey...God’s blessings won’t come.

CONCLUSION: