A young mother was sitting in her den watching television and sewing. Beside her on the floor was her small, freckle-faced son who was quietly playing. As she continued her sewing, she realized she needed her scissors, so she looked in her basket to get the scissors, only to find they weren't there. She remembered, however, they were on the dresser in the bedroom. So she said to her little son, go to the bedroom and get the scissors off the dresser for mommy. This little freckled face fella looked up at her and said, what will you give me if I do? And she quickly responded, I'll tell you what you'll get if you don't. He got the scissors. Now, when I tell you that, what's your reaction? Well, I can imagine you would say, that's like kids today. They aren't interested in obedience. They're interested in what they get out of it. Or you might say, I commend that mother. She had the right response. Now, while there may be some truth in all of that, I'd like to make another observation. And it is simply this. There's a little freckle-faced fella in all of us. We all ask that question from time to time, don't we? What's in it for me? Especially if you're going through a trying time and the task gets, well, tiresome and tedious. It's then we start asking ourselves, why bother? Maybe there's the tendency to quit. And you want to know, why should I continue? What's in it for me? James addresses that in the first chapter of his book. He calls those kinds of times trials, and he tells us in the opening verses of chapter one how to handle those trials. Of all things, he says, we're to count it all joy. And then he says you need to know that that's because if you hang in there, it'll bring you to spiritual maturity. At that point, He just says that you'll grow to maturity, you'll lack nothing. But he doesn't give us any specifics as to what that might look like. He goes on to say you should endure. And if you lack wisdom as to what you're supposed to be gaining out of all of this, ask and God will give you that wisdom. And then he says, but make sure you ask in faith. And then he's not talking about just asking that prayer in faith, but handling the whole thing in faith. Then he does something rather interesting. At this point in the passage, he gives us two illustrations of people going through a trial. And then he ends with making a statement about something that happens way in the future. It seems to me that those two illustrations and that last statement are telling us things more specifically that we get out of trials if we're handling them properly. So I want you to turn with me to James chapter 1. And we're going to see what James has to say. Now while you're turning, I want to point out that James chapter 1 verses 2 to 12 are a unit. It's one paragraph. Now those who've You who've listened to me for years know that as I go through books of the Bible, I go through it paragraph at a time. Sometimes those paragraphs are short. Sometimes those paragraphs are long. I rarely break up a paragraph. This is one of those rare occasions. where there is so much in this paragraph from 2 to 12 that I've split it not only twice but three times. This is the third message in this paragraph, but I want you to know it's all a unit. What we're going to do today is pick up with verse 9. He says, let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation. but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field, he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with the burning heat than it withers the grass, its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. Now, verses 9, 10, and 11 are two illustrations. He talks about the brother of low, lowly brother in verse 9. But he obviously means by that, A poor man, because verse 10 says, but the rich. So the illustrations are of somebody who doesn't have a lot of money and somebody who has a great deal of money. These are two illustrations of people going through trials and what they learned in the process. That last statement is sort of the conclusion of this long paragraph that begins in verse two. Now, what do these verse teaches us? What do we get out of a trial if we're responding properly? Well, look at verse nine. He says, let the brother, let the lowly brother glory. Glory? Yeah. You're going through a trial glory. Now, It's a very interesting observation. If you go back and look at verse 2, he says, count it all joy. Glory, in verse 9, is very similar to the idea that you ought to be counting this all joy. And then look at verse 12. Blessed. Interesting stuff. He talks about joy, glory, blessed. All of this is saying what you get if you are responding properly. Now, in order to do that, you need to know something. He goes back in verse 2 and says, you can count it all joy, verse 3, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. You see, you can count it all joy when you know that God is in control, that God has a purpose, and you are going to gain out of this. Now, the trial itself may be painful, but you can count it a joy. You can glory in that moment when you take it from God's perspective. Then is when you can glory. and count it all joy and be blessed. So it's the person who endures the trial, not the person who experiences it, that has this joy. By the way, the word blessed in verse 12 actually means happy. You can be happy. I pointed out previously that joy in verse 2 can be translated calm delight. So this is not a jumping up and down kind of happy, but it is a calm delight. It is a happiness. That Greek word in verse 12 was used by the ancient Greeks to describe the island of Cyprus. They called it the happy isle. because they believed that Cyprus was so lovely, so rich, and fertile as an island, that a person would need not go anywhere else to enjoy all that they need, because that island would supply it. They didn't have to go to the coast, that it had all the fruits and the flowers, the minerals and the materials contained within itself. to experience happiness. Now, that's the kind of thing that James is talking about. You can be blessed. You can be happy. When you look at this from God's perspective, that it is self-contained, so to speak, like that Isle of Cyprus. There's this inner joy, this inner calm delight, that the Lord is in control and the Lord is doing this for your good. By the way, our English word happy or happiness comes from the word happenings. So the modern idea is this, if my happenings are all going my way, I'm happy. So If they go contrary to me, I'm unhappy. Now that is in stark contrast to the biblical concept of joy. The biblical concept is that even in the midst of a trial, there can be joy, there can be glory, if you take it from God's perspective and endure. So, one of the things you get is rejoicing. It's what the text says. Abraham Lincoln once said, most people are about as happy as they choose to be. You can choose to wallow in self-pity and be despondent and depressed, or you can choose to walk in God's plan and be happy and blessed. You can choose a pit of pity or a hill of happiness. Whatever it is, it is your choice. Years ago, I knew a couple of Christian psychiatrists who wrote a book, and the title of the book was, Happiness is a Choice. Matter of fact, if you look back at verse two, it says, count it all joy, indicating you have to choose to do this. You count it. You reckon it, which is what that word means. You reckon on that. You're choosing to take that perspective. So the first thing you get, if you're responding properly to whatever you're going through, is a calm delight, a sense of glory, a sense of inner happiness. What else? Well, let's look at these two illustrations more specifically. Notice he says, let the brother of low degree glory in his exaltation. He's low, but he's exalted. Now the low is he's financially low, but he's exalted. Whatever is that talking about? Well, the low is not, like I say, low in spirit. It's low in outward circumstances, and in this case, financial. Now, from experience, having gone through this years ago, let me say it's no fun to be poor. So how can James say that this poor Christian is to glory? Notice he calls him a brother. And the answer is that he is exalted. Now, what does that mean? Nobody exalts poor people. The kings of the earth don't pay any attention to poor people. Oh, politicians do. That's why they're running. After they get elected, they forget the poor people. Who pays any attention to poor people? We pay attention to rich people. But if you're poor, you know the Lord. and you go through even a financial trial, then you can realize that God has exalted you. So how do you figure? Well, if God is in control and God has allowed this to come into your life, He's done it for a reason. All things work together for good. Not all things are good, but they work together for good. So if you take God's perspective, you can say, you know what? The kings of the earth don't pay any attention to me, but the king of kings does. He's designed a trial just for me. I can glory in that. and that is precisely what this passage is talking about. During John Wesley's time, one of England's most degraded and poverty-stricken sections was a mining area in Kingwood, near Bristol. Many of the miners, though, had become believers And when they entered their spiritual riches, they began to sing a hymn that one of them wrote. It included the line, quote, on all the kings of earth, with pity, I look down. When you look at life from God's perspective, if you realize that God is working in your life to bring you to spiritual maturity and those poor unbelievers don't have that experience, you're exalted and you can look down at them. Now let me pause here for a minute. I want you to think about this for a second. What's going on? Well, What do I get out of this? Well, I get this insight, and it's more than just a mental insight. It's a refinement. I'm realizing God's working in my life, and that is deeply, deeply significant. So I think, and this is very important, I think this is telling us that you're refined in the sense that you are looking at life from God's perspective. Now, let me tell you why that's important. Because then you realize there's a purpose in this. How do people get through real tragedy? Well, one of the best ways I've ever heard is they see a purpose in it. Well, how does a believer do it? He begins to see life from God's perspective. Not that I've been put down, but that I have been exalted. Now, so what I'm suggesting is that this refinement, this spiritual maturity involves the way you think about God and the way you think about yourself. Now note that. That's very important. When you're going through a trial, the kinds of things God wants to teach you is He wants to teach you things about Him, and He wants to teach you things about you. Now that's the first illustration. I said that in this passage there were two. Let's look at the second. He says that, but the rich in his humiliation. Now that is in stark contrast to what he just said about the poor fella. The poor fella has been exalted and the rich fella has been humiliated or he's been brought to humiliation. The wealthy believer, I assume, is to glory in that. Now that's not stated but it's clearly implied. He's to glory? in his humiliation? Now, again, I don't think this humiliation is his inward spirit because it's talking about rich in the way he talks about in the passage. These are his outward circumstances, not his inner attitude. In other words, I think this passage is describing somebody who has a lot of money and they encountered a problem and their wealth couldn't solve it. You know there are those kinds of problems. Perhaps it was the loss of wealth that is even a greater trial than poverty. What? Yeah. You see, if you grow up in poverty, you get used to it. If you have a lot of money and lose it, can be more dramatic, traumatic, because you weren't prepared for it. So in that sense, this could be worse. Now, how can James say that the rich Christian is to glory in being brought low? Well, he says, look at the passage in verse 10, because as the flower of the field, he shall pass away. Now, that is probably a reference to Psalm 40, verse 6. As the flower and the grass of the fields fade away, so do people. Again, what's he saying? I want to teach you something about you. You're not as high and almighty as you think you are. So you need a little trial to give you a little humility. That's what he's saying. Rich people tend to depend on their money. And they get a sense of security out of that. They may conclude they're indestructible because they've got so much money. They can easily forget that that flower fades away. And just like that flower fades away, so do you. You're not as permanent. as you think you are. So they learn that they're transitory, that they're temporary. You have a tendency to forget that. Now, James amplifies the illustration of the rich man when he says, for no sooner, I'm in verse 11, has the sun risen with a burning heat Then it withers the grass, it flowers, falls, and the beautiful appearances perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. Now, he said he was going to fade away, and he's going to fade away in his pursuits. and he's using the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat that it withers the grass. This is a reference to the springtime in Palestine, that after the showers came, the season of rain, green shoots of grass sprouted up. But in Palestine, there was a phenomena where there was a southeast wind that came and blown across the same area. If you live in Southern California, you know about that. When there's a low pressure off the coast and all the winds of the desert are sucked across California and the heat goes up and that flower, that grass withers even sooner. So that blast of hot air withered the flower and the grass. It withered and wilted and faded and fell away, and it ultimately died. James is saying that's how it is with people, verse 10, and that's how it is with their money, verse 11. Neither people nor their money are permanent. They're both passing. In an instant, it can be taken away from them. or they can be taken away from it. They learn the vital lesson of life that money and people are not part of the permanent, they're part of the passing. I think what's happened in Southern California recently is a vivid illustration. I can't think of a greater one. Pacific palisades filled with rich people burned to the ground. They lost everything. Imagine that. One of the lessons you need to learn is you need to trust the Lord, not the money. Trust the master, not the money. That is what's going on here. Now, some people would say, well, I'd rather have the loot than the money. Oh no. If having money makes you think you can trust it, the Lord will deliberately design a trial for you to teach you that you shouldn't be trusting manna, but you should be trusting the master. If the result is that you build your life on him instead of it, then is when you can glory. Sweet is the lesson learned from bitter experience. Learn from the Lord's perspective. as to what's going on. Now, what I've done is explain the two illustrations that James gives us. They're opposite ends of the spectrum, so to speak. There is the poor man who was ignored by the kings of the world, and the rich man who was exalted with his riches, but humiliated when he lost them. So the rich Christian who probably has too much recognition, honor, and esteem, realizes by a sudden loss of wealth the vanity of life and the vanity of riches. These two are radically different situations. Remember, though, when things get tough, rubbing brings out the shine. Now again, I want to point out that the lessons that are learned here, the refinement that you get, so to speak, is you learn you're not as highly exalted as you think, you're part of the passing, not the permanent, and you learn a little bit about life, that you shouldn't be trusting money. Need to learn that. We put entirely too much emphasis on making money and getting rich. That's fine as long as you're trusting the Lord and not it. Years ago, I knew a pastor who was in a church that was having a struggle with finances. They were not always able to pay him his full salary. Sometime, instead of giving him a full check, they gave him a partial check. which was only a fraction of the full salary. That produced a great deal of hardship and struggle for them. But in describing the situation to me, I'll never forget this. The pastor's wife said, and I wrote it down and I'm quoting her, I do not think I will ever again, as long as I live, ever receive a paycheck without being grateful that the Lord has provided it." End of quote. You see, trials can teach you about the Lord, trials can teach you about you, and trials can teach you about life. Wow. I think one of the greatest illustrations of all of this in the Bible is Job. He went through the most severe trials that you can imagine. You know the story. He lost his wealth. He lost 10 children. Lost, actually, the support of his wife. And then three friends came along and kept saying to him, well, it's your fault. Fourth friend wasn't quite that hard. And throughout it all, Job kept saying, I want my day in court. I didn't do anything wrong. And by the way, the book says that. Back in chapter one, that he was a righteous man. And he kept saying, I want my day in court. And he used his legal language. I want my day before the Lord. And chapter after chapter after chapter, these three friends keep saying, no, it's your fault. You're a sinner. If you quit sinning, it wouldn't happen. Job says, I didn't sin. God finally speaks in chapter 38. And instead of answering Job's question of why did all this happen to me, God says to him, and where were you when I created the earth? And asked 72 questions. He never answers Job's question. He asked Job questions, all of which to say is, Job, you need to know I'm in charge. You need a little humility, Job. You need to know I'm sovereign and I know what I'm doing. 72 questions to communicate that. And when it's all done in chapter 42, Job says, you know, I heard of you with a hearing of the ear But now my eye sees you and I abhor myself. What strikes me about that passage is that Job went through the most severe trial. He had boils. You know how painful that is. He lost everything. But he learned about the Lord. And he learned about himself. Now that is the refinement. You see, he was righteous. He didn't do anything wrong. But God refines you. It's not punishment. It's refinement. So what do I get out of this? Well, for one thing, you get glory. You can rejoice knowing that God is working. And number two, you get refinement. You learn about the Lord. You learn about you. You learn about life. You learn about money if you're responding properly to the trial. Now, I said in this passage there were two illustrations and a final statement. I want you to look at the final statement because it tells you the third thing you can get out of a trial, not only rejoicing, not only refinement, there's a third thing. Look at verse 12. Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he is approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those that love him. Now, this is interesting. Blessed is the man who endures, and I'm reading the New King James, it says temptation. I thought we were talking about trials. Well, actually, the Greek word can be translated trials, and it can be translated temptation. In the next paragraph, which I think begins at verse 13, he then talks about temptation. So some take verse 12 as a reference to temptation. Matter of fact, this translation even translates it that way. Well, looking at the passage carefully, I beg to differ. I think he's still talking about trials, and this passage should read, blessed is the man who endures trials. Now, why do I say that? Well, several reasons. For one thing, the Bible says you endure trials. It says it in this passage. You don't endure temptation, you flee from it. Furthermore, he says if you endure this, you get a crown of life. The crown of life is only referred to one other passage in all of the Bible, and it's in Revelation chapter 2. And in that passage, in verse 10, it's clearly talking about trials. So based on those observations, I think that this passage is saying if you endure trials, then you will receive a crown of life. In other words, you're going to be rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ. Wow. Crown of life. What's that? There are three kinds of crowns in the ancient world. There was a crown of leaves, crown of flowers, and a crown of gold. The crown of leaves was given to the victor in the athletic games. The crown of flowers was worn at the time of joy, like a wedding. The crown of gold rested on the head of a king. In other words, those crowns were of victory, gaiety, and royalty. But James says you get a crown of life. What's that? He doesn't explain it. Neither does the passage in Revelation 2.10. Neither does any passage that I'm aware of in the Bible. Anything I say is going to be speculation. Perhaps, maybe, it includes all of those kinds of things. It's a crown. And in the ancient world, when they thought of that, they thought of victory and joy and royalty. Maybe this is a crown of life that includes all of that. Or let me suggest that this is talking about the judgment seat of Christ. Now, the Bible says that now There is life and there is abundant life. Well, the crown of life is something we will receive at the judgment seat of Christ in the kingdom that is to come. Is it possible that there are levels of life? I think so. I have some verses for that. Some are gonna have 10 crowns, and some are gonna have five, and some are gonna be ditch diggers and street cleaners. Could it be that there is an abundant level of life at the judgment seat of Christ? I don't know. I just know that this is a crown of life, that if you respond properly, you will be rejoicing, You'll get some refinement out of this and you will be rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ. Now put all this together. If believers respond properly, which means they are in a state of trusting the Lord, then they will be rejoicing, they will have some refinement now and they'll be rewarded later. The trusting, enduring believer will gain maturity. Matter of fact, earlier in this very passage, it says you'll be complete, lacking nothing spiritually. It says if you lack wisdom, ask. And you'll get wisdom in this life. And then on top of all of that, you'll stand before the Lord and hear him say, well done. And give you a crown of life. But all of this is a choice. Hear me and hear me carefully. If in the midst of the trial, you are like most people tend to fret about what they're losing time property money and as a result they get impatient and they gripe and they complain they can become negative Well, what I'm suggesting, instead of looking at what you lose, look at what you gain. Keep you from complaining. Don't focus on the physical. Remember the spiritual. Don't concentrate on the temporal. How about thinking about the eternal? You see, from a biblical point of view, if you take God's perspective, you'll be better off. Amen? Then let's stop complaining and start rejoicing. D.L. Moody tells of a pastor who was calling on a Christian family that had just suffered the loss of all their possessions in a tragic fire. As he approached the lady of the house, the pastor said, I give you joy, madam. Surprise and ready to be offended. She exclaimed, what? Joy that my property is consumed? Oh, no. said the pastor, joy that you have property that fire cannot. Father, thank you for giving us this spiritual insight into the way you work and the way we have in Christ and what we can have. if we trust you. Father, my prayer is the Spirit of God would so indelibly impress this truth upon believers that they would live a life of faith and not fretting. In Jesus' name, amen.