James 1:2-5; 12

Today we are going to start on a journey through the book of James. I encourage you to take time over the next few weeks or so to read the entire book of five chapters. I know that it will encourage you and challenge you as well. Most important it will change you.

"Change is inevitable. Growth is optional."

We have to ask ourselves with all the changes going on around us, will we challenge it or will we allow it to grow us as men and women of God?

When change happens can people still see Christ in and through us? That is one of the goals of having a relationship with Christ. Less of me, and more of Him.

Sometimes God allows us to go through things in order to grow us. As the Heavenly Potter, God's desire is to shape and form us as the clay into what He desires us to be.

God does this through something called Testing.

As we open up our study in James, I want to share with you a message called "Testing and Persevering".

Stand with me as we read the Word of God this morning.

James 1:2-5; 12 "2 Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

As we dive into this study, today we are going to look at testing and persevering and learn what James has to teach us about these two things.

The opening statement by James to "consider it all joy" when you face trials of different kinds seems kind of odd. I am not too sure of anyone who is exuberant with joy when they face pain, loss, suffering, destruction, ect. and yet James tells us to consider it ALL joy.

To put it into context, James when writing this was writing to a church that was facing heavy persecution. In the midst of the persecution James calls the church to joy.

Notice James said "when you face various trials", not "if you face them". I think too often we as Christians for some reason or another seem kind of shocked when things go awry in our lives. I think we believe the lie that because we are saved and have a relationship with Jesus that our lives will be smooth sailing. This is far from the opposite of what Scripture states.

2 Timothy 3:12 "12 Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

Keep in mind the persecution that Paul and James are speaking of isn't like what we face today, well not in America anyways. The persecution they faced was the possibility of being arrested and thrown into imprisonment, torture, and even executions. It was in the midst of all this that James tells them to have joy.

We may not be facing persecutions in the capacity that the early church and some of our brothers and sisters in Christ are facing today, but it doesn't mean we won't face trouble. We will and we do. It is at those times we must trust in the fact that our faith when it is tested is producing something in us that is valuable.

Testing of our Faith

James tells us that there are a various trials.

What we need to discern is, is the trial from God or from the enemy?

A trial that is from the enemy, it is for the purpose of causing one to fall. Fall in their walk with God and ultimately fall away from God.

James 1:13 "13 No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone."

This word tempted also means test or trial. The purpose of these is to cause the Christian to fall. These types temptations/trials we face are not from God. The enemy will tempt us in order to get us to fail and fall away from God.

But, God does allow us to go through trials and the purpose of these trials is for the proving of someone. God will test us. The purpose of the test is to grow us and strengthen our walk with God.

David wanted to be tested by God.

Psalm 26:1-2 "1 Vindicate me, Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. 2 Examine me, Lord, and put me to the test; Refine my mind and my heart."

Psalm 139:23 "23 Search me, God, and know my heart; Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;"

David wanted God to test him and examine him to make sure that he was true to God. I spoke a little bit last week on how Abram's faith was tested by God when God asked him to sacrifice his own son Isaac. This did two things, it grew the faith not only of Abram and Isaac, but this test was used to help others have faith.

Romans 4:16 "16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,"

The testing of our faith is not only for us, but it is also for those around us who may not believe or have little faith.

When we go through the trials, sometimes we can't see the joy.

I remember when we pastored our first church. It was known in the state as the boot camp for new pastors. The nickname rang true.

We were told in our first week there that they were not afraid to starve out the pastor. They weren't joking. The Lord told me that while we were pastoring that I wasn't to work a full time job. So I didn't. The church took care of our housing, but that was a bout it.

We put our faith in God during that time. It wasn't a joyful experience while we were going through it, but looking back on it, I can count it all joy. What that trial did for us was grow our faith in God that He is our provider, not the church, not the government, not any one person, but God and God alone!

We have seen God do some amazing things and in that we believe that He can do amazing things. It has grown our faith in Him tremendously to the point where we can go before God and ask in faith for Him to bless, provide, heal, ect.

But not only has that grown our faith, but me telling you my testimony, is now being used to grow yours. You see, God didn't just provide for us because we were the pastors, but God provided because we are His children.

If He will do it for us, He will do it for you!

Luke 12:24 "24 Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!"

The more I see God move in the trials in my life the more I can count it all joy when I go through them because I know that it is growing me as a child of God. It is growing my faith and when my faith grows it will produce endurance or perseverence.

Produces Endurance/Perseverance

Go back to what James said.

James 1:2-3 "2 Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."

The trials we face that tests our faith produces endurance. Endurance is valuable to the Christians journey.

The Strong's Concordance defines endurance as

the characteristic of a man who is un-swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings

God has deliberately created us and has a deliberate purpose for each and every one of us.

Ephesians 2:10 "10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."

In order to walk in those good works we MUST have endurance.

We live in a culture where people are giving up and just quitting. In September last year 4.4 million people quit their jobs.

Almost half of all marriages end in divorce.

According to the Gallup polls, 75% of Americans identified as Christian in 2011—in 2021, that number shrunk to 63%.

More than 4,000 churches closed in America in 2020. Over that same time, over 20,000 pastors left the ministry and 50 percent of current pastors say they would leave the ministry if they had another way of making a living.

We need endurance church!

We cannot give in!

We cannot give up!

We must keep fighting the good fight!

As Paul encouraged the church of Galatia I encourage you today:

Galatians 6:9 "9 Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary."

The question is what will we reap if we do not give up? What will we reap if we persevere through the trials?

James 1:12 "12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him"

First of all, if you persevere through the trial, you are blessed by God! This word blessed means SUPREMELY BLESSED.

Blessed with what?

You are supremely blessed with the CROWN of LIFE.

Crown - mark Life - the absolute fullness of life, blessed,

I believe this crown of life is something we receive here. According to James, we receive a mark of a full life.

This is why Jesus came. Too often we just settle for Jesus coming, dying on the cross, and resurrecting from the dead as just a means for us to be forgiven of our sins and get to heaven.

This is true. He did come to save us. It is only through Christ anyone can get to heaven. We are not saved by our works. We are not saved by any other name than the name of Jesus Christ.

But so many Christians miss out on the life here and now that Christ died for. James is speaking of trials we will face here in this life. There are no trials in heaven. So I believe we can receive this crown (mark of) life here and now!

John 10:10 "10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have itabundantly."

This word life is the same word zōē that James used! Jesus came so we can have the fullness of life here and now!

Pastor Rick and I were having a conversation the other day about the state of the church and what we have experienced over the years. I was sharing with him about the merge of New Life and Harvest and how it all came to be.

We were talking about how there are so many small churches who are struggling to keep the doors open and how they too should just combine with another church in town.

Just an FYI, we need small churches. There is nothing wrong with a small church. I am not speaking of small churches that are making an impact on their communities and in the lives of people for the Kingdom of God.

I am speaking of the ones who like Pastor Rick told me about. I believe it was in Mexico...the church was dying and the people there basically said they are just waiting to die so the doors can close.

Unfortunately, many Christians believe this way. This is the complete opposite of what Christ and James is speaking of.

We can experience the fullness of life, Kingdom living, here and now.

You can be marked with the fullness of life here and now. Supremely blessed with the fullness of life here and now.

But you have to endure! You cannot give in or give up. The words "I give up" needs too removed from your vocabulary.

I want to close this message with two thoughts. (Call Valanne up to play)

Burn the Ships

On February 19, 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés set sail for Mexico with an entourage of 11 ships, 13 horses, 110 sailors, and 553 soldiers. The indigenous population upon his arrival was approximately five million. From a purely mathematical standpoint, the odds were stacked against him by a ratio of 7,541 to 1. Two previous expeditions had failed to even establish a settlement in the New World, yet Cortés conquered much of the South American continent.

What Cortés is reported to have done after landing is an epic tale of mythic proportions. He issued an order that turned his mission into an all-or-nothing proposition: Burn the ships!

As his crew watched their fleet of ships burn and sink, they came to terms with the fact that retreat was not an option.

"Nine times out of ten, failure is resorting to Plan B when Plan A gets too risky, too costly, or too difficult.That’s why most people are living their Plan B. They didn’t burn the ships. Plan A people don’t have a Plan B. It’s Plan A or bust. They would rather crash and burn going after their God-ordained dreams than succeed at something else." - Mark Batterson

When we face the trials in this life as a Christian, there should be no plan B. In other words, we will run with endurance.

Various Trials

James says we will meet trials of various kinds. This is an extremely important point to remember. The original meaning for various kinds is literally many colored.

When I read that I think of a box of crayons. Growing up we had your typical 12 color box of crayons and then as I got older they came out with 32, 64, 128, 2,596. You get the idea.

Just like there is a huge variety of colors in a crayon box, there are a huge variety of trials, a “many colored” palette of adversity and pain that believers around the world will experience in their lifetimes. It differs from person to person, church to church, and culture to culture. We’re talking things like:

Relational painMental health and well beingPhysical disease and sufferingFinancial lossExternal persecution

The list could go on and on and on.

In fact, there are people sitting here today who are experiencing a deep testing of their faith. There are those in our midst asking questions like;

Is God even real?If God is so good, why does He allow evil?Why won’t He intervene in my life?Why won’t He heal my child/spouse/friend?

These are questions we all ask at some point in our faith.

But the BIG question isn’t, “will I experience trials”, but rather, “when will I experience trials?”

And the good news is that although there are various trials, more numerous than the colors found in a box of crayons, there is also a God in heaven who is weaving every trial, every color, into a magnificent and meaningful tapestry.

Romans 8:28 "28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Paul doesn't tell us that all things will be good in our life, but He does say that God will cause whatever it is you are going through to work together for those who love Him, and are called according to His purposes.

Altar Call

Here is how I feel led to do an altar call. If you are here this morning and God uses you to speak words of encouragement to people, I would like for you to come to the front and line up across the stage.

If God uses you to speak words of encouragement to people, I want you to come to the front and line up across the stage.

If you are here this morning and you are going through a trial and you need some encouragement, you can come up and receive some words of edification and encouragement today. Let's walk out the Scriptures today.

James 1:5 "5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

Let's ask God for wisdom during the trial. How you should handle it. How can you grow from it.

Or if you are here this morning and you are going through some trials in this life and you desire God to work them out for good but you do not have a relationship with Jesus, you can come as well and we will pray with you as you start your journey.