Let's Start with Weaknesses | A Sermon on 2 Corinthians 11:30 & 12:6-9

Introduction I’ve been praying quite a bit about what to say today. This is my first sermon with you, and it’s a chance to introduce myself a little—who I am, how I think, what matters to me. But above all, as in every sermon I preach, my deepest desire is to share God’s Word and draw people closer to Him. That’s always first. Still, as I open God’s Word with you, I hope you also come away knowing me a little better.

As I prayed about where to begin, I sensed the Lord bringing to mind something the Apostle Paul once wrote to the church in Corinth. The Corinthians were a troubled church. They struggled with unity, with pride, with spiritual immaturity, and Paul wrote to them more than once to help straighten things out. And they didn’t always appreciate what he said. And when some wanted to ditch Paul in favor of other more agreeable leaders, they compared Paul to those other leaders who claimed to be better than Paul.

But instead of defending himself or trying to out-shine the other church leaders, Paul took an entirely different approach. Let’s read what he wrote. 

BTW, I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation today.  It’s what I typically preach because: 1) It’s easy to understand, 2) It’s accurate and reliable, and 3) It’s different from what most of us are used to and that's important. Sometimes, we've heard Bible stories so many times and we're so familiar with them that we don't hear them with fresh ears. Because the NLT sounds different, it encourages to hear familiar stories with fresh ears.

2 Corinthians 11:30
30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.

2 Corinthians 12:6-9

6 If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

Boasting in Weakness
The part the Lord wants us to focus on this morning is Paul’s choice to boast about his weaknesses.  Rather than saying the Corinthians should follow his leadership because he was better than his competitors, Paul boasted that he was weak. 

That’s the opposite of human nature, isn’t it–focusing on our weaknesses? When we first meet someone—especially when we want them to like us—we want to put our best foot forward.

We highlight our strengths. We polish our image a little. We might even boast a bit about our accomplishments or drop a few names.  It’s human instinct to lead with the best version of ourselves.

And in Paul’s case, it must have been especially tempting. Some in the Corinthian church were criticizing him. They said other leaders were better, more eloquent, more “spiritual” than Paul. They questioned whether he was worthy of respect. If anyone had a reason to defend himself, to build himself up, it was Paul.

But instead of doing that, Paul does something unexpected. He boasts—not in his strengths, not in his successes, but–in his weakness.

My Weaknesses
What would it look like for us to boast in our weaknesses? What would that look like for a pastor to boast about his weaknesses on his first Sunday with a new congregation?

Well, I have plenty of weaknesses. I'm terrible with names. And that's tough for a pastor learning hundreds of new names in a new congregation. I care about you and I want to know your name. But I will struggle to remember them. It will take a bit of time. But even worse than that, I struggle with the names of people I have known and loved for a long time. Their names will occasionally just slip from my mind--and I mean people I really know well. And usually it happens at the most in opportune time--like when I'm praying for them: "Lord, please watch over... Him... while he has surgery today." (And the "Him" in the story is thinking, "You've known me since high school. You don't even know my name?" That's one of my weaknesses.

And I'm forgetful. I forget things. A lot of things. People will say, “You remember that conversation we had three weeks ago?” And I’ll think, I can’t remember what I had for dinner yesterday.

And it’s not just that I forget — sometimes I misremember, which is actually worse. I’ll be absolutely convinced something happened. I’ll remember vivid details. I’ll think, I know this is true.

This usually happens with my wife, Kelly. I’ll say, “Remember when we went to that town and visited your friend? I remember it clearly — I was wearing these pants, we’d just eaten dinner, and I had steak.” And she’ll say, “No… we didn’t.”

Then she’ll pull out her phone — because phones never forget — and she’ll show me pictures and say, “We were four hours away in a completely different town when you think that happened.”

And I just stand there thinking, How does that happen?  Because in my mind, it’s all so clear.  That’s how forgetful I can be.

I tend to skip things in the worship service. You’d think after doing this for twenty-five years, I’d have it all down by now. But we’ll be moving right along in the worship service, and the children’s moment is coming up… and I’ll skip right over it.  Sometimes I’ll even skip the offering (and some folks out there are thinking, Amen! Skip it!  But the finance chair is thinking, No, no, no — don’t skip the offering!)

It’s not intentional. It just goes right past me. I’m already thinking about what’s next — and suddenly I’ve forgotten what’s right in front of me.

I have trouble focusing on more than one thing at a time. I can focus in on one thing like a laser. I'm great at that. But I'm a terrible multitasker. If two people are talking to me at the same time, I can't hear what either of them are saying. If a TV is on in a room and someone is trying to talk to me, I literally cannot stay focus on what they're saying. It's a weakness of mine.

I'm an introvert. I love having deep, one on one conversations, but I struggle with mingling in large crowds. I'm socially awkward. And some people are great at working the room, but not me. You'll usually find me standing to the side talking to one or two people. And I'm just not good at making my way around the room to get to everybody.

I can be messy. My wife can say amen to that. I can be messy — not because I don’t care, but because I get laser-focused on things, and tidying up doesn’t always make the list.

At my last church, where I served for fifteen years, I just finished packing up my office about a week ago. And I discovered there were things in that office I never even unpacked when I first arrived — fifteen years ago.

I promise I’ll try to do better. But I’m not going to stand here and tell you my office is going to be the neatest one in the building.  

That said, don’t think I’m unorganized — I do have a system. Sometimes my system is: put it on my desk, leave it there until I’m done with it, and then put it away.  And if after six months it’s still on my desk and I’m still not done with it… well, that probably means it doesn’t need to be done at all. So it goes in the trash.  That’s often how my system works.

I make mistakes.  I make lots of typos–especially when texting or writing with my phone. I promise you — I am an intelligent person. I don’t misspell words because I don’t know how to spell them. I misspell them because I start typing, and my brain is already three thoughts ahead of my fingers.

So sometimes you’ll see things on the slides and think, Is that spelled right? I’m looking right now — I think we’re okay today — but every now and then, something slips through.

Emails and letters can be bad enough, but text messages are the worst. My fingers are too big for those tiny buttons on my phone. I’ll type something out, send it, and then look back at it and think, What did I just write? That makes no sense. That’s complete gibberish.

Susan can probably testify to this, because we’ve been texting back and forth quite a bit over the last few months while she’s been serving as the SPRC chair. I’d send her a message trying to say something encouraging — something like, “I’m grateful for you and excited about coming to serve this church” — and then I’d look at what I sent and think, I promise I know how to spell these words.

I make mistakes. Not because I don’t care — but because I’m human and that's one of my weaknesses.

I struggle with visiting. I want you to hear this clearly: I love you. I truly do. I pray for you.  I lose sleep over you.  But the Lord gives each of us different strengths, and I want to be honest with you about mine — and about my weaknesses. Visiting is not my greatest strength. I do it, and when I do, I value that time.  But it hasn’t been my strongest area. 

Going back over the last twenty-five years, I think every church I’ve served would say I ministered to them faithfully — and they might also say, “I wish he’d visited more.”  That’s not something I’m proud of. It’s simply an area where I’m weaker. And I want you to know that upfront — not as an excuse, but as honesty — because God often does His best work right in those places of weakness.

None of these are things I’m proud of—but they are places where I depend on God, and where I depend on others.

But I love Jesus. He is God and He created me.  And he designed me for a loving relationship with Him. And even though I started out my life trying to live to please myself and do what I wanted, not caring what He wanted, Jesus forgave me. And I am ever grateful for His mercy. And I love Him. And I know I’m a citizen of His Kingdom and He’s my King!

And I want to invite as many people to follow Jesus as I can. We're designed for a relationship with Him. We need Him just as much as we need air to breath and water to drink. It's part of our DNA.

God Works Through Weakness
And somehow, God works through me–not because I’m great or talented or more spiritual than anyone else.  God works through my weakness when I am faithful.  It brings Him glory.

God worked through weak and unexpected people throughout the Bible. Jacob was the second born twin-son. The blessing is supposed to pass to the firstborn son. But God gave Jacob the Abrahamic blessing not Esau.

Moses was “slow of speech”, but God delivered the Israelites from slavery through him.

Ruth was a foreigner and a widow, but became the great-grandmother of Israel’s greatest king.

David was just a forgotten shepherd. When the prophet Samuel came to Jesse's house and said he wanted to look at all his sons and choose the next king of Israel, Jesse didn't invite David to the feast. He left him in the field with the sheep. But after looking at all the other sons, Samuel said, "None of these are the one. Don't you have any more sons?" And Jesse said something like "Well, there's David, but he'll never amount to anything so we left in the field with the sheep." And Samuel said, "Bring him here! We won't start eating until he arrives!" And then he anointed David as the greatest king Israel ever had.

And David's great, great, great... Granddaughter was Mary. She was too young, too poor, and lived in an unknown, backwater town. People said, "Nothing good ever comes out of Nazareth." But God thought differntly. He sent the angel Gabriel who said, "May, the Lord has found favor with you and you will bear His son and He will be the Savior of the world..."

God is always working through the weak, the unexpected, the overlooked, and the forgotten. He doesn’t choose the strong, because they might boast they did it on their own. God chooses the weak and He gets all the glory, because people can clearly see the only way they succeed is through the power of God.

And that’s what I want as I start with you.  I want God to get all the glory.

What Does This Mean For You?
So what does this mean for us—for the people of Stark Methodist Church? It means we don’t have to pretend here.  We don’t have to impress God. We don't have to pretend with each other. We don’t have to hide our struggles.  We don’t have to polish ourselves up before we come to Christ. The same grace that met Paul in his weakness meets us in ours.

Some of you may feel strong today.  Some of you came in feeling tired, worn out, or run down. Some of you came in feeling ashamed, broken, overlooked, or forgotten. The good news is this: God does His best work right there.

Paul didn’t hide his weakness — he offered it to God. And I wonder what might happen if we did the same.

What is your “thorn”?  What is the place where you feel insufficient, frustrated, or tired?
And what about this church?  What are this church’s greatest weaknesses?

Instead of asking God to wait until we’re stronger, what if we asked Him to work right there–in our weakness?  Because God says, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

So I want you to hold your weakness in your heart as we prepare to come to the Lord’s Table.  We don’t come because we are worthy.  We come because He is gracious.
This table is not for the strong—it is for the needy.  Not for the perfect—but for the forgiven.
When we receive Holy Communion, we are reminded that Christ gave Himself fully—even in suffering—so that our weakness would never be the end of the story.

Holy Communion

The Journey of Faith (My Last Sermon at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church)

Introduction
Do you remember the first sermon I preached here at Pleasant Grove?  Probably not.  That’s OK.  You probably won’t remember this last sermon either. 

But I do hope you will remember me.  I know I will always remember and thank God for you.  You have been a blessing to me and my family.  Most important of all, I want you to remember how good, how faithful, how wonderful is God.

I have preached over 700 times since I came to PG 15 years ago.  But this last sermon I only get to preach once.  So, I have prayed a long time about what I should say.  And through prayer, God told me this last sermon doesn’t need to:  summarize my ministry, justify why I am leaving, or secure my legacy.  Instead, I simply want to:  be a witness to God’s faithfulness, trust God with what I cannot carry forward, and release you.

Hebrews 11:8-16
⁸ It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. ⁹ And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. ¹⁰ Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

¹¹ It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed^[a] that God would keep his promise. ¹² And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

¹³ All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. ¹⁴ Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. ¹⁵ If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. ¹⁶ But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Abraham & Sarah
Abraham trusted God enough to leave his homeland and go to a “Promised Land”.  Abraham didn’t even know where he was going, but trusted God to show him how to get there. 

Obviously, I feel a kinship to Abraham.  I spent my childhood moving from town to town.  Then I became a pastor who moves from church to church ever so many years at the Lord's direction.  So, I I can relate to Abraham in the sense of literally following the Lord by leaving a place you love to go where the Lord is sending you.

Sarah also had great faith.  She left her hometown too, going with Abraham.  I am so thankful for my wife, Kelly.  She lived in the same home for her entire childhood.  Then she married me and has been moving every since, because the Lord has moved me and she has been so faithful to go with me everywhere I've gone.  And that takes a lot of faith and dedication.

Sarah also trusted God to give her a son, even though she was old and barren.  And He did.  Sarah gave birth to a son, Isaac; and through him came countless descendants.  Sarah and Abraham had many biological descendants: the 12 tribes of Israel.  

But their descendants also included are many non-biological descendants.  Anyone who chose to follow the God of Abraham became a one of Abraham’s children.  In John 8, Jesus explained being a descendant of Abraham is not about bloodline;  it’s about faithfulness.

Hebrews 13a
Hebrews 11:13a says:  “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it.”

These people who trusted God with everything died without receiving what God promised.  Yet they still believed.

Now think about that.  That takes some deep faith.  Can you trust God even if you die before receiving and answer to your prayers?  True Christian teaching holds that we are saved by God’s grace when we have faith.  God promises that all who repent of their sin and trust in the atonement on the cross shall be forgiven their sins and welcomed into the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.  Do you believe God’s promise to you through Jesus Christ?

God Has Been Faithful to Us
God has been faithful to me. 15 years ago, I was sitting in a hunting blind in the woods on a spring day, hunting turkey in Forsyth, GA.  My District Superintendent called.  That’s the only reason I answered the phone while hunting!  He said, "I know you've enjoyed serving your church in Smarr for 5 years, but it's time to move.  The Bishop plans to appoint you to Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church in Dalton."  

I didn't know much about Dalton, except the made a lot of carpet.  And it was on the complete opposite side of the North Georgia Conference.  But I promised to go where they sent me.  So, we packed up everything and moved to Dalton.

For 15 years, God’s been faithful to me as I’ve shepherded this flock. He has taken care of my family.  My children each knew your love in ways that shaped them for the rest of their lives.  Kelly and I have been shaped by you too.  I've learned so much , grown as a pastor and a Christian from having been with you.  Thank you for loving me and my family.  And thank you for growing in Christ along with me.

God has used me to bless many here in Whitfield County—not because of my talent or anything good in me.  God has blessed you through me simply because I said yes.  If anything good has come from my ministry here, it is because of God’s goodness and blessing.  Any mistakes or harm that's been done is on me.

Trusting God Means Letting Go
Trusting God means letting go.  You may have your own ideas about how things should go. But you can’t be a control freak about your life and put your trust in God.  It requires letting go.  You may not understand His ways, but you trust His way is always best. 

It’s hard for me to let go when it comes to you.  I love you.  

For 15 years, I’ve focused so much of my heart on you.  And I have a shepherd’s heart.  I always want to protect you.  I always want to lead you in the right direction.  But now God has called me to go shepherd another flock. And I trust God above all else.  And that means I have to let go.  I have to entrust you to another shepherd God will send.

So I will not cling to you.  I will not try to meddle in your affairs after I leave.  I will not compete or hinder your next pastor in any way.  Because I trust God is sending you just the right shepherd He has chosen to lead you as God wants you to be lead.  So, I will be very careful not to do anything that interferes with you accepting and following the new shepherd God brings to lead you.

I’ve spent the last few months preparing to depart.  I’ve tried to get things ready.  I’ve turned over duties to different leaders I trust so Pleasant Grove can continue to serve God.

I’ve helped setup a transition team to lead you until God sends a new pastor here.  Amy Harris, David Crawford, Sherry Dickson, and Kelsey Ikerd have agreed to take turns preaching on Sunday mornings.  They already have the next 8 weeks scheduled.

Rev. Don Dexheimer—a retired Methodist minister—will cover pastoral needs that require an ordained minister (holy communion, baptisms, funerals, etc.).  He will also facilitate Wednesday night discussions (resumes Jan 14^th).

Sherry Dickson will teach Thursday morning Bible study (resumes on Jan. 15^th).

And I have never tried to micromanage you because I know God has given each one of you a special gift to help uplift this congregation and carry out the mission to make disciples of Christ.  So, I trust God will help each one of you to step up and support this church in your own way.

I can’t tie up every loose end.  But I’ve done what I can.  Now I want to bless you and commend you to God.  I trust Him to take care of you, just as I trust Him to take care of me and Kelly and our family.

Home is Not A Place on Earth
One of the main ideas in Hebrews 11 that really resonates with me and is so important for us is:
Home is not a place on earth. 

Hebrews 11:14-16a says Abraham’s descendants were, “…looking forward to a country they can call their own. ¹⁵ If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. ¹⁶ But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland.”

Whether you've around a lot or lived in the same home your whole life, I want to leave you with this important truth from Scripture.  Our true Home is yet to come.  God has promised eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven for all who trust Christ as their Lord and Savior.  And that will be our true Home, our Promised Land.

I hope I will see you again in this life.  But even if I don't, I hope we will be together for eternity in our Heavenly Home.  We will gather around the throne of God.  And we will never have to leave each other again, because we will live together with God and each other in perfect harmony.  And there will be no more sickness or sorrow or suffering or death.

Closing Ceremony 
As I close today, I want to have a special ceremony to symbolically release and bless each other as I pass the light of Christ on to you to carry it forward.

I would like to invite some members of the transition team up to the altar.
[David Crawford, Amy Harris, Kelsey Ikerd, Don Dexheimer, and Sherry Dickson]

Pastor:  “The light that has guided us does not belong to any one pastor or season. It is the light of Christ.”

[Light transition team's candles from the Christ candle]

Pastor:  “This light is now carried not by one voice, but by many.  And it belongs not only to those who preach, but to all who serve.”

Pastor Asks the Transition Team:  “Will you serve faithfully in this season, listening for God’s voice and caring for this congregation with humility and courage?”

Transition Team Representatives:  “With God’s help, we will.”

Pastor Asks the Congregation:  “Will you continue in the worship and mission of this church, trusting God to lead you into what comes next?”

Congregation:  “With God’s help, we will.”

Pastor Asks All:  “Will you pray for one another, speak the truth in love, and remain open to the work of the Holy Spirit?”

All:  “With God’s help, we will.”

 

Trials and Temptations

Introduction
We’re working our way through a study of the Epistle of James—lesson by lesson.  Last week, we discovered the writer of James was the brother of the Lord Jesus.  He was the biological son of Mary and Joseph and grew up in the same household as Jesus.  At first, he didn’t believe in Jesus.  But after Jesus died and rose from the grave, James believed and became one of the leaders of the early Christian church. 

The Epistle of James is short—only 5 chapters—but it is packed full of powerful, practical wisdom.  The reading today is a perfect example.  In just these few verses, we have several words of advice.  Let’s go back through each of them.

James 1:2-4
² Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Joy is not the emotion most of us would associate with trials.  Yet, James suggests that trials are not just obstacles but opportunities—opportunities to grow in faith and endurance.  These difficulties test our faith, and through perseverance, our character is refined and strengthened. And a mature faith equips us to handle life's challenges with a steadier hand and a more hopeful heart. 

James is not suggesting we become masochists—who seek out and derive pleasure from painful ordeals.  We’re not happy about the trials, but can be overjoyed about the fruit we gain when we trust God in the midst of our trials.  James says they make us perfect, complete, needing nothing.

And consider this:  You will never get to go through the trials of life ever again in eternity.  We often talk about how great eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven witll be, where there will be no more sickness or suffering or pain.  But we often forget, God put us on this earth for a reason.  And we only get to experience life in this way (broken as it is) one time for maybe 80-90 years.  We never get to do this again.  Let's not miss this once in an eternity opportunity to learn and grow from the struggles we face.

Slides – James 1:5-8
⁵ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.  He will not rebuke you for asking.  ⁶ But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  ⁷ Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  ⁸ Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

2 Points
James gives two points of practical advice here.  First of all, when you’re going through trials:  ask for God’s wisdom.  That’s not what we normally do.  We may ask for God to take away the challenge; heal us; make the problem go away; etc.  But James says, “Ask for wisdom.”  Proverbs 3:14 says wisdom is better than silver and gold.  In other words, it one of the most precious things you can gain in life.  Don’t miss the precious chance to gain wisdom through your trials just because you want God to make your life easy.

The second point James makes is a warning.  Make sure you’re putting your faith in Jesus alone and not the world.  People have a tendency to want to hedge their bets.  Let’s take an example:  suppose you are facing a huge trial—maybe you have cancer.  So you pray for Jesus to heal you.  But while you’re at it, you decide it can’t hurt to pray to the Muslim god, Allah.  And you figure, you might as well pray to the Hindu gods of India and the native America gods and African gods of animism.  You figure, “I’ll take all the help I can get.”  James says, a person like that shouldn’t expect to “receive anything from the Lord.  Their loyalty is divided between God and the world…”  And he says, “They’re unstable.”  Let us never forget, there is only One True and Living God.  And He will not share you with any other supposed god.  You must be loyal to Him and Him alone.  You are either all in with Jesus Christ—who is Lord of all—or you are not in at all.

James 1:9-11
⁹ Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. ¹⁰ And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. ¹¹ The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

Let Go of Worldly Concepts of Wealth and Status – Verses 9-11 reminds everyone, regardless of your social or economic status, put your hope in God alone. The poor are reminded to take pride in their high position—because the Lord Jesus Christ lifts them up.  The rich are reminded of their vulnerability—like a wildflower, their wealth will fade away.  They could lose it in the blink of an eye.  In fact, they will lose it all when they die.  For whatever wealth you have in this life will be gone forever in the next.  You cannot take your possessions with you.  In heaven, we will all be on equal social and economic footing. 

This passage calls us to embrace humility, recognizing that our true value comes from our relationship with God, not our earthly status or possessions.  It’s a liberating mindset—reminding us all to live authentically and with compassion, appreciating our blessings and empathizing with others regardless of their or our circumstances.

And then in verses 12-15, James tells us the blessings that will last forever actually come from the trials of this life.

James 1:12-15
¹² God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. ¹³ And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. ¹⁴ Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. ¹⁵ These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

Tests and Temptations
While our earthly wealth and treasures will fade away like flowers in a field, the blessings we inherit from testing and temptation will last forever.  These become a crown of life if we endure and are faithful. 

God is the giver of all good things.  God does not tempt us.  Temptation comes from the Devil and from our own selfish, internal desires.  God uses both the tests and temptations we face in life for our own good—to expose and root out the ungodly attitudes and characteristics inside us keep us from being all we are meant to be.  And when we endure trials, our faith grows stronger and we learn endurance.

Slides – James 1:16-18
¹⁶ So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. ¹⁸ He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

Summary
Today, we've explored how trials can be a source of joy, how wisdom from God is our priceless aid,
how humility guides our conduct, and how perseverance leads to divine rewards.

This week, I challenge each of you to reflect on the trials you are facing.  Can you see them as opportunities for growth?  Seek God's wisdom in prayer, approach life with humility, and strive to persevere.

We say we believe in Jesus.  We believe He faced the cruel cross of Calvary.
We believe He rose from the grave.  His death and ressurection won our freedom and eternal life.
Now, let’s do more than just say we believe.  Let’s put our faith into action.
Let's live out our faith, embracing each day with courage and hope,
counting all trials as joy, because they lead to eternal rewards that we will possess forever.

Hello. My Name Is James.

Introduction
Today, I'm begin a study through the Epistle of James.  James is a power packed letter filled with practical advice for living as a Christian in an unchristian world.  Therefore, we are going to take out time and work our way through the letter slowly, lesson by lesson so we don't miss anything, because everything in this letter is important.  I invite you to follow along each week as we learn everything we can from this short but important book in the New Testament.  Let's start at the very beginning.

James 1:1
This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.
Greetings!

Writing Letters
My wife and I wrote a lot of letters to each other when we were dating.  In high school, we would pass notes back and forth regularly.  Then I moved away for college and we wrote each other letters every week.  We still have those letters packed away in boxes somewhere in storage.

Much of the New Testament in the Bible is a collection of letters written by early church leaders.  Today, we may think of letters as out of date.  Few write letters anymore, other than for very official purposes.  Most chose to use email or instant messages.  But in New Testament times, writing letters was sort of a cutting edge new technology for common people.  It is true that people wrote letters way back into very ancient times--millennia before the New Testament.  But ancient letter writing was typically reserved for royal officials because writing materials were very expensive, few were literate to read and write, and there was no post service to send letters long distances.

But by New Testament times, several factors came together at just the right time to aid the spread of the Good News about Jesus Christ.  Writing materials became cheaper and available to common people.  More people could read using the common Greek language almost everyone spoke to some degree.  And due to the expansive Roman Empire with well maintained roads and shipping routes, mail could be sent from one end of the Empire the other.  The writers of the New Testament took full advantage of this to spread the message that Jesus, the Son of God, had been crucified and then rose from the grave.

You may have learned in school letters have a general structure.  First, a letter has a heading that tells who it's from and who it's to.  Then, there is the salutation where you say, "Dear So and So..."  Next comes the body of the letter that contains the main points, followed by the closing:  "Sincerely, Your Best Friend Chris."  We often find similar patterns in the letters from the New Testament, like James.

Most letters in the New Testament are written by the Apostle Paul.  Paul was a prolific letter writer and many of his letters have been preserves in the Bible.  however, the Epistle of James by a man named James, who had his own style or writing and his unique perspective on living as a faithful Christian.

Who is James?
Who is James?  In the letter, James says: "I am a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

What is a slave?  In 1st century Israel, a slave was typically considered property of the owner, lacking personal freedom and autonomy.  People entered slavery due to debt, poverty, as a penalty for crime, or possibly if conquered in battle.  While slaves sometimes had legal protections under various legal codes, they were still fundamentally bound to serve their masters' needs.  And since a slaves master was the one with all the power, abuse was rampant despite any laws on the books to protect slaves. 

We don't like the word slave is the 21st century.  Some Bible translations try to sanitize the word from the New Testament and change it to servant.  However, servant doesn't really capture the essence of the meaning the biblical writers were trying to convey.  Servant is too nice a word.  The Greek word the Bible uses is doulos, which  literally means bondservant, a person who sold themselves into slavery to repay a debt they had no means to repay.  A bondservant doesn't just work for their master; they are owned by their master.

Slavery is a dirty word to our ears for many reasons. People were never meant to be owned by other people.  It is an abomination.  Another reason against slavery is it creates a serious imbalance of power. Human masters cannot be trusted to hold so much power over another human being—even if that person willingly submits to being a slave.  People sometimes can't even be trusted to properly care for a dog or cat, let alone another human being.  Perhaps that is why it is such a fearful responsibility to become a parent.  A parent has nearly absolute power and authority over a fragile human life--their child.  And parents do not always know what to do nor do they always chose the best thing to do.  Yet this is the nature of human life.  Parents beget children and (hopefully) do their best to exercise benevolent authority over their children for nearly two decades until their children are old enough to become independent.

James self-identifies as a slave of--not another human being, but--God and the Lord Jesus Christ.  And based on Scripture, God is a good and worthy Master.  He always seeks the good of His slaves.  He doesn’t treat people like slaves.  In fact, Jesus (who is God) said in John 15:15, I no longer call you slaves, but friends…”  But James calls himself a slave. 

Who is this James?  Do we know anything about him?  We do!  And it is fascinating!
The Bible says Jesus had brothers and sisters.  Matthew 13:55 says His 4 brothers were James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude.  James is always listed first, which typically means he was the oldest of Jesus’ younger brothers.  After Jesus was crucified, James would be the eldest living brother of Christ, responsible for being the head of the household.  And according tradition and most scholars, the James who wrote the Epistle of James was Jesus' younger brother. 

As far as we know, Jesus never wrote anything down Himself; or if He did, none of it survived.  So we don't have anything written directly from Jesus.  But in this letter from James, we may have the closest thing to the hand of Jesus.  James grew up with Jesus, spent some 20-30 years with Him.  He knew him through all the years that the Scripture writes about as well as what the Scripture leaves unmentioned.  And as we read the letter of James, we're reading the thoughts of a man who knew Jesus deeply and personally the way only a brother sometimes can.

Now, James and his other brothers didn’t believe in Jesus at first.  Maybe it's hard to think of your brother in such divine terms as being "the Son of God".  Can you imagine growing up the brother of Jesus Christ?  I can imagine Mary getting upset with James from time to time over something stupid he did (mistakes all mortal people make).  Maybe, in frustration, she said something like, “Why can’t you be more like your brother Jesus!”  And maybe James smarted off to Mary with, “Oh!  Jesus is so perfect!  You act like he walks on water!”  Of course, I'm being facetious, but on a serious note, I guess it might have been hard to grow up in the shadow of "the Son of God" or to think of your older brother as the long awaited Messiah.

At any rate, Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him at first.  Mark 3:20 says Jesus’ brother thought He was out if his mind.  They came and tried to take Him away so He didn't stir up trouble.  But at some point, probably after Jesus actually died and rose from the grave as He said He would, James became a believer.  You might think James would trumpet his status as Jesus’ brother.  “Listen to me.  I’m Jesus’ brother!”  But James doesn’t do that at all.  Instead, he humbles himself and says,  “I’m a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

To Whom Was James Writing?
Letters are written from someone to someone.  To whom was James writing?  He says, “I’m writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.”  What does that mean?  

The term "Twelve Tribes" was a cultural term among Jewish people that recalled their tribal history.  They started out as twelve tribes and had often experienced trials and tribulations that scattered them abroad.  In fact, there were no longer 12 tribes.  10 of the tribes had been scattered into oblivion when the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians.  All the inhabitants of the northern 10 tribes were carried away and never seen again as a distinct people group.  The 2 tribes that remained were Judah and Benjamin.  The Jewish people derive their name from the tribe of Judah.  And even they had experienced a great deal of "scattering" over the centuries.

At this stage in Christian history, almost all Christians were Jewish believers.  Scholars sometimes point out James was writing to Jewish Christians, not Gentiles Christians.  Some of you who are serious students of the Bible have probably heard that.  But that’s kind of a pointless argument.  Almost all Christians were “Jewish” at this point in Christian history.

The real point here is that believers (Christians) are being scattered because they are fleeing persecution.  The Jews who believed Jesus is the Messiah who rose from the grave are being kicked out of their churches (synagogues) by the Jews who didn't believe.  And at the same time, they are being ostracized in their communities, leading some to lose their livelihoods.  Others are being badly persecuted, some arrested.  Some are even being beaten or killed.  It was a difficult and dangerous time for Christians and many had to flee their homes and move away to new towns seeking safety.

God did not let these early Christians suffering go to waste.  As they are scatter, they go from town to town telling people about Jesus every where they go.  So Christianity is spreading, not being silenced.  And the Apostles, like Peter, James, and John as sending letters to these scattering Jewish Christians--creating a written record of the early Christian faith, which we have preserved in the New Testament of our Bibles.

Unfortunately, being scattered can make you feel lonely and really tests your faith.  You are tempted to just keep your mouth shut about Jesus, even though Jesus commanded His followers to speak up for Him.  And that’s one of the reasons James is writing—to encourage Christians who feel lost and lonely in a world that doesn’t have their same values.

Feel Like You Don’t Belong?
Do you ever feel like you don’t belong in a world where people seem so mean, angry, unloving, judgmental, and immoral?  I know I do sometimes.

The world around me right here in America is becoming foreign in many ways.  Sometimes it feels like common sense and common decency have been flipped upside down.  

But I know there are others around the world that have it even worse. I texted with a Christian friend who lives in Pakistan the morning I wrote this message.  He lives in a country that is 95% Muslim.  Many in that country who practice a very militant form of Islam think people like my Christian friend are crazy or guilty of blasphemy.  Christians are face discrimination, are frequently persecuted, mistreated, falsely accused, arrested, and even killed.  I know they often feel scattered, lonely, and discouraged.

If you ever feel like I do or like my friend in Pakistan, like a remnant of the faithful believers scattered in a lost and hostile world, James is a letter written to encourage you to be faithful and not give up.  But James is more than just clichés and platitudes. James is a real talk.  In 5 short chapters, James shares powerful, practical wisdom about how to live as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Whereas other writers often focus on philosophy and theology, James gets down to brass tacks and focuses how Christians live out faith in actions—not just beliefs.

Every paragraph in James is important.  So we’re going to take our time and work our way through James slowly, lesson by lesson.  And I hope you will come each week and pay close attention.  And I challenge you to go deeper in your walk with Jesus, deeper than just what you believe, as you learn to live out your Christian faith by what you do day to day.

Closing
James was Jesus’ brother.  But anyone who give their life to Christ and becomes a Christian is a brother of sister of Christ.  We are not alone.  We are part of a royal family—the family of God.  If you are a Christian, you are my brother, my sister.  You are not alone.  We are in this together. 

In the Old Testament, Jews inistiated their children into the people of God by circumcising their children on their 8th day.  For Christians, baptism is the sacred ceremony we use to initiate people into the family of God.  It is a sacrament Jesus told us to practice that God uses to pour out His grace upon us.  No one deserves God’s grace.  But He gives it freely to all who repent and seek His help.  

I want to close today by inviting your to become a Christian.  If you believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and Savior of the world who died on the cross and rose on the third day, then chose today to follow Him.  Turn away from your sin and turn to Jesus and He will save you.  You will become a child of God, my brother or sister.  And though you may sometimes feel alone in this hostile world, you will never actually be alone.  For you will be part of the family of God with brothers and sisters all over the world.  And even more important, Jesus will walk with you through everything you face by the Holy Spirit that lives inside you.  

And if you have if you have never been officially baptized and initiated into God's family, I invite you to schedule your baptism today.  If you live close to me, contact me and we will talk about how you can be baptized.  Or, find a faithful, Bible-believing church near you, and be baptized in obedience of Christ our Lord and in expectation of the grace baptism represents.

Finally, I challenge to read this blog each week as we work our way through the powerful letter of James.  I usually post my blogs each Monday.  I pray you will read and receive the blessings and guidance God wants to give through my feeble words.