Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: James 1:2-4

Message #: 2 of

Date Preached: January 2, 2009 (AM Service)

*Exegetical Idea*

The recipients of James’ letter were undergoing some difficult trials due to many different reasons.

They were exiles, most of them were living in poverty and from James 2:6-7 & 5:1-6 they were being oppressed by the rich and powerful people they lived among.

There was most definitely religious persecution (if they went to live among other Jews) due to their belief in Jesus as their Messiah.

In the very opening of his letter James is going to give an exhortation (in the original it is an imperative) as to how these believers should respond to their trials – with complete and full joy!

He is not saying that they are to enjoy the trials as they are numerous and varied, but to respond to them with a positive, joyful attitude because they have come to know that God is using these trials for a greater purpose.

These trials are testing their faith in that they are helping their faith to grow in endurance – patience, steadfast, not giving in with the result of remaining faithful to God.

When endurance grows then its perfect and complete work will be that we grow more mature and more complete in character which is not deficient in anything.

Only when we “consider” – think about, regard as true – the purpose of trials and its end results can trials result in joy.

The opposite result would be to give into trials and not remain true to God, seeking to escape the trials which results in a negative attitude of distress and complaining.

*Universal Idea (Big Idea)*

A joyful response to life’s trials allows us to stand firm so we can grow to be more like Christ.

*What you think about trials will determine the end result of trials.*

*Purpose of Preaching*

Trails and testing in life bring about pain, frustration, perplexity, anxiousness and questions.

How do we respond to trials?

Why do we have to go through them, what’s the point?

The question of suffering is one of the oldest and most difficult questions to answer.

When trials and tragedies happen the main question is why?

Why me?

Why now?

Why this?

For the child of God the ultimate goal for trials is to help grow in our maturity.

While there are many different reasons for suffering (cleansing from sin, persecution, teaching us to comfort others, etc) the ultimate reason is to make us mature and complete and for that reason we should be filled with joy.

This is not the response of the world!

The response of the world is to become bitter, angry, discouraged, depressed, and despondent.

Instead of joy there is grief.

Christians are not immune to trials, but we can be different in how we respond to the trials of life.

*Outline*

*I.                    **Introduction *

*II.

**The Response to Trials (1:2)*

a.

The attitude towards trials – Joy

          i.

The wrong response – Despair, resignation, complaining

          ii.

What it means to consider

          iii.

The truth we are to consider –

1.

We are not immune to trials (Quote David Jeremiah)

2.       God is in control and has a purpose for the trials

b.

The timing – whenever you encounter trials

       i.

When – Not “if” but when we face trials

          ii.

Encounter – Fall into (cf.

Luke 10:30).

Theses are unexpected trials that “we fall into” and are “surrounded by”.

iii.

Various – not necessarily number of trials but diversity of trials

1.       Historical context

a.       Exiles

b.

Most of them were poor

c.       Religious persecution – From fellow Jews?

d.      Oppressed by the rich and powerful – cf.

James 2:6-7; 5:1-6

2.       Present day trials

a.       Sickness, finances, cultural, financial, relationships, etc.

*III.

**The Reason for Trials (1:3)*

a.       Knowing – Knowledge gained from personal experience

b.      Testing – Refinement – cf.

Psalm 12:6 & Proverbs 27:21

c.       Endurance –

                                                               i.

It’s meaning and parallel teaching (Rom.

5:3-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7)

                                                             ii.

Illustration – Solider enduring in fight

*IV.

**The Result of Trials (1:4)*

a.       Endurance, when allowed to complete its work, produces maturity in the believer.

b.

The ways in which it produces maturity and what it looks like (Quote Keathley)

*V.                  **Conclusion*

 

\\  

!! Introduction

When you woke up this morning little did you know that your life was about to change

·         When you got into work you were called into the boss’s office and told that you were being let go because there is no more work

·         The doctor called and confirmed your worst fear – it’s cancer

·         You opened the mailbox to find the foreclosure notice – you must be out of the house by the end of the week

·         Your accountant called and your investments and 401K are no longer a source of financial security

·         Your car breaks down for the third time this week

·         Your reputation is being slandered at work

·         You are surrounded by people and ridiculed at school because you don’t give into the culture

Now, let me ask you – How would you respond?

·         You become angry and filed with hate

·         You are filled with resentment

·         You are frustrated

·         You are overwhelmed with grief and sorrow

·         You grow bitter towards others and towards God

·         You are filled with worry and despair

·         You resign yourself to the inevitable and emotionally withdraw and give up.

·         You “buck up” – you stand up with determination and fight the battle ahead so that you can overcome the obstacle

 How about this response – “Consider it all joy.”