“The Book of James 1:4-12”
Pastor Mike Barnett
James 1:4-12 says:
4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
9The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under
trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life
that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:4-12
JAMES IS TELLING CHRISTIANS THAT:
·
To grow into Christian maturity is to lay down the
wisdom of the world with its standards of success and to take up the imitation
of Christ.
1) It produces
the _______________(virtues) of the Christian life.
2) It grants
what is needed to _______________(endure) the ________________(test).
3) It leads to
______________(life), as opposed to “sinful desire” which leads to death.
Eph. 1:17-18 says:
17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may
know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened
in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of
his glorious inheritance in the saints, Eph. 1:17-18
NOTE: WHEN BELEIVERS FACE TIMES OF TESTING – WHETHER
PHSIICAL, EMOTIONAL, MORAL, OR SPIRITUAL – THEY HAVE A NEED FOR GOD’S _________________________(WISDOM)!
Job 28:12-23 says:
12 "But where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding dwell?
13 Man does not comprehend its worth;
it cannot be found in the land of the
living.
14 The deep says, 'It is not in me';
the sea says, 'It is not with me.'
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed in silver.
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,
with precious onyx or sapphires.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with
it,
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
18 Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 The topaz of
it cannot be bought with pure gold.
20 "Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living
thing,
concealed even from the birds of the air.
22 Destruction [a] and Death say,
'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.'
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells,
Job 28:12-23
Proverbs 3:5-7 says:
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. [a]
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
·
The wisdom of the world, by contrast, teaches us what
we perceive to be trials and misfortunes are to be avoided.
Luke 11:9-13 says:
9"So I say to you: Ask and it will
be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to
you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to
him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11"Which of you
fathers, if your son asks for[a] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or
if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then,
though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask
him!" Luke 11:9-13
·
It is not our prayer which moves God. It is Jesus who
moves us to pray.
·
Sometimes God moves on our behalf _____________________(before)
we pray.
24 Before
they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will
hear. Isaiah 65:24
·
While God uses our faith, God can _______________________(supersede)
our faith and our obedience when He chooses to – His sovereignty is more
powerful than what we can do.
2 Timothy 2:13
“If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he
cannot disown himself”. 2 Timothy 2:13
JAMES IS TELLING CHRISTINANS TO
________________(TRUST) GOD’S WISDOM. V. 5
·
James specifically __________________(warns) against
being double minded, double tongued or double faced, because such a person will
never see God show up to his fullest.
·
God means what he says and He always
__________________________(accomplishes) what He ________________(says) He will
do through us!
Jer.
29
"Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a
hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? Jer. 23:29
·
The Words of human beings by contrast, often are only
wind.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 says:
11 For I know the plans I have for you,"
declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to
me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me
with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13
·
God gives wisdom without _____________________(hesitation)
and without finding ________________(fault) regardless of our
_____________(past) track record. V. 5
2 Timothy
“If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he
cannot disown himself”. 2 Timothy 2:13
·
While God uses our faith and obedience to answer
prayer – he still gives to all without finding fault.
·
Without hesitation, reluctance, or reservation, His
divine wisdom will be given to us in generous abundance.
Psalm 81:10 says:
·
He will say to us what he has said to his people
before, “ I the Lord, am your God, who brought you up from the
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of
Open wide your mouth and I will fill
it. Psalm 81:10
Matthew 21:21-22 says:
21Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if
you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig
tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,'
and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in
prayer." Matthew 21:21-22
Phil
19And my God will meet all your needs according to
his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:19
NOTE: A doubtful prayer for wisdom is
like _____________(not) praying at all!
Ephesians 4:14 says that a person who
puts there trust in God and His Word….”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 men in their deceitful scheming”. Eph 4:14
·
When God is not trusted, the only course is to go
from _______________(bad) to __________________(worse) to still __________________(worse).
·
James says such a person cannot expect that he will
receive anything from the Lord. V. 7
·
James says such a person is double-minded, unstable
in all his ways. V. 8
Matthew 7:24-27 says:
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27
·
Jesus said of such a double-minded person in
Revelation 3:16:
“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I
am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Rev. 3:16
James says in chapter 4, verse 8:
8Come near to God and he will come near
to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you
double-minded. James 4:8
·
The double-minded person is trying to serve two
God’s, which as the Lord declares is impossible.
Matthew
24"No one can serve two masters. Either he
will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and
despise the other. Matthew 6:24
·
James urges the Christian to pursue God with single
minded of heart!
THE GOD OF EQAULITY
James 1:9-12 says:
9The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under
trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life
that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:9-12
Those Christians who are humbled by their financial
lack should rejoice because:
1) Their
poverty provides an arena for their faith to be tested and for endurance to
grow.
2) They will
be exalted just as the prophets and Jesus had promised.
·
Despite being financially poor, a believer is encouraged to GLORY IN THEIR
HIGH POSITION. V. 9
·
“Kauchaomai” (glory) is often translated “rejoice” or
“boast”.
·
The Christian, may be considered “the scum of the
world, the dregs of all things” in the eyes of the world, but in God’s eyes be
exalted.
·
He may be hungry, but have the bread of life.
·
He may be thirsty, but have the living waters – the
well spring of life!
·
He may be poor, but have eternal riches.
·
He may be cast aside by men, has been eternally
accepted by God.
·
He may have no home on earth, but have a glorious
abode in Heaven.
NOTE: When God, in His wisdom and sovereignty, takes
away physical possessions from some of His children, it is for the purpose of
making them _____________________ ______________________(spiritually mature), a
blessing infinitely more valuable than anything they have lost or have wanted,
but never possessed.
·
The believer who is deprived in this life can accept
that temporary and insignificant deprivation because he has a ____________________(future)
divine _____________________(inheritance) that is both eternal and secure.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:3-5:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth. Matt 5:3-5
The Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:16-18:
16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that
we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God
and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we
may also share in his glory. 18I consider that our present sufferings are
not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:16-18
1 Peter
24For,
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of
the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall, 1 Peter
Hebrews
16Let us then approach the throne of
grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us
in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16
Philippians
19And my God will meet all your needs
according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
NOTE: Faith in Christ, to supply his/her needs lifts
the lowly believer beyond his/her trials to the great height of a position in
the eternal
·
Faith in Christ, does an equally blessed thing for
the rich believer, whose riches are temporary; it fills him with the spirit of
lowliness and true humility.
·
When trials come, the poor brother ____________________(forgets)
all his earthly ____________________(poverty), and the rich brother forgets all
his earthy _________________(riches).
·
THE TWO ARE EQUALS BY FAITH IN CHRIST!
·
ALL GROUND IS _________________(LEVEL) AT THE FOOT OF
THE ___________________(CROSS) OF JESUS CHRIST!
“BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO PERSEVERES UNDR TRIAL,
BECAUSE WHEN HE HAS STOOD THE TEST, HE WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE THAT GOD
PROMISED TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM”. V. 12
·
A person who perseveres under trial is the man/woman
who never _____________________(relinquishes) his confident _________________(trust)
in God.
·
He is the true believer, who perseveres and becomes
the man who is approved by testing the test with his faith intact.
·
Perseverance does not result in salvation, and
eternal life, but is the result and __________________________(evidence) of
salvation.
1 Cor. 3:12-15 says:
12If any man builds on this foundation using gold,
silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it
is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and
the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14If what he has built
survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer
loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Cor. 3:12-15
Jesus said:
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I
loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in
my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. John 15:9-10
John 2:5-6 says:
5But if anyone obeys his word, God's love[a] is truly made complete in him. This is how
we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1
John 2:5-6