Sermon Notes James Part 1: The Church of All Talk No Action August 8, 2010 James 1 I. The Challenge of Unlived Truth: One of the greatest challenges that has always faced God s people is living out what we say believe. In his book The Body, Charles Colson quoted Gallup Poll statistics from the early 1990 s. Gallup compared the behavior of churched and unchurched people in a variety of categories: people who called in sick when they weren't, people who puffed up resume's, people who cheated on tax deductions - and found "little difference in the ethical views and behavior of the churched and non-churched." Astonishingly, another survey found a deterioration in behavior among those who professed to be born again. So while the church may seem to be experiencing a season of growth and prosperity, it is failing to move people to commitment and sacrifice. The hard truth is that we have substituted an institutionalized religion for the life changing dynamic of a living faith. In 1993 Leadership magazine reported, 80% of Americans believed the Bible was the inspired word of God. And yet in that same survey, 48% believed there is no one set of values that is right. More recently here in Canada, a Dec. 2003 article EFC - CHURCH AND FAITH TRENDS, Canadian researcher Bruce Clemenger writes; 44 % of Canadians agree with the statement I have committed my life to Christ and consider myself to be a converted Christian. This represents a significant increase of 15% since 1993... Evidently the Good News is being proclaimed and received, whether through television ministries, initiatives such as the Jesus video or Alpha, or by believers simply talking to their neighbours and colleagues. Canadians also expressed high levels of agreement with other basic Christian beliefs. More than two thirds believe that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God provided the way for the forgiveness of my sins, up 5% from 1993. But what impact have these increases in affirmation of basic Christian belief had on Canada? Fewer Canadians attend church on a regular basis down to 19%. This is partially explained by broad agreement with the statement my private beliefs about Christianity are more important than what is taught by the church. Here, evangelicals (68% agree strongly or moderately) are not far behind other Canadians (72%). Likewise, 85% of Canadians say, I don t think you need to attend church to be a good Christian, and 59% of evangelicals agree. And evangelicals are the ones who regularly attend church! Now church attendance is not the key measure of our obedience to God and His Word. But if we are not connecting with others who are following Christ, Scriptures warns us that we will be easily deceived and hardened by sin and the dominant values of our culture. The point is that superficial faith and unlived truth has always been a challenge for people who claim to know God. And we must regularly check to see whether we are worshipping at the Church of All Talk No Action. The book of James was written to Christians who were struggling with the same issues. It is a book about moving beyond superficial faith. Today I want to begin a series in the Book of James that challenges us to move beyond a skin deep Christianity.
James 2 Read James 1:1-18 II. Introduction to the Book: A. Who Wrote It: The author begins by identifying himself: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ James 1:1 The name James was a common name in N.T. times. In fact there are four James mentioned in the N.T. The 2 most prominent of these are James the son of Zebedee who was one of the 12 apostles, and James the brother of Jesus. 1. James the Apostle, has never been considered the author of this book because he was martyred by King Herod around 44 AD which is probably too early for this book to have been written. 2. James the brother Jesus is generally considered to be the author of this book. This was the view of the early church Fathers. James was the lead pastor of the church at Jerusalem. It was his voice at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 which brought the church to conclude that they should not place Jewish legalism on Gentile believers. B. When and Why It was Written: The date of this book is probably between 45 and 50 AD which was very early in the life of the church since Christ was crucified about 33 AD. If this date is correct it may be the earliest N.T. book. There are several reasons to suggest this date. The book has a very Jewish flavor. It was written To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations vs1, a clear reference to the Jewish people. The author does not refer to Gentiles or related subjects which became a dominant issue in the church and in other biblical writing after the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 which took place in about 50 AD. 1. There is no mention of the controversy concerning Judaizers and their insistence on Gentile circumcision which is best explained by this early date. 2. James uses the term synagogue to describe the early church assembly as opposed ekklesia which we translate church. This points to a very early period of Christianity when it was largely confined to Jewish circles. Verse 1 says it was written to Jewish believers who were scattered among the nations. So, James is not writing to a group in one locality. It seems quite likely that James was writing to Jewish believers who had been scattered by the persecution against the church at Jerusalem after the death of Stephen. As the leading elder or pastor, he felt responsibility for these former members of his congregation and was attempting to instruct them. The letter reveals his intimate knowledge of their circumstances. They were facing significant difficulties and perhaps persecution. They were being oppressed by the ungodly rich, their religion was in danger of becoming a superficial formality, discriminatory practices revealed a lack of love, and bitterness in speech and attitude marred their fellowship. The book is one of the least theological books of the N.T. He is concerned with false living not false teaching; with unlived truth not untaught truth. C. The Unity of the Book: At first glance, the book appears to be a series of topics taken in no particular order. Just in
chapter 1, he deals with: trials in verses 2-4, wisdom in verses 5-8, wealth in verses 9-11, trials again in verse 12, temptation in verses 13-15, God s unchanging love in verses 16-18. Controlling your mouth and your temper in verses 19-21 Being Doers of what God says in 22-25, and Genuine Spirituality in verses 26-27 James 3 But instead of a series of statements on various topics, this entire chapter and indeed the entire book is one unified argument. Chapter one is leading up to presenting that theme. And the rest of the book is about working it out in our lives. D. The Theme of James: The book is all about faith in action, about being Doers of the Word. The theme of the book is found in verse 22. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says! III. Attitude Toward Trials: vs. 2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 A. The Connection to Obedience: If James wants to talk about obedience and being doers of the Word, why does he begin by talking about trials? What s the connection between the two? Keep that question in your hippocket! B. The Broad Meaning of Trials : James uses the word peirasmois (translated trials ) to describe things that put a person to the test. Like many words in English, its exact meaning comes from the context in which it is used. For example we use the word joint to describe a connection between two objects. But it can also mean a building or it can refer to a marijuana cigarette. You know which meaning is intended by the phrase in which it is used. Peirasmois is translated trials here in verse 2 & 3, but James uses the same word in verses 13-15 to refer to temptations. His use of the same word is a hint that he is dealing with the same topic throughout this section. But his focus is on how God uses trials in the first section, and on the temptation to blame God for trials in the second. C. Being Surrounded: The word face here uses the same root as our word perimeter and carries the sense not just of encountering trials but of being surrounded by them. And the trials are not just one thing. They are trials of many kinds. Application: Have you ever felt that way. You know that, When it rains, it pours! feeling. It
James 4 seems like one thing on top of another. You find yourself asking, Why this and why now? That is what James is talking about D. Developing Tenacity: Rather than being bummed out by these circumstances, James advice is to consider it pure joy. It is as though he is living according to a different reality than the rest of the world. And the answer is that he is. He tells us that trials have an effect on the life of a believer. It tests our faith and produces perseverance. It develops a tenacity and STICK-TO-IT-IVENESS in our lives. It refers to the quality that enables a person to stand on his feet facing a storm. It is the development of spiritual stamina in the face of opposition. And the result of this perseverance of faith is spiritual maturity and completeness that does not lack anything. Application: Do you ever feel your spiritual life is lacking? That your life is consumed with almost everything else but God? In the face of trials, priorities are changed, intimacy with God is hungered for, faith is deepened. Things that seemed important become trivial, and what was once taken for granted becomes crucial in our lives. This verse is not telling us that we should be happy about the bad things that may happen to us. It is telling us that God uses even the painful and tragic, especially the painful and the tragic to mold us toward maturity in Christ. IV. Wisdom in Trials: vs. 5-8 We often quote the next section when we want a Scripture verse about asking God for wisdom. It seems to be a mini-sermon on getting wisdom from God. But note how verse 4 ends and verse 5 begins! "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:4-5 A. The Connection Between Wisdom and Trials: The repetition of the word lack shows us that James is still on the same subject of trials. The finished result of persevering in trials is that the believer will lack none of the needed virtues of maturity. During such testing, if anyone lacks wisdom, he may have it by asking God for it. The Greek construction of the sentence assumes that people facing trials do lack wisdom. It could be translated; If anyone lacks wisdom, and you do,... This is a promise of God s provision of wisdom for dealing with life s trials. The kind of wisdom needed in such a situation is not theoretical or philosophical information. It is the practical insight to know what to do in a given situation. It is wisdom both in understanding God s purpose in trials, and knowing how to meet them victoriously. And we are assured that God gives such wisdom generously. B. The Condition to Wisdom: James states that there is a condition to this promise of wisdom. We must ask in faith not doubting. This is a difficult passage. What exactly does he mean? All of us have doubts. How much doubt is too much doubt? Most of us can identify with the man in Mark 9:25-27 who sought Jesus to heal his son if He could. Jesus responded; If I can? Everything is possible to him who believes. The father s response was; I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief! And Jesus healed his son. Faith is not a feeling that God will do it, but a choice to believe what God says.
James 5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 You cannot obey a command by feeling it is true. You obey by an act of your will. Trusting God is a choice. Faith is choosing to believe what God says, not a feeling that it is true. And clearly it is something God values highly in us. Again and again Jesus said to people, Be it done to you according to your faith. Power for living comes not by deserving it enough but by believing what God says. V. The Paradoxical Effect of Trials: vs. 9-12 A. The Connection to Trials: Verses 9-11 once again appear to shift to an entirely different topic: the attitudes of the rich and the poor. But notice that verse 12 immediately returns to the issue of perseverance under trial. The context suggests that these verses are continuing the discussion of trials. B. The Meaning of High & Low Positions: James first speaks of the high position of those who are poor or lowly. What is the high position that he is referring to? "Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?" James 2:5 In part he is referring to their position in Christ, saved and destined to rule with Him in eternity. The poor are not outside God s program, but are given dignity and worth far beyond what their present circumstances would seem to indicate. But I think this high position, means more than that. And we get a better hint of what he means when he does elaborate on the low position of the rich. He tells the wealthy to glory in their low position. He then describes how the rich will shrivel and fade like a wild flower shrivels under a scorching sun. And since the context is trials, the scorching sun he is talking about is likely trials! The glory of the poor is that they have known hardship and endured it. They know how to endure and hang in there when things get hard. They don t shrivel in the heat of trials. The very same circumstances that reveals the glory and great strength of the poor man and gives him a new sense of worth also humbles the rich and reveals their great weakness. Having not had to face much in the way of trials, the faith of the rich is mostly untested. They have not yet developed the perseverance and maturity God desires in His children. James is highlighting a paradox. Trials reveal superficiality and falseness of the distinctions we use to judge the rich and the poor. Application: There is tendency for the poor person who has nothing, or of anyone who feels small in the eyes of God, in the face of suffering to think that God doesn t care about them. James is telling them that they should glory in their high position with God. They are the ones who know how to trust God when the going gets tough! The tendency for the rich and proud is to think they have gotten all they have because they deserved it. To think that they are just a little better than other people. To think that their wealth is evidence of God s blessing. So it is easy, to be angry with God in the face of suffering because they believe they don t deserve it. James says that wealth is not an indication of favour with God
James 6 and God uses suffering to produce perseverance in all His children. VI. The Reward of Tested Faith: James concludes with a reminder of the promise of special reward that awaits those who persevere. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 God speaks through Peter as well saying; "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Pet 1:6-7 Evidently God values tested faith, mature faith and that is what will receive His praise in eternity. Conclusion: Had any tough times lately? Been through the wringer? It seems to me that trials either push us toward God or away from God. God knows that too. Remember I asked you to keep a question in your hip-pocket? I asked: If James wants to talk about being doers of the Word, why does he begin by talking about trials? What s the connection between the two? Here s my answer: Because difficulties can easily become an excuse to delay obedience! We justify ourselves to ourselves and to others saying, I got too much on my plate. Life s just too hard. God can t really expect me to love those people when I have all these other difficulties in my life! God can t expect me to give to the poor when I can just barely make my mortgage payments as it is! God can t expect me to watch my tongue when I m under so much stress. This self-justification is the self-deception James is talking about when he says Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says! God seems to be prepared to accept the risk of our anger, frustration and resentment by allowing trials in our lives. Evidently He would rather have that from us, than the kind of superficial Christianity that goes to church, plays the game, sings the songs but is more lip service than life, more ritual than relationship, more form than faith. He wants to take us on to maturity. And He allows the pain, the tragedy, and the suffering to touch us. It is not punishment, but a refining fire that burns away the shallow things to which we cling so tightly. Trials are used by God to keep us from settling for attendance at the Church of All Talk No Action!