James 5
Notes
Transcript
The Church is called to caring for the poor, needy, and afflicted
The Church is called to caring for the poor, needy, and afflicted
We have allowed pagans and degenerates to hijack social justice
But the Church has always been meant to be the center of charity
Justin Martyr (Justin the philosopher) gives us insight into the earliest churches
He tells us Christians met on Sunday and:
communion, praise, scripture, sermon
Also tells us:
And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost.
And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows, and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds, and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need.
We can see an a seamless concern for the poor and needy in the NT and early Church
It makes sense that the first leader of the first church finds this extremely important
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.
James takes a prophetic tone
the powerful have traded their heavenly garments for earthly temporary coverings
The temporary nature of their idols will betray them
When they should have been giving, they have stored up
Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
God hears the cries of the poor
If we live in luxury, than we should remember the poor
But most of us do not wield power
So how do we survive when we feel we have been taken advantage?
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
First we wait with patience
The farmer is given as an example
How does he wait?
he ignores appearance
he trusts the process
Likewise we must have the same mindset
and avoid the pitfalls of doubt
Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
complaining about each other comes from a lack of faith
we will be judged for our slander
Instead, we should trust the account of Scripture
The prophets, apostles, and our Savior teach us how to be patient and steadfast in an evil age
They teach us of His compassion and mercy
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
James, like with grumbling, is again warning against careless speech
This time with oaths
But we have no impact over tomorrow and should only speak on things we are sure about
The next way in which we survive injustice is relying on each other
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
Individually, we are still responsible for maintaining our spiritual health
Both suffering and ease require the Lord’s attention
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
But we are also encouraged to help each other spiritually
We pray for the afflicted
We confess our sins to each other
Trust that physical and spiritual needs are worthy of the church’s attention
And trust that the Lord is working through the faith of the church
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
Once again, James reminds his readers of Scripture
Our example prays fervently
Finally, we are to restore the wanderer
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Based off the previous passage, a brother or sister on their own is in a dangerous place
Bringing them back into the faith brings them back into forgiveness
The Church is our safe haven from the world
The Church is our safe haven from the world
It is a place of charity
It is a place of comfort
It is a place of faith and respect
It is a place of restoration
If not, then each of us is responsible for the change