James: A Faith That Works (3)
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
“Find It Pure Joy...”
“Find It Pure Joy...”
James tells us to “find it pure Joy” when we face trials…
BUT… How do we do that?
James says to us:
— “Remember, trials bring spiritual maturity”
— “Perseverance makes our Faith complete”
— “Endurance brings us to a place where we lack nothing”
2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance;
4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.
We talked about this last week…
James tells us that “Trials TEST our Faith,”… and… Faith — held to — produces endurance… endurance produces perseverance… which, in turn, produces a Mature Faith.
What is Faith?
(I’ve said this many times…)
— Faith is NOT as simple as “believing in things unseen”
— It is more…
— Faith pistis - “to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance” (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains)
The Dictionary of Biblical Languages defines faith as: “a state of certainty with regard to belief”
So… If we want a “working” definition of Faith…
Faith is “having certainty in God’s Promises to His children… AND… the FACT that we are His children!” (Pastor Tony)
Everybody say: “I Am A Child Of God.”
Do you believe that?
28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
— We have to “trust” that promise!
How do we do that?!
How do we learn to trust God completely?
How do we stand Faithful in the face of trials?
Where do we turn when doubt and hardship invade our lives?
I’m glad you asked!
5 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.
James says: When you doubt… when you struggle… when you need direction because you do not know where to turn…
Turn to God!
When we don’t know where to turn, we need to turn to the One who loves us more than any other being in this universe…
We need to turn to the One who can — and will — carry us when we cannot walk on our own…
We need to turn to the One who promises to “never leave us or forsake us”… the One who promises to see us through to the very end of the race!
We MUST recognize that we CANNOT do it ourselves…
You do understand that, right?
You cannot do it yourself… You can’t heal your marriage… you can’t love your wife… your kids… your family… your friends… or your neighbor… without God!
You cannot overcome this world… with its trials and tribulations… by yourself!
WE NEED GOD’S HELP!!!!
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
“Triumph in our trials is tied to our ability to see things from God’s perspective.” — Pastor David Owens
We NEED God’s wisdom!
James understood this.
5 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.
James wasn’t/isn’t suggesting that some of us have it figured out… that some people don’t “lack” wisdom…
— To think that is foolishness!
No… He is saying “When you lack wisdom”, or “Since you lack wisdom”…
— A lack of Godly wisdom is a given… it’s a reality!
NONE of us is as smart as we think we are, or as wise as we think we are!
We need God’s wisdom, and…
We don’t just need it SOME of the time… We need God’s wisdom ALL the time!
This is something that John Wesley’s mom, Susannah, understood…
(tell story)
Church… Our Problem is… We don’t always want to admit our need!
— That’s why we make excuses for not spending quality time alone with God!
“I’m too busy… I can’t find the time.”
“I don’t know how to do it”
“I don’t know what to pray”
“...”
We will MAKE time for what we FEEL is important…
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
— Recognizing our NEED is the first step towards the wisdom and help we need.
We NEED to be like Susannah — We need to intentionally get alone with the God who loves us… KNOWING that He is the ONLY One who can give us the wisdom and direction we need.
And James promises… He will give it “ungrudgingly”…
— not making fun of us…
— not degrading us…
— but LOVING us!
BUT… We need to stop for just a minute… we need to back up… and ask:
What is wisdom?
You see… We tend to think of wisdom and knowledge as the same thing…
Wisdom and Knowledge are related… but not synonymous.
Wisdom — “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting”
Knowledge — “information gained through experience, reasoning, or association.”
Knowledge can exist without wisdom…
Knowledge exists in the head… it doesn’t necessarily take root in the heart… a person can be extremely intelligent without being wise.
I’ve known some really nice, smart guys, who I’d describe as: “The stupidest smart guys I know.”
… Because they were “book smart”, but not “street smart”.
There is a difference between knowing things (knowledge) and applying those things to our lives (Wisdom)…
Knowledge is gained over time through study… Wisdom applies the knowledge properly!
— knowledge understands a red light means stop… wisdom applies the brakes.
— knowledge sees quicksand and knows the danger… wisdom walks around it.
— knowledge knows the Ten Commandments, or the Sermon on the Mount… wisdom obeys them.
— knowledge learns “of God”… and memorizes scripture… wisdom LOVES God.
A person — even a Christian — can be an “educated fool!”
We live in the most skilled, knowledgable, and technologically advanced generation ever, BUT… we are also the most profane, violent, and hedonistic generation ever!
We have knowledge at our fingertips, but… we lack wisdom.
1 Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good.
But…
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
The knowledge of God comes through God’s self-revelation… in scripture.
“The wisdom of God is found in the Word of God!”
— The Bible is the “Written” Word of God… in it is found everything we need to live a Holy Life!
— In it we discover Christ! And Christ is the FULLNESS of God’s Word!
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Paul says:
2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
BUT… understand this Church… Wisdom does not come from simply reading this (the Bible)!
— the Wisdom of God is found only in complete submission to Him.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight.
Where do we get wisdom?
From God!
5 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.
If we ASK, God WILL deliver!
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel, can avail against the Lord.
If “worldly” wisdom contradicts, or goes against God, IT IS FALSE “WISDOM”!
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.
Let me ask: “How does God impart wisdom?”
Through His Spirit, His Word, and Prayer.
— God’s wisdom doesn’t come as a “sudden revelation”… that hits out of nowhere…
— You won’t find it in “Dear Abby”, or Reader’s Digest, or in a Facebook meme…
— God’s wisdom comes directly from Him!
— — through His revealed Word.
Colossians 2:3 tells us that God’s word is revealed through Christ…
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
We need to be IMMERSED in God’s Word…
We need to PRAY for wisdom.
5 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.
God is a giving God.
His arms are outstretched… His hands are full, open, ready to give… to us!
God gives generously… He doesn’t discriminate, or play favorites…
He gives “ungrudgingly” without reproach…
Now… here’s the best part!
God invites us to ask for what we need!
18 Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
God delights in our questions!
He delights in giving to us… because (now here this) HE DELIGHTS IN US!
“God delights in me!”
Praise God! Hallelujah!!!
We can ask God for help, and KNOW that He gives generously!
BUT… We must ask in FAITH.
James says: Trials require wisdom — wisdom requires prayer — prayer requires faith.
(its circular)
6 But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind;
Faith is essential!
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Faith is not “believing” in the unseen — Faith is “trusting” in the One unseen.We must believe that:
— God is who He says He is.
— God will do what He says He will do.
— We are who God says we are!
It would be stupid to ask something of someone who doesn’t exist!
BUT… Is it any better when we say we believe God exists, yet doubt that He cares… or worse… that He has the power to take care of our need?
We must believe — know, understand — that He exists!
And… that He cares for us personally…
And… that He WILL give us the wisdom we need to endure the trials that come.
6 But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind;
Can I tell you this?
There is no Peace where there is a lack of Faith!
That is what James is telling us…
He is not saying that there is no room for doubt… for questions… he is saying that we need to be like the man in Mark 9:24, who cried out:
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Authentic Faith — A Faith That Works — is a person’s basic lifestyle and attitude of complete trust in God… contrasted with a lifestyle and attitude of constant doubt.
We have a decision to make: “Are we going to trust God, or are we going to doubt Him?”
21 Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people did not answer him a word.
Joshua said the same thing:
15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
We cannot “sit on the fence”.
We have to make a decision, or we will be like that boat in the ocean, being tossed about by every wave.
“Double-mindedness” cannot receive from God.
— Double-minded people try to play both sides
— they straddle the fence
— they hope for the best, but expect the worst
— Jesus says they are “neither hot nor cold”
— they never commit to anything
— they’re here today and gone tomorrow…
That is NOT how we are supposed to be!
16 This very day the Lord your God is commanding you to observe these statutes and ordinances; so observe them diligently with all your heart and with all your soul.
We are called to a life of Faith!
Living a life of Faith doesn’t mean that we have it all figured out…
It means that our CONFIDENCE… our TRUST… is in the ONE who does!
That is the kind of Faith that brings stability to our lives.
That is the Faith that brings PEACE!
BUT… we need to recognize that…
We are all a little double-minded on some level…
The Hymnist expresses it ell:
“Prone to wander,
Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave
the God I love.”
There is HOPE:
“Here’s my heart, Lord,
Take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.”
Left to ourselves, we are just like sheep… we go astray… we wander…
The Good News is… We don’t have to hide that from God!
— He already knows our hearts…
— He knows our conflicting desires...
— He knows our desire to do right, and our tendency to do wrong.
He knows that we NEED Jesus… more than we know!
30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
Christ is our wisdom… He is the One we need… He is the SOURCE of our life… our PEACE… our JOY!
Let us be a church that is not afraid to say:
“Lord, take the broken pieces of my life and put them back together… I know I keep wandering from you, but I’m back… I need you… I need Your love… I need Your wisdom… I NEED You more than I even know…
Here’s my heart Lord… Take and seal it… Seal it for You… for Your courts… for Your Kingdom… for Your purposes…
Help me to run to You… for the wisdom that only You can give… Help me, Father… to live a life of Faith.”
Amen