Thanks, Connor. Good morning, everyone.
So if you'd like to open up your Bibles on page, if you've got the church Bibles, on page 1213,
we're going to be looking at James chapter 1, verses 1 to 8.
And that's James chapter 1, verses 1 to 8.
And as you open up your Bibles, I'm going to read from the original scroll.
So if you're all following with me, I'm going to read like a letter would be read.
I might have somebody holding it down there for me and I might read.
But anyway, this is the way we're going to do it.
So, James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations, greetings.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault, and this will be given to you.
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt,
because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
This letter starts like so many other letters.
The author stating who he is and who he's writing to.
So right at the beginning, we can see that this letter is from James,
a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it's written to the twelve tribes, the scattered.
Just as the children of Israel were dispersed throughout the world in their exile,
so also believers in Christ now at the time of writing are scattered,
waiting for God to gather them home to himself.
We too today are also part of the scattered,
so this letter is for us as well.
James is a very practical book.
He doesn't go deep into doctrine,
but he assumes that as believers, as followers of Jesus,
that we know what it is to know Jesus, to be followers.
And so this book is very practical.
This is written to us so that we know how we take,
how we know what we take,
what we know of Jesus, we take in our heads,
and we put into our lives,
being doers of the word.
And that's what we're going to try and explain today
and over these following weeks,
as we look at the practical wisdom
to help us live as Christians.
So it is to us,
we have been called as God's people.
We're called now to persevere,
to have joy in trials.
Consider with me a young couple
in their early stages of attraction to each other.
They believe that theirs will be
a lifelong partnership that will last forever.
They are made for each other
and nothing will ever come between them.
Of course, at this stage in their relationship,
they have every reason to believe this,
but it's only a matter of opinion, isn't it?
It's their opinion,
and one which has no substance yet,
even if they are unwilling to admit it.
In time, their belief will be tested.
There will be attractive temptations
from other possible partners in the future.
They will discover each other's likes and dislikes,
which may not be so easy to accept or to adjust to.
Perhaps there will be an unwelcome
or an antagonistic reaction
from one of the parents involved,
which just makes the relationship at times awkward
and a bit difficult.
However, if these times of testing are endured,
the relationship starts to become more durable.
And as time goes by,
the conviction within them to marry
becomes stronger and more settled.
This same process carries on into their marriage,
having promised to forsake
all other partnerships for life
and in the course of their life together,
maybe by the experience of fighting off temptations
or of dogged determination
to save their marriage in times of coolness,
or just the shoulder-to-shoulder
facing and bearing of the difficulties of life.
Their minds become more and more determined
or redirected away from the thought of fidelity.
What began as a tentative belief
ends as a fixed, unchangeable constant in life.
The same can be said for the Christians
undergoing trials.
James says,
for you know the testing of your faith
produces perseverance
or steadfastness,
as other translations put it.
In the book of James,
he refers to very ordinary struggles.
As you quickly scan through the book,
a few will pop up.
There's lack of faith.
There's doubt and double-mindedness.
There's confusion,
the need for wisdom,
the love of money turning their heads from God,
temptations of their own evil desires,
anger, apathy,
relational issues like fighting and quarreling,
killing and coveting,
pride.
They were struggling with slander.
Some workers were not being paid for their work,
so there was extortion on one hand
and poverty on the other,
leading to anger and arguments.
The call is still to rejoice
or to consider it joy.
What are we going to preach to ourselves
when we face trials?
What are we going to say to each other
when these things happen to us?
How are we going to disciple ourselves
or our children or each other?
James makes it clear in verse 2
to count it all joy.
But how do we do that?
How do you even feel when I say
consider it all joy
when you face all types of trials?
When you consider all that you're going through,
if someone really knew
what you were going through,
they wouldn't say count it all joy, surely.
In fact, if they did,
it would sound quite trite actually, wouldn't it?
What does James know about trials anyway?
Well, James knew suffering.
James was the half-brother of Jesus,
so he saw all that Jesus went through
up to and including
death on the cross.
James was the leader
of the early church in Jerusalem,
so he would have watched
and seen some of his own church members
being persecuted for following Jesus.
He was under pressure
from the religious leaders in Jerusalem
for following Jesus,
and he was even pressurized
to try and renounce
his faith in Jesus.
And we know this
because James was stoned to death
by scribes and Pharisees
for refusing to do this.
That's how committed he was to Jesus.
It's safe to say that James
has known suffering,
and so he can say this.
He's not saying that trials
are joyful things
in and of themselves.
It's not like,
well, I've just lost my job
and my mortgage is in arrears.
My wife crashed the car,
wrote it off,
and now she's facing
a long road back to recovery.
Not to mention,
my dog had to be put down last week
due to a horrible infection.
Oh, and did I mention
that my mother is suffering from cancer?
And it's really not looking good.
But you know what?
It's all joy.
It's great.
No.
That's not what he's saying.
And on the day
when I'm feeling down
and low about all these things
that are happening to me,
I just put on my happy face
and I grin and I bear it.
No, that's not what he's saying,
either.
Horrible things happen.
We do face trials.
And the Bible is full of compassion
for us when we do that.
When life is hard.
Ecclesiastes chapter 3
says that there is a time
for everything.
Verse 4 specifically says
that there is a time to weep
and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn
and a time to dance.
It's okay to find life hard.
Think about Jesus.
He wept
when he heard
that his friend
Lazarus
had died.
Paul instructs us
to weep
with those who weep.
scripture says that there is sadness
and hurt
and pain.
It doesn't minimize it.
But yet James
still instructs us
to consider these trials
joy.
To consider.
It's more about
thinking and feeling.
The question for us is
how do we regard trials?
How do we
think about trials?
How do we consider
trials?
Do we see them
as a burden
and an inconvenience?
Or as something
that is part of life?
But which God
can use
to shape
and form us?
As we consider
our trials
we should have a perspective
which looks
beyond the present
to the future.
Pure joy
is not necessarily
a present happiness
but joy
in anticipation
of God's future
for us.
These very trials
and the testing
of our faith
produce perseverance
or as other translations
put it
steadfastness.
Like the couple
we were thinking of
a minute ago
over years of courtship
and marriage
times of testing
lead to an unshakable
commitment
to each other.
Isn't that what we want
with Jesus?
Consider it pure joy
my brothers and sisters
whenever you face
trials
of many kinds
because you know
that the testing
of your faith
produces perseverance.
Jesus in Luke
chapter 8
15
when describing
the seeds
falling on
four types of soil
says that
the seed that falls
on good soil
stands for those
with a noble
and a good heart
who hear the word
retain it
and by
persevering
produce a crop.
Again
Jesus says
in Luke 21
when talking
about the end
of the age
starting in verse 17
it says
all men will hate you
because of me
but not a hair
of your head
will perish.
By standing firm
you will gain life.
It is
when we persevere
that the fruit comes.
trials in life
are a test.
They test
our humility
don't they?
They test
whether or not
we think more
highly of ourselves
than we ought
to think.
They test
whether we have
some imaginary
idea
that we're so good
God should never
have to test us.
Trials also test
our love
for worldly things.
They test
whether or not
we are succumbing
to earthly treasure.
when earthly things
are ripped out
of our grasp
we find out
whether or not
we are worldly
or not.
Tests in life
suffering
pain
and sorrow
loss
they also test
whether or not
we are heavenly minded
whether or not
we really live
with an eternal
perspective
and trials in life
also test
what we really love.
all of these things
test the strength
and the character
of our faith.
They test
our humility
whether we can
take suffering
willingly
because we know
that we deserve
nothing more.
Think of Jesus
without sin
the perfect man
who went around
helping people
all the time
but yes
he suffered horribly
and he definitely
didn't deserve it.
So it's not about
what we deserve
trials test
whether we have
our affections
set on things
above
or here.
They test
what we really love.
Look at the testing
of Abraham.
Was there anything
dearer to Abraham
than Isaac?
Yes
God was
and the test
revealed
who Abraham
loved most.
He loved Isaac
Genesis 22
says that
but he loved
God
more.
verse 3
you know
that the testing
of your faith
produces
perseverance.
Understand
what God
is doing.
He's making
you stronger.
He's producing
perseverance.
He's making
you more
formidable
strengthening
your faith
and your
usefulness.
Just like
gold is
purified
or refined
in the fire
we are being
made more
Christ-like
as we mature.
One person
has described
it like this
trials are
employed by
God
to give us
what we most
want.
Trials are
employed by
God to give us
what we most
want and
if we are
Christians
that is not
comfort
but conformity
to Christ.
Being
conformed
to Christ
is worth
so much
more
than comfort.
For the
believer
this idea
of being
matured
is good
news
as we
look forward
to the
day when
the trials
will end
and we
are presented
as perfect
in the
new creation.
what do
you most
want?
Do you
want
comfort
or
conformity
to Christ?
Call to
maturity.
Verse 4
Let
perseverance
finish its
work so
that you
may be
mature and
complete
not lacking
anything.
The
Greek
for
mature
is
also
translated
as
perfect.
This
is the
virtue
that
Noah
exhibited
when
he
was
described
as
blameless.
This
is what
Jesus
intends
when he
calls his
followers
to be
perfect
therefore
as your
heavenly
father
is
perfect.
It
suggests
that we
are to
have a
character
like
God's.
This
type of
maturity
is produced
by holding
fast to
faith in
Christ
while in
the fire
of
persecution.
The
impurities
in one's
character
will be
burnt off
in that
fire.
The end
result
will be
not just
maturity
but
completeness
or
wholeness
which means
that not a
single part
of a
God-like
character
will be
missing
or lacking
in us.
If this
is the
end result
of the
trials
difficult
as they
may be
there is
indeed
something
to rejoice
about.
We are
being made
whole and
complete and
mature
not lacking
anything.
Here James
invites us to
picture ourselves
in a state of
spiritual maturity
where we are
rid of the
jealousy
or impatience
or bitterness
or selfishness
or anything
that now
spoil the
wholeness of
our fellowship
with God.
Do you
hunger and
thirst for
righteousness
being made
right with
God?
If you
long to be
the person
that God
desires you
to be
you now
have reason
for considering
it pure joy
whenever you
face trials
of many
kinds.
The trials
can be
opportunities
for testing
to develop
in you
the perseverance
which when
it finishes
its work
will leave
you mature
in Christ.
Skip
ahead to
verse 12.
Blessed is
the one
who perseveres
under trial
because having
stood the test
that person
will receive
the crown
of life
that the
Lord has
promised to
those who
love him.
As we are
made mature
or perfect
through perseverance
we will
receive the
crown of
life which
the Lord
will give
to those
that love
him.
There are
people who
come,
you see
them and
I see
them,
they come
to the
church,
they profess
faith,
they might
even get
baptized,
but then
trouble comes
into their
life and
they're gone
and they
may never
come back.
maybe they
got burned
in a
relationship
or maybe
they came
along and
they had
to go
through some
struggle.
A dear
friend or
family member
died and
it was just
too much for
them to
bear and
they walked
away and
maybe shook
a fist at
God on
their way
out and
that was
this.
You see
perseverance
through trial
is the
proof of
living,
mature
faith.
We've
heard the
call to
persevere
and the
call to
maturity.
Next we
hear the
call to
prayer.
Looking
forward we
can see
that the
day is
coming once
we have
persevered and
when we
will become
mature,
lacking in
nothing,
but for
now we
all know
that there
are things
we lack.
Or more
specifically,
one thing
in particular
we lack.
Maybe you
can't quite
see life the
way I'm
describing it
or that
James is
describing it.
That we
should be
joyful in
trials.
Maybe that's
something you
can't quite
get your
head around.
Maybe things
are so
difficult for
you in
some situation
and all
you can see
is a mess
with no
possible
purpose,
with no
opportunity
to see
how this
situation
could be
resolved,
let alone
lead to
maturity.
Well,
if that's
the case,
you need
wisdom.
We need
wisdom to
see that
all of
life is
somehow
serving the
purposes of
God.
Or perhaps
you do
see that
in all
things the
Lord's
hand is
at work
in you
through
certain
pressures
or trials.
And in
that time,
that will
make you
mature.
But in
the midst
of all
of that,
you still
don't know
which way
to turn.
There's a
fork in
the road
and you
don't know
which path
to take.
You're
prepared to
persevere,
but you
don't know
the Lord's
will in
that circumstance.
In that
case,
you need
wisdom too.
Brian O'Driscoll,
the rugby
player,
famously said
in a
post-match
interview,
knowledge is
knowing that
a tomato
is a fruit.
Wisdom is
knowing that
you don't
put it in
a fruit
salad.
It's
funny,
but it's
true.
If we
say about
someone that
they know
the Bible
really well,
all we have
done is
describe how
knowledgeable
they are.
But if
that same
person knows
how to
use the
Bible to
understand
life and
to understand
the world
around them,
if they're
able to
use the
Bible to
guide their
behaviour and
the behaviour
of others,
then the
knowledge that
they have of
the Bible
has passed
over into
wisdom.
The wise
person will
then be able
to see life
as James
describes it
in verse
2-4,
and be able
to make
personal
decisions with
the view
to being
made
mature.
We need
wisdom to
see that
all of
life is
serving the
purposes of
the Lord.
Verse 5,
if any of
you lacks
wisdom,
you should
ask God,
who gives
generously to
all without
finding fault,
and it will
be given to
you.
We are
told to
ask for
it.
We don't
go to
college for
it.
we are
told just
to ask
for it.
In fact,
we are
promised
it if
we do
ask.
We are
promised
that when
we ask
for wisdom
in faith,
that we
will receive
it with
abundance,
because God
gives
generously.
As we
think about
our own
trials and
times of
testing,
sometimes we
can see
no way
out.
We know
that the
problem
facing us
is just
too big
to overcome,
or the
temptation
that we
struggle
with just
keeps coming
back and
we can't
resist.
Or the
person who
we can't
get through
to is
just so
hard-hearted
that we
can't see
how they
could possibly
soften.
We can't
possibly see
how God
could act
in this
situation.
if any
of you
lacks
wisdom,
you should
ask God,
because God
gives generously.
We can
easily fall
into one
of two
categories
when we
face trials.
We are
either very
quick to
talk to
God about
our problems
and pray
about things,
but then we
are slow
to share
our burdens
with others.
very often
God uses
people
to share
his wisdom
with us.
Alternatively,
when we
come across
a problem,
we can
talk to
everyone
about it,
worrying
about it
late at
night,
but we're
slow to
talk to
God about
it,
and that
is just
exhausting.
We should
be quick
to bring
it to
God in
prayer.
Seek
him and
his wisdom
and it
will be
given to
you.
There is
that
qualification
of asking
in faith
though,
isn't there?
And let's
face it,
we can
all struggle
with that.
We lack
faith.
We can't
see a way
out or
a way
ahead.
Well,
at those
times,
we need
to take
a step
back and
say,
Lord,
help my
unbelief.
That in
itself is
an act
of faith,
throwing
ourselves
in
God's
hands
at
his
mercy,
and
then we
can
ask
for
the
wisdom
we
need
to
face
whatever
the
trial
before
us
is.
We do
need to
be careful
how we
ask,
though,
because it
is possible
to ask
for something
with wrong
motives.
maybe when
we're asking
God for
something,
we are
really just
wanting our
comforts
back,
aren't we?
Or maybe
we just
want to
get what
we want.
Our
prayer,
ultimately,
if it is
for wisdom,
will be
that our
motives
become
kingdom
motives.
What is
best for
the kingdom
of God?
As we
mature and
are shaped
and molded
into Christ
likeness,
our desires
become God's
desires,
so our
motives
become
purer.
So even
as we
pray,
we call
out to
God with
right
motives
to give
us the
right
motivation.
We've
already
seen that
God is a
generous
giver.
When we
ask for
wisdom,
he doesn't
think,
what?
You again?
What did
you do
with the
thing I
gave you
the last
time?
I'm not
giving you
any more
until you
show me
results.
That's not
the way
it works.
God is a
generous
giver.
He gives
to all
who ask
in faith.
Finally,
we hear
the call
to believe
and not
doubt.
James
seems to
skip ahead
in verse
6.
Let's
read that
actually.
James
seems to
skip ahead
in verse
6 because
what follows
isn't
clear as
to whether
he's
still
talking
about
asking
for
wisdom
but
focuses
more
on
faith
and
prayer
and
how
we
pray.
그대로
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we
ask.
And then verse 6 raises the question of our sincerity in asking.
Do we want to mature with God?
Do we really want to mature with God?
Are we totally committed to his way of seeing things and his ambitions for our future?
Or are we keeping a door open for the world?
Are we trying to have a foot in each camp?
God's mind is clear, but we can be double-minded.
Faith in verse 6 is our absolute confidence that he will give what we ask.
Doubting is our own inner uncertainty about whether we really want him to give or not.
Doubting isn't about whether God will answer, nor is the doubter the person who struggles with faith.
Doubting is the opposite of Deuteronomy 6.5.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
James is not saying that our prayers will be answered only if we have a perfect faith that never entertains any kind of doubt.
He condemns the believer who is trying to serve two masters at the same time.
This doubter is the person who is not wholly committed to God, but plays it safe by praying, just in case.
They are interested in advancement in the world, but want to enjoy some blessings now and go to heaven when they die.
Well, James says that they won't get wisdom.
In fact, it says that they will receive nothing from God.
As we come towards the end, this letter is intended for us to read.
It is written in a style similar to Proverbs, where it flows from one piece of wisdom to the next.
We've seen a few of them already today.
And as we continue to read the letter together over the next number of weeks,
some of these things today will be expanded on, and others will be explained from fresh.
But for today, I want us to remember that we are to consider our trials joyfully.
Not because they are joyful,
but because as they test us, they make us persevere.
And like any good relationship that undergoes testing,
the result will be maturity and completeness and wholeness.
If we lack these things, which we do,
we must ask God for wisdom and be prepared to receive it.
And also to get our lives in line with his will,
having kingdom motives.
Not to be double-minded,
not to be wanting to have a foot in both camps of the world and heaven,
not to be like a wave so we are blown and tossed by the wind.
The heart of this letter is that James wants us to be deep,
sincere, consistent, faithful followers of Christ.
The heart of this letter is that James wants us to be deep,
sincere, consistent, faithful followers of Christ.
Like that marriage we spoke about at the beginning,
that they are fully and wholly committed to each other.
James wants us to be deep,
sincere, consistent, faithful followers of Christ.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father,
I pray that our heart would be your heart,
and that same heart that James has for us to be faithful followers of Christ
would be our heart's desire as well.
We realize that there is much this morning which is difficult to get our heads around.
Very often we long for comfort,
and we kick against conformity as we battle with selfishness.
Lord, we need your wisdom,
and we need faith.
Thank you that you are faithful and generous,
and you give to all who ask in faith.
Thank you too that even faith comes as a good gift from you.
Please give us humble hearts so that we can ask for faith,
wisdom, and the hope of eternity.
Trusting in the complete work of Christ on the cross,
who has broken down the veil to you,
that we have access to you.
Please give us a right attitude for the kingdom.
Bring our motives under your motives,
so we are motivated to see all of life
as your plan to bring us and others to yourself.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.