Sermon Tone Analysis

*EL DULCE FRUTO DE LOS TIEMPOS AMARGOS* \\ James  1:1-4 \\ \\

\\ \\ I.   Introducción

A.  None of us look forward to trials.

None of us love hardship.

But without them, we will never enjoy the sweet fruit of maturity.

A Billy Graham said, “Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys.”

Today, as we begin our study of James, we are going to look at the sweet fruit of bitter times.

II.

El autor

A.   James, It was a popular name, a form of the great Old Testament name Jacob.

There were several men who bore this name in New Testament history.

That Jesus had brothers and sisters is stated in Matthew 13:55-56 and Mark 6:3, and one of His brothers was named James.

(By “brother,” of course, I mean half-brother.

Joseph was not our Lord’s father since He was conceived by the Holy Spirit of God.)

B.   James and the other brothers did not believe in Jesus during His earthly ministry (Mark 3:31-35; John 7:1-5).

Yet we find our Lord’s brethren in the Upper Room praying with the disciples (Acts 1:14).

What effected the change from unbelief to faith?

First Corinthians 15:7 indicates that Jesus appeared to James after His resurrection!

This convinced James that Jesus truly was the Saviour, and he, in turn, shared this knowledge about Jesus to the other brothers.

C.   James became the leader of the church in Jerusalem.

Paul called him “una columna,” in Galatians 2:9.

It was James who moderated the church conference described in Acts 15.

When Peter was delivered from prison, he sent a special message to James (Acts 12:17); and when Paul visited Jerusalem, it was to James that he brought greetings and the special “love offering” from the Gentiles (Acts 21:18-19).

d.

We have no record in the Bible, but tradition tells us that James was martyred in a.d.

62.

The story is that the Pharisees in Jerusalem so hated James’ testimony for Christ that they had him cast down from the temple and then beaten to death with clubs.

The story also relates that James died, as did his Saviour, praying for his murderers, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

iii.

James introduces his letter.

A.

In spite of his prominence, what stands out in the first verse of his epistle is James’s humility.

He does not describe himself as Mary’s son and the Lord’s brother, refer to his position as head of the Jerusalem church, or mention that the resurrected Christ personally appeared to him.

Instead, he describes himself simply as *siervo de Dios y del Señor Jesucristo*.

/Doulos/ (DOO-LOS) (* bond-servant* ) depicts a slave, a person deprived of all personal freedom and totally under the control of his master.

Absolute obedience and loyalty to his master (who provided him with food, clothing, and housing) was required of every /doulos./

In contrast to the /andrapodon,/ who was made a slave, the /doulos/ was born a slave.

James had become a /doulos/ by his new birth through faith in Jesus Christ.

B.

His readers.

1.

He refers to them as the “twelve tribes scattered \\ among the nations.”

a.

Christian churches of a predominantly Jewish \\ character.

b.

Christians who were scattered (diaspora) \\ among Gentile nations en la primera persecución.

C.

His letter.

1.

As you read the Epistle of James, you discover that these Jewish Christians were having some problems in their personal lives and in their church fellowship.

For one thing, they were going through difficult testings.

They were also facing temptations to sin.

Some of the believers were catering to the rich, while others were being robbed by the rich.

Church members were competing for offices in the church, particularly teaching offices.

2.

One of the major problems in the church was a failure on the part of many to live what they professed to believe.

Furthermore, the tongue was a serious problem, even to the point of creating wars and divisions in the assembly.

Worldliness was another problem.

Some of the members were disobeying God’s Word and were sick physically because of it; and some were straying away from the Lord and the church.

3.

But James was not discussing an array of miscellaneous problems.

All of these problems had a common cause: /spiritual/ /immaturity/.

These Christians simply were not growing up.

This gives us a hint as to the basic theme of this letter: /the/ /marks/ /of/ /maturity/ /in/ /the/ /Christian/ /life/.

James used the word /perfect/ several times, a word that means “mature, complete” (see James 1:4, 17, 25; 2:22; 3:2).

By “a perfect man” (James 3:2) James did not mean a sinless man, but rather one who is mature, balanced, grown-up.

IV.

Los Tiempos amargos

      A.

El Hecho – v. 2

  1.  the fact is certain—we will have many trials and temptations.

Life is filled with all kinds of trials and temptations, trials such as sickness, disease, accidents, disappointments, sorrows, suffering, and death.

The Greek word used for temptations or trials throughout James is /peirasmos (pie’-ras-mas)/.

It means to tempt; to try; to test; to prove.

Throughout the Bible the word peirasmos and its various forms are used to refer to both the temptations and trials of life.

But note that the word means far more than just to tempt; it means... probar

  2.

That is, the temptations and trials of life are to prove us: they are for a beneficial purpose; they are permitted by God for a good purpose

            3.

Note one other thing that James says: he says that we shall /fall into all kinds/ of temptations and trials.

The Greek scholar A.T. Robertson says, “It is the picture of being surrounded (peri) by trials”.

The idea is that of many trials and temptations, of all sorts and of all kinds of temptations and trials.

But we must always remember: no matter what the trial or temptation, it is for our good and for our benefit.

It is to help us.

It is to prove us—to make us stronger and much more pure and righteous—to make us much more dynamic witnesses for Christ.

God allows trials and temptations to make us more and more like Jesus.

a.

*“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor.

4:17).

“Now no chastening [trial] for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11).

“Behold, we count them happy which endure.

Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:11).*

B.

La actitud requerida – gozo

            1.   the attitude needed to face the trials and temptations of life is startling—it is joy.

We are to face trial and temptation with a spirit of joy.

How is this possible?

How can a believer be joyful -- when facing such trials as disease, accidents, pain, sorrows, disappointments, suffering, pain, and death?--when facing the seductions of temptations?

2.

Joy is usually not what fills our heart when we face these things.

When severe trials come our way, too often we despair and become discouraged and defeated.

Most of us certainly do not experience joy.

3.

We are not just to act joyful, in reluctant pretense, but to be genuinely joyful.

It is a matter of will, not of feelings, and should be the conscious, determined commitment of every faithful believer.

4.

There is only one way to face trials and temptations with a spirit of joy: we have to /switch our thinking/; turn our attitudes about trials and temptations completely around.

We have to quit thinking negatively and think positively.

In the words of Scripture we must know something and we must do something.

a.   *We must know something*: know that trials and temptations work patience (James 1:3).

We must know what point one stressed: that trials and temptations are not to defeat and discourage us, but to prove us, to make us much stronger and more pure and righteous.