When Trials Come - James 1:2-8

James chapter 1 beginning and verse to consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face Trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to you when you ask you must believe and not doubt because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind that person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord such a person is double-minded and unstable and all they do. The word of God for the people of God. Thanks be unto God. You may be seated.

This book that we open up week after week. Quite simple what we believe goes on here, but we believe we should be doing God speaks to us. We need to listen to him. We need to believe him and then we demonstrate that belief by living it out in our lives and I'm say that again we believe it's Christians that God has spoken to us through his word. It's our responsibility now to listen to his word to believe his word. But then the Pinnacle of belief is to actually live it out. If I were to tell you and disclaimer this isn't true, but if I were to tell you look under the seat for some free chocolate, okay, if you actually believe me some some of you might be looking if you actually believe me you would look under your seat and you might be able to sit in the aisle and say are in a few when you just sit and keep looking at me, but the belief is validated and is demonstrated by living it out by applying it by obeying it by following it. The same is true with the Bible. We don't just want to know the Bible in electrically know it mentally know some bare facts about it. Our goal is Christian is to know the tax to know God's word so that we might live it out in our day today line in the Book of James is a precious book amongst all the books of the Bible because James is uniquely written for the purpose of your daily living a lot of books of the Bible can be a little lofty can be a little complex for tingly The Book of Romans comes to mind. The Book of James is written to address daily issues in your daily life. James if you weren't over here last week 1:1 James is the author humanly speaking the half-brother of Jesus Christ. The Lord and He is writing to Jewish convert to Christians could use Jews could become Christians aren't Jewish convert could been scattered among the Nations greetings these Christians. They're living in a foreign land. They do not live in the comfort of home. So not only are they displace culturally speaking. These Christians don't have a Bible to rely upon. This is what many people believed to be the first letter of the New Testament written so that the Christians in the early church. They couldn't flip open the Bible and see you know, how do I deal with my marriage? How do I deal with what's going on at work? How do I do with my kid? How do I deal with my money and my finances or my doubts are my worries. How do I do with all of these things? They had no book to fall back on so this book was written. This letter was written as a breath of Fair for these Christians to know how do I live a Christian Life in this complex world that we live in? and one of the big areas of life is the area of suffering in the Bible addresses every big area of life already mentioned a few of them like relationships money work all of those things but a big area of all of our Lives, is that of suffering And if you're Christian here today, you fully know well that you are not immune to suffering. Just because you become a Christian does not mean that everything is going to be hunky-dory and perfect and beautiful and wonderful and easy and happy all the time. Because as Jesus himself said in John 16 33 in this world, you will have trouble and second Timothy 3:12 everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ. Jesus will be persecuted. So suffering is a normal thing a commonplace thing for Christian in for everybody in general. The question that we face then is what do we do when we Face suffering? How do we face suffering? What should we think? What should we do? How should we act? What should we believe? How should we get through suffering the first few versus right here vs228 address this very issue. And when you walk away today, this is my main takeaway for you that I want you to remember and hold on to. God uses trials to make us not break us. God uses trials to make us not break us. That is the truth. That's the that's the truth from the text or the question then becomes how do we live that out? How do I demonstrate that in my daily life? I'm glad you asked and I'm glad you care because the text gives us the answer. Three answers for you. How do we live this out? Number one considerate Joy number to complete the work and the number three call upon God for wisdom. Look up verses 2 and 3 with me. Got the word says consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face Trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. So the first two in Reverse just for a moment whenever you face Trials of many kinds what does the word trial their mean? What are the trials that James is referring to here? well in the context of this letter James mentioned a few different trials that the Christians are experiencing 2:6 being exploited by rich people 2:6 as well being dragged into court for senseless charges 5:14 going through ailing debilitating sickness 4:11 being slandered by those you love So these are all different things that many of us may have experienced at one point in life. But James is definition of trial is deliberately broad. It's not just about what you go through marital conflict or when you go through the death of a loved one. The word for trials here is Broad enough and inclusive enough to include every trial that we face in life before United a is a lot of different things that that can mean. It could be an aching back or could be a sharp pain in your leg. It could be the crushing weight of betrayal by a friend or family member. It could be the death of a child or spouse or parents. It could be being told from your boss that your branch is closing down and you got two weeks on the job still. It could be losing all your possessions in a house fire. It could be read being ridiculed or Sean for being a Christian in the workplace or amongst your friends and everything in between. These are all trials of many kinds. But then the bazaar command comes at the beginning of hers, too. Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face Trials of many kinds. Some of your versions might render it as consider it pure joy or regarded as pure joy count it all joy. You have to ask the question. What on Earth is James saying here? Let me tell you what he's not saying James is not saying that you need to have a constant fake smile on your face 24/7 when you go through hardship James is not saying that you have to be happy all the time emotionally speaking. He's not saying that the trials that you go through our good and joyful in and of themselves, that would be a very sadistic thing to say. James is telling us is one commentator says that we need to think about our trials in a certain way. Think about your trials in a certain way. For example little baby would view this as a fun little toy to play with. Okay, delete close to crush it by with it. We know what is the point of this you view it in a different way you view this as an excuse for me to get a swig of water, right? Give you two something to drink from. Okay. What is James saying? Do you your trials in a certain way in a mature way as God has called you to view it as Pastor put in as well consider. It pure joy means to make a deliberate and careful decision to experience joy in times of trouble. So, how can I do that? How can I find joy in the midst of my immense suffering that's the command verse to but the reason to Rejoice her to find joy is found in verse three look at it. Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. You know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. The word they're looking for us three the word there for testing is used a couple of times in scripture Psalm 11 verse 6 the words of the Lord are flawless like silver purified in a crucible are tested in a crucible like gold refined seven times the 1st Peter 1:7. This is explicitly tied to Faith again. These trials have come into your life so that the proven genuineness with a proven testing of your faith, which is a greater worth in gold which in this gold parachute even though it's refined by fire. May result in Praise Glory and Honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. You get the the picture there the word image there. The James is communicating as a piece of Steel is put into a furnace to be shaped and molded into a a knife as a piece of or is melted apart is burned apart to burn away the impurities so that a gold bar can be formed from it. So likewise our faith or belief our trust in the Lord is purified. It's refined if he even burned if you will so that it can be purified to a gold bar as we go through trials. Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. What is perseverance another word could be endurance another word could be steadfastness. What is perseverance look like while many of you have seen the images are you know family members you've experienced this in your life perseverance is a soldier who stays at his post and refuses to leave in the midst of a fierce battle perseverance is a farmer who loses across one season to Drought or some other disaster, but the next year they persist and they plant again looking for a longing for a future reward a future Harvest perseverance is a runner who pushes through a leg cramp on the 9th Mi out of a ten-mile race perseverance is a mother for indoors the labor pains to give birth to a child. As one commentator said perseverance literally means the ability to remain under the ability to remain under other words. It's the ability to hold a position to keep a position to keep on doing something in the midst of pain and strain without trying to escape the pain. This is not a passive attitude. You have to understand this. This isn't passive. This isn't you just sitting back and saying I'm just going to I'm going to hold down the fort I'm just going to get through it. But this is an active perseverance and it's not just putting up with things but it's rather a determination to stand stand one's ground in the persist in faith. And here's the deal. Perseverance is not a uniquely Christian trait. And you can have an atheist and agnostic you can have a secular person people from other different faiths or religions. They all more or less see value in endurance to be on getting through the hardship that sounded distinctly Christian virtue. But the question is what is distinctly Christian about them. Is there anything distinctly Christian about what is saying it was being said here or can a Buddhist apply this truth and their own life just as much as a Christian can they can't because a verse for verse forgives distinctly Christian perspective of what is going on here looking for a store with me and just leave the store. Second Point complete the work right? Considerate Joy. Number one number two complete the work will give her sport. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything.

Do you see that in the text? Perseverance is not the end goal. The end goal is not for you to just hunker down and to just get through it and to be strong. That's the Christian Life is perseverance leading toward working towards look at the text again, let perseverance finish its work or complete its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything. The end goal of the Christian is perfection. To be clear. We will never attain Perfection here on Earth in our Earthly lives. That will come when we meet Jesus face-to-face, but that is the end goal. It's going to be in goals. Are you could ask a question. What is the point of being a Christian or what it what is the goal of a Christian? What is the mission of a Christian? What's your Christian be focused on what should I be doing? What it were their priorities. There's a lot of different answers to that. One of them biblically speaking is to be perfect is to be mature to be whole and understand hear the word. Perfect as your is your text. Might say that some of your versions might say be mature and complete this isn't talking about sinless perfection. This is talking about being whole being healthy being mature being complete. Think about a marriage or family unit or even a local church, right? If you're trying to find a perfect Church sinless without without spot. You're never going to find one. But if you're looking for a healthy Church amateur charge that one is perfect. But one that's mature complete whole you can find some same thing with me or just there's no such thing as a perfect marriage, but there are such things as health marriages as mature marriages. That's the goal that we are striving for a Christian to be mature and complete not in general. We get more specific being mature and complete in Christ. Colossians 1:28 this isn't just found in James. This is found throughout the Bible Colossians 1:28. It tells us what the goal of preaching is why I stand up here week after week it is it tells us keep referring to Jesus. Jesus is the one we Proclaim. Jesus is the one who preached and monitoring and teaching. Everyone was always them why so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ Ephesians chapter 4 verses 12 to 15. Jesus tells us. What is the purpose of the church in the 21st century on me throughout all the time, but for us today in the 21st century, what's the purpose of the church? So that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. How do we get to that point? How do we become mature the text tells us in a Fusions for by speaking the truth to one another in love? I've heard it said before that it's possible in a sense to speak the truth on your own strength. It's possible in a sense to love people on your own strength, but you can only do both by the power of God. Some people are more towards the compassionate side and the loving side some people here more towards the truth. This is how it is. You need to listen to it to do both at the same time. You have to have the power of the Holy Spirit and that's how the church is built up. That's how the church grows in maturity. That's how the church becomes perfect healthy whole complete by speaking the truth in love to one another. The friends we do not suffer in life to just go through it to push through it to persevere through it we go through suffering we go through trials so that we might be mature and complete not lacking anything. As the text tells us. God uses trials to make us not break us you might be saying all right, give me the at follow you so far. I am piecing it together a little bit but I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around it. So having trouble wrapping my heart around it. I see what the text is saying, but I still don't know if I fully acknowledge that or if I fully believe that the answer is found in Verses 5 diversity. This is our third and final Point call upon God for wisdom. What are the text? So I came first for piggybacking off. The last part of it is you may be mature and complete not liking anyting then immediately James links back right there in her spot if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God to give generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to you. I think that's one thing we can all agree upon. I hope today is that we are all in desperate need of wisdom in this room right here, but certainly in this world that we live in there is no shortage of data. There's no shortage of information. There is no shortage of knowledge even but there is an immense drought of wisdom in today's culture and in today's day and age. In the be whole to be complete to be mature to be healthy what that means in part is that we must have wisdom. You cannot be healthy apart from wisdom to have wisdom the wisdom of God means that you will be healthy and whole and complete. The question is what is wisdom and we throw around a lot of these terms a lot perfect complete perseverance trials Faith all this kind of stuff. We throw the word. What does the word wisdom mean? Well, it's not information from the internet not something you can just Google wisdom. This is the definition of come across but one scholar wisdom involves the ability to live wisely knowing the difference between good and evil and choosing to do what is good. Was a very holistic definition of hope you caught that wisdom is not just knowing good from bad or right from wrong or best from worst wisdom is knowing the difference and in choosing the good choosing the better choosing the helpful the right path, but is something that we all need today in the command and the text says you should ask God. You should ask God that's the imperative and yet understand the truth is revealed here. A lot of times in scripture. There are commands that are given right do this and it's not just a vein empty command a vague General command. A lot of times. God gives us a reason or Foundation to obey so the texture says asked God for wisdom. Okay, what's the reason for that will tells us verse 5 this God that you're going to ask he gives generously to us all without finding fault and it will be given to you. If this is not like asking your boss for a raise are you might be in fear trepidation going before I'm shaking and you're not really sure if they're having a good day or bad day or that kind of thing know this isn't at all like that approaching him. This is this God we're talking about he loves to Lavish. He loves to give he loves to just shower blessing and Grace upon you there's only one condition I asked for it. All you want you to do is ask for it ask for wisdom because this God gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to you. I think it's one commentator said that it's more accurate to translate. That is the giving God gives generously but God inherently who he is as a person. He is giving God giving it is inherent to who he is as The Sovereign Lord. And this is a continual request. That is something you should ask for one time in your life or even the first day of the week. This is something you should do daily at minimum. If not hourly. If not every situation you face Lord. I'm about to meet this person for lunch. Please give me wisdom on how to be an encouragement how to build them up Lord. I have to have this conversation Lord. I'm going through this struggle. I'm thinking through jobs, whatever it is. I need your wisdom. But then a second condition if you will have to ask but then verse 6 give us another condition. But when you ask you must believe and not doubt because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind that person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord such a person is double-minded and unstable and all they do.

Surface-level reading of that initial reading of that at least when I read it personally just acknowledging it. I think I'm immediately disqualified there. You Must Believe and not doubt is that mean you have to have one hundred percent certainty 100% faith and there can't be a shred or an Evidence of any doubt at all has to be 0% doubt 100% faith is that what the Texas saying I don't think so because that's an impossibility for any human being frankly I think the King James version I think might get that word a little bit better. Says but when you believe you must believe without wavering, so doubting waiver. Nothing wavering. It might be a better term for us and wavering. It's not about intellectual certainty, but it's about certain loyalty doubt or wavering is not referring to intellectual uncertainty instead. Wavering is talking about uncertain loyalty. Okay, another words talking about someone who's not fully committed to God. Example imagine trying to stand on two paddleboards that are 4 ft apart at Beaver Creek Reservoir. If you try to do that for more than ten set or more than 5 seconds. It's on the state. But if your feet are firmly planted on one paddle board. Well, that's a lot more stable than divided loyalties. Are we get this Jesus said this you can't serve two masters. You can either share money or you can serve God but you can't serve both at the same time. It's a similar type of thing of which I am just saying you can't serve God and you can't save the world the same time. You can only serve one. Are you serving God? Not perfectly right understand it perfectly but is your gaze is your life orientation fixed upon God on pleasing him and glorify him with all your faults with all your failures with all your mistakes. Is it oriented towards pleasing God or is it oriented to pleasing yourself and pleasing the world in the following the ways of the world? That's the issue. Here is James further says and inverse 8 such a person is double-minded and unstable and all they do literally speaking such a person is too soul is divided loyalties that are being described here. And here's the other component right belief and doubt. I believe God. I think through this just for a moment if you say if you claim I believe in God, I trust God I believe God I believe the Bible. I believe a word. If you say that, but you failed to live it out. That's not true belief. Can you do it's the example of talking about the chocolate earlier if there's chocolate under the sea and I say look under the seat for chocolate. If you don't look that means you don't really believe it's the exact same with God if you say I believe God but then you don't submit your sexuality to him. You don't believe him if you say I believe in God, but you don't submit your finances to him. You don't believe him. I believe in God, but you don't submit your marriage or family or parenting your work career everything if you don't submit it to God, you don't believe him then you have to understand me saying that we're perfectly going to follow God perfectly without fault without fail, but it's about the orientation of your heart. Are you striving to follow the law? Is that your the foundation of your life? Do you want to serve him? Do you want to please him? Because we need him and that's one of the big takeaways of this passage. We need God when we go through suffering when we go through trials. And this is what wisdom is for right asking God for wisdom wisdom. Is it just for you to decide should I move to Maine or should I move to Florida for the job opportunity. I think a lot of times you can think about wisdom wisdom ultimately is getting knowledge in sight so that you can follow the lord more Faithfully. That is the whole point of wisdom to honor God more faithfully and if that is not your desire, why would you expect wisdom from God? And if we're going to honor God through our suffering if we're going to experience joy in the midst of Trials, we need God almighty. Are you might immediately report? Right Jimmy D. I kind of get you for a moment. But no one to be frank. I've gotten through a lot of Trials on my own. I haven't a thoroughly relied upon God through trials and hard times on my own in the past. So therefore I don't really need God or his wisdom for today or for the future. If that's your attitude in the slightest, which I think made it may be many of us had that attitude toward agree whether or not we'd admit it if that's your attitude that is not perseverance has been cultivated in you that is pride. The end goal of perseverance what is perseverance work inside of you Perfection holness maturity. That's what perseverance does but I've got this I I can handle it I can do it. What is the end of pride? Proverbs 16:18 many of you probably know this verse Pride goes Before Destruction a haughty spirit before a fall. Show Friends. The text God's word here in James gives us an alarm in command consider. It pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face Trials of many kinds. Seems like an impossibility and humanly speaking it is. But With God all things are possible. The only way that we can experience joy in the midst of suffering. The only way that we can experience in abiding steadfast Joy. They will uphold Us in the midst of suffering. I'm not saying that you'll never have Moments Of Heartache and pain went we're all going to go through those Seasons, but the reality is think about the image of Jesus again there to foundations. You either build it on the rock or you build it on the sand pile. If you got all the sand pile the stop running the trials they will destroy you but if you build it Upon Jesus Christ the Eternal Rock The Waves will still hits you the lightning might still strike, but you're not going anywhere. He will uphold you he will sustain you until you meet him face-to-face because that's when all of us who confess Christ is Lord. That's when we will be truly fully in Christ. That's the goal. That's the truth. It's impossible in us and not we ourselves the way we obey is by asking God for his wisdom. The wisdom isn't just something for you to store up in your your head your mind some some kind of weird empty tank. I need more wisdom and fills it with, you know, he gives you wisdom so that you can live for him and follow him more Faithfully. Do you believe that? I hope you do. God uses trials to make us not break us. I think that's the truth. We see in James 1228.

Let's be closing prayer. I'm going to pray through it and just kind of recite the song that I came across. It's called When Trials come. but I thought thought I was very appropriate very relevant for the text that we just walk through

so you join me in the reflection meditation in the prayer then we'll close with the doxology.

When Trials come no longer fear for in the pain Our God draws near to fire a faith worth more than gold and they're his faithfulness is told and they're his face from a systole. Within the night. I know your piece the Breath of God brings strength to me and new each morning Mercy flows as Treasures of the darkness grow as Treasures of the darkness grow. I turn to wisdom not my own for every battle. You have known my confidence will rest in you your love and doors your ways are good your love and doors your ways are good when I'm weary with the cost. I see the Triumph of the Cross. So in its shadow I shall run till you complete the work begun till you complete the work begun. One day all things will be made new. I'll see you the hope you called me too. And then your kingdom paved with gold. I'll praise your faithfulness of old appraised your faithfulness of old.

My father we ask one final blessing upon our fellowship time and just a few moments. Thank you for the food that you provided. Please use it to strengthen us to serve you help us to enjoy. Connecting with one another and enjoying a good meal for our families and friends and and preschool staff and the church family. Thank you for this Lord's day. Thank you for the beautiful weather. Thank you for the abundance of New Life of spring. Give you thanks for all these things in Jesus name. Amen.