Every week I publish my sermon notes from the weekend before. It is my hope that this might benefit you, the reader. If you are one of CR's parishioners then reading what I intended to say might be enlightening. If you are another pastor or minister please use this in any way that might be helpful. It is my sincere hope that God would be given all the glory!
Joy and Doubts 07.31.11 (part 3 of Joy Series)
Scripture: James 1:5-8 ESV
Intro: Today we want to continue our Joy series by talking about the connection between Joy and Doubt. Doubt is the great robber of our faith and of our joy! We cannot enjoy God’s Presence during the trials of life if we doubt He is there or we doubt that He cares or we doubt that He has any words of encouragement or help. Many times in Scripture we read the words, “And it came to pass...” What is it that is “passing through” in your life today? You can learn from it, conquer it, be blessed by it, be closer to God through it - but doubt robs us! Before we talk about Doubt...
Let’s Review! The key word in our James text is CONSIDER. We are to consider it, or count it, all joy when we encounter all kinds of trials. It’s a matter of our attitude, how we think about it. We learned that joy IS NOT (1) automatic, (2) easy, (3) a feeling, (4) or dependent on circumstances. Joy comes straight from God. God’s joy is on the inside of us and so it doesn’t matter what’s going on on the outside of us - trials, temptations, from God, from ourselves or others, loneliness, illness or death, sometimes even because we are Christ-followers - we can still experience joy. We’ve learned that there are 5 reasons why we experience trials: so that I may (1) know my faith is authentic, (2) persevere, (3) be mature, (4) be fully equipped, (5) be blessed. That’s a very fast run through of the last 2 weeks. Go online and watch or listen!
Before we talk about Joy and Doubt, we need to talk about
Bible Lesson: Consider passages in ___CONTEXT___.
This means that we consider the verses that come before and the verses that come after. We ask ourselves what did the original writer understand when he wrote? How do we think the original readers understood what was written?
Today we see 2 examples where CONTEXT matters:
- How do verses 2-4 and 12 impact our understanding of verses 5-11?
Is it likely that James decides to switch quickly his writing and his main subject from the connection of joy and perseverance and maturity and then suddenly talk about faith and doubting in v. 5-8 and then pride and humility in v. 9-11, only to come back to his main topic in v. 12? Look at it. Verse 4 and 12 seem like they are two book ends of the same theme. Therefore, isn’t it likely that what comes in between (v.5-11) have something to do with the main idea?
2. How does our understanding of verse 5 impact our understanding of verses 6-8? (Let’s hold off on this question for now... )
Question: What does “wisdom” mean?
“If any of you lacks wisdom, ...” James 1:5a ESV
Answer: “Wisdom is a capacity of the mind; in the OT it involves both knowledge and the ability to direct the mind toward a full understanding of human life and toward its moral fulfillment. Wisdom is thus a special capacity, necessary for full human living, but one which can be acquired through education and the application of the mind.” - Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible
So we can see the connection of “wisdom” in v. 5 with “count” in v. 2: Both deal with the ___MIND___. The audience that James is writing to knew that wisdom was not just some a matter of more knowledge. More than just a quality of “being wise.” It was more a matter of knowing what do to do and then doing it in any given situation. So James is saying if you get into a “AND IT CAME TO PASS” situation where you don’t know how to count it all joy...
If I don’t know the pragmatic how to “count it all joy,” I am to:
- Ask God. (v.5)
- Ask in faith. (v.6-8) This is our outline for tonight. One at a time:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all
without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5 ESV
We learn 3 things about God’s gift of wisdom to His children:
- God gives ___GENEROUSLY___. When you ask for wisdom from God, he LOVES to grant your request. He doesn’t just give you a little bit. He doesn’t hide it. He is GENEROUS with wisdom. Remember Solomon could have asked for anything, and he chose wisdom. And because of this God gave him so many other things too. God loves to give you wisdom to know how to persevere, to hang in there, to mature, and to find joy!
- God gives ___TO ALL___. God doesn’t give just to some and not to others. There are no second class Christians. “If ANY of you” and God gives “TO ALL!” If you don’t know how to endure, how to have this joy that leads to maturity, to perfection in our faith, God gives His wisdom GENEROUSLY TO ALL.
- God give ___WITHOUT REPROACH___. We never have to worry about the consequences of God’s giving of wisdom. It’s not like when you are working for someone and you know you can ask, but you know you’ll be sorry if and when you do. No, not with God. He gives wisdom WITHOUT REPROACH!
But now we must deal with verses 6-8. Let’s read them and as we do, let’s see if there appears to be any contradiction here.
My Receiving Wisdom From God
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a
wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:6-8 ESV
It sure sounds like James has changed his tone here. Before God gave generously to all without reproach. But now, if we doubt... if we don’t ask in faith, we are described as a ship wreck, receiving nothing from the Lord, a double-minded person, unstable!
Question to ponder: Is it likely that the same writer (James) would contradict himself by saying one thing in verse 5 and then something different in verses 6-8? If not then I must look for a way to understand verses 6-8 in light of verse 5.
Application to learn: There is a difference between...
___GOD’S GIFT___ of wisdom to me
___MY RECEIVING GOD’S GIFT___ of wisdom to me.
This is one of those places where we have to be good readers. On the one hand, James is talking about God’s giving of wisdom (v.5), but on the other hand James is talking about our receiving of God’s wisdom. Do you see it? In other words there is a difference between a gift that someone wants to give and someone else actually receiving that gift.
Illustration: Imagine with me that you have a child you love very much. You have a gift you want to send them, a gift they both want and need. They have given you their address, but either they gave you the wrong address or they have moved and no longer live where they said they would. You mail them a gift... you have given it... but they haven’t received it. James is saying the same thing: there is a difference...
And what is that difference? ___FAITH - NOT DOUBTING___
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting,
This “asking in faith, with no doubting” can either seem extremely difficult or simple and easy, depending on what we are trusting in when we ask. All too often we ask for wisdom in how to handle a difficult situation on the basis of our deserving... on how we live... on how we perceive our relationship with God. We think that if our accounts are settled with God, if we have lived in a righteous way, if we have done all we know to do - or have kept away from doing what we know not to do, that THEN we have the faith to ask with no doubting. The problem is that this is based on our perception and often our feeling, which - when the trials and temptations are at their worst - will leave us just as James describes:
- like a wave driven and tossed by the wind - (totally out of control!)
- like someone who supposes they will never receive anything
- double-minded - trying to live both kinds of lives
- unstable - the very word for “mentally ill” in the Bible.
But this is not what James is talking about. This “asking in faith with no doubting” is not asking for wisdom on the basis or our deserving it and not based on our perception of our relationship with God. Rather, this “asking in faith with no doubting” is based on our perception of God. IOW, this is a request backed by genuine trust in God’s (1) character, (2) purposes, and (3) promises. You may believe yourself to be undeserving of such a great gift. But this, you see, is actually irrelevant to the truth that God’s gift of wisdom to you is based on his character, purposes and promises, not yours! And what is God’s character, purposes and promises all about when it comes to giving wisdom when you need it - during times of trials? “God gives graciously to all without reproach!” This is the basis of “asking in faith with no doubting!”
Let’s put it all together: I count it all joy when I face trial (temptations, difficulties)... when I enter into those “AND IT CAME TO PASS” moments of life... because I know they produce in me the ability to stick to my Christian faith, which helps me mature into the person God created...
... and when I can’t see HOW THIS IS SO, I have only to:
___ASK___ God in ___FAITH___
Illustration Example: Let me tell you the story of Scott Rigsby. He was an 18 year old kid on a hot summer day just prior to his first college semester. Riding in the back of a pickup truck in rural Georgia with friends after a hard day of landscaping work. They were talking sports, girls and plans for the weekend, when suddenly the truck is hit by a passing 18- wheeler, throwing him underneath a 3-ton attached trailer and dragging him 328 feet.
His back suffered third degree burns, his right leg was severed off and his left leg hung barely intact. His life was seemingly over, or so it seemed for Scott Rigsby. Over the next decade Scott endured 8 weeks in the burn unit, 26 surgeries, including amputation of both legs.
Now we fast forward to Scott today. Scott’s story in one of great inspiration as he made the decision to “count it all joy” in all his many adversities, yet he still has managed to complete 13 triathlons. In 2007 Scott was the very first double amputee on prosthetics in the history of the world to complete the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii... that’s 140.6 miles - 2.4 mile ocean swim, 112 miles on a bicycle, followed by a full 26.3 mile marathon. They’ve made a movie about him. Appropriately it’s called “Unthinkable!” [http://www.scottrigsby.com/index.html]
But today, as we wrap up our talk, I don’t want to focus on Scott’s accomplishments - as great and incredible as they are. I want to look at those moments in his life, when he was facing depression, fear, and uncertainty. When he was facing an inevitable battle with prescription drug addiction. When financially, things got so desperate that Scott Rigsby sold what little furniture he had just to pay rent. How did he find God’s wisdom to hang in there... to endure... and ultimately to mature into the beautiful man that God is using so powerfully today? Let’s listen to Scott’s own words:
Video: “Scott Rigsby on Depression” [2:23]
Conclusion: What is the “AND IT CAME TO PASS” trial of life you might be facing? How can you know how to get it to pass? How can you have the wisdom to hang in there, to endure, to mature, to grow to perfection? Ask God. He wants to help. He wants to encourage you. He wants to give you the gift of knowing that this is ONLY PASSING and that there is a benefit for you and for others. Do you have the faith to ask God for wisdom? Can you receive from Him without doubting? Let’s pray.
Prayer and Benediction: “May God the Father who so generously gives wisdom to all without reproach go with you this evening. May you have the faith to ask without doubting how this trial, this temptation, this loneliness, this difficulty, this test - whatever you are facing this evening may it be just another “AND IT CAME TO PASS.” In Jesus name, Amen.
