Pastor Ramsey recently began a series in the epistle of James, the following message his second in that series.
Highlight bullet points are below the Mp3 sermon, for those who would rather read than listen to his 27-minute sermon, or in addition to it.
There is a link to all of Pastor Ramsey’s Sermon-Audio sermons at the end of this post.
Scripture text of sermon:
James 1:2-11 [bracketed statements, underscoring and emboldening are mine; accented words in the following verses are the focal point of the pastor’s sermon]:
James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 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 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 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. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 1:9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
HIGHLIGHT POINTS:
- Christians will experience trials: hardships, afflictions; adversity…; such as poverty; sickness; death of loved ones; injustice; abuse; loneliness; unemployment; shattered dreams; marriage problems; depression…
- There are also the trials of old age, including having to move from one’s home…
- How do we Christians handle such hardships?
- James tells us to ‘count it all joy!’
- What James is NOT saying we should be happy when we are suffering…
- The Bible indicates that God has made us for a life of joy and glory
- All afflictions and hardship are due to the fall
- Jesus came to rescue us from sin; to give us abundant life
- One day, all trials will end for the people of God
- Since God came to save us from suffering, suffering, then, cannot be our source of joy
- Pain will always be pain; and bitter, bitter
- What then is James saying?
- Joy comes from what is produced from our trials, not from the trial itself
- His argument: trials are testing of faith such that steadfastness might be known; when steadfastness finishes its work in you, you will know completeness, lacking of nothing, being perfect
- That is, the PRODUCT of your trials is a FRUIT: being perfect, whole, lacking nothing
- ‘Perfect’ = mature
- God uses trials to make us like Jesus, holy; to change us, our characters; to build character in us such that we are mature Christians
- The word, ‘perfect’ usually makes us think, ‘perfection’
- But the Bible calls saints ‘perfect’ on this side of glory; they will not be perfected until glory
- Therefore, the end product of our trials in this life is a state we will begin to experience in this life, before glory
- We should make good use of our trials in the present
- We should believe that our trials are the MEANS by which we will eventually be like Christ
- Trials make us fit for heaven
- Hebrews 12:3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself… but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it
- James 1:3 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
- Trials in life do not automatically produce maturity, you need to endure; to trust God in and through them; then your faith will be strengthened and you will grow in holiness
- Example of a man whose wife and daughter died, he quit going to church = he did not endure through his great trial
- Examples of trials in a typical marriage: after the honeymoon phase of the marriage, two sinners will be adjusting to one another…
- [I remember numerous preachers saying that God gave you the mate you have to grow you in specific ways, via trials]
- Mistakes will be made
- Endurance requires getting back up and continuing towards Jesus
- [An example of Jesus enabling such endurance: Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”]
- [Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus]
- The right mindset to be able to get back up and continue on is summarized by James words: “Count it all joy”
- That mindset looks beyond merely enduring the trial, to the end state of wholeness, to the peaceful fruit of righteousness
- The above can only be done if we really want to love God
- HELP to meet trials
- James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him
- Wisdom is the ability to apply what you know to your situation; dealing with your trials
- So that you may love God and keep His commandments in the nitty-gritty of everyday life
- To see things as they really are in daily life: for example, where things are going; where they need to go; how you will get there
- Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding
- Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened
- Matthew 7:9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
- Matthew 7:11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
- James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him
- James says there is one condition in the asking: to ask without doubting. By the word ‘doubting’ he is referring to a half-hearted commitment
- The double-minded man attempts to be committed to both the world and to God; that cannot be achieved by anyone
- Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money
- The following man wanted to do right but needed God’s help; he was not double-minded
- Mark 9:22 …And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
- Do we want the wisdom of world or of God?
- For example, if you are being slandered or otherwise abused by another, do you pray to God for them or do you fantasize and / or plot revenge?
- James 1: Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 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.
- That is, the rich man, who sees rightly, will not let his wealth make him selfish… but will be mindful that life could end at any moment and will be generous with his money
- The poor man will not let his poverty blind him to his riches in Christ: co-heir; peace; new life
- End of sermon points
A little diagram to aid in remembering the sermon:
- On a continuum below, our status is between two points: loving the World, the Flesh and the Devil, (LWFD) and Loving God (LG)
- Per the Bible, those who love WFD, hate God; and vice versa
- LWFD->—|—–|—–(progress in perfection)—–|—–|—–LG
- The upright lines could be either trials or strategically planned action steps helping one arrive at the correct goal:
- Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus]
- One cannot actually be double-minded, according to Jesus in Matthew 6:24 above
- I just heard a sermon by Spurgeon this morning wherein he clarified that it is God the Holy Spirit that enables one to establish a goal of loving God and to progress towards that goal, not his words, but his concept. That is, prayer and Bible reading are basic to such goals, dependence upon God
Link to Pastor Ramsey’s sermons at Sermon Audio: https://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?sourceOnly=true&currSection=sermonssource&keyword=nashuaopc&subsetcat=speaker&subsetitem=Patrick+Ramsey