James - Are you a Servant?
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
What a Journey | In Transit | First half year - getting on | sit on bus travelling - been through values | Now bus is taking turn - up mountain.
not always koombaya’s | It’s sacrifice | always produces deliverance |
Bus broken down - never thought could happen
New series - Like our bus - is hitting rocky ground | Deliverance starts with decision -
Today, on the table, is that decision.
2 things; Child of God | I accept what that means
Series Title: James - A beautifully crafted punch to the gut - For those that want to follow Jesus.
Title: Let’s get ready to rumble
**Prayer**
I hope through series, we allow God to carve, Chip, Shape, Form - For our Good and His Glory.
James strips away exterior to see interior.
We operate out of identity -Who we say we are, determines how we act - treat people, do things.
1 verse of James today.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
James starts with this | straight to the heart
Has our identity changed on the inside, so there is true transformation in every area of life.
hinge verse;
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
True faith, works itself out in every single area of life.
i’ll be Clear; Ephesians - saved by Grace through faith - not our selves - gift from God - not a result of works, so no one can boast.
This house - house of Grace - Our Story = Grace.
Our story is not “See how many works you can do”
Our story = when dead, grace saved- built bridge
But James comes in - YES but annother side of conversation - Real grace and real faith are alive and they move out in every area of our lives.
Same grace that saves, changes
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
I’m not gonna lie - This going to be challenging - Feel challenging.
Martin Luther wanted book thrown out | but there is reason why HS used James.
Who is James;
Greek word: iakobos | hebrew; Ya’ahov = Jacob
And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
Fast Forward
Mark 3:20–21 (ESV)
Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
Showed up - not to applued - take him home.
FF more -
John 7 - It says that the Jews where seeking to kill Jesus - and his brothers said
So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him.
Love what Jesus says;
Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.”
World doesn’t hate you | Aint in my will.
All way through | James bad candidate |
I mean imagine living with Jesus - Turning brocholi into chocolate, parting his soup - walking on bath water | James was not fan.
Not convinced his brother = Messiah.
THEN
Galatians refers to James being the piller of Church -
Non believer to Pillar
When Peter got out of prison - He made sure it was JAMES that was told.
In Acts 15, huge dispute that was going to rip open church - Grace vs works - James stands up - Takes floor.
James was the Pastor of the Church in Jerusulum -
How did this happen?
See it in Corinthians -
Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
James specifically mentioned | Can you imagine | Biggest “told you so” in the history of “Told you so’s”
No - We don’t know what happened in meetin - We can infer - Transformation happened.
non-believer to Pillar - Huge persecution | infer changed “out of his mind” to “Son of God”
James = Stoned to death
How does this happen? - Because He met the resurrected Jesus.
Remember - James was a Jew - Jesus went to destroy relegion - James didn’t like that - Then writes book on works - beautiful transformation.
Book of James has 2 main influences - Jesus’ teaching (Specifically sermon on mount) and Proverbs 1-9
HS uses James, to use his experience to outpour God’s word for us.
We overcome by the blood of the lamb and word of our testimony,
James is writing, man, I read the Proverbs + I experienced Jesus’ Teaching.
but Man, I met Jesus resurrected - Saw proverbs come to life in a person, and that person was Jesus.
Now you’re turn - I want you - To also come alive.
There is a journey for James
Religion - Revelation - Relationship - Reorder - resurrection
all because of THE resurrection - He saw Jesus as the bridge -
He felt all the Grace | All the Love | All the Mercy | All the Forgiveness
and because of that, he doesn’t say “James, a brother of Jesus no he says”
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
A servant. Greek word; Duolos - Bond Servant - Complete Submission.
to who? God and Who, not brother, carpenter -
no LORD JESUS CHRIST. He is saying, This Jesus is GOD.
Question; have you met my Lord and Saviour?
What are implications? Are you His Bond servant?
Story in Jeremiah - God said; go to potters house - gives object lesson - Potter was playing with some clay = spoiled - he reworked it into another vessel -
Jeremiah 18:5–6 (ESV)
Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
Paul = Similar clay = Romans | There is clay- dirty, and God got it, resurrected it - but we are still clay
Show Clay
Book of James is about letting moulder do His Work - Leaning into that Work
This is what James did after meeting Jesus | Alright Lord | I am a Servant |
You lead to life | Your Scriptures lead to life | Let your Words in this book MOULD ME.
So what do we do?
Define who you are
Every moment | Servant of Jesus | Child | Loved
Operate out of it
2. Prepare and desire to be moulded -
Boxing analogy, punched in the gut - Hurt, but it’s meant to help.
We need heart posture that says alright Lord - you’re the potter, and I am clay - Chip away.
3. Be Transparent so you can be transformed
you gotta let Jesus in
4. Put Jesus in proper place
**Story Time**
“Is--is he a man?” asked Lucy.
“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion--the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he--quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver. “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
The goal is not the play it safe…the goal is submission
gotta tell story - Fake Bear - Real Bear - Who is Jesus to you
Big difference between person in christian costume and putting faith in Jesus
This is the Jesus that James met - Jesus set it all up - Died | Rose form dead | See disciples, people, and James.
This is Jesus proposition to you right now - He is saying - I’m coming for you -
without Shame - but with Grace, He wants to bring you into His Story, and give you amazing, transformation - For His Glory.
Close and Inspo
Close and Inspo
If you’re sitting here saying…I got it all together | Except that one place - don’t need to go there - long few weeks.
but
If you sit here and say, I need Jesus - I need change -
Then this book - change your life.
You Will not be the same.
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Church - Let His Grace before you be not in vein, because He wants to do something wonderful in you, and through you, for the Kingdom of God.
He wants to mould you, so He can give Resurrection in your Life,
Will you come on this journey with me? As we submit - King of kings
*prayer*