James

Intro

Intro: Faith & Fire

Grab:

1.5 month into quarantine, how is everybody

DBZ Saiyan

THQ: How are we to respond during trials?

Setting: James (1:1)

English Standard Version Chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

(vs 1) Author (half-bro of Jess), date, & purpose (written to suffering Jewish Christians)

Preview

The Command during trials

The Purpose behind trials

The Weapon for trials

Transition:

The command during trials: Rejoice!

English Standard Version Chapter 1

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

Rejoice!

What an abnormal command!

Can anyone in their right mind truly rejoice in trials? People are dying, loved ones are in the hospital, we are stuck at home, parents are losing their jobs. What is there to be happy about? This command is absurd to non-Christians and, if we’re honest, even us as Christians. Can anyone truly rejoice in trials, pains, difficulties?

The answer is yes! In fact, throughout Scripture, the command to rejoice is often given in the context of suffering.

Matthew 5:11–12 ESV

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Philippians 2:17–18 ESV

17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

These 2 passages come from series we just preached through (Philippians) or we are finishing up (SOTM), and they all command us to rejoice in the midst of suffering, even death.

To be clear, the Bible defines joy as a state of gladness rooted in current salvation and future deliverance by God. So our joy can be an emotional feeling but never in earthly circumstnaces, but it is anchored in an unchanging God.

I’m not saying Christians can never be sad. In fact, humans are complex and we often experience opposing emotions in a certain period of time. But along with sadness/frustration, we can be joyful during trials in God.

Transition

But how? Before I can answer that question, I want to define what a trial is

Defining Trials

In this context, a trial can be defined as either:

Outward difficulty

Inner enticement to sin.

Examples:

An outward difficulty is any situation that occurs around you. right now is COVID-19, a loved one passed away from covid-19, parent loses a job, loneliness because we can’t interact with friends, wedding/vacation being post-phoned, the amount of HW your teachers still give you, family is more tense or angry at one another because you’re at home. Any outward difficulty

Inner enticement to sin is the temptation you feel inside your heart. This COVID-19 is bringing up unique temptations in your heart. The temptation to sleep in and be lazy, the temptation to spend all day playing video games and wasting your time, the temptation to lose your temper at your family and curse them out, the temptation to watch pornography now that there is so much time at home. Any inner temptation to sin.

Put this together, we are supposed to “rejoice in trials of various kinds”?

How?

Transition

Let’s find out. We’re going to see that we do not rejoice in pain or evil, but we rejoice in the purpose behind trials. What is the purpose?

The purpose behind trials: steadfastness —> perfected faith

English Standard Version Chapter 1

3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Purpose: Trials are intended to produce steadfastness

Result: The end result of steadfastness is a perfect and complete faith

illustration: DBZ Saiyan race

The weapon to endure trials: Wisdom from above

English Standard Version Chapter 1

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Explain: wisdom

God promises to generously give wisdom to those who pray in faith

God gives nothing to those who pray in doubt

clarify that this is a consistent doubting of God, not an occasional one.

Big Idea:

Every trial is an opportunity to rejoice that your faith is gradually tested & perfected to be more and more like Jesus

Application

Joy in trials

Prayers of faith

Conclusion

DQ

What are the trials in your life? (External difficulty or inner temptation)

How are you responding? (Joy? frustration? anger?)

What is the purpose & result of trials? (steadfastness… leading to a perfected faith)

What does God gives in trials? (Wisdom)

How are we supposed to ask? (in faith, not doubt)

Evaluate your prayers to God. Are they in faith or doubt?