Respond

I am going to read a passage before we get into James this morning that may seem to not really fit with what we are talking about, but I want it in your mind as we continue.

John 10:22–39 ESV

22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

There are a couple key verses here that will help us to understand what James is talking about in our verses there.

John 10:27 ESV

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Sheep follow their shepherd. He calls, they come. He stops, they stop. His voice produces a response. My question for us, and James’ questions for us, is this

Do you respond when you hear His voice?

Does your faith in the Good Shepherd produce any action?

John 10:37–38 ESV

37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

This will sound very similar to what Jesus says in

Matthew 5:16 ESV

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Our action proves who our shepherd is.

The voice we follow is the voice of our shepherd.

What do your actions reveal about who your shepherd is?

Now,

Lets read James

James 2:14–26 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

James starts right off with a tremendously important question.

Can that faith save him?

Some people have said that James is contradicting Paul when Paul says

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Paul was working from a pre-salvation perspective while James is working from a post-salvation perspective.

Their point is the same though.

True Salvation reveals itself

Do you listen to the voice of your Shepherd?

Opening Up James (A Hypothetical Situation (vv. 15–16))

Mere words are worthless if they do not lead to action, and, therefore, faith is useless if it is nothing more than a matter of words!

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Abraham believed God enough to sacrifice his own son if God said so.

Rahab believed enough to risk her life.

1 John 3:18 ESV

18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

John 15:1–5 ESV

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Our Faith is meant to produce something.

Make sure the faith your confess is strong enough to compel you to action.

When you read the Word, when you hear it preached, what does it produce in you?

Does His Voice Produce Action In Your Life?

If not, you need to surrender your life to Christ today.

For those who know they really are saved,

What command of the shepherd do you resist following?

If you believed you were about to be harmed you would move. you would react. If someone were about to hit you, you would flinch.

Does your faith produce a reaction?

James 2:26 ESV

26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Live what we believe

Respond to His voice, Respond to His salvation.