1. The Best Way to Live Life Well
Notes
Transcript
Welcome to the launch of our brand new sermon series, All Day, Every Day…an in depth study of the New Testament book of James.
Question. How do you get from point A to point B? Well, it depends. If point A is this music stand and point B is this microphone stand, it’s easy. Just take a few steps. If point A is Iowa City and point B is Fairbanks, Alaska…you will need a map or GPS…and some type of vehicle. Okay, let’s say that point A was on the banks of a raging white water river and point B was on the other side of the river…10 miles downstream? You could just throw yourself in the water and let the current take you. However, in that case, hope isn’t a plan. You would be dashed against the rocks, sucked under, spun around and potentially drowning. You might make it, but you wouldn’t do it well, if at all. Or you could acquire a rubber raft and a guide. When we travel to Colorado with the youth group and we make sure and go white water rafting. It’s an exhilarating experience, especially if you never done anything like it. What makes it such an amazing experience are the rafting guides. There are usually five or six people in a raft, and at the back is a guide.
These white water raft guides are amazing! They have rafted the river numerous times. In fact, part of their training is to navigate the river with only a life jacket on. They know all the ins and outs of the river. They even have names for various sections. Not only do they know the river, they command their raft with precision. They tell the rafters how many times to paddle. When to paddle forward or in reverse. If you don’t do your job, they will let you know. When you are on point, they will encourage. They are also amazing lifeguards. I remember one time when a young lady in our raft when overboard in a particularly difficult and dangerous part of the river. In the blink of an eye, the guide and moved from her position and was pulling the young lady out of the water. When it comes to getting from point A to point B on a raging white water river, give me a raft and a guide and I’m confident I will make it safely!
One more. If point A is right here, right now. Point B is the end of your life. How are you going to get there? Well, you could just throw yourself in, and get there…I guess. You will be tossed around, pulled by the current, sucked under with some under tows. So it’s possible. But maybe here’s the better question: How can I live life well? There are a lot of options out there. There are you parents or family. There are your peers. There are thousands of books and articles on self help. There are social media influencers, podcasters, TickTock videos and YouTube. Seriously, if you have a problem, there’s probably someone on YouTube with a video. There are government officials, scientists, celebrities, philosophies, and religions, an preachers, imams, rabbis and sages all trying to throw out different ways to get from point A to point B. Who is right? Who knows the best way?
Our saying around here is this: We know that life can be confusing, and sometimes just plain hard (like a raging white water river), but we believe that the best way to live life comes through following Jesus.
Our answer to the question for getting from point A to point B is following Jesus. So the question you need to answer is this: Who is Jesus?
If you are going to navigate the crazy white water river of life, you need a guide. Is Jesus that guide? Who is Jesus to you? Is he the savior who bails you out when you get in trouble? If Jesus your friend or buddy? Is he your co-pilot? Good luck charm? Is he a great and wise philosopher who has some helpful truths to live by? Is Jesus a lunatic and not worth following?
Let me introduce you to someone else who had to answer the same exact question. His name is James, and he was Jesus’ half brother because, well…Joseph was James’s biological dad and not Jesus’ bio dad. James had to grow up as one of Jesus’ younger brothers. As Jesus begins his public ministry there are lot of people trying to answer this question about who Jesus was…especially his family. They knew him. His siblings grew up with him.
One day, early in Jesus’ ministry, the crowds have become overwhelming. The scrutiny from the religious leaders has become intimidating for Jesus’ family so they go to get him and bring him home. However, with such a massive crowd of people surrounding the house, Jesus’ family can’t get to him. Here is what happens.
31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
Luke describes it this way.
21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
You may at first feel like Jesus is disregarding his own family. He is not. Jews had deep respect for their parents. Rather, Jesus is exalting those who hear and obey the word of God. Jesus says that his family are those who do God’s will; or in other words, hear God’s word and put it into practice.
Put yourself in James’ sandals for just a moment. He has to be so over Jesus. What gives Jesus the right to say what he is saying. Who is Jesus to James right now? That annoying older brother! But it gets worse. Jesus is calling out James’ faith. Now, I don’t think Jesus is specifically referencing his family here. However, they hear his words and they are wondering, “Are we carrying out God’s will?”
As we wrestle with how to live well and the option that Jesus is the best guide for living life well, we need to acknowledge that Jesus’ teachings on how live life are a bit, how shall I say it: controversial…maybe even offensive! In many ways, Jesus is teaching people how to practically carry out God’s will in every day life. Consider some of the offensive things Jesus said:
Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.
Don’t judge others. In fact, take the log out of your own eye.
If someone slaps your right cheek, turn your other cheek to them.
If someone wants your jacket, give them your coat as well.
Sell everything you have and give to the poor.
If you look at someone in lust you are committing adultery in you heart.
Love God by doing what he says.
Love people.
As you forgive, so will God forgive you.
I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. Jesus is offensive in what he asks. Doing God’s will in this world is counter intuitive. Backward culturally. So we join James in asking this question: Who is Jesus? Who gives Jesus the authority to say these things? Is life best lived by doing God’s will?
James wrestles with this question all throughout Jesus’ ministry. He never believes in the authority of Jesus until he watches Jesus die on the cross…and then meet the resurrected Jesus face to face. We touched on this verse last Sunday for Easter.
1 Corinthians 15:7–8 (NIV)
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
This is a pivotal moment for James. From this moment forward he becomes a devoted follower of Jesus the Christ. Or simply put, King Jesus. Which is hard for a younger brother to say! But Jesus had demonstrated that he wasn’t an ordinary brother. James becomes a key leader in the church in Jerusalem. It’s James and the apostles who in Acts 15 have a conference in Jerusalem to deal with massive racial issue facing the growing church as Gentiles start becoming disciples of Jesus. It could have gone very badly, but through their leadership, this conference turns into a launching pad for a rapidly growing Kingdom movement of God!
Why? Because James figured out who Jesus was. After the Jerusalem conference James writes a letter to the many Jewish Christians who are beginning to spread out throughout the Roman Empire. In the opening of the letter we discover what changed for James. Why Jesus was the best guide for living life well.
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
The word “servant” is the word doulas. It’s primarily translated “slave” or “bond-servant”…kind of like an indentured servant. James has determined that he is going to give himself over to being a slave of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is the word “slave” offensive to you? It shouldn’t be. We are all slaves to something. Do you have a monthly credit card bill you pay? Well, you’re a slave to the credit card company. Do you pay monthly payments on a loan to your bank? You’re a slave to your bank. Don’t think so? Try not making a payment! So, to be a good slave to the bank you need to work, you need a job to make the payments…even if it’s a job you don’t like. You feel trapped right? But it’s more then just working a job to payoff debt. You’re a slave to your habits. You’re a slave to social media, YouTube, Tik Tok. You’re a slave to your addictions, your binging. You’re a slave to your anger, your brokenness, your fears, your anxiety. Let’s just say it this way. We are slaves to a lot of horrible masters!
This is where James has flipped a switch. For James, Jesus is no longer an annoying older brother. He’s no longer a crazed lunatic. James calls Jesus his Lord, referencing his belief that Jesus was God. James is believing in the deity of Jesus. So, to do what Jesus commands is literally carrying out God’s will. But then he adds in the title of Christ or Messiah, which recognizes that Jesus is God in flesh, come into the world to be King.
Here is what James determined: Jesus is King, so doing what he says is the best way to live life and finish well.
What James is going to do throughout this entire letter that he is writing, is give practical, every day examples of how we can follow King Jesus well. Living life well happens when we follow King Jesus as our guide.
Life can be confusing, and sometimes, just plain hard. The best way to live life comes through devoting your life to King Jesus. Do you believe this?
Here are some next steps I want you to consider:
Read through the book of James this week. There’s five chapters, so one chapter a day.
Who is Jesus to you? He really lived. He made some crazy claims. Is he a liar? Is he a lunatic? Or is he really Lord?
Who is your guide through life? Whether you realize it or not, you are following a guide. Do you trust them?
What does it look like to live life well?
King Jesus is the perfect guide to help us live life well.
I remember day when Suzi and I took our son Alex home from the hospital. We had to have help getting the car seat in. You try and be so very careful. I remember driving home really slow, taking the corners very carefully…hazard lights going the whole time. It’s kind of a scary experience because they are so fragile and you don’t want to make a mistake. You want to be in control and make everything just right.
I also remember the first time I had both of my kids drive on their own. That is equally as scary…as you reluctantly hand over the car keys. Now they're moving from the passenger seat, from the ride-along seat, into the driver's seat. That's a scary moment. It is a big moment in your life when you hand someone else the keys. Up until now, I've been driving. I choose the destination. I choose the route. I choose the speed. You're in the drive-along seat. But if we are to change seats, if you're going to drive, I have to trust you. It's all about control. Whoever is in this seat is the person in control.
A lot of people find Jesus handy to have in the car as long as he's in the passenger seat, because something may come up where they require his services. Jesus, I have a health problem, and I need some help…. I want you in the car, but I'm not so sure I want you driving. If Jesus is driving, I'm not in charge of my life anymore. If he's driving, I'm not in charge of my wallet anymore. If I put him in control then it's no longer a matter of giving some money now and then when I'm feeling generous or when more of it is coming into my life. Now, it's his wallet. It's scary. If Jesus is driving, I'm not in charge of my ego anymore. I no longer have the right to satisfy every self-centered ambition. No, it's his agenda. It's his life. Now, I'm not in charge of my mouth anymore. I don't get to gossip, flatter, cajole, deceive, rage, intimidate, manipulate, exaggerate. I get out of the driver's seat and hand the keys over to him. I'm fully engaged. In fact, I'm more alive than I've ever been before, but it's not my life anymore. It's his life.
So, do you want Jesus driving the car or just in the passenger seat? Life can be confusing, and sometimes, just plain hard. The best way to live life comes through devoting your life to King Jesus. Do you believe this?