Consistent Christianity (Part 2; phrases/prompts)
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Introduction
Attention:
A consistent janitor
Consistent Christianity
Need:
Consistent in?
Specifics
Body
The Big Idea: Consistent Christianity has consistent elements.
The Big Question: What are the consistent elements of consistent Christianity?
1. Consistent obedience (James 1:19-27)
Explanation:
Three things that consistent obedience does:
A. Consistent obedience receives the word
James 1:19–21 (ESV)
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Anger = filthy
“Putting off” > “Receive”
The word inside
Receiving the received
Ask: How do we “receive the implanted word”?
Quiet time
Church/youth group
Three things that consistent obedience does:
A. Consistent obedience receives the word
B. Consistent obedience does the word
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 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.
“Hearer” vs. “doer”
Receive = beyond hearing.
Illustration: The mirror
Ask: What is the point of this illustration?
A “temporary” effect
God’s word = stuff to do
Three things that consistent obedience does:
A. Consistent obedience receives the word
B. Consistent obedience does the word
C. Consistent obedience practically applies the word
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 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.
Practical situations/everyday life.
Ask: what are the two examples in this text?
Controlled speech (preview of Chapter 3)
Sacrificial care for the needy
Never unpractical.
Specific situations
Consistent response to God’s Word.
Illustration:
Parenting
Application:
Received?
Doer?
Specific teenage application?
The Big Idea: Consistent Christianity has consistent elements.
The Big Question: What are the consistent elements of consistent Christianity?
Consistent obedience(James 1:19-27)
Consistent love (James 2:1-13)
Explanation:
Two things about consistent love:
A. Consistent love is impartial
1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
Partiality: To make outward-based judgement
The context of James
Ask: How do teens struggle with partiality in 2023?
Love not outward-based
“A favoritism based on external considerations is inconsistent with faith in the One who came to break down the barriers of nationality, race, class, gender and religion.” -Douglas J. Moo
Consistently impartial.
Two things about consistent love:
A. Consistent love is impartial
B. Consistent love is merciful
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
The second greatest commandment
Ask: How would you define “mercy”?
Mercy: Not getting what you deserve.
Mercy as evidence
Consistent love = consistently displayed
Illustration:
Friendship
Matthew 5.
Application:
Impartial?
Mercy?
The Big Idea: Consistent Christianity has consistent elements.
The Big Question: What are the consistent elements of consistent Christianity?
Consistent obedience (James 1:19-27)
Consistent love (James 2:1-13)
Consistent faith (James 2:14-26)
Explanation:
Three things that a consistent faith does:
A. Consistent faith works
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
“That faith”
Ask: What is the significance of this phrase?
NOT saying faith does not = salvation
Not true “faith”
True faith always works.
Verse 15: helping those in need
Words > tangible action
Consistent faith helps
Three things that a consistent faith does:
A. Consistent faith works
B. Consistent faith sacrifices
James 2:20–24 (ESV)
20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Justification & Abraham
Specific example: Isaac
Verse 24; opposite of Paul?
1 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
So… Which is it?
Ask: How do we reconcile these two?
Different levels
Paul = Level 1
James = Final level
“Paul wants to make clear that one ‘gets into’ God’s kingdom only by faith; James insists that God requires works from those who are ‘in’.” -Douglas Moo
Obtained by faith, proven by works.
Works confirm faith is legitimate.
Because sacrificial
Three things that a consistent faith does:
A. Consistent faith works
B. Consistent faith sacrifices
C. Consistent faith risks
25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Rahab vs. Abraham
Abraham was a patriarch of the Jewish people, and Rahab was a prostitute in the middle of a Gentile nation
Abraham was called “the friend of God,” while Rahab was living in the middle of the enemies of God
Abraham was a great leader, and Rahab was a common citizen
Abraham was at the top of the social order, and Rahab was at the bottom.
1 similarity = consistent faith
What works?
Ask: Who could briefly recap Rahab’s story?
Life on the line
Consistent faith = working faith
Illustration:
Moo: sledgehammer through glass table
Application:
Works a priority?
What works?
Sacrificial risks?
Conclusion
Visualization
Consistent Christianity = obedience, love, and faith
Beautiful practices
Reiteration
Practice what you believe
Take action tonight/throughout the week
It starts here