From Trouble to Triumph

James 1  [1] James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings.  [2] Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials

Who is this “James” guy?  The younger brother of Jesus Christ.  Tried to straighten Jesus out…  But Jesus straightened James out!  Became a powerful leader…  Established a condensed framework for living in the Christian community. And Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here [small-time Galilee] and go to [big-time] Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” For even his brothers didn’t believe in him. John 7:3-5 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time…then He appeared to James; 1 Corinthians 15:6-7

Who is this “James” guy?  The younger brother of Jesus Christ.  Tried to straighten Jesus out…  But Jesus straightened James out!  Became a powerful leader…  Established a condensed framework for living in the Christian community.  Led those Christians away from manmade religion & hypocrisy…  Into real spiritual life!

No Messin’ Around!

Issue #1: Deal with Suffering  People try to avoid it… Source: “Consumer Expenditures in 2005” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Report 998) Human kind cannot bear very much reality.—T.S. Elliot Men seek but one thing in life — their pleasure. W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage “Rights…pursuit of happiness…”

Issue #1: Understand Suffering  People try to avoid it…  or deny it… The dreaming self, subject as it is to the accidents of experience, must not be confused with the true self", [Encyclopedia Britannica, XII.248 When Lord Buddha spoke about suffering, he wasn’t referring simply to superficial problems like illness and injury, but to the fact that the dissatisfied nature of the mind itself is suffering. Buddhism, WikiQuote

Issue #1: Understand Suffering  People try to avoid it…  or deny it…  or get bitter about it… It is not true that suffering ennobles the character; happiness does that sometimes, but suffering, for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive. – W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage, Penguin, ch. 17, p. 64

Issue #1: Understand Suffering  People try to avoid it…  or deny it…  or get bitter about it…  Or get confused by it… To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But, then one suffers from not loving. …Therefore, to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer, to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love, to be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy, therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness — I hope you’re getting this down. – Woody Allen

Issue #1: Understand Suffering  People try to avoid it…  or deny it…  or get bitter about it…  Or get confused by it…  But God converts suffering into victory! …so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:4 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 Alternatives?

Issue #1: Understand Suffering  Vocational  Financial  Health  Relationships  Family  Mistreatment  Failure  Bad Choices  Good Choices  External / Internal I.e., ALL Suffering

From Trouble to Triumph 1. “Consider it all joy!” Joy is not necessarily a feeling… It is a decision (“consider” = “to be led”) A decision to be thankful or bitter. “To whine or not to whine… that is the question!”

From Trouble to Triumph 1. “Consider it all joy!” 2. Seek God’s Purpose Not that he caused the suffering! And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. James 1:13

From Trouble to Triumph 1. “Consider it all joy!” 2. Seek God’s Purpose Not that he caused the suffering! He won’t remove all suffering either! “when you encounter various trials” Philip. 1:29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, Acts 14:22 …strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them…saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."

From Trouble to Triumph 1. “Consider it all joy!” 2. Seek God’s Purpose 3. Let God Change You Through This Not your circumstances… So you can grow up! [3] Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. [4] And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:30-31 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

From Trouble to Triumph 1. “Consider it all joy!” 2. Seek God’s Purpose 3. Let God Change You Through This 4. Look to God’s Wisdom James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 Trials LoserWin THE DIFFERENCE

From Trouble to Triumph 1. “Consider it all joy!” 2. Seek God’s Purpose 3. Let God Change You Through This 4. Look to God’s Wisdom 5. With the Fiber of Faith But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:6-8 Surfer Dude YesNo 1 Peter 4:19 Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

Surfer Dude Life  “Pain Avoidance”  “Grin & Bear It”  “I refuse!”  “Ahhhh!” (Shock & Dismay)  “Eeore Syndrome” a.k.a. “I’m gonna eat some worms”

So many live out their lives in quiet lostness…Their immortal souls are blown away, and they are not disquieted by the question of its immortality, because they are already disintegrated before they die..Søren Kierkegaard The Choice  Triumphant “Consider it all joy!” Seek God’s Purpose Let God Change You Through This Look to God’s Wisdom With the Fiber of Faith  Folly “Pain Avoidance” “Grin & Bear It” “I refuse!” “Ahhhh!” (Shock & Dismay) “Eeore Syndrome” a.k.a. “I’m gonna eat some worms” Result: STABILITY, Intimacy with God, Growth James 1:4 And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.