Click here for the audio message of – James 5:12-20
We conclude our look at the epistle of James this morning. Over the past couple of months we have learned from James about several aspects of the Christian’s life. We are to stay faithful during trials and temptations.
We are to live out our faith with selfless love. We are to watch what we say, control our words, control our tongues. We are to be patience. We are to be humble. And we are to trust God rather than trust in our own abilities or riches.
In verse 12, James tells us to make our yes, yes and our no, no. When you say you are going to do something, then do it. When you promise someone something, then follow through and uphold your promise, uphold your word.
This also means to say what you mean. Speak the truth in love and you won’t ever have to worry about what the other person thinks. This idea once again reinforces the idea of controlling the tongue and having patience.
Think before you speak. Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 29:8, “Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.” Be wise, be loving, be patient.
James then starts to finish up his letter by writing about prayer. Whatever your situation is, pray. Pray if you are happy. Pray if you are sad. Pray for healing or pray for continued good health. Pray for suffering, confessions, each other, petitions, praise, supplications, and thanksgiving.
No doubt most of you have had experience with prayer. We’ve discussed prayer here many times. Some people still only pray when they need something. They view God as some type of genie in a bottle or something. He’s there when you need something, but other than that you leave me alone.
I think to some extent we are all like that. Our prayer life kicks in to overdrive when we are in trouble, sick, or in need of help. But in those good times, maybe we don’t praise God enough for the wonderful things He does in our lives. What a great time to do it, now today. This week as we celebrate Thanksgiving, make sure to thank the One who makes it all possible.
Later on today or this week, read back over the scripture this morning and try to make at least one of these types of prayer more a part of your life. I know some people keep prayer journals and look back through them to see how God has answered their prayers.
Each week at our Bible study we close with prayer and prayer requests. I always write them down in my notebook and it is interesting to look back through them and see what has been done. Our prayers are not always answered the way we think they should, but God does answer them.
In verses 14-16, James discusses physical and spiritual healing. We are to tell other people about our physical needs, our spiritual needs and ask them to pray for us. We are to pray with passion and energy.
James tells us to call the elders and other church leaders together for anointing, prayer, and confession. If you remember we did that here for Joyce about a year ago or so. We gathered around her here at the alter and I anointed her with oil and we prayed for her healing.
Now, I didn’t do anything special. I don’t have any super powers and there was nothing special about the oil in this bottle up here. But God listened to us. He heard our prayers and He answered them in a way that we can rejoice in but He answered our prayers according to His will.
The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. These are the energetic, passionate prayers of godly people that activate the power of God to move in their lives or the lives of others.
James gives the example of Elijah from the Old Testament. This is probably once of the most notable illustrations of the power of prayer in the Old Testament. His prayers both initiated and ended a three and a half year drought. Now that is power. That is being in tune with God.
We are the same kind of person as Elijah was. He like all of the other Old Testament characters wasn’t a superhero or something. In fact, He was a man subject to similar passions as we are. But he was also a man who prayed with passion, and that is the kind of prayer we need today.
James closes his letter by telling us that we are responsible for each other. We are to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others. As they receive Christ into their lives, we are to help them grow and mature in the faith. This involves discipline and correcting them when they stray from the Word of God.
The closing words of James really express his primary objective of this letter. That is simply to confront those people that have a fake or dead faith. Rather than address these people and warn them directly, James tells the faithful believers to witness to those fellow believers that are not living in full obedience to God’s Word.
That is definitely something we need to continue to do today as well. Some believers have indeed strayed or wandered from the truth. This people are in danger and must be called back to a faithful life.
Maintaining open, sharing, praying relationships with other Christians will help keep us from getting stuck in a rut in our spiritual lives. These relationships help give us the strength that provides victory over our sin.
God has granted to all believers the ministry of reconciling wandering souls to Himself. When a so called believer’s life shows evidence that their faith is not real, it is our duty as a believer to witness and minister to them for genuine saving faith in God.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time studying the words of your servant James. We thank you for the many practical advice you gave us through him for our daily lives. Help us to truly implement them into our lives.
As we prepare to give our thanks this week, help us to remember to give thanks to you for all that you have done and for all that you will do for us. We thank you especially for sending your son into this world to save us from our sins.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN
Showing posts with label James. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James. Show all posts
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
What Awaits
Click here for the audio message of – James 5:1-11
James continues his tests of faith in Chapter 5. Now James focuses on money and the believer’s view of money. This portion of Scripture is really divided into two sections, greed and patience and is addressed to the rich and the oppressed people.
James condemns the people who profess to be Christians, but really worship money. He tells them to look at their hearts again. He isn’t condemning their wealth, simply how they are using their money.
James declares that judgment awaits rich people because of their crimes. What are these crimes? The rich have hoarded their wealth. They have committed fraud in order to get more wealth. They are greedy. They live a life of luxury while others do not even have enough to survive.
If James were writing this letter today, I don’t think he would be addressing just the millionaires here in the United States. Even the poorest people here have it much better than many places around the world.
I believe as citizens of the United States we have been blessed by God many times over, but I think as individuals of the kingdom of God we will be judge based upon what God has given to us and how we have used or abused those blessings.
Do you consider yourself rich? Most people here would probably say no and that may be true based upon American standards. However, if I describe rich as having more than you need, I suspect everyone meets that standard. That’s how James described the rich.
Piling up riches can be like not trusting God. Now, I am not saying we shouldn’t save for things like retirement or education or a home or car or whatever. God doesn’t tell us not to plan. He tells us to trust Him and make Him a big part of our plan.
God takes care of His people. Think about some of the things that Jesus said during His sermon on the mount in Matthew chapter 5 through 7.
“…do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink…. Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, or reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” Matthew 6:25-26
“…your heavenly father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:32-34
James then speaks to the poor, they were the ones being persecuted and ruled over by the rich. He starts by telling them to be patient during their trials. This too shows where they place their trust. Trust God, not man. Trust God, not riches. Trust God, not works.
It is tough to watch everyone else around you getting stuff like new cars and big screen tv’s and such. It is tough not to want those things too. It is tough to see others live in luxury while you struggle to make ends meet. We need to be patient and trust in God and use whatever He has given us to further honor Him. Trust and obey.
But part of the problem is the fact that people don’t have patience. They want what they want and they want it now. That is partially why we are having this economic meltdown. People simply bought on credit more stuff than they could afford. They were trying to live a lifestyle beyond what their income supplied. The results are not surprising to me at all.
James gives several examples of patience in his letter. He says look at the farmer. He invests a bunch of money and time in seeds. He plants them and then pretty much trusts God and waits on Him to make the crop grow. Sure today, we have pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation systems, but whether or not the farmer acknowledges it he is at the mercy of God to make his crop grow as well.
The farmer has to wait. He has to be patient because the crops don’t grow and produce fruits and vegetables overnight. It takes many months to produce a harvest.
James also mentions the patience of the prophets of the Old Testament. They proclaimed the arrival of the Messiah, but never actually saw the birth of Christ. Many of them were ridiculed and persecuted for their words, but they patiently endured and were proven right with the birth of Christ.
Finally, of course, anytime you think of biblical patience, I am sure Job comes to mind. He was being tempted by Satan, but he never gave in. He was patient and God showed he was not being punished for his sin.
Some of us can use some patience. Even if it is just the little things in life that get to us, like traffic or waiting in the checkout lines, we still need to trust God. Wait on the Lord, His timing is best.
The words of James speak to us this morning, not just about being rich or poor or being patient through our suffering, but they speak to us about the coming of Christ. The believer rejoices at the thought of Christ’s return, while the unbelievers are fearful of death. God will set things right when He returns, but it will be on His schedule and on His terms.
Wealth can be a blessing or a curse. It simply depends on the person’s relationship with God. A right relationship produces blessings whereas a wrong relationship will be like a curse. Are you blessed or cursed?
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this practical advice on being patient. Help us to be like the farmers who trust in you for their harvest. Give us the patience that we need in our everyday matters of life.
But most importantly, help us to be patient in our faith and wait for your timing as you work in our lives. Give us the things that we need for today and help us to trust in you to take care of tomorrow.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN
James continues his tests of faith in Chapter 5. Now James focuses on money and the believer’s view of money. This portion of Scripture is really divided into two sections, greed and patience and is addressed to the rich and the oppressed people.
James condemns the people who profess to be Christians, but really worship money. He tells them to look at their hearts again. He isn’t condemning their wealth, simply how they are using their money.
James declares that judgment awaits rich people because of their crimes. What are these crimes? The rich have hoarded their wealth. They have committed fraud in order to get more wealth. They are greedy. They live a life of luxury while others do not even have enough to survive.
If James were writing this letter today, I don’t think he would be addressing just the millionaires here in the United States. Even the poorest people here have it much better than many places around the world.
I believe as citizens of the United States we have been blessed by God many times over, but I think as individuals of the kingdom of God we will be judge based upon what God has given to us and how we have used or abused those blessings.
Do you consider yourself rich? Most people here would probably say no and that may be true based upon American standards. However, if I describe rich as having more than you need, I suspect everyone meets that standard. That’s how James described the rich.
Piling up riches can be like not trusting God. Now, I am not saying we shouldn’t save for things like retirement or education or a home or car or whatever. God doesn’t tell us not to plan. He tells us to trust Him and make Him a big part of our plan.
God takes care of His people. Think about some of the things that Jesus said during His sermon on the mount in Matthew chapter 5 through 7.
“…do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink…. Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, or reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” Matthew 6:25-26
“…your heavenly father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:32-34
James then speaks to the poor, they were the ones being persecuted and ruled over by the rich. He starts by telling them to be patient during their trials. This too shows where they place their trust. Trust God, not man. Trust God, not riches. Trust God, not works.
It is tough to watch everyone else around you getting stuff like new cars and big screen tv’s and such. It is tough not to want those things too. It is tough to see others live in luxury while you struggle to make ends meet. We need to be patient and trust in God and use whatever He has given us to further honor Him. Trust and obey.
But part of the problem is the fact that people don’t have patience. They want what they want and they want it now. That is partially why we are having this economic meltdown. People simply bought on credit more stuff than they could afford. They were trying to live a lifestyle beyond what their income supplied. The results are not surprising to me at all.
James gives several examples of patience in his letter. He says look at the farmer. He invests a bunch of money and time in seeds. He plants them and then pretty much trusts God and waits on Him to make the crop grow. Sure today, we have pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation systems, but whether or not the farmer acknowledges it he is at the mercy of God to make his crop grow as well.
The farmer has to wait. He has to be patient because the crops don’t grow and produce fruits and vegetables overnight. It takes many months to produce a harvest.
James also mentions the patience of the prophets of the Old Testament. They proclaimed the arrival of the Messiah, but never actually saw the birth of Christ. Many of them were ridiculed and persecuted for their words, but they patiently endured and were proven right with the birth of Christ.
Finally, of course, anytime you think of biblical patience, I am sure Job comes to mind. He was being tempted by Satan, but he never gave in. He was patient and God showed he was not being punished for his sin.
Some of us can use some patience. Even if it is just the little things in life that get to us, like traffic or waiting in the checkout lines, we still need to trust God. Wait on the Lord, His timing is best.
The words of James speak to us this morning, not just about being rich or poor or being patient through our suffering, but they speak to us about the coming of Christ. The believer rejoices at the thought of Christ’s return, while the unbelievers are fearful of death. God will set things right when He returns, but it will be on His schedule and on His terms.
Wealth can be a blessing or a curse. It simply depends on the person’s relationship with God. A right relationship produces blessings whereas a wrong relationship will be like a curse. Are you blessed or cursed?
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this practical advice on being patient. Help us to be like the farmers who trust in you for their harvest. Give us the patience that we need in our everyday matters of life.
But most importantly, help us to be patient in our faith and wait for your timing as you work in our lives. Give us the things that we need for today and help us to trust in you to take care of tomorrow.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Getting Perspective
Click here for the audio message of – James 4:11-17
How many times have you been convinced that you are in control of your life? You are the captain of your own ship. You are the commander and master of your fate. Right? I think at times we all have this type of thinking.
Sometimes only a crisis type situation will enable us to see the truth. That we are not in control and never have been and never will be. God is in control as we have studied before. In this morning’s scripture James flat out tells us that “[We] are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”
This portion of James’ letter focuses on just that fact. He clues us in to realizing what our attitude is toward God, towards others, and towards our future. Then he helps us to make them what they really should be.
James starts by telling us that we are not the judges of other people. Do not speak evil of others. How many of you have ever done that? Yeah, all of us. How many of you have actually done that today! No doubt some of us.
We are not to speak evil of others. Why? Because those who speak evil of others set themselves up as judges. God is the only judge. He is the only one that knows our hearts. Now this speaking evil of others we would translate into slander today.
James is not talking about confronting other’s sin. We are commanded to do that, but we are not judging their sin by our own rules, rather we are confronting their sin based upon the word of God. If we do in fact judge others based upon our own thoughts then we are not respecting God who is the lawgiver.
At lot of times people speak evil of others or slander them to build themselves up. We see this especially with kids, but adults do it as well. As we are building ourselves up we actually start to believe that we are better than other people.
It reminds me of the parable Jesus told of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18. As Max Lucado retells the parable [Traveling Light p 74], the self righteous person prays like this,
“God, I thank you that the world has people like me. The man on the corner needs welfare – I don’t. The prostitute on the street has AIDS – I don’t. The drunk at the bar needs alcohol – I don’t. The gay [people] need morality – I don’t. I thank you that the world has people like me!”
That is the prayer of the self-righteous man. We really ought to be praying like the sinners we are.
“God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Like my brother on welfare, I’m dependent on your grace. Like my sister with AIDS, I’m infected with mistakes. Like my friend who drinks, I need something to ease my pain. And as you love and give direction to the gays, grant some to me as well. Have mercy on me a sinner.”
When we love and trust God, we will also loves others and obey God. We will know that we are no better than anyone else. We are saved by the mercy and grace of God just like others. When we truly realize and believe that, then we can more fully understand what God wants for us and from us.
That brings us back to the opening of this message. Are you living your life thinking you are in control or are you living life as if God is in control? The phrase here today, gone tomorrow is true. We have no control over how long we will live. We should be living each day for God.
Our earthly lives are only temporary, but as you receive Christ into your life you can start to enjoy eternity with Him.
Our life is like a mist, like a vapor, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan for things either. James is not saying that at all. Wise planning is very important and in fact is a gift from God. The idea here is to always make God a part of your plan.
The last thing I want to look at this morning is verse 17. I am not going to say much about it, but it really hits home to me and affects the way I live my life.
“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (NASB) Think about it. Most of us are not “bad” people at least by societies standards. But how often did you not do the right thing, when you knew what the right thing was to do.
There are a great many people sinning today and they don’t even know it. If you know the right thing to do and do not do it, that is sin. Being a Christian is not just about avoiding the wrong things in life, rather it means focusing our lives on doing what is right according to God’s plan.
Our lives are very brief, 70 or 80 years says Moses. We should not spend our time arguing over things that really won’t matter for eternity. It ruins the joy of living. We need to come to Christ and then we will truly start living.
Living the will of God is another test of a Christian’s faith. We should want to carry out the will of God with all our heart. Trying to be in control of our own life is like rejecting God’s path for us.
In John 10:10, Jesus said “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” He wants to give you that life. The question is do you want it and are you living that life today?
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for giving us the knowledge of right and wrong. Help us to do what is right. Help us to love those around us rather than judge them. Make our plans align with your plan. Strengthen our commitment and faith to you.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN
How many times have you been convinced that you are in control of your life? You are the captain of your own ship. You are the commander and master of your fate. Right? I think at times we all have this type of thinking.
Sometimes only a crisis type situation will enable us to see the truth. That we are not in control and never have been and never will be. God is in control as we have studied before. In this morning’s scripture James flat out tells us that “[We] are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”
This portion of James’ letter focuses on just that fact. He clues us in to realizing what our attitude is toward God, towards others, and towards our future. Then he helps us to make them what they really should be.
James starts by telling us that we are not the judges of other people. Do not speak evil of others. How many of you have ever done that? Yeah, all of us. How many of you have actually done that today! No doubt some of us.
We are not to speak evil of others. Why? Because those who speak evil of others set themselves up as judges. God is the only judge. He is the only one that knows our hearts. Now this speaking evil of others we would translate into slander today.
James is not talking about confronting other’s sin. We are commanded to do that, but we are not judging their sin by our own rules, rather we are confronting their sin based upon the word of God. If we do in fact judge others based upon our own thoughts then we are not respecting God who is the lawgiver.
At lot of times people speak evil of others or slander them to build themselves up. We see this especially with kids, but adults do it as well. As we are building ourselves up we actually start to believe that we are better than other people.
It reminds me of the parable Jesus told of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18. As Max Lucado retells the parable [Traveling Light p 74], the self righteous person prays like this,
“God, I thank you that the world has people like me. The man on the corner needs welfare – I don’t. The prostitute on the street has AIDS – I don’t. The drunk at the bar needs alcohol – I don’t. The gay [people] need morality – I don’t. I thank you that the world has people like me!”
That is the prayer of the self-righteous man. We really ought to be praying like the sinners we are.
“God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Like my brother on welfare, I’m dependent on your grace. Like my sister with AIDS, I’m infected with mistakes. Like my friend who drinks, I need something to ease my pain. And as you love and give direction to the gays, grant some to me as well. Have mercy on me a sinner.”
When we love and trust God, we will also loves others and obey God. We will know that we are no better than anyone else. We are saved by the mercy and grace of God just like others. When we truly realize and believe that, then we can more fully understand what God wants for us and from us.
That brings us back to the opening of this message. Are you living your life thinking you are in control or are you living life as if God is in control? The phrase here today, gone tomorrow is true. We have no control over how long we will live. We should be living each day for God.
Our earthly lives are only temporary, but as you receive Christ into your life you can start to enjoy eternity with Him.
Our life is like a mist, like a vapor, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan for things either. James is not saying that at all. Wise planning is very important and in fact is a gift from God. The idea here is to always make God a part of your plan.
The last thing I want to look at this morning is verse 17. I am not going to say much about it, but it really hits home to me and affects the way I live my life.
“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (NASB) Think about it. Most of us are not “bad” people at least by societies standards. But how often did you not do the right thing, when you knew what the right thing was to do.
There are a great many people sinning today and they don’t even know it. If you know the right thing to do and do not do it, that is sin. Being a Christian is not just about avoiding the wrong things in life, rather it means focusing our lives on doing what is right according to God’s plan.
Our lives are very brief, 70 or 80 years says Moses. We should not spend our time arguing over things that really won’t matter for eternity. It ruins the joy of living. We need to come to Christ and then we will truly start living.
Living the will of God is another test of a Christian’s faith. We should want to carry out the will of God with all our heart. Trying to be in control of our own life is like rejecting God’s path for us.
In John 10:10, Jesus said “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” He wants to give you that life. The question is do you want it and are you living that life today?
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for giving us the knowledge of right and wrong. Help us to do what is right. Help us to love those around us rather than judge them. Make our plans align with your plan. Strengthen our commitment and faith to you.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Peace
Click here for the audio message of James 4:1-10
In today’s portion of scripture, James tells us where the sources of disagreement come from and where the source of peace comes from. He starts this at the end of chapter three and continues on into chapter 4. Of course, when he was writing this letter, he didn’t use chapters. Just like we wouldn’t use chapters in any of our letters to friends either.
James writes of earthly and heavenly wisdom. Wisdom is not simply intelligence or knowledge, rather wisdom in general is the effective application of the truths you know. Wisdom is yet another test of a believers faith.
There is man’s wisdom and there is God’s wisdom. The wisdom of man seeks his own and has no saving relationship with God.
“The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” (Chapter 3 Verse 17)
Purity, that is something that many of us are missing today. This is spiritual integrity and moral sincerity. Having pure motives. This comes from truly loving others as you love yourself. Being gentle means having power under control. Reasonable, mercy, good fruits, unwavering: these are all traits of a person with heavenly wisdom. Wisdom that comes from God.
Earthly wisdom, on the other hand, is bitterness, selfishness, boastful, lying, envy, and deceitful. This is the harsh attitudes that you see in other people, maybe you even see it in yourself once in a while. This is seeking your own agenda, your own pleasure, and your own goals at the expense of others.
You can see then why earthly wisdom provokes people to conflict with others. It is focused on themselves, not the love and concern for others that God commands us to have. Think about this past week and about some of the different situations that you saw.
Did the conflicts happen because of heavenly wisdom or earthly wisdom? More often than not, the people operating with Heavenly wisdom do not get involved in too many conflicts, especially over earthly matters.
Now that doesn’t mean that Christians are to be a doormat for abuse either. For example, if a husband is physically beating his wife. The wife should not just take it and try to live at peace with him. She needs to protect herself and that may involve defending herself as needed.
However, we have the police and other agencies that are available to help. So maybe the guy goes to jail for his actions. The wife shouldn’t feel bad or sorry for that. Everyone has to suffer the consequences of their actions.
James continues in chapter 4 talking about the sources of quarrels. Here James is referring to conflicts within the church. Again, these disagreements come from our own selfish desires taking control. This is especially true when we cannot tame our tongue as we talked about last week.
James tells us to simply ask God to deal with our desires. If we are in tune with God’s will, then our desires will be His desires and he will give us what we want. It gets no clearer than Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
We need to ask God from a pure heart, not of our own selfish desires. See we always think we can do things on our own. We need to stop and ask God what He wants done and reflect and meditate on His answer to us as give to us in His Word.
James says that we don’t receive what we ask for from God when we ask with the wrong motives. When we seek God’s honor and glory, then we have the right motive. The people of this world have the wrong motives. They do not submit their lives to Christ. They do not even acknowledge their dependence upon Him.
Being a friend of this world is therefore being hostile to God. Christian living involves separation from the contaminants of this world. Christians need to live in this world but not be of it. That is a very hard thing for us to do. In fact, it is impossible for us to do by our own power. That is way we need to rely on the strength of God.
Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through [Christ] Him who strengthens me.” We must disdain the things of this world and not get caught in the deceptions of Satan. We must draw nearer to God and humbly submit our lives to Him. We must truly mourn over our sin.
This gives us the humble spirit that we need to continue our maturity in the faith and grow closer to our Lord. We realize the wrong sinful things that we do and we are truly sorrowful for them. We submit to God and it knocks our worldly ego’s out. It aligns our motives and will with God’s.
Some people get on James’ case here a little bit and say he sounds a little harsh or a little rigid with his writing here. I don’t. I think he is right on target.
Make no mistake about it, everyone gets into arguments. Sure some people more than others. But look at the sources of those arguments. They come from our ego’s. They come from our envy of others. They come from our own greediness.
The solution is to be humble before God and others. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God. To be a peacemaker, to be called a son of God, you need humility.
We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. If you profess to be a Christian but your heart is still proud, arrogant, and self centered, then you are lying to yourself. You may have even fooled yourself and others around you. But you cannot fool God. He knows your heart.
Strive for a pure heart. Strive for peace. Be gentle and reasonable. Be full of mercy and good fruits. Be unwavering in your faith and attitude and of course, be without hypocrisy.
Ask the Lord, for heavenly wisdom and the strength to be his servant, his friend, and his son.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time in your word this morning. Help us to humbly come before you, filled with sorrow over our sin. Help us to turn from this world and its desires. Strengthen us to be pure like your Son.
Give us the humility to serve you each and everyday of our lives until you return again to us and for us.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN
In today’s portion of scripture, James tells us where the sources of disagreement come from and where the source of peace comes from. He starts this at the end of chapter three and continues on into chapter 4. Of course, when he was writing this letter, he didn’t use chapters. Just like we wouldn’t use chapters in any of our letters to friends either.
James writes of earthly and heavenly wisdom. Wisdom is not simply intelligence or knowledge, rather wisdom in general is the effective application of the truths you know. Wisdom is yet another test of a believers faith.
There is man’s wisdom and there is God’s wisdom. The wisdom of man seeks his own and has no saving relationship with God.
“The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” (Chapter 3 Verse 17)
Purity, that is something that many of us are missing today. This is spiritual integrity and moral sincerity. Having pure motives. This comes from truly loving others as you love yourself. Being gentle means having power under control. Reasonable, mercy, good fruits, unwavering: these are all traits of a person with heavenly wisdom. Wisdom that comes from God.
Earthly wisdom, on the other hand, is bitterness, selfishness, boastful, lying, envy, and deceitful. This is the harsh attitudes that you see in other people, maybe you even see it in yourself once in a while. This is seeking your own agenda, your own pleasure, and your own goals at the expense of others.
You can see then why earthly wisdom provokes people to conflict with others. It is focused on themselves, not the love and concern for others that God commands us to have. Think about this past week and about some of the different situations that you saw.
Did the conflicts happen because of heavenly wisdom or earthly wisdom? More often than not, the people operating with Heavenly wisdom do not get involved in too many conflicts, especially over earthly matters.
Now that doesn’t mean that Christians are to be a doormat for abuse either. For example, if a husband is physically beating his wife. The wife should not just take it and try to live at peace with him. She needs to protect herself and that may involve defending herself as needed.
However, we have the police and other agencies that are available to help. So maybe the guy goes to jail for his actions. The wife shouldn’t feel bad or sorry for that. Everyone has to suffer the consequences of their actions.
James continues in chapter 4 talking about the sources of quarrels. Here James is referring to conflicts within the church. Again, these disagreements come from our own selfish desires taking control. This is especially true when we cannot tame our tongue as we talked about last week.
James tells us to simply ask God to deal with our desires. If we are in tune with God’s will, then our desires will be His desires and he will give us what we want. It gets no clearer than Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
We need to ask God from a pure heart, not of our own selfish desires. See we always think we can do things on our own. We need to stop and ask God what He wants done and reflect and meditate on His answer to us as give to us in His Word.
James says that we don’t receive what we ask for from God when we ask with the wrong motives. When we seek God’s honor and glory, then we have the right motive. The people of this world have the wrong motives. They do not submit their lives to Christ. They do not even acknowledge their dependence upon Him.
Being a friend of this world is therefore being hostile to God. Christian living involves separation from the contaminants of this world. Christians need to live in this world but not be of it. That is a very hard thing for us to do. In fact, it is impossible for us to do by our own power. That is way we need to rely on the strength of God.
Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through [Christ] Him who strengthens me.” We must disdain the things of this world and not get caught in the deceptions of Satan. We must draw nearer to God and humbly submit our lives to Him. We must truly mourn over our sin.
This gives us the humble spirit that we need to continue our maturity in the faith and grow closer to our Lord. We realize the wrong sinful things that we do and we are truly sorrowful for them. We submit to God and it knocks our worldly ego’s out. It aligns our motives and will with God’s.
Some people get on James’ case here a little bit and say he sounds a little harsh or a little rigid with his writing here. I don’t. I think he is right on target.
Make no mistake about it, everyone gets into arguments. Sure some people more than others. But look at the sources of those arguments. They come from our ego’s. They come from our envy of others. They come from our own greediness.
The solution is to be humble before God and others. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God. To be a peacemaker, to be called a son of God, you need humility.
We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. If you profess to be a Christian but your heart is still proud, arrogant, and self centered, then you are lying to yourself. You may have even fooled yourself and others around you. But you cannot fool God. He knows your heart.
Strive for a pure heart. Strive for peace. Be gentle and reasonable. Be full of mercy and good fruits. Be unwavering in your faith and attitude and of course, be without hypocrisy.
Ask the Lord, for heavenly wisdom and the strength to be his servant, his friend, and his son.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time in your word this morning. Help us to humbly come before you, filled with sorrow over our sin. Help us to turn from this world and its desires. Strengthen us to be pure like your Son.
Give us the humility to serve you each and everyday of our lives until you return again to us and for us.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Fiery Words
Click here for the audio message of James 3:1-12
James continues his look at the Christian life in our text this morning. He writes about something that probably hits close to home for most of us as well. That of course is taming the tongue. A person’s speech tells a lot about their heart. Through words is probably the easiest and most common way for people to make their sinfulness known to others.
There are some sins that we may not be able to commit simply because we don’t have the opportunity or the interest or desire to do so. For example, most of us here will probably never physically murder anyone. We may not have the strength to do it, we may not be willing to take the risk to do it, or whatever. Most of us will never physically murder another person.
However there are no limits as to what we can think and then say about that other person. Each of us is capable of saying anything and many of us have indeed said things we shouldn’t have.
James compares the tongue to several things in everyday life. He tells us that a little spark can start a forest fire and we know that to be true. The tongue is the same way. The power of words is tremendous.
Fire can get out of control quickly and rapid destruction occurs. What about words? Your words can get out of control quickly too and cause destruction of your relationships with the people around you as well.
Your words can hurt those people around you and make them bitter toward you. Compulsive liars for example begin to believe their own lives. They can no longer distinguish between the truth and a lie. That is why Satan loves it when we are talking.
He knows that the more we talk, the more opportunity we have to say something bad, mean, hurtful, or sinful. It has been estimated that the average person says about thirty thousand words every day. And I am sure we all know a couple of people that exceed that number.
Think about the destruction thirty thousand words can do. The tongue cannot be tamed except by the power of God.
The tongue can condemn, control, and corrupt. But your words can also bring your faith and works together as we shall see. If your heart is obedient to God then your words should demonstrate your love for God and for others.
Going back to the fire illustration. Our lives would be very different without fire. We would have no heat to keep us warm. We would have no way to cook our food. So fire is a good thing, when it is controlled.
Left unattended though a fire can get out of hand and cause massive destruction. The same applies to our words.
We as Christians may talk the talk, meaning we say we are faithful followers of Jesus Christ, but are we walking the walking? Are we doing what God wants us to do? Are we doing what Jesus did? Are you living the Christian life or just talking about it?
We are not perfect that is for sure. We as faithful followers of Christ are still tainted by sin in this fallen world.
But James also finds inconsistency with our words. We bless people and we curse them. It builds people up and it also tears them down. How can this be? This is quiet a conundrum!
We need to remember that only God can completely tame our tongue. We need to live our life in submission to the will of God and joyfully accept what God places into our lives.
One thing that I think we forget is the fact that each of us is made in the image of God. That is right, Saddam Hussain and Adolf Hitler were made in the image of God. That isn’t something we think about very often because we have labeled people certain ways by our standards.
But it is true we are all made in the image of God. So when you are degrading someone with your words it is like degrading God.
Your words can also show others what is in your heart. Do you have nice and kind words, even under pressure? Or are your words mean and nasty? It shows your true self. Think about your words to others and see if you can spot any inconsistencies with your words and actions this week.
Think about this past week, did you: brag and boast to others, lie, slander, gossip, curse, make off colored comments, spread rumors, yell, or argue? I suspect we all did. Maybe there is one of these things that trips you up more than others.
We cannot change our past. What we have done, we have done. What we have said, we have said. But we can change today and we can be the person God wants us to be.
Our words don’t have to tear down. We can in fact use our words to build up instead. As I said, the tongue has tremendous power and can be used for good or evil. We can encourage others rather then telling them they are a failure.
We can comfort them when they are sad. We can praise them when they have done well. We can be supportive when they are struggling. Most importantly, we can proclaim the word of God to them, telling them and teaching them about Christ.
We should make our speech focus on the positive things of life rather than the negative. We will in fact need to deal with difficult people every day of our lives, but we can deal with them with the power of God on our side as well receive Jesus into our lives and live in submission to His will.
A true believer will posses a sanctified tongue, yet they must maintain it.
Nowhere is the relationship between faith and works more evident than in a person’s speech. What you are will be disclosed by what you say. Your speech is a reasonable and reliable measure of your spiritual temperature. Are you burning with a heart for God or for this world?
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for our time in your word this morning. We ask that you will tame our tongues. Make them a source for life rather than a source of evil. Help us our hearts to be shown to others through our words and our actions this week.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN
James continues his look at the Christian life in our text this morning. He writes about something that probably hits close to home for most of us as well. That of course is taming the tongue. A person’s speech tells a lot about their heart. Through words is probably the easiest and most common way for people to make their sinfulness known to others.
There are some sins that we may not be able to commit simply because we don’t have the opportunity or the interest or desire to do so. For example, most of us here will probably never physically murder anyone. We may not have the strength to do it, we may not be willing to take the risk to do it, or whatever. Most of us will never physically murder another person.
However there are no limits as to what we can think and then say about that other person. Each of us is capable of saying anything and many of us have indeed said things we shouldn’t have.
James compares the tongue to several things in everyday life. He tells us that a little spark can start a forest fire and we know that to be true. The tongue is the same way. The power of words is tremendous.
Fire can get out of control quickly and rapid destruction occurs. What about words? Your words can get out of control quickly too and cause destruction of your relationships with the people around you as well.
Your words can hurt those people around you and make them bitter toward you. Compulsive liars for example begin to believe their own lives. They can no longer distinguish between the truth and a lie. That is why Satan loves it when we are talking.
He knows that the more we talk, the more opportunity we have to say something bad, mean, hurtful, or sinful. It has been estimated that the average person says about thirty thousand words every day. And I am sure we all know a couple of people that exceed that number.
Think about the destruction thirty thousand words can do. The tongue cannot be tamed except by the power of God.
The tongue can condemn, control, and corrupt. But your words can also bring your faith and works together as we shall see. If your heart is obedient to God then your words should demonstrate your love for God and for others.
Going back to the fire illustration. Our lives would be very different without fire. We would have no heat to keep us warm. We would have no way to cook our food. So fire is a good thing, when it is controlled.
Left unattended though a fire can get out of hand and cause massive destruction. The same applies to our words.
We as Christians may talk the talk, meaning we say we are faithful followers of Jesus Christ, but are we walking the walking? Are we doing what God wants us to do? Are we doing what Jesus did? Are you living the Christian life or just talking about it?
We are not perfect that is for sure. We as faithful followers of Christ are still tainted by sin in this fallen world.
But James also finds inconsistency with our words. We bless people and we curse them. It builds people up and it also tears them down. How can this be? This is quiet a conundrum!
We need to remember that only God can completely tame our tongue. We need to live our life in submission to the will of God and joyfully accept what God places into our lives.
One thing that I think we forget is the fact that each of us is made in the image of God. That is right, Saddam Hussain and Adolf Hitler were made in the image of God. That isn’t something we think about very often because we have labeled people certain ways by our standards.
But it is true we are all made in the image of God. So when you are degrading someone with your words it is like degrading God.
Your words can also show others what is in your heart. Do you have nice and kind words, even under pressure? Or are your words mean and nasty? It shows your true self. Think about your words to others and see if you can spot any inconsistencies with your words and actions this week.
Think about this past week, did you: brag and boast to others, lie, slander, gossip, curse, make off colored comments, spread rumors, yell, or argue? I suspect we all did. Maybe there is one of these things that trips you up more than others.
We cannot change our past. What we have done, we have done. What we have said, we have said. But we can change today and we can be the person God wants us to be.
Our words don’t have to tear down. We can in fact use our words to build up instead. As I said, the tongue has tremendous power and can be used for good or evil. We can encourage others rather then telling them they are a failure.
We can comfort them when they are sad. We can praise them when they have done well. We can be supportive when they are struggling. Most importantly, we can proclaim the word of God to them, telling them and teaching them about Christ.
We should make our speech focus on the positive things of life rather than the negative. We will in fact need to deal with difficult people every day of our lives, but we can deal with them with the power of God on our side as well receive Jesus into our lives and live in submission to His will.
A true believer will posses a sanctified tongue, yet they must maintain it.
Nowhere is the relationship between faith and works more evident than in a person’s speech. What you are will be disclosed by what you say. Your speech is a reasonable and reliable measure of your spiritual temperature. Are you burning with a heart for God or for this world?
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for our time in your word this morning. We ask that you will tame our tongues. Make them a source for life rather than a source of evil. Help us our hearts to be shown to others through our words and our actions this week.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Faith and Works
Click here for the audio message of James 2:14-26
James provides us with practical tests of our Christianity. We have seen how a true believer responds to trials and temptations. We have learned about the reaction of a true believer to the Word of God. And last week we saw that Christians should be impartial because God is impartial.
This morning we continue our look at these tests of James. In particular we look at the test of works or the behavior of the Christian. We do need to keep in mind, however, that a person is not saved by their works. Christ has done all the work necessary for our salvation. But our works, or what we do, really shows who we are.
The genuineness of a believer’s claim that Christ is their Lord and Master is shown more by what they do than by what they claim.
James provides several examples of actions proving our beliefs. He gives one example that everyone would understand and that is of the physical needs of the body. The other two examples are from the Old Testament, Abraham and Rahab.
James starts to illustrate his point by comparing faith without works to words of compassion without acts of compassion. You can tell someone to warm up if they are cold, but unless you give them a coat or a blanket they will not warm up.
You may mean well and speak well, but if you do not do well then it doesn’t really help that person who is freezing. So professed compassion without action is fake, therefore, the kind of faith that is without works is simply an empty profession, not the genuine saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Abraham was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to God. He didn’t just say he would do it, but he literally held the knife ready to perform the sacrifice when God stopped him. As we have talked about before when we were studying the book of 1 Peter, God didn’t give this test to Abraham so that God would know Abraham’s heart. Rather, God gave this test to Abraham to prove his faith to himself.
Abraham’s faith was made complete by his actions. He obeyed God and acted according to His will. I am sure he didn’t understand why God wanted him to do this, but he believed and he acted upon his faith.
This was not simply a one time act of faith either. Abraham lived a lifetime of faith. Sure, he wasn’t perfect. In fact, we are still seeing some of the ramifications of his actions today through his son Ishmael. He wasn’t perfect, but he was faithful to God.
The other example is from the book of Joshua, Rahab protected God’s messengers from harm even though it was at great risk to her own life. She could have listened to their story and simply said, “Good luck getting out alive.” But she didn’t. She was demonstrating her faith in God, even though she didn’t really know much about this God. She knew He was the God though and she placed her faith and trust into Him.
We have opportunities everyday to act on our faith. I do not believe any of us will be asked by God to sacrifice our son, but there are certainly many poor and needy people around the area that we can minister too.
Maybe you can’t get out much anymore. That doesn’t mean you are useless to God. We are blessed with many well run local agencies that will use your donation of money, food or clothing to help those in need.
Don’t have much money, food, or clothing yourself? That is okay too. You can pray for those organizations. You can pray for the poor. You can pray for the sick. You can pray that God will send someone to minister to those people since you cannot.
The idea here is that our faith is just not a simple intellectual agreement with God, but the idea is that you genuinely want to obey Him and do what He wants. James tells us that even the demons know God. They know who He is and what He can do, but that have no interest in believing in Him, following Christ, or obeying Him. They reject Him even though they know who He is.
James closes this section by writing in verse 26, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”
Our spirit is what makes us go. It is what makes us alive. When we die our spirits are no longer in our body. For a Christian our spirit goes to be in Heaven with the Lord. Our body lies lifeless here on earth.
In the same way, faith without works is dead. Our works show our heart. Our works show our faith. Again, our works do not save us, they simply show that we are saved. They show that we have received Jesus Christ into our life to be our Lord and Savior.
Think about your actions. How do they demonstrate the reality of your faith? Both Abraham and Rahab trusted God and demonstrated this with their actions. They passed the test! Do you?
We also need to respond in love when we see a fellow Christian not acting like one. We need to remember not to judge them or condemn them. Rather we need to support them and remind them of their faith.
There is always room for improvement in each of our lives. None of us is perfect. This week make a conscious effort to align you faith and your actions. For some of us, it may be a challenge, but it is guaranteed to bring you great joy and peace with your Maker.
All Christians sin, we are still human and imperfect creatures in this fallen world. But all Christians also obey the Word of God. While sin may be present in our lives, it is never the main character of the true believer. That is what we need to remember.
God will accept us when we humbly return to Him. He is waiting with open arms for each of us when we fail.
Closing Prayer
Lord we thank you for our time in your word this morning. We thank you for always being there for us, even when we are not worthy to come into your presence. You are there waiting for us. Waiting to offer your forgiveness when we ask for it.
We ask this morning that you will open our eyes to our actions this week. Help us to see what others see. Help us to see what you see. Help us to act upon our faith in tangible ways.
We do this not so that we can impress others or to even impress you. Rather we do it because we want to be obedient to you each and every day of our life. Give us the wisdom and the strength to do so.
In Jesus Name,
AMEN
James provides us with practical tests of our Christianity. We have seen how a true believer responds to trials and temptations. We have learned about the reaction of a true believer to the Word of God. And last week we saw that Christians should be impartial because God is impartial.
This morning we continue our look at these tests of James. In particular we look at the test of works or the behavior of the Christian. We do need to keep in mind, however, that a person is not saved by their works. Christ has done all the work necessary for our salvation. But our works, or what we do, really shows who we are.
The genuineness of a believer’s claim that Christ is their Lord and Master is shown more by what they do than by what they claim.
James provides several examples of actions proving our beliefs. He gives one example that everyone would understand and that is of the physical needs of the body. The other two examples are from the Old Testament, Abraham and Rahab.
James starts to illustrate his point by comparing faith without works to words of compassion without acts of compassion. You can tell someone to warm up if they are cold, but unless you give them a coat or a blanket they will not warm up.
You may mean well and speak well, but if you do not do well then it doesn’t really help that person who is freezing. So professed compassion without action is fake, therefore, the kind of faith that is without works is simply an empty profession, not the genuine saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Abraham was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to God. He didn’t just say he would do it, but he literally held the knife ready to perform the sacrifice when God stopped him. As we have talked about before when we were studying the book of 1 Peter, God didn’t give this test to Abraham so that God would know Abraham’s heart. Rather, God gave this test to Abraham to prove his faith to himself.
Abraham’s faith was made complete by his actions. He obeyed God and acted according to His will. I am sure he didn’t understand why God wanted him to do this, but he believed and he acted upon his faith.
This was not simply a one time act of faith either. Abraham lived a lifetime of faith. Sure, he wasn’t perfect. In fact, we are still seeing some of the ramifications of his actions today through his son Ishmael. He wasn’t perfect, but he was faithful to God.
The other example is from the book of Joshua, Rahab protected God’s messengers from harm even though it was at great risk to her own life. She could have listened to their story and simply said, “Good luck getting out alive.” But she didn’t. She was demonstrating her faith in God, even though she didn’t really know much about this God. She knew He was the God though and she placed her faith and trust into Him.
We have opportunities everyday to act on our faith. I do not believe any of us will be asked by God to sacrifice our son, but there are certainly many poor and needy people around the area that we can minister too.
Maybe you can’t get out much anymore. That doesn’t mean you are useless to God. We are blessed with many well run local agencies that will use your donation of money, food or clothing to help those in need.
Don’t have much money, food, or clothing yourself? That is okay too. You can pray for those organizations. You can pray for the poor. You can pray for the sick. You can pray that God will send someone to minister to those people since you cannot.
The idea here is that our faith is just not a simple intellectual agreement with God, but the idea is that you genuinely want to obey Him and do what He wants. James tells us that even the demons know God. They know who He is and what He can do, but that have no interest in believing in Him, following Christ, or obeying Him. They reject Him even though they know who He is.
James closes this section by writing in verse 26, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”
Our spirit is what makes us go. It is what makes us alive. When we die our spirits are no longer in our body. For a Christian our spirit goes to be in Heaven with the Lord. Our body lies lifeless here on earth.
In the same way, faith without works is dead. Our works show our heart. Our works show our faith. Again, our works do not save us, they simply show that we are saved. They show that we have received Jesus Christ into our life to be our Lord and Savior.
Think about your actions. How do they demonstrate the reality of your faith? Both Abraham and Rahab trusted God and demonstrated this with their actions. They passed the test! Do you?
We also need to respond in love when we see a fellow Christian not acting like one. We need to remember not to judge them or condemn them. Rather we need to support them and remind them of their faith.
There is always room for improvement in each of our lives. None of us is perfect. This week make a conscious effort to align you faith and your actions. For some of us, it may be a challenge, but it is guaranteed to bring you great joy and peace with your Maker.
All Christians sin, we are still human and imperfect creatures in this fallen world. But all Christians also obey the Word of God. While sin may be present in our lives, it is never the main character of the true believer. That is what we need to remember.
God will accept us when we humbly return to Him. He is waiting with open arms for each of us when we fail.
Closing Prayer
Lord we thank you for our time in your word this morning. We thank you for always being there for us, even when we are not worthy to come into your presence. You are there waiting for us. Waiting to offer your forgiveness when we ask for it.
We ask this morning that you will open our eyes to our actions this week. Help us to see what others see. Help us to see what you see. Help us to act upon our faith in tangible ways.
We do this not so that we can impress others or to even impress you. Rather we do it because we want to be obedient to you each and every day of our life. Give us the wisdom and the strength to do so.
In Jesus Name,
AMEN
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Judging
Click here for the audio message of James 2:1-13
So far in the book of James, we have seen three tests of faith for the Christian. First we looked at how a Christian responds to trials. And we said that a true believer that is in tune with God will respond with joy and trusting obedience. Trials show us that we cannot do things on our own, we need to rely on God.
A trial can turn into a temptation for a Christian so we then looked at how a Christian responds to those temptations. God allows trials to strengthen us and He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle. God always provides a way out of our temptation, but we may not always choose it.
Last week we looked at the Christians reaction to the Word of God. When a true believer hears the Word that want to obey it and learn more of it. We said this isn’t just an intellectual knowledge, rather it is a heart desire to be closer to God.
This morning we look at another test of a Christian. That is of their partiality or favoritism. In particular, James mentions social or economic status.
At some point in our lives we have all showed favoritism to someone, so James gives us some of the results of doing so. He says favoritism brings about evil thoughts, dishonor, oppression, mercilessness, and sin.
We need to remember that God is impartial in His dealings with people. This is not something that we normally think about with God. So, we too need to be impartial in dealing with others. Christians are all equal with God and will one day be surrounded by His love for us.
We cannot show favoritism toward certain people. Jesus says in Matthew 22 to love your neighbor. Unfortunately, favoritism does happen too often among Christians and in the Church.
When someone new or different enters the church we as members of the body of Christ need to welcome that person in a way that is friendly and loving, but not pushy or weird.
I’ve been a stranger in churches where everyone comes up to greet you and ask all about you and it can be a little uncomfortable. I’ve also been in churches were no one comes to great you and that too is uncomfortable. So there needs to be a balance there.
In our society and again unfortunately in some churches, people with money or people that look rich seem to get better treatment. James saw it 2000 years ago and we still see it today. People want to be around other people with money for their own ego. It makes them feel important or maybe somehow they think they will personally benefit if they are around the rich people.
Now, there is nothing wrong with being rich and having money. The problem is the fact that often times the people with money forgot where the wealth came from in the first place and to whom it really belongs. Poor people tend to trust God to provide for them daily.
From a practical standpoint, it is foolish for the Church to ignore the poor. It was foolish in James’ day and it is foolish today as well. If our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples for Him, then wouldn’t we want to do this to as many people as possible?
Do you think there are more rich people or poor people in this world? Obviously there are many more poor people around the world. In James’ day the rich people were actually ruling over the poor and oppressed them.
People often times think that having money makes life easier. No doubt it does make certain aspects of life easier but it also makes things more difficult too. Rich people are really no better than poor people. God treats us all the same and we are all sinners in need of a Savior.
Our treatment of others needs to be guided by the royal law that James writes about. The command is to pursue meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well being of others as we would look after ourselves.
We are to truly love our neighbor. James goes on to tell us that treating others unequally is sin. Breaking just one of God’s laws is like breaking them all. It breaks the unity with Him and with others. Murdering someone and stealing are the same in God’s eyes even though our society treats them differently.
It is still sin. We are to love God and obey Him and we are to love others as we love ourselves. We must show mercy to others because God shows mercy to us. For those who show no mercy to others, God will show no mercy to them.
Remember the parable about the unmerciful slave in Matthew 18? The king showed mercy to one of his slaves for a debt that was owed to him. That slave in turn was owed money from another slave and he showed no mercy to him. When the king found out he had the first slave tortured. Verse 35 says, “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
Even in the Lord’s prayer we pray to God to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. We are to forgive others. We are to show mercy to others. We are to love others as ourselves.
The cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of mercy triumphing over judgment. Because of the sacrifice that Christ made, I know I am forgiven for my sins and I should forgive others for their sins against me. You should do the same.
This week think about some of the people that maybe you try to avoid or maybe even look down on. Think about ways in which you can reach out to them with love and kindness. Make a conscious effort to love others, especially when they aren’t too loving to you.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly father, we thank you for our time in your word this morning. We thank you for your unending love and your impartiality in dealing with each and every one of us. Help us to do the same.
Purify our hearts and our minds so that we may see others as you see them. Help us to care for others and love them as you love them. Enable us to be the people that you would have us to be. We do this all for your glory and honor.
AMEN
So far in the book of James, we have seen three tests of faith for the Christian. First we looked at how a Christian responds to trials. And we said that a true believer that is in tune with God will respond with joy and trusting obedience. Trials show us that we cannot do things on our own, we need to rely on God.
A trial can turn into a temptation for a Christian so we then looked at how a Christian responds to those temptations. God allows trials to strengthen us and He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle. God always provides a way out of our temptation, but we may not always choose it.
Last week we looked at the Christians reaction to the Word of God. When a true believer hears the Word that want to obey it and learn more of it. We said this isn’t just an intellectual knowledge, rather it is a heart desire to be closer to God.
This morning we look at another test of a Christian. That is of their partiality or favoritism. In particular, James mentions social or economic status.
At some point in our lives we have all showed favoritism to someone, so James gives us some of the results of doing so. He says favoritism brings about evil thoughts, dishonor, oppression, mercilessness, and sin.
We need to remember that God is impartial in His dealings with people. This is not something that we normally think about with God. So, we too need to be impartial in dealing with others. Christians are all equal with God and will one day be surrounded by His love for us.
We cannot show favoritism toward certain people. Jesus says in Matthew 22 to love your neighbor. Unfortunately, favoritism does happen too often among Christians and in the Church.
When someone new or different enters the church we as members of the body of Christ need to welcome that person in a way that is friendly and loving, but not pushy or weird.
I’ve been a stranger in churches where everyone comes up to greet you and ask all about you and it can be a little uncomfortable. I’ve also been in churches were no one comes to great you and that too is uncomfortable. So there needs to be a balance there.
In our society and again unfortunately in some churches, people with money or people that look rich seem to get better treatment. James saw it 2000 years ago and we still see it today. People want to be around other people with money for their own ego. It makes them feel important or maybe somehow they think they will personally benefit if they are around the rich people.
Now, there is nothing wrong with being rich and having money. The problem is the fact that often times the people with money forgot where the wealth came from in the first place and to whom it really belongs. Poor people tend to trust God to provide for them daily.
From a practical standpoint, it is foolish for the Church to ignore the poor. It was foolish in James’ day and it is foolish today as well. If our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples for Him, then wouldn’t we want to do this to as many people as possible?
Do you think there are more rich people or poor people in this world? Obviously there are many more poor people around the world. In James’ day the rich people were actually ruling over the poor and oppressed them.
People often times think that having money makes life easier. No doubt it does make certain aspects of life easier but it also makes things more difficult too. Rich people are really no better than poor people. God treats us all the same and we are all sinners in need of a Savior.
Our treatment of others needs to be guided by the royal law that James writes about. The command is to pursue meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well being of others as we would look after ourselves.
We are to truly love our neighbor. James goes on to tell us that treating others unequally is sin. Breaking just one of God’s laws is like breaking them all. It breaks the unity with Him and with others. Murdering someone and stealing are the same in God’s eyes even though our society treats them differently.
It is still sin. We are to love God and obey Him and we are to love others as we love ourselves. We must show mercy to others because God shows mercy to us. For those who show no mercy to others, God will show no mercy to them.
Remember the parable about the unmerciful slave in Matthew 18? The king showed mercy to one of his slaves for a debt that was owed to him. That slave in turn was owed money from another slave and he showed no mercy to him. When the king found out he had the first slave tortured. Verse 35 says, “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
Even in the Lord’s prayer we pray to God to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. We are to forgive others. We are to show mercy to others. We are to love others as ourselves.
The cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of mercy triumphing over judgment. Because of the sacrifice that Christ made, I know I am forgiven for my sins and I should forgive others for their sins against me. You should do the same.
This week think about some of the people that maybe you try to avoid or maybe even look down on. Think about ways in which you can reach out to them with love and kindness. Make a conscious effort to love others, especially when they aren’t too loving to you.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly father, we thank you for our time in your word this morning. We thank you for your unending love and your impartiality in dealing with each and every one of us. Help us to do the same.
Purify our hearts and our minds so that we may see others as you see them. Help us to care for others and love them as you love them. Enable us to be the people that you would have us to be. We do this all for your glory and honor.
AMEN
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Hearing the Word
Click here for the audio message of James 1:19-27
Last week we read about two tests that James gives us regarding a true believer. The first test was their inner response to trials. The second test was their response to temptations. In all circumstances we are to rely on God to strengthen us.
You can know a true believer by their response to the Word of God. Whenever a believer hears the Word of God, they want to hear more of it while trying to understand, live out, and obey what they have already heard. That is the natural response to the Word of God for the believer.
We must be careful though not to just have a scholarly or intellectual interest in the Gospel, but we must have that heart desire to obey it. This is not just a one time emotional feeling; rather it is a life long pursuit.
This morning James continues on the topic of hearing the Word of God. How many of you out there think you are a good listener? How many of you are listening right now?
Think about some of the conversations you have been involved with or have heard. Usually they go like this. One person is telling a story and even before that person is finished with their story the other person is telling their story and trying to one up the person with their tale.
Listening is a tough skill for most of us to master. James tells us that we need to be good listeners not only to each other, but to God as well. Unfortunately, most of us do not take the time to really listen to others or God today.
God desires for us to be obedient to His Word. That is why He gave it to us. He gave us His Word not only for His glory and honor, but for our own good as well.
James tells us to be quick to hear and slow to speak and slow to anger. I suspect when most of us here get anger we don’t start punching, kicking, or throwing things. We probably start with mean words and facial expressions.
So God tells us to listen rather than speak and it will tame our anger. “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” Jesus taught His followers to love their enemies, not resent them.
God gave us two ears and one mouth right, so I suppose we should listen twice as much as we speak. You know when you are listening and I mean truly listening to someone you don’t always have to have an answer for them.
Sometimes people just need to talk and get the topic off their mind. They aren’t looking for criticism or a meaningless generic response. They just need to talk and that is ok. We need to listen to them and be there for them.
We as Christians have the Word of God planted in our hearts. But sometimes worldly things can grab hold of us and pull us from living out God’s Word. James tells us to put aside all filthiness and all wickedness so that we may continue to grow in our relationship with God.
As we grow in our relationship we will be doers of the Word, not just hearers. Meaning, we hear the Word of God and then we act upon it. Many people do indeed hear the Word of God, but never really act upon it.
They are those lukewarm believers. Like the church in Laodicea, Jesus will spit them out. Many people in this world think they are religious. In fact, I’ll bet everybody that I work with on a daily basis would identify themselves as Christians. But I’ll bet only a few actually practice their faith.
See many people hear the Word of God and say they are religious, but never act upon their faith. That is James’ point in this letter. God wants us to live out our faith each and every day. People who love and obey God show it in their lives.
It is indeed easy at times to fall into the traps of this world and become and easy believer, a hearer only. But as we saw last week with our trials and temptations we need to depend on God for help and our strength. He is in control. He is dependable. We can count on God to be there for us.
We need to continuously read, study, and apply God’s Word to our lives. Even though we will never get to that goal of perfection in this life, we need to continue to press on toward that mark like Paul.
One final note though. We must also be careful not to just do good works thinking that is what God requires of us to get into heaven. That is not the case. We do good works and live out our faith to show obedience to God. We do these things because we are saved, not because they will save us.
This week I would ask you to be doers of the Word and not just hearers only. Live out your faith and serve your Lord, not to be saved, but because He has already saved you through the sacrifice that He made on the cross for us.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word to help us live in this dark world. Help us to be your humble servants. Help us to listen to others and to listen to you this week. Strengthen us so that we may take what we hear from you and act upon it in a way that gives you the honor and glory you desire and deserve.
AMEN
Last week we read about two tests that James gives us regarding a true believer. The first test was their inner response to trials. The second test was their response to temptations. In all circumstances we are to rely on God to strengthen us.
You can know a true believer by their response to the Word of God. Whenever a believer hears the Word of God, they want to hear more of it while trying to understand, live out, and obey what they have already heard. That is the natural response to the Word of God for the believer.
We must be careful though not to just have a scholarly or intellectual interest in the Gospel, but we must have that heart desire to obey it. This is not just a one time emotional feeling; rather it is a life long pursuit.
This morning James continues on the topic of hearing the Word of God. How many of you out there think you are a good listener? How many of you are listening right now?
Think about some of the conversations you have been involved with or have heard. Usually they go like this. One person is telling a story and even before that person is finished with their story the other person is telling their story and trying to one up the person with their tale.
Listening is a tough skill for most of us to master. James tells us that we need to be good listeners not only to each other, but to God as well. Unfortunately, most of us do not take the time to really listen to others or God today.
God desires for us to be obedient to His Word. That is why He gave it to us. He gave us His Word not only for His glory and honor, but for our own good as well.
James tells us to be quick to hear and slow to speak and slow to anger. I suspect when most of us here get anger we don’t start punching, kicking, or throwing things. We probably start with mean words and facial expressions.
So God tells us to listen rather than speak and it will tame our anger. “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” Jesus taught His followers to love their enemies, not resent them.
God gave us two ears and one mouth right, so I suppose we should listen twice as much as we speak. You know when you are listening and I mean truly listening to someone you don’t always have to have an answer for them.
Sometimes people just need to talk and get the topic off their mind. They aren’t looking for criticism or a meaningless generic response. They just need to talk and that is ok. We need to listen to them and be there for them.
We as Christians have the Word of God planted in our hearts. But sometimes worldly things can grab hold of us and pull us from living out God’s Word. James tells us to put aside all filthiness and all wickedness so that we may continue to grow in our relationship with God.
As we grow in our relationship we will be doers of the Word, not just hearers. Meaning, we hear the Word of God and then we act upon it. Many people do indeed hear the Word of God, but never really act upon it.
They are those lukewarm believers. Like the church in Laodicea, Jesus will spit them out. Many people in this world think they are religious. In fact, I’ll bet everybody that I work with on a daily basis would identify themselves as Christians. But I’ll bet only a few actually practice their faith.
See many people hear the Word of God and say they are religious, but never act upon their faith. That is James’ point in this letter. God wants us to live out our faith each and every day. People who love and obey God show it in their lives.
It is indeed easy at times to fall into the traps of this world and become and easy believer, a hearer only. But as we saw last week with our trials and temptations we need to depend on God for help and our strength. He is in control. He is dependable. We can count on God to be there for us.
We need to continuously read, study, and apply God’s Word to our lives. Even though we will never get to that goal of perfection in this life, we need to continue to press on toward that mark like Paul.
One final note though. We must also be careful not to just do good works thinking that is what God requires of us to get into heaven. That is not the case. We do good works and live out our faith to show obedience to God. We do these things because we are saved, not because they will save us.
This week I would ask you to be doers of the Word and not just hearers only. Live out your faith and serve your Lord, not to be saved, but because He has already saved you through the sacrifice that He made on the cross for us.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word to help us live in this dark world. Help us to be your humble servants. Help us to listen to others and to listen to you this week. Strengthen us so that we may take what we hear from you and act upon it in a way that gives you the honor and glory you desire and deserve.
AMEN
Sunday, September 26, 2010
God is Dependable
Click here for the audio message of James 1:2-11
This morning we start our study on the epistle of James. Now, everyone knows that James wrote this letter. The question is which James. Is it James the brother of John or James the half-brother of Jesus Christ.
Most scholars believe that it was indeed James the brother of Christ, because James the brother of John was executed for His faith shortly after Christ’s death and resurrection.
James of course would have first hand knowledge of the life of Christ and is writing this letter to the Christians that are scattered around the area due to the persecutions, much like Peter’s letters that we just finished looking at.
The main theme of the letter is the relationship between faith and works. This is a very practical letter for Christian living. James opens his letter by looking at the importance of perseverance when we face trials and temptations.
Right away, James mentioned several different situations that we as believers must get through in our lives. First, as we studied through out Peter’s letter, there will be trials for each of us. What the trial is will no doubt be different for us, but we will all have them throughout our lives.
Second, James mentions the rich and the poor of the world. Some people have more money than they need. Some people don’t have enough money to meet their basic needs. But when we come to Christ, either rich or poor, we are all equal. God is no respecter of people, he treats us equally.
Lastly, James mentions temptations. We all face temptation. The temptation does not come from God. God is Holy and has no capacity for evil. He is perfectly right and just. God allows us to be tempted though by the lusts and desires of this world.
God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our limits and he always provides an escape for us. The question is whether or not we take His escape or we give in to the temptation. That decision is up to each and every one of us in all circumstances.
In verse 2, James tells his readers to consider these things pure joy. A human or worldly response is not joy when we are faced with trials. Think about it. The last time you had a flat tire did you rejoice? Yeah, me either. Although afterward, I thank God that he kept me safe and I was able to get through the situation.
But the idea is to make a conscious commitment to face trials with joy, knowing that God is indeed in control. And that He is there with you, guiding you, and strengthening you. God doesn’t send us these trials just for His fun and amusement. He has a plan and purpose for allowing them to occur in our life. We may not understand it of course, but God knows.
As we face these trials and we persevere through them our faith, our maturity, our closeness to God increases. It gives us a deeper commitment and trusting relationship with our Lord. It brings us closer to God.
Going through trials also shows our weaknesses and things that we need to work on in life. In verse 5, James said we need wisdom from God. How often do you pray for wisdom or thank God for wisdom? This wisdom is the practical skill that is necessary to live life to God’s glory.
When we have that and do that everything else doesn’t really matter because everything just falls in to place as God has prepared it for us. The faithful believer asks for wisdom and other needs through prayer.
The person described in verses 6 through 8 is a weak or wishy washy believer. They are the rocky soil. They readily accept the word of God but when tough times come fall away. They do not have a strong faith. They do not have that solid foundation. Their roots are shallow.
When a trial comes to you, and it will, you can either ask God for the wisdom and strength to get through it, or you can allow the trial to turn into a temptation and turn from God and back to your sin nature.
For example, a recovering alcoholic or drug addict. Things are going pretty well. They have their life turned around. They are working and have been sober for a while. But then something happens. A trial comes. Maybe it is a bad day. Maybe they get fired. Maybe they run into one of their old buddies.
Whatever it is, a trial comes to them. The issue is how do they handle that trial. Do they ask God for the wisdom and strength to get through the trial. Or do they give in to that trial and turn it into a temptation to open the bottle or go party with that friend.
It is tough. We all face these kinds of trials in our lives. And sometimes we do fail. Sometimes we do let that trial turn into a temptation. But we must remember that God is still there for us, even after we fail.
God is the ultimate example of goodness and dependability. God is the same. He does not change and He will not change. We can depend on God for what we need, no matter what your situation is, no matter how bad you have been. God is there to extend His forgiveness and strengthen you for the journey ahead.
Think of the trials and temptations you are currently facing. Think about how this passage of scripture this morning applies to your life right now. How can you be encouraged and increase your dependence on God during those tough times.
Sometimes during a trial or temptation that is tough to do. Think back to times when you were in trouble and see how God’s hand was indeed at work in your life. See how God has always been there doing what He does. Providing comfort. Providing peace. Providing strength.
God is dependable. He is faithful. Remember that the next time trouble comes your way. We are tested to prove our faithfulness. Our testing produces enduring patience in our lives. That is something I think we all need.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time in your word this morning. We thank you for giving us this practical guide to living a Christian life through your brother James. Help us to face our trials with joy, knowing that you are there waiting for us to come to you for our strength, for our endurance, for our patience.
We thank you for your unending and unchanging presence in our lives. Give us the wisdom that we need to face each day’s adventures in our journey through this life. Guide us so that we may live to glorify you in all that we say and do.
AMEN
This morning we start our study on the epistle of James. Now, everyone knows that James wrote this letter. The question is which James. Is it James the brother of John or James the half-brother of Jesus Christ.
Most scholars believe that it was indeed James the brother of Christ, because James the brother of John was executed for His faith shortly after Christ’s death and resurrection.
James of course would have first hand knowledge of the life of Christ and is writing this letter to the Christians that are scattered around the area due to the persecutions, much like Peter’s letters that we just finished looking at.
The main theme of the letter is the relationship between faith and works. This is a very practical letter for Christian living. James opens his letter by looking at the importance of perseverance when we face trials and temptations.
Right away, James mentioned several different situations that we as believers must get through in our lives. First, as we studied through out Peter’s letter, there will be trials for each of us. What the trial is will no doubt be different for us, but we will all have them throughout our lives.
Second, James mentions the rich and the poor of the world. Some people have more money than they need. Some people don’t have enough money to meet their basic needs. But when we come to Christ, either rich or poor, we are all equal. God is no respecter of people, he treats us equally.
Lastly, James mentions temptations. We all face temptation. The temptation does not come from God. God is Holy and has no capacity for evil. He is perfectly right and just. God allows us to be tempted though by the lusts and desires of this world.
God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our limits and he always provides an escape for us. The question is whether or not we take His escape or we give in to the temptation. That decision is up to each and every one of us in all circumstances.
In verse 2, James tells his readers to consider these things pure joy. A human or worldly response is not joy when we are faced with trials. Think about it. The last time you had a flat tire did you rejoice? Yeah, me either. Although afterward, I thank God that he kept me safe and I was able to get through the situation.
But the idea is to make a conscious commitment to face trials with joy, knowing that God is indeed in control. And that He is there with you, guiding you, and strengthening you. God doesn’t send us these trials just for His fun and amusement. He has a plan and purpose for allowing them to occur in our life. We may not understand it of course, but God knows.
As we face these trials and we persevere through them our faith, our maturity, our closeness to God increases. It gives us a deeper commitment and trusting relationship with our Lord. It brings us closer to God.
Going through trials also shows our weaknesses and things that we need to work on in life. In verse 5, James said we need wisdom from God. How often do you pray for wisdom or thank God for wisdom? This wisdom is the practical skill that is necessary to live life to God’s glory.
When we have that and do that everything else doesn’t really matter because everything just falls in to place as God has prepared it for us. The faithful believer asks for wisdom and other needs through prayer.
The person described in verses 6 through 8 is a weak or wishy washy believer. They are the rocky soil. They readily accept the word of God but when tough times come fall away. They do not have a strong faith. They do not have that solid foundation. Their roots are shallow.
When a trial comes to you, and it will, you can either ask God for the wisdom and strength to get through it, or you can allow the trial to turn into a temptation and turn from God and back to your sin nature.
For example, a recovering alcoholic or drug addict. Things are going pretty well. They have their life turned around. They are working and have been sober for a while. But then something happens. A trial comes. Maybe it is a bad day. Maybe they get fired. Maybe they run into one of their old buddies.
Whatever it is, a trial comes to them. The issue is how do they handle that trial. Do they ask God for the wisdom and strength to get through the trial. Or do they give in to that trial and turn it into a temptation to open the bottle or go party with that friend.
It is tough. We all face these kinds of trials in our lives. And sometimes we do fail. Sometimes we do let that trial turn into a temptation. But we must remember that God is still there for us, even after we fail.
God is the ultimate example of goodness and dependability. God is the same. He does not change and He will not change. We can depend on God for what we need, no matter what your situation is, no matter how bad you have been. God is there to extend His forgiveness and strengthen you for the journey ahead.
Think of the trials and temptations you are currently facing. Think about how this passage of scripture this morning applies to your life right now. How can you be encouraged and increase your dependence on God during those tough times.
Sometimes during a trial or temptation that is tough to do. Think back to times when you were in trouble and see how God’s hand was indeed at work in your life. See how God has always been there doing what He does. Providing comfort. Providing peace. Providing strength.
God is dependable. He is faithful. Remember that the next time trouble comes your way. We are tested to prove our faithfulness. Our testing produces enduring patience in our lives. That is something I think we all need.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time in your word this morning. We thank you for giving us this practical guide to living a Christian life through your brother James. Help us to face our trials with joy, knowing that you are there waiting for us to come to you for our strength, for our endurance, for our patience.
We thank you for your unending and unchanging presence in our lives. Give us the wisdom that we need to face each day’s adventures in our journey through this life. Guide us so that we may live to glorify you in all that we say and do.
AMEN
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Prayer - Continued
Click here for the audio message – James 5:13-18
This morning we continue to look at the topic of prayer and in particular we will look briefly at the necessity of prayer.
It is necessary, because it is commanded. And anything that is commanded of the Christian becomes necessary. Jesus said in Luke 18:1, "I want everybody everywhere to pray and not to faint." You know what most people do when they have a problem? They faint. Jesus said, "Don't faint, do...what?...pray. I want you to pray, not faint."
You know, Peter had a problem, he was always falling asleep in prayer meetings and Jesus said to him, "You know, if you stayed awake and prayed you wouldn't be in the mess you're in. Watch and pray unless you enter into...what?...temptation." You see, Peter didn't pray so he didn't have himself ready for the temptation.
If you pray more than you'd sleep, you be better off. You know, some of us go to bed at night and we say, "Dear Lord...." and we're gone, you know. We wake up the next day and we bomb out all day. Well you know what we did? We went to sleep instead of praying, watch and pray lest you enter into temptation.
Prayer undergirds us. It's necessary to pray. It's necessary because it's commanded. It's necessary because it keeps sin away. It prepares us for what is to come.
Now it is commanded that we not only pray but it is commanded that we pray a lot. In fact as we saw last week, it says, "Praying always," in Ephesians 6:18 and in 1 Thessalonians 5 it says, "Pray without...what?...ceasing."
I used to wonder, pray without ceasing, how do you do that? It simply means that you are in an attitude of God consciousness at all times. It is commanded that you see everything in relation to God.
Secondly, prayer brings glory to God. When you pray God gets glorified because then He can answer and when He answers then you praise Him. John 14:13 says that we're to pray and He will answer for His own glory. "Whatever you will ask in My name I'll do it that the Father may be glorified." God says I answer prayer to get the glory.
So prayer is a way in which God can display His power and gain glory. And that's very important.
Thirdly, we are to pray because prayer blesses us. Blessing means it makes you happy. When you pray you get happy. Praying people are happy people. You know why? They're talking to God and it's great to talk to God. And then God answers what we ask and that makes us even happier.
Fourth, prayer is important because it works. And I'm like you, I want to do what works, right? I'm not going to waste my time doing something that doesn't have any effect. Prayer works.
James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." It works. Effectual fervent prayer from a righteous heart works. It actually activates God. It makes a difference. Sometimes He answers no, but He answers yes enough for us to know that prayer works.
First John 5:15 says, " And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him." If God hears, John says, then we know He answers. Prayer really works. It really does have an effect.
How does it work? That's a good question. First, under that, sometimes it works immediately. Have you ever noticed that? Sometimes you can't hardly believe how fast it works. Sometimes prayer works immediately.
Isaiah 65:24 says, "And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer. And while they are yet speaking, I will hear." God's already sending the answer before we've even gotten the prayer off. It works immediately, sometimes.
Secondly, sometimes it's delayed. Sometimes we may pray for something and we have to wait because God knows a lot more than we know and He knows it's better to come later than to come now.
Luke 18:7, "And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?"
In other words, sometimes it's painful and you have to go through a lot of things and sometimes God's chosen people have had to suffer and suffer and suffer and suffer and it seems like it goes on and on and on but God will answer even though it takes him a long time to get his answer. And that's because He has a purpose.
So sometimes it's immediate, sometimes it's delayed, sometimes it's different than we asked for.
Sometimes He gives us even more than we ask for. Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.," even beyond what you know. It's kind of like Ephesians 3:20, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask." He can do more than we can ask.
No doubt many of you have experienced this. You ask God for a small simple blessing. Maybe years ago, you asked Him for a healthy family and now many years later you just don’t have a couple of sons or daughters, but you have a tremendous family of children and grand children, Sons and daughters in laws and so on. God gave you and blessed you with more than you asked for.
So prayer is necessary. It is commanded from God. It keeps us from temptation. It prepares us for the future. It brings glory to God. It blesses us. It makes us happy when God answers our prayers. And prayer works, sometimes immediately and sometimes when the time is right by God’s standards.
Let us continue to remember to talk to God daily, not only for our blessings but His glory as well.
Closing prayer
Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to come here and worship you this morning. We thank you for listening to our prayers and answering them in a way that not only helps us, but serves your purpose.
AMEN.
This morning we continue to look at the topic of prayer and in particular we will look briefly at the necessity of prayer.
It is necessary, because it is commanded. And anything that is commanded of the Christian becomes necessary. Jesus said in Luke 18:1, "I want everybody everywhere to pray and not to faint." You know what most people do when they have a problem? They faint. Jesus said, "Don't faint, do...what?...pray. I want you to pray, not faint."
You know, Peter had a problem, he was always falling asleep in prayer meetings and Jesus said to him, "You know, if you stayed awake and prayed you wouldn't be in the mess you're in. Watch and pray unless you enter into...what?...temptation." You see, Peter didn't pray so he didn't have himself ready for the temptation.
If you pray more than you'd sleep, you be better off. You know, some of us go to bed at night and we say, "Dear Lord...." and we're gone, you know. We wake up the next day and we bomb out all day. Well you know what we did? We went to sleep instead of praying, watch and pray lest you enter into temptation.
Prayer undergirds us. It's necessary to pray. It's necessary because it's commanded. It's necessary because it keeps sin away. It prepares us for what is to come.
Now it is commanded that we not only pray but it is commanded that we pray a lot. In fact as we saw last week, it says, "Praying always," in Ephesians 6:18 and in 1 Thessalonians 5 it says, "Pray without...what?...ceasing."
I used to wonder, pray without ceasing, how do you do that? It simply means that you are in an attitude of God consciousness at all times. It is commanded that you see everything in relation to God.
Secondly, prayer brings glory to God. When you pray God gets glorified because then He can answer and when He answers then you praise Him. John 14:13 says that we're to pray and He will answer for His own glory. "Whatever you will ask in My name I'll do it that the Father may be glorified." God says I answer prayer to get the glory.
So prayer is a way in which God can display His power and gain glory. And that's very important.
Thirdly, we are to pray because prayer blesses us. Blessing means it makes you happy. When you pray you get happy. Praying people are happy people. You know why? They're talking to God and it's great to talk to God. And then God answers what we ask and that makes us even happier.
Fourth, prayer is important because it works. And I'm like you, I want to do what works, right? I'm not going to waste my time doing something that doesn't have any effect. Prayer works.
James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." It works. Effectual fervent prayer from a righteous heart works. It actually activates God. It makes a difference. Sometimes He answers no, but He answers yes enough for us to know that prayer works.
First John 5:15 says, " And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him." If God hears, John says, then we know He answers. Prayer really works. It really does have an effect.
How does it work? That's a good question. First, under that, sometimes it works immediately. Have you ever noticed that? Sometimes you can't hardly believe how fast it works. Sometimes prayer works immediately.
Isaiah 65:24 says, "And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer. And while they are yet speaking, I will hear." God's already sending the answer before we've even gotten the prayer off. It works immediately, sometimes.
Secondly, sometimes it's delayed. Sometimes we may pray for something and we have to wait because God knows a lot more than we know and He knows it's better to come later than to come now.
Luke 18:7, "And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?"
In other words, sometimes it's painful and you have to go through a lot of things and sometimes God's chosen people have had to suffer and suffer and suffer and suffer and it seems like it goes on and on and on but God will answer even though it takes him a long time to get his answer. And that's because He has a purpose.
So sometimes it's immediate, sometimes it's delayed, sometimes it's different than we asked for.
Sometimes He gives us even more than we ask for. Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.," even beyond what you know. It's kind of like Ephesians 3:20, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask." He can do more than we can ask.
No doubt many of you have experienced this. You ask God for a small simple blessing. Maybe years ago, you asked Him for a healthy family and now many years later you just don’t have a couple of sons or daughters, but you have a tremendous family of children and grand children, Sons and daughters in laws and so on. God gave you and blessed you with more than you asked for.
So prayer is necessary. It is commanded from God. It keeps us from temptation. It prepares us for the future. It brings glory to God. It blesses us. It makes us happy when God answers our prayers. And prayer works, sometimes immediately and sometimes when the time is right by God’s standards.
Let us continue to remember to talk to God daily, not only for our blessings but His glory as well.
Closing prayer
Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to come here and worship you this morning. We thank you for listening to our prayers and answering them in a way that not only helps us, but serves your purpose.
AMEN.
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