Introduction:
A. In Max Lucado’s book, In The Eye Of The Storm (published in 1991), he tells a story about a parakeet named Chippie.
1. Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage, and the next he was sucked in, washed up and blown over.
2. The problem began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner.
3. She put the end of the hose into Chippie’s cage to clean the bottom, but then the phone rang.
4. She turned to answer the phone, and barely said “hello” when she heard “ssssopp!”
5. Chippie was sucked into the vacuum.
6. The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and quickly opened the bag.
7. There was Chippie…still alive, but stunned.
8. Since the bird was covered with dust and dirt, she raced him to the bathroom, turned on the water and held Chippie under the running water.
9. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, ,she did what any compassionate bird owner would do…she reached for the hair blow dryer and blasted Chippie with hot air.
10. Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.
11. A few days after the trauma, the reporter who had initially written about the traumatic event called Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering.
12. “Well,” the owner replied, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore…he just sits and stares.”
B. And it’s not hard to see why.
1. Sucked in, washed up, and blown over…that’s enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart.
2. “Sucked in, washed up, and blown over.” That about sums up how many of us feel at times when life hits us hard. Isn’t that right? You’ve felt that way before, haven’t you?
3. M. Scott Peck begins his book The Road Less Traveled with a three word sentence that is packed with simple, yet profound truth…it reads, “Life is difficult.”
4. And he is so very right. Life is difficult. Who said life would be easy?
C. As we begin our investigation of the letter of James, we notice that the first subject he tackles is the problem of trials and temptation.
1. James knows that the recipients of his letter are facing many trials from without and temptations from within.
2. Many of them had been forced to leave their homes in Jerusalem under the threat of persecution.
3. They were living in places new to them and among strangers. They were having to adjust to their entirely different situation.
4. Their situation might not be all that different in many respects to the experience of those who have been displaced from New Orleans after the hurricane, obviously for very different reasons.
5. But nevertheless they were suffering.
D. The message that James wants to give them is the same message that is communicated throughout the Bible about suffering.
1. The Biblical record shows that the people of God over and over turned defeat into victory and trials into triumphs.
2. No matter what the trials on the outside or temptations on the inside, through faith in God we can experience victory, and the result of victory is spiritual maturity.
E. There are many ways that we could approach the first chapter of James, but I have decided to divide the chapter into three sections.
1. In today’s section we will address the trials we face, next time we will address temptations that we struggle against, and later we will work with the rest of the chapter.
2. Let me share five timeless spiritual truths that are discussed in verses 2 through 12. These will help us turn our trials into triumphs.
I. Truth #1 – Our Toughest Times Can Be Marked By Joy.
A. James writes, “Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2).
1. One thing we all know is that our lives are marked by trials of many kinds.
2. When we examine the trials that we face we notice that they fall into different categories.
B. One kind of trial is that which we bring on ourselves.
1. These trials are the result of our foolishness or our willful disobedience.
2. Either way, the suffering that comes from this kind of trial is our own fault.
3. I was thinking of one foolish day as a young driver and car owner, when I decided on the spur of a moment to go after some kids who just threw snowballs at my car as we drove by.
a. They were throwing the snowballs from a snowbank in a shopping center.
b. I attempted to quickly turn into the parking lot to go teach them a lesson, when my car could not make the turn because of my speed and the slick conditions and I slide right into a concrete pylon protecting the entrance sign. I ruined the front quarter panel of my car.
4. I couldn’t blame my suffering on anyone, but myself.
5. We all can think of times when our foolishness or disobedience got us into all kinds of trouble.
C. Another kind of trial comes upon us because of our faith in Jesus Christ.
1. Those of us who are His faithful followers will not be understood by those who are living according to the value system of the world, and that will result in persecution.
2. Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow him. It is not the easy way.
3. It is the narrow way; the tougher road. It will result in some trials.
D. There is a third kind of trial that has a sense of mystery to it.
1. It doesn’t come because of our foolishness or disobedience.
2. It doesn’t come because we endeavor to be faithful to Christ.
3. It is the kind of trials that are common to all people.
4. The Bible declares, “Man is born to sorrow as the sparks fly upward.” (Job 5:7)
5. This is what Job experienced when he tried to honor the Lord, but things became very difficult.
6. Those of us reading the story later understand that God allowed difficulty to come into his life.
7. We must confess that sometimes we are plagued by difficulties that go beyond explanation.
E. James is alerting us to the fact that each kind of trial tests our faith and develops perseverance.
1. Tough times build into us this quality of perseverance, or endurance as other translations put it.
2. James begins by declaring that because of this, you and I, even in the most difficult times, are privileged to have our lives marked by joy.
3. We must be very careful to understand what James is calling for here. He is not suggesting some kind of masochistic happiness in the hurts and losses of life.
4. He is not saying that we are to enjoy being sick, losing a loved one, getting laid off from our job, or being persecuted.
5. This is not some weird kind of denial that life often hurts. Some of us here today are suffering and it hurts!
6. James is not suggesting that we manufacture some kind of other-worldly, phony sense of joy.
7. No, James is telling us to celebrate because we have a loving and powerful Lord who will bring us through our problems and turn them into stepping stones to maturity.
8. We can find joy in knowing that our trials don’t have to get the best of us, but rather that they can become our greatest blessing.
F. So, truth #1 is that our toughest times can be marked by joy.
1. Paul wrote from a Roman jail, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:Rejoice.” (Phil. 4:4)
II. Truth #2 – Perseverance Produces Maturity.
A. James continued in verse 4, “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
1. Perseverance has an ongoing function – to bring you and me to maturity; completeness.
2. I don’t know what all your trials are, and you don’t know mine, but I know that God can be at work in all of them and through perseverance can produce mature character.
B. That’s what happened to Joseph.
1. He was sold into slavery by his brothers. That was not right.
2. He was then double-crossed by Potipher’s wife who falsely accused him of sexual advances.
3. He must have felt deserted by God as he languished in prison for many months.
4. His perseverance and faithfulness to God produced maturity, a complete man who was no longer the spoiled child with a coat of many colors.
5. Therefore, he was prepared to handle the leadership position next in power to Pharoah, which put him in a position to save the lives of the people of God.
6. His perseverance through his trials produced maturity.
C. That’s what perseverance did for Moses.
1. He spent 40 years as a fair-haired boy being brought up in Pharoah’s court.
2. Then he had those 40 years in the Sinai wilderness tending the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law
3. This crazy mix of good times and bad marked by a steady trust in God showed how perseverance produced the character needed to face down Pharoah and lead the Jewish people out of Egyptian bondage.
4. This 80 year-old man had his toughest 40 years ahead of him, as he lead God’s people through the desert.
D. Bad things do happen to good people, but you and I are privileged to walk closely with the Lord.
1. God allows our faith to be tested so that out of the long-haul testing comes perseverance which produces maturity.
2. Every person who has gone through tough trials will tell you that they don’t want to go through it again, but wouldn’t trade anything for the lessons learned and the character that was developed through the trial.
3. Trials can bring out the best in us. Trials can show us what we are made of and make us better than we were.
III. Truth #3 – God Promises Wisdom.
A. If there is anything that we have a constant need for, it is wisdom. Wouldn’t you agree?
1. James writes, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)
2. If we are going to be joyful and persevere through our trials, then we are going to need wisdom!
B. There is so much that could be said about this point, but let me just briefly say the following.
1. First, we want wisdom then we have to begin by admitting that we don’t have it.
a. As you know, that can be a major hurdle, especially for some of us men.
2. Second, we have to recognize that we cannot produce it in ourselves.
a. Certainly, we must do our part, by reading and studying God’s word, as Solomon says in Proverbs that these words are “for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life…” (Pr. 1:2-3)
3. Third, we have to ask God for wisdom.
4. Fourth, we have to claim the promise the God will give it to us as He has promised.
a. We will have more to say about faith in our next point.
C. So, we need wisdom to navigate a life with trials. God has the wisdom we need. God promises to give us the wisdom we need if we will faithfully ask for it.
IV. Truth #4 – Faith Is Critical For Perseverance and Wisdom.
A. Look at James 1:6-8, “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”
1. James is not saying that there is no room for doubt.
2. Jesus himself commended a man who came to him and said, “I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)
3. So, James is emphasizing the importance of authentic belief as a person’s basic lifestyle, as contrasted with a lifestyle of constant doubting.
4. James says that the doubting person is like the wave of the sea that is blown this way and that by the wind.
B. At some point in our lives, we have to make a faith decision. Are we really going to trust God or are we not going to trust Him.
1. That’s what Elijah called the people to do on Mount Carmel, he asked them, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God; follow him.” (1 Kgs. 18:21)
2. Earlier, Joshua confronted them in a similar way, he said, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Josh. 24:15)
3. If we don’t make the decision of faith, then we are going to be like a little boat in the middle of the ocean.
C. It is possible to have questions and doubts within the larger context of deep trust in the Lord.
1. The life of faith does not mean that we have all the answers.
2. It does mean that we are putting our confidence in the One who we believe has all the answers.
3. It means that in the midst of our trials and doubts we take a stand on God’s promises.
4. That kind of faith brings a stabilization of our lives in the midst on an honest acknowledgement that there are many things we don’t know or understand.
V. Truth #5 – There Is A Promised Blessing That Goes With Perseverance.
A. James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the victor’s crown, the life God promised to those who love him.”
1. Notice how much this verse looks like the Beatitudes of Jesus from Matthew 5.
2. When we have stood the test, there will be a reward.
3. The word for “stood the test” (dokimos) appeared on pottery that had been tested in the kiln and passed the test. If a pot cracked while being fired, then it would be inscribed with (adokimos), meaning “disapproved.”
4. We all want to be “approved” by God, not “disapproved.” Right?
B. The greatest incentive we can have to overcome our trials is the awareness of the reward promised to those who endure and conquer.
1. One reward is the maturity and completeness that only comes through trials.
2. And the other reward is the crown of life. The victor’s crown.
C. The crown of life is the eternal life Jesus promised in John 3:16 (not perish but have eternal life).
1. It begins with abundant life (Jn. 10:10) in the present and continues in life with God admidst the splendors of heaven when this world has passed away.
2. In reflecting on the problems of life in relation to a promised home in heaven for overcoming them, we can join Paul to say, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).
D. James began this section with joy and he ends it with joy.
1. Remember old Chippee the parakeet. When he was sucked in, washed up and blown over, he lost his song. He just sat and starred.
2. God will help us turn our trials into triumphs. Our faith allows us to keep singing, for great will be our reward in heaven.
Conclusion:
A. So, what truths have we learned or been reminded of today?
1. Our Toughest Times Can Be Marked By Joy.
2. Perseverance Produces Maturity
3. God Promises Wisdom.
4. Faith Is Critical For Perseverance and Wisdom
5. There Is A Promised Blessing That Goes With Perseverance
B. Let me point out one final thing – the crown of life is promised to those who love Him.
1. James could truthfully or easily said, “To those who believe in Him, or obey Him.”
2. But God inspired him to choose “love.”
3. Ultimately God loves us and we love Him. He allows us to suffer for our own good.
4. He Himself suffered for our good. His love for us is proved at Calvary.
5. When in doubt, turn to Calvary. Burdens are lifted at Calvary.
6. Trials are turned into triumphs at Calvary.
