James: Hearer & Doer

James: Where Faith and Life Meet

Hearer and Doer

3/4/12

Introduction –

I can’t think of anything more frustrating than trying to talk, or reason with a hotheaded and short tempered person. I know of certain people in my life that I tend to avoid controversial or divisive topics because I know that when we talk about them the conversation is going to end up going south.

What’s even more difficult is when you have been verbally beaten up by someone, and I mean really beaten up by someone who is just angry or bitter and they cannot be reasoned with? (An example of when someone came to me in anger – Jan or Jay). Unfortunately I have had many more encounters like this with both kinds of people in my life and I have found (after many years) my best defense or response is to not respond at all by adding fuel the fire by engaging in yelling back or saying hurtful things. Instead I try (and I emphasize the word try) to listen and respond in an appropriate manner. When I do I try to speak in calm and non-threatening ways. I may not always be successful in responding this way but I have found when I do it I have done so in a way the Bible tells us and I know I have done the right thing. Proverbs 15:1, 2 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.”

As one reads through the book of proverbs the writer speaks often about the wisdom a person has when he listens much and talks little. Those who have to use abusive words with yelling or screaming or even those who always have to get in the last word usually say a lot about themselves (which is not positive). Commentator Douglas Moo writes these words, “Uncontrolled anger leads to uncontrolled speech. How often do we find ourselves regretting the words spoken ‘In the heat of the moment’?”[1]

Quick to Listen and Slow to Speak

In today’s passage James reminds his readers the importance of being men and women with controlled tongues and attentive ears. He begins verse 19 by saying, “Understand this…” or “Before we go any farther it is important for you to take this truth to heart and understand what I am saying.” As humans (most especially believers) it is imperative that we be “quick to hear or listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.” This means we should always be ready and willing to listen first (no matter how a person speaks to you), keep our mouths shut until the right time and be emotionally controlled in our responses. Why does James tell his readers this? Because James reminds us that human anger does not produce the righteousness of God. Often human anger is a response in the flesh and usually causes more trouble. Contrary to what some people think he dismisses the idea that people justify their anger because they think they are doing what God wants them to do. They think they can bring about God’s justice. I know people rationalize their anger by spiritualizing it or by saying they are being angry for God and they like to use Jesus turning over the tables of the money changers as their example. Jesus’ anger was justified and reserved for him alone. He was acting on God’s behalf. His anger was a controlled and it involved him personally. Plain and simply human anger does not lead to behavior that is pleasing to God. As Christians, yes we are told to have a righteous anger toward sin among a community of believers. Never does the Bible encourage us to use anger, harsh words or condemning words towards the sinner.

We are reminded of this when we read stories about people who claim to be speaking or acting on God’s behalf to bring sinners to justice. They act in their own sinful flesh (because they don’t like what is going on) and often bring much damage, destruction and often create more damage than good.

Many have asked, “Does this mean that we should never get angry?” I don’t think this is the point James is trying to make. We are humans and we have emotions. I believe James is making a general statement about anger. I think he warns the believer that in most cases human anger is not something God blesses. Most of our anger stems from the flesh and leads to sin and as we have already talked about God does not bless one to sin. We will talk about the power and danger of our words in a later chapter.

Looking at the historical context of this passage I can only imagine what an early church service held in the home of a believer could have looked like back in the early first century. I am almost certain they had some good arguments as the faith they were talking about was still rather new. There were probably a lot of interruptions happening during the time of scripture and I could imagine some heated discussion, some yelling and probably even some raised tempers flying around. James isn’t saying that there shouldn’t be talk about what is being taught but instead the people should first and foremost quick to listen and let what has been said take time to process and sink in. After you have taken the time to let it sink in respond in an appropriate and controlled manner.

Doers and Hearers

In verse 23 James now moves onto his next topic of being active doers of the word of God and not just merely hearers. The mistake people make in reading this verse is thinking that James says be doers of the Word and not hearers. He speaks about being both. As Christians we are to know the Word of God, we are to read it, memorize it, and consume as much as we can. However we are not to stop there. The Word of God is alive and active thus we as Christians must be alive and active.

Unfortunately in my profession I have met a number of men and women who claim to be intellectuals concerning the Word of God and are usually the most pompous, self righteous and unChrist-like people I have ever met. Anyone who thinks that knowing the Word of God is enough for their Christian walk is only deceiving themselves. If one only intellectually knows the Word of God and thinks this is what makes him righteous before God and does not do the Word of God is essentially useless.

In James verses 23 – 24 he gives us an example of what a hearer only of the Word is like. He says he is like a man who stares intently at his reflection in a mirror and when he walks away forgets what he is like. Now, before we go too much farther we have to take into consideration that the mirrors James speaks of are not the same kind we have today. They were usually polished metal, bronze, gold or silver. They were unable to get a good full glance at themselves in the mirror like we have in the modern world. When people just consume the Word of God without taking into consideration what they should do with it they can get a distorted view of scripture and can think they are more righteous, intellectual and useful to the Kingdom because they have so much understanding of God’s Word. I mean these people can quote scripture to you as fast as a machine gun but when it comes to living the Word they are almost spiritually void. In fact the people I have met who are like this are generally (not always) think they are so spiritually minded that they don’t need anything or anyone. It’s just Jesus and me baby. Interestingly I have also found they can be individuals who are most harmful to others with their words and anger. Their mouths are unfiltered because they believe they are a spokes person for God and they just have to say what they say regardless of the trail of destruction they leave behind.

James warns it is not enough to just know the Word of God we must put into practice the Word of God. Can you imagine what Christianity would look like if we would practice loving God, loving others and making disciples? Our failure to practice what we preach is unfortunately is one of the biggest reasons why Christians are known as hypocrites. If we only preached love, grace, forgiveness, and mercy and not practiced it then we would be one sorry bunch of followers of Jesus. Unfortunately there are so many out in this world that does precisely this. God didn’t speak to Moses and the Prophets to write down His Words so we could have a nice book of rules to read and learn intellectually from. He did not send Jesus so we could reflect on his wisdom and tell people how they should live all the while not living the way the word tells us. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Do you hear those words? The Bible is LIVING and it is ACTIVE. This Bible we read, love and know is intended to be lived out.

I love how The NET Bible translates verse 25 specifically “But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – he will be blessed in what he does.” I love how it reads… “The one who peers… and fixes his attention… does not become a forgetful listener BUT one who lives it out.” I believe this is precisely what God desires from his followers. The one who hears the Word of God, applies it to his life and lives his life according to it will be blessed in all he does.

Conclusion

So what is the practical application for today’s message? It is three fold. First, we are to be followers of Jesus who are good listeners and avoid using anger as a means to control, fight and manipulate others. Instead we are to be controlled in our emotions. Secondly, knowing the Word of God is important. God gave us his Word to be consumed. We are to read it, love it and memorize it so it can take root in our hearts. Lastly, we are to not only know God’s Word but we are to practice it and live it out. We are to do what the Word tells us to do for in doing so we will be blessed. So my friends let us be hearers of the Word AND doers of the Word. God has given us his Word for our benefit and His glory so let us live it our for our benefit and His glory.

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[1] Moo, Douglas: The Letter of James. Grand Rapids, MI/Cambridge UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000, p. 72, 73

James: Temptation & Desire

James: Where Faith and Life Meet

Desire and Temptation

2/26/12

Introduction –

Homer’s Odyssey is known as perhaps one of the first “books” (epic) ever written down. Historically stories were passed along verbally. It is believed to have been written near the end of the 8^th Century B.C. This poem is the sequel to Homer’s “The Iliad” which chronicled a few weeks of the Trojan War. The Odyssey centers on the Greek hero Odysseus and his journey home after the fall of Troy. His journey takes ten years to reach Ithaca (his home) after the ten-year Trojan War. Throughout the story the hero encounters many dangers, pitfalls and mythological creatures. The adventure I would like to focus on for a moment is the story of Odysseus and the Sirens.

While on his journey Odysseus is warned by Circe (a minor goddess of magic) about encountering the Sirens who are mythological creatures that are half female and half bird who are, “enchanters of all mankind and whoever comes their way; and that man who unsuspecting approaches them, and listens to the Sirens singing, has no prospect of coming home and delighting his wife and little children as they stand about him in greeting, but the Sirens by the melody of their singing enchant him.” They are known for their enticing song that lures men in ships as they are enthralled with these creatures. In their enchanted state men either plunge to their death trying to reach them or are so enthralled they forget all about everything… eating, drinking and manning the ship. Ultimately in Greek mythology if one faces with the Sirens he was almost certain of death.

Circe tells him to get bees wax for all the ship mates and plug their ears so they cannot hear the luring voices. She then tells Odysseus to have the men bind his hands and feet so as they approach he cannot be physically lured away. As they drew nearer the bound Odysseus screams to his men to set him free so he can go to these beautiful creatures but they only re-enforce his ropes the more he screams ultimately escaping temptation and continuing his journey home.

Temptation and Desire

Since the beginning of recorded time (that we know of) temptations have been present to deceive men and women into all kinds of trouble and sin. In Genesis the serpent tempts the man and woman in the Garden to partake of the forbidden fruit. There are countless stories of temptation overtaking Kings and rulers who were deceived into believing they were entitled to more or whatever they want by compromising their morals or beliefs. Even our Lord Jesus was tempted to sin by the devil and resisted by the Word of God.

We read throughout the scriptures that the temptation to sin does have a strong desirous magnetic like pull to it, but we can, with the power of God, overcome any temptation set before us. We are reminded in I Corinthians 10:13 that no temptation has overtaken us nor will we ever be tempted beyond what we can handle. Unfortunately so many (Christians and non-Christians) view temptation as something that cannot be resisted or overcome. We hear of numbers of stories of infidelity in marriage because temptation could not be resisted. We also hear of men and women succumbing to their desires and committing some of the most atrocious acts of moral failure or sin. The excuse, it wasn’t really my fault (we hear the echoes of the words of Adam, “It’s the woman’s fault I sinned”) has become common place. It seems that wherever there is a situation to gain power, wealth, self advancement and recognition you can be assured the “Siren’s” of temptation will be lurking.

In today’s passage we will look at the DNA (if you will) of temptation. We will answer the questions… What is the source of temptation? Is temptation a sin? And what are the results of giving in to temptation? (Read James 1:13 -18)

We must continue to keep in mind the context of this letter. We are reminded that James encourages his readers to endure through trials, seek wisdom in our trials through prayer and for them to find their identity in Jesus Christ and not in what they have. Verse 13 ties all this together with him writing about the lures of the temptation to sin in their trials. To begin, James states that when they are confronted with temptation they must understand that God is not the source of it. God does not tempt his people to sin. James says, “God is not tempted with evil nor does he tempt others to evil.” He does on one hand allow trials in one’s life which can ultimately lead to temptation but he is not the source of temptation to sin. According to commentator Douglas Moo, “For every trial brings temptation. Financial difficulty can tempt us to question God’s providence in our lives. The death of a loved one can tempt us to question God’s love for us. The suffering of the righteous poor and the ease of the wicked rich can tempt us to question God’s justice, or even his existence. Thus testing always includes temptation, and temptation itself is a test… But while God may test or prove his servants in order to strengthen their faith, he never seeks to induce sin and destroy their faith.”[1]

So if God is not the source of our temptation then what/who is? Verse 14 answers this question directly. According to James we are tempted or lured away by our desires. The source of your temptation is you. So often we are quick to place the blame on others… We say, “The devil made me do it.” “My friends coerced me into doing it.” “That woman or man walking down the street is the reason I am tempted.” I don’t think James is stating that the devil never has a part to play in temptation because he does mention resisting the devil in 4:7. James does tell us here though that generally when facing temptation there is no one to shoulder the blame other than ourselves.

Now, I am not much of a fisherman (I don’t want to get into any horror stories about my fishing excursions) but I do know the basic principles of fishing. We put bait or lures on the fishing line to catch fish. I don’t know the success rate of just sticking a bare hook in the water to catch fish but I am going to guess it’s not very high. So what is the purpose of a lure or bait? Isn’t it to entice the fish to follow after it and ultimately “catch it”? James use the language of a fisherman as he tells us that our desires are the bait or lures in our lives in regards to temptation. In the NAS Bible the word for desire is actually lust which can be translated as longing after that which is forbidden. We are tempted when our hearts desire to gain things that are forbidden or don’t belong to us. D.A. Carson writes, “it is quite simply the undifferentiated ‘I want’”.

This brings us to the second question, “Is it a sin to be tempted?” The answer is no. The sin is not in the temptation but the potential for sin comes in our response. We all have unhealthy and unwanted desires in our hearts but how we respond to them is crucial. When we allow sinful desires to take root or conceive in our hearts then temptation gives birth to a brand new baby named sin. This is a vivid picture of what happens when we allow temptation to reign free in our hearts. We are reminded in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death. Here James once again agrees with Paul. Unchecked and unrepentant sin allows our baby named sin grow into a full grown entity known as death. Is this a physical death? Not necessarily. James is probably referring to the spiritual death that sin brings forth. Sin always separates from God and as believers God has given to us his Spirit so that we may overcome any temptation and have life.

James states in verse 16 don’t believe the lie that God is tempting you to sin; He in fact is the giver of good things. Let us not be deceived into thinking that God is not a good God based upon the negative or tragic circumstances in our lives. I know of many people who have “lost their faith” because of a tragedy or a difficulty in life where they blame God for their mishaps. R. Kent Hughes writes, “Let’s face it – we sometimes think evil of God when tragedy comes to those we love, when we have been fired or have undergone a divorce, or we observe the dominating presence of evil in human life. Honesty with ourselves reveals that questioning God’s goodness is endemic to the human condition.”[2]

James calls God the Father of lights where there is no variation or shadow due to change. Unlike the double minded person who is unstable, God is single minded and constant and never changing. He is the good gift giver and he always will be. In a world of continual change it is comforting to know that we have a God who is never changing.

Verse 18 tells us of God’s own will (because He is the good gift giver) He created us so we might be the first fruits of all He has created. We are special in the eyes of God. We are his people and this is solely based on his grace and goodness. We are his because He desired that we be his. Knowing that God is good and has called us to be his people is comforting and able to keep us grounded in our understanding of God during our trials, tribulations and temptations.

Conclusion

When we read the words of James we are reminded that we will face trials, we will need to seek wisdom in our trials, our identity is in Jesus and we will face temptations in our trials. As I noted earlier our response to temptation is key in our Christian walk. The lusts of our hearts are ever present with us day after day. Some of you face temptation to moral failure and sin on a daily basis and are constantly feeling as though the temptation is from some source other than ourselves. Let us be reminded about the root of temptation and the outcome of surrendering to them. Certainly if you are facing a temptation we are to bring them before God. Maybe when we pray to God; instead of asking God to take the temptation away that we ad to the prayer for God to change our hearts so our desire is for him and not the lustful luring and deceitful desires that lurk in our hearts.

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[1] Moo, Douglas: The Letter of James. Grand Rapids, MI/Cambridge UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000, p. 72, 73

[2] Hughes, R. Kent. (1991). James: Faith That Works Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway books p. 53.

James: Wisdom & Prayer

James: Where Faith and Life Meet

Wisdom and Prayer

2/12/12

Introduction –

Aladdin is my second most favorite Disney animation film of all time (Beauty and the Beast is my favorite). I have many reasons why I have such a fondness for Aladdin but there are two reasons (one personal and one spiritual) I would like to share with you today. First, the voice and character of Genie played by Robin Williams is nothing short of brilliant. To this day whenever I watch this movie Williams never fails to make me laugh. Second, I like Aladdin because it gives a great example of what prayer and God are not. Let me explain; Often Christians view God and prayer in the way that Genie is portrayed as he grants wishes and is the servant to a human (namely Aladdin). People (many of which are Christians) tend to view God and prayer in this manner as well (although we would never say this). We are his master and He is our Genie. Hopefully as mature Christians you find the previous statement offensive and incorrect. Truth remains though, sometimes even us mature Christians get a wrong perception of prayer and God.

I share this video and introduce today’s message in the negative sense because I want to bring to your attention what James is NOT saying in this passage. Preachers, leaders and Christians around the world have misused these verses and misrepresented God and prayer for far too long. I have heard individuals use verses 6 & 7 as reasons why people do not have everything they want or they are pour because they lack faith. Prosperity preachers talk about asking in faith and if you do not receive what you ask for then you didn’t have enough faith. This is wrong and these verses need to be looked at in context. Note I will not make a case for faithless prayer because that would be unbiblical nor will I try to convince you that if you pray hard enough and find enough faith God will do what you ask. We are commanded throughout scripture to pray in faith thus we should ALWAYS pray according to God’s will and expect results for his glory. However I do want to dispel the false teaching that the reason you may be poor, sick, hungry, persecuted, and unsatisfied in life is because you do not have faith. The opposite is often true.

The Prayer for Wisdom

Last week I talked about trials and persecution and how God uses them to make us complete, whole and mature. We need to keep this context in mind as James writes in verses 5 – 8. It seems apparent that in this passage James is continuing to exhort his readers by telling them to seek wisdom in the midst of trials. The way a person should seek and receive wisdom is through prayer.

R. Kent Hughes writes in his commentary on James in regards to this, “When we are in the midst of trials, we may reflexively cry out, ‘God why me? There is nothing redemptive in my trial! Why does it go on?’ But how many of us say, while being tested, ‘Lord I need wisdom – Please use this trial to increase my wisdom and understanding of you, your people and life’”?[1]

Before we get too far in this short passage I think it would be best to take a moment and define wisdom and tie the importance of having wisdom and walking with God together. The simplest definition of wisdom could be in stating what wisdom is not… It is not just knowledge or intellect. It is much more than collecting data, learning more and holding degrees. The Greek word for wisdom is Sophia and means the ability to understand and as a result act wisely. It is a way of taking knowledge and understanding it and applying it to everyday life to make the right moral decisions. If we want to know about godly wisdom it would certainly benefit us to read the Proverbs of the O.T. which is also called the book of wisdom. Proverbs 2:6 says, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,”

Just in reading this Proverb we understand why James tells his readers to ask God for wisdom… because he is the one who gives it. Not only does God give it but as verse 5 of James states God gives it generously and without reproach. This means God gives wisdom liberally or sincerely or simply and without scolding. God never tires of us asking for wisdom. He is not a God who says, “What do you mean you need more wisdom? I just gave you some yesterday! What did you do with it?” No, the treasure trove of wisdom from God is wide open and available whenever we need it. All we need to do is ask.

How are we to ask? We are to ask in faith and not doubt. I do believe this is not only how we should pray for wisdom but in prayer in general. I think James is referring to prayer in general (but also applies it for praying for wisdom in the midst of trials). In James 5:15 James writes about the importance of praying in faith for those who are sick. As I noted earlier I am not making a case for faithless prayer but I certainly do not believe James is making a case for the God/Genie scenario either. Author Douglas Moo writes, “Neither Jesus nor James intends to give to Christians a blank check on which they can write whatever they want and expect God to back it up. The ‘whatever you ask’ is clearly qualified in Scripture elsewhere to include only what God has promised to give his people. In James this point is clear from the connection with verse 5, where he speaks first of God’s desire to give wisdom to his people.”[2]

Asking in faith without doubt is essential in all prayer but what we usually forget to do most is to pray in God’s will. God will give to us what He has promised and he is not obligated in anyway to give anything more. Let us not forget though that He is a gracious God and He delights in giving good things.

In contrast James speaks about the one who doubts and the one who is double minded and it brings up a serious question, “Will God not hear any of our prayers if there is an ounce of doubt?” I don’t believe this is what James is implying or even saying. We all struggle with doubt in our lives. Sometimes I struggle with doubt in my prayers. I pray, I bring my requests before the Lord and sometimes I don’t actually believe God is going to do what I am asking. Most times I am not surprised when I don’t get what I ask for but there are times when God surprises me and blesses me with the request I ask. It’s not like the faith we have is actually something we posses by our natural abilities. Faith is given to us by God and when we pray we must pray in the faith that God has given to us and there will be times where our flesh and spirit war with each other but God honors the person who is open and available to Him.

So who is James talking to? D.A. Carson suggests that James refers to the doubters as the double minded. A double minded person is one who is divided in his own spirit between God and the world. He is not fully committed to God but wants the benefits He has to offer. In modern terms it is a person who is a fence walker; he has not fully committed his life to God but wants God to bless him. He is the person who goes to God only when he needs something. This is the person who wants to excel in the world for selfish gain but tries (and unsuccessfully I might ad) to hit up God to bless their endeavors. A double minded person can’t decide whether he wants to serve God or serve the world. He just can’t and won’t commit to either one. He wants the benefits of the world and he wants the benefits of heaven as well.

Conclusion

The crux of this passage then is intended for believers who are facing trials in their lives and need the wisdom of God to get them through or to teach them why they are experiencing what they are experiencing. This passage is relevant for you and me today as well. Are you facing a trial in your life? Take it to God in prayer and ask for wisdom in getting through it. I am certain there are at least one if not more of you here today that is facing a situation life where you need the wisdom of God. Maybe it is financial, maybe it is health related, or maybe it is family or work related. It could honestly be anything. I would encourage you today to go before the Father who has a store house full of wisdom and wants to give as much as you need without reservation. Pray and ask in faith for God to give you the wisdom you need. Do not be as the double minded person who only seeks to only gain for their own purpose. Ask in faith and God the Father will give to you liberally all wisdom you need for His glory.

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[1] Hughes, R. Kent: James-Faith That Works. Wheaton, Il: Crossway Books, 1991, p. 26

[2] Moo, Douglas: The Letter of James. Grand Rapids, MI/Cambridge UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000, p. 60

James: Trials and Perfection

James: Where Faith and Life Meet

Trials and Perfection

2/5/12

Have you ever faced a difficult trial in your life where you felt like giving up? Are you there right now? Maybe you have a situation at work where you were being plotted against for doing the right thing. Possibly you are a student in school where you continually are made fun of for standing up for your truth and convictions. Maybe you are a parent facing a difficult decision you need to make concerning your family and/or children. We all face trials at one point or another in our lives. Oftentimes our first response when faced with any kind of conflict, turmoil or tribulation is to turn and run or just plain give up. Typically we don’t like to face our trials head on.

Greg Asimakoupoulos tells of a commuter flight from Portland, Maine, to Boston. The pilot, Henry Dempsey, heard an unusual noise near the rear of the small aircraft. He turned the controls over to his co-pilot and went back to investigate.

As he reached the tail section, the plane hit an air pocket, and Dempsey was tossed against the rear door. He quickly discovered the source of the mysterious noise. The rear door had not been properly latched prior to takeoff, and it flew open. He was instantly partially sucked out of the jet.

The co-pilot, seeing the red light that indicated an open door, radioed the nearest airport, requesting permission to make an emergency landing. He reported that the pilot had fallen out of the plane, and he requested a helicopter search of that area of the ocean.

After the plane landed, they found Henry Dempsey—holding onto the outdoor ladder of the aircraft. Somehow he had caught the ladder, held on for ten minutes as the plane flew 200 mph at an altitude of 4,000 feet, and then, at landing, kept his head from hitting the runway. It took airport personnel several minutes to pry Dempsey’s fingers from the ladder.

“Things in life may feel turbulent,” said Asimakoupoulos, “and you may not feel like holding on. But have you considered the alternative?”^[1]

Holding on in the hard times or persevering is the theme for today’s message. The passage we will look at in James deals specifically with our attitudes and actions when faced with hardship and trials. Many consider this passage a jagged little pill which is painful to swallow, while others find it completely impossible to hold onto in their lives.

The Joy in Trials

Last week I spent a good deal of time giving an introduction to the Epistle of James. If you were not here for the message then I would encourage you to get it online at our Church website. One thing I did note about this Epistle is that it is a practical letter and is one that helps merge our faith and everyday living together.

Immediately James wastes no time getting to the purpose of this letter. He doesn’t mess around with greetings or salutations instead he tackles the issue right up front. Apparently the reason for this letter was the people he was writing to were facing various kinds of trials in their lives. We can only speculate what trials these Christians were facing but can make safe assumptions that it was probably related to their poverty (James takes up the argument against the rich a little later in the chapter) and it was religious persecution as well and most likely the two were interrelated.

I think we can all accept the fact that no matter where we are in life we will face persecution, trials and suffering. Notice James does not write, “If you face trials…” but writes “When you face trials…” What I think most of us have a problem with is the attitude James tells us to have. He says to “consider it pure joy” when we come face to face with various trials. Was this guy right in the head? I’m not sure about you but usually joy is not on my top ten list of responses to trials and trouble. I think it is safe to say that James isn’t telling us that we should be giddy with delight over persecution but a joy that is in anticipation of God’s future glory in the situation. James is giving the readers (and us) a lesson or reminder about the sovereignty of God. In these trying times we may be surprised or thrown for a loop but God is not phased in the least. Our responses to trials often speak volumes about our perspective of God. When we allow trials to overrule our lives instead of seeing them as moments where God is in control we have just defined our God as a God who can’t… Nowhere does James suggest having joy in trials is easy. He just states it is doable. In this opening passage we are reminded that God does allow difficulties in our lives and as believers they have a purpose. What that purpose is can only be revealed if we respond to them in a proper way.

Unfortunately many who claim Jesus as Lord and Savior have a misconception about their spiritual walk with Jesus. So many individuals have a false idea that it is wrong to experience hardships as a believer. What is more saddening is that many are quick to abandon their faith when faced with difficulty instead of persevering. The path of a believer will be faced with times of difficulty and trials (and joy inexplicable) but James informs the believer that when we face trials (the ESV states “the testing of your faith”) we are in a process of being refined in our faith. The testing of faith produces steadfastness which means endurance or patience.

I like Douglas Moo’s analogy, “Like a muscle that becomes strong when it faces resistance, so Christians learn to remain faithful to God over this long haul only when they face difficulty.”[2] In a sense when we face trials in the appropriate way we are building our spiritual muscles. So often when we are in the midst of trials we pray that God would take us out of the situation but God is the one who has allowed us to be in this situation in the first place. In reality instead of praying for deliverance from the trial we should be praying for God strengthen our faith and become refined so we may come out the situation stronger than when we entered it.

As believers when faced with trials the immediate result should always be perseverance or steadfastness. When the trial comes before us we must prepare to persevere because God has a purpose and it’s all under His control. However perseverance is not the end goal. The end goal is perfection and completeness. This may confuse some because you may say nothing and nobody is perfect except God, so how can we be perfect if perfection is impossible? The word used for perfect is telios which means, upright, sound, blameless or mature in character and faith. This is the ultimate goal of the believer in times of trials and trouble. Note that James is not saying that we attain this perfection in the earthly realm. Moral integrity, and a faith that is sound is what we get from persevering. Have you ever met a man or woman who has a maturity of faith about them? They are upright in their character, their faith is nearly unshakeable and their love for God is immeasurable? How do you think they got there? Answer: by practicing James 1:2-4. James is suggestion here that the testing, trials and persecution the readers face are intended to produce, in accordance to absolute trust, faith and endurance in God, maturity and uprightness in our character that is complete in all respects. This type of maturity is only developed when we face trials as James suggests. Does this whole reasoning seem a bit odd or backward? Well maybe to some, but it works.

Conclusion

At this time I would like to bring the text for today into our lives. Are you facing a trial or trials in your life where you are uncertain as to why you are going through it? I would encourage you to really take note and meditate on these verses this week. I know the difficulty involved when going through trials but I also know that God is on task and aware of what is going on. Somewhat recently I experienced something that was very difficult for me to face, borderline devastating and my first reaction was to turn and run. However as I faced this trial in my life I found that as a result of this trial I was praying more, reading the Word of God more, searching the Scriptures for answers and challenges and emerging from the trial victorious, complete and I believe even more mature. Was it a fun process? Absolutely not. Am I glad I went through it? Yes, I am and I am more complete in Christ as a result.

My friends, wherever you are; at work, school, home, the community, or just out there consider it pure joy when faced with various trials because the end result will be worth it. Jesus is our greatest example and he endured horrific trials. Imagine if He would have caved halfway through his persecution, it would have been devastating. The beautiful thing is He endured and as a result He has given us the opportunity to be complete and perfect and lacking nothing because he finished the task.

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^[1] Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson's complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes (electronic ed.) (614). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

[2] Moo, Douglas: The Letter of James. Grand Rapids, MI/Cambridge UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000, p. 55

James Introduction

James: Where Faith and Life Meet

Introduction

1/29/12

INTRODUCTION

When I first became a Christian back in the early nineties (1991 to be specific) one of the first things I did as a new believer was consume the Bible every moment I could get. I spent hours at home reading and feasting off the Word of God (I think this is rather common among new believers). In fact one of the books that I consider my favorite even to this day is the Epistle of James.

Now I have way too many Bibles in my collection and I wouldn’t be surprised if you were to pull one of them off my shelf and turn to the book of James to find it mostly highlighted and/or underlined. It helped shape me into the Christian I am today.

When I received the call to enter the ministry in mid 1994 as a fresh young green youth Pastor I believed wholeheartedly that God revealed one of my Spiritual gifts to be teaching. Since this was the case upon entering the pastoral ministry in my hometown of Jamestown, NY at my childhood church one of my missions or goals as a Pastor/teacher was and remains this day to teach the Bible in a manner that is relevant and easily understood and applied so the believer can live a life pleasing to God. This is no small task since many of the Epistles and letters of the Bible are confusing and chock full of theology that has been debated for centuries. I have not received the call nor do I have the desire to become a scholar of the Bible. I will leave that up to others. The ministry God has called me is rooted in God’s word and taking what I have learned and experienced through it and ultimately helping people take what is written in it and helping them figure out how to take what they’ve just learned and use it practically in their lives. This is pretty much what James has done with his letter and I am really excited to finally be preaching on my favorite books of the Bible.

Today my plan is to introduce you to the book itself. We will look at the person James, why this book appeals to so man believers and look at his purpose and intent in writing the letter. I have used many extra biblical sources to gain some background information and those resources include “The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to James” by Douglas Moo, “James: Faith That Works” by R. Kent Hughes, the “ESV Study Bible” and “The New Bible Commentary: 21^st Century Edition” by D.A. Carson. I would encourage you to get a resource for yourself if you are truly interested in delving deep into this book as I will not be able to give deep commentary from the pulpit on some of the conclusions that will be made but they will be conclusions that have been made with much study and prayer. The difficulty in any study (especially an introduction to a book) is to make it concise, understandable and applicable to you. I have read over a 100 pages just dealing with background of this book and I am going to strip it down to a 20 minute sermon, so please bear with me.

NOTES

James is a controversial book and has not always been widely accepted by Christians throughout history. Some have contested that it should even be in the Bible. There are many and various reasons for this that I will not include in the introduction. The reformer Martin Luther called it an “epistle of straw” because it does not refer to the Apostle Paul’s teaching on salvation by grace (which was the foundation of his faith). He believes James “mangles scripture” and thereby opposes Paul and all Scripture. It is believed that even up to the 4^th century that parts of both the Eastern and Western church did not accept James as a canonical (inspired) book.

The author of this letter (as stated in verse 1) is a person named James who refers to himself as a servant of God and of Jesus Christ. The majority of scholars believe this James is none other than the brother of Jesus, who was also known as James “the just”. There are other James’s in scripture that others believe could have been the author. However most of the arguments support the idea that the author was in fact James, the brother of Jesus and this is the position I will take for this series.[1] James not only was the brother of Jesus but he was also the first bishop of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12, 15).

As you can imagine being the half brother to the Savior of the universe would have been interesting at best. We do know he was not a follower of Jesus until after his resurrection so I am sure James knew the Savior in a way that many never had the opportunity to know him. We also know that he didn’t parade around and brag about being the brother of Jesus. I am sure he could have used this fact to pull some clout but instead he chooses not to mention this truth and instead of calling himself the brother of Jesus he refers to himself as a servant to Jesus.

The letter was probably written around A.D. 49, but some have dated it as late as late as the early A.D. 60s. Regardless it is known as the oldest Epistle. If in fact it was written in A.D. 49 we should note that this is a mere 15 or so years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. So the church he Pastored was a young church in its early stages of life.

The letter of James may receive negative response by scholars but this Epistle quite possibly is the most relevant (and popular) letters of the N.T. Not surprisingly it appeals to the common, ordinary believer and deals with real life issues that are still pertinent today.

According to Douglas Moo James appeals generally to believers for three notable reasons…

1) James is intensely practical; and believers looking for specific guidance in the Christian life naturally appreciate such an emphasis.

2) A second factor making James so attractive to believers is his conciseness. He rarely develops the points he makes at any length, being content to make his point and move quickly on.

3) Third, James’s lavish use of metaphors and illustrations makes his teaching easy to understand and to remember.[2]

The Letter

The letter is not addressed to any single church that we know of. It was addressed to the dispersed Jews of the Twelve Tribes of Israel; probably to Jewish Christians living in Palestine and Syria. On the other hand some scholars do think it was written to a specific church; but more likely it is believed to have been written to a group of churches.

The Churches or gathering of believers to whom he was writing were believed to have been a group of Jewish believers who were under a certain economic pressure and persecution. They were not (yet) facing life threatening persecution but it was certainly an oppression that was affecting the unity and life of the church or churches.

We need to understand that the Church was still in it’s infancy at the time James was believed to have been written and it didn’t have strong legs (metaphorically speaking) to stand on. The church was beginning to break under the pressure.

D.A. Carson writes, “There are two ways in which church members may respond to extreme pressure. They can either pull together and help each other or they can compromise with the world and split apart into bickering factions.”^[3] It seems the latter was happening. We will see in latter chapters and verses what this looked like and how James addressed it.

The Theme

There are many “themes” to this letter of which include patience and joy during trials, being doers of the Word and not just hearers, God does not show favoritism, faith and works go hand in hand, the dangers of the tongue, true wisdom, staying away from the patterns of the world, the frailty of life, not hoarding riches for yourself, and praying in faith. As you can see James did jump around in his writing and when he addressed something he didn’t spend much time on it. Thus it would be hard to pinpoint one specific theme based on the writings. If I had to choose a general theme it would be instructions on how to put your faith into action. This would be the reason why I have entitled the series “Where Faith and Life Meet”. Metaphorically speaking I think of this Epistle as the skin that covers the skeleton and muscles of the Word.

Some have suggested that there isn’t a specific theme to the letter but it does have a central concern which is “Spiritual wholeness”; or how to merge the Word of God into the life of a believer. James exhorts his readers to not conform to the patterns of the world, to refrain from embracing the world and to live fully for Jesus Christ. I would affirm that James’s practical approach is why this letter is a favorite among many Christians.

CONCLUSION

In the coming weeks we will be looking more closely at the themes I mentioned a few moments ago. The goal for this series is to encourage each one of you to embrace the idea of living out our faith in the world we live in. My hope and prayer is for you individually to come to the intersection of your life where faith (intellectually knowing, believing and trusting in Jesus and His Word) and life (work, school, family, relationships, church, etc.) meet and being able to allow the two to come together to mesh and meld so you can truly live lives separated for the purpose of God in this world that clearly wants nothing to do with Him.

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[1] This is where it would be good to have a resource of your own so you can read the arguments for and against the authorship of James, Jesus’ brother.

[2] Moo, Douglas: The Letter of James. Grand Rapids, MI/Cambridge UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000, p. 1,2

^[3] Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary : 21st century edition (4th ed.). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press.

James

Some have asked for hard copies of my sermon notes in my series in James. I have decided to make them available through this blog. I will upload a few at a time and please feel free to share. I have really enjoyed this series and I am learning a lot from it. My prayer is you would as well. Enjoy and God Bless

Jeff

When You Have To Practice What You Preach

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 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." James 1:2 - 4

I love being a Pastor and I love God's Word. However sometimes I don't always like being a Pastor who has to practice what I preach from God's Word. I say this only half jokingly. Recently I began a series on the book of James. This Epistle was written to Christian Jews who were being persecuted (not to the point of death but more like being ostracized from society). James (probably the brother of Jesus) tells his readers in the second verse of chapter one to count it all joy when they meet various trials. This is, for me, probably one of the hardest passages to preach on because I have a hard time actually doing it and I also know that after I preach on it various trials will come my way.

Recently I have been facing some trials in my own life both physical and spiritual and am finding it difficult to find joy in all this. I am encouraged as I continue in this passage as I am reminded that when I do find joy in trials my faith ultimately is strengthened or as James writes the testing of faith produces steadfastness. Steadfast is defined as, "dutifully firm and unwavering". I need to be completely reminded that in my trials I will emerge a stronger and better follower of Christ. I think this truth is the only thing that helps me get through my trials.