Doubter, Believer, Pastor, Martyr

Well, good morning, church. We are beginning a new sermon series today in the New Testament

letter of James. So let me invite you to grab a Bible and to turn with me to James.

James is a short but incredibly practical book about wholehearted Christian living.

What does it mean to live a life of steadfast living faith in Jesus? What does it look like to live this

vibrant life of living faith when you're under pressure, when you're experiencing trials?

That's what James is all about. So as we come to God's word, let's go ahead and pray together.

Oh, Father, as we have just sung, it is our Lord Jesus Christ who is the source and center and goal

of all that we have been created and redeemed to be. So, Father, would you by your Spirit grant us

mercy that as we come to your word this morning, as we embark on a new book,

that you would grant us eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to love our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We pray in his name. Amen. Amen. Well, so in the coming weeks, we are going to take the book of James

and we are going to unpack this timely letter section by section. But today, I want to start

our study of this book by looking at the author. The author introduces himself in verse 1 as James,

a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. But who is this James? Well, there are a few men named James

in the New Testament. There's James, the son of Alphaeus, who is listed among the 12 apostles.

But we don't know much else about this James, so it seems unlikely that he's the author of the letter

that we have. On the other hand, there's also James, the son of Zebedee. And we actually know

a lot about him, along with John, his brother, and Peter. This James belongs to that close inner

circle of Jesus's apostles. He's one of the three that go along with Jesus in many of his miracles

and teachings, even in the Mount of Transfiguration. But we know from Acts chapter 12 that this James

Acts 12 · chapter mention

was put to an early death by Herod Agrippa I around AD 44. So it seems unlikely that James,

the son of Zebedee, is the author of this book either. But there's actually a third James that

we learn about in the New Testament. And most scholars agree that he's the one who wrote the letter

before us. And that is James, the brother of Jesus. Now, we often find encouragement by looking

at the lives of these early disciples and apostles and followers of Jesus. Their own spiritual journeys

can help to clarify and even inspire our own. How often are we encouraged by the faith of Peter,

by his betrayal and reinstitution by the Lord? How often are we encouraged by the love of John and

his perseverance to the end in exile? How often are we encouraged by the dramatic conversion of Paul?

But you know, James isn't a character that we often consider. And yet his story is just as rich

with the grace of God, and it is just as encouraging. So I want to look at what we know about James. And I

want us to just walk through his life story this morning under four headings. I want us to think

about James, the doubter, James, the believer, James, the pastor, and James, the martyr. So first,

James, the doubter. In Mark chapter 6, after Jesus has been teaching for some time, he comes back to his

Mark 6 · chapter mention

hometown of Nazareth to teach like he'd been doing in other towns. But the people in his hometown are not

buying it. This is what they say when Jesus comes back to Nazareth. They say, is not this the carpenter,

the son of Mary and brother of James and Joseph and Judah and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us?

So this is one of the earliest references that we have to James. He grew up in the household with

Jesus, along with at least three other brothers and some sisters as well, a home of at least seven

children. And if there's any truth to the tradition that Joseph, his father, died and left Mary a widow,

then the picture we get is that James came from a large family living in first century Palestine

under very particular stresses. Not just the common economic stresses that were on the people of that

day, but even some deep family stress as well. But you know, if the hometown crowd had a hard time

believing in Jesus, what about Jesus' own family? What did James think about all of this?

Earlier in Mark's gospel, after Jesus had just chosen the 12 apostles, great crowds were gathering

around Jesus. Mark writes this, he says, and when his family heard it, they went out to seize him,

for they were saying, he is out of his mind. So it's safe to say that James was skeptical

about his brother Jesus, to say the least. And as Jesus' ministry progresses, their unbelief grows.

In John chapter 7, we're told not even his brothers believed in him. Now, of course, at first, you can

John 7 · chapter mention

sympathize with James, can't you? I have four brothers. I have two older brothers and two younger brothers.

And if one of them started marching around saying, I'm the Messiah, I would immediately say,

no, you're not the Messiah. But on a serious note, why did James doubt? You know, your siblings,

my siblings, they're flawed. They're selfish at times. But James would not have seen that

in Jesus growing up. Jesus was without sin from birth. James probably doubted because, well, it was just,

it was just inconceivable. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Can anything good come out of my

family? Surely Jesus isn't the Messiah. And what that means, you see, is that James, he knows what it's

like to doubt. And so in the opening of his letter in chapter 1, verses 6 and 7, when he talks about

doubting and he talks about being double-minded and how that can make us spiritually unstable,

James knows what that's like from the inside. Maybe you've grown up close to Christians. Maybe

you've come from a Christian family. And honestly, maybe for you, that's part of what makes believing

in Christ so difficult because you've been so close to it. But be assured that the Bible,

the God of the Bible, he welcomes doubters. The Bible is actually full of people who doubt.

And not just minor characters, Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, James. They can all attest to having

their doubts. But is there hope for us doubters? That's the question, isn't it? I mean, what in the

world would make James come to actually believe that his brother was the Messiah? At the end of

Jesus' life, when he's dying on the cross and his mother Mary is there mourning, do you know where

James is? According to John 19, nowhere to be found. Jesus actually entrusts Mary to the care of John,

his disciple. But when we turn over just a few short pages from John chapter 19 to Acts chapter 1,

John 19 · chapter mention Acts 1 · chapter mention

we see something incredible. The followers of the risen Jesus are gathered for prayer in Jerusalem,

and the apostles are there. And then Luke adds, all these with one accord were devoting themselves

to prayer together with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

And this brings us to the second part of James' story. The doubter becomes a believer.

So what happened to James? You know, we often marvel at Paul's conversion, how the persecutor

becomes the preacher. And rightfully, we look at Paul's story as evidence of the reality of Jesus'

resurrection. How could this enemy of Christ become a follower of Christ, a preacher of Christ?

You know, what else could turn Paul around like that except for an encounter with the risen Lord?

But you know, for me, I find James' story just as powerful, though we know less about it.

How could this family member come to believe that his brother was the Messiah?

Listen to 1 Corinthians 15. This is Paul writing about some of the earliest teachings of the church,

the earliest events of Christianity. He says,

I delivered to you as a first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in

accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in

accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, that is Peter, then to the 12,

that is the rest of the apostles. Then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time,

most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James.

The fact that James, the brother, the doubter, the skeptic, comes to profess faith in Jesus as the Messiah,

as the King, as the Lord, is just as powerful a testimony of the resurrection of Jesus as any.

But is it not also an incredible testimony to the grace of Jesus?

Can you imagine you spend your whole ministry teaching, preaching, healing the sick, performing miracles,

and your own brothers reject and ridicule you the whole time, and in your final hour,

they completely abandon you? How would you treat them if you had the chance to come back and treat them in any way?

Thankfully,

Jesus is not like us.

He comes to James, his brother,

in mercy.

He appears to him personally after the resurrection

and extends him grace

and forgiveness.

Jesus, and James's hard heart

comes alive

with saving faith.

What a wonderful,

merciful Savior Jesus is.

But what about you and me?

How does this heart change happen to us?

Jesus has ascended to the right hand of the Father.

We shouldn't expect a personal

resurrection appearance

to us.

But look at what James writes in chapter 1, verse 18.

He writes,

of his own will,

that is God,

God brought us forth,

that is he gave us new birth

by the word of truth.

That we should be

a kind of first fruits

of his creatures.

James is saying

that the same power that rose Jesus from the dead,

that same new creation power

that was unleashed

in those first resurrection appearances

is at work now

in what James calls

the word of truth.

And what is that?

What is this power

that's being unleashed

even now?

What is this,

this means whereby it comes,

this word of truth?

Well, friends,

it's the gospel.

The good news

that Jesus has died

and risen again for us

so that we can now be freed

from condemnation

and made new,

a new creation.

For James,

this is what it means

to be a disciple,

life-changing trust

in Jesus as Lord

and it's available now

to those who hear

and respond

to you and me today

just as it was available

to James

and his audience back then.

And when you read the letter

that James wrote,

you realize something

very important

about what this faith

in the Lord Jesus means.

It doesn't mean

we simply sort of

acknowledge Jesus

and then go about our lives

in the same old way.

No, that kind of faith,

James will say in chapter 2,

is a dead faith.

In reality,

that's no faith at all.

No, what we see

from James' letter

is that genuine faith

in Jesus

means a whole life

shaped by the person

and work

and words of Jesus.

You know,

at first glance,

the book of James

doesn't seem to have

a lot to say

about Jesus.

Jesus is only explicitly

referenced in chapter 1,

verse 1,

and in chapter 2,

verse 1.

But when you keep reading,

you realize that again

and again

and again,

James' letter

is just saturated

with allusions

and references

to the words of Jesus.

It's woven

into the very fabric

of the letter.

It's as if James

can reflect

the words of Jesus

almost unconsciously

as he speaks

and as he writes.

In that sense,

faith is a bit

like a marriage.

Couples that have been

married for a long time,

they tend to speak similarly.

They tend to have

facial expressions

that mirror each other.

Sometimes it seems like

they can even have

the same thoughts.

And you know,

at the emotional climax

of the letter of James

in chapter 4,

verse 4,

James will use

that same metaphor

for our relationship

with God in Christ,

the metaphor of marriage,

when he challenges

our worldliness

and our selfishness

and he says,

you adulterous people.

In other words,

to act like the world

is to betray

your loving spouse.

So what is real faith?

Real faith is falling

into the arms

of your loving Lord,

forsaking all others

and letting your whole life

be constantly shaped by him.

That's what James,

the believer,

shows us.

But the story of James continues.

As the book of Acts unfolds,

we see that James,

the believer,

becomes James,

the pastor.

In fact,

James becomes

one of the key leaders

of the church in Jerusalem.

By the time

of the Jerusalem Council

in Acts 15,

where the great issue

of Gentile inclusion

is settled

in the early church,

who is it

that's presiding

over that great gathering

of massive theological,

spiritual,

and practical importance?

It's James.

James is the one

who brings that council

to a peaceful

and life-giving conclusion.

And it's James,

the pastor,

that we hear speaking

in this letter before us.

Like a good pastor,

this book is incredibly practical.

There are more practical commands

per verse

in the book of James

than any other

New Testament letter.

And James,

like a good pastor,

is a master of illustrations.

He puts before us

the billowing sea,

the withered flower,

a face in the mirror,

a bit in the horse's mouth,

the rudder of a ship,

destructive forest fires,

pure springs of water,

corroded metal,

moth-eaten clothes.

Every paragraph

of this letter

comes to life

in our mind's eye.

But what is James'

great pastoral concern

in this letter?

Well, the audience

is most likely

Jewish Christians

who are living

outside of Palestine,

scattered

because of the persecution

that took place

after the martyrdom

of Stephen

in Acts chapter 8.

Acts 8 · chapter mention

In fact,

later in Acts 11,

we learn that

those who had been scattered

by the persecution

in connection with Stephen,

Luke writes,

traveled as far as

Phoenicia,

Cyprus,

and Antioch.

And so,

James addresses

his letter

in chapter 1,

verse 1,

to the 12 tribes

in dispersion.

The 12 tribes

are referenced

to the people of God,

referencing the 12 tribes

of Israel

in the dispersion.

That is,

the ones who've been scattered.

And we learn

from James' letter

that these Christians

were facing hardship.

Having left their homes,

they're trying to establish

new lives

in often hostile

foreign environments,

and in particular,

it seems like they're facing

economic strains

and stressors

even at times

it looks like

they're facing

economic oppression

by wealthy landowners.

And under that kind

of pressure,

they're being tempted

to begin acting

like the world.

Showing favoritism

to the wealthy

and powerful,

giving in to jealousy

and selfish ambition,

engaging in conflict

and dissensions

in their midst,

forgetting to care

for the marginalized

and the poor.

And so James,

the pastor,

writes this letter

to serve like

an extended sermon.

It's a collection

of encouragements

and exhortations

to help his scattered

flock remain faithful

to Jesus

and to keep on living

the faith

they profess.

And you know,

one thing is particularly

striking about James,

the pastor.

in this letter,

James never once

mentions

that he's the brother

of Jesus.

He never plays

that card.

I mean,

I have to confess,

if I had been writing

this letter

and I had some hard words

to say,

I think I'd be tempted

to slip that in

at least once.

You know,

you should really listen

to what I'm saying.

After all,

I'm the brother

of Jesus,

you know,

the Messiah,

the Lord,

that's who I am,

so listen up.

And yet for James,

not once

does he do that.

You see,

James had come

to see

that real wisdom,

real love

comes

not in exalting

ourselves,

but by humbling

ourselves.

Again,

in the heart

of the letter

in chapter 4,

he will write,

God opposes

the proud,

but gives grace

to the humble.

Humble yourselves

before the Lord,

and he will

exalt you.

James' life

and his ministry

is living proof

of the central

fact

of the gospel.

That what gets us

into a relationship

with God

and what allows us

to progress

in that relationship

with God,

what gets us

into that relationship

with God,

our standing with him

is not about

our good works,

and it's not about

our family background,

and it's not about

our intellect,

it's not about

our performance.

Not even being

a physical brother

of Jesus

counted for anything

because the whole thing

is sheer undeserved grace.

Every good gift

comes down

from the father of lights,

James will write

in chapter 1,

with whom there is

no variation

or shadow due to change.

You know,

if you read

James' letter quickly,

you can miss

the fact

that God's grace

is there

at almost

every turn.

When believers

need wisdom

to grow

under trials,

he points to God

who gives

generously

to all

without reproach.

When we're caught up

in favoritism

and the glory

of fine clothes

and worldly wealth,

he points us

to Jesus,

the Lord of glory,

where our real wealth

is found.

When we're struggling

with judging others,

he reminds us

of the mercy

God has shown us

that triumphs

over judgment.

When we're wrestling

with self-centered desires,

he reminds us

of the desire

of God for us

like a loving spouse

jealous for his bride.

When we need patience

to endure suffering,

he points us

to the coming

of Jesus our Lord

who is compassionate

and merciful.

When our bodies

are sick,

he reminds us

of God's willingness,

eagerness

to answer prayer

and he reminds us

that our greatest sickness,

the sickness of sin

has been forgiven.

And at the end

of the letter,

he reminds us

when our hearts

are wandering

far from the truth,

he reminds us

that we can return.

Like the prodigal son,

we can come home

and find that our father

will welcome us

back from death

and cover a multitude

of sins.

Salvation's by grace,

not for the strong,

the proud,

or the can-do,

but the humble,

the ones who know

they're weak.

This is James,

the pastor.

And this leads us

to our last point.

James,

the pastor,

becomes James,

the martyr.

How does the story

of James' life end?

Well, in the New Testament,

the last picture

that we get of James

is that he's still

shepherding the church

in Jerusalem

amidst growing tensions

and growing conflicts

between the religious

establishment

and the burgeoning

Christian movement.

That's the last picture

we get of James

in the New Testament.

But we know

from historical records

outside the New Testament

that James was put to death

in 62 AD.

At a moment

of political transition

in Jerusalem

when things were

sort of precarious,

the religious authorities

found an opportunity

to accuse James

of transgressing the law

and they delivered him

up to be stoned.

James,

once the doubter,

once the doubter

in the end

refused

to deny his belief

in Jesus as Lord

even though it cost him

his life.

What made James

so steadfast

in the face

of such pressure?

how easy

it would have been

for him

to just compromise

with those worldly

machinations around him

to find a pragmatic solution

to say,

no,

I followed the law

my entire life.

I can sit loose

to Jesus

as the Messiah.

Yet he doesn't do that.

He holds fast.

James,

it seems,

really believed

what he wrote

in chapter 1,

verse 12.

He writes this.

He 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.

The steadfastness

of James

in death

in martyrdom

was rooted

in the deeper

steadfastness

of God.

God's promises

were like

the bedrock,

the unshakable

foundation

on which

James stood.

God's promises

stood firm.

God had promised

in the Old Testament

that he would

save his people

from their sin

and death,

that he would

bring them back

from exile,

that he would

gather them in.

And what James knew

is that he did.

God remained

steadfast to his promise

at the cost

of his own son.

Jesus willingly

remained steadfast

for us,

enduring the cross,

bearing our shame,

rising again

in new life.

What will keep us

steadfast today?

Like James' audience,

we are a church

under pressure.

What will keep us

steadfast today?

The answer is

knowing the same

Lord that James

knew.

You know,

the end of our story

may not be martyrdom,

but the road

for us

will not always

be easy.

Charles Spurgeon

wrote,

the best

of God's

saints

must

drink

the wormwood.

The dearest

of his children

must bear

the cross.

no Christian

has enjoyed

perpetual prosperity.

Now that you are

stronger in the

spiritual life,

you must enter

upon the riper

and rougher

experience of

God's full-grown

children.

We need winds

and tempests

to exercise

our faith,

to tear off

the rotten

bough of

self-dependence,

and to root

us more firmly

in Christ.

That's what we learn

from the life

of James,

the brother

of Jesus.

James,

the doubter,

the believer,

the pastor,

the martyr.

Through it all,

James' life

was one of

becoming rooted

more and more

firmly

in the steadfastness

of Jesus

until his whole

life,

even his death,

bore witness

to the grace

of God

in Christ.

And God

extends that

same grace

to us

right now.

An invitation

to let our

lives be made

whole by him

and to root

our lives

in his unchanging

mercy,

knowing,

as James says,

that God

has promised

a crown

of life

to those

who love him.

Let's pray.

O Lord Jesus,

we confess

that we are

often blown

and tossed.

And we confess

sometimes when we

look at the stories

of these great saints

in the New Testament,

we can be discouraged

because our lives

so rarely,

it seems,

in our own eyes,

reflect these rich

realities.

And yet,

Jesus,

we thank you

that though our

stories in our lives

may look differently,

your presence

and your grace

and your power

and your spirit

in our lives

are just the same.

Give us eyes

to see

your faithfulness

to us

and the fruit

of your spirit

at work in us.

Help us to

encourage one another

with the signs

of life-giving

reality

that we see

in one another.

And Lord Jesus,

root us

more deeply

in your steadfastness

so that we too

might become

steadfast in faith.

We pray this

in your name,

Lord.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.