How To Benefit From Your Problems Series

A. Of all the New Testament EPISTLES (letters written to Christians) James is the most practical of all.

1. It is the “HOW TO” MANUAL FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

a. Every verse of this book speaks so POWERFULLY to everyday LIVING—to the “NUTS and

BOLTS” of Christianity.

b. It’s just as PRACTICAL today as when it was first WRITTEN almost 2,000 years ago.

2. So many of the New Testament books deal with great lofty THEOLOGICAL themes.

a. You study the book of Romans, and it lays out so beautifully the great themes of JUSTIFICATION,

SANCTIFICATION, EXPIATION, and REDEMPTION.

b. The book of Hebrews strikes up the theme of Jesus and His PRIESTHOOD of PROPITIATION

after the order of Melchizedek.

COMMENT:

All this THRILL me to PIECES, and thank God for every word of it. But there are so many mornings when I get out of BED, and the YEARNING on my heart is not the EXPIATIONS and PROPITIATIONS, but is: “Lord, how am I going to SURVIVE this DAY and have You pleased with me when it’s done!” That’s what this BOOK is all about.

B. Throughout this book, James is endeavoring to help Christians to MATURE in the FAITH—to GROW in

the LIKENESS of Jesus Christ.

1. I think one reason for that is—he was once an UNBELIEVER who did a lot of GROWING UP!

2. Most SCHOLARS believe that the author of this book is the BROTHER of Jesus, one of the sons of

Joseph and Mary.

a. In John 7:1-5, James along with his other brothers MOCKS Jesus (READ and COMMENT)

b. It wasn’t until after Jesus’ CRUCIFIXION and RESURRECTION that James became a

BELIEVER and a GODLY LEADER in the Jerusalem church.

COMMENT:

When James writes about JOY in SUFFERING, how to LOVE and TREAT people, how to CONTROL your TONGUE, how to RESIST the DEVIL and DRAW near to God, how to have a PRAYERFUL life, no doubt he had to LEARN much of what he writes by WATCHING how his big brother Jesus LIVED His LIFE while on this earth. He saw Jesus not only in PUBLIC but in His PRIVATE LIFE, and His BROTHER was the SAME PERSON no matter where He was.

3. So when James WRITES in practical terms about how we should LIVE our LIVES . . . I LISTEN!

C. James is a TO-THE-POINT kind of WRITER. Listen how he begins his letter- James 1:1-4 (READ)

1. Unlike many people who write letters, James SKIPS the NICETIES and gets right down to what really

MATTERS.

a. He announces who he is in v. 1 and then says in v. 2: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever

you face trials of many kinds.”

b. How would you like to get a letter like that?

ILLUSTRATION:

“This is a letter from me... You got problems? Be happy!” What?! How? There’s no way I could be happy. You don’t know my situation.

2. The key is the phrase “BECAUSE YOU KNOW”.

a. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds BECAUSE YOU

KNOW that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”

b. Yours and my attitude during LIFE’S PROBLEMS is determined by our UNDERSTANDING.

COMMENT:

Rejoicing is not just positive thinking—“When life hands you a LEMON…make LEMONADE!”—but it is BASED on some FACTS of LIFE.

MESSAGE:

I. FOUR “FACTS OF LIFE” WE NEED TO KNOW

A. Problems are INEVITABLE.

1. It’s not IF they will come . . . it is simply WHEN they will come.

COMMENT:

The Christian who EXPECTS his or her WALK with Jesus to always be EASY is in for some BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT.

2. Almost every major teaching in the book of James ECHOES a LESSON that his big brother taught.

- John 16:33b- “In this world you WILL have TROUBLE…”

3. Other New Testament writers agree with Jesus and their fellow-apostle.

a. Paul told his converts: “We must go through many HARDSHIPS to enter the kingdom of

heaven…”- Acts 14:22.

b. Peter wrote: “…do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though

something strange were happening to you.- 1 Peter 4:12.

COMMENT:

I don’t care who we are and how godly we are, we can COUNT on PROBLEMS. NO one is IMMUNE.

B. Problems are UNPREDICTABLE.

1. James says, “…whenever you FACE trials…”

a. The word “FACE” in Greek literally means “to fall into unexpectedly”.

b. It is the same word used in the story of the Good Samaritan where the man “FELL among thieves” -- it was UNEXPECTED.

2. Trials are not planned.

COMMENT:

We seldom can ANTICIPATE the problems we’re going to EXPERIENCE in life. That’s probably good because if we could ANTICIPATE them we’d RUN the other way and wouldn’t BENEFIT from them.