Sermon Tone Analysis

*Text:* James 1:5-8

*Message #: *3 of

*Date Preached:* February 1, 2009 (AM Service)

*Exegetical Idea*

In verses 2-4 James has told his readers that the trials they are going through have a positive result – it will result in their maturity therefore they should respond to their trials with joy.

But what does God want us to do in the midst of trials and what does He want us to learn as a result of the trials.

It is very easy to get “lost in the trees” in the midst of trials.

James responds to these questions by commanding (imperative) the believers to ask (αἰτείτω)God, who, by His very nature, is giving in which it is his single, undivided intent to give us all the wisdom we need, and to give it without insult or reproach.

But there is a condition to answered prayer – the prayer must be asked “in faith without any doubting.”

The remaining verses (6b-8) states that this person who doubts should not expect God to answer his prayers because his doubts reflect that he is not totally loyal to God but is divided between God and the world.

*Universal Idea (Big Idea)*

Believers that doubt God should not expect an answer to their prayers for wisdom.

God doesn’t give 2nd opinions, he gives the only answer!

*Purpose of Preaching*

We live in a world that seems to have all the answers to life’s problems, so much so that we tend to turn to them when we go through trials rather than turning to God.  Oprah’s advice seems to bear more weight than God’s.

The main focus in this passage is on the one who doubts.

The person who has faith has a “wholehearted attitude of a full and unquestioning committal to and dependence upon God”[1], whereas the one who doubts does not wholly depend on God, but instead turns to the world and its resources in the times of trials.

As believers we need to come to have one loyalty – God alone.

So the question is – are we going to turn to God and trust in Him completely in the times of trials (and everyday living) or are we going to have a divided loyalty between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world?

This divided loyalty is a mark of instability in our lives which impacts every part of our spiritual walk with the Lord.

The mark of maturity that James is exhorting us to gain is 100% reliance on God to guide and direct our steps in life, in good times and especially in times of trials.

If we rely on God wholeheartedly than He has promised to give us the wisdom we need, otherwise we should not expect God to answer our prayers.

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*Outline*

*I.                    **Introduction *

*II.

**The Promise of Answered Prayer (1:5)*

a.

The need of wisdom in times of trials

b.

The nature of wisdom – Not knowledge but understanding

*                                                              i.

*Understanding as to how God wants us to respond in the midst of the trials

*                                                            ii.

*Understanding as to what God wants to accomplish with the trial

c.

The source of wisdom

*                                                              i.

*God

*                                                            ii.

*Scriptures

d.

The command to ask God for wisdom

*                                                              i.

*He gives with sincerity and single minded intent

*                                                            ii.

*He doesn’t give with insult or reproach

e.

The promise of answered prayer

*III.

**The Unanswered Prayer of Doubters (1:6-8)*

a.

The condition of answered prayer

*                                                              i.

*In faith (6a)

*                                                            ii.

*Without doubting (6a)

b.

The nature of the doubter (6b)

*                                                              i.

*Illustrated by nature

c.       Wrong expectation of the doubter (7)

d.

The inner attitude of the doubter (8)

*IV.

**Conclusion*

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!! INTRODUCTION

This question may seem strange, but have you ever thought about why we seek after 2nd opinions?

·         *Sometimes we seek a second opinion to save some money* – You wanted to do some home repair so you get one contractor in to give you an estimate, and then the next day you get another one in so you can get a 2nd opinion.

·         *Sometimes we seek a second opinion to make sure you are not being taken advantage of – *Your car broke down and you took it a mechanic who said you needed a whole new engine, whereas the 2nd mechanic said all it needed was a fuel pump.

·         *Sometimes we seek a second opinion to find a more qualified person to handle a problem –* it is not uncommon to go to a second or even third doctor to get their opinions about treatment options depending on the severity of your health problem.

I’m sure there are many other reasons we seek out a 2nd opinion, *but at the heart of the issue is that you and I seek out 2nd opinions so we can have the ability to choose the best course of action.*

While there is no problem with getting second opinions for the car, your health or your home, */there is a problem when we take the mentality of seeking a 2nd opinion into the spiritual realm, especially in the times of trials as we will see shortly./*

Let’s set the context for today’s study.

As we learned last week in James 1:2-4, God allows us to go through various, unexpected and hard trials in life for the purpose of bringing us to full spiritual maturity with the expectation that we respond to trails in the proper way – with joy!

I don’t know about you, but when I am in the midst of a trial I don’t always understand how God wants me to respond.

I learn that a coworker is gossiping behind my back – how do I respond?

My new boss is overbearing and demanding making my job totally miserable – what do I do now?

Ever been there, not knowing how God wants us to respond?

Turn you Bibles to the book of James, chapter 1.  Today we are going to be looking at verses 5-8 where James is going to answer our question of *how do we know what we are to do in the midst of suffering* *as well as teaching us how NOT to respond*.

[*READ James 1:5-8*]

James first starts out in verse 5 with telling us the correct response in the midst of trials.

[*READ James 1:5*]

The first thing to recognize is our need for wisdom in the times of trials.

Although James says that full maturity would mean that we wouldn’t lack anything, the reality is that we all have a long way to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ therefore we are lacking wisdom.

But what is wisdom and why do we need it?

In its Jewish context the wisdom James is talking about is not knowledge but understanding.

It is understanding how God wants us to respond in the midst of trials, as well as the understanding as to what God wants to accomplish with the trial.

So, if you lack wisdom, if you don’t know how to respond in the midst of this trial or wanting to understand what God wants to teach you from this trial, then James says, ask God for the wisdom.

*How do we gain the wisdom?*

1.       Through prayer and the leading of the Spirit

2.       Through the study of Scripture and the Spirit’s divine illumination of them

3.       Through the godly counsel of other believers

*“Let us ask” is a command, not a suggestion in the original language.

That means guys – God wants us to stop and ask directions when going through the times of trials.

*

James then goes on to describe the God in which we are to ask for wisdom.

First thing that James says is that God is by nature is characterized by giving and that He gives to anyone who asks.

We have John 3:16,

"“For God so loved the world, that He *gave* His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

(John 3:16, NASB95)

The second description that James gives of God is that He gives generously.