James 1 Dealing with Difficulties
- Read James 1:1-18
I. INTRODUCTION
James is not a theologically deep book. It is a book written by a pastor, with a pastor’s heart, to struggling and suffering Christians. It is a very practical book written to tell folks how to do and live this thing we call the Christian life. It’s not designed to tell us about the suffering of Christ and the sacrifice He made. The Gospels, the letters of Paul, and the other New Testament books do that. It’s not a theological thesis on how Jesus took away our sins. It’s not a book painting a glorious picture of heaven. James was written to believers to tell them, this is what Christianity looks like with skin on it.
You know, a lot of people can talk a good game. A lot of folks can talk about how they’re a Christian and such, but you don’t see much of it actually displayed or demonstrated in their lives. James says, “If you’re actually living the Christian life, this is what it looks like.” He is concerned that we who say, “I belong to Christ, I believe in Him.” Live lives that say the same thing.
James teaches us how to get up and get dressed each day as Christians. He teaches us how to continue to face traffic and unappreciative bosses, demanding customers, and ugly coworkers every day.
And notice who he wrote this letter to. Look there again at verse 1.
- Read James 1:1
To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. This letter wasn’t written to a secluded and secure people. It wasn’t written to people with no problems. It was written to scattered people.
The reference to the 12 tribes scattered, was used in earlier days to address Jews who were scattered across the empire. I believe here, though, it is referring to Jewish believers who were scattered because of persecution.
After the death of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, the persecution of Christians in Jerusalem, increased greatly. These Christians refused to bow their knees and say, “Ceasar is Lord.” Instead, they insisted that there was only one Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. So the Bible informs us in Acts 8:1 that they were all scattered except the apostles.
So, this letter was written to wives and mothers who were uprooted and scattered. Mama, and grandmother were not nearby to help care for the children, or to help give comfort or support when the children were sick. Lifetime friends were not nearby to share with when there were difficulties at home.
This letter was written to children, scattered all over the place, who were trying to start their lives again in new neighborhoods. These were neighborhoods where the children around them would have different games and different customs. You’re the new kid on the block. All the other children grew up together. They dressed alike. They knew the same games, attended the same schools. And here you are dressing differently, and eating different stuff, and unable to play or go places on your Sabbath.
This letter was written to dads and husbands who had been forced to abandon the home and property and business they had spent a lifetime building. It was written to dads starting over in a new town, with none of the friends or business connections your family had known for generations. It was written to dads in new neighborhoods, with new jobs, struggling each day to food on the table, and to keep a roof over his family’s head.
To these folks James writes, “I know you have been scattered, but God knows where every single one of you are and He has HIs eye on you.”
Isn’t it great to now that wherever we are and whatever we are going through, God is there, He knows about it, and He is walking through that trial with us?
To these scattered, struggling people James writes in verse 2,
- Read James 1:2
Count it all joy when you experience various trials. Several items we need to notice in this passage. First, I want you to understand that trials are predictable.
II. TRIALS ARE PREDICTABLE
- Verse 2
When you experience various trials.
My friend, there are going to be trials in this life. Some folks try to teach that if you live a Spirit-filled and Spirit-directed life, you won’t have any problems. There’s a great theological term to address that. Horsefeathers.
You can read the Bible from cover to cover and you will find that believers have issues.
Oh, if you’re right with God and walking in His will, you won’t have any problems.
Do you remember the movie, “In search of the Holy Grail”, with Monty Python? Years ago, whenever I’d come home, Robert, a friend of our’s, my brother Travis and I would go to Blockbuster. Explain to your children what Blockbuster is. We’d go to Blockbuster, rent that movie and then laugh our way through it.
Do you remember the black knight who stood in the path saying, “None shall pass”? Then after the king cut off his arms and legs the black knight said, “Tis but a flesh wound.” That joker was in denial.
Well, there are Christians who are in denial as well. “I don’t really have any problems. Or they claim, “If you are in God’s will you won’t have any problems.”
Foolishness. The disciples were where Jesus told them to be, doing what He told them to do, heading where He told them to go, when a great storm came up and Jesus ended up walking on water to get to them.
I remember when we moved back here to start this church.
Drew sick in truck
Truck broke down
Truck got stuck at the end of the driveway
Tree fell across ramp
Fleas
Tree fell and trapped a UPS driver down at the church.
And the fact that this church is here and all of you are attending is evidence that we were in God’s will doing what He called us to do.
You’re gonna have problems.
> John 16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
Trials are predictable
III. TRIALS PRESENT A PARADOX
- Read James 1:2
Count it all joy.
We don’t rejoice because of the trial. We don’t rejoice because of the pain. Often we ask God “why”? I can remember the day I got the phone call telling me that my dad had been killed. I still remember it like it was yesterday. We were standing in the living room of the parsonage in Mississippi. I got the phone call, grabbed Gladys and started crying. And then I started asking God why?
Why, when my dad was a faithful husband, and a loving dad, and so many of those he worked with were not, why would he be the one who was killed? . . .
We ask why?
There’s nothing wrong with tears. Jesus cried when Lazarus died.
There’s nothing wrong with grieving. There’s nothing wrong with asking God for a different outcome. In the Garden of Gethesame Jesus prayed, “Father please take this cup away.”
The Christian life is filled with Paradoxes. It is filled with things that seem upside down.
The greatest among you will be the servant of all. Does that make sense to anyone?
If anyone strikes you on one cheek, turn to them your other cheek as well. Really?
> Matthew 16:25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.
Paradoxes.
Here’s one as well. But, through all of the trial, we who are suffering can count it joy as well. How?
IV. WE REMEMBER A PERSON
- Read v 17
We remember a person. We remember our heavenly Father Who loved us enough to send His Son Jesus Christ . . .
We remember that He is still on the throne.
In Isaiah 6, Isaiah records, that in the year King Uzziah died, He saw the Lord.
Uzziah was a godly king. The nation was blessed under his leadership. He died. Isaiah was downhearted. He wondered what was going to happen to his nation.
How did God respond when he was down and discouraged. He showed Isaiah a person.
> Isaiah 6:1-4 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another:Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth. The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.”
God showed Isaiah that He was still on the throne and still in charge. Even though Isaiah didn’t understand, God said, “I do. I’m on the throne and none of this has taken Me by surprise.”
Do you remember when the disciples first learned that Jesus would be leaving them? What did He tell them in John 14”
> John 14:1-3 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe[a] in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.
In the mist of the trials we remember a person Who loves us . . .
V. WE REMEMBER A PURPOSE
- Read James 1:3
Trials come into everyone’s life, but the trials the Lord allows to come into Christians’ lives, if we respond to them properly, serve a purpose.
They make us into a mature, fully developed, man or woman of God that can be used to fulfill what God has called us to do and who He has called us to be in this life.
Various trials. They are pressing in from different sides, working on different areas in our lives to help make us into the person God intended us to be.
VI. WE REMEMBER A PLACE
- Read James 1:4
> John 14:1-3 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.
Some day, all of this and all of these trials will be past and we are going to be in a better place . . .
We are complete. We are ready for heaven. This life is just preparation for what’s coming next. And our loving heavenly Father often uses trials and difficulties to prepare us for what’s next, to make us more Christ like.
> 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Conclusion
This past Monday, I was listening to preaching, as I often do in the morning. I was listening to Focus on the Family, and there was a mother there talking about an accident her 25 year old son had. 25 Years old. He had a diving accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Can you imagine the pain and such . . .
The boys from the local Christian high school’s basketball team came to visit with him. They said, “We would like to honor you this coming season, by putting a Bible verse on our jerseys for the season. What is your favorite verse and what would you like us to put on our jerseys? The now paralyzed young man answered, “
> James 1:2-3 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
