Finding Joy (James 1:1-4)

This evening I'd like to talk to you guys about joy. Finding joy. One of the promised fruits of the Spirit is joy. Paul writes in Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 and 23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." See, as believers the fruit of the Spirit should be evident in our life. So this evening I want to talk about one of those fruits in particular and that fruit is joy. To do so we will look at the book of James. So if you have your Bible please turn to the book of James. We'll be looking at chapter 1.

While you are turning to the book of James I'd like to provide a brief high level overview regarding James and the book of James. The author of the book of James is James, the half-brother of Christ and the brother of Jude. Jude also has an epistle in the New Testament. James was a late bloomer, if you will. He was a late bloomer, if you will, at first rejecting Jesus as Messiah even though he grew up with Jesus, right? I don't know how many of you have siblings but I have siblings and I have four kids and you can see the interaction between siblings and the competitive nature and the dynamics there.

I can only imagine growing up in a house and like Jesus is my my brother. I mean you know no pressure, right? No pressure. So James is the half-brother of Christ and the brother of Jude. He was a late bloomer first rejecting Jesus as Messiah and you can see this in John chapter 7 verse 5. By the time you come to chapter 7 in the Gospel of John Jesus's public ministry is well underway and verse 5 talks about even his brothers did not believe, did not believe. However, if you fast forward to 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 7 we see that James is now part of the brethren and witnessed firsthand the resurrected Christ.

He went on to become the key leader in the Jerusalem church and was often referred to as one of the pillars of that church along with Peter and John and you can see a reference to this in Galatians chapter 2 verse 9. James writes his epistle to Jewish believers who had been dispersed due to severe persecution and we'll talk a little bit about that this evening. John McArthur comments about the book of James. He comments this, "It has a practical emphasis stressing not theoretical knowledge but godly behavior." James wrote with a passionate desire for his readers to be uncompromisingly obedient to the Word of God.

So with that in mind let's look at our key passage of scripture this evening. Again in James chapter 1 we're going to be looking at the first four verses of James chapter 1. So starting in verse 1, "James a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. Greetings my brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience but let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing." So I'd like to exposit these four verses so let's look at how James opens the letter verse 1.

"James a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." There's a lot right here just in the beginning of James in these first few words as he opens his letter. Remember that James is the half-brother of Jesus and it's interesting that he opens this letter by referring to himself as a bondservant, a bondservant not as the half-brother of Jesus or as the key leader and pastor of the early church in Jerusalem, a bondservant or in other words a servant a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. James is careful here to apply the word bondservant in its Hebrew sense.

In this context bondservant refers to an individual, a servant who willingly, willingly commits to serve a master out of love and respect. James continues in verse 1 and references the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad. The 12 tribes is a reference to the church, those faced with persecution and hostility. A quick history lesson if you look at Acts chapter 1 you find this group that watches the ascension of Jesus. Then this group is gathered in the upper room praying, begging, pleading for the promised helper, the Holy Spirit. They were waiting the Holy Spirit to come.

In Acts chapter 1 verses 12 through 14 the Bible provides a list of the names of those gathered in the upper room. Verse 12, "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called the Mount of Olives which is near Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey away. When they arrived they went to the room upstairs where they were saved." And then you have a list of names here. If you jump down to verse 14 in Acts chapter 1 the list of names is concluded here. Verse 14 says, "All these were continually united in prayer along with the women including Mary the mother of Jesus and guess who else? His brothers.

Jesus's brothers." So James the half-brother of Jesus in the room everyone all of these individuals were united in prayer, begging, pleading, praying for the Holy Spirit to come. And I think most of you in this room knows what happens next right? The Holy Spirit moves in power. Peter preaches the first sermon recorded in the book of Acts. He calls people to repentance and to be baptized and the Bible tells us that 3,000 are added that day. Talk about church growth. No marketing strategy, no planned advertisement. Just preach the gospel, call people to repentance and to be baptized and 3,000 were added that day.

The first church in Jerusalem is born and guess who becomes the pastor? Remember who became the key leader of the very first church in Jerusalem? James. Mr. late to the party James. As you read the opening pages, chapters of the book of Acts, the church is faced with internal challenges. There was favoritism in the church, cultural tension in the church. By the time you get to Acts chapter 6, it is James that is leading the church through these problems.

By the time you get to Acts chapter 8, the external pressure has been amplified, hostility, persecution from the religious elite, the politicians, the government, so much so that the church begins to scatter. In chapter 7, we see that Stephen is stoned to death for preaching the gospel and the church in Jerusalem. The one that James is pastor on behalf of his brother and Lord and Savior Jesus is now faced with severe persecution, has now scattered all throughout the Roman Empire. James in chapter 1 verse 1 says greetings to you. Listen to what James says as he begins verse 2. My brethren, count it all joy. Count it all joy.

Remember his audience. Don't lose focus of that. The church in Jerusalem scattered, persecuted, endangered, suffering. He says to them, count it all joy. Wow. Think about everything you've been through starting in 2020. We all know what happened in 2020, right? 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, count it all joy. All joy. What a word for us right now for his people right now. Look at verses 2 through 4 with me again in James chapter 1. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, but let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

So what I'd like to do here briefly this evening is look at three truths that will help us joy, help our joy from this passage. So truth number one, there are things in life that are totally beyond our control. There are things in life that are totally beyond our control. Not sure about you, but I probably understand that truth more today than ever, right? From pandemics to politics to supply chain issues to inflation to natural disasters to health. Listen, there are things in life that are beyond our control, beyond your control, my control. I love the way James says it.

Look at verse 2, "my brethren, count it all joy," what's that next word? When. When. Not if. Right? Not if. When. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. The word fall in context paints this picture for us. James paints this beautiful picture. The idea of fall means you didn't see it coming. It's totally unexpected. Totally unexpected. Out of nowhere, if you will. James says there are things that will happen in your life that are totally outside of your control. They are going to catch you off guard and listen, they will be tough. They will be tough. The word he uses to describe trials in verse 2.

Verse 2 again, "my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." Let me give you a definition for the word trial. Definite what is trial? What is a trial? A trial is the inevitable circumstances that make life hard. The inevitable circumstances that make life hard. Rhetorical question maybe, but anyone have some of that right now? Been through that before maybe. A trial is the inevitable circumstances that make life hard. Three things about trials very quickly. The first thing, trials are unavoidable. Unavoidable. Remember when, when, not if, when.

Listen, it has been told to me before and I believe this wholeheartedly that you are either in a trial, coming out of a trial, or headed into a trial. That's right. In, out, going. Here's what that means for us this evening. Look around the room. Look around the room. Catch the eye of someone. Listen, I travel a lot for work. I fly Southwest often and this is usually what happens. Southwest has this open seating policy, right? So you get on the plane and if you're one of the first ones on, you grab your seat, you look down.

You don't want to make eye contact because that eye contact is almost like an invitation to someone to sit next to you, right? Seriously, right now, look around. Acknowledge someone. Make eye contact with someone. Nod your head with somebody. Have a moment of real contact because if what I just said is true, here's what that means. Realize this. You just looked at some people that right now might be in the deepest, darkest trial that they have ever experienced in their life. See, we are really good at putting on our church face. We're really good at putting on our church face.

But I'm telling you, there are some people you just looked at that are hurting. Hurting. They are going through a trial. Some people you just looked at are coming out of a recent trial. They have the scars. They have the wounds. They just finished the trial. They are still emotional about it. And listen, there are some people you looked at just now that are good. But listen, they don't know what will happen tomorrow. Here's why this is important to understand. When we begin to realize that everyone is in a trial, coming out of a trial, or headed into a trial, we understand this. When we recognize this, our response should be grace.

It should be grace. Show each other some grace instead of going ballistic and flipping tables and gossiping and beating down and degrading. When somebody walks by you wrong or maybe looks at you wrong or talks to you wrong, remember that trials are unavoidable. So let's up the grace measure with how we relate to each other. If you think somehow because you love God, you love Jesus, because you are a believer that you are immune to trials, listen, you have it all wrong. You have it all wrong. And if someone is teaching you that, telling you that, they're lying. They're lying. Trials are unavoidable.

You are deceiving yourself if you think trials, hardships, obstacles do not exist in their life. We are not immune. Listen, the story, the application behind this passage does not align with the health and wealth gospel that is so often preached today. Be cautious of that. The name and claimant gospel, the prosperity gospel. Not what James is teaching. James said when, not if. Avoidance, immunity, it's not what God's word teaches. Have you read the Bible lately? I know there's some of us going through like Bible reading plans this year. Have you read the Bible lately? Think about Noah. How about Noah?

Is he remembered for being the father of three sons? No. He's remembered for the flood, right? Noah was the most righteous man on earth. He loved God. And because he loved God, what happened? God tapped him on the shoulder and said, get ready, build a boat. It's about to get wet. What about Moses, the shepherd, out minding his own business. The people of God had been enslaved for 400 years in Egypt. After 400 years of slavery and captivity, God tells Moses to go tell them that they are about to be set free. He tells them that they both out three days later what happens. Bam, the Red Sea.

Egyptian army bearing down on them with blood in their eyes. Not if. When? How about Daniel? Daniel and the lions then. For doing what? Pray. Right? For praying. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, fiery pit. You read the book of Job lately? If you need to feel better about your life, read the book of Job. You think Job would preach a health and wealth gospel today? I don't think so. How about the Psalm? Psalms three. The Psalmist says there are 10,000 people out to get him. See the Psalms, they are mostly a collection of people crying out to God amid their suffering. Persecution, obstacles, challenging.

If you still don't believe him, live no further than the half-brother of James, Jesus. Jesus. The Bible says Jesus didn't have a place to lay his head. How does that measure up to the false gospel that's so often preached today? Think about this, right? This is what that gospel would teach you today. You can have it all. You can have it all. But think about the truth. Jesus couldn't have a pillar. Just look at what Jesus himself had to say about trials. You know, he was persecuted, suffered, died on a cross. The disciples, all of them murdered for their faith. Paul, the great missionary of the New Testament, he was shipwrecked on an island.

He was beaten multiple times. He spent most of his time in prison for his faith. Let's bring it full circle. James, the author of this letter, this book, James faced such hostility in his day by the political and religious authorities, he was persecuted his entire ministry. It's believed that when James died, they drug him up to the top of the temple stairs, threw him down, and then when he got to the ground, they grabbed wooden clubs and beat him to death. No wonder James said when, not if. Second truth about trials. Trials are unpredictable. Unpredictable. Look at verse 2.

Again, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." The word "various" in the Greek means multi-faceted, multi-colored. The word "various" here implies that they include small trials, large trials, trials of all shapes, sizes, forms. See, some of you have come here this evening and maybe didn't see you coming. At some point recently, you were just going along in life. Never saw it coming, but it does. It did and boom, you're in the midst of a trial. Now you find yourself in the midst of something unavoidable. Your job, your health, your marriage, your relationship with your children. Maybe it's your finances.

See, trials are unpredictable. The third truth, trials are uncomfortable. See, the word "trial" here means external affliction and the word "affliction" refers to something that causes pain and suffering. Pain and suffering. See, trials are uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. They don't feel good. Here's a question, maybe a rhetorical question again. How many of you woke up this morning and said, woke up this morning and prayed, "God, give me a good old painful difficult uncomfortable trial." Or what if you walked in this evening and Grace Life was starting a new ministry.

Right now, if there were tables set up, signing up people for this new ministry opportunity, the new ministry is trials. How many people do you think would sign up? It's called trials and it'll be painful and very uncomfortable, but come on up and sign up. Probably not many. I think it's safe to say no one would. Trials are unavoidable, unpredictable, and uncomfortable. Now I know you might be thinking that this message at the beginning of the message I said it's about joy and this sounds very discouraging. Not too good so far, but listen to what James said. Look at verse 2 again.

"My brethren, count it all joy." In other words, make the decision to, no matter what, don't be weighed down, choose joy. Choose joy instead of sorrow or pity, instead of questioning or complaining. Choose joy. The fruit of the Spirit. Choose to let the fruit live in you and through you. Let joy be your first response. I'm not saying it feels good. I'm not saying put on a fake smile. I'm not saying don't worry, be happy. What I am saying is that as believers for those walking with Christ that we, during difficult circumstances, can make the decision to choose joy. So you might be asking yourself how do I do this?

How's that even possible, right? Look back at the text. Verse 2, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." See if you stopped right here we would have the command from scripture, but no instruction. No how to if you will, but if you keep reading, look at verse 3, "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." Did you see that next word in verse 2? Or the next word after verse 2, I should say, is the whole key here. It's the whole key. That word is knowing. Knowing. "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." Knowing. Man, that's good stuff. That's good stuff.

What James is saying is this. He is saying that you can count it all joy because you know something. You know something. See as believers we have insider information. Things may look out of control. Things may seem unpredictable. Things may seem difficult and challenging, but listen. We know. See the word know in this context refers to knowledge gained through relationship. Knowledge gained through experience. It's not just this reference to head knowledge. You know something. You can choose joy because you know something. Something about somebody and that somebody is pulling God.

The second truth from this passage, we worship a God who is always in control. See we come up against things that are outside of our control, totally outside of our control, but listen. They are never outside of his control. Never outside of his control. God is always in control. We might be surprised. He's not. He's not. Listen, God has never said and never will say, "Man, I didn't see that coming." That's common for our vocabulary, right? But that is foreign to him. God has never shot, never surprised. God never says, "Uh oh." That's why we can count it joy. No matter what we are up against, listen.

He is in control, always in control, on his throne, always. Sabah. The third truth. Our God is at work in every trial to grow us in Christ and guide us into abundant living. Our God is at work in every trial to grow us in Christ and guide us into abundant living. Look at verses 3 and 4. "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking, nothing." James writes, "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." See the word patience in this context that it translates to stay in power. Stay in power.

Listen, when you go through a trial, when you are faced with a trial and you choose joy, joy, listen, the next one gets easier. And the next one gets easier. And the next one gets easier. Now what I am NOT saying is that they begin to feel better. That's not what I'm saying. It doesn't mean that they are not tough. But by this point you have seen God be God. You've seen God's goodness. You've experienced his love, his grace, his mercy, his care for his people. It doesn't mean that it's not tough. It just means that you are prepared because you know who is carrying you through the trial. Patience equals staying power. Look at verse 4.

"But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." The word is perfect and complete. Perfect speaks to our position and growth and Christ's likeness. This word speaks to being full-grown, being mature. See it's the trials that refine us, that shape us into his image and likeness, the trials. Complete speaks to our wholeness. It speaks to Christ being formed in us. Then Christ begins to live through us. Then we begin to experience the fullness, the fullness, the wholeness of life that God has invited us to partake in, the abundant life. So here's some application this evening based on this text.

The first application, we cannot let our circumstances shape the way we view God. We cannot let our circumstances shape the way we view God. We must begin to let God shape the way we view our circumstances. And a big part of that is that fruit of the Spirit, joy. Joy. Let me close with this. Trials. Listen, God has not allowed trials in your life. He has not allowed trials in my life to take something from us. Too often that's our thought. Why me? Why am I dealing with this? Why am I going through this? He doesn't allow trials into your life or into my life to take something from us. Instead, trials have been allowed to give something to you.

To give something to you. That's why James closes verse 4 by saying, "Lacking nothing." It's not to take, it's actually to give. So again, we, with that in mind, we, I want to close with that that comment again. We cannot let our circumstances shape the way we view God. We must let God shape the way we view our circumstances. So let's pray and then we'll take some prayer requests. Father God in the great and powerful name of Jesus. God, this evening, God, we just celebrate the fact that you are sovereign, that you are totally in control of everything, of all things.

God, we thank you that you are never caught off guard, that you are never surprised. God, we thank you for the truth of your word in Hebrews 13 8 that says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever." God, you are the only consistent thing in our lives and we thank you for that. Father, I pray for each one of us that we would build our foundation upon that truth, that we would always trust that you are in control so that no matter what we're faced with, we can rejoice.

We can have joy in our hearts and our lives, that we can display the fruit of your spirit, that we can live out the gospel in our life, be a good gospel witness no matter what we're up against, no matter the small trials, the big trials, whatever we're faced with. Father, I pray that from this word you would shape our perspective of how we view you, that we would stop allowing our circumstances to shape how we view you, but instead we would allow you to work through us to give us a proper understanding of our circumstances.

Father, we praise you this evening, we praise you for who you are, we thank you for all you've done, we thank you most of all for your son Jesus, that you've made a way for us to be restored to you through his work on the cross and by the power of his resurrection. Holy Spirit strengthen us where we are weak, your word tells us that your strength is perfected in our weakness. Father, be at work in our lives for the glory of your name. That's in Jesus's name we pray. Amen.