James 1 (Walking the Talk)

Have you ever had a paradigm shift take place in your life?

Do you know what I mean? when your perspective changes dramatically. For instance I grew up a very argumentative kid. This trait often affected my friendships. Then, major paradigm shift, I realized you can disagree, and not lose respect and not lose friendships

If you look back in your own life, I think you will notice that there were many paradigm shifts.. Some of your perspectives may have had to change as well. One of the biggest paradigm shifts that can happen to a person allows Jesus Christ to occupy his or her heart. When that takes place, it never fails that there is a recognition of change in our lives There is a recognition of things we need more of in our life and things we ought to leave behind. Today we are going to begin our exposition of the Book of James. My hope is that we will explore and experience some paradigm shifts, and do some self examination. Before we begin, lets take a moment to pray.

While today we are going to more exclusively look at the book of James chapter 1, I’d like to briefly explore a principle learned in chapter 5. In it we learn that “patience” as well as “endurance” are identifying marks of God’s people in the end times.

change slide A quick study would show that patience is defined as LONGSUFFERING. I’ll be honest, for me that discovery was a paradigm shifting realization. The idea that practicing joyful patience is an identifying mark of those counted as faithful in the end times. This idea that longsuffering produces perseverance and endurance, paradigm shifting. This realization that my resentfulness of situations, or resenting people, or even ridiculing those I disagree with can be a stumbling for my own salvation paradigm shifting Statement.

I remember first coming across James 1:4 for the first time while sitting in a Bible study. change slide It was read, “4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” One young lady asked the question in the group, “so is it saying that we can achieve perfection?” It was a fair question. In fact looking at this text alone as it is written, it is difficult to argue against that suggestion. However a deeper look into the original language, as well as the context of the passage we discover the word used here for “perfect” actually means “full grown.” (greek reference) The context suggests spiritual maturity. Essentially James is saying Patience or longsuffering will lead to personal growth and spiritual maturity. I wish I had this understanding during that Bible study, as the bulk of us was confused by the statement and some felt discouraged by a false expectation that we had to be perfect in the same sense that the 21st century understands the word perfect to mean, something or someone without flaws.

Do you see how someone’s perception of God might be different if they don’t understand we are made righteous only by God’s grace, than a person who might think God’s expectation is us to be only perfect, and anything less isn’t enough? That second person would be in for a major paradigm shift. Some of you more seasoned or mature Christians here might think, “well that’s an extreme example being used here, anyone who has read more than a few verses in scripture would come to that conclusion as well.” The problem is many of us are not studying our Bibles very much, and when we do, our focus can be in individual texts rather than the full passage, or context. Could it be we are afraid of what we might find, that God is calling me to live differently than I am currently living? That question is for the seasoned mature Christian Adventists as well as those who might be newer to the faith.

The book of James is a book written for putting into practice the teachings of Jesus in a practical way. For instance, if you have your Bible with you, turn to James 1, and lets begin in verse 9. I’ll be reading from the New King James version. change slide

James 1:9–11 ESV

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

To Christians, this teaching may not seem all that paradigm shifting as it is not exactly a newly found view. However, this being an echoed teaching of Jesus, was a very paradigm shifting view. You can read these principles being taught in several examples such as Matthew 19:16-22, “the rich young ruler.” Mark 12:41-44 “the widow’s mite” or in the transformation that took place in the hearts of tax collector’s Matthew and Zacchaeus due to the discipleship of Jesus. This was a major paradigm shift in the minds of the listeners. This was an era, of where status reigned supreme. Having wealth, essentially gave a person the right to speak credibly. Who were among the wealthiest in Judea? The religious leaders of course, in fact they loved to point at the poor and diseased as being troubled as a result of their sins. While this idea had scriptural backing, they missed the point of their own duties as servants to the suffering, and ministers to the sinners. Instead two often they were the ones Jesus warned his disciples about. change slide

Mark 12:38–40 ESV

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

That is a paradigm shifting statement.

I imagine His disciples and listeners must have thought for a second. I have been living my life in awe of these men, actually wishing I had their life. I wish I could be honored the way they are. Yet Jesus was essentially calling out their entire way of life. Honestly, though, who here hasn’t at one time in their life or another didn’t wish they were wealthier financially than they currently are. Who among us hasn’t wished we had more built up in our savings, or nicer fancier clothes, or even have allowed to feel that sense of superiority. These principles being taught then, were very paradigm shifting for the people of that society. They are just as paradigm shifting today as well. We can preach this message and still secretly strive for financial prosperity as our life governing principle. Jesus, was not suggesting being wealthy in itself was sinful, but the desire for money over the desire for a savior is absolutely sinful, as evidenced by the rich young ruler. I’m sure that must have been a paradigm shifting experience for the young man, hearing Jesus tell him he must sell all of his possessions and follow Him. His paradigm shift was the realization that he had not been following God his whole life as he had once thought. He was just doing what he thought would earn him more prizes, which is what he probably viewed Heaven as.

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So now returning to James, lets focus on verse 9. “Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation.”

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The word for exaltation is “height,” or high place…words to describe “Heaven.”

Who is James referring to as “the lowly brother.” You don’t have to look very far to answer that question. He is described as the one who has fallen into various trials, change slide

James 1:2–3 ESV

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

(verses 2-8).Thesse verses show: He is the one who has demonstrated patience, longsuffering, and who has endured, and developed wisdom and discernment and maturity.

Essentially, James is mimicking Jesus here, in statements like.change slide “For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest." Luke 9:48. Of course Jesus didn’t just make these lofty statements, he also demonstrated it with his own actions as well. Not only did he leave his throne in Heaven to live the humble human life. Can you think of some other examples of Jesus becoming the least? Like many of you, I think of Jesus becoming the servant none of his disciples wanted or were willing to be. He got down and did the task of a servant and washed the feet of his disciples. I imagine that was quite the paradigm shift in the minds of his disciples, watching the one they would like to crown king, stooping down low enough to wash their feet. Soon after witnessing their king wearing a crown of thorns rather than a crown of gold. It must have been quite the shift, when they finally realized their mission Jesus had been charging them all along.

Lets move down to change slide

James 1:21–25 ESV

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Let’s do a bit of highlighting here. change slide It says, “lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,”

I imagine this was the message, Jesus was getting at when speaking to the rich young ruler. I imagine this is what Jesus was getting at when he was talking to Pharisees and religious leaders of his day. I imagine this is what he was getting at when he was talking to his disciples, specifically James and John, as well as Peter later. Its easy to draw our own conclusions as to what filthiness and wickedness James is referring to here, but if you look in the passages within the book itself, you will notice that James spelled it out pretty clearly, impatience, pride, greed, selfishness, and self-glorification. James calls his listeners to be “doers” not simply “hearers” only. Hearers are the ones who take in the gist and make appearances, but in that person there is no practice or action.

It can be painful when we self reflect and occasionally realize we’ve been hearers but not doers. I find it interesting all throughout the Bible, we will find examples of doers who are not self seekers, that end up being glorified. However, it is the self seekers who end up being condemned.

I read a book a while back, in fact, ive read it a few times over now. The book is written by a man, that I have no blood relation to, although I am asked all the time if I am related to him. change slide The book is titled Apocalyptic Vision and the Neutering of Adventism by none other than George Knight. The book is very powerful and I would recommend it to anyone here. The premise of the book is that if we as a church lose our apocalyptic identity, we essentially are neutering our church, taking away its ability to reproduce. In the early portions of this book elder Knight shares his own personal testimony and realizations about the church. Elder Knight is a man who had been an Adventist pastor, turned agnostic, philosopher and then admittedly a no one. A no one in the sense, that in his quest to find meaning in life, he found everything to be meaningless. It was through an encounter with his old Bible teacher who “exuded calm assurance in his faith and treated him with kindness and love.” This experience for George, was one that he described as meeting Jesus, and he needed what his old teacher had. He writes in his book, 14 years after becoming an Adventist, he became a Christian.

It was this statement that really gave me a paradigm shift in thinking. Here I will read to you a short paragraph referencing this realization.

“My meandering journey might help readers understand why I used to preach a sermon entitled “Why I don’t Like Adventists.” And I really don’t, but I finally stopped preaching it because it sounded a wee bit negative. Of course, I had no problem if they were Christian as well as Adventist. But if they were only Adventist, let me loose. You see I once met an Adventist who was meaner than the devil. In fact, I once met a vegan who was more vicious than the devil. To have any value, our Adventism must be immersed in Christianity. Without immersion, it is no better than any other deluded “ism.”

Wow, some very frank and bold statements made there, and yet I think it fits very nicely with what is being suggested here in James 1. For instance, Brother George is not making suggestions against Adventist historical stance on health message, he’s suggests if it is not immersed with Christ centered love to people, its loses its substance as a Christian message. The focus is not, of course about the health message, its about our Adventist message. The same can be said about our apocalyptic prophetic messages. There are people out there who are hearing our messages walking away, thinking Adventists are a bunch of Catholic bashers condemning people rather than immersing them in Christ’s love. If people are walking out of our meetings thinking, Adventists hate or despise other denominations, maybe we as Adventists have not been demonstrating our Christianity. For me, the realization that its possible to be an Adventist, and still not a Christian, gave me a major paradigm shift. This shift was that I can have understanding of prophecy, the Law, and understanding of how God asks us to live, and pretty much know all the “stuff” and still not be saved if I don’t have the ability to LOVE other people, specifically those whom don’t share our same understanding. Take a look at verses 19-20.

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19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Practicing these qualities are probably some of the hardest in the entire Bible to adhere to. How many of you have felt the urge to confront your neighbor on something

Have you felt that feeling what you deem in the moment “Holy Boldness?” Where you feel the urge to point out someone’s fallacies. These principles referred to here in James have a strong parallel to Jesus’ own message in Matthew 7.

Matthew 7:1–5 ESV

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

It is very easy to think I am looking through the same lens that Jesus is looking through when he would indeed call someone out. Its easy to think I am looking through the same lens that Jesus was looking through when he entered the temple and began flipping tables. I am not here reading into the text suggesting there are not times where should not confront our brother. What I am suggesting is that more times than not we are confronting out of personal judgment and anger rather than prayerfully and humbly. What is that statement, “when you point your finger, you have 3 pointing back at you?” I believe many of us will have a paradigm shift, when we pray before speaking. Or really taking the time to listen and get to know someone before writing them off or judging their personal character after hearing one fallacy from their lips.

Camp Meeting Story (optional)---Nanna’s friend asking me about youth and young adults singing with contemporary music

When my family moved back to the Carolinas I was in the 5th grade, and I entered into Mr. Carlton’s 5th and 6th grade classroom. Anytime there was a dispute between classmates, he would simply ask the question, (many times to me) Now Ross, is this helping or hurting the situation? Sometimes I want to apply this to those of caught up in different disputes within our church whether it be local or more has to do with our world church. Is your approach helping or hurting the other person? Better yet, is my retaliation helping someone grow closer to Jesus, or booting them out the door? I promise you this, if you can learn how to love that person you disagree with first, your dialogue with him or her will become as George Knight puts it, immersed in Christianity. You will be focused more so on helping a person grow in Jesus rather than tearing someone down.

I mentioned earlier when I was younger I had kind of an epiphany take place where I realized we can be friends even if we don’t agree on every little detail. I was 16 years old going into my junior year in Academy when I really started to understand God was calling me into ministry. I watched out chaplain Michael Brackett bring together a rather conservative and loving praying church family and less traditional student body. Watching that play out helped me see I wanted to bring our people together even more, and not make larger a divide that can exist among worship styles. Students had long complained they weren’t accepted by the older generations. Pastor Michael started bringing the older generations into the dorms for worships and with gifts. The students started to see the love and feel the prayers that had been happening behind scenes. And for that matter the members of the church began cheering on the students in taking on an active role in the church. No one was comprising their stances, but the divide wasn’t there because a built relationship and a now mutual respect.

What I saw happen in my academy church was something I wanted to take place in churches I was a part of going forward. Which is why I am so passionate about intergenerational ministry. One of the reasons I love the Spartanburg church so much, You don’t have to attend every Lower Room activity or event. You don’t have to be at the Alive Youth Rally in order to partner in prayer or even financially to see the fruits of these youth and young adult programs. We have ministries like God’s Closet which brings a little bit of everyone together uniting in mission. You don’t have to love the same praise songs in order to help give children’s clothes to families who need them. God is calling us to a paradigm shift, that we are united in our calling as Christians to love those whom we come in contact with and share His good news.

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Verses 26 and 27 tells us:

James 1:26–27 ESV

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

If I am to see my vision for the church take place where we come together despite our differences, it has to start with immersing our Adventism in Christianity, to sincerely become more loving to others. It doesn’t mean we compromise our beliefs, or even practices, the passage mentions unspotted from the world. But if we start spending the bulk over arguing over what being overly worldly and what is acceptable progression, it would seem we are wasting a valuable opportunity grow our church body, and grow the kingdom of God. We will all have to answer before the Lord, let us not spend our time pointing out all the specks in each others eyes and ignore that log or plank in our own. I get asked all the time, how are we going to grow our church? But there are times I want ask? Do you really want more people in our church, or are you content with who is here and more importantly who is not here? That’s a bit of a self reflection question, is not pointed at any one person. However, when we become of our inward desires, we become more aware for our need of a paradigm shift and a realization for a new governing principle.

I’ve been obviously mentioning paradigm shifts a bit today. . May the core of all your life governing principles be immersed with your desire to serve Jesus, and leading others into following Christ. May in our seeking to serve Christ better, our character would look more like His as well and that we would find a genuine love for other people, even those we so strongly disagree with.

In closing, I want to share a lesson I learned while working as a student dean at Meier Hall during my time at Andrews University. I was sitting in my office, monitoring the lobby of the dorm, loosely studying, and loosely watching my Atlanta Braves let me down again. Suddenly a student walked in and he was not happy. I asked him, what I could do for him. He said, why do I have lates and missing on my nightly record. (for those of you unfamiliar with Adventist dorms) students are checked in at night at a certain hour in the night, this is to help encourage people away from staying out all night but also to have head count in case there is a fire and the dorm needs to be evacuated). I asked the angry young man, well were you late and missing? He answered, “well yeah” but I’m 19 years old I don’t need to be checked up on. I don’t see why “you Adventists have to impose your rules on me.” I’m only here because my parents won’t pay for me to go anywhere else. (By the way, I am giving you the G- rated recount of this exchange, as the young man had some quite opposite of G-rated language descriptions for his parents as well as Adventists.) My first instinct was to get right in his face the same way he kept inching towards mine, even though this was the first time we had met, however I resisted. The thought came into my mind, “what is causing this guy to come in here with such rage? It has to be something deeper than lates and missing?” After he got done cursing and name calling, I simply said, I’m sorry that’s been your experience, as for the lates and missing, I explained it was more about policy than about mistrust of him as an individual. I told him 9 times out 10 appeals for lates and missings were excused. He looked at me dumbfounded. He said, “Man I thought you were going to boot me out of the dorm for how I was talking to you, truthfully that’s what I was hoping would happen. I told him, “no first off I don’t have that kind of power, but even if I did, I’m not in business of booting people out, I do hope we can help change your experience with the school and the church. After that exchange, which I found out was just one of many blow ups he had had, we didn’t hear another complaint from him the rest of the semester. In fact I’d like to say we had very positive exchanges. My reaction was not my natural inclination, I’m really not one to shy away from an argument, but when I could recognize there was more to it than an angry kid, I had a paradigm shift, and I more felt for him and deeply wanted to give him a better experience with an Adventist.

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May we as a church, utilize Christ’s example of love first and foremost. May the way we convey and share the precious truths our church teaches from scripture serve in our desire for a paradigm shift in the lives of those whom we pray would receive our precious message. May you and I ourselves do some honest self reflection and if God is calling us to a paradigm shift in how we interact with others, may we be open to his leading in our lives. May we as a church become doers over hearers only. Praise God for the work He is doing amongst His people.

Lets Pray.