Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Life in the Pressure Cooker of Trials Series: Book of James, #1 James 1:1-12 Pastor Lyle Wahl September 30, 2012 J A M E S 1 : 1 2 Introduction This morning we begin a series in the New Testament book of James. James is the earliest book of the New Testament and was written by James, the half-brother of Jesus. It is a practical letter that deals with how to live your faith, how true faith behaves in this world. When James wrote this letter, most Christians were Jewish. So, in verse1 he addresses the letter to the twelve tribes who are dispersed, or scattered. The church began at Pentecost when great numbers of Jews were in Jerusalem celebrating that festival. Soon those who put their faith in Christ were persecuted. As a result they were scattered back home and across the Roman empire, and the persecution followed them wherever they went. All of them followed Christ at great cost. In many cases they lost their spouses and children, their positions, property and wealth. They endured beatings, jail and even death. They experienced life in the pressure cooker of trials. James message to them is basic yet also very broad. Test your faith. Is it living? Is it integrated into all the areas of your life? How does it look in your every day life? And so, he writes about trials, temptations, the importance of God s Word, partiality, faulty faith, controlling our speech, wisdom, conflict and church fights, self-sufficiency, patience, honesty, praise, prayer and correction. The message, so important for that first generation of Christians, is just as important for our generation. After his brief greeting in verse 1, James gets down to business, taking on the difficulty of going through trials, and he takes it on head on. Believers face trials that come as they take their stand for God in addition to the trials all people face from living in this fallen, sinful world. These trials are not optional for believers. James makes this clear in verse 2 as he writes, when you encounter various trials. He did not say if, but when. Perhaps we could render it whenever you encounter trials.
James writes about encountering or facing trials. The word literally means to fall into. The picture is of trials which come to you, of those which bump into you. When they do, life in the pressure cooker of trials begins. You may have enjoyed a bumper car ride at an amusement park where the intent is to bump into others, at least their cars. But when trials bump into us they are anything but enjoyable. What do you do when trials turn on, turn up the pressure? James deals with that in these opening verses. When trials put the pressure on There are some things we need to know when trials bump into us and put the pressure on. Starting with verse 3 James speaks of knowing certain things. The word he used emphasizes coming to know something through experience. How did you learn to ride a bike? Through experience and that experience probably included some falls, scrapes and bruises. Our experience of trials helps us know three things about our times in the pressure cooker of trials. First, Testing of faith produces endurance. There is value in our faith being tested. Yes, as painful and ugly as trials are, there is value in them. The value James mentions in verse 3, is knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, or perseverance. There are two pictures in this endurance. The first one is standing up under the difficulty and pressure of a heavy load. Bridges, for example, are designed to stand up under, to endure the heavy load of vehicles. The second picture is moving forward in spite of pressure and difficulty. So the term was used of armies move forward in the face of fierce opposition. They endure to win the victory. So this is the ability to stand up to and also move forward in those pressured packed times. Going through trials builds endurance, perseverance, staying power. The fact is that we cannot build endurance without going through trials. Make sure you get that you cannot build endurance without going through trials. An athlete builds endurance through the trials of training. If you want to run a marathon, you don t just sign up, show up and run the 26 miles or 42 kilometers. You go through the trials of training, training and more training. The trials of training and more training to prepare. So it is with our character and faith. The testing of our faith produces endurance, staying power. You cannot run the marathon of faith successfully without the endurance that comes through walking through trials. The second thing we need to know is that: Endurance is essential to maturity. Look at verse 4. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Endurance is not an end in itself. The value of endurance is its perfect or complete result of lacking in nothing. The phrase lacking in nothing literally means in nothing left behind. The picture is of a long race think of a marathon with one runner way, way behind the rest of the field, left behind. The result of that spiritual 2
endurance is that we will not be left behind in any part of our spiritual life. This building of endurance is a life-long process. It is also important to know that Perseverance will be rewarded. Perseverance brings the reward of fulness, peace and joy here in this life, and, James tells us, an everlasting reward in heaven. Drop down to verse 12. Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. The crown of life does not refer to salvation that is God s gift of grace through faith in Jesus. Rather, it refers to a special reward Jesus will give to believers who hang in there, who persevere through trials. Yes, I know, I know, the emphasis today, the longing of many peoples hearts is on practical benefits here and now. So some see eternity in heaven as remote, not relevant to them and the practical things they need and want today. The truth is that not only is life here on earth just a blink in eternity, but it is most meaningful and rewarding only when lived in view of the things above, 1 of the treasures in heaven. 2 And, yes, at times I am sure all of can say, we want God to save and spare us from trials and suffering. Yet we experience God s grace through trials and suffering as we, in the apostle Paul s words, enter into the fellowship of [Christ s] sufferings. 3 When trials bump into you, when you re in the pressure cooker, you need to know and rely on these things, that the testing of your faith produces endurance. That endurance is essential to your maturity, and you also need to know and bank on the fact that God will reward your perseverance. But there also are some things you need to do in those times. First, Adopt the right attitude. Go back up to verse 2. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. If that surprises or even shocks you, go to the end of a long line of people down through the centuries. What do you mean? I m hurting, going through hell-on-earth, and you tell me Be happy! Paste a big smile on your face! That s supposed to help? Really? The sentence James starts in verse 2 doesn t end there, it goes through verse 3. Look at the entire sentence. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance [or, perseverance]. James is not saying that when a trial slams into you like a freight train you are supposed to be happy for the pain. What he is saying is that in those terrible times we are not to lock our vision on just the tragedy and pain. We are also to focus on what we know and have learned from God to this point in our walk with Him, including His promise and ability to see us through, as well as our everlasting future with Him. It is not either a focus on the present tragedy and pain or the future work that God will accomplish. It is both. God wants you to face the deep heartbreaking pain, the losses and scars. God also wants you to see and embrace Christ walking with you, and carrying you in those times. God wants you to look forward to the joy of Him removing these trials when you see Him face to face. 3
This focus, this attitude, is a choice we make. James writes, Consider it all joy. Evaluate, regard it joy. Choose to and actually adopt this attitude. Make the decision, I will put this trial in the column of joy because God will take me through it and use it for His glory. When you know that God can and will build peace, wholeness and beauty in you from the ruins of your greatest disasters, your longest, darkest nights, you can look at them with joy. So the first thing to do is to adopt the right attitude. The second thing to do, Ask God for wisdom. Wisdom is much more than knowing the facts. It is the ability to see how the facts fit together; to have an accurate understanding of the situation; to see things as they really are; to see them as God sees them. Wisdom, God s perfect wisdom, is available to every Christian. Look at verse 5. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. We could state James question as, If any of you lacks wisdom, and you do, let him ask of God All of us need God s perfect wisdom. Let s shift from asking to receiving God s wisdom. James tells us to ask of God. Literally, let him be asking. You and I should have a continual pattern of asking God at all times to enable us see things accurately, to apply truth correctly. This is so basic, yet so easily forgotten. After all, there are a lot of things we can figure out on our own, and so we may not even think to ask God for wisdom. Verse 6 tells us how to ask. But he must ask in faith In faith, trusting God and His promise to provide. James also speaks to us about how not to ask. Look at verse 6 again. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (6-8) Doubting, not truly or fully believing God will give you the wisdom you need. Doubleminded, trying to go two ways at once: thinking God will, but then again, that God will not. We are to trust God and His promise. He will respond, He will give us His wisdom. He will give it generously. And He never will scold any of us for not having figured things out on our own. So, the second thing we are to do is to ask God for wisdom, to realize and to continually depend on God for wisdom. There is one more thing to do, Keep yourself in perspective. We see this in the two classes of people mentioned in verses 9-11 on the one hand, those in humble circumstances and then the rich. The poor sometimes think their lack of things means they also lack the lack of resources to conquer problems, to go through trials successfully. So, James says in verse 9, But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position. High position? What is he talking about in a poor, humble person? Remember who you are in Jesus you are a child of Eternal, Almighty God. Remember the truth. Remember the truth of Ephesians 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has 4
blessed us with how many? every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Remember what you have in Him His unlimited resources, His promises and resources to be with you and care for you. Then the rich person, verse 10, is to glory in his humiliation. What humiliation? The rich often think, I can take care of things on their own, thank you. So, in verses 11-12 James says, For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. His point is that the rich and successful have the same limits of physical life, the same certainty of death, and exactly the same need for God s wisdom as everyone else. So whatever your situation, when trials bump into you and put the pressure on, keep yourself in perspective. Life in the pressure cooker of trials is never pleasant. We know it is always difficult. God in His grace tells us what we need to know and to do. Conclusion All of us have been in the pressure cooker of trials. You may be there right now, and really not know if you have the strength to face, let alone go through the trial that has bumped into you. All of us can think back to trials, some of which we would like to be able to forget, erase from our memory banks. God has given each one of us, has given you this truth. When trials put the pressure on there is no secret passage way around them; no quick beaming up and out of there. But almighty, loving God knows you. He knows your trials and what you need so you can endure, grow and glorify Him as He leads you through the trials. Take a few moments now to think and talk with God about this. Begin by thanking Him that He provides a way through the trials you face. You may recall some in the past where you know He has led you and provided for you thank Him again for His grace. Bring the trials you face today to God again. Tell Him again that you are relying on Him, that you will do your part. Reach out to God, trust Him to take your hand, to give you the grace you need right now. Let s bow our heads and spend a few moments thinking and talking with God. 5
1 Colossians 3:1-2. 2 Matthew 6:19-21. 3 Philippians 3:10; cf. Romans 8:17. 2012 Lyle L. Wahl Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. 6