James 5 - God’s Kingdom People

Small Groups

Groups are launching the week of February 15th. If you need a group or are not in a group or want a new group now is the time. Small groups are vitally important to not just the health of the church but to your spiritual health as well. There is only so much connection that can happen in an hour on a Sunday morning. Connecting with and doing life with other believers happens in small groups.

Have leaders stand up

These are our small group leaders. They will probably be going around asking you to join their group. If you don’t want to then you do not have to but I think you should. You will only ever be connected as much as you connect. If you only wait for someone to seek you out there is a good chance you will miss it.

So please join a group today.

Allegiance - Two Kingdoms

James is summing a lot up and he is going to throw out some simple statements at times that have big implications. There are two opposing kingdoms. There is this earthly kingdom which has a set of rules and priorities. Then there is God’s Kingdom that has a set of rules and priorities. These two kingdoms are opposed to each other because the rules and priorities are different. Their goal is different. What James is doing in the first part of this section is laying out the contrasts between these two kingdoms. If we want to have a true and active faith then we have to understand the differences in the two kingdoms and settle our allegiance.

Priorities of the Earthly Kingdom

The present moment is ultimate (now is all that matters)

Self-interest is central

Building my own “little kingdom” matters most

Rules are negotiable when they get inconvenient

Priorities of God’s Kingdom

The future God promises shapes the present

Seeking the good of others alongside yourself matters

Participating in the expansion of God’s Kingdom matters most

God’s rules are fixed, good, and trustworthy

James is pointing this out and telling us we are called to live as God’s Kingdom minded people. Here are some short breakdowns of the contrasts.

#1 Time Now Is Most Important vs. The Future Is More Important

Earthly Kingdom (Now):

James 5:5 CSB

You have lived luxuriously on the earth and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

The focus is immediate comfort, pleasure, and payoff.

God’s Kingdom (Future):

James 5:8 CSB

You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.

James pulls our eyes forward—to the coming of the Lord. What’s coming matters more than what’s comfortable now.

#2 Interest Self-Interest Is Central vs. Seeking the Welfare of Others Matters

Earthly Kingdom (Self): James 5:4

James 5:4 CSB

Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Armies.

The rich protected their profit at the expense of others. God hears the cries of those unjustly suffering.

God’s Kingdom (Others): James 5:9

James 5:9 CSB

Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!

God’s kingdom calls for restraint, care, and responsibility toward others—even when you’re under pressure.

#3 Kingdoms Creating Mini-Kingdoms Is Important vs. Expanding God’s Kingdom Is Important

Earthly Kingdom (My Kingdom):

James 5:3 CSB

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days.

Hoarding is kingdom-building—walls, silos, and security centered on me.

God’s Kingdom (His Kingdom):

James 5:4 CSB

Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Armies.

God’s concern isn’t accumulation but righteousness, justice, and faithfulness within His reign.

#4 Rules The Rules Are Flexible vs. God’s Rules Are Solid

Earthly Kingdom (Flexible Rules):

James 5:6 CSB

You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous, who does not resist you.

Power bends the rules. If it benefits me, I can justify it.

God’s Kingdom (Fixed Rules):

James 5:12 CSB

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.

Truthfulness isn’t situational. Integrity isn’t optional.

Priorities - Contrasts

When we think “this” is it we focus on the things of “this” place, we lose sight of God’s truth.

When we understand that. When we grasp that we can start to loosen our grip on the things of this world, the frustrations of today, the fear that wants us to hold it, and start to reprioritize our lives around something solid and unshakable.

And why would we settle for a temporary earthly kingdom when there is so much more in store for us?

1 Corinthians 6:3 CSB

Don’t you know that we will judge angels—how much more matters of this life?

2 Timothy 2:12 CSB

if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us;

We are meant for so much more, to settle for temporary things is honestly beneath us. We were made for more.

This would be like trading in Porsche for a Pinto. Choosing chicken nuggets over Filet Mignon. Literally death over life. It makes no sense.

Joshua in the Old Testament addresses this.

Joshua 24:15 CSB

But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”

There is a choice before us so why would we chose lesser? Do you know you are worth it? I mean that can honestly be the struggle. Maybe you have bought the lie that you are not worth it. That somehow the truth of God does not apply to you. But that is a lie. You are worthy and not because of anything you do. Not what some future version of you might or might not accomplish. Not because of some past or future performance. You are worth it because you are created in the image of God. You have inartistic value. Your view of your own self-worth might be so messed up that you think you deserve less than but I am here today to tell you that is not true.

You are worth it. I don’t care if what background is, you are worth it. So chose the better because God has it for you.

If not you will keep choosing less than and you will keep getting the same results. The option is before us, I know what I will do. I know what I will chose, I will chose to serve the Lord because in the midst of my pain, anger, and anguish He said I have called you my son.

Deuteronomy 30:19 CSB

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,

Chose life.

You have value so why not come to the one who gave you your worth and find more than you ever knew possible?

Once we settle that, once we put that to bed that there are two kingdoms and we see that we are fully, completely, and totally welcome at the table of the Lord we can start to walk, talk, and act like God’s Kingdom People.

Character - Words & Integrity

James is going to throw out this idea that our words matter and while it is a simple statement the implications are huge.

James 5:12 CSB

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.

This verse is telling us that we become people of our word. That means our speech and our character changes. What this means is when you say something people know your word is true. You don’t have to appeal to something else, if Jim says yes then he means yes. Our character has changed because our priorities changed. Why does this happen, why does our character change when we submit ourselves to Christ and start walking in His ways?

For one and the biggest part is because we don’t just have a change in priorities like we changed a job.

STORY ABOUT WHEN WE WENT TO BUY A CAR AND THE SALESMAN WAS AT BOTH DEALERSHIPS.

We are born again and become new people with the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Ephesians talks about it like this,

Ephesians 4:20–24 CSB

But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

The old you is literally removed and you now put on Christ. He is in you and on you. So you know have a character or identity change. The old you is gone.

Those closest to you are going to have the hardest time seeing this, they will be the hardest to win over but you are different now. Once you submit to God’s Kingdom everything changes so yes, your word starts to mean something.

This simple idea of letting your yes be yes and your no be no has huge implications because your word is tied to your character. They are linked in an inseparable way. Our words tell people what our character is. How we follow through on those words tells people what our character is.

So to have a character change is to have our words change. That is why this simple idea of letting our yes be yes and our no be no is so important.

God’s Kingdom people are different, they don’t just act different, it is not an attempt to be different. They are different because they have Jesus, because they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit they are different.

Practice - Prayer & Community

Because our allegiance changes, and because our character changes our interaction with the world and our emotions and God changes as well.

James 5:13–18 CSB

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.

When we are suffering we pray and when we are cheerful we sing. We now have a proper understanding of our situation and emotions. When we are suffering we pray. We start with God, we take it to Him first and foremost. We find that we are suffering in some way and we come to God. We pray for healing, strength, wisdom, whatever it might be.

This is different than a worldly way of interacting. In the world when we are sick, suffering, or lack wisdom it almost only feels overwhelming. It can be too much and we can scratch and claw desperately trying to find hope or comfort.

As God’s kingdom people we do not have to search for hope or comfort. That is what is implied by James’ statement

James 5:13 CSB

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.

We operate this way because we have hope. We have comfort in the name of Jesus.

Sometimes we need others to intercede for us. There is nothing wrong with that, that is biblical. We need to be humble enough to ask for prayer from others. We need to be able to acknowledge that we need others. We may need to confess our sins. Sometimes we do something and suffering is the result. We have hope even when this occurs.

It is all connected.

It is also not that one person is better than another. James uses Elijah as an example.

James 5:17 CSB

Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.

Elijah was a human being and God heard Him that means He can hear you too. Again, there is something about self worth there. God hears you when you pray.

It is about picking God’s kingdom and then walking in the rules and priorities of His kingdom.

Faith in Action: Allegiance reshapes our priorities, our character, and how we respond to life.

The question before us today is this, where is your allegiance? is it to the earthly kingdom and its rules, priorities, goals, or is it to God’s kingdom with its rules, priorities, and goals?