Sermon – “Count It All Joy”

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,[a] 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.

17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

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. quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

This morning my message. Titled counted all joy so after I finish this message today maybe next week when we have the time of sharing joys we might share a trial that we’ve went through. I give you a little glimpse there won’t be talking about counted all Joy I’m going to be speaking from James and I separated my script reading into two different readings I spoke through the book of James A preacher the book of James here like nine years ago and I like the book at Jane’s and I’m going to go up and I’m going to get the old messages out I’m going to revamp an old message well let me tell you the similarity between this message today and that all when the scripture in the title that’s it but isn’t that the wonderful thing about God’s Word we can open his word and it’s new every morning right it’s new every day so as I work through that it’s like all the old stuff I just had to get new stuff so God doesn’t usually let me use much of an old message so it is a new message old title. Old Book same book OK so let’s pray before I begin this morning Heavenly Father we thank you and praise you for the privilege to come into your house father we invite your presence today into this place may your spirit be upon each heart may your spirit speak through your servant Today father just give us the words you would have us to hear bother I just pray that we would glorify you with our lives Father help us to learn to live and walk in to glorify you with all that we say and do and father again just bless us with your presence may your peace be upon each one by those that are listening over the Internet father I just pray your blessing upon each home represented each one that is tuned in today father may your peace be upon them speak to their hearts also we thank you Father for the technology to be able to reach to the other side of the world with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and follow just prayer. In upon that I just pray your night in upon all the the electronical stuff from the airways and Father God it your your message your word would go forth for Your glory and for your honor in Jesus’ precious name Amen. Counted all Joy I’m going to read first from James Chapter one verses one through eight and then I’m going to read nine through twenty five later on. James begins James a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad Greetings my brother and count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience now we were talking a little bit about patience down a sad a school and actually a lot about we talked about and sad a school was relating to what I’d be talking about but you know patients we all were patient people right will stand in front of the microwave think and put this thing is so slow. And you know you think back to fifty years ago they had to go out and chop wouldn’t fire the little stove up and it probably took a half an hour to boil water and today we’re like this in front of a microwave I’m so hungry I’m going to store before that’s done. Patients. He likes to produce patients and us but let patients have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him but let him ask in faith without no doubting or with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind for let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord He is a double minded man unstable in all of his ways. James the author of this. Book refers to himself as a bond servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ he chose to be a servant of Jesus Christ that’s what a bondservant is he chose to follow and walk and be obedient to the ways of our Lord Jesus Christ James is the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ the author of this book Clement of Alexander says that Peter and James in John the James and John that were brothers the sons of thunder the two disciples these three Apostles they honored to the Lord and they chose James to be the bishop of the church in Jerusalem Peter James and John the other James chose the brother of Jesus that James to be the bishop of the Church of Jerusalem after the Lord’s ascension there is much evidence that this James holds this position a bishop in the church in Acts Chapter twenty one verse seventeen to eighteen it says and when we had come to Jerusalem the brother received us gladly and on the following day Paul went in with us to James and all the elders were present so it’s speaks of James’s authority with the elders in the church there Drusilla and another pistol and in Galatians chapter one verse is eighteen and nineteen it says Paul says that at this time. That at that time one of his visits to Drusilla he saw none of the other apostles save Peter and James the Lord’s brother there are many references that would lead us to understand it James stood in a position of supreme authority in the early Church in Jerusalem the oldest church in Christendom he presided in assemblies of the church and he seemed to speak the final word of authority whenever Peter and the other apostles would refer to him. When James was a is a good this. Can’t talk when James was exalted to this leadership position we don’t know exactly we do know that it was after the ascension of the Lord. So it was very early in the church. It was the church of Pentecost the Church of the possibles all Jews look to Jerusalem as the chief seat of their worship and the central authority of their religion all Christian Jews would look to Jerusalem as their primitive source of their original faith their organized faith and the head of that church was James the brother of Jesus Christ now are those out there that claim that James was a step brother of Jesus Christ and I’m not going to stand up here and say that that’s the. Doctrine of a denomination but I worked with a gentleman years ago that he was a strong believer in a certain nomination and he says Nah he says James was Jesus step brother he was not his half brother. Because they wanted to believe that Mary never had any other children after Jesus. But Matthew Chapter one teaches us something a little different. Matthew chapter twenty one vs twenty four twenty five then Joseph Now this is after. The angel spoke to Mary said that she was going to conceive and bring forth a child name Emmanuelle and Joseph when he found out Mary was pregnant he was actually going to divorce her and put her away he could have had her stone but he didn’t want to do that because they love Mary but he was not going to marry or but the angel spoke to Joseph and said Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife because that which is in her is of the Holy Spirit then Joseph being a rouse from sleep did as the angel. Well the Lord had commanded him and took to him his wife now listen to verse twenty five and did not know her till she had brought forth her first born son and he called his name Jesus. Did not know her until afterwards so that tells me that he did know Mary after Jesus was born and then James in the other brothers and sisters would have been his younger siblings they were half brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ. Many have described James as a Hebrew of Hebrews a man of most rigid and ascetic morality faithful in his observance of all the ritual regulation regulations of the Jewish faith. Hegesippus probably didn’t announce pronounce that name right but he tells us that he was wholly from his mother’s womb could you imagine being Jesus brother or sister. There used to be a Christian comedian is like couldn’t you hear now why can’t you be more like your brother Jesus I mean. He never needed this upand. Think about it he always did the right thing and I know that comedian was hilarious but in all truth the way I would envision that that Jesus always set the perfect example for his brothers and sisters he showed them by example the right thing to do you know I picture Jesus working in the wood shop with Joseph and probably his younger brother James working up there also in the wood shop with their father learning together I picture Jesus leading by example is the way I picture him demonstrating to his siblings how you live how you treat mom and dad how you’d be respectful he never had to be told to clean up the wood shop or to do the dishes or straighten up his room he did he was a perfect child. So James had quite an example to follow it says of James that he drank no wine or strong drink he ate no flesh he alone was permitted to enter with the priest into the holy place and they say that he was found there frequently upon his needs begging for forgiveness for the people so often and long were his times and prayer of asking forgiveness for the people that is they say that is nice became hard like a camels and that’s why he was called old camel knees by some of the people in the early church oh that they call us old camel names because we spent so much time in prayer. For our friends for our family for our community. He was called James the Just all had confidence in his sincerity and his integrity. And many were persuaded by him to believe in Jesus Christ His James his brother he was faithful to observe all that the Jews held sacred. He was more devoted to Temple worship than most among him he was a good choice to be the head of the church if I were to ask some of you or maybe I could say most of you to describe something joyful to me today where you might expect. Share some wonderful thing that you’ve experienced you know just last week we were sharing how wonderful it was it won’t vacation and enjoy a time to relax and. Have a you know go fishin and just have a little bit of fun or you might explain a wonderful concert to Chief went to that your child was in you might explain a nice dance review you went to last night we got to go to a dance revue last night and see your granddaughter and daughter dance and there was one particular little fellow that didn’t dance and her dance he was a little guy about maybe three years old three or four years old one little gentleman with a whole bunch of little girls and this guy was absolutely adorable I mean he was dressed in a snappy look invest in stuff while he’s up there he’s not paying any attention to the instructor he’s he’s doing his own thing I laughed I had tears running down my face that was great joy for me it really was I enjoyed that I had received my money’s worth watching that little fella dance twice and he just stole the show I don’t think anybody knew that there was girls up there with him and he was he was just so precious so joyful and you might express joy over a sporting event or maybe even come in and worship in the Lord at church. Many things can bring us great joy but I don’t expect a minute of you would express joy over losing that game. If it was a sporting event you wouldn’t express joy over some strained relationship that you might be going through. All I’m so joyful my wife and I had a tremendous fight this last week. I don’t really think most of these are going to express joy over that. We wouldn’t consider that joyful by nature we do not consider unpleasant things to be joyful we don’t consider hardships to be joyful doing by nature but Jane said my brother and counted all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience but let patience habits perfect work that you may be perfect complete and lacking nothing. I want to share this with you from the message version of the Bible considerate a sheer gift. Friends When test and challenges come at you from all sides so when it rains it pours right it seems like when the trial is calm it does it comes out you from all sides it rains it pours you know that under pressure your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors well how true is that when we are tested. Our faith will show its true colors won’t it how are we going to react when that trial comes when that test comes first for says so don’t try to get out of anything prematurely let it do its work so you become mature and well developed not deficient in any way but I can’t wait to share joys next week. Matthew chapter five verses ten to twelve Jesus Himself says bless it are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven blessed are you when they reviled one persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake rejoice and be exceedingly glad for a great is your reward in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Brothers and Sisters there is why we endured because great is our reward in heaven. Most people call trials and stuff like that we go through a bad day or a bad week. Not a time when we should be exceeding the glad and joyful even Dalai Lama a Buddhist has something very. To say about being mistreated by one’s enemies he says something like this how many enemies do you have how many people mistreat you consider this a unique opportunity to improve your character. From Dalai Lama Jesus and James point us to the path of heaven Dalai Lama is not but even the non Christians understand the uniqueness or the importance of trials to shape in motor character right James with a proven leader. Within the church we’ve already established that you have so many people in the early church and the church today so many different backgrounds so many different nationalities so many different things James had a lot only is plagued to try to sell each group what’s important here is what you need to do here’s how you need to live here’s what you need to give up here’s what you can do what you can’t do what a responsibility he had he shared the wisdom that God gave and had given him and he tells us if we want wisdom to ask. If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him but let him ask in faith with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind let him ask in faith real faith what I speak about last week believing in God and believing God. Real faith believes in God believes that God will give what we ask when we ask according to His Will we must believe God James begins and ends with faith. And in between explains that doubting is what keeps a man from experiencing true faith. G.’s you James used to see imagery a man who doubts is like a man is like the wave of the sea tossed to infer Oh. It describes a person who is unstable in their faith an inner character one who is driven by external pressures someone who is tossed to and fro by everything that they hear. They are unable to make up their own minds by their own indecision bangle Wes and your describes one tossed by the waves of the sea as one time cast on the shore of faith and hope another time roll back into the abyss of unbelief one time raised to the height of worldly pride another time into sands of the spare in affliction the Greek word for driven and tossed describes people who are always changing their minds about what they believe if Eason’s for fourteen and fifteen says. That we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about by everyone the doctrine by the trickery of men in the coming craftiness of the sequel in this but speaking the truth in love that we may grow up in all things into him who is the head which is Christ a former pastor G. Campbell Morgan. He had enjoyed much success as a preacher by the time he was nineteen years old but then he was attacked by doubts about the Bible. The writings of various scientists and that Gnostics disturbed him writings from men such as Charles Darwin John Vine Dale and Thomas Huxley and Herbert Spencer after reading their books and listening what they had to say in their debates he was a so complex he did he questioned his faith so what did he do he cancelled all preaching engagements he took all these books that he’d been reading of these guys and lock them away in a cupboard got out a new Bible and began reading the Word of God and he says. The word found me. The word found me. His faith was restored his doubt was gone because he relied on the Bible and not the teachings of man. One and now move on to the second half of the reading from James versus nineteen twenty five. Let the lowly brother glory in his excell Taishan but the rich in his humiliation because as a flower of the field he will pass away for no sooner has a sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass and a flower falls and his beauty appears beautiful appearance Paris’s so the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits bless it is the man who endorsed temptation for when he has been approved he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him What is the true test friends of love for God He says in verse John Chapter five if you love me you will be my commandments. Verse thirteen Let no one say when he is tempted I am tempted by God for God cannot tempt be tempted by evil nor does he in self tempt anyone but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by as enticed then when desire has conceived it gives birth to sin and sin when it is full grown brings forth death do not be deceived my beloved brother and every good gift in every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variation or no shadow of turning of his own will He brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruit of his create creatures so then my beloved brother and let every man this is great wisdom here let every man be swift to hear slow to speak and slow to wrath. Let every man and woman be swift to hear slow to speak and slow to wrath for the wrath a man does not produce the righteousness of God. You know we’ve been studying and Romans and on Wednesday nights for quite some time takes about a month to get to a chapter maybe maybe because Paul is very complex and a lot of his teachings wonderful teaching love to take as a Paul James as a nose on since teacher straight to the point the rat the man does not produce the righteousness of God. Easy to understand therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls but be doers of the word and not here is only deceiving yourself for if anyone is a hear of the word and not a doer the word he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror for he observes himself goes away immediately forgets what kind of man he was but he who looks into the perfect glow of Liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful here but a doer of the work this one will be blessed in what he does it’s. No nonsense be doers of the Word of God not just here is only our first passage in James spoke of the trials that one may endure the second part speaks of temptations there is a difference the main thing is that one comes from God When one does not. The trials the test may come from God but the temptation will not come from God The temptation is when we are enticed to sin God does not bring that we bring that on ourselves because of our own lust or own desires it says a god does not tempt anyone God cannot be tempted by evil nor does he tempt anyone with evil let no man say that when he is tempted that he is tempted by God The word temptation has two meanings but the way it’s used here is the solicitation solicitation to sin when someone is drawn away by sin. He is not drawn away by God. Think about that for a moment that goes completely against God’s character right because we decide our God is holy he is a holy God He hates sin so why would he even consider tempting anybody with sin. We are entice when we are Journal drawn away by our own lust. Last week I Qana share a little bit about going fishing I was on vacation didn’t. And I said I caught a fish that big right and you had to decide whether you believe that story let’s talk a little bit about fission kids. How do you catch a fish. All right so you take how you catch fish. Me again so I thought you just took a fishing pole you tied to self a wriggle in air put yourself a couple hooks on our little bit of weight you just cast it out right set your weight right now while one of the wrong. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah but that’s all you need right just as the way to the water. Bait you got to have bait no wonder to catch any fish. Now you gotta have bait right you put that bait on that hook you hide the hook with the bait. Then you cast it into the water hoping to that hungry fish is going to take the bait. So you can drag that fish in sure. You can drag it in right you’ve got to have the bait how similar. It is faith how similar is or walked the Lord how similar it is when we’re not walking with the Lord right that’s how the devil works the bait he casts that bait out there that’s the temptation I don’t know what that temptation might be in your life or whoever’s life it could be lust could be drugs it could be. Alcohol it could be greed it could be pride could be power. Many forms of bait but Satan puts a bait on at hook he casts it out there be force just waiting to see if we’re going to take that bait. Because if we take that bait he’s going to start real want to sin What’s he going to do he’s going to reel us down that path of destruction he’s real want to sin he’s real nice down that path and believe me that path is wide that leads to destruction but that’s what Satan does brothers and sisters and then in those Watson he cast that bait of temptation to force a scene it will take that bait. Because he does want to drag us down to destruction he wants to destroy us but here’s a wonderful thing. We can be set free from that hook. We can be set free from Mad hook all we have to do is cry out to Jesus we cry out to Jesus say Lord forgive me forgive me my sins help me Lord deliver me from this. We cry out to him and then we can be released from that hook. We can be set free from that temptation that the devil has been tempting us with the maybe we’ve even snatched onto it we’re walking in it but we can be set free from it by Jesus Christ. Because he has power over all sin in our lives we can have power over the sin in our lives through Jesus Christ friends there’s only one fish that goes downstream a dead one. The only fish that flows downstream is a dead fish all other live fish swim upstream fish go upstream so they’re going against the flow. Yes we’ve got to go up string upstream is those trials but it’s going to make us stronger just as it makes that this stronger is going to keep us alive it’s going to build our character when we go upstream we can resist that temptation Don’t just be hears of the word but be doers of the word walk in His ways he’ll help you through those trials he’ll give you strength he’ll give us strength when we are weak he’ll be he’ll make us strong he’ll get us through it. Do you trust in Him Do you trust in Him are you going through a trial or travel come where you’re going through temptation if you’re listening to this. On the Internet you know someone might tune into this message a year from now but that is the truth of the Word of God that if we’re in any temptation he can set us free from it that His word says that he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins we don’t have to be kept as the temptations in our lives but Jesus Christ can set us free. And then we endure those trials worse women that upstream were going to the narrow path. Endured and count it all joy count it all joy and say thank you Father for teaching me that lesson thank you for making me stronger board thank you for. Help me in that argument I had with we didn’t have an organ to sweep but. You know thank you for helping me learn to understand my wife better Lord thank you for helping me to understand my coworker better and helping us work those things out Lord thank you for helping me stop drinking whatever may be. Whatever trial may comes. Thank you counted all joy. Because of the trousers you’re going through