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Well, good morning again. It's good to be with y'all this morning. Y'all can turn in your Bibles to James chapter 1, and we'll be going over the first four verses. It's James 1, verses 1 through 4. As you're turning there, I just want to give y'all a bit of a heads up this morning.

This is a passage about trial. So I know what you might be thinking. Come on, John, the pastor's out. It's after Christmas. Why are we talking about trial this morning? And I get it. Truly, I get it. There really is no good time to talk about trial. Because all I have to do is say the word trial.

And I know everyone in here immediately has something that is fresh and relevant. Excuse me. Something poignant on your mind, some pain or some suffering that you've recently gone through or are going through. But then again, maybe that makes it a good time to talk about trial. For the very same reasons, trial is everywhere.

Everyone experiences it. Christians experience trial. And trials are hard. I don't want to sugarcoat this or move past it too quickly. Trials can often be devastating, and maybe you are currently being devastated. And if so, hear these words. We love you. God loves you. And God is not far off.

And I think that's why Christmas is an appropriate time to tackle this topic, because after all, what is Christmas all about? We read it in Luke during worship. Angels came to the shepherds with an announcement. I bring you good news of great joy. A Savior has been born.

Where did that joy come from? You can see I've titled my sermon this morning, Count It All Joy, which comes straight from our text this morning. James is making a similar announcement. He's beginning his letter with a command, a command to joy. And make no mistake, it is a command.

So the question, at least in my mind, the big question is how? How can James say, count it all joy? How can James say count it all joy in various trials? Does James know what he's talking about? How do you count it all joy when you lose your job or when you lose a pregnancy?

How do you count it all joy when a loved one is a joy? One receives a terminal diagnosis. How can you count it all joy if you're rejected by your friends and family? How do you count it all joy when there's no end in sight to the suffering that you're going through?

And I come to you this morning, me, John Davis, come to you confessing that I don't do this very well. Even as I was preparing this sermon, my one-year-old Charlie was in the ER for the ninth time this year in what has been a season of acute medical trial for my family.

And frankly, I don't know what next year is going to hold for him. And as I was writing this, I was looking at my Bible, weeping, and just repeating to myself, count it all joy, count it all joy, count it all joy, and I just couldn't make myself feel it.

And yet, there it is, this command. And I don't tell you my story to compare trials or to insinuate that I have it worse than anyone else in this room. But I want to be honest that I have not mastered this, and I've experienced the futility of trying to conjure up joy in my own strength.

And maybe you. Have two. So, this sermon is addressed to me this morning. I need God's help. I need the word of God's help. And I think you might need it too. So, let's read in our text this morning, James chapter 1, verses 1 through 4. It says, James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes and the dispersion, greetings.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Let's pray. Father, please open our ears this morning that we may receive your instruction, that you would give us the wisdom and the courage to walk out in faith and to obey.

In Jesus' name, amen. So, this morning we're going to examine the question, how does one count it all joy in the midst of trial? And I'll give you the answer in one sentence coming from this passage. I believe James is writing this letter to encourage his audience by reminding them that the heavenly rewards of trial outweigh the earthly costs.

And to show us this, James introduces his letter with a chain argument. If such and such is true, then such and such will also be true. And so we'll take a minute to look at each block of the chain this morning. I believe there are four encouragements. Let me get this working.

There we go. Four encouragements found in these verses that address the question: how can we consider our trials with joy? The first is that James reminds his audience of the preciousness of their faith. Two, James confirms the inevitability of trial. Third, James guarantees the result of steadfastness. And lastly, James spurs his audience on to greater maturity in Christ.

So we'll start with point one. I'll read verse one again: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings. Now, because this is the first verse of the first chapter, this is the opening, we have a little bit of exegetical legwork to do before we dig into the content.

So we can start with the obvious question: who is James? Who is this guy? Who's writing to us? Now, answering that question is a little bit like answering the question: who is John in this church? There's just so many of us. You never really know. But here, even though there are a lot of Jameses in the New Testament, I'll spare you the debate.

But let me conclude by saying that this letter is certainly James the half-brother of Jesus. Perhaps a better question might be to ask, what are James's credentials? What gives him the right to say, count it all joy? The only moniker that James gives himself in verse 1 is this bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I find it interesting that James doesn't appeal to his own authority here, although he could have bragged about being the half-brother of Jesus. But rather, he places himself under the authority of Christ. Now we get to know a little bit more about James in the book of Acts.

And if you remember, Acts chapter 2 is Pentecost. It's the catalyst that launches the church. And it was launched by the 12 apostles, the people who walked with Jesus, who listened to his teachings, and who were commissioned by Jesus to go to the ends of the earth, to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, spreading the gospel.

That's what apostle means. It's the sent one. But it started in Jerusalem. And so, as the apostles are being sent out, as they are going to the ends of the earth, there is a fledgling, persecuted church in the heart of Jewish life that needs a local and permanent leader, someone trustworthy, someone wise.

Well, James is the one who's going to fill this role. As early as Acts chapter 12, you get hints that James is in this position of leadership in the church in Jerusalem. In Acts chapter 15, you have the Jerusalem Council where Paul and Barnabas come to talk about the gospel going to the Gentiles.

And James is the one who's presiding over that council. In Galatians 2:12, Paul even calls James a pillar of the church along with Peter and John. So, if you can get this, the profile of James is not of an apostle, but it's that of an overseer, a church elder.

We're familiar with that. He may even be the first church elder. And James, in particular, his eldership, his shepherding, was of the Jews. His flock was Jewish. And you see that here in James chapter 1, verse 1. He is writing to the 12 tribes in the dispersion. Now, every time we see the words 12 tribes in the New Testament, it is always talking about ethnic Jews.

You know, sometimes we'll try and spiritualize it and say, oh, this is referring to all Christians, but consider James. He is the leader of the church in Jerusalem at the heart of Jewish life. His flock is Jewish. So he is going to encourage and admonish these people in ways that are most applicable to them.

But he's not just writing to the Jews in Jerusalem. And here you see that word dispersion. What does that mean? Well, that word means scattered. You picture a snowball hitting a brick wall. So why do you think the Jews, the believing Jews, have been scattered? Well, Acts 11, 19 describes a scattering that takes place after the persecution of Stephen.

But I think there's another reason why these Jews might be scattered throughout. And this one may be difficult for most of us, especially me who grew up in the Bible Belt in a believing family. I don't really get to appreciate this, but maybe you have. I think to testimonies of our Muslim friends who have chosen to follow Christ, and they know because of their culture and their family experience that saying yes to Jesus is the equivalent to saying no to your home.

Your life, to your family, to your land, to your inheritance. I mean, you get the picture. And this is what was happening to the Jewish believers in the early church. James is writing to outcasts. James is writing to believers who don't have a home because they're not welcome at their home.

They have faced unspeakable rejection for the sake of following Christ. And so, do you think that when James opens his letter with the words, count it all joy, do you think that he's choosing these words lightly? Do you think he's being flippant? Trial for these Christians is not a theoretical prospect.

Trial is everyday life and yet the same. Here you have it: the command, count it all joy. How can James say this? Well, I think we find the answer in the next verse with two little words: my brothers. You see, James doesn't identify with them as his fellow countrymen, but as brothers.

And this is the term used exclusively for those who identify under the banner of Jesus Christ as children of God and co-heirs. With Christ. And James is going to continue using this phrase, my brothers, a total of 15 times just in this epistle. And he's doing it to remind his audience of two things.

One, that this applies to believers. It applies to believers. And two, that he is writing as a believer. He is writing from experience, as one who has experienced both the trial and the joy that he's talking about. So, let's internalize this for a minute. I'm not a Jew.

What has this to do with me? Well, before we can start talking about finding joy in trial, we need to establish an important prerequisite that James establishes, and that is faith in Jesus Christ. I want to be very clear on something. Without this faith, there can be no joy.

If you are not a believer, then you might as well stop listening now because the rest of this message will not apply. If you are not a Christian, the best advice that I can possibly give you is to flee from trial, live comfortably, eat and drink and chase your desires because the only joy you're going to be.

To get is the fleeting pleasures of sin, and if you've tried that, then you know that that is not real joy. True joy comes from the Lord. Jesus said, John 15: These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Not a little bit of joy, full. 1 Peter 1:6 through 7 says, In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Do you have a genuine faith? Well, let me ask this another way: is your faith precious, or do you drop your faith the minute trials rear their ugly head? Have you counted the costs? Have you tasted and seen the surpassing worth of following Jesus? And if not, then perhaps it's.

Worth examining the genuineness of your faith. And please recognize that this is not a feeling. James isn't talking about faith that is arbitrary. We're not talking about wishing away your problems here. Hebrews 11:1 says, Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Think about that. Faith is substantial.

It is the sure knowledge that the joy of the Lord will outlast your trials because Christ rose from the dead and defeated the grave. Faith is the assurance that God is still on his throne today and he has purposed your trial, this trial, in your life for his praise and honor and glory.

Do you believe that? Paul says that without this faith, Christians are to be most pitied. But with it, we can look at those who are living a life of comfort and ease and indulgence, and we pity them because they've got nothing on eternity. So, if what I'm talking to you is joy that comes from knowing Christ, if that makes no sense, then I invite you to start here.

Take hold of this faith. Faith by repenting of your sins and turning to Christ. That is step one. The path to joy starts with becoming a bondservant of Jesus Christ. We'll move on. The first step to counting it all joy is genuine faith, and the second step is trial.

Yay, everyone's favorite. James 1:2 says, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. So, unlike this first step that takes a conscious decision to follow Christ, the second step is just going to happen to you. And a trial, what is that? It's exactly how it sounds.

It's a test. And a test is intended to examine, to challenge, and to ultimately empower the one who is being tested. Now, we know that tests are an integral part of our education. I should know, I've been a student for the last 25 years. And as a student, we like to complain about tests.

They're hard. They're challenging. They make you stay up late. But nevertheless, we know that we need tests. They're necessary. And I think it's because we all recognize, at least on some level, that without academic rigor, our degrees would not be. Be meaningless. It wouldn't matter what degree you have.

And if you don't believe me, just go sign up for a surgery from someone without an MD. We put a lot of faith in someone's ability to pass a test. So when James speaks of trial, we can ask ourselves the questions: who is the one being tested? Who is doing the testing?

And what is the purpose behind it? So we'll start with the who, and that one's easy. Remember, James is writing to Christians, and as the command in verse 2 suggests, it's inevitable. He says, when you experience trials, not if you experience trials. And not just any trials, not just one or two trials, but all sorts of trials, trials of various kinds.

You know, this reminds me of something similar that Jesus says in Matthew 5:11. He says, Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. But did you notice the word blessed? Do you ever feel like God is punishing you in your trial?

Have you considered that he might be using it to bless you? How can this be? I think we can find a parallel in going to the gym or really any physical exercise. What is actually happening to you when you lift weights? What's happening to your muscles? You're not building them up, you're breaking them down.

And you get sore and it hurts. And yet, we go back the next day or the next week and we do it all again. Why? Are we crazy? Well, some of us. No, we do it because we know that God designed our muscles to adapt when they're broken down, to grow, to become stronger.

And we recognize that the value of having strength is worth more than the value of temporary comfort. And if God has designed our body this way, I think it's fair to say he's designed our soul this way too. Paul says, train yourself for godliness, for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way.

Why? Because it holds promise for this present life and the life to come. And we'll talk more about these spiritual gains later on, but I want to point out that we're not the only ones that benefit from this kind of trial. There's also those who look on. 2 Corinthians 4, verse 8, which we read this morning, Paul is giving a description of Christians, and he describes them this way: he says, Christians are those who are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

Skipping a few verses to verse 15, he says who it's all for. He says, It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people, it may increase in thanksgiving and glory to God. At the end of 2 Corinthians, Paul is going to put this into practice.

He's going to give a list of his trials. He's going to talk about lashings and hunger and shipwreck and homelessness and rejection. Now, why is Paul giving that list? It's his resume. These trials are his credentials as a minister of Jesus Christ, and people are taking notice. So the question for you is: what do people see when you experience trial?

Or maybe the better question: who do people see when you experience trial? Amy Carmichael said, A cup brim full of sweetness cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, no matter how suddenly jolted. When you go through trial, the unbelieving world will notice how you respond. Will that response testify to the genuine faith that's within you?

And Jesus said, In this world you will have tribulation. Again, certainty, it will happen. But he says, Take heart, for I have overcome the world. And that's why Jesus can say that those who experience trial are truly blessed, because God is sovereign over your trial. He has purposed the suffering of his saints for blessing.

And though we very seldom know the content or the timing of that blessing, we can trust that he is working. Elizabeth Elliott, who was twice widowed, she wrote in her journal, Whatever is in the cup that God is offering to me, whether it be pain and sorrow and suffering and grief, along with many more joys, I'm willing to take it because I trust him.

Yes, God does allow suffering for his children, but he does not allow suffering to have the final say. And this is how you and I, as children of God, can look on our trials with joy because we know that our suffering is not meaningless. God will achieve something far greater through your suffering than you can possibly imagine.

And he is a good teacher. God administers his tests with fairness and gentleness and grace. And James will point out in verse 5 that he gives generously when we need help. We'll move on to our next point. What does that trial produce? In one word, steadfastness. You see that in James 1:3.

For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. So, what is steadfastness? Well, depending on your Bible translation, you might see the word patience or endurance. But I like to go with the ESV translation of steadfastness, and I'll tell you why. The word that James uses for steadfastness here is the word hupamone.

And there is another word that is often translated for patience and endurance, and that carries the idea of long suffering. It kind of points to the process of being in trial. But hupamone is a different word. And although I'm not a Greek expert, just relying on a few different lexicons, I ended up agreeing with what MacArthur had to say about this word, that steadfastness better describes the product of testing instead of the process of testing.

So we think of steadfastness as a product. It's a result. It's what comes out of the process. So that makes the equation very easy for us. What is this product? And is it worth the price? Is it worth the trials that we endure to achieve steadfastness? Well, I think it helps maybe to have a little example.

Steadfastness, this product, is that which is characterized by immovability. And I have an image up here that helps me think about this. What does it mean to be immovable? Well, this is a picture that was taken in 2018 after Hurricane Michael. And this is a beach house on the Gulf of Mexico.

And you can see total destruction all around it. Than one house in the middle that looks completely untouched. And naturally, as I was looking up this photo, I kept seeing headlines from this time. You know what everyone wants to know? How can we build more houses like this?

What is the secret? Who built this? Frankly, this picture reminds me of the parable of the wise and foolish builders in Matthew chapter 5. I know most of y'all know the story. He describes a foolish man who builds his house on sand and a wise man who builds his house on the rock.

And then the winds and the waves come against both houses, but the wise man's house stands firm, just like this one. So, how does Jesus describe the wise man? Well, he says, the wise man is the one who hears my words and puts them into practice. And that's what it means to be steadfast.

Steadfastness is not a feeling, it's something that gets put into practice. It's something that exposes itself when the winds and the waves come. This reminds me of what James is later going to say about faith. A genuine faith is one that is worked out. And James is not interested in feelings.

If you think about it this way, of all the houses on this block, which house can provide warmth and hospitality? Which of House can provide shelter from the next storm. It's one thing to feel steadfast, but it's a completely different thing to use steadfastness, to practice steadfastness. Perhaps the human equivalent to this house is the great hymn writer Fanny Crosby.

Now, if you don't know her story, Fanny Crosby lived in the 1800s. She lived most of her life blind. There was actually a physician's error when she was six years old that caused her to lose her sight. And think, this is the 1800s. There's not a whole lot of help for blind people at that time.

And yet, Fanny Crosby, you know, she went on to write thousands of hymns, including many that we sing in church today. Blessed Assurance is one of her famous hymns. And she was asked about her blindness. She was asked about if she resented God for giving her this trial.

And this is what she had to say. She said, it seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for that dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow, I don't think I would accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.

Friends, that is steadfastness. And that's the kind of steadfastness that I want. But look at what James is saying. How do you get it? James doesn't issue a command. He issues a statement of reality. In other words, James doesn't say, when trials come, you know, hang in there, be steadfast.

No, that's not it. James says, know that these trials are producing steadfastness within you. This is a wonderful promise. If you are a genuine believer and if you are faithful through trial, God will produce steadfastness in your life. It's a certainty. And that steadfastness will reproduce itself and inspire others.

If you've got your Bibles open to the book of James, you can flip to chapter 5 just real quick. And James is going to appeal to Job. In James 5, verses 10 through 11, he's going to write, As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take to the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Behold, we have considered those blessed who remain steadfast. The same word, hupamone. And you have heard of the steadfastness. Of Job, and have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. So I return to the question: what is the value of steadfastness? Is it worth the cost of your trial?

And James points to Job and he says yes. Why? Because one, steadfastness will encourage and equip the saints for effective ministry. Look to Job. Look how the Lord has provided for him. Be encouraged. And number two, steadfastness reminds us of the mercy and compassion of our God. Do you want steadfastness like Job, like Fanny Crosby?

This only comes through trial, but fear not, because where trials abound, so too does the loving kindness and compassion of Jesus Christ. We'll move on to our final point this morning, which is really the major point. And I've labeled this maturity. How can we counter all joy when we face vile trials of various kinds?

Well, because God is perfecting you into the image of His. Son. Verse 4 and my text reads this way: Let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. It may seem here like James is using three words to say the same thing, but I think there is a little bit of nuance here that's worth pointing out.

This word perfect carries with it the idea of growing up, maturity. It's actually used in 1 Corinthians 14, contrasted with being infantile. The one who is perfected is the one who is growing or has grown into their full potential. Now, the word complete here in James carries with it the idea of being unscathed.

Sometimes this word is translated in the New Testament as blameless. And think about that house that survived the hurricane. That house was unaffected. Lacking in nothing. Well, that's an easy one. That just simply means without deficit. So take these three words together. What is James saying? How is he encouraging his flock here?

Well, you have the picture of someone who has been tested, has passed the test, and is now fully equipped for whatever lies ahead. Now, at least for me, what does this remind you of? It reminds me of parenting. This is exactly what I... Want for my children. As a parent, I see it as my duty to prepare my kids, to mature my kids for that day when they leave the nest, when they have to face trials on their own.

I was actually talking to John Houston the other day about this, and John brought up Psalm 127, verse 4, which compares children to arrows in the hands of a warrior. And John made the comment that he sees his job as a parent and as a youth leader as making the arrows as straight and true as possible before they get shot out.

Because a day will come when they leave. And as the college minister here, I think I replied, that's a good thing, because if you don't, I'm going to get impaled by them. This is the idea of being parented. It helps us understand that the end goal here is God perfecting you into something better and greater than you can possibly achieve on your own.

So what is that? What is that end goal? What quality does God want to mature in us, so much so that he allows us to suffer for it? In Ephesians 4, 13, Paul talks about the pinnacle of Christian maturity, and he uses This phrase to describe it. The man who has achieved full maturity has the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

In one word, Christ-likeness. Think about that. Paul isn't talking about just a few Christ-like qualities. He is talking about the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. God wants to make you like His Son in every way. In Hebrews 11, you get a list of Old Testament saints who have all been commended for their great faith.

I mean, you get Abraham and Joseph and Moses. But you also read about some people who suffer for their faith, who are tortured, who endure mocking and imprisonment and death. And here's what the writer of Hebrews says about all of these men and women. He says, Although these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us, they should not be made perfect.

There's that word. So these people had faith, and they had trial. And they remain steadfast. So, what did they lack? What is the writer of Hebrews talking about? Well, he gives us the answer in the very next verse, which for us is the first verse of chapter 12, which reads: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising its shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

How can we possibly count it all joy when we experience trials of various kinds? Look to Jesus. Jesus, who suffered more than any human in the history of the world and yet counted it all joy. How? Because he knew that his death was not the final destination. You will have trials in your life.

But for every look at those trials, take 10 looks at the cross. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the perfecter, and know that he has blazed a trail through suffering that ends in eternal glory. And he's done that for you, for his bride. Friends, Christ's likeness, this isn't ethereal, this isn't lofty theology.

Christ's likeness means that we have an example to follow. We have four gospels devoted to this example to follow. So look at the suffering of Jesus. Look how he suffered. Look at Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, who didn't just put on a happy face when he was facing the cross, but though he was in agony, he submitted his will to the will of the Father.

Not mine, but yours be done. Look to Jesus when his friends denied him and fled from him in his hour when he needed his friends the most. And yet, after he rose from the dead, he loved them and returned to them and forgave them. Look to Jesus when he was mocked and beaten and falsely accused.

And yet did not open his mouth in defense. Look to Jesus, who on the cross bore the iniquities of the world, was forsaken by the Father and died, and yet he counted it all joy. How can we do that? Well, we suffer like Christ suffered, and we know that if we are united with Christ in his suffering, then we too will be united with him in glory.

Romans 8:17. James says that that is a reason for joy. Praise the Lord. Further down from our text, James chapter 1, verse 12 says, Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Friends, God is preparing you for glory. If you are a believer with genuine faith, when you experience trial, when you are steadfast. There is a purpose for your suffering. So, how can we count it all joy? I don't think James starts his letter with this command to minimalize trial.

He doesn't come across to me as someone who thinks that trial is trivial or flippant or unimportant. No, he knows he is writing to a suffering people who are following a suffering Savior. But he says, count it all joy because he also knows that the heavenly rewards of trial outweigh the earthly costs.

So, how on earth can we count it all joy? Well, maybe we can't on earth. So, let's try looking to heaven instead. Remember your faith. Remember what drew you near to the Lord in the beginning, and consider your faith precious. Secondly, know that trials afflict the righteous and the unrighteous alike.

God is not punishing you, but God is using those trials for his purpose. Thirdly, look to the steadfastness of others. And to the mercy and compassion of God, and let that encourage you that God will give you the steadfastness you need, not just to weather your own trial, but to be a beacon of hope and of steadfastness to the saints.

And finally, look to Jesus. Let Jesus be your example in suffering, and let his resurrection remind you that a day will come when death, and mourning, and pain, and crying will cease. Friends, I know we've addressed a heavy topic this morning. That's not lost on me. And frankly, I don't know what's going to happen from here.

We're about to enter a new year, 2025, and I don't know what that year is going to hold for myself or for you. But I do know that God's Word is true and it will remain true. And my prayer is that no matter what trials come in 2025, that you and I will have the courage and the strength to count them all as joy.

Let me pray. Oh Lord, for those of us who have tasted And seen your mercy and goodness, we know that it surpasses any light momentary affliction that might consume us. But I know it is so easy to forget that taste. So please remind us today. Remind us of your sovereignty.

Remind us of your goodness. Remind us of your Son and why he came in a manger all those years ago. Lord, that we might have the strength to rejoice because in our trials we are becoming more like you. Help us, we pray. We need it. Jesus' name, amen.