CONSIDER IT ALL JOY
James 1:1-12 06/25/2017
Introduction: We are living in
a culture that says, the Pursuit of Happiness is everything. When the rest of
the world is suffering, all we
want and care is to be happy, healthy and wealthy. We want happiness and love
and contentment without ever having to suffer or sacrifice. And we want it now.
There is no scarcity of preachers who preach the health and wealth gospel, but
what we are lacking is a balanced theology on suffering. Since, coming to
America I’ve been introduced to the life story of Joni Eareckson Tada. Tada was
born in 1949 in Baltimore, Maryland, the youngest of four daughters. As a
teenager, Tada enjoyed riding horses, hiking, tennis, and swimming. On July 30,
1967, she dove into Chesapeake Bay after misjudging the shallowness of the
water. She suffered a fracture between the fourth and fifth cervical levels and
became a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down.
In preparation to
this sermon I was listening to her interview on CBN, tears were flowing down my
eyes as I heard her continued struggle at the same time her Joy in the Lord.
She said, “After almost 50 years in a wheelchair, every single morning when
I wake up I need Jesus so badly," she told CBN News, "I just can't
tolerate the thought of another day as a quadriplegic with someone else giving
me a bed bath and exercising my legs and toileting routines and it all just
seems too overwhelming." Her next thing she said is to pray "Jesus, I
need you. I can't do this. I cannot do quadriplegia but I can do all things
through you."
Joni is a living example of someone who found Joy in the
midst of suffering. Last
week we have learned how we were to speak to our souls and encourage ourselves
in the Lord. Today we will look at, what should be our attitude, and response
to suffering. The Apostle, James lays down a pathway for first century
Christians on how they can overcome their struggles, and remain firm in their
faith. I title this message, “CONSIDER
IT ALL JOY.”
Background: The author identifies
himself as James (1:1); he was probably the brother of Jesus and the leader of
the Jerusalem council (Ac 15). James was one of several brothers of Jesus,
probably the oldest since he heads the list in Mt 13:55. At first, he did not
believe in Jesus and even challenged him and misunderstood his mission (Jn
7:2–5). After Jesus’ resurrection, James became very prominent in the Jerusalem
church: James was one of the select individuals Christ appeared to after his
resurrection (1Co 15:7). Paul called him a “pillar” of the church (Gal 2:9). James
was a leader in the important council of Jerusalem (Ac 15:13).
Tradition
tells us that James spent so much time on his knees in prayer that they became
as callous as the knees of camels. This epistle was written around 60 A.D. The
recipients were identified explicitly only in 1:1 “the twelve tribes scattered
among the nations. “the term “twelve tribes, was referring to the early Jewish
Christians. Under the Emperor Nero, Jewish Christians were hunted, persecuted
and many were put to death. Several, apostles were killed and many were
scattered all over the region. In that context, the Apostle James was writing
to the believers not to give up hope but to consider it all Joy, because their
perseverance will be richly rewarded.
I
CONSIDER IT ALL JOY
A lot has been written and said about, happiness and how to be
happy. But what is happiness and how is it different from Joy? A dictionary
definition of happiness is “a state of well-being; a pleasurable or satisfying
experience.” Happiness is based on “happenings” meaning if things happen to go
well, you are happy. For example, it’s easy to be happy when you are healthy, you’re
financially secure, and all your relationships are good, but then you have
trouble with one or more of these, what happens to your “happiness?” It’s
probably gone. But the biblical Joy is different. If you’ve trusted in Jesus
and know you are secure and safe in His hands, and Jesus is in control of every
situation then you still have joy.
A
quote on Joy, by Henri Nouwen, “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to
choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” Depending on the translation, the
Bible uses the words happy and happiness about 30 times, while joy and rejoice
appear over 300 times. For our study, I use John Piper’s definition on Joy, “Christian
joy is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as he causes us
to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world.”
Joni
Eareckson knows what it is
to have that good feeling in her soul, irrespective of her outward
circumstances. Joni notes, “God is more concerned with confirming me to the
likeness of His son, than leaving me in my comfort zones. God is more
interested in inward qualities than outward circumstance, things like refining
my faith, humbling my heart, cleaning up my thought life and strengthening my
Character.” God wants to change our hearts more than relieving pain.
Coming
back to our passage, the Apostle James wanted the persecuted Jewish Christians
to focus on developing Christ like Character when he said, Vs, 2“Consider it
pure Joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
“James addresses the readers as, “brothers and sisters” fifteen times in this
short letter. Brothers and sisters
refers to believers, both men and women as part of God’s family.” He has many
rebukes for them, but he corrects them in a brotherly love. So, if you are a
believer and belong to God’s family then this address is referring to you as
well.
What
does it mean, to “consider it pure (all) Joy,”? The English word, “Consider”
means, “to think about carefully.” The Greek word here also means “evaluate.”
Based on these definitions, we could say, that believers need to think
carefully or evaluate when they face trails. Our normal tendency when we go
through trails, is to think that we got the wrong end of the deal, and we are
the only ones who are going through such suffering. But when we pause and
think, many people in the world are going through worse things than we can ever
imagine.
What
are the trails of many kinds? The Greek word means trouble or something that
breaks the pattern of peace, comfort, Joy and happiness in someone’s life. The
action form of this word means, “to put someone or something to the test” with
the purpose of testing that person’s nature or that things quality. Every trail
becomes a test of faith designed to strengthen a believer. God at times brings
such tests or allows his children to go through them in order to increase and
strengthen the quality of their faith.
We
see this played out clearly in the horrible trails that Job underwent in the
OT, but as he stood the test and did not give into the temptation in the end he
was blessed beyond belief. James, might have had Job as an example when he
said, Vs 3-4, “Because you know that the testing of your faith produces
perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything.”
Vs-
3-4 are the basis of Vs 2, James knew what happens to those who will hunker
down, and persevere under trails, in the end they will become mature, complete
and not lack anything. Therefore, he encourages the persecuted believers not to
give up when facing trials but to consider it all Joy. You might be saying to
yourself, pastor you don’t understand my situation, you have no clue about what
I am suffering, how can you say to me to consider it all Joy? You are right, I
may lack understanding of your situation, but there is someone who can
perfectly understand us because he went through, all what we are going through
or would ever go through.
II
HOW CAN WE CONSIDER IT ALL JOY?
I
suggest two keys, that might help us to develop the attitude of Joy in the
midst of trails. One is to have a right perspective and the other is to have
faith in God. Having the right
perspective: When it comes to handling rightly in adversity, Jesus is our model. On the sermon on the mount, Jesus warned us that
we will be persecuted and mistreated because of our faith.
Matthew
5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say
all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great
is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who
were before you.” Similarly, the Apostle Peter encouraged the suffering
believers saying, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has
come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But
rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you
may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
This
was one of the big motivations for the early martyrs, they saw themselves
identifying with the sufferings of Christ, so they didn’t back off in their
suffering. Even today, many are being persecuted for the sake of the gospel
around the world. Many are imprisoned and even put to death for preaching the
good news of peace and love. We have the examples of prophets, the early and
the present-day martyrs of faith, and above all Jesus who endured the cross for
the Joy that was set before him, that was you and me.
The
writer to the Hebrews this has to say to us in our trails, “Therefore, since we
are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything
that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer
and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider
him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary
and lose heart.”
I
hope by now you are beginning to develop a right perspective over your
suffering, by looking at these cloud of witnesses. Secondly, “Having faith in God.” We put our faith
in God who promised to be with us in our trails. He encouraged us to call upon
him in the day of trouble and he will answer us. (Psalm 50:15).
He
also promised to provide a way out. “No temptation has overtaken you except
what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond
what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so
that you can endure it.” I Cor 10:13. The Greek word for temptation and tempted
can also be translated as, testing and tested.
Jesus
said, “I have told
you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John
15:11, Jesus promised to give us Joy when we obey his commandments. He also
challenged us to ask him in prayer, “until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask
and you will receive, and your
joy will be complete.” John 16:24.
The Apostle James, qualifies what to
ask for and how are we to ask? When we go through hardships we need wisdom to
respond rightly. “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.
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. That person should not
expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and
unstable in all they do.” James 1:5-8
The
key to receive anything from God including wisdom is, to have faith in God, and
never to doubt him. For example, when you pray for healing, a job or for a
breakthrough in a situation, by faith you ask Jesus to intervene, do not be
double-minded, but believe firmly that God is going to answer your prayers.
I’ve seen this kind of faith at work in my own life.
So,
dear friends, what is your trail today? Some of you might be going through
severe hardships, financially, health wise and relationally. Whatever your
struggle may be, have you considered it all Joy? I want us to leave this
morning encouraged, with James’ assuring words, Vs 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.” Amen.
