I feel impressed to begin a series of
messages from the book of James. For the next five Wednesday nights,
I'm going to try to speak from these five chapters in the book
of James. I may have some verses left over
that I'll use at other times, but we'll We'll travel Wednesday
night to, for the next, beginning this evening through most of
September and visit together in this particular book, the
book of James. Now James begins in verse 1 and
identifies himself. He said, James, a servant of
God. James was a servant of God, not
by creation only, as all creatures are servants of God. The sun,
the moon, the stars, the planets are servants of God. Every man
is a servant of God. Every man is ordained to fulfill
God's purpose and God's will. But James is referring to himself
here as a servant of God by divine calling. Paul loved this term,
servant. He called himself the servant
of God. The word is bondslave. James
and Paul were servants of God by divine calling. Paul said,
God put me in the ministry. He chose me and put me in the
ministry. But we're servants of God as
a bond slave, as a servant of his master, willingly. Not only by divine choice. I'm
a servant of God by divine choice. God put me in the ministry. Whatever ministry I might have,
God put me there. I'm a servant of God by divine
choice, but I'm a servant of God by his grace, by a personal
choice. This is what I want to do. This
is what he sent me to do. James said this is what I choose
to do. William Cooper wrote these words along this line. He wrote to
see the law of God by Christ fulfilled. to hear his pardoning
voice, changes a slave into a son, and changes duty into choice." That explains it, doesn't it?
James, a servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ. We
honor the Father, but we honor the Father and the Son. And the
Father will not be honored, loved, or served except in the Son. That's what the scripture says.
Let's look at a verse on that, John 5, verse 23. John 5, verse 23. There are several
verses along this line, but this one particularly expresses what
I'm saying. He that honoreth not the Father
honoreth not the Son. And here in John 5, 23, it says
that all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son
honoreth not the Father which is sent him. So James writing
to the believers, he said, I'm a servant of God, and I'm a servant
of our Lord Jesus Christ by his grace, by his mercy. And then
the letter is addressed to the twelve tribes which are scattered
abroad. You know, the people of Israel
were referred to as the twelve tribes. You know why. The tribes
were named after the sons of Jacob, the twelve sons of Jacob. It was the nation of Israel under
David, Solomon, But after that, I believe under Rehoboam or one
of those kings, I'm not sure, but they split. And there was
a kingdom of Israel, ten tribes, and the kingdom of Judah. Two
tribes, Judah and Benjamin. But you can be sure that James
is writing here not just to those Jews that were scattered abroad.
This epistle is not reserved just for those people. But James
is addressing this to all the sons of Jacob. That's what we're
called in the scripture, sons of Jacob. It's true Israel. So he's particularly, I'm sure,
addressing his words here to those who are redeemed in Israel,
but to those who are redeemed in true Israel. This is a beloved
book. You're going to enjoy the study. my brethren, my brethren, not
according to the flesh, but my brethren in the Lord, my brethren,
my sisters in that eternal relationship, born of God, children of God,
family of God, heirs of God, joint heirs with the Lord Jesus
Christ, my brethren. Isn't that a sweet ring? my brethren,
my brethren. And here's what he says to us.
Now this is to believers. This is to those who love God,
who love his word, who call of his spirit, who believe on his
son, who have a new heart and a new nature. My brethren, this
is family, family matters. Can it all joy When you fall
into different temptations, what he's saying here is this, count
it, listen, count it all joy when you encounter or are enveloped
in trials, heavy trials, different trials, trials of any sort. Now, he's not speaking here of
temptations of Satan. That's not what he's talking
about here. He's not talking about the temptations of sin, to sin. This is not joy. Brother Maynard,
how do you know that he's not talking here about temptations
of Satan and temptations of sin? Because that's not joy. When
we think things we shouldn't think, and say things we shouldn't
say, and do things we shouldn't do, and walk contrary to the
will of God, That's not joy, that's sorrow. That's grief. That's shame. That brings you
down. But here he's talking about the
kind of trials and temptations that give you joy. These are
trials of faith. These are trials sent by God.
Satan may be instrumental in it. I'm not saying he's not. He was certainly instrumental
in Peter's situation. He was instrumental
in Job's situation. And he was instrumental in Paul's
situation over here in 2 Corinthians 12. Let's look at this, 2 Corinthians
12. But God sent it. These trials
are sent of God. that we're talking about here,
that James is talking about. In 2 Corinthians 12, 7, listen. You remember Paul had those great
revelations. He was taken to the third heaven.
And he said in 2 Corinthians 12, verse 7, "...unless I should
be exalted above measure, be proud through the abundance of
the revelations that God gave him." there was given to me a
thorn in the flesh." Now who gave it to him? God did, because
Satan's not going to try to keep a man from being proud. Let him
be proud. In fact, that's what Satan would
want us to do, be proud. But in order to keep Paul from
boasting or being proud, God sent him a thorn in the flesh.
But what's the next line? The messenger of Satan. to buffet
me." So Satan had something to do with this, but God allowed
it. So our message of Satan, to buffet
me lest I should be exalted above measure, and I, verse 8, for
this thing, I prayed, I besought the Lord three times that he
might take it away from me. But he simply said to me, my
grace is sufficient for thee. And my strength is made perfect
in weakness." So back here in James 1 in our text, my brethren,
count it joy when you are tried of God. When God sends into your
life, your lives, trials. These trials are given of God. And if you look over at 1 Peter
for a moment, chapter 3 or chapter 1, 1 Peter chapter 1, These trials are given to reveal the sincerity of our
faith. They're given for that reason,
to try faith to reveal the sincerity of faith, the genuineness of
faith. 1 Peter 1 verse 6, wherein you greatly rejoice, though now
for a season, if need be. And the need is generally there.
You are in heaven, it's through many trials. That the trial of
your faith, that's what it is, it's the trial of your faith.
Be much more precious than of gold that perisheth. Gold's tried
in the fire, but faith's more precious than gold. It's precious
faith. It's much more precious than
gold. Though it be tried with fire, it might be found under
the praise and honor and glory of the appearing of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Prove my faith. Because I don't want to come
up at the coming of Christ missing faith. Prove my faith. Try my
faith. Reveal the sincerity and genuineness
of my faith. And that, it has to be done by
trial. And that's what he's saying there.
Verse 3 of James 1, the trying of your faith. The trying of
your faith. That's what it is. The sin of
God is to prove the genuineness of faith. And it's done for the
benefit of others. The Lord doesn't just send trials
into our lives for our benefit. He sends trials and troubles
into the lives of His people for the benefit of all His people.
Let me just read you this. Even the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies, the God of comfort, listen, who
comforts us in our trials, that we may be able to comfort them
which are in trial. With the comfort wherewith we
ourselves are comforted. What kind of helper would I be
for you if I never had gone through the valleys? How could I comfort
you if I've never had any cause to be comforted? And you're the
same way. If you're going to be a blessing
to your children and to others to whom you wish to be a blessing,
how are you going to help them unless you've needed help? How
are you going to understand? How are you going to enter into
their troubles? How are they going to know you understand?
I hear people, they say to me every once in a while, you know
where I am. Yes, I do. And I know where of
our help must come from him. So that's, you can point men
to Christ if you've looked. You can point them best to Christ
if you've had to look. Didn't have anywhere else to
look. And look at verse 3. And these trials are to develop
other graces in us. Knowing this, that the trying
of your faith worketh patience. Count it joy, count it joy when
God sends trials your way. First of all because the fact that he sent it. Think
about this a moment. I want to be thankful that God
cares enough for me. to set his mind upon me and his
heart upon me and deal with me as a son I ought to be grateful that he
didn't pass me by and not try me because he said whom the Lord
loved it he chastened it and every son he chastened it but
if you be without chastisement You're not a son. So I ought
to be thankful that God counted me in Christ worthy of his attention. And of his what? You take a man who has a prized
possession, he's going to give it his careful attention to carve
it and to keep it and to polish it and to treat it and so forth
because it's one of his possessions but something he doesn't care
anything about, he's not going to waste any time working on
it. Let it go. Not going to use it anyway. Except
maybe as a doorstop. But count it joy when God deals
with you. You see what he's saying? Count
it joy when God Almighty singles you out for His attention, and
His work, and His trials, and His chastening. And count it
joy because it will develop and work other graces in us. Patience. The trying of your faith works
patience. Faith can only be proved by trial. Turn over to Genesis 22 for a
moment. Genesis 22. Genesis 22. The Lord said something
to Abraham here. When he took his son up on the
mountain to sacrifice him, the Lord said in Genesis 22, 11,
the angel of the Lord spoke to Abraham, 2211, the angel of the
Lord called unto him out of heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham. He
said, here I am, here am I. Lay not, he said, lay not thine
hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything to him, for now
I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld
thy son, thy only son from me. God knew that, but now Abraham,
you know it. Now you know it. And now everybody
else knows it. God already knew it. But it had
to be shown to Abraham. It had to be shown. He had to
have a trial. He had to choose. By God's grace, we choose. But
he had to choose between his son and God. And God said, now
I know you love me. This trial. But he's talking
that God knew Abraham would go through this trial, but it had
to be proved to him. And that's what I'm saying. Faith
can only be proved by trial. Faith is counterfeited in many
places. It's counterfeited. And true faith will endure. And trials
develop, proves faith and develops patience. Either we will fold
under the trial or we'll emerge from the trial a stronger believer
with more patience, more love, more grace, more dependence on
Him. We'll either fold. And if we
fold, then we've had counterfeit faith, haven't we? But we'll
come out of that trial, we'll either fold or we'll come out
of that trial with more strength, more pity, more compassion for
others, more grace to help others, more understanding of the will
and purpose of God, and more patience. So my brethren, count
it joy when you are enveloped, encompassed about with many trials. God sent them. And you ought
to be joyful that He was pleased to pay attention to us and deal
with us this way. Because He doesn't deal with
everybody that way, just sons. And count it joy because these
trials are going to prove your faith and develop other graces. Without trial, they won't be
developed. They just won't be. Maturity. So here's what verse 4 says.
This is what I'm saying. Now let patience have her perfect
work. Let endurance, steadfastness,
and patience. Don't seek a quick release. Don't
seek a premature relief. Don't say, God, take your hand
off of me. God, keep your hand on me. Don't
take your hand. Don't pray to me. Pray to be
delivered too quickly. We must not grow weary. We must
not seek a premature release or relief. The race is long. And the Scripture says, he that
endures to the end shall be crowned. Let patience have her maturing
work, perfect work, that you may be mature and entire, wanting
nothing. Wanting nothing, nothing lacking
for what He called you to be and do. Got to let it, got to
stay with it, got to stay with it. Endure to the end. So don't, don't, God sends us
pastors, teachers, over here turn to Ephesians 4 just a moment.
I'll show you something here that's interesting I saw today.
He sends us pastor-teachers, pastor-teachers to teach us the
facts, the truth, the doctrine, the Word, the Law. Ephesians
4, 11, and He gave some apostles, some prophets and some evangelists
and pastors and teachers. That's the same office, pastor-teachers,
elder-teachers. Why? For the perfecting of the
saints, for the maturing, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity
of faith. to the knowledge of the Son of God unto a mature
man, unto the measure, the stature, the fulness of Christ, that we
henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried
about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men, cunning,
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." He sends
us pastor-teachers to teach us what the Word says. He sends
us trial-teachers to experience what the Word says. You see what
I'm saying? Trial teachers. I can't teach
you faith, patience, grace. I can't even distribute it. I can teach you where it comes
from. And when he sends the trials and troubles, then you experience
it. See what I'm saying? You have
pastor teachers. But you have trial teachers.
And that's where you experience what you learn. That's where
you taste the good word of God. That's where you weep before
God. That's where you feel His presence
and His strength when you're down. And He lifts you. His Spirit lifts you. Encourages
you. You experience what you've learned. Experience what you've been taught.
Trust the Lord, says the preacher. And when experience and trial
comes, you trust the Lord. But that's when you learn to
trust the Lord. Don't learn to trust the Lord
just hearing it. You learn to trust the Lord when you've got
nobody else. I've got nowhere to go. And that's
when you go to Him. Hey, I know what you've been
talking about now. I had to live it. I had to live
it. And it's real. Not just a doctrine. It's real. Christ is real. Now then, verse 5, if any man
lacked wisdom, wisdom in these things we've been talking about.
Wisdom. What is wisdom? Let me read you
what somebody said. Wisdom is more than knowledge,
information, learning, Doctrine a man may have all these and
be a fool Knowledge information learning be a complete fool But
wisdom is the proper combination between truth and spirit Between
faith and conduct between mind and heart Wisdom is knowing the
will of God and loving it and yielding to it Wisdom is discernment
of heart and discipline of mouth. Wisdom is knowing the gospel
and yielding to Christ in the face of opposition. Opposition
from within and without. Wisdom is yielding to the gospel
of Christ regardless of frowns or flattery. Regardless of friends
or foes. We need wisdom to receive from
the hand of God whatever he is pleased to deal us. And reckon it to be right, whatever
it's the Lord. Samuel said. Why he said Eli? Samuel said, Eli, God's going
to kill your two sons. Well, wisdom speaks out of that
old man's mouth, who has learned to accept the hand God dealt
him and to reckon it to be right. And he said, well, it's the Lord.
Let him do what he will. Wisdom is to receive the hand
that God has dealt us and bear it patiently and not be lifted
up too much in prosperity, nor cast down too much in distress. But to consider both prosperity
and distress, we'll work together for our good and His glory."
Boy, brother of mine, I'd love to have that kind of wisdom.
I would, too. Well, he says, if any man like
it, Let him buy some books on the writings of men to tell you
how to attain wisdom." No, he didn't say that. Well, let him
read the biographies of great Puritan readers and read and
copy the experience of Mack Shane and Brainerd. No, he didn't say
that. He said, if any man lack wisdom,
let him ask of God. That's pretty clear. Let him
go to the Father, in the name of the Son, and ask for this
wisdom. Let him ask of God. He said,
ask and you'll receive. Seek and you'll find. Knock and
it'll be opened to you. If you being evil know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father
give good things to them that ask Him? Let him ask of God. No real seeker
is sent away. That which is for our good and
his glory, he gives liberally. That's what he said. If any man
like wisdom, let him ask of God that give it to all liberally. Think of all the other things
he's given us. Gifts and graces and glory. Love and mercy. His own son. And you know something
that says here, and he upbraideth not. What does that mean? Well,
we all of us have been guilty of this. We parents, every one
of us. Son comes by and says, Dad, I
need some money. Well, you wasted that I gave
you last week. You blew it. I need this, that and the other.
Well, if you take care of what you got, that's upbraiding. That's what that is. Well, he
doesn't do that. He doesn't say. He doesn't remind
us of our failures. He doesn't point to the past
and say, see, you failed, you don't deserve anything else,
you don't appreciate what I give you. He never upbraids us. If any man like this wisdom really
wants it, let him ask of God, who giveth liberally. generously. And he doesn't upbraid us, he
doesn't bring up the past. Thank God. And it will be given him. He upbraided us. But, look at
verse 6, hold it, now listen, but let him ask in faith. Without faith it's impossible
to please God. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and he's the reward of them that diligently seek
him. Let him ask in faith." Nothing wavering. What does this nothing
wavering mean? Wavering. Well, it's divided
attention. Uncertain. A lot of people today are urgent
and tomorrow they're indifferent. Today they're zealous and on
fire and tomorrow they've forgotten it. Today they trust, tomorrow
they doubt. Today they're going to do this,
tomorrow they're going to do something else. Don't ask God for a road map until you're sure of where you're
going. And you're determined to go there
whatever the cost. Don't ask God. You know, we go
to AAA to get a trip ticket. The Lord willing, I'm going to
Birmingham, and I want you to fix me a map. Show me all the
things around that I need to know. They look at me and say,
now don't let us waste our time fixing this if you're not going.
I'm going. I'm going. That's the thing, 40 some odd
years ago, God taught me this gospel. And
in this heart, by His grace, there was a determination to
preach it, whatever the cost. Whatever the cost. Same time when we left the Southern
Baptist and came over here, it's where we could worship God in
peace and preach this gospel. Some of you. Along with this
preacher said, we're going whatever the cost. Whoever it makes mad,
whatever the cost. And God's blessed us. And that's what he's saying here.
If any man lack wisdom, you want to walk with God? Don't you ask
him for a roadmap till you're ready to walk. Because he's not going to give
it to you. He's not going to show you the way. He's not going
to bless you. That's what he's saying, let
him ask in faith, not wavering. A lot of people are as unsettled,
he said, as the wave of the sea driven with the wind. You ever
watch the waves and the wind? They just don't know which way
they're going. Man has a desire toward God,
but he has a reluctance to let the world go. He wants grace, but not the trial.
He wants the crown, but not the cross. He wants to be used of
God where He wants to be used of God, and when He wants to
be used of God, and the place He wants to be used of God, and
the way He wants to be used of God. Not the servant. He says,
Lord, Thy will. Whatever it costs. Doesn't matter. If my family has to live on beans
and rice, we'll live on beans and rice. If we're going to live
on steaks, we'll live on steaks. But it really doesn't matter.
That's where I'm going. That's the reason God blessed
Walter Gruber in Mexico. He picked up five little children,
quit his job at Armco, sold his house and headed out in an old
Ford truck to Mexico. And that's where he's been for
35 years. And God blessed him, blessed him, blessed him like
you can't believe. He knew where he was going. He
was determined to go. And that's what that's saying.
You want this? You want this wisdom, this grace,
this walk with God? Ask Him. But don't ask him for
that wavering, uncommitted, unsure, unsettled. Don't bother to ask.
Look at verse 7. Let not that man think he'll
receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable
in all his ways. He'll be a double-minded man
wherever he goes, wherever he does. Not sure. And there's going to be trials,
there's going to be troubles, there's going to be difficult
times, hard times, hard times. Sometimes when you feel like
the sun won't ever shine again, the heavens are like brass. But
that's all part of it. Part of these trials and teaching
is developing these people. Let the brother of low degree,
let's look at this. move on a little bit. Let the
brother, verse 9, of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted.
What does that mean? What's a brother of low degree?
Well, this low degree is not referring to his spiritual state,
not at all. This brother of low degree is
the brother without earthly rank, a brother who's not well known
or highly educated. A brother who's not of great
influence, a brother who's not wealthy, a brother who's not
an outward leader, he's a brother of low degree. But let that brother
rejoice, listen, in that he's exalted. He has true wealth. He may not have anything here
on this world, but he's got true wealth, he's got an inheritance
reserved in him. He has true greatness. Men of
this world may not know Him, but God knows Him. His name may
not be in who's who, but His name is in the Lamb's Book of
Life. That's true greatness. He has true rank. There may not
be four or five fellows in the world that know His name, but
God knows His name. He gave Him a new name. So let
him rejoice, the brother of low degree. in that he's exalted. There are no degrees of glory,
thank God. People of this world have classes,
but there's just one class there, sons of God. And then he said,
let the brother who is rich, let the rich in that he's made
low, because as the flower of the grass, he shall pass away. The brother here who is rich
is a brother who is highly educated. He has two or three degrees.
He has rank. He's well-known. Man of influence. Man of power. Man of recognition. A man of means. Let him rejoice
that God has brought him down and made him not to trust those
things or to look to those things or to find any rest or hope in
those things, knowing they're like grass that perishes tomorrow. And by nature God taught him
he's nothing. Let him rejoice. God's taught
him that everything he has is vanity, empty, nothing, and will
all pass away. God's taught him that God gave
it and God can take it away. So he doesn't put any stock in
it. He doesn't put any hope in it. To him it's just a means
that he uses to be a blessing. Let that man rejoice. Because
not many highly educated people are humble people. Not many rich
people are humble people. The natural tendency of talent
is to cultivate pride. The natural tendency of influence
and power and position is to fill the heart with pride. Self-importance
and vainglory. The natural tendency of wealth
is to make a man think he can buy his way into anything. But
we know that all these things are as the flower of the grass
and will fade away. The man of low degree, let him
rejoice. God's exalted him on high. The
man who's lifted up in the things of this world and blessed above
other men, Let him rejoice in that God has stripped him of
all hope in those things and shown him there's nothing. Christ
is all. In other words, let us put our
hands on everything these eyes see. And some of you are sitting here
with some mighty precious things right next to you, aren't you? Put your hand on them and remember,
this too shall pass. Is that not right? This too shall
pass. Just go out and touch your car,
touch your children, touch your wife, touch your home, touch
your land. Just a little while it shall
be gone. So, verse 11, the sun is no sooner
risen with the burning heat than it will wither that grass and
the flower thereof will fall. The grace of the fashion of it
will perish it, so also the rich man will fade away." Everything
we have that we see and can touch in this world is targeted for destruction. Behold, God said, I'll make everything
new. And that's what we're interested
in, that new creation. So blessed is the man And I can
wind it up here, blessed is the man when he's tempted and tried,
that endures temptations. When he's tried, he shall receive
the crown of life which the Lord has promised to them that love
him. What I'm going to say in here, I'm going to close with
this verse. Blessed is the man, right here, all of you and women,
who accepts trials as being from the hand of God. who do not murmur. They sorrow,
not as those who have no hope. They sorrow, but they don't murmur
against God. Nor do they faint and quit. But they truly believe that whatever
comes to pass, all things work together for their good, their
eternal good. And when they try, all those
things are brought to bear in that trial. And by His grace, they endure. They accept it. And they thank God. Job said over here in Job 23,
let me leave you with this. Job 23, it says, and he shall
receive the crown of life. He's not going to receive the
crown of life because he endured, but his perseverance in trial
reveals that he is a true prince who will be crowned. That's it. That's the way he reveals his
children. He is a true prince. He's a son of God. And he endures
faithfully. Doesn't quit, but endures. He'll receive the crown of life.
Because God gave him that grace to endure. But Job 23, my friend,
Brother Scott, when he was going through that cancer several years
ago, it was a real shock, as some of you know who've been
there. But he said this verse of Scripture God used in his
life to bless him. He mentioned it here in a sermon
one time. But he knoweth the way that I
take, and when he's tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps,
his way have I kept, and not declined, and he shall receive
a crown of life."