James 1:1-18 Audio File is at the end of this text.
When we doubt, when we wonder, when we worry, we are where James was before the resurrection. In his breath-taking letter it is clear that this second child of Mary had dropped doubting his brother's deity and stood as one of the movement's top leaders. He writes to the Christian Jews who due to persecutions were scattered all over the country. They were discouraged, isolated and profoundly saddened by the stoning death of Stephen, one of the movements most powerful leaders. James was the pastor of the congregation in Jerusalem and there he taught boldly while facing down the dominate intellects who had rejected Jesus as the Messiah.
Like I said last week, James needed the resurrection as do we! James did not believe his brother was God, he thought his brother was crazy. Our creator made us with free will to choose to accept or reject his hand on and in our lives. James rejected Jesus for 33 years, or you might say, James saw his brother as a regular guy until he started acting crazy by leaving the family business and walking all over the countryside preaching.
We do not know where James was at the time the crucifixion took place. We know his mother was at the foot of the cross. It is did not take long though for James to hear that Jesus was dead and that he had walked out of the grave. We can guess that it was the story of his brother's rising out of death that converted James to the new way. I Corinthians 15:3-9 says that Jesus was raised from death then presented himself to Peter, to John, to a group of 500 followers and then he spent time with James.
Jesus knew that his brother had doubts and by having a one-on-one meeting with James, Jesus sealed the commitment. James then becomes a mighty voice for and humble servant to Jesus Christ, the creator of the universe, the first son of his own mother.
James 1
Last week I talked about the first four verses here so let's pick up at verse five. We have to love that James says God won't ever be angry with us when we come for help. God won't say, "Yes, you're in trouble now and I told you that you were going to get into trouble but you didn't listen." God loves us more than we can imagine and he is happy when we ask for help. Just like Jesus was patient with his brother, James, for not believing in him, Jesus is patient with us. James, up close and personally, experienced Jesus' grace and James says we will get the same grace.
God will often use wise experts to give you guidance and I suggest that you turn to other Christians when you are stuck and need help. Of course pray that God will give you someone to help you and then trust that he will. If I have a legal problem, I can go to Pat or Joel. Because they are lawyers, they can help me more effectively that if I asked my sons what they think of a legal issue. God gives us scripture, prayer and others to point us to wisdom.
Next James says we are to trust in God to answer our request. Not trusting is denying yourself of the full benefit promised when you have a relationship with God. Think of it this way. I can say that my brother Leon is a fabulous brother. But, if I never spend time with him, never speak to him, I lose all the joy that comes from us being together. How silly to let doubt and worry cut us off from a close relationship with God. You can say you have God in your heart, that heaven is open to you and flowing to you but if you worry, all the joy is cut off. The conversation stops. The relationship dies.
James then touches on a subject our culture is obsessed with which can cause even a devout Jesus-follower to become confused. He says the poor should be proud of being poor and the rich should be humiliated by their wealth. This is counter intuitive for us. I think he is saying that it is hard to deal with success. It is hard to give God the glory when the world is patting you on the back. It is hard to put Jesus ahead of your fortune and fame and James even says, that "the rich will fade away even while they go about their business."
And what does it say in verse 12? If we hang in with God and stay obedient no matter what comes our way, we get the crown!
Verse 13 dispels the myth that we can blame God for making sin attractive. James slams that thinking and makes it perfectly clear that God will never tempt us. When we sin, we have fallen into Satan's trap. This is tricky because Satan doesn't walk around in a red suit, with a pitch fork, a tail, black eyes and horns coming out of his head. Satan comes to each of us disguised as a beautiful woman, a pain-killing drug, a bottle of beer or a bit of a shady get-rich-quick scheme. When we sense sin creeping in, we have to pray and ask God for wisdom. Stop. Resist the idea that doesn't seem right and run to Jesus.
Let us end today with one of the sweetest verses in all the Bible. "Every good and perfect gift comes down to us from our heavenly Father who does not change." And, evil never comes from God. Amen.
When we doubt, when we wonder, when we worry, we are where James was before the resurrection. In his breath-taking letter it is clear that this second child of Mary had dropped doubting his brother's deity and stood as one of the movement's top leaders. He writes to the Christian Jews who due to persecutions were scattered all over the country. They were discouraged, isolated and profoundly saddened by the stoning death of Stephen, one of the movements most powerful leaders. James was the pastor of the congregation in Jerusalem and there he taught boldly while facing down the dominate intellects who had rejected Jesus as the Messiah.
Like I said last week, James needed the resurrection as do we! James did not believe his brother was God, he thought his brother was crazy. Our creator made us with free will to choose to accept or reject his hand on and in our lives. James rejected Jesus for 33 years, or you might say, James saw his brother as a regular guy until he started acting crazy by leaving the family business and walking all over the countryside preaching.
We do not know where James was at the time the crucifixion took place. We know his mother was at the foot of the cross. It is did not take long though for James to hear that Jesus was dead and that he had walked out of the grave. We can guess that it was the story of his brother's rising out of death that converted James to the new way. I Corinthians 15:3-9 says that Jesus was raised from death then presented himself to Peter, to John, to a group of 500 followers and then he spent time with James.
Jesus knew that his brother had doubts and by having a one-on-one meeting with James, Jesus sealed the commitment. James then becomes a mighty voice for and humble servant to Jesus Christ, the creator of the universe, the first son of his own mother.
James 1
New International Version (NIV)
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Last week I talked about the first four verses here so let's pick up at verse five. We have to love that James says God won't ever be angry with us when we come for help. God won't say, "Yes, you're in trouble now and I told you that you were going to get into trouble but you didn't listen." God loves us more than we can imagine and he is happy when we ask for help. Just like Jesus was patient with his brother, James, for not believing in him, Jesus is patient with us. James, up close and personally, experienced Jesus' grace and James says we will get the same grace.
God will often use wise experts to give you guidance and I suggest that you turn to other Christians when you are stuck and need help. Of course pray that God will give you someone to help you and then trust that he will. If I have a legal problem, I can go to Pat or Joel. Because they are lawyers, they can help me more effectively that if I asked my sons what they think of a legal issue. God gives us scripture, prayer and others to point us to wisdom.
Next James says we are to trust in God to answer our request. Not trusting is denying yourself of the full benefit promised when you have a relationship with God. Think of it this way. I can say that my brother Leon is a fabulous brother. But, if I never spend time with him, never speak to him, I lose all the joy that comes from us being together. How silly to let doubt and worry cut us off from a close relationship with God. You can say you have God in your heart, that heaven is open to you and flowing to you but if you worry, all the joy is cut off. The conversation stops. The relationship dies.
James then touches on a subject our culture is obsessed with which can cause even a devout Jesus-follower to become confused. He says the poor should be proud of being poor and the rich should be humiliated by their wealth. This is counter intuitive for us. I think he is saying that it is hard to deal with success. It is hard to give God the glory when the world is patting you on the back. It is hard to put Jesus ahead of your fortune and fame and James even says, that "the rich will fade away even while they go about their business."
And what does it say in verse 12? If we hang in with God and stay obedient no matter what comes our way, we get the crown!
Verse 13 dispels the myth that we can blame God for making sin attractive. James slams that thinking and makes it perfectly clear that God will never tempt us. When we sin, we have fallen into Satan's trap. This is tricky because Satan doesn't walk around in a red suit, with a pitch fork, a tail, black eyes and horns coming out of his head. Satan comes to each of us disguised as a beautiful woman, a pain-killing drug, a bottle of beer or a bit of a shady get-rich-quick scheme. When we sense sin creeping in, we have to pray and ask God for wisdom. Stop. Resist the idea that doesn't seem right and run to Jesus.
Let us end today with one of the sweetest verses in all the Bible. "Every good and perfect gift comes down to us from our heavenly Father who does not change." And, evil never comes from God. Amen.
