Count It All Joy

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Count It All Joy

• James 11-4

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I. A Brief Introduction

• A. James the man
• Vs 1 a servant of God Lord Jesus Christ
• Mark 63 brother of Jesus
• John 75 not a believer at first
• 1 Corinthians 157 post-resurrection appearance
  to him
• Acts 114 in the upper room
• Acts 1217 to be told of Peters escape

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I. A Brief Introduction

• B. His self-perception did not allude to his
  status, content with just servant
• C. His focus pastoral, to the 12 tribes which
  are scattered abroad
• D. His audience to who believers or
  non-believers?
• 722 BC, the diaspora?
• Scattered because of the persecution that began
  with Stephen

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II. The Understatement of the NT various
trials

• A. Historical Background
• Acts 81 fled first to Judea and Samaria
• Acts 1119-20 fled to Jewish communities around
  the Mediterranean
• Refused of protection by Jewish community
• Exploited by the Gentiles
• Homeless and disenfranchised, robbed of
  possessions, hauled into court, they had less
  standing than slaves

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II. The Understatement

• B. Time Frame
• Before the Jerusalem Council too Jewish to be
  inclusive of Gentiles in the church
• Dated after the Apostle James death and Peters
  arrest
• Probably the first epistle written, just before
  or around the time of Galatians
• James had become the leader of the church at
  Jerusalem

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II. The Understatement

• C. What caused James to write
• Living in the midst of difficult times, the
  believers were NOT living their lives in such a
  way that their Christianity was open and obvious
  to others around them

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III. James Irrational Call Count it all joy

• A. What he is NOT saying
• All encompassing joyful emotion
• Trials are painful!!!
• B. What then does he mean?
• A deliberate careful decision to experience joy
  even in times of trouble
• 2 Corinthians 74
• Acts 540-41, 1625
• Why? Romans 828
• Not if, WHEN!!!!

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IV. The Rationale Behind the Call

• Step 1 Understand testing develops perseverance
• Testing brings spiritual toughness
• Step 2 Perseverance produces maturity
• Toughness brings a dynamic maturity