Works
Notes
Transcript
You have probably heard the phrase before Actions speak louder than what?
Actions speak louder than words
And there is really something true about this statement isn’t there?
I mean if I told everyone here I am going to run a Marathon again
I am going to start training and getting back in to shape
And so I tell you every week how I am going to start doing this
The first year you might believe me
But then the second year you start to doubt it a little more and it would start to become a little annoying
Then the third year you you would probably go Brendan- you are more out of shape, you have not started training at all and not only that but its been three years.
You are not running this Marathon, so stop talking about it.
But its because actions speak louder than words right?
And if you have been with us the past couple weeks we have been in this series called “Overflow” and really throughout the series we have been talking about how our faith should spill out into every area of our life.
And really where we are today is actually the heart of James letter, because so far James has said your faith should spill out into the trials, it should spill-out into your anger, but today he tells us it really should spill-out into every single area of your life.
And so today we are in James 2:14-20 and its a little bit of a different passage because really every other part of this sermon series is focused on specific areas but today we are looking at our lives as a whole.
So we are just going to be starting with James 2:14 and look how James starts this passage. He says:
James 2:14 (NIV)
Faith and Deeds
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
You know this is kind of an interesting first verse isn’t it because everywhere else in the Bible we always see faith and faith alone is what saves us.
Now works, but faith.
And its easy to look at this and go wait a minute James seems like he is a little off here.
But here is the thing because James is not saying Faith is not important, intact he would say its the building block, but he believes faith should be more than just something that saves us
But here is the issue because people in this church at this time and really even church had a bad understanding of how faith and deeds worked.
There were people who thought works was all that mattered and there were people who thought Faith was all the end all be all
Its almost like this lets say this cup represents our walk walk with God
And you have accepted Christ, but you mess up and some of the water spills out.
And so you do everything you can to fill it back up but the issue is you cannot fill it on your own can you?
And so you have some people who think the works are the thing that can fill them, but you need a source outside of yourself.
And really you need God.
And so picture represents God’s grace
And here is the second group of people because they believe yes we have messed up and I cannot fill myself, and so they turn to God, (which is great)
But there idea of God is that he is a God who fills them and saves them,
But it stops there.
And really James is saying yes the cup is filled, but God’s grace does not just fill us but it changes us and overflows into every area of our life.
And look at the next few verses (verses 15-17) because right before this James was acknowledging a problem of how the poor were treated worse than the rich (even within the church)
And so look what James says here (verses 15-17) He says:
15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 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? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
You know James points out this issue of people would see people in need and they would kind of just say the Christian thing, but then doing nothing about it.
It would be like if I was at Chipotle and I get my burrito with double everything and I am sitting down and I look outside and I see one of you sitting outside,
Your clothes are torn, it looks like its been a few days since you ate.
And we see each other so I come out I am eating my burrito talking with you,
And I get ready to go back inside and I go:
“Wow it was so good seeing you! Make sure to stay warm and get some food in you okay! Blessings.”
That seems a little wrong doesn’t it? And it should because if we have a faith that overflows it should really spill out for the people who God heart breaks for shouldn’t it?
I mean we should be a people who are being Christ hands and feet to the people that are going through a tough time time
And this means there are times (probably more than we know) where we can say I am praying for you (and this is great, prayer is great), but so often I think God wants the awnser of the prayer to be us.
in-fact look at verse 18 because it says this:
James 2:18 (NIV)
18 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 know James is saying there are some people viewing there faith as well that person does stuff!
Me I am a faith person
I mean there are people who are already helping people we have organizations set up to help people, why should we help them?
Its because your faith should spill out.
And we support different organizations as a church like RAM, LifePlan and the Salvation Army,
but there is an aspect where sometimes God wants us to get involved.
And thats why Paul says I will show you my faith by my deeds!
Because when we have a strong Faith you will start to notice things in our life changing.
I mean if I went on a gameshow and won a million dollars
You would start to notice subtle and not so subtl changes in my life.
You would go wow Pastor traded in his Kia Sorento for a Laborgini
Wow Pastor is going on a lot of vacations recently
But you know if money can change the way we live, dont you think that our Faith should really change it.
Because we did not get a million dollars, but we have been given the Grace of God and not just that, but God is letting us be a part of what He is doing!
Thats exciting,
And lets look at these next couple verses because like I said in this passage Paul is really hammering home this idea of our Faith Overflowing. Look at verse 19-20. It says:
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
You know James points out that it is great that you believe in God.
And he says that is good! But he says something that is really convicting doesn’t he?
Because he says even the demons believe that.
The demons believe in God,
But there is a difference between believing and following.
Its almost like if we did a church trip to Chicago
And so we rented a bus and we go everyone shirts that said windy city
We tickets to see the Bears
And you can go wow I am so excited for this trip!
You can have your shirt on, you can have the bear tickets in your hand
And you can say you know I belive this bus is going to take me to Chicago!
But guess what if you just believe in the bus and and do not get in, it will not take you to Chicago.
It involves getting on the bus right?
And you know as a Christ follower it involves laying down our lives and saying God I know this is difficult, but I am not just believing, but I am following.
And look at how James closes this section, because He gives a couple of examples in verses 21-26. He says:
21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 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. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 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? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
You James talks about Abraham, trusting God with his son, even when his plan did not make sense.
He talks about a woman named Rehab who put her life in danger to follow God.
And we could get more into these stories, but I really do not want you to miss the point.
Following God and letting your faith spill out can be hard.
Living out are faith can be hard.
Helping someone in need can be a challenge when our resources might be limited
Forgiving a person, who you feel like should not be forgiven is difficult.
It can be hard to trust God in a situation that does not make sense.
But let me close this way, because while living a life for Christ can involve sacrifice it is so worth it.
Because lets just read this last verse we read together (verse 26):
James 2:26 (NIV)
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
You know a dead faith does not sound like a good faith,
it sounds a little dreary
But let me close on this because as a Pastor one of the things I do is sometimes I get to sit at the bedside of people who are on their final stretch of life.
And its a hard moment, but its also a moment where for the people who have lived a life devoted to God they often will share their life.
And it was a life that was full and really the life they lived impacted so many.
I don’t know about you but I want to be someone who lives a full life for God where I am letting Him overflow into every area.
And I know this sermon was a little repetitive today but I just believe that God wants us to live out our faith.
And today as we close we are ending on a song called living Hope.
And it talks about Christ resurrecting and maybe this morning there is an area that needs resurrecting,
Maybe its an area that is broken, maybe its just a place that you have been running from Him.
What would it look like to say God I am ready to die to myself and come alive in you.
Will you Pray with me? []=]