Untitled Sermon (3)

Introduction

Imagine this for a moment. Not that I want you to forget you are a Christian, just put your self into the shoes of someone who is not.

You have had experiences with Christians, but nothing so positive that would cause you too look at them any different than you have in the past

It’s late Friday afternoon you are driving home from visiting family and it a long road trip.

Your car is getting low on gas and you have to stop to fill up.

As you pull up to the pump, you spot a car parked at the pump in front of yours and you notice that there is a fish, a cross, and a big WWJD sticker on the back.

You know what all those stickers mean, it means that the person is a Christian, they are supposed to be kind, they are supposed to be good people, but they never act as they say other people should

You get out of the car with your wallet/purse and put in your card and it doesn’t work. The pump says, “transaction denied”.

What? Why? Panic starts to set in.

Have you ever experienced this?

You check your bank balance on your phone, there is $0.00

You have no cash, no credit card, and it’s a long way home.

The account having no money is not the lesson, it is not about you running low on gas. It's about the Christian, the person in the car the has all the stickers, it’s about what are they going to do or not do.

The Christain sees that you are starting to panic. He can tell that you are in trouble, but he has to make a choice, He can turn quietly away, get back into his car drive away, or he can help.

So hold onto that feeling of helplessness.

I feel that we have all been this samaritan at one time or another. We have made conscious choices to help someone or not to help someone. So many thoughts go through our minds

It’s not my problem,

I just don’t want to get involved.

The big question though, Why should I help?

The Gospel is packed with stories of good deeds and why we need to do them. Whole chapters are dedicated to doing good deeds.

But why do we need to?

What does it tell others about me as a Christian?

How does doing good deeds affect your faith?

James 2:14–26 NIV

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Why do you need to do good works?

Transition sentence: Without good works, your faith does not show your righteousness.

Main points

Good deeds are needed because God commands them

God commands you to love your neighbor

Leviticus 19:18 “but love your neighbor as yourself”. This is not just one of the many laws found in the old testament, it is one that Jesus said in Mark 12:31 that it is the second greatest commandment.

The keyword in this verse is “Love”. It is meant to active, dynamic, alive! To actually do something.

1. You deeds reflect a saving faith

Jesus gives the parable of the Sheep and Goats

The Sheep and the Goats

Matthew 25:31–46 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

It is here that Jesus that when we care for others, you did for him.

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

2) Benevolence is needed to complete your faith

How deeds complete your faith

People have needs

1. James 2:15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.”

3) Your deeds make you be righteous in the eyes of God

It’s your faith and deeds that make you righteous

1. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love

You will be a friend of God’s

Heb 11:13 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient