Come Near to God for a Complete Faith

Thank you Jo. Let's pray.

A father God. We just pray that as we come to your way this morning that you would speak to us by the we pray that each and every one of us would encounter you a fresh this morning Lord. Give me courage is I'll bring your word and your message in Jesus name. I'm in.

So this morning we going to continue on 7 Series in the Book of James and as a refresher and a reminder at about the author of the book James was the half brother of Jesus. And so we should take his insights into Jesus with seriousness because James had an insight into Jesus that no other biblical James with Jesus and James was likely with the rest of the family when they tried to confront Jesus and tell him he'd gone too far in the claims that he was making and we read about that in mach3 after all James. His brother was making some pretty big claims. James would have known the pain of realizing that his brother had been tried beaten. I'm crucified your hair is not saying James who introduces himself as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't know about you, but for me, that's pretty authentic evidence about the authority and authenticity of Jesus. I mean, what would it take for one of your siblings for you to believe that they were the Son of God? What was it that convinced James that his brother wasn't deluded the wasn't fight who he claimed to be all along what we find the answer in 1 Corinthians 15:7, which has the Jesus's resurrection. He appeared to James been to all the apostles James witnessed the resurrected Glory of Jesus, and he finally realized to his half-brother was so James placed his face and Jesus and became a leader of the church in Jerusalem a practical guide on how we can live out on faith. This morning we read from chapter 2 in the sun watching this chapter. I'm sure as we were reading that you know is so much in this chat said that I could speak on it for hours. If you got plans this afternoon fan. I'm not going to lie. Don't plan on at least I'm going to split into two this morning. We're going to stop by the relationship between faith and wax this morning red. My brother is showing a partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The lord of Glory is translated as a sin of favoritism. So what does James mean by favoritism or partiality uses a story an illustration maybe a true story or at least based on a true story may be exaggerated perfect for this was probably an issue within the church to James wants to address. The story says that two people answer a Christian Gathering. What is Rich looking? The other is poor looking the one who is rich in appearance is a folded lots of attention and he's shown to the finest see the one who is poor in appearance is taken to the back and tell Treva sit at the back or stand at the back. So basement sealer stration a working definition of favoritism for James Matthews something like making judgments and distinctions based on external consideration such as race gender social status on James makes it clear invest for that. When we do this, we become judges with evil thought so judge is motivated by our sin. Best five to seven says that listen my beloved brothers and as the kingdom which is promised to those who love him, but you have Dishonored the poor man. I'm not the rich the ones who oppress you and the ones who dragged you into quarts. Are they not the ones who blaspheme The Honorable Name by which you were cool. James makes 2.5 see how ironic is the church withholding Heights in a steam and honor those who are most likely to be the ones persecuting me read last week was written to the church in the dispersion. The church has scattered after facing severe persecution particular after the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7 and yet he was in church honoring and holding in esteem. The very people on Purely the basis of them being rich when it was the rich that were so heavily persecuting them. 2nd and James makes it very clear that to get preferential treatment to the rich times in contrast to the attitude of God knows Christians who are pulled by economic standards are rich in the Kingdom of Heaven avert treasure in heaven Beyond volume. And we should see God's people as he sees and we should see old people true gospel lenses. I'm not through worldly lenses. James chose the contrast between status and the world and status in the Kingdom of Heaven is the old poor people go to heaven based on the fact that they are economically poor. That's not what James is saying like Jesus James uses the pool almost as an image for the spiritually oppressed as well as the economically persecuted. And I said at the beginning. James writes very practically about how to live out one's Faith here. He makes it clear that favoritism or partiality based on external considerations is incompatible with faith in God because he breaks down barriers of race gender religion class social status. He doesn't build them up Jesus in his ministry with so often criticized for the company in which he kept think the woman at the well think it's a kiss. It's also important to remember that the example of the rich is just that an example first 8 to 13 to be right this morning talks about the Royal law and shows of favoritism of any kind is is Tucson in contrast to the law of God's command to love your neighbor. First 12 to 13 says search speak and so act as those who want to be judged on the law of living thing, but judgment is without Mercy to the one who has shown No, Mercy, Mercy triumphs over judgement when we are judged says James I'm we will be judged James says that we will be afforded the same must see that we have in our Earthly relationships. I think at this point it's also important to remember what favoritism is not it still okay to give up her seat to an older person in favor of a younger person. It's okay to ensure that pregnant lady have somewhere to sit on the bus likewise if the queen went to walking in now. No happens. I did right shows didn't get the memo. I'm basically stand up as a sign of respect. That's not what James is talking about it but when it comes to favoritism brothers and sisters, we need to be careful. We need to be aware and we need to watch what's going on in our hearts because we are cooled to see people as God sees them. We are cool to welcome everyone and anyone into a building somewhere code to treat everyone as if they were Jesus himself. We are cooled to love our neighbors even those know, especially those who are hard to love. But to live this way of showing no partiality such a countercultural concept. It's easy to get sucked into gravitate to the people and standing and to try and have conversations with them at the expense of a people less than cops. I went to Tesco to buy a few bits used to self scan because I think it's an opportunity to interact with another human being but on this occasion, I was in a little bit of a rush. They weren't many tools open on the ones that were open had quite long do so. I decided I would use the irritating impossible and frustrating machines that make shopping easier. So I I scan my few items and I went to pee and I pulled out my wallet at five pound note and it was crinkled increased in Toyland. I'm one down. You see I have a 1 year old who likes to find 8 play with and hide the contents of my wallet.

Lucky, I'm students. There's never much in that but the point is the more I tried to put this five-pound out into the machine the more expected life out of me. I tried to straighten it out. I tried to flatten it. I tried it the other way up. It just wouldn't accept my 5 lb life eventually a friendly cassia came over and she replaced my wound down increased 5 lb and then I shiny when I put it in and it was accepted easy for us to accept the uncrease on damaged and not want down people buy a cool by Jesus is to love everyone to love the damage the broken and the one down just as much. And this leads nicely into the second half of James because as I said, it was thought a lot of the chapter to James. Hello the book as a whole is a guide in how to practically live out your face the outworking a face the Practical result an effect on our lives. I thought our actions on having a faith in God. First 14 rates what good is it my brother's if someone says yes, but does not have Works cannot Faith save him. I was a provocative question James is that it was perhaps in response to some opposition to his theology on faith and works and even as Christians today this tension between FaceTime work Santa Ana or understanding of the relationship between them the Apostle pull up his ministry insisted on being saved through faith alone through Grace that works could not save us that we couldn't earn good standing with God, but to be reconciled to God we must do is put our faith in Jesus and what he achieved for us on the cross him, right mystery 28 pulp. Is it this way? For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. So when we read James righton verse 17 Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is Dead. Create some tension within us is James disagreeing with who is he suggesting that we aren't Fox Say by the things we do I not file face and got and this is being debated with arm wrestle with throughout church history, but the answer is that James on pool are in complete agreement. James does not dispute the power of Faith to save what he is concerned about for his church is the nature of by faith and defining the true nature of what saving faith is. Jane says yes, we are saved by faith. But what is Faith and what isn't safe ice what James wants to tackle James isn't focused on the contrast between faith and what about his interest in the contrast between faith that has wax on faith that doesn't and James is convinced that the presence of works is an outward sign of genuine Saving Face a sign of genuine transformation a sign of being born again using illustrations again this time for illustrations to black sand to good fastly rereading buses 15 to 16 suppose a brother or a sister is without cloves and daily food. If one of you says to go in peace keep warm and well-fed but does nothing about the physical needs. What good is it? What good are your words ask James when your brother or sister in Christ needs action words are important sermons are important confessions of Faith pres advice and courage how old is important but James says the words I shouldn't have true. Meaning only when people say the actions that correspond to those words as Christians we can be content to off of just words when sometimes God might be calling us to action. When you balance this story of a brother or sister in need with the words of Jesus in Matthew 25, when Jesus says truly I tell you one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for me to the point that we are cool to love and serve people on each other as if that person with Jesus himself. Sometimes in words, yes, but sometimes we are cool to action. Whatever that might look like. If it was humbling will the next one is even more. So first 19 you believe that there is one God good even the demons believe that and shudder. Faith is not merely about knowledge is not just a thing that happens in your head. James says they even the demons who are condemned know that there is one God is not enough to save them and is not enough to save us as important as correct Doctrine and good theology is is not sufficient for salvation genuine Faith goes beyond science like to a heart are Wills a sauce. It takes over all of us Charles Manson wrote a quote which I love which has it is a good thing to possess an accurate. Theology is unsatisfactory. Unless. Good theology also possesses us. So we move on. Two good illustrations of faith on wax that James uses firstly we read about Abraham the father of the faith. I just said investor 22, you see the face by his face was active along with his wax and Faith was completed by his Works Abraham's faith and what we're working together his faith Bus full into wax. It couldn't be restricted to something just of the mind it affected his attitude his life everything it affected his very well. Anna versus the in space was completed on hot translate to we might say affected or brought to maturity. I need nachos or come near to God series the types of this sermon is coming there to God for a complete faith in James suggestion is that our faith is completed when we intertwine our faith and works when we put our faith into practice and live out what we believe as we realize that we are saved to do good works that when we truly experienced God's grace to be kind of help, but do good works. I love the James highlights Abraham's obedience amazing obedient even to the point of being willing to offer his own son think it's amazing that even two thousand years ago the church found that story so fascinating. Yes, Abraham was saved by faith without face men transformation not face men obedient by faith changed everything the connection of faith on what James tells us made Abraham God's friend.

But you may say like I'm sure a lot of the early church said but of course Abraham did these amazing things. He wasn't mind you would so richly experience God's blessing had so often witness go to Power. I'm hot. That's why James uses Rahab as the next time final illustration of genuine faith. Rahab the Gentile Rahab The Prostitute Rahab the woman who hid the Israelite spies before the Battle of Jericho risking her own life and doing so only read about that in the Book of Joshua. because right have it somehow been convinced of the power of God of who he is at was and is Ray Hubbard experience God transformation let Rahab to action let Ray have to be safe LED Rahab from being a prostitute to being listed alongside Abraham, Isaac, Jacob David and Hebrews 11 alongside the heroes of the faith. So I hope you agree with me now the chains and pulling up two sides of an argument then not competing ideas. They again nights it in the understanding of faith. I'm wax and their relationship to justification. James is argument. Is that genuine Faith produces Works Faith saves, but the reaction to receiving God's grace love and forgiveness is transformation left out practically and what's an action And James finishes chapter 3 with these words for as the body apart from the spirit is dead. So also Faith apart from works is dead. Frozen sisters we live in a world that likes to compartmentalize we have phones that separate tightly all the functions of our lives, but that's not be like that that's not live like that because James says the genuine face cannot live like that. You can't restrict God to a couple of hours on a Sunday morning, and then leave the rest of your week the rest of your life as if it never happened. You can't restrict Cristiana to do a building and you can't restrict Jesus's death and Resurrection purely to the Realms of knowledge. Jesus died on a cross for us. He suffered in our place that we may be forgiven. He rose again on the third day that we may have a hope. I hope that after this life we will be reunited with that same Jesus face-to-face standing before his glory when I face will truly be completed to given a reconciled to God by what Jesus has done for us. Hyper sold it to you that we can earn salvation. It is a free gift of Grace by faith in that God faith in that. Jesus cannot be held in cannot be restricted cannot be confined to such a hassle sometimes infect every area of Our Lives. You should change the way we think change the way we feel change the things we do. I'm not living out by faith. Each of us. Looks like we'll be right actually different. But God has a message to his chosen you to be the deliverer off delivery of fast and your circumstances in your family and your friendship and your place of what school town community wherever God leads you this week. He has a message he hasn't asked you to do. . Cruises to action on and it's our job as Christians to Kathleen discern when God is calling us to speak and when God is calling us to act sharing the gospel by what we say by what we do sharing the gospel by Who We Are Our town our community are what places should be different because we are then we are cool to be Salt and Light we are cooled to witness. We should sign. We should reflect those magnetic. Love at first people on Earth today. And this is not a guilt thing. I don't want anyone to go away today feeling guilty. And God doesn't want your guilt is not about feeling guilty that you're not doing enough. We don't and we can learn. Love. I can't say it enough. But when we experience the cross when we experience Jesus, he calls us into a relationship and then the Venture like no other and faith that changes us like nothing else can

It's not what God needs from you is what God wants for you. He wants that deep and meaningful 7 days a week 24 hours a day relationship with you. He wants you to experience adventure of faith and not just have some style faith that has lost its meaning so we're going to pray now and I'm going to leave a brief time of silence for us to reflect and responds what God might be saying to us this morning. Maybe he is calling you into a new area of action in your life or perhaps a completely new area. Maybe you strayed from your face somewhat recently. Maybe you realize you become distracted. Maybe you'll be coming tempted to compartmentalize your life for your face. Maybe Azaria to get life that you're holding back from God areas of your life where Jesus is not yet Lord. I maybe want to open up those areas to him this morning. Or maybe just got here this morning and you know that you do not have that relationship with God yet, but maybe wants him and if that's you I just pray that you offer up your life to God In Prayer that you give your life to Jesus as your lord and savior and if I issue then I'd love to chat, but I would love to try and pray with you after the service. But after a brief time of silence and reflection I will close in prayer.

Father God we just thank you for all that you have done for us.

We thank you that when we deserved nothing you gave us everything that when we lost you step down off your throne and turn into poverty lived Among Us and died for us. That you Rose again that we might have a hope. And Jesus, we await the day that you come back to complete your work of reconciliation.

Father we pray that that face that is within us will create a fire in a hot View. I'm father as you send this out this week into our weeks, whatever that might look like for us. Lord help us to remember that you know that week before we've even begun it. Lord help us to realize that we do not go out and are in strength, but we go out with you. That you drive with us and among us to your Holy Spirit.

I'm not with you. We can do immeasurably more than we could ever think or ask.

Father we lift this all about you in the Glorious and powerful and mighty and beautiful name of Jesus. I'm in.