Faithful Doing!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Once upon a time… (history of North Waverly Chapel) There was vision with faith and good works...
1874 - John Osborn begins a Sunday School (5 men 20 women)
1895 - The Union Christian Alliance of the Town of Barton is Incorporated.
1914 - Hunter Hall Erected
1921 - Name changed to North Waverly Chapel (103 enrolled in Sunday School)
1935 (18 Members)
1963 - This building was erected (460 adults, 274 children attending 2 services)
1983 - Gymnasium addition Erected
1995 - Church Split (276 attending)
2014 - (51 Attending)
What happened to the vision?
The passage for today talks about the idea of faith and work.
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Transitional sentence: So we all need faith to see what is coming but we need to be faithful in our doing to help make it happen!
Can you have faith by itself?
Faith alone is dead - what does that mean?
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
Since faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen how can it be dead? It’s looking into the future. It’s hoping for something that we don’t yet have...... But how do we get to it? How do we get from where we are to the place we are hoping for?
One thing about faith is that we need it to find salvation through grace in Christ Jesus. James isn’t saying that faith in Jesus alone doesn’t justify us and bring salvation, he is saying that faith alone doesn’t fulfill the royal law according to the scripture. Love your neighbor as yourself!
There is, however, one time when faith alone is enough for salvation. Who has seen God is not dead? (explain final scene.) So for this particular case...
(Good for the death bed conversion) John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
But John Osborne didn’t accept Jesus on his death bed. So he had good works to do for his Lord and Savior. There is one thing here to remember we...
b. Can’t be saved by works alone - Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The funny thing about works is how much is enough? We all have a capacity for work and will all do different amounts and types of work. But since this salvation is a gift of God we can’t work our way into heaven. However,
Works show faith. Matthew 25:31-46
Sheep vs. Goats… explain.
So why do we talk about faith and works?
2. We talk about Faith and works because they both have a purpose.
a. Faith has a purpose - Salvation (For by grace you have been saved through faith)
Faith brings us out of the darkness and into the light. Faith brings us out of rebellion and into a relationship with God.
Without faith you can’t even believe God exists.
b. Good works have a purpose -
so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
We do good works to please Him!
We do good works to bear fruit.
We do good works to increase in the knowledge of God.
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
We do good works to Glorify our Heavenly Father!
c. Faith produces good works. (Founders had faith that became work)
3. The poster child for good works in an evangelical church.
a. Great commission - the ultimate expression of works - Matthew 28:19-20
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Go, Make, Baptize, Disciple, Teach, Obey (They are all verbs - action, work)
b. Faith translated into work grows the church! However, work with no vision has everyone doing their own thing. Without vision things may never work together for the best interest of the church.
Exit: Faith vs. Works (Faith drives works.) But there needs to be some vision to keep the work moving in the right direction.
Our vision now - Read the vision & talk about
We joyfully worship God, intentionally grow followers of Jesus and lovingly serve our families, communities and our world.
Tell the two Critical Gospel Impact ideas for supporting the vision (building and stuff)
Provide a safe gathering space for people from all age groups within the Valley.
Provide spiritual and educational opportunities for people from all age groups within the Valley.
Provide sheet to get ideas for supporting vision.
Remember what the last verse of our passage says. James 2:26
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
This church was once a great witness for Christ Jesus in the Valley and it can be again. I believe it so, I am going to continue working to make it happen. If we all begin to believe it can be a great witness and pick up a shovel it will be once more.
Don’t have dead faith!
