I invite you to turn with me to James 1. James 1 as we read together the first 18 verses. Consider this morning verses 2 through 4, and next week, the Lord willing, verses 5 through 8. As you can see by the title in the bulletin, this morning we have to do with suffering. Something that might not be so pleasant to us, but something that is very real for each one of us. And I must say, too, that these two sermons were motivated for me by two sermons that I heard by a professor of mine about a dozen years ago or so when we were suffering for particular reasons in our family that you know about because of illness and so forth. So this morning we read together verses 1-18, and consider particularly verses 2-4. Hear now the word of God. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations, consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance, Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But 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. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position, but the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wildflower. For 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. Blessed 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. When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when by his own evil desire he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created. Verses 2 through 4, again, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, I start with this question then, how do you suffer? What I mean by that is, how do you face it? When suffering comes upon you, what is your attitude toward it? Again, because we know that this is not an insignificant question because everybody is touched by suffering. in some degree, in some way, shape, or form, everyone experiences it. It is a part of life. Now, we don't like it. We don't like the pain of suffering. We want a quick fix. We live in an instant gratification society, and the same is true when it comes to suffering, to trials. We want a quick fix for it. It has been said that suffering is like a window to the soul, and how one deals, well, it tells a lot about that person. If you really want to get to know someone, what they're really like, listen to them talk about suffering. And of course, we know that there are different things and different situations in this life that cause us to suffer. Oftentimes, it's our own sin. It's our own failure, our own wrongdoing. Others may cause us to suffer when they hurt us in some way, or sin in general will cause us to suffer. But again, that same question, how do you suffer? What is your attitude toward it? How do you face it? And even though James does not mention the word suffering in this text, this text deals with suffering. He speaks of trials, trials that cause suffering. And he teaches us how to face suffering. He teaches us about the art of suffering, because suffering is an art. And we need to understand at the very outset here that this text, what James is saying, is specifically for Christians. It's for Christians. He is addressing brothers. He's talking about brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ who suffer differently than non-Christians. Now there are three kinds of suffering that we can identify. And the first one we would call passive suffering. And that is when one lets suffering come upon them without really being moved by it, without being engaged in it, without being affected by it, at least not in any sort of a visible way. Last week we introduced a little bit Stoicism. Paul had to deal with the Stoic philosophers. And among other things, Stoicism teaches that man's life consists in his ability to not be moved and to not be governed by his emotions. And therefore, when suffering comes upon one, just don't let it show. I remember years ago, the day before I was to leave home and come out to California and be with my soon-to-be wife, some relatives had come over, and my dad's older brother, I remember him very vividly saying goodbye to my dad, and he said, keep a stiff upper lip. He was talking about me leaving. I'd never heard that before. But as I thought about it, I realized what he was telling my dad was, don't cry. Don't show any emotion. Be brave, at least on the outside. Stoicism, passive suffering. But then there's also active suffering, and this is the kind of suffering that the Bible prescribes, where one's spirit is engaged as life experiences come upon us, and God's people face them in faith, asking God to take us by the hand and carry us through. The believer's spirit is engaged in active suffering for good and is formed and shaped and fashioned through that suffering. And then there's also reactive suffering. And this is when one is also engaged in it, as it were, but in a very different way. One is engaged as a victim, that victim mentality. That's the mentality that the world has. Looking for someone to blame. Wanting to get even. with a hand stretched out toward heaven, clenched in a fist, demanding, Why? Why, God, have you done this to me? Or why are you letting this happen to me? With reactive suffering, the spirit becomes bitter and hard with cynicism and anger. But for Christians, there is only one way to suffer, and the Word of God points us to number two. As through James, we are called to active Christian suffering. And in this text, then, James teaches us the surprise in Christian suffering. And the secret of Christian suffering. And then the stimulus for Christian suffering. First of all, the surprise in Christian suffering. And the surprise really is found in what we might call the call. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Now notice, first of all, the fact. Notice something that is assumed there, and we've said it already, and that is that suffering is assumed whenever you face trials, not if. In fact, the brothers to whom James was writing were facing trials even at that very time. In chapter 2, he says, verse 6, Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of Him to whom you belong? They were suffering trials even at that very time, and some of them were trials of persecution for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And of course, we know what the Lord says in Isaiah 43. When you pass through the rivers, when you walk through the fire, when you experience those difficulties of life that may come pounding on you fast and furious. Every believer experiences trials and the suffering that results from these trials. All ages, boys and girls, young people. And these trials, as James says, are of many kinds and the suffering can be in various degrees. And the suffering includes, beloved, for example, the kind of suffering that we read of in the bulletin. Surgeries. The suffering that results of having to face surgery or after coming out of it. suffering of broken bones or of diagnoses or of death, the suffering, the kinds that we read of in the bulletin, but not just those public kinds, but also the kinds that we don't read about in the bulletin, the private kinds that God's people suffer, loneliness, depression, regret, fear, anxiety, and persecution, to mention a few. For example, the loneliness that lasts long after we leave the cemetery, long after the cards and the visits stop coming. Or regret over bad choices that you made years ago that keep nagging at your spirit, that keep fueling your remorse, that no matter how many times you hear God's assurance of pardon, you're just not sure. Or the suffering of fear and anxiety, fear of rejection and persecution for standing up for the truth, standing up for what you believe. Young people in the midst of your peers. There's a suffering that goes with that. Or an anxiety of not being able to take that job because it will require you to work on the Lord's Day. Or anxiety because you know that you simply cannot pursue that career because you know in your heart that you will never be able to withstand the temptations that exist in that profession. Maybe even the temptation to compromise your faith. Simply the suffering of fear and anxiety that comes for standing up for what you believe. Or the suffering of unspoken agony that is hard to put in words that causes sleepless nights. Maybe blaming yourself for a wayward child. Lamenting over what you could or should have done differently. Or the unspoken agony of living daily with the limitations of a disability. It's in the context of these and all kinds of suffering. These are just a few examples. But then God comes with His command, consider it pure joy. That's a command. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. You see, the surprise, of course, is not that we suffer. But the surprise is how we are called to suffer, how we are to face these trials, consider it pure joy. Ah, we know from the world's perspective that suffering and trials rob us of joy and rob us of peace and only cause misery. They don't make one joyful. And that's why the world's response is often reactive, complaining, blaming, lashing out. But from the believer's perspective, God's perspective, The Christian is called to handle life's trials and suffering differently. To suffer in an actively Christian manner. But yet, how difficult for you and me. Oh, we do wonder, we do ask, maybe you've witnessed unbelievers at the cemetery or in the hospital with regard to a tragedy, or maybe a co-worker that just lost their job, and we do ask at times how an unbeliever can handle these things without God. Because we do find comfort in the fact that God is on our side, yet this is still a surprising exhortation, even for you and me, that we are called to suffer with joy. Not that James is saying that the trials and the suffering itself is joyful. When I look back over my life and I think about some of the trials that I've had to face, many of them because of my own sin. A number of them because of circumstances in my life. not once can I remember ever saying, that was great. Oh, I'm so glad that happened. That's not what James is saying. He's not saying that our trials themselves are joyful. But we are called to rejoice. To be joyful in the midst of those trials and the suffering that comes. And of course, there are a couple of wrong notions that we need to cast aside. Maybe you are one, I doubt anyone here is like this, I hope not, but maybe you are one that finds it difficult to consider it pure joy because you are with those who think that Christians don't need to suffer. That once you come to Christ, life is easy. There will be money in the bank. You'll be surrounded with many friends. You will never have another doctor's bill. All because you know Christ. And you know there are some who teach that, some who preach that. But then for them, when the afflictions come, when the suffering comes, they're shocked, they're disoriented, they don't know what to do. And there are those who have difficulty, you see, matching this command to consider it pure joy with the experience, you see. Because they think joy is an emotion. Dictated by the experience and when I'm suffering, you see, I simply don't feel like having joy. They treat joy like being happy or sad. Something that does come with the experience. Either it's there or not, but we need to ask the question, what is joy? And very clearly, beloved, it is not an emotion. Just as love is not an emotion. Joy is a response that God commands. Therefore, joy is not based on feelings. But joy is an act of the will. It is an act of the will motivated by our understanding of the situation that then comes to control and govern our emotions and our feelings. Someone has said that joy is an attitude of the heart. It is a condition of the Spirit. It is a posture of faith. And we know that this command to consider it pure joy requires true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore, by faith, this joy is that posture, that attitude, that condition of contentment and satisfaction that understands that no matter what the unsettling circumstance may be that comes upon us, we are in Christ. We belong to Him. We are saved by Him. We are with God the Father. We are safe in the palm of His providential hand. And we are supported and we are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. And that joy then, beloved, produces the kind of submission to God's will that turns that fist of anger and bitterness gradually open to seek God's fellowship in the midst of suffering. It's a joy that knows that God is with us no matter what. You see, beloved, the joy that James is commanding does not necessarily mean having a smile on our face with all kinds of giddy laughter, but it does mean for the child of God having a smile in our heart, even though there may be tears streaming down our cheeks. And then we might ask, well, how is that possible? Well, James teaches in the second place the secret of Christian suffering. Verse 3, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. You see, James lists here two keys, we might say, to unlock that secret, to unlock that puzzle of suffering with joy. And those two keys revolve around knowledge, knowing something. The first key is having a knowledge that when you and I are facing trials, that our faith is being tested. It's not for nothing. Our faith is being tested. Now you might say, well, how in the world is that comforting? Isn't having faith in the midst of a faithless world hard enough all by itself? But then God comes to us and says that He tests our faith. And there are four ways, or we might say four reasons, in which God tests our faith. The first one is that he tests, he measures our knowledge. Boys and girls in school, your teacher gives you what we might call a delightful exercise called a test. And you might think it has absolutely no purpose. But your teacher gives you that test to measure your knowledge. Are you learning what you have been taught, what you're supposed to learn? Beloved, as we face trials, our faith is being tested. Our God measures us to see what it is we know about God, what we know about His Word, what we know about His promises, what we know about ourselves and our strengths and our weaknesses. He measures our knowledge. But also, in the midst of trials, the second reason is that He tests our reflexes. How do we respond to stimulation, as it were? When you go to the doctor, you know, if he takes out that little rubber mallet and gives you a tap just below your kneecap and your leg swings out automatically, he's testing your reflexes. Well, when we face trials, beloved, when the believer faces trials, our spiritual reflexes are being tested. God is testing us to see in that moment of truth when we experience the ouch and the pain of life. What is our reflex? Does our hand curl up in a fist? Or does it stretch wide open, seeking covenant communion with God? In crisis, do we look at our bank account first or the promise of the Bible? Do we seek the world's help first or do we look to God in prayer? Where do you go first when it hurts? Not last, when everything else fails. But where do you go first? well the third reason is that he checks the quality of our devotion you may know that a factory when there's a in a factory that produces a product many factories have a quality control department and they take the product into that quality control department and they abuse it as it were because they want to make sure the product measures up the specifications boys and girls you've seen those automobile commercials on tv the safety commercials about seat belts i think actually and they take these cars and they slam them into a wall with with these uh dummies in them but part of that too is part of the quality control to see how safe that car is you see they want to make sure of the quality of that product and similar to that god tests the quality of our devotion and our trust are we like so many fair weathered friends who are around when everything is going well but when the clouds of life come upon us, they can't be found? Does this describe the quality of our devotion to God that when everything is well, we love to sing His praises. We love to engage Him in prayer. We love to attend worship in church. We love to read scriptures and to testify concerning Him. But when things go wrong, we begin to cut corners. When everything is going great, we have no problem with the commandments, especially number 6, 7, 8, nine but when things begin to go wrong maybe especially in our business we begin to cut those corners and in some ways we start to subtly steal from our customers or we cut our morality back a little bit what is the quality of your devotion do you thank god when you receive from his hands and when he takes away or do you only thank him when you receive but you blame him when he takes away. But the fourth reason that God tests our faith is to remove the impurities. As gold and silver is heated up and refined, to remove the impurities, God tests our faith to remove the impurities of sin and doubt from that faith, from our character. Beloved, when we face trials, that's what God is doing. He is testing our faith. When the believer lies numb in bed with paralysis, God is testing the reflexes of his faith muscles. When a father and mother is sobbing because they watch their child who is of the age of discretion make choices that are completely empty of discretion, God is testing the quality of their devotion. Will they continue speaking the demands and the warnings and the exhortations of the covenant God to that child that were given to that child to the parents in baptism demands and warnings and exhortations that may very well drive that child away for a season or will they forget those things and tell the child what he wants to hear is the water of baptism thicker than the blood of family or is it the other way around when the believer is crying at the cemetery because we all know that the grave site is a furnace for refining faith will that one blame God or is that one being purified to say with Job the Lord has given, the Lord takes away blessed be the name of the Lord you see beloved knowledge that our trials are testing our faith even though it's difficult for the child of God produces joy in the believer because we know we know that God is at work and we know that God is at work only for our good because He does not tempt us as James says in verse 13 He does not tempt us like the devil does whose goal is our fall, our destruction. God's goal is our strength. God's goal is that we might persevere. And that's the second key. Knowledge of what tested faith produces. James says it produces perseverance. It produces endurance. As my professor said, it is a spiritual stick-to-itiveness. Sticking with it. You see, beloved, God's design is that His people stay on task, that His people do not give up in a world that calls for us to surrender to sin. Teachers, again, understand this stick-to-itiveness. Teachers want their students to stay on task. Don't hand that assignment in until it's finished. And God wants believers to stay on task with this business that we call sanctification, that work of the Holy Spirit in us of which we are conscious, with which we are called to actively participate, and by which He molds us and shapes us after God's will. You see, those in Christ Jesus by faith and enjoy His saving work and new life in Him can face suffering through Him who gives us strength, as Paul says in Philippians 4. And those who are in Him by faith only grow stronger in Him and they are given incomprehensible joy, a joy that unbelievers cannot begin to interpret. You see, unbelievers are baffled by Christians who in the face of sickness and death and whatever terrible trouble may come upon them with tears streaming down their face, yet they have an inner tranquility and peace and joy. it's in times such as that that the unbeliever simply can't understand, doesn't understand, that believers are spiritually keeping their nose to the grindstone. They're not quitting. They're not giving up. Instead, they are hanging in there by God's sufficient grace, as Paul learned. Because by the grace of God, we do believe that our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. This endurance, this endurance in suffering, this keeping faith, beloved, is a gift from God. A gift that we, too, are called to exercise. And it comes with a guarantee, as the psalmist says in Psalm 27, For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling. He will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. You see, beloved, ours is the guarantee that he will not let us hand ourselves in a moment too soon. And James then ties it all together by teaching of the stimulus for Christian suffering, or we might say the motivation or encouragement for Christian suffering. Verse 4, perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. We face trials. Those trials test our faith. That testing produces perseverance. And that perseverance must be complete. The child of God will be brought to maturity. You see, for the unbeliever, again, suffering serves no purpose. It's meaningless. They can't understand it. But for the believer, with true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that faith provides suffering with perspective. A perspective that God is using it for my good. No matter how much it hurts. That by it, He is strengthening my confidence in Him and His promises. As Jesus says in Matthew 10, All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. God will not let His children fall and fail. Our suffering, beloved, has a purpose. Not to destroy us, but conversely. That we might persevere to the end. It's a part of sanctification. It's a part of that cleansing process so that as Peter says in 1 Peter 1, verses 6 and 7, In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief and all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold which perishes, even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. He was talking about that inheritance that is reserved, kept safe in heaven, that we talked about with Ari, that already it's there. But it's not yet. And Jesus said, in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. We know that our suffering is the result of sin. Ours, others, or sin in general, it's the result of sin that Christ came to conquer. that Christ came to save us from. And those who are in Him by faith, He preserves. And the suffering that we face on this side of glory then serves the purpose of the practice of godliness. You see, we know this is a refining process. The Holy Spirit is busy making us holy. And as He does, so He cultivates patience, trust, and confidence that God is busy with me. He is busy with me. And unlike Satan, as the psalmist says in Psalm 138, the Lord will fulfill his purpose for me as he uses my suffering to prepare me for glory. That's what Peter says, 1 Peter 1, verse 5. He speaks of Christians who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. And James says in verse 12, Blessed 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. And one more beautiful passage from Ephesians 5, Paul says that Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word and to present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Beloved Christians have every reason to consider it pure joy when we face trials. Of course, joy is usually the last reaction that we might have to trials. But God says it is to be first. It is to be first in your heart, in my heart, even in the midst of pain and sorrow and tears, because God is at work. He is at work applying to me the salvation that has been earned for me by Jesus Christ. He is busy molding and making me after His will. He is busy drawing me ever closer to Himself. No, unbelievers cannot have this joy and suffering. And that's no surprise to us either, because apart from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they can only see and feel and sense defeat and hopelessness. It is only misery. But for those who humble themselves in the sight of the Lord and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ alone, who has suffered every last bit of suffering for you and me. His people are more than conquerors. And we have the confidence that nothing will separate us from His love and instead that all things, including our suffering, will draw us closer to our God. A beloved, we are called to active Christian suffering. And we can do so because God equips us to do so, which we hope to consider next time. But until then, may each one of us be encouraged by the word of the Lord in 1 Peter chapter 5. We've heard it already this morning in the charge to Ari. These words, And the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ after you have suffered a little while will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. To Him be the power forever and ever. Amen. Let's pray. our great God and Heavenly Father what other reaction can we have to your word but to rejoice give thanks and sing because indeed you've given to your people the confidence that we belong to you completely that we are safe in the palm of your hand you have told us straightforward in Your Word that as long as we continue to live this life, we will experience trials and the suffering that comes along with it. But yet we are to be of good cheer. We are to have hope. Because You are busy and You are using these things. Father, we may not always be able to understand how. There are so many things that are indeed puzzling to us, but we thank You that You have blessed us with the gift of faith. to believe the truths of your Word, even when it doesn't make sense to our minds and to our hearts at times. But yet we might have confidence that indeed, O Lord, your Word is true, that your promises are true, that you keep us safe in the palm of your hands. Father, indeed we do face suffering, and we have so many things in life that we are able to enjoy, and good things that we enjoy. But even at this moment, There are many among us who are suffering from private pains or public pains. And you know each one, and may each one, O Lord, find comfort and strength and joy in you and in the certainty that you will bring us to that wonderful end. Hear our prayer, O Lord, for Jesus' sake, and in his name alone we pray. Amen.