Series Title The Gospel According to James Part One Faith Under Fire James 1:1-27 Pastor Dan Turpin WestCoastChurch.com

Transcription

1 1 Series Title The Gospel According to James Part One Faith Under Fire James 1:1-27 Pastor Dan Turpin WestCoastChurch.com Objective Sentence: Everyone can overcome the obstacles that challenge our faith by embracing six precepts James outlines in chapter one of his writings. Introduction: James is the half brother of Jesus. (Matthew 13:55 NIV; Mark 6:1-3, Jesus went to his hometown and many who heard him were amazed. isn t this the carpenter s son? Isn t his mother s name Mary, and aren t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, Judas and his sisters here with us? There is no indication that James followed Jesus at all during Jesus' earthly lifetime. After the resurrection, however, he is one of the leading figures in the church Galatians 1:18-19, I [Paul] went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter [Cephas] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles only James, the Lord s brother. His brothers did not believe in him until after the resurrection: John.7:5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Jesus personally appeared to James after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7), Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles). James is distinguished from the other apostles. (Act 1:14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers). Jude was the brother of James (Jude 1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James). It is safe to conclude that when James is referred to without any designation as the brother of John, son of Zebedee, or son of Alphaeus that James the brother of our Lord is meant (Acts 12:2,17; 15:13; 21:18; 1 Cor.15:7; Gal.1:19; 2:9, 12; Jude 1). James is writing to encourage the Jewish believers of Christ who were suffering various trials because of their faith in Him. He wrote to correct erroneous ideas about the nature of saving faith and to instruct the readers about the practical expression of their faith through their works.

2 2 James is noted for its timeless relevance of moral and ethical teaching for the church. It is considered New Testament wisdom literature like Proverbs and consists largely of moral exhortations and precepts of a traditional nature. It was written during the forties and is possibly the first New Testament book to be written. Out of the 108 verses that in James fifty four clear commands are given. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, James, was martyred at Jerusalem in A. D. 62 at the age of ninety-four. Hegesippus version of James death is considered to be the one most accurate. James' influence became so strong in Jerusalem that even some of the rulers believed, which horrified the scribes and Pharisees. They brought James to the top of the temple mount area and shouted to him from below: "Oh, righteous one, in whom we are able to place great confidence; the people are led astray after Jesus, the crucified one. So declare to us, what is this way, [who is] Jesus?" James responded, Why do you ask me about Jesus, the Son of Man? He sits in heaven at the right hand of the great Power, and he will soon come on the clouds of heaven! The Pharisees were horrified and were so enraged that they threw James from the pinnacle of the temple but it didn t kill him. He rose to his knees and began to pray, "I beg of you, Lord God our Father, forgive them! They do not know what they are doing. The Pharisees then began to stone him, and as he prayed a priest shouted, "Stop! What are you doing! The righteous one is praying for you. It was too late. A fuller (launderer) took a club that he used to beat clothes and smashed James on the head, killing him with one blow. 1. Faith Under Fire (The central theme of the first chapter of James is found in verses twofour, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience [and endurance leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. 4 But let patience have its perfect work [result], that you may be perfect and completely developed, lacking in nothing. ) A. Gordon B. Hinckley: Our lives are the only meaningful expression of what we believe and in whom we believe. And the only real wealth, for any of us, lies in our faith. 1. Focus on the Positive Side of Difficulty (1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken you except such as is common to man [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word He is compassionate and trustworthy], who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able [to resist], but with the temptation will also make the way of escape [without yielding], that you may be able to bear [and overcome] it.) a. Celia Luce: A small trouble is like a pebble. Hold it too close to your eye and it fills the whole world and puts everything out of focus. Hold it at a proper distance and it can be examined and properly classified. Throw it at your feet and it can be seen in its true setting, just one more tiny bump on the pathway to life. b. John Calvin: Whatever sort of tribulation we suffer, we should always remember that its purpose is to make us spurn the present and reach out to the future. c. Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. d. Romans 5:3-5 we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

3 3 e. C. S. Lewis: God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain. f. Pastor Dan: Tests reveal the strengths and weakness of our character, exposing the leaks in our faith and spiritual lives (James 1:3). God continually puts us in places where those leaks spring out so that we may see that which we need to focus on changing so that the Lord can have His unhindered way in our lives. 2. Take the Word Can t out of Your Vocabulary (James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. a. Pastor Dan: Take the word can t out of your vocabulary because all God s resources are available to you upon request. God s wisdom and enabling power will help you stand firm in faith during tests and trials. b. Phillips Translation [James 1:5]: And if any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem you have only to ask God who gives generously to all without making you feel foolish or guilty and you may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given to you. c. Pastor Dan: Ask God to give what you lack for He is pleased when we seek His strength in our weakness, His knowledge in our ignorance, His ability in our inadequacy. It is the wisdom that comes from God which helps us to see trials, tests and temptations in their proper light, enabling us to benefit instead of being beaten by them. d. Hiebert: The first step in gaining wisdom is the consciousness of your need for it. "If any of you" indicates that this consciousness of a wisdom shortage must come as an individual recognition. The degree of the need may vary, but all believers have a need for wisdom. We don't have to be perplexed by trials and try to face them with our own natural, fallible wisdom. e. Author Unknown: In James 1:5 three things are mentioned that we must understand in order to overcome the ups and downs we face in life. ** Every follower of Jesus lacks wisdom. ** It is imperative that recognize our need it. ** We must ask and seek God for it. f. Pastor Dan: Matthew 5:3 poor in spirit. Blessed are they who are not capable of coping with life apart from God. g. John Bunyan: Prayer opens the heart to God, and it is the means by which the soul, though empty, is filled by Him. h. Phillips Brooks: Prayer is not conquering God s reluctance, but taking hold of His willingness [Matthew 7:7-11; Mark 11:23-24; John 14:13-14; 15:7; Jeremiah 33:3; Psalms 145:8, 18]. 3. Do Not Doubt God s Unlimited Potential That is Yours Through Faith (James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that person suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.)

4 4 a. Mark 11:23-24 John 14:13-14; 15:7; 1 John 15:14-15 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Jn. 14:13-14 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. Jn. 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 1 Jn. 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him b. James 1:6-7 [Phillips Translation]: A double minded follower of Jesus is like a wave of the sea that is carried forward by the wind for a moment and then driven back the next. Double mindedness happens when you and I want to do our own will and God s will at the same time. c. Ligon Duncan: Double mindedness is a person who is trying to live in two worlds at the same time; this present world which will pass away, and the age to come. d. Bob Deffinbaugh: The only condition for receiving [wisdom or anything else] from God is that you and I pray in faith. It is never wrong to pray for wisdom, and there is never a time when God will not grant us that wisdom, except when we ask with an inner wavering vacillating between one thing and another. e. Pastor Dan: If you are a saved born again follower of Jesus Christ you have faith. Romans 12:3 declares (NKJV), For I say, through the grace [of God] given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself or herself [his or her importance and ability] more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure [a degree] of faith [and a purpose designed for service]. f. Pastor Dan: You have been given a measure or degree of faith which you are responsible for nurturing so that it will grow. Hebrews 11:6 Faith is essential to spiritual life (Ephesians 2:8-9) and it is impossible to please God without faith [believers have faith]. If it is impossible to please God without faith then what does faith look like and how does one nurture and make faith grow [Sacrifice, Walk, Obey]. ** Hebrews 11:4 Faith is a Sacrifice By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice (better offering) than Cain, through which he obtained witness (was commended) that he was righteous, God (speaking well) of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks [Romans 12:1-2]. Steve Cole: The first thing required of us to obtain wisdom from God is the surrender of mine and your heart to Jesus. The root of all unbelief is doublemindedness. People who doubt God are not committed to obey Him; their hearts are not fully surrendered to do God s will if it involves suffering or inconvenience. ** Genesis 5:24 Faith is a Walk Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for

5 5 God took him. Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, and was not found, because God had taken him; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. [Colossians 2:6-11]. ** Hebrews 11:7 Faith is Obedience Based on Belief It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith. [Matt. 7:24 Whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them ] 3. Don t think less of Yourself than you ought to think (James 1:9 AMPLIFIED BIBLE: Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position [as a born-again believer, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God] a. Pastor Dan: Don t get down on anything or anyone that God is not down on that includes you. William Barclay: Faith in Jesus brings to every believer what he or she needs. As the despised poor learns self-respect, so the proud rich learns self-denial. In the church the social distinctions of the world are obliterated and none matters more than any other. The poor gains a new sense of his or her own value and that they matter in the church. b. Pastor Dan: Poverty is an evil that causes people to think less of themselves than they ought to think. The challenge of the poor is to rise above the external adversity of poverty to the internal dignity of relationship with God. Inferiority, insecurity and shame must be crucified on the altar of Christ's sacrifice. c. Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you E. Stanley Jones: Only as we lose our self in some great cause beyond ourselves do we find our self coming back to us integrated and heightened. d. Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. (Psalms 37:23-24; 145:8, 15) e. Psalm 73:1-3, 13-17, Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning. 15 If I had said, I will speak thus, Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. 16 When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. 21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind. 22 I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. f. William H. White: Blessed are they who heal us of self-despisings. Of all services which can be done to man, I know of none more precious. g. Burt Nanus: People who have little self respect lack the confidence to pursue their own best ideas and find it difficult to earn the respect of others. h. John Maxwell: Low self-worth forms an invisible ceiling that keeps a person from going beyond his or her own self-imposed limitations to the next level. i. Pastor Dan: If you are a Christian than you are in the eyes of God as righteous as Jesus Christ himself. Ephesians 2:6 says, God has raised us together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Since I am in Christ and Christ

6 6 is in me; when God looks at me He sees Jesus and when He looks at Jesus He sees me. God values me more than anything else He possesses and I know that to be true because of the price He paid for me. To redeem us and satisfy God s sense of pure justice He had to offer a redemption price or token that was equal to the value He ascribed to humanity. The angels, the planets, the universe, nothing God possessed was sufficient to pay for us. The only thing God possessed equal to the value He ascribed to humanity was His very own life. 4. Don t think more of yourself than you ought to think (James 1:10 The rich man is to glory in being humbled [by trials revealing human frailty, knowing true riches are found in the grace of God], for like the flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; its flower falls off and ] its beauty fades away; so too will the rich man, in the midst of his pursuits, fade away.) a. Pastor Dan: Affluence often tends to make people think more of themselves than they ought to think. The greatest external adversity of the rich is the act of humbling themselves before God and forsaking the priority of wealth in their lives. The way that people with wealth conquer the tendency towards trusting in riches is to take upon themselves the nature of a servant and learn to derive their sense of dignity from their relationship with Christ. William Barclay: The great peril of riches is that they tend to give people a false sense of security. They feel that they are safe; that they have the resources to cope with anything and to busy themselves out of any situation they may wish to avoid. b. 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. c. Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren. d. Psalms 101:5 Amplified: Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will silence; the one who has a haughty look and a proud (arrogant) heart I will not tolerate. Message Bible: I put a gag on the gossip who bad-mouths his neighbor; I can t stand arrogance. Living Bible: I will not tolerate anyone who secretly slanders his neighbors; I will not permit conceit and pride. e. Andrew Murray: Why should a Christian be called on to always deny him or herself, his or her own feelings, his or her own will and pleasure? Why must we part with our lives. The answer is very simple. It is because that life is so completely under the power of sin and death that it has to be utterly denied and sacrificed. The self-life must be wholly taken away to make room for the life of God. f. Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all you ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.

7 7 g. Author Unknown: Sin is any human condition or act that robs God of glory by stripping one of his children of their right to divine dignity. When we think less or more of ourselves than we ought to think; we are robbing God of the glory He receives through the dignity we derive through our relationship with Him. 5. Do Not Blame God for Your Propensity Towards Wrongdoing (James 1:13-15 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God ; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.) a. Pastor Dan: Every person is pulled in two directions towards right and towards wrong towards God s way and towards our way. b. William Barclay: Lust is the beginning of all sin. c. Pastor Dan: When does lust become sin? Lust becomes sin when it conceives the act or action it compels us to do. When does a human birth begin? The birth process of a human being begins when a sperm cell produced by a male penetrates the egg produced by a female and conception begins. Sin is not birthed in our lives until the act we are being enticed to commit is committed. d. Pastor Dan: Our biggest challenge in life is not in learning how to live [for Jesus] but in learning how to die to self. e. Pastor Wayne Friedt: It s easy to be a Christian but it is hard to die. 5. Be a Doer of the Word (James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.) a. Pastor Dan: Just like a mirror reveals the image of our outward being; God s Word reflects the image of our inward being. The Word reveals the true nature of our character with its virtues, imperfections and blemishes. A revelation of our true self will humble us. When we move away from the mirror of the Word we no longer see our real self and are not moved to press on towards the mark of perfection. Study helps us see ourselves as we really are and motivates us towards becoming what God says we can be. b. Hebrews 4:12 AMPLIFIED: For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any twoedged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. c. Pastor Dan: In order to be a doer of God s Word we must overcome the obstacles that James addresses in his letter. Those who hear God s Word but do not practice it are like a people who show up for work and do nothing; like a person who attempts to shoot a gun without loading it, like an individual who chews food but does not swallow it and like those who know what needs to be done but does not do it.

8 8 d. Philippians 3:10-14 That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death [self denialsuffering-crucifixion], so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already been made perfect; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brothers and Sisters, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [Ephesians 3:20 Now unto Him who is able.] to do all I ask or think] e. Pastor Dan: There were so many verses in the Bible that discouraged me in the beginning of my walk with God because I thought He was asking me to do things that were impossible for me to do. Much later in life I was encouraged because promised to empower me to do all that He commanded me to do. Philippians 2:13 God is working in you giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. f. Thomas A Kempis; : At the day of judgment we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done. g. Erwin W. Lutzer: God will not demand more from you than you can do. Whatever God asks of you, he will give you the strength to do. 6. Help those who can t help themselves (James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.) a. Pastor Dan: Your calling is to take away the hurt of others. A little care, a little love, a little kindness and a little taking an interest in people is as powerful as a great sermon; it is a move of God that will never fade, it is one thing that will make an eternal difference in the lives of others. b. William Barclay: The most splendid worship within God s house is empty and idle unless it sends us outside its walls to love God by loving and helping others. Real worship does not lie in elaborate vestments [coverings or dress] or in magnificent music or in a carefully orchestrated meeting; it is found in the practical service to mankind and in the purity of one s personal life. c. Dr. Albert Schweitzer: The only ones among us who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found out how to serve. d. Matthew 23:11 NLT The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God s grace. e. Albert Einstien: Only a life lived for others is worth living. Closing and Invitation; E. Stanley Jones: Nothing need beat us, provided we have the right attitude of mind. When the storm strikes the eagle, if its wings are set in a downward tilt, it will be dashed to pieces on the earth; but if its wings are titled upward, it will rise, making the storm bear it up beyond its fury. The set of the wings decides defeat or victory.

9 9 Pastor Dan; Matthew 25:41-46: God has blessed you to bless others with that which you have been given, and according to Jesus we are accountable for how we invest the blessings with which we have been blessed into those less fortunate than us. The well fed will be judged by how well they fed the needy with the ability with which they had to feed them; those living a thirst quenched life will be judged by how well they quenched the thirst of the thirsty with the ability they had to quench their thirst; those whom God has blessed with friends will be judged by how well they befriended the friendless with the ability they had to befriend them; the well dressed will be judged by how well they dressed the naked with the ability they had cloth them; the healthy will be judged for how well they cared for the sick in their affliction with the ability with which they had to care for them. Those who are free will be judged by what they did to free the prisoner with the ability with which they had to help them. Jesus said, Assuredly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.