Weekly Sermon

James 1:4 reads, “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

The opening matter about which the epistle of James provides pastoral counsel concerns the trials, troubles, and tribulations of our lives.   Concerning this matter James delivers a series of four instructions under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit.  The first of these instructions is found in verses 2-3 and speaks concerning our regard and attitude toward the trials of life, saying, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” 

The second of these instructions is then found in verse 4.  It clearly flows out of the previous instruction and is complementary thereto.  Whereas the previous instruction ends with the truth that the trying of our faith “worketh patience,” this instruction informs us to “let patience have her perfect work.”  Thus it speaks concerning our response of submission in the trials of life.  Grammatically, the instruction of James 1:4 can be divided into two parts.  First, there is the continual requirement of the main clause -- “But let patience have her perfect work.”  Second, there is the motivational result of the subordinate clause -- “That ye may be perfect and entire, wanting [or, lacking] nothing.”

James 1:2-3 reads, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

As a whole the epistle of James is written with a focus upon the daily character and conduct of the believer.  It is filled with imperative instructions, exhortations, and even correctives.  James, the brother of Jesus (Galatians 1:19), was the leader among the pastoral leadership of the church at Jerusalem. (Acts 12:17; 15:13-21; 21:18; Galatians 1:19; 2:9)  Therefore, as a pastor James originally wrote this epistle under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit to the Jewish believers who were scattered throughout the empire of Rome.  His Holy Spirit inspired purpose was to provide pastoral counsel for a spiritually mature walk in the lives of these believers.

The opening matter about which this epistle provides pastoral counsel concerns the troubles, trials, and tribulations of our lives.  Yet the truth of this opening passage does not simply give us words of comfort as we face the afflictions of this life.  Rather, this opening passage confronts us with an instruction for our attitude as we face the afflictions of life.  Grammatically the single sentence of James 1:2-3 can be divided into three parts.  First, there is the exhortational imperative of the main clause – “My brethren, count it all joy.”  Then there is the contextual incident of the subordinate clause – “When ye fall into divers temptations.”  Finally, there is the motivational information of the participial phrase – “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

Weekly Sermon

James 1:1-8 reads, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

As a whole the epistle of James is written with a focus upon the daily character and conduct of the believer.  It is filled with imperative instructions, exhortations, and even correctives.  James, the brother of Jesus (Galatians 1:19), was the leader among the pastoral leadership of the church at Jerusalem. (Acts 12:17; 15:13-21; 21:18; Galatians 1:19; 2:9)  Therefore, as a pastor James originally wrote this epistle under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit to the Jewish believers who were scattered throughout the empire of Rome.  His Holy Spirit inspired purpose was to provide pastoral counsel for a spiritually mature walk in the lives of these believers.

The opening paragraph of this epistle (verses 2-8) moves immediately to the subject of life’s many, various trials, troubles, and tribulations.  This contextual situation and setting for the paragraph is established through the closing portion of verse 2 – “When ye fall into divers temp-tations.”  Now, in this context the phrase “divers temptations” refers to the many trials of our lives; for these “divers temptations” are described in verse 3 as “the trying of your faith.” 

Brethren, we all will face many, various trials, troubles, and tribulations in our lives.  Concerning this matter, God’s Word does not use the word “if,” but the word “when.”  It is not if we might fall into diverse temptations, but when we will fall into diverse temptations.  So then, how are we to deal aright with these many, various trials, troubles, and tribulations of our lives?  James 1:2-8 gives a series of four instructions concerning the matter.  Along with each of these instructions, a motivational reason is also provided in order to encourage our obedience therein.

Weekly Sermon

Psalm 119:1 reads, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.”  At the end of the opening portion of this verse, we find the phrase, “in the way.”  With this phrase we are introduced to an important subject matter of this lengthy psalm.  In fact, Psalm 119 includes the words “way” and “ways” eighteen times and includes the word “path” two times.  Even so, in this psalm we may find significant truth concerning our walk along the pathway of life.  Yea, as we consider these twenty uses in Psalm 119 of the words “way,” “ways,” or “path,” we encounter four categories of truth.  We encounter truth concerning the way of this life, concerning the way of our Lord, concerning the way of sin’s lies, and concerning the way of our lives. 

With the phrase “in the way,” Psalm 119:1 introduces us to the first of these categories – the way of this life.  This is the only occasion in this psalm wherein the phrase “the way” is employed without a modifier.  At other places throughout the Psalm, we learn of the way of the Lord’s testimonies, the way of the Lord’s precepts, the way of the Lord’s commandments, the way of the Lord’s statutes, the way of the truth, and the way of lying.  Yet the phrase “the way” in verse 1 does not refer to any particular choice of way throughout this life.  Rather, this phrase refers to the way of this life itself.  It refers to the fact that we all must travel along the pathway of this life.  Even so, as we each travel along the pathway of this life, there are three aspects of life that we all must encounter.

Outlines in Psalms

Psalm 74 can be divided into three divisions:
              I.  The Complaint of a Troubled Heart (Psalm 74:1-11)
             II.  The Turning Point of a Confident Faith (Psalm 74:12-17)
            III.  The Cry of a Trusting Heart (Psalm 74:18-23)

Under the first division, we find four questions of complaint from the troubled heart.

Outlines in Psalms

“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.”

Psalm 11:1a – “In the LORD put I my trust.”
(Note:  The two questions of this psalm are significant for the flow of thought in this psalm.)

  I.  The challenge against the Lord’s trusting servant. (Psalm 11:1b)
 II.  The conflict for the Lord’s trusting servant. (Psalm 11:2)
III.  The concern of the Lord’s trusting servant. (Psalm 11:3)
IV.  The confidence of the Lord’s trusting servant. (Psalm 11:4-7)