Sermon Tone Analysis

+++ Know what happened this week?

Bleach!

“Nat says” check your shirt....shouldn’t have said anything.

Then I grab my shorts out of the laundry…wrecked!

Top 3 shorts.

Done.

Anyone faced the trials of laundry errors?

HOOK

Lewis

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

- C.S Lewis

Pains, trials, challenges - they cause us to reflect.

Trust is revealed in trials isn’t it?

Have you found this?

When a relationship is under fire, how much you trust that person and why is revealed.

This is a big question when it comes to God.

How can I trust a God when I see and experience suffering?

On the flipside, if we don’t face trials then when do we don’t know the extent of our trust.

And trust is at the center of knowing God.

Kara Tibbets

“Before cancer, I would have said I was on the journey of seeking grace, but in truth I was manufacturing my own faith.

If I found a need, I did my best to meet it.

My going, doing, loving was my faith, not my nearness to Jesus.

In my mind I knew my efforts weren’t the substance of my faith, but my practice betrayed me.

Stripped of my ability, I saw Jesus in a new and profound way.”

- Kara Tibbets (blogger & mom who died of cancer)

When have you faced trials?

Have you found that when you are faithful to God - trials still come?

Have your trials and pain caused you to run to God or from him?

To his community or from his community?

All of us have faced or will face trials, obstacles, suffering, rejection.

In fact, if you decide to follow Jesus - we are told to not be surprised when trials come (1 Pet.

4:12)

Today we start our series on James and James talks of trials.

What is our perspective supposed to be when we follow Jesus and end up facing trials?

Open Bibles to (page 1011).

James

WHICH JAMES?

There are a few important James in the NT

Which James?

James, the Son of Zebedee - Apostle in Jesus’ inner circle (Mk.

1:19).

James, the Son of Alphaeus - Apostle (Mt.

10:3).

James, the brother of Jesus, Jerusalem church leader (;

What We Know About James, The Lord’s Brother

Seems he didn’t become a Christian () until after Jesus’ death + resurrection.

(Jesus hands Mary over to John, not his bro’s ()

+++ Second chances & grace.

“James the Just.”

Became primary leader of Jerusalem church (after Peter)

“Pillar” ().

Some of us may called to be “pillars”?

Eventually he was martyred and refused to deny Christ.

Eventually he was martyred and refused to deny Christ.

“Servant”

didn’t leverage being Jesus’ sibling.

Though obviously that had an impact on his influence.

“of God & the Lord Jesus Christ”

servant of God was normal title throughout history for the people of God.

Moses was a servant of God.

But here, we see an early example of how Jesus is viewed as God.

James serves God the Father & God the Son.

Much has changed since he saw Jesus as merely his brother.

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion

“dispersion” is a term referred to the Jews that are scattered.

Exiles in OT, persecution in NT.

Could be referring primarily to the Jews who have become Christians or “twelve tribes” could be metaphorical referring to all of God’s people.

James write out of a Jewish context, aware of Israel’s story.

Israel has been scattered and waited for rescue, for victory, and for the 12 tribes to be restored and established again.

Jesus came, appoints 12 apostles, and is forming a new covenant people, centered on him.

He is fulfilling, in a new way, Israel’s hope.

But it isn’t just for Jews.

Everyone is invited to join the covenant people of God.

Walk through these verses but let’s get one thing in view.

(ESV)

4 “And let steadfastness have its full effect,

(All) that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

“perfect” or “mature.”

The goal is spiritual maturity.

Keep that in mind as we continue.

Big Idea: Trials can purify Trust.

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

“Count” = act of faith.

,.

Faith works…everyday.

Everyday we have the opportunity to workout our faith and everyday we can discover that faith really works.

To count it joy one must trust God, and have a bigger perspective.

“brothers” family language for 1C, applies to “brothers and sisters”

“trials of various kinds.”

Broad reference but in the letter we see James has certain things in mind: specifically, economic injustice and oppression as well as religious persecution.

Trials is a word used in scripture to refer to external and internal challenges/temptations.

Following Jesus will lead to trials.

We can make our own trials, but this is referring to trials that come as we follow Jesus.

“What trials are you facing?”

Count it Joy?

Apostles who are beaten - leave rejoicing because they got to align w/ Jesus in suffering.

1 Peter 6:7

(ESV)

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

James explains why we can count it joy in the next 2 verses.

3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

we can have joy because we recognize that God is using trials to purify our trust, faith.

our faith is refined under fire, under trials, and what remains will grow/produce steadfastness/perseverance.