Straight from the Mouth
James 1, Romans 5:3-5, 8:31-39
September 8, 2024
Back in the Vietnam war era, the White House Press Secretary was Ron Zeigler. During a press conference he made a statement that was proven to be false that very night. When he was asked about it the next day, Zeigler stated, “That statement from yesterday is no longer operative.”
I love it! That’s all you have to say. “That’s no longer operative.”
Imagine trying that with your spouse? You come home late. You said 5 PM, and now it’s 7:45. You didn’t call or text. When she asks “What happened?” You can respond by saying, “Well, honey, those statements I previously made are no longer operative.”
Someone try it out and let me know if it works.
Your kids come home from school and they tell you they have no homework. When you ask about grades, they tell you they’re great! When the report card comes . . . and it’s not good ----- and you ask “what’s going on?” They’re reply, “Well . . . those previous statements are no longer operative.”
My point is we put spin on so much of what we do. We see it all over. The greatest example was from the movie Forrest Gump. How many of us were amazed to see Forrest with different presidents and more. And it looked so real.
It’s amazing what we can do with the right amount of editing
Do you ever get tired of the spin? Even buying a used car is no longer a used car, it’s a pre-owned vehicle. As if someone broke it in for you.
And now, we’re moving into the hard hitting election season, and nobody looks forward to the spin the candidates are going to put on everything.
Do you ever just wish someone would tell it like it is? Just lay it out there. We can handle it. Don’t airbrush it. Don’t clean it up. Don’t edit it. Be straight with me.
Just lay it out there and let me work with it from there. That’s exactly what James does in the Bible. He’s a no nonsense kind of guy. He’s going to lay it out there, take it or leave it.
Over the next weeks, we’re going to look at the book of James in a new way. Since recently doing a Bible study in James, I believe James gives it to us straight and we’re going to look at what he’s saying and who we’re called to be. We’re going to look at Christianity with no spin.
What does it really mean to be a follower of Christ? That’s the question before us. And maybe this is partly to prepare us for the election season, so we can speak with power, but with grace and love.
In James 1, James tells us - - -
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
A little context here. James was the brother of Jesus. He wasn’t just a follower or a disciple. He was a brother. He wasn’t one of the 12 disciples because early on Jesus’ brothers didn’t believe He was the Messiah. Later, at some point, James became a true follower of Jesus.
In fact, 1 Corinthians 15 tells us that after Jesus was resurrected He appeared to James in person. And James was a follower and leader in the church in Jerusalem.
Most of the New Testament letters start out by giving thanks. But James skips that and gets right into it. He starts talking about trials and temptations. He tells us - - -
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
James is saying, “Life is hard. You’re going to face trials and temptations. You’re going to face hard stuff. So, how do you deal with it?”
That word trial is fascinating in the Greek. It can be translated as trial, or if used differently, it’s temptation. It’s the same word, but it depends on you, which way it’s interpreted.
Sometimes a trial will happen and God wants to use that trial. It could be difficulty with your spouse or kids. It could be trials at work. Maybe it involves your health. Possibly it’s a financial trial. Any kind of trial will do. God is going to use that to bring something good into your life.
But also in the midst of that trial we can begin to give into temptations. Maybe you’re experiencing the pressure of a trial, and temptation jumps in, maybe to drink again. Maybe to have an affair, maybe to cheat in school or do something unethical at work. Possibly, it’s unresolved feelings and there’s a mess of anger flaring itself.
All of these things come into our lives and in that sense the trial becomes temptation. It all depends on how we respond to it.
So, James tells us how to deal with trials and temptations. It’s really pretty in your face.
James tells us is to choose to rejoice. When you face trials and difficulties, choose to rejoice - - - -
2 Count it all joy, when you meet trials of various kinds,
Think about that. Count it all joy? We just talked about joy for the past 5 weeks. I’m tired of joy!
Stick with me . . . Count it joy? No way! It’s not joy to me! Any trial or temptation --- is not a JOY!! Let me repeat that, it’s not a JOY. And if you think it is, I think you’re nutty!
One of the interesting aspects of what James is telling us is this - - - -
The word in verse 2 COUNT means to TAKE THE LEAD, TO BE OUT IN FRONT.
That means we’re to take this joy, and let the joy lead us. That’s a different way to think about joy. Let joy lead us.
So, he adds in verses 3 - 4 - - - -
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. - James 1
In other words, “Count it joy in the midst of struggles and trials and temptations, because you trust God is going to do something.”
It’s not joy at the trial, but it’s joy in the midst of the trial because you rejoice in who God is. That’s a lot easier to say than to do. It can be a real challenge.
There’s a man named Tim Hansel, who wrote a book called YOU GOTTA KEEP DANCIN.’ It’s a personal story about his journey. Tim was very athletic and an avid mountain climber. He was called Thrasher, because he climbed mountains with aggression.
He was climbing in the Sierra mountain range. His group was 14,000 feet up. As they were going up the ice, he lost his footing. He tried to use his axe to grab hold of the ice, but couldn’t reach it. He began to fall at 32 feet per second. When he hit the ground, his friends thought he was dead.
They climbed down and as he came to, they were amazed. He was able to function and talk AND there were no broken bones. He was just shaken up. He hiked out of the mountains and went home.
He didn’t tell his wife what happened. He didn’t want her to know. For 3 days he functioned normally. On the 3rd night, he woke up in a cold sweat. Every joint in his body hurt. They took him to the emergency room. The shock had worn off and from that day forward, he lives with chronic pain in virtually every joint of his body.
There are times when he can’t sleep because of the pain. He tried to play tennis and hit the ball one time and all of his ribs broke.
If anybody has the right to be miserable it would be Tim.
In the book, he wrote - - - -
“I’ve prayed hundreds if not thousands of times for the Lord to heal me and
He finally healed me of the need to be healed.
I discovered a peace inside the pain. I’ve survived because I’ve discovered a new and different kind of joy that I never knew existed. A joy that can co-exist with uncertainty and doubt and with pain, confusion, and ambiguity.”
That’s a powerful statement. I love that!
He says I discovered a joy that could co-exist with pain, confusion, and struggle. That’s what James is calling us to do, as well. He’s saying rejoice even in difficult times because God will do something great as a result of it.
In one of Paul’s great passages, in Romans 5:3-5, he wrote one of the amazingly true statements about hope and joy in the midst of pain - - - -
3 . . . we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Paul tells us about this progression. It’s so true and so accurate, that I’m amazed at the wisdom offered us.
First of all he says we rejoice in our sufferings. That word for sufferings is an intense word.
Literally, it means to experience pressure, to feel hemmed in, to feel restricted with no way of escape. Friends, that’s intense.
So, let’s get a bit personal. Without saying it, without telling your neighbor, have you been there? Have you been to that point in life where you feel so hemmed in, so troubled, with your back against the wall, that you feel like there’s no way of escape?
That’s what Paul’s talking about. It’s intense. This isn’t about a hang nail type of pain. This is the real pain that deals with deep loss, grief and heart ache. That’s what both, James and Paul are getting at.
Paul tells us suffering produces endurance. In the midst of our suffering, we endure / persevere. We use the power from God, the power of friends and family, the power of the church body to help us through the dark valleys.
And as we endure, we find something changes within us. We gain this new character. That’s what happened to Tim Hansel. He changed. He didn’t like the pain, he prayed for it to disappear, but God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you!” So, Tim and we as well, grow and mature and become different, but better people, if we’re willing to utilize the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
Now, Paul tells us after enduring and growing in character, we graduate to hope. Hope is the expectation of what is certain. That’s the true biblical definition. It’s not wishful thinking. It’s not saying, ‘well, I hope the Bears win!’ NIU over N.D.
It’s having this certain expectation. Not because of yourself, but because of the power of Jesus Christ in your life.
Once we move through this progression . . . . suffering to enduring to character transformation to hope - - - - Paul tells us we will not be disappointed. WHY? Because the author of hope is filling us with His love. We know we can defeat anything, because God is the giver of our hope.
That’s ultimately what James is saying too. We don’t rejoice at the trial. We rejoice in the trial because through this hardship and difficulty, God is doing a work in our lives to mold us to become the people He’s called us to be.
Yet, if we were to be really, really honest, it’s a lot easier to say than do. So, James gives us the answer to our dilemma. He tells us - - - -
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Ask for God to show you what’s happening. Do you remember those “Where’s Waldo” books?
Waldo is this guy who’s hiding on every page of the book.
Let’s see if you can find Waldo in this picture.
There he is!! How many of you saw him?
Do you ever feel like when you are going through a tough time, that you’re playing “Where’s Waldo?” with God?
Do you ever find yourself crying out — — “God, where are You?” You don’t see Him. You pray and you wonder if you’ve got a good signal. You come to worship and you can’t find Him. You read your Bible but it doesn’t seem to be connecting. You feel like your playing “Where’s God?”
Yet, Waldo is on every page of the book. He’s there!! And in the same way, as you live and breathe, as you worship and pray and read the Bible, God is on every page of our lives. He’s there even when we can’t see Him. When we can’t feel Him or aren’t sure He’s there, He is.
Look at how James puts it. Ask God for wisdom, because He gives generously to all and I love the ending, God doesn’t find fault with us for asking.
Someone said, ASK, and you will receive. Hmm.
This is worded like it’s a command, so ask God. It’s not like God is going to look down and say, “I don’t know. You did that one thing yesterday, so you are out.”
BUT . . . James says, there’s a catch. He tells it in verse 6 ---
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
You have to believe and not doubt that God really will intervene in your situation. That means when we’re facing a trial, or we’re being tempted - - - - in that moment when you know you’re about to give into a temptation, ask for wisdom ---- with no doubting . . . . and God will give it to you.
If we were to be honest, sometimes we want God to fix the problem. I’ve been there many a time, but the problem is usually me.
God says, “Michael, I’d love to fix your problem, so let me give you a dose of wisdom first . . . . “you’re the problem!” God wants to pour wisdom into our lives.
As we wrap up, James tells us in the end - - - -
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial,
for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18 Of His own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
When we can withstand the pressures of the trials, when we remain faithful to God, we are blessed. We ultimately will receive the crown of life, which God has for us because our faith held constant through the storms.
As a result, the wisdom God offers us is what any loving adult would do for a child they love . . . . give! So God in His love and generosity, gives us good and perfect gifts.
We’re His children. We are chosen for life in Christ.
So, when the trials and temptations come, James reminds us ask for wisdom, remain steadfast. Trust in God’s provisions and you will be blessed and receive His crown.
But you must stand firm in the faith.
Let me end with these words from the apostle Paul ----
I’m going to say them slowly, they won’t be on the screen, because I simply want you to take in the words.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That’s not spin! That’s the truth! That operative has not changed. It is the same today as it was then! Jesus is Lord! Trust in the fact that He will never abandon you, because more than anything He loves you.
