Podcasts about christians james

I want to piggyback off the final two verses from the first chapter in James that we looked at last week, which states: If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this persons religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world (1:26-27). From these two verses, I have two questions that help us make more sense of the verses that follow in James 2:1-13. The first question we need to ask is this: What makes faith worthless? The person who says that he/she believes and follows Jesus yet has not bridled their tongue. The second question is this: If undefiled religion is to visit orphans and widows in their distress, what is defiled religion? It is a person of faith who claims to follow Jesus but ignores the most vulnerable of society: Widows and orphans. In the first century, widows and orphans were vulnerable. Widows faced economic hardships without a male in the home to provide. Orphans lacked the protection of a father. Widows without children were at times isolated and ostracized. Orphans often were without the tender care of their mothers. In many ways, widows and orphans were marginalized in society. For the first century church, the care of widows and orphans was a social justice issue that the first century church understood needed to be address as we are all commanded to address: Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, obtain justice for the orphan, plead for the widows case (Isa. 1:17). Because the needs of the widows and orphans grew, and were beginning to be overlooked, the leaders in the first century church charged a group of men with the task of looking after such people (see Acts 6:1-6). So why is this important when our text this morning is James 2:1-13? Because a faith that rests in Jesus is one that responds to the needs of the marginalized. When a person goes from spiritual death to spiritual life and is born again, there are two levels of love that begin to flow through the spiritual veins of the one who is now a living and breathing child of God, and that is a love for God and a love for ones neighbor. When you are born again your new love for God begins to flow to the point of overflowing to the point that it is expressed in the Christians horizontal relationships. This is why when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He said: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment (Matt. 22:37). However, Jesus did not stop there, He continued: The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets James was no doubt aware of Jesus answer to the Pharisees question concerning the greatest commandment. The first four commandments concern our love and relationship with God and the final six commandments concern our love and relationship with our neighbors. Jesus begins with the greatest commandment because how we treat our neighbor reflects the condition of our relationship with God. This is why James wrote in verse 10, For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all. The NLT translates this verse in a way that ought to help you get the point James is making: For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of Gods laws. In other words each of the Ten Commandments are inter-connected. It is not segmented or impartial just like genuine and saving faith is not impartial. Impartial Faith is Gracious (vv. 1-5) I am not sure what was going on in these churches of the Christians James was writing to, but it seems that something was off relationally concerning how they treated one another. Apparently, the rich were treated with some level of favoritism over the poor. We know this because of what James writes in verses 1, My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. James did not write this to keep these Christians from showing favoritism but was forbidding them from doing what they already were doing. If you are a Christian, then you are a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 1). To be a bond-servant is to be a slave of Christ; the bond-servant of Jesus means that you are neither free nor hired, but property of your Master. Dont think of slavery to Jesus as something degrading, for in slavery to Jesus is where true freedom is known. However, to be a bond-servant of Christ and to show favoritism by treating one person more valuable than the other is a contradiction especially the kind of favoritism James was addressing related to the way the rich were treated over the poor. We know this because of the verses that follow: For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, You sit here in a good place, and you say to the poor man, You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool, have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? (vv. 2-4) The gold ring on a persons finger was worn by the upper-level Roman equestrian class. Those with a gold-ring were not only wealthy, but were highly influential. Now think of what it would have been like if you were a marginalized Christian Jew, who had an upper-level Roman citizen walk into your church service who also claimed to be a brother or sister in Christ? You might be tempted to think that if you could just get close to this person, that may help in your standing in society! Surely close friendship with the person who wore the gold-ring would be a better use of your time than friendship with another poor and marginalized Christian. To treat one person with more honor than the other because of their social status in this world is to discount the fact that regardless of their social standing, all people bear the image of God and should be treated as such. What made the situation even more grievous is that this kind of favoritism was going on among Christians whose salvation had nothing to do with their standing in society. The apostle Paul addressed some of the same issues within the Corinthian church when he wrote the following: For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no human may boast before God. So in response to this kind of favoritism, James admonished these Christians: Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? In other words, the rich and the poor, the weak and the strong, all have the same thing in common from the moment of birth: We are all born alienated from God and are by nature dead in our sins. Yet, Jesus found us and died for us, and it is through His redeeming work that regardless of your social status, your tribe, or what part of the world you were born in or currently live... He died for sinners such as us! Impartial Faith is Loving (vv. 5-9) The same grace the rich are in dire need to receive, is the same grace available to the poor. The same grace that is available to the Jew is also available to the Gentile! The thing that the apostle Peter had a difficult time wrapping his mind around initially was that salvation was equally made available to Gentiles, and that Jesus is equally the Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, and the Messiah to the Jew as He is to those who grew up eating ham sandwiches, peperoni pizza, Italian hoagies, fried shrimp, and even pork feet. A Jew would not even go into the home of a Gentile because they were considered unclean. Peter was one such Jew until God rebuked him and told him not to label unclean what God has made clean (see Acts 10:9ff). After Peter was sent into the home of a Gentile and witnessed Gods saving work in the entire household of Cornelious, he responded: Opening his mouth, Peter said: I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him (Acts 10:34-35). Peters issue was that he could not see how the God of the Hebrews could love and save unclean Gentiles. Peters sin was really not that different than the favoritism that was shown for the rich over the poor in the churches James wrote his epistle to. It is nothing new that the poor are marginalized or forgotten in the world. Consider the Netflix documentary titled Gone Girls; Rex Heuermann was able to murder scores of prostitutes because they were not treated with the same value as other women. It is estimated that 50 million people live in slavery in our world on this very day. Consider the following statistics related to the 50 million slaves that exist in our world today: 6 million victims of human trafficking worldwide. 23% of these victims (roughly 6.3 million people)are trafficked forcommercial sexual exploitation. 78% of those trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation are women and girls and 22% are men and boys. 92% of sex trafficking victims are adults, and 8% are children. Add to this that in 2024, there was an estimated 1.14 million abortions in the United States alone! We live in a world that that does not value human life. Regarding the partialism that James addressed, he was not surprised that it was happening in a fallen world, he was heartbroken that it was happening among those who claimed to follow Jesus. Why? Because of all people, we who are the redeemed of the Lord Jesus, ought to understand that we bear the image of the living God. To dehumanize a person based on their social or economic status is not only evil, but such behavior blasphemes the Name of the God whose image we reflect (v. 7-8). You can say that you love God all that you want, but according to James 2:9, if you show partiality, you are committing sin by violating the commandments concerning the way we must love our neighbor. In James view (as is true in the rest of the Bible), if you do not love your neighbor, can you really say that you love the God who sent His son to die for that person? Can James be any clearer: But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators (v. 9). Impartial Faith is Merciful (vv. 10-13) Christian, we are a people who have received mercy, and it was not ordinary mercy you received. The mercy you received is not like the mercy a police officer may have shown you by refraining from writing you the ticket you deserved. The apostle Paul described the kind of mercy you received in this way: But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)... The mercy we have received is rich and it is a mercy we did not deserve, nor could we earn. Now, just so you know, verse 10 was written within the context of dehumanizing, ignoring, or treating as less important the poor because they do not have the influence that the wealthy have. I have and will continue to use verse 10 when I share the gospel with others, which states: For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all. In other words, if you are feeling good about not violating the first and second commandments because you do not bow down to any idol in worship and claim to worship God alone, but break any of the other commandments, you are guilty of being a commandment breaker. What does it mean to break any one of Gods commandments? James tells us in verse 11, For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. Now if you do not commit adultery, but do murder, you have become a violator of the Law. Jesus said that if you look at another woman with lust, you are guilty of adultery (see Matt. 5:27-28), and He also said that if you hate or verbally abuse another person, you are also guilty of murder (see Matt. 5:21-22). Whats the point? The point is that we have sinned, still sin, and will sin; it is for all our sins that Jesus was crucified, bled, and slaughtered. The prophet Isaiah wrote of Jesus: But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed (Isa. 53:5); the apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for usfor it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a Tree... We have been forgiven of so much, and the price paid upon His cross was, is, and will always be enough! Because of the rich mercy we continue to receive, James issues a command in verses 12-13, So speak, and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. For judgment will be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. What is the law of freedom? It is the royal law of love! Why did you receive mercy? You received mercy and now you are born again Christian, ...because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:5). Conclusion Because of the mercy we have received, the fruit of our faith is to be saturated by the grace, love, and mercy we received in the way we treat our neighbors. In case you are not clear on what that looks like, Jesus could not have made it any clearer: I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35). The sin of partiality is not only in how we treat the wealthy over the poor. The sin of partiality comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. It can come in how we value a person based on the color of their skin or ethnicity. It can also come in how we rightfully stand against abortion while remaining silent regarding the sexual exploitation of children. We ought not to be surprised when the sin of partiality is present in our world, but it ought to grieve our hearts when it finds its way into Christs church. We who have received the grace, love, and mercy of God through Jesus Christ ought to be known as a people whose words and actions embody the essence of the grace, love, and mercy we freely received.

Through every sentence and paragraph that makes up Jamess epistle, it oozes with wisdom as to how the Christian can live out his/her faith. The epistle helps us understand what faith looks like while suffering, how it responds to both poverty and wealth, how faith in Jesus impacts our speech, and how our faith as Christians helps us navigate life in our upside-down world. The group of Christians James addressed his letter to were Jewish Christians who understood what it meant to be a marginalized people, even before faith in Jesus; but after belief in Jesus as the promised Messiah, they were also ostracized by members of their community, and for some, their own family members. So, who was James? Let me begin by stating the two things that we know about the person who wrote this epistle: 1) James was the half-brother of Jesus, and 2) he did not believe in Jesus until he witnessed His resurrection. Here is why I am mostly certain that James, the half-brother of Jesus (and not the apostle James) wrote this epistle: The apostle James died by execution under Herod before this epistle was written (Acts 12:1-2), and the James mentioned in Galatians 2 and Acts 15 is the brother of Jesus who became a predominant leader in the Jerusalem church. We are told in the gospels that Jesus had biological brothers who were born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus birth who did not fully believe in Jesus even though they grew up with Jesus (see Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 7:3-5). Jesus appeared to his brother, James, and then to the rest of His brothers, after his resurrection (see 1 Cor. 15:6-7). However, when James did finally believe in Jesus, he was all-in on who his older brother claimed to be, and his belief was backed up by his life, actions, and convictions. Not only was James all-in when it came to Jesus, but how he introduced himself in his epistle tells us a lot about who he was as a man of God: James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad... (v. 1). James does not introduce himself as the half-brother of Jesus, but as a bond-servant of God. The Greek word for bond-servant is doulos, and it literally means slave. In other words, James authority as a leader does not come from his biological relationship to Jesus, but his submission to the Lordship of Christ, not as his older brother, but as the King of kings and Lord of lords. The other thing to note here is that James places God and the Lord Jesus side-by-side, implying that Jesus words before James believed are the truth that he has since bowed his knee too (see John 10:30). I believe that James finally believed that his brother was the Messiah when Jesus appeared to him after He rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:6-7), which is a good reminder right from the very beginning of James, that no one who has truly encountered the resurrected Christ can remain unchanged by an encounter with the living Christ. James went from a doubter who grew up with Jesus to a believer who would identify himself as a slave to God, and held Jesus as the Lord over his life. The dispersed Christians James addressed his letter to most likely include hundreds of Christians who fled Jerusalem as a result of the stoning of Stephen and the great persecution Saul (before his conversion and was renamed Paul) and others brought upon the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. I think James originally addressed his letter to those we read about in Acts 8:1-3, Now Saul approved of putting Stephen to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. Some devout men buried Stephen, and mourned loudly for him. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would drag away men and women and put them in prison. It was to these Christians (and others), and now to us, that James letter addresses. The two great themes that are repeated through this epistle are faith (a word used at least 14 times) and obedience to God as the fruit of genuine faith (there over 50 imperatives given throughout James regarding this). This is the reason for the title of my sermon series: Faith and Works. There were other titles I thought of while preparing for this sermon series that came to mind, such as: Faith-Acts, Faith-Works, but settled for Faith and Works. If you are looking for a verse that encapsulates the theme of James, I submit to you James 2:17, In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. With the time that I have left, I would like to direct your attention to three categories that James addresses in verses 2-11 that set the tone for the rest of the epistle: 1) suffering and joy (vv. 2-4), 2) wisdom and knowledge (vv. 5-8), and 3) poverty and wealth (vv. 9-11). Suffering and Joy are Compatible (vv. 1-4) Suffering and joy sound just as incompatible as water and oil do they not? Whoever wanted to sign up for a healthy dose of suffering? You might be thinking to yourself: Jesus did. You are correct in thinking so, but do not forget that on the eve of His suffering, we are told our Lord prayed while in agony over what He was about to suffer: And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground (Luke 22:44). Jesus even included in His prayer, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done (22:42). The world tends to look at joy and suffering as incomparable, but James gives us a different perspective, he informs these dispersed Jewish Christians who have lost their homes and loved ones, Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials... Notice that James does not use the word some but the word all when it comes to the level of joy that we should have over the various trials we will experience in life. Why should we consider it all joy when things get difficult in life? On the surface, it sounds like James is giving us the same advice Bobby McFerrin gave us in the late 80s with his one-hit-wonder song, Dont Worry, Be Happy. Some of you remember the song: Here's a little song I wrote You might want to sing it note for note Don't worry, be happy In every life we have some trouble But when you worry you make it double Don't worry, be happy Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style Ain't got no one to make you smile Don't worry, be happy Cos when you worry, your face will frown And that will bring everybody down So don't worry, be happy Did you know that McFerrins song was number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks straight and that he received a Grammy for Song of the Year for that song? If James told these Christians the same thing Bobby McFerrin wrote in his song, they would have assumed that James was out of touch at best, and crazy at worse! Thankfully, James is not telling Christians who face the various trials that come our way to fake a smile and repeat to ourselves: Dont worry, be happy. That just will not work! James also experienced the fear his dear brothers and sisters experienced when persecution came into their city, and he no doubt felt the loss of dear Stephen when he had his head and body crushed under a barrage of rocks that resulted in Stephens martyrdom (see Acts 7). James is not talking about putting a smile on your face or faking your joy after receiving news of a terminal illness, the loss of a job, or the death of a loved one. He is reminding us that there is purpose behind our suffering even when it is brought to us by the hands of evil men or rouge cells in your body. Behind your suffering is a good God who does not waste your tears nor your hurts. What James wants these Christians to understand, and what the Spirit of God wants us to know, is that the various trials you will experience are allowed into your life by design and with purpose. Consider what two other apostles had to say about the purpose of suffering in the Christian life: The Apostle Peter: In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ... (1 Pet. 1:67) The Apostle Paul: ...but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Rom. 5:35) It is also important to note that James informs us that trials will come. The question is not if they come, but when they come (v. 2). We will come back to the significance of verses 3-4 next week when we look at verse 12, but for now you should know that your trials are producing something in you dear Christian. What those trials are producing is the kind of endurance that is fueled by hope because what others mean for evil, or what the hard things in life will ultimately be used for is not your demise or destruction, but your good, because such trials are allowed for two purposes in your life: Gods glory and your good. What else could verse 4 mean? Such trials are wielded by the Almighty to bring about the following in your life: ...that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Again, we will unpack this truth a bit more next week, but for now, think of trials as trails that God has purposed to use, to bring about verse 12 in your life: Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Wisdom for Life is Found in God (vv. 5-8) When we walk through the various trials that will come, such painful experiences can throw us through a tailspin. This is why some deconstruct their faith and walk away from the Christian faith and ask questions like: How can a good God allow such and such into my life? You can look at your circumstances and draw from those things your own conclusions without any regard for how God intends to use such trials to produce something much more lasting and beautiful in your life. Think about how easy it is to walk through your suffering and the hard things of life with little regard to seek wisdom from the One who has called us to walk through such trials. The point of verses 5-8 is that all of life requires a greater wisdom that can only come from the One whose knowledge and understanding of your life and the world is infinite. The fact of the matter is that you really do not know what is coming in while you sit and listen to this sermon. You do not know if there is some rogue cell in your body that threatens certain parts of your body. On a Monday (June 30th) I was told that my uncle was in hospice and by Thursday morning (July 3rd) he was dead. This is why Jesus said, For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they (Matt. 6:2526)? Jesus did not just tell us to not worry but provided the best way to fight and push back our anxiety: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you (Matt. 6::33). Listen, when the trials come in the form of waves or even tsunamis, if your faith is not tethered to the One who is sovereign over such waves, you will be driven and tossed by the wind (Jas. 1:6). The point James is making in verse 5 is that we do what Jesus told us to do: Dont lean onto your own understanding in the midst of your trial but seek wisdom from the God who wants to use your trials to produce what is lacking in you. Instead of asking, Why me? You ought to ask: Lord, please use this trial in a way that helps me know and understand you more so that I can live the life you have called me to live better. Instead of running to your own conclusions, seek wisdom from the One who sees the whole picture of your life. Instead of running to whatever solution you think is best, run to Him who knows what is best! Our Treasure is Not Earthly (vv. 9-11) Finally, regardless of what you have in your bank account, your position and status before God has nothing to do with what the world thinks of you but what God thinks of you. The real question is not how much you have of this world, but how much of your heart does the Lord have of you? What is your so-called faith? Is it just religion? Where or who is your treasure? Most of those to whom James was writing, were poor. With the persecution that came to Jerusalem, they had lost their income, property, and social status. However, there were some who were wealthy. For those who are poor, it is easy to conclude that God has forgotten them. For those who are wealthy, it is easy to forget God. The danger for both groups of people is to become spiritually near-sighted to the point that you fail to set your eyes on what it is that you did not work for and cannot lose. How can you experience joy in suffering? Where does lasting wisdom really come from, wisdom that guides rather than blinds? It comes from setting our eyes upon that which has been given and promised to those who have been truly saved by the grace of God through faith in His Son, to receive the gift of salvation that you cannot work for or earn. Those who share in James status as bond-servants of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 1), are heirs of Him who spoke and owns the cattle on a thousand hills! The poor are to glorify in their high position as those whose inheritance and status is found in the King of kings and Lord of lords! The rich person who also is a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, must hold his/her wealth with an open hand in a way that honors God and serves His people. Why? Well, in the words of the famous missionary, CT Studd: Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last. Let me leave you with this final thought: When you are going through the hard stuff, know that because of your identity as a Christian, that God is more interested in your good than you can ever wrap your mind around. When the trials come, because you are a Christian this much is true: You are more sinful than you know and more loved than you imagine.

Through every sentence and paragraph that makes up Jamess epistle, it oozes with wisdom as to how the Christian can live out his/her faith. The epistle helps us understand what faith looks like while suffering, how it responds to both poverty and wealth, how faith in Jesus impacts our speech, and how our faith as Christians helps us navigate life in our upside-down world. The group of Christians James addressed his letter to were Jewish Christians who understood what it meant to be a marginalized people, even before faith in Jesus; but after belief in Jesus as the promised Messiah, they were also ostracized by members of their community, and for some, their own family members. So, who was James? Let me begin by stating the two things that we know about the person who wrote this epistle: 1) James was the half-brother of Jesus, and 2) he did not believe in Jesus until he witnessed His resurrection. Here is why I am mostly certain that James, the half-brother of Jesus (and not the apostle James) wrote this epistle: The apostle James died by execution under Herod before this epistle was written (Acts 12:1-2), and the James mentioned in Galatians 2 and Acts 15 is the brother of Jesus who became a predominant leader in the Jerusalem church. We are told in the gospels that Jesus had biological brothers who were born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus birth who did not fully believe in Jesus even though they grew up with Jesus (see Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 7:3-5). Jesus appeared to his brother, James, and then to the rest of His brothers, after his resurrection (see 1 Cor. 15:6-7). However, when James did finally believe in Jesus, he was all-in on who his older brother claimed to be, and his belief was backed up by his life, actions, and convictions. Not only was James all-in when it came to Jesus, but how he introduced himself in his epistle tells us a lot about who he was as a man of God: James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad... (v. 1). James does not introduce himself as the half-brother of Jesus, but as a bond-servant of God. The Greek word for bond-servant is doulos, and it literally means slave. In other words, James authority as a leader does not come from his biological relationship to Jesus, but his submission to the Lordship of Christ, not as his older brother, but as the King of kings and Lord of lords. The other thing to note here is that James places God and the Lord Jesus side-by-side, implying that Jesus words before James believed are the truth that he has since bowed his knee too (see John 10:30). I believe that James finally believed that his brother was the Messiah when Jesus appeared to him after He rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:6-7), which is a good reminder right from the very beginning of James, that no one who has truly encountered the resurrected Christ can remain unchanged by an encounter with the living Christ. James went from a doubter who grew up with Jesus to a believer who would identify himself as a slave to God, and held Jesus as the Lord over his life. The dispersed Christians James addressed his letter to most likely include hundreds of Christians who fled Jerusalem as a result of the stoning of Stephen and the great persecution Saul (before his conversion and was renamed Paul) and others brought upon the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. I think James originally addressed his letter to those we read about in Acts 8:1-3, Now Saul approved of putting Stephen to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. Some devout men buried Stephen, and mourned loudly for him. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would drag away men and women and put them in prison. It was to these Christians (and others), and now to us, that James letter addresses. The two great themes that are repeated through this epistle are faith (a word used at least 14 times) and obedience to God as the fruit of genuine faith (there over 50 imperatives given throughout James regarding this). This is the reason for the title of my sermon series: Faith and Works. There were other titles I thought of while preparing for this sermon series that came to mind, such as: Faith-Acts, Faith-Works, but settled for Faith and Works. If you are looking for a verse that encapsulates the theme of James, I submit to you James 2:17, In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. With the time that I have left, I would like to direct your attention to three categories that James addresses in verses 2-11 that set the tone for the rest of the epistle: 1) suffering and joy (vv. 2-4), 2) wisdom and knowledge (vv. 5-8), and 3) poverty and wealth (vv. 9-11). Suffering and Joy are Compatible (vv. 1-4) Suffering and joy sound just as incompatible as water and oil do they not? Whoever wanted to sign up for a healthy dose of suffering? You might be thinking to yourself: Jesus did. You are correct in thinking so, but do not forget that on the eve of His suffering, we are told our Lord prayed while in agony over what He was about to suffer: And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground (Luke 22:44). Jesus even included in His prayer, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done (22:42). The world tends to look at joy and suffering as incomparable, but James gives us a different perspective, he informs these dispersed Jewish Christians who have lost their homes and loved ones, Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials... Notice that James does not use the word some but the word all when it comes to the level of joy that we should have over the various trials we will experience in life. Why should we consider it all joy when things get difficult in life? On the surface, it sounds like James is giving us the same advice Bobby McFerrin gave us in the late 80s with his one-hit-wonder song, Dont Worry, Be Happy. Some of you remember the song: Here's a little song I wrote You might want to sing it note for note Don't worry, be happy In every life we have some trouble But when you worry you make it double Don't worry, be happy Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style Ain't got no one to make you smile Don't worry, be happy Cos when you worry, your face will frown And that will bring everybody down So don't worry, be happy Did you know that McFerrins song was number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks straight and that he received a Grammy for Song of the Year for that song? If James told these Christians the same thing Bobby McFerrin wrote in his song, they would have assumed that James was out of touch at best, and crazy at worse! Thankfully, James is not telling Christians who face the various trials that come our way to fake a smile and repeat to ourselves: Dont worry, be happy. That just will not work! James also experienced the fear his dear brothers and sisters experienced when persecution came into their city, and he no doubt felt the loss of dear Stephen when he had his head and body crushed under a barrage of rocks that resulted in Stephens martyrdom (see Acts 7). James is not talking about putting a smile on your face or faking your joy after receiving news of a terminal illness, the loss of a job, or the death of a loved one. He is reminding us that there is purpose behind our suffering even when it is brought to us by the hands of evil men or rouge cells in your body. Behind your suffering is a good God who does not waste your tears nor your hurts. What James wants these Christians to understand, and what the Spirit of God wants us to know, is that the various trials you will experience are allowed into your life by design and with purpose. Consider what two other apostles had to say about the purpose of suffering in the Christian life: The Apostle Peter: In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ... (1 Pet. 1:67) The Apostle Paul: ...but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Rom. 5:35) It is also important to note that James informs us that trials will come. The question is not if they come, but when they come (v. 2). We will come back to the significance of verses 3-4 next week when we look at verse 12, but for now you should know that your trials are producing something in you dear Christian. What those trials are producing is the kind of endurance that is fueled by hope because what others mean for evil, or what the hard things in life will ultimately be used for is not your demise or destruction, but your good, because such trials are allowed for two purposes in your life: Gods glory and your good. What else could verse 4 mean? Such trials are wielded by the Almighty to bring about the following in your life: ...that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Again, we will unpack this truth a bit more next week, but for now, think of trials as trails that God has purposed to use, to bring about verse 12 in your life: Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Wisdom for Life is Found in God (vv. 5-8) When we walk through the various trials that will come, such painful experiences can throw us through a tailspin. This is why some deconstruct their faith and walk away from the Christian faith and ask questions like: How can a good God allow such and such into my life? You can look at your circumstances and draw from those things your own conclusions without any regard for how God intends to use such trials to produce something much more lasting and beautiful in your life. Think about how easy it is to walk through your suffering and the hard things of life with little regard to seek wisdom from the One who has called us to walk through such trials. The point of verses 5-8 is that all of life requires a greater wisdom that can only come from the One whose knowledge and understanding of your life and the world is infinite. The fact of the matter is that you really do not know what is coming in while you sit and listen to this sermon. You do not know if there is some rogue cell in your body that threatens certain parts of your body. On a Monday (June 30th) I was told that my uncle was in hospice and by Thursday morning (July 3rd) he was dead. This is why Jesus said, For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they (Matt. 6:2526)? Jesus did not just tell us to not worry but provided the best way to fight and push back our anxiety: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you (Matt. 6::33). Listen, when the trials come in the form of waves or even tsunamis, if your faith is not tethered to the One who is sovereign over such waves, you will be driven and tossed by the wind (Jas. 1:6). The point James is making in verse 5 is that we do what Jesus told us to do: Dont lean onto your own understanding in the midst of your trial but seek wisdom from the God who wants to use your trials to produce what is lacking in you. Instead of asking, Why me? You ought to ask: Lord, please use this trial in a way that helps me know and understand you more so that I can live the life you have called me to live better. Instead of running to your own conclusions, seek wisdom from the One who sees the whole picture of your life. Instead of running to whatever solution you think is best, run to Him who knows what is best! Our Treasure is Not Earthly (vv. 9-11) Finally, regardless of what you have in your bank account, your position and status before God has nothing to do with what the world thinks of you but what God thinks of you. The real question is not how much you have of this world, but how much of your heart does the Lord have of you? What is your so-called faith? Is it just religion? Where or who is your treasure? Most of those to whom James was writing, were poor. With the persecution that came to Jerusalem, they had lost their income, property, and social status. However, there were some who were wealthy. For those who are poor, it is easy to conclude that God has forgotten them. For those who are wealthy, it is easy to forget God. The danger for both groups of people is to become spiritually near-sighted to the point that you fail to set your eyes on what it is that you did not work for and cannot lose. How can you experience joy in suffering? Where does lasting wisdom really come from, wisdom that guides rather than blinds? It comes from setting our eyes upon that which has been given and promised to those who have been truly saved by the grace of God through faith in His Son, to receive the gift of salvation that you cannot work for or earn. Those who share in James status as bond-servants of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 1), are heirs of Him who spoke and owns the cattle on a thousand hills! The poor are to glorify in their high position as those whose inheritance and status is found in the King of kings and Lord of lords! The rich person who also is a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, must hold his/her wealth with an open hand in a way that honors God and serves His people. Why? Well, in the words of the famous missionary, CT Studd: Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last. Let me leave you with this final thought: When you are going through the hard stuff, know that because of your identity as a Christian, that God is more interested in your good than you can ever wrap your mind around. When the trials come, because you are a Christian this much is true: You are more sinful than you know and more loved than you imagine.

How should we live with other Christians whose convictions regarding gray areas don't align with ours? Join Kelly as he takes a look at what James has to say about this.www.instagram.com/thehishillpodcast/www.hishill.orgkelly@hishill.org

Acts 11:19-30 19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. 27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. Key Words: Scatter, Preach, Hand, Believe, Turn, Add, Christians, Relief Keystone Verse: And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. (Acts 11:21) Download Bulletin

Introduction Romans 8:28-32 – God pulled out all the stops to bless us! The help of fellow Christians James 5:15-16 Romans 15:1…

Monday, February 24, 2025

Friday, February 21, 2025

Thursday, February 20, 2025

1. Wandering from truth      A.  Believing the wrong doctrine        B.  Seeking pleasure               C.  Difficult times         D.  Peer pressure                                   2.  When Christians backslide      A. The Holy Spirit convicts            B. Loss of joy and peace, no fellowship with God      C. Discipline from God      3. Reaching a backslider      A.  Turn a sinner from error      B.  Save a soul from death      C.  Cover a multitude of sins   4. Don't give up      A. Pray for the spiritually sick      B. Reach out in love to them      C. Rescue with truth

April 22, 2023 - Equipped Workshop Day 3 8:00AM Keynote Auditorium Speaker    Jerry Carmichael kicks off day 3 of the Equipped.   Notes: "Living for Jesus Until the End" Phil 3:12; 2 Peter 2:2; John 15:1-6 Rev 2:10 - "Be faithful even when faced with death." (often misquoted) From the book of James Be a persevering Christian - James 1:2 enduring, continuing - no matter what. We don't learn perseverance without trials and temptations. Be a practicing Christian - James 2:17 Not bragging. But James says- watch what I do and I'll show you my faith. "True faith is a working faith" Talk to people about Jesus! Be polite Christians - James 3:5-6 Great hindrance of Christians - misuse of the tongue. Conflicts rarely arise if we bride our tongues. Be praying Christians - James 4:1-2. You must have a healthy prayer life with the Creator of all the earth. What an incredible privilege to be able to pray to Him and He hears. Pray you way through the church directory Pray with your family. Pray for elders, elderly members, government, young families, youth, military.... Be prioritized Christians - James 5:1-6 Serving and loving God should be our priority. James 5:9 - Have compassion for the and the erring, and those with physical illness. Confess sins and pray for one another. The first and the last words Jesus said to Peter - "Follow Me" - John 20:30 Serve Jesus while you can because a time will come when you aren't able to do as much, but keep serving until the end. The Christian walk is a Walk Fight War other action words. Follow while you have time.   Duration 39:58  

3-8-23 – Wednesday Evening Service. A continuation of our survey through the Bible.

Help me do a solid for a friend and check out my friend Joseph's podcast:Under Review Podcast (website)Under Review Apple (for iPhone users)Relationships live out the story of God's grace in the world around you. The way we treat others, any others, and all others, ought to be a direct extension of the way God has interacted with and loved you. This episode explores how universal that is suppose to be. Not just some relationships, but all of them. Because this isn't about who the other person is, this is about who God is to you. The Scripture asks us to focus in on 3 unique relationship categories. In fact, beautiful letters on grace and faith ultimately point us to proving this through interactions. Here are some Bible passages for each category we referenced in the episode.among the World:Romans 12:17-21; 13:1-10Ephesians 5:6-14; 6:5-9Colossians 3:22-4:6I Peter 2:11-25; 4:1-6with Christians:James 2:14-18Romans 12:3-12; 14:10-12; 15:1-7Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-16, 31-32; 5:15-21Colossians 3:8-17I Peter 2:4-10; 3:8-10; 4:7-10in your Family:Ephesians 5:1-2, 22-30; 6:1-4Colossians 3:15-17, 18-21I Peter 3:1-4, 7-12

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Monday, November 28, 2022

Monday, November 28, 2022

This week on Midweek Move, Dallas is once again joined by Pastor Dustin to look at what the Bible has to say about slander and making plans. Follow Midweek move on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midweekmove   If you have any questions or comments about this passage, feel free to reach out to us via our social media or email us at mediahub@thpshreveport.com   The Midweek Move is a  @THP Media  production and is an extension of the ministry of The Healing Place in Shreveport, Louisiana. For more information about The Healing Place, visit our website https://thpshreveport.com/   Intro and Outro music was Produced by and given permission to be used by John Harju.   Connect with Dustin Philips: twitch.tv/pastordoostyn www.youtube.com/pastordoostyn www.agtyler.com   Connect with Dallas Mora: https://www.instagram.com/geekdevotions/   Leave a review on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/midweekmove    

10-9-22 PM Worship "Why Are There Unhappy Christians" James 3:13-16 Dave Provance CCLI Copyright License - 139774 CCLI Streaming License - 20715699 #PittsburghBibleStudy #PittsburghChurch #MonroevilleChristianChurch #Christian #ChurchOfChrist #Church #ChristianChurch #ForMonroeville #ThePlaceToBe #TeachTrainTransform #church #churchonline #biblestudy #biblestudyonline #biblestudyfellowship #MonroevilleChurch #churchonline #ChurchinMonroevillePA #ChristiansOnly

Pastor JD poses three crucial questions as it relates to the seriousness of how we treat brothers and sisters in Christ, and in so doing explains why the church is so feckless in this, the last hour. The post Three Crucial Questions for Christians, James 4:11-17 – July 10th, 2022 appeared first on Calvary Chapel Kaneohe.

Pastor JD poses three crucial questions as it relates to the seriousness of how we treat brothers and sisters in Christ, and in so doing explains why the church is so feckless in this, the last hour. Social MediaMobile & TV Apps: https://subsplash.com/calvarychapelkaneohe/appProphecy Website:  http://jdfarag.orgChurch Website:  http://www.calvarychapelkaneohe.comTwitter:  https://twitter.com/JDFaragFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JDFaragInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/JDFarag

"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?". There was quarreling and fighting among the Christians James pastored and, for all the reasons I listed above, he wanted to put an end to it. James 4:1-10 was his attempt to do so. Within these verses, and to those ends, James revealed that both He and his readers had identified a problem, its source, and a solution to that problem. Over the next two weeks we'll consider each of those things. Today, in vs.1-5, we'll see the problem, its source, and its solution from the perspective of James's readers, as well as the true problem and its true source from James's (that is, the Holy Spirit's) perspective. Then next week, in vs.6-10, we'll see James's solution.

James 2:8-13 ln James 2, we look at our sin, God's law, and His judgment, and ultimately we are reminded of the mercy of Christ.

Tuesday, January 4, 2021

Tuesday, January 4, 2021

Monday, January 3, 2021

Monday, January 3, 2021

Friday, December 31, 2021

Friday, December 31, 2021

Sunday Morning Expositional Message

Sunday Morning Expositional Message

Pastor Brian Howard January 10, 2021 James: Faith That Works

Wednesday Evening

All of us are constantly planning where we are going, who we are going to see, and what we are going to do (i.e. after church, tomorrow, this week, next month, a year from now). This can easily result in us having an illusion of control over our lives and being presumptuous about the future. That’s exactly what had happened to the Christians James was writing to in this letter.

God Magnified, Season 1, Episode 9 for Monday, March 9, 2020 What causes conflicts and divisions between Christians? James tells us such disorder comes from our own unchecked desires. James’ original audience was struggling to live lives of peace, so they needed to be commanded to be humble and resist Satan while drawing near to God. […]

Online sermons from Grace Baptist Church of Chariton Iowa. Preaching the gospel to anyone willing to listen!

The world is full of conflict, battles and wars. Does this conflict take place even among Christians- James points out the reality of Christian conflict, what sparks it and how we should resolve it.

[Below is the chapter on which this episode was based. Click here for books by Dr David Petts] Lessons about healing from the epistles - James The passage in James 5:14-15 provides the clearest instruction to Christians who are sick to be found in the New Testament:   Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned he will be forgiven.   These verses clearly offer a high expectation of healing. In this chapter we’ll consider: the general context in which the verses are set the precise intention of the verses themselves reasons why healing may not result immediately. The general context in which the verses are set As we will see when we come to consider James 5:14-15 in more detail, it is quite clear that James intends us to understand that if a Christian who is sick calls for the elders of the church[1], and if the elders pray in faith, the sick Christian will be healed. However, to understand the full significance of these verses, it is important to consider first some of James’s earlier teaching.  We begin by looking at a passage where, perhaps surprisingly, James talks about the uncertainty of life itself. The Uncertainty of Life - James 4:13-16 The general sense of these verses is extremely clear.  Because of the brevity of life we cannot be certain of tomorrow.  Therefore in all our plans we should recognise that their fulfilment is entirely dependent on the Lord’s will.  Verse 15 indicates that even the question of whether we shall be alive tomorrow is subject to the will of the Lord. Our life is just a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. This aspect of James’ teaching must not be disregarded when we seek to understand the statement in 5:15 that the prayer of faith will make the sick person well. Everything is subject to the will of the Lord. The Last Days - James 5:1-9 In the first six verses of chapter 5, James condemns people who misuse wealth.  He says that they have afflicted their employees (vv. 4-5) and killed the righteous (v. 6) and as a result misery is coming upon them (v. 1).  This, together with the reference to the last days (v. 3), suggests that the day of judgement is in mind. This appears to be confirmed by the mention of the coming of the Lord (vv. 7 & 8), and the Judge who is standing at the door (v. 9).  When we come to consider the passage about healing, therefore, we need to remember that the thought of the return of the Lord is very much in mind. Patience in suffering - James 5: 7-12  In the last section James used the coming of the Lord as a threat to the wicked. But in this section he uses it to encourage Christians – James calls them brothers (v. 7).  He tells them to be patient (vv. 7, 8, 10) until the Lord comes (vv. 7, 8).  This appears to be because they are suffering (v. 10). But what sort of suffering is James talking about?  Perhaps he is referring to suffering inflicted by the rich oppressors mentioned in verses 1-6. The use of the word then (which here means therefore) in verse 7 certainly suggests this. However, it is interesting that James mentions Job as an example of suffering and patience (vv. 10-11). Bearing in mind the wide range of disasters – including sickness – that Job went through, it seems likely that James has in mind any form of suffering that may come our way as Christians. This should clearly be borne in mind when we consider the full significance of the passage on healing, to which we will turn shortly. Before doing so, however, we need to consider what James means by trouble when he says in verse 13, Is any one of you in trouble? The meaning of Is any one of you in trouble? (v. 13) The Greek word that James uses here is the verb kakopathein which literally means to suffer anything bad. This is also the word[2] that he uses in v. 10 when he talks about patience in the face of suffering. The use of the same word here seems to link the passage about patience in suffering with the passage containing the promise of healing. This confirms what we said in the last section, namely that sickness should be understood to be included in James’ use of suffering (kakopathia) rather than distinguished from it[3]. If this understanding is correct, then the promise of healing for the sick in verse 15 must be balanced by the teaching on patience until the coming of the Lord in verse 7-12.  Verse 13 encourages any who are suffering to pray and any who are cheerful to sing praises.  Verse 14 encourages any who are sick to call for the elders of the church to pray over them anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. But if we are right in saying that sickness is included in James’s understanding of suffering, we need to explain why James gives different instructions (i.e. to call for the elders to pray for you rather than pray for yourself) to those who are sick. The explanation for this is that James is probably referring to someone who is seriously sick, as will become clear as we turn now to the precise intention of the verses themselves. The precise intention of the verses themselves In this respect I suggest that four factors indicate that James has in mind here someone who is seriously ill.  These are as follows: The sick person is to call for the eldersrather than go to  This may well indicate the person is so ill that they are incapable of going. The eldersare to pray over This is the only time in the New Testament where the verb to pray is followed by the word over. It probably suggests that the elders are standing over the sick person as they pray, which may well indicate that he or she is lying down. Furthermore, the statement that the Lord will raise him up clearly implies that the sick person is lying down[4]. Finally, the fact that they need the eldersto come and pray for them points to the possibility that the sick person is too ill to pray for him or herself.   So I conclude that the sick person James has in mind is seriously ill and that the exhortation to call for the elders for anointing and prayer should not be taken to apply to minor ailments. Thus, although sickness would be included within James’ understanding of suffering, some sickness is so serious that it makes people feel unable to pray for themselves, or at least of praying in faith[5], and that it is why they must call for the elders. Indeed, it is important to notice that the sick person in verses 14-15 is not required to exercise faith – only to call for the elders of the church.  It is the elders’ responsibility to pray the prayer of faith and anoint the sick one with oil in the name of the Lord. But what is the significance of the oil?  Most commentators acknowledge that, although oil was frequently used for medicinal purposes, the context in James 5 demands that the oil be understood to be of some religious significance[6].  Indeed, even if James knew that oil was of some medicinal value, he would hardly have believed that it was a panacea for all illnesses! Besides, James tells us that it is the prayer, not the oil that will make the sick person well. It is probably best, therefore, to concentrate on the word anoint rather than the word oil. In both the Old and New Testaments, anointing is associated closely with the work of the Spirit in healing (Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:18ff.) and it is therefore reasonable to understand the anointing with oil in James 5 to be symbolic of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. As such it might well quicken the faith of the sick person. But anointing with oil and the prayer of faith are not the only things that James mentions in this passage. He talks about the confession of sins (vv. 15-16). The important thing to notice here is the word if  –  If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. We have already seen, from both the Old Testament and the New, that sickness may sometimes be the result of personal sin. We have also seen that very often it is not. James’s statement here is completely in harmony with this teaching. The sickness might have been caused by sin. If that is so, the sin should be confessed and then prayer offered for healing. But if the patient is unaware of any sin that might be hindering their healing, confession would clearly be inappropriate. Reasons why healing may not occur immediately The clear promise of verse 15 is that the sick person will be made well. But what if no immediate healing results?  Careful examination of the passage suggests the following possibilities: The sickness has been caused by sinthat needs to be confessed The eldershave failed to pray in faith There needs to be more earnest and persistent prayer The healing will take place when the Lord returns. We have already discussed (1) in the previous section. With regard to (2) the view that the elders have failed to pray in faith seems perfectly reasonable, especially in the light of James’s insistence earlier in the epistle that prayer must be in faith and that he who doubts will receive nothing from the Lord (James 1:5-8). Another possibility is that (3) the healing, though not immediately manifested, will be gradual or delayed. James goes on to talk about the power of prayer in verses 16-18 and uses Elijah as an illustration. What is significant about Elijah is that he prayed earnestly (v. 17) and he prayed persistently (cf. 1 Kings 18:41-45 where he prays seven times until his prayer is answered). The reference to Elijah here, therefore, is almost certainly intended to imply that sometimes persistent prayer is needed for the sick to be healed. If we are sufficiently earnest we will be persistent. Finally, with regard to (4), I have already indicated that the statement that the prayer of faith will make the sick person well (5:15) must be balanced by James’s statement that we only live if the Lord wills (4:15). As Christians our lives are in the hands of the Lord and, if he chooses, he may take us to be with himself at any time. In Part Two we will see how the ultimate healing takes place when Jesus comes again and our mortal bodies are clothed with immortality (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). We have already noted that in James’s understanding the coming of the Lord was very near. It is, therefore, at least possible that when he says, the Lord will raise him up (v. 15), he has also in mind the fact of the final resurrection. This view is supported by the fact that the verb James uses in this connection is egeirein, the word that is also used in connection with resurrection. Of course, James’s primary intention was undoubtedly to indicate that an immediate miracle of healing should be expected. However, it is possible that we may discern within his statement a secondary intention which, based on the earlier analogy with Job (James 5:8-11), suggests that if immediate healing is not the will of the Lord then the sick must be patient until the Lord’s coming at which time they will undoubtedly be ‘raised up’[7]. Indeed, as Moo has argued ....the days when God’s promises are to be fulfilled have begun, but a climax to that period is still expected. It is in the eschatological tension of the ‘already..... not yet’ that James’ ethics are to be understood[8].   If this understanding is correct, then the prayer of faith is not a prayer that insists that healing must be immediate but a prayer that commits the sick one to God knowing that his will is best[9] and that he can be trusted to ‘raise up’ the sick whether it be immediately by a miracle of healing or ultimately at the return of the Lord. In short, although the passage indicates that the sick may expect to be healed, there is no guarantee that the healing will be immediate.  The apparently clear promise of a miracle of healing must be tempered by James’ earlier teaching that prayer must be offered without doubting (1:6-8), that no-one can count on tomorrow but recognise that the length of life is as the Lord will (4:13-17), and that Christians must, like Job, be patient in suffering (5:10-11) for the coming of the Lord is at hand (5:8).  Then healing is guaranteed! [1] Church leaders are given a variety of titles today. Here James simply refers to them as elders. For more detailed explanation of the role of elders in the New Testament church, see:   Petts, D., Body Builders – Gifts to make God’s people grow, Mattersey, Mattersey Hall, 2002, pp. 71-88. [2] In v. 10 he uses the noun kakopathia whereas in v. 13 it is the verb kakopathein. Both forms are part of the same Greek word group. [3]Cf. Job 2:7 and passim. [4]For discussion that in this passage a fair degree of illness is present, see Motyer, A., The Message of James, Leicester, IVP, 1985, pp.193-194. [5]For James’ emphasis on the importance of praying in faith, cf.  James 1:5-8. My suggestion that the patient might be so ill as to be unable to pray in faith is based on the psychologically debilitating effects produced by certain physical afflictions. [6] Cf. Adamson, J., The Epistle of  James, Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1976, p. 197 Mitton, C.L., ‘The Epistle of James’, London, Marshalls, 1966. p. 199. Moo D.J., ‘James’ Leicester, IVP, 1985, p. 178. See also Shogren, G.S., ‘Will God Heal Us - A Re-examination of James 5:14-16a’, Evangelical Quarterly 61, (2, ‘89), pp. 99-108. [7] One passage in Job is highly significant in this connection. In Job 19:25-27 he says:   I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!   [8]Moo, op. cit., p. 44. [9]ibid p. 186.

James 4:11-12

March 17, 2019 Practicing Patience   Genuine Faith |marks of maturity from James|   This week at work has been challenging for me and my team. It seems that everything that could go wrong is going wrong. No matter what we do to fix things and make things right, everything continues to get worse. My job is to solve problems. But lately, these problems continue to stack up faster than we can resolve them. It's not for lack of trying either. I have worked extra hours, our team has put in extra hours and extra effort, and we have called in additional help from outside of our local team. Everyone is working hard putting their shoulder into it, but we still seem to be losing traction. For me and my team, this has been incredibly frustrating as problem after problem has tested our patience. I'm sure you have experienced similar circumstances. There are many others who are experiencing far greater challenges than my challenging week at work.   In James 5:7-12 he addresses an audience that is very familiar with suffering and injustice. In response to their suffering, James simply says "Be patient."  Not many of us have experienced the kind of persecution experienced by the Christians James was encouraging in his letter.  Nevertheless, most of us are familiar with real challenges, disappointments, and suffering in our own lives. To us, James also says "Be patient" as we endure the difficult seasons of life. In this small section of James' letter, we find four steps to practicing patience that help us endure and persevere through difficult seasons in life. In today's message we consider how to practice patience in all circumstances. 

How do you respond to trials- Do you act no like those who are not Christians- James commands that our attitudes be that of a person who is completely convinced of God's sovereignty. God's sovereignty is the ground for us responding in joy knowing that our testing of faith brings about patience and patience having its way bringing us to maturity.

Pastor Shane Jackson, live from Landrum Independent Baptist Church.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

The Book of James instructs us that we need to shine our lights. I want you to keep in mind that this book was written by the half-brother of Jesus Christ. In fact, James was a part of the family that said that Jesus was out of His mind. Mark 3:20-21; Mark 3:31-35; John 7:2-5 It is crazy to think that you could live with the Light not knowing who Jesus truly was until He showed Himself to you after His resurrection as recorded in Acts and 1 Corinthians. James commands us to shine the light! James is telling us that it’s not enough to believe in Jesus, his brother, unless that belief brings about action. And he is talking to Christians… James 2:14-19 Unless your faith causes you to act, there is no value in it. The implication is that you don’t truly have faith in Christ. You have to shine the light. Otherwise, you are simply providing lip service. James 2:21-24 James used the patriarch of the Jewish faith, Abraham as an example. And then providing a second example of a much less desirable sort. James 2:25-26 So what does a lifestyle of shining our light for Christ look like? We’ve been told that we can’t just claim to believe and sit back and do nothing. Even the thief on the cross did something after professing his faith in Christ. He chastised the other thief. He was not saved by this action of chastisement, but it was because of his faith (which saved him) that he was moved to speak out! We are not saved by works. God saved us so that we would do good works that He already planned for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10 Matthew Henry’s Commentary states that if our lives are compared to that of a plant, “Faith is the root,” and “good works is the fruit produced.” Colossians 1:9-11; Psalm 119:105 Yet another implication that your faith is moving you along. We can’t change lives if we are not Shining the Light in our daily lives.

Sunday Morning Expositional Message

Thursday Evening In-Depth Bible Study

Conspicuous Christians (James 3:13-18)