Faith Action

Conflict

Many people turn to this passage for the gotta moment - “see i told you there are conflicts in the Bible!”;

Then they say something like this “Paul and James couldn’t agree on faith works so how can we?”

So let’s look at Romans 3:28 - which is their other go to verse - to see what Paul has to say before we jump into these verses;

So here is the short answer - Paul is telling the Gentiles - the unsaved - that they can not earn their faith, it is a free gift of grace from God;

No amount, pew sitting, verse reading, Sunday school teaching, song leading or song singing can get you into heaven - only Jesus can get you in.

Action

James was making a very clear point to his audience and to us - true faith will bring about faithful actions;

What good does it do the world - the lost - if we hide our faith behind the walls of a church, our home or our heart;

God chose you and me for this season - now we may not like “this season” - but God prepared us and will continue to prepare to handle it, how do I know this let’s look at Ephesians 2:10;

Big Idea of this Message is this: “Christian thought and passion work together to produce action in the world” Ministry Pass.

Compassion

James was also telling his listeners we have to move beyond talk we must show compassion;

Our world needs a lot of compassion right now, but it needs a lot more of Jesus;

James posed the scenario of them telling someone to do something - that they do not have the means to accomplish (v. 15);

But the church is really good at do just that we tell people your need to study your Bible, but the person is to embarrassed to say I can’t read, we tell them you need to grow your faith, as they watch you fall under the pressures of life;

We have to be willing to give what the person needs out of compassion not compulsion.

The New King James Version Chapter 2

15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

Plan

In the movie Evan Almighty, Morgan Freeman plays God and Steve Carrell plays Evan - The main part of the movie revolves around God tasking Even to build an ark - now I am not saying the movie is theologically sound however one line in the movie sums up what our plan of action should be which is “You want to know how to change the world son, one act of random kindness at a time.”

Here is where the rubber meets the road - “We will let our renewed thoughts and passions spill into actions of love in the world.” Ministry Pass

God wants us to worship not just through who we are - His children, but our entire being;

Are you ready to worship Him fully?