JAMES 1:9-12
FAITH WORKS PRODUCTIVELY
FAITH WORKS #3
“A young woman who was a great lover of flowers had set out a rare vine at the base of a stone wall. It grew vigorously, but it did not blossom. Day after day she cultivated it and watered it and tried in every way to coax it into bloom.
“One morning as she stood disappointed before it. Her invalid neighbor, whose back lot adjoined her own called over and said, “You cannot imagine how much I have been enjoying the blossoms of that vine you planted.” The owner looked and on the other side of the wall was a mass of bloom. The vine had crept through the crevices and flowered luxuriantly on the other side.”
I think if you had asked that young gardener, “Was it worth it to put in all that toil, I am sure she would have said, “It’s worth it!”
A chaplain was ministering to a dying boy during one of the wars. He asked him if he had any message for his mother. “Yes,” he said, “Tell her I am dying happy.”
“Anything else?” the chaplain asked.
“Yes, write to my Sunday School teacher. Tell her that I died a Christian and I have never forgotten her teaching.”
“A few weeks later the chaplain received a letter from this Sunday School teacher. It went something like this: ‘God have mercy upon me. Only last month I resigned from my Sunday School class, for I felt that my teaching was doing no good: and scarcely had I, through my cowardly, faithless heart, given up my appointed work, than I got your letter telling me that my teaching had been the means of winning a soul to Christ.
I am going back to my rector at once to tell him that I will try again in Christ’s name, and I will be faithful to the end.’”
Concerning the tests and struggles of being a Sunday School teacher, this lady could say, “It’s worth it.”
Sometimes as we go through life, and as we work hard, and as we face trials, as we see little fruit for our labors, we may ask the question, “Is it worth it?”
Are the sacrifices worth the pain, anxiety and suffering we go through.
This evening, as we continue to talk about trials in verses 1-12 of James, we find that James is telling us “It’s Worth It”. There are good results to our suffering patiently through problems. That means FAITH WORKS PRODUCTIVELY.
So far in James we have seen that:
FAITH WORKS JOYFULLY
Our attitude in trials is to be one of joy. Vs. 2
Our assessment of trials is to be that “the trying of our faith” produces endurance. Vs. 3
Our action in trials is to let or permit patience to have her perfect work. We are to let God fully develop our patience.
We said that God does not leave us defenseless in trials.
We have the blessed gift of prayer for wisdom.
FAITH WORKS PRAYERFULLY
Vs. 5 – The Cry for Wisdom
Vs. 6 – The Courage of Wisdom
Vs. 6-7 – The Consequences of Doubt
Vs. 8 – The Cause of Instability (Being two-souled).
So tonight we consider that FAITH WORKS PRODUCTIVELY, It’s worth it to face the hardships.
Tonight we see:
THE POOR MAN EXALTED – Vs. 9
THE RICH MAN HUMBLED – Vss. 10-11
THE FAITHFUL MAN REWARDED – Vs. 12
THE POOR MAN EXALTED – Vs. 9
Vs. 9 - Have you ever noticed how often finances are involved in our trials?
· You under pressure to find a place to live and it requires money.
· The car is falling apart, and spends more time in the shop than on the road, and it requires money.
· You or a loved one is sick, going back and forth to the doctor and/or hospital and it requires money.
· Your child has to have braces and it requires money.
You have probably discovered that money is not something that grows on trees, and for most of us, enough money is always just a little more than we have right now!
Most of us can relate to the “brother of low degree” mentioned in this verse.
· The brother of low degree is not well off financially.
· The brother of low degree probably struggles with money.
· To add to this insult, as he goes through trials, the brother of low degree also has little self esteem.
· He does not have a high position in the community.
· He is not on a high social level.
· He is not part of the “upper crust” of society.
Please bear in mind that James is viewing this “Brother of low degree” from a human stand point. Before God, every born again Christian is well loved and thought of!
1 Peter 2:9-10 - But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: [10] Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
What should the brother of low degree be doing during his trials? He should rejoice that he is exalted.
D. Edmond Hiebert says this about the word “rejoice”.
“The verb denotes a strong personal reaction, a feeling of pride of exultation in the condition mentioned. It encompasses the individual’s total reaction, both his inward feeling and the outward expression of exaltation. Zodiahates remarks that the word means “to profess loudly something that you have a right to be proud of…” D. Edmond Hiebert, The Epistle of James, Tests of a Living Faith”, (Chicago, Moody Press, 1979) p. 89
So, Christian, what do we have to be proud of, or constantly joyful over?
OUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN
Luke 10:20 - Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD
John 1:12 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
God is our father!
A good father provides. God provides.
A good father protects. God protects.
A good father corrects. God corrects.
A good father encourages. God encourages.
A good father guides. God guides.
WE ARE JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST
Romans 8:16-17 - The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: [17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
So when those trials of a financial nature come, and when those trials that force you into a lowly position in other ways come remember to rejoice that in Christ you are exalted.
My Father is rich in houses
and lands,
He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,
His coffers are full, He has riches untold.
My Father’s own Son, the
Savior of men,
Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them;
But now He is pleading our pardon on high,
That we may be His when He comes by and by.
I once was an outcast
stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice, an alien by birth,
But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down,
An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.
A
tent or a cottage, why should I care?
They’re building a palace for me over there;
Though exiled from home, yet
still may I sing:
All glory to God, I’m a child of the King.
I’m a child of the King,
A child of the King:
With Jesus my Savior,
I’m a child of the King. Harriet E. Buell,
It’s worth it.
THE POOR MAN EXALTED – Vs. 9
THE RICH MAN HUMBLED – Vss. 10-11
The way the stock market is going lately you might be glad if you have no money invested.
I have a feeling that over the last few years many a wealthy person lost some sleep over the value of their investments. When you have money, it’s usually a tragedy when it is lost. Being responsible for money can be a heavy burden.
Another trial of wealth is that you never know who your friends are. When you have money, everybody is your friend because they’d like to be in on the money.
I have a pastor friend who once pastored a very wealthy church, due to the fact that one man in the congregation was very wealthy. Being good stewards of the Lord’s money they tried to use it to help others. The pastor said, he always had people around, because his church had money. There was a sweeter spirit when the church had just been making ends meet.
A popular story recounts a meeting that took place at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago in 1923. Attending this meeting were nine of the richest men in the world at that time: (1) Charles Schwab, President of the world's largest independent steel company; (2) Samuel Insull, President of the world's largest utility company; (3) Howard Hopson,
JAMES 1:9-12 - PAGE 7
President of the largest gas firm; (4) Arthur Cutten, the greatest wheat speculator; (5) Richard Whitney, President of the New York Stock Exchange; (6) Albert Fall, member of the President's Cabinet; (7) Leon Frazier, President of the Bank of International Settlements; (8) Jessie Livermore, the greatest speculator in the Stock Market; and (9) Ivar Kreuger, head of the company with the most widely distributed securities in the world.
Twenty-five years later, (1) Charles Schwab had died in bankruptcy, having lived on borrowed money for five years before his death. (2) Samuel Insull had died virtually penniless after spending some time as a fugitive from justice. (3) Howard Hopson was insane. (4) Arthur Cutten died overseas, broke. (5) Richard Whitney had spent time in Sing-Sing. (6) Albert Fall was released from prison so he could die at home. (7) Leon Fraizer, (8) Jessie Livermore, and (9) Ivar Kreuger each died by suicide. Measured by wealth and power these men achieved success, at least temporarily. Making a lot of money may be an acceptable goal, but money most assuredly does not guarantee a truly successful life. BUSINESS AND ACCOUNTING ETHICS Dr. Katherine T. Smith, Business Author Dr. L. Murphy Smith, CPA, Professor of Accounting, Texas A&M University,
http://acct.tamu.edu/smith/ethics/ethics.htm
James understood that wealth comes with problems.
And in these verses, he is talking to the Christian Brother who has wealth.
It is not a sin to be wealthy and to be a Christian.
God has blessed some with wealth, and I think they should be thankful to God.
But when the trials of wealth come, look at why it’s worth it.
Vs. 10 – The rich brother is to rejoice because he is made low.
How does the rich brother get into Heaven?
He gets there the same way the poor brother does.
Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Everyone gets to Heaven by God’s grace.
It is not based on a man’s work.
It is through the means of faith.
To be saved a person must admit that he or she is not good enough to please God.
They must humble themselves before God in order to get into Heaven.
Matthew 18:3-4 - …Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. [4] Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
So the rich man can rejoice that he has been made humble.
He can rejoice that he has discovered that his wealth is temporary, and that he has something better in the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s worth it!
Vs. 11 shows how temporary wealth is.
Once a rich man passed away and someone asked another, “How much did he leave?”
“All of it was the answer.”
The rich man will die in a few years just like the poor man. Being wealthy is only temporary.
THE POOR MAN EXALTED – Vs. 9
THE RICH MAN HUMBLED – Vss. 10-11
THE FAITHFUL MAN REWARDED – Vs. 12
Vs. 12 – God wants us to be happy, even in trials.
So, here we find that the man who is enduring, that is, successfully handling trials, bearing under without giving in, or giving up, is the one who can be happy.
There will be a day when he is tried.
There are two trials.
You will stand trial at one of them.
The trial you don’t want to stand at is “The Great White Throne”. This for the unsaved and will result in everlasting punishment.
Revelation 20:15 - And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The trial Christians stand in is the “Judgment Seat of Christ”. Here our Lord is going to evaluate us and reward us for faithful service to Him.
2 Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
James is saying that the person who successfully endured will receive a “crown”. There are several “crowns” or rewards Christians can earn. This one is for the one who endures. It is called the crown of “life”. Not salvation. That can’t be earned.
Notice the Lord has promised it to those who endure.
And he says that those that endure are those who love Him.
What a perspective on bearing our trials patiently.
When we allow God to mature us through the trials we are saying, “Lord, I love you!”
When we are not enduring faithfully in our trials, what are we saying?
“Lord, I love something else more than I do you.”
“Lord, I love someone else more than I do you.”
“Lord, I love myself more than I do you.”
In Australia during World War I it was the ministers’ job to break the news when a son was killed in action.
One morning a minister got word by telegram that he had to break the sad news to a member of his congregation.
“On receipt of that news the poor preacher paced across his study in an hour of agonizing prayer, seeking the needed courage from God face the task before him.
At last he ventured out and towards the home of a little mother who was a faithful member of his congregation.
“As he walked up the path the door opened, and the bright little mother called our cheerfully, ‘Come in, Pastor I know you have some news for me. I felt it this morning when I was in prayer.”
“At this somewhat surprising turn of events the pastor accepted the invitation of his parishioner, but as he stood in the drawing room before her, his mouth was dumb.”
“’Pastor, tell me, tell me.’
The man could not speak.
Then seeing her pastor’s face in agony of soul, she cried,
‘Pastor, which one of my boys, which one?’ And then he spoke. ‘All - They were in the same battalion when a barrage of German poison, gas shells came, and out of twelve hundred men, only twenty-seven escaped alive.
“The little mother was stunned, of course, but quickly found herself again and made her reply to her pastor, “Pastor, isn’t it wonderful! The Lord gave me the joy of winning them all for Jesus and I shall see them when He comes. Seeing the endurance on the part of the mother the pastor very wisely appointed her to visit those who had loved ones on the front.
“This ministry she carried on faithfully and later said to her pastor, “Pastor, this has been the greatest trial that I have known, but the Lord has stood by me, and I love Him just the same:”
I have a feeling this lady will win the crown of life.
So Faith works productively.
It’s worth it!
THE POOR MAN IS EXALTED
THE RICH MAN IS HUMBLED
THE FAITHFUL MAN IS REWARDED